For the Prosperity of the Species! – Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Ideal DNA 1

The Captain of the Royal Guard threw me, who was like, ‘Huh? Where to?’, and flung me away.

Then, a bizarre-looking butthole opened on the wall, and a passage glistening with hair and oil swallowed me whole.

“Uwaaah!!!! Shiiiiiiiiiit Baaaal!!!”

Have you ever ridden a water slide?

This is a warm, lukewarm oil slide made of intestines and secretions.

While I was reeling from the foul smell, my body was suddenly spat out in front of Mursheet with a ‘thud’.

The other Royal Guards had already settled and were lined up, but I was the only one sprawled on the ground, struggling to get up.

“Ptooey, ptooey…… Puah! What the f*ck is that smell……”

“……What indecency……!”

Barab is disgusted by me again.

I wanted to retort with ‘I hate you too’, but I held back, thinking it would be too petty.

Seeing all the Royal Guards in position, Mursheet ascended the podium.

Countless Legionaries gazed at her with awe.

“……For the past month, we have conquered nine sub-race colonies and hunted hundreds of native species. The territory of the Outpost has quadrupled, and the number of Legionaries has doubled.”

Barab, with his arms behind his back, scanned the Legionaries with sharp eyes. If he saw even a hint of disregard for the Queen’s pheromones, he looked ready to slit their throats on the spot.

“But there haven’t been any significant gains. We haven’t achieved any feats that would overwhelm other Outposts, nor have we acquired any outstanding Genetic Traits to apply to myself. Do you know why?”

Mursheet shouted, swinging her arms.

“……It’s because of damn safety-first principles!!!”

‘Excuse me…???’

My jaw dropped.

‘What the hell is she talking about?’

The Queen, whose job was to rush into battle as soon as she finished her meal, is talking about safety-first principles?

While I was in shock, Mursheet’s passionate speech continued.

“No matter how many weaker beings we hunt, we cannot gain anything beyond them. Unless we devour races stronger than Gullak, we won’t obtain Genetic Traits surpassing those of Gullak. Why has Mursheet, all this time, been oblivious to this obvious fact?…… It’s because our Outpost was too weak! Because I was extremely sensitive to defeat and loss.”

Mursheet paused for a moment, then released a powerful pheromone.

“However, we are now strong! The time has finally come to challenge ‘Worthwhile Risks’!!!”

━Kieeeeeeeeek!!!━

“Tomorrow, Mursheet’s Legion will challenge the ‘Heldram’!!!”

━Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaak!!!━

All hell broke loose.

These buggers would cheer even if the Queen told them to ‘Eat shit!’.

While I agreed with the idea of challenging worthwhile risks, I was concerned about just how strong the enemy they were declaring war on was. I don’t want to die. I still lack the level and experience to participate in a guild siege.

Isn’t the word ‘challenge’ usually used for something superior to oneself?

A race that even the Gullak, known as the worst sub-race, considers a notch above… Does that mean the enemy is the strongest sub-race? Moreover, their name is ‘Heldram’. Coincidentally, if translated into English, it means Hell’s Drum…

“Captain-nim. What kind of creatures are the Heldram?”

“Ah. You must have never seen them.”

The Captain of the Royal Guard kindly explained.

Heldram.

A sub-race located northeast of our Outpost, they are said to be belligerent, one-eyed warriors. Putting together everything the Captain of the Royal Guard explained, they seemed like a combination of Cyclops and Orcs with a social structure. Of course, I would have to see them in person to know their exact appearance…

Actually, more important than their appearance was their achievement.

“Excuse me? With their bare hands?”

Just as there is the ‘Night Predator’ in the southwestern forest, there was an apex predator of the same level in the northeastern jungle. But guess what? The Heldram, those guys, apparently hunted them to extinction?

And to make it even more impressive, it was reported to the Legion that they were observed going in groups, only targeting individuals transitioning from juveniles to adults, and beating them to death with their bare hands.

‘What the hell… That’s scary…’

Is it some kind of coming-of-age ceremony?

Or a ‘Warrior’s Proof’ quest?

No matter what, isn’t it too barbaric to have a bare-handed brawl with the region’s apex predator?

And what about the parents who willingly send their sons to such a thing?

If they come back, ‘Woohoo~! I knew you could do it, my son! ww’

If they don’t come back, ‘He was a good son.’ Seriously.

I stealthily approached Mursheet from behind and spoke.

“Queen-nim… Regarding this operation… We have the support of the High Legion, right?”

“No.”

Mursheet whispered to me, who was in despair.

“……You and I might apply mutations or use mutation abilities on the spot, so how can we ask for help from another Legion? We can’t involve them. This must be handled secretly.”

“You speak the truth, but…”

“Are you worried?”

“How can I not be? It’s said that this battle will be tougher than any we’ve faced before.”

“Huhuhu… It will be a fight on an infinitely smaller scale than the ‘Annihilation Battle’ you experienced as a Zik.”

‘Well, that’s because I didn’t actually fight. I just dug a hole and hid because I didn’t want to die, and somehow became a war hero.’

“As a Royal Guard protecting Your Majesty, I will do my utmost.”

With tears in my eyes, I started to help with the war preparations.

……

[Heldram Outpost, Top Floor of the ‘Bone Tower’]

“……Those guys, they’re not normal.”

“What are you talking about? There’s no movement at all.”

“That’s the problem. It’s still the time when Workers and Ziks should be active. Look over there. There’s nothing.”

The single eye in the center of their large heads was no bigger than a human’s.

Creatures with faces that had no bridge, just two nostrils, mouths filled with menacing boar tusks, and bodies covered in burn tattoos.

The warriors of the Heldram, the ‘Strongest Sub-Race’, were monitoring Mursheet’s Outpost through telescopes.

“It’s true..! There’s not a single one in sight!”

“They must be preparing something inside.”

“Where are they planning to attack this time… Those vile bugs.”

The guards of the Bone Tower had witnessed countless Gullak advances. Their targets were always the weaker races. Having witnessed them sweep away these races and expand their territory, the Heldram had also been preparing for war, ready for whenever they might be attacked.

Preparations are complete.

If they head this way, they will have to brace themselves.

“Cowards who only act tough in front of the weak.”

“Huh? They’re coming out!”

The guards removed their eyes from the telescopes. There was no longer any need for them. The formation of such a large army could be seen with the naked eye even from dozens of kilometers away.

The Gullak army, a mixture of brown and dark red, began to line up in this direction.

“Has the time finally come?”

They knew this day would come. The strongest and the worst were located close to each other on the same continent, after all.

‘Damn them. They’re intentionally advancing at the time when night falls.’

The sun had already disappeared, and even the sunset was fading.

Fighting in the dark would give the Gullak the upper hand. Unlike the Heldram, they use antennae.

“……There are many higher-ranking individuals mixed in. Wait a minute, that’s…”

“It’s Queen Mursheet!”

As the guard blew his whistle, the warriors below dropped the logs they were carrying.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s war!!!”

“Prepare for war!!!”

At first, their eyes were wide with surprise, then they growled, ‘Krrrr’.

As the Workers and Warriors began to run around busily, the ‘Badek Trophy’ was raised high in the Heldram camp.

It was the head of the apex predator Badek, severed and impaled on a spear.

As the stench of blood clung to the flag and fluttered in the wind, the warriors steeled themselves for the decisive battle.

“Warriors, assemble!!!”

The one-eyed creatures, prepared to face death, gathered together, and the sound of drums, beaten with all their might, shook the ground.

━Dong…! Dong…! Dong…! ━

Under the command of their respective commanders, weapons were distributed, and they began to put on iron helmets, each completed with a single hole.

Double-headed axes, war hammers, beast claws, butcher knives, spiked clubs…

They were all crude and brutal weapons, but their simple structure made them look sturdy.

The hero of the Heldram, known as the ‘Chief Warrior’, ascended the platform.

He crushed the heart of a livestock animal and smeared its blood across his face with his four fingers.

After roughly finishing his ‘war paint’, he spat through his broken tusks and shouted.

“The Gullak are coming!!!”

━Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!━

As the drums roared ‘Dong Dong Dong’ and the warriors’ hearts began to race, the Chief Warrior raised his double-headed axes and roared.

“Uoooooooooooooh!!!”

━Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!━

A whirlwind swept through the Heldram, the ‘Bone Crusher’ Clan. No lengthy speeches were needed. The Chief Warrior’s powerful roar was more impactful than any eloquent words.

Their fighting spirit was so overwhelming that it made me dizzy with the excess of testosterone.

The fervor of these war maniacs reached even the distant Gullak camp.

……

[Queen Mursheet’s Camp]

“……It’s the Heldram’s war drums. It seems they’ve noticed us.”

As Barab informed her, Mursheet smiled with delight.

“That’s to be expected.”

“Their reaction speed is alarming. They might have been prepared…”

“Hmm.”

Despite Barab’s continuous updates, Mursheet seemed unconcerned. Growing impatient, Barab released his pheromones with a sharper edge.

“Your Majesty. This way, we lose the advantage of the first strike. Are you going to proceed as planned?”

“I intended to attack head-on from the beginning.”

“..!?”

‘A head-on confrontation with the Heldram…?’

To Barab’s eyes, Mursheet seemed reckless. Perhaps her judgment was clouded by her longing for high-quality Genetic Traits. The opponent is the Heldram. A single mistake could lead to their annihilation.

“Queen-nim, they are masters of combat and rulers of the swamps and jungles. As long as we are the ones attacking, the terrain advantage lies with them.”

“Don’t be anxious. Who do you think I am?”

“……Are you perhaps planning to use the weapon that the Last Legionary handed over?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The Heldram are at their strongest when facing a single powerful individual. The weapon I’ve acquired with such effort would be wasted without any significant effect.”

“Then how do you intend to gain the upper hand…”

“Enough. If you doubt me one more time, I’ll pull that pheromone-mixing organ out of your body.”

“…”

Barab was anxious, but he had no choice but to trust in Mursheet’s confidence.

……

[Lee Hyun-soo’s Perspective]

“Last Legionary. Can you hear it?”

Jji, attached to the back of my neck, suddenly released pheromones.

‘Holy shit… You scared me!’

To think she would contact me through Jji even though she’s right next to me. I calmed my surprised heart and replied.

“I can hear it clearly.”

“You must perform well and survive. Can you do it?”

“I will do my best.”

“I asked if you can do it.”

‘…It’s the same thing, damn it…’

“I will do it.”

“Good. Take this.”

The Queen handed me something behind her back, discreetly so the other Royal Guards wouldn’t notice.

“This is…?”

“While you were asleep in your evolutionary slumber for eight days, we engaged in thirteen battles. This is one of the Genetic Traits obtained during that time. It’s of no value to me… But it might be a rather attractive ability for you.”

I looked down at what I had received. It was a piece of unidentified meat with a strange fluid oozing from it. Mursheet continued to explain.

“A Queen can have a total of two ‘Voids’. Empty spaces on the genetic map that can accept new genes.”

I couldn’t understand why she was suddenly telling me this unsolicited information. Is this really necessary information right before the battle with the Heldram?

I half-listened while keeping an eye on the battlefield. The black smoke rising from the Heldram camp must be their way of preparing for light.

‘I can’t expect to fight in the dark.’

Regardless of my focus, Mursheet’s pheromones continued.

“I’ve been thinking about what kind of being you are. I have a hunch. If I’m right, you are a Zik born with the characteristics of a Queen.”

Even without a nose, I scoffed.

‘Nope, you’re wrong. I’m a soul from Earth that was launched without a factory reset.’

However, Mursheet’s intuition couldn’t be ignored. She had pointed out something I didn’t even know about myself.

“Check it. Your Voids might have increased.”

“Excuse me…?”

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