After confirming that Maybell Pilgrim had safely entered the White Line, I moved without hesitation.
It was time to head to the battlefield on the western front in earnest.
'Just considering the number of monsters and beasts I've hunted so far; it should be enough to block this wave... but there's no time to rest if I think about the future.'
Ark's resources were limited.
This doesn't just apply to supplies, but also to human resources.
How we overcome the early waves, which are relatively easier, will inevitably affect the difficulty of the later waves.
'I have to preserve the Ark's strength as much as possible.'
That was why I was in such a hurry.
Finally, I arrived at the boundary between Mount Noah and the Red Line front and firmly grasped the Ark-15 automatic rifle.
Click—
I aimed at a roughly 50-degree angle into the sky.
Without hesitation, I pulled the trigger of the NO-13 grenade launcher.
Not just once.
I pulled the trigger repeatedly, to the point where my finger cramped up.
Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!
Numerous grenades fired skyward in a parabolic Ark before succumbing to gravity, raining down on the Red Line front.
Some collided with flying beasts and insectoid monsters in mid-air, exploding prematurely, but most continued their descent.
Countless black dots falling from the sky—
It was practically a bombardment.
A catastrophic bombardment aimed at the monsters.
KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!
[You have slain a Grade-10 Beast Type, Tropical Plains Raptor.]
[Damage against Tropical Plains Raptors increases by 0.05%.]
[You have slain a Grade-8 Beast Type, Skull Hound.]
[Damage against Skull Hounds increases by 0.05%.]
The wave of monsters charging in like a tidal wave momentarily halted under the rain of dozens of grenades.
Grrrr...
The NO-13 grenade launcher doesn't have a particularly long range, not compared to the Ark-15 in anti-materiel sniper mode or even automatic mode.
That meant that I was somewhat exposed to the Red Line front.
'I've drawn aggro.'
Sure enough, despite no distinct ether response, the monsters and beasts began to charge at me.
The distance between them and me was less than 1 kilometer.
But there was no reason to be afraid.
[Switching to Automatic Mode.]
Aim. Fire.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gunfire rang out continuously.
The Ark-15 automatic rifle, now significantly enhanced thanks to Maybell Pilgrim's upgrade, never once overheated and continued to spit out bullets, creating a massive barrage.
The monsters fell.
The beasts died.
Before long, the fallen corpses formed a wall of flesh, serving as both shield and barricade.
'Keep holding your ground.'
I adjusted the angle again, pointing the muzzle diagonally upward.
My grip shifted to the grenade launcher's trigger.
Click—
Thunk!
The firing sound of the NO-13 grenade launcher was so subdued that it almost sounded like anything but a grenade being launched.
It was quieter than even a silenced rifle shot, giving the illusion that something else was being fired.
As a result, the monsters on the battlefield didn't even realize what was dropping from the sky.
A silent bombardment rained down once more.
KABOOM! KABOOM! KABOOM!
Bombardment, suppression, and bombardment again.
Just repeating this simple process was enough to halt the advance of the monster horde in the Red Line.
Monsters like Moog, The Stone Thrower were the exception, but most of the beasts and monsters appearing in the second wave at the Red Line weren't much to worry about.
'If I try to use such reckless tactics later on, I might just end up getting impaled by bone spears or hit by more rock throws...'
But that time wasn't now.
This was the Red Line front, and the monsters and beasts here were not of such a high caliber.
More importantly, I wasn't fighting alone.
Strictly speaking, I was merely assisting the ongoing battle between the Ark and the monster horde.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Ratatatatata!
The overwhelming firepower from the Ark—artillery and heavy weapons far beyond what I carried—littered the battlefield like discarded stones, completely outclassing anything I had.
Maybe that's why—
Groooo...
Screeeeech!
The relentless howls and roars of monsters and beasts gradually faded.
A word that seemed never to come—"End"—finally became tangible.
Growl!
Rooooar!
The monsters' eyes turned toward me.
I didn't hesitate and drove a bone tendril from the bone armor into the ground.
[Activating Ankelenth's Domain.]
[Time remaining: 25 seconds.]
There was hardly any time left to maintain the domain.
But it didn't matter.
This war was about to end.
And as if to confirm that—
The final monster fell.
[Stage Red-02 has been cleared!]
[Contribution points are being tallied.]
[+11,514 Contribution points]
[Your exceptional performance significantly impacted the frontline! Additional Contribution points are granted.]
[+2,500 Contribution points]
[You successfully rescued the head of the Special Purpose Weapons Research Institute from the Red Line amid chaos! Additional Contribution points are granted.]
[+1,500 Contribution points]
[Total Contribution points: 32,435]
The second wave—
The second wave since I arrived in this world—
It was finally over.
Proof of the war that just took place lay scattered across the Red Line front—countless burning corpses of monsters and beasts.
The Ark would once again have to expend considerable effort and resources to clean it all up.
"Hooah..."
I slumped down to the ground.
My hands were searing hot, the barrels of the Ark-15 automatic rifle and NO-13 grenade launcher were close to warping from the intense heat, and sweat poured from my body like rain despite having a Level 2 Steel Body.
That was how fierce the battle had been.
'Still, it was worth it.'
Through this wave alone, I had gained nearly 15,000 contribution points.
In the first and second stages, the typical range of contribution points earned is between 500 and 1,000.
But I had acquired over 30,000 contribution points from just two waves and one battle.
Considering that I now had a chance to connect with the Ark's quartermaster thanks to Maybell Pilgrim, it was an incredible gain.
'At this rate... I might even be able to buy "that" too.'
Of course, that would depend on how negotiations with the quartermaster went, but since Maybell had hinted at it, it seemed plausible.
'I don't know who will be assigned as the quartermaster, but... hopefully, it'll be that guy.'
Well, that was for later.
Even though the wave had finally ended, I stood up.
There was still something I needed to do.
'I still have things to collect.'
If I dawdled too long, the Ark might incinerate all the monster and beast corpses, so I had to move quickly.
'Especially, I must secure the corpse of Moog, The Stone Thrower.'
A Grade-5 Named Monster.
Among the things the bone parasite had consumed, excluding Ankelenth's Fang, it was by far the highest-ranked.
Fortunately, Moog's corpse was within Mount Noah, so the chances of it being incinerated by the Ark were low.
But that didn't mean I could afford to be complacent.
In this wretched world, being careless for even a moment could have dire consequences.
'First, I should consume the nearby monster corpses before heading to Noah.'
Since the monster and beast corpses here fell within the Ark's incineration range, I needed to hurry.
'Alright, it's mealtime.'
[Gik!]
The bone parasite, which hadn't had much opportunity to act in this battle aside from deploying Ankelenth's Domain, had still supported me plenty as a bone armor during movement.
Honestly, if not for the bone armor, I wouldn't have dared to approach the Red Line front so boldly.
Ssssss─!
Bone tendrils slithered out of the bone armor and pierced the nearby monster and beast corpses without hesitation.
Slurp, squelch─
Watching them suck the corpses like straws, even I, who had been through countless battlefields, found it hard to watch.
'Hmm.'
In a pool of beast blood that had gathered nearby, my reflection appeared.
Bone tendrils stretched out in all directions, voraciously devouring the corpses—
I looked no different from a monster myself.
If anyone saw me like this, they'd probably shoot without a second thought.
'Hurry up and eat.'
I wasn't keen on getting shot just because I took my time, so I urged the bone parasite.
[Gik!]
The bone parasite protested, as if saying even a starving dog wouldn't be bothered while eating.
But I wasn't in the mood to wait.
'Hey, at least pick the good stuff. Stop filling up on useless junk.'
The monsters and beasts the parasite was consuming were mostly low-grade, around Grade-10 or 9.
No matter how many of them it devoured, it wouldn't result in any satisfactory growth.
'Let's see... Ah, that one. Eat that.'
I pointed at the corpse of a Grade-8 Monster Type a bit further away, and the bone parasite stretched out its tendril as if understanding.
As I scouted for better corpses, one particularly conspicuous monster caught my eye.
I knew that one.
'That's...'
A Grade-6 Named Subterranean Monster, Mule, The Tunnel Digger.
A named Subterranean Monster comparable to Mossback Kupf, known as the Black-Furred Burrowing Mole.
Since it usually lives underground, finding its corpse should have been difficult, but for some reason, it lay sprawled out on the battlefield like a roadside rock.
It was pure luck.
'Hey, eat that. Now.'
I urgently called the bone parasite.
Finding the corpse of a Grade-6 Named Monster at the Red Line, just within the Ark's line of sight, was a rare opportunity.
As an appetizer before devouring the Grade-5 Named Monster Moog, The Stone Thrower, it was perfect.
[Gik!]
Realizing the power emanating from the Mule, the Tunnel Digger, the bone parasite eagerly sent out multiple tendrils.
Squelch, slurp──!
Sluurp, slurp...
The energy transferred through the bone armor was incomparable to the low-grade monsters earlier.
It felt almost identical to when I consumed the Mossback Kupf.
I quickly checked the bone armor.
──────────────
[Bone Armor (Lv.3)] [★★★★★★★ (7 stars)]
— Standard Ark-issue protective gear (Lv.3) combined with a domesticated bone parasite as its power source.
— The heart of the Grade-6 Named Monster Mossback Kupf is used as the parasite's core.
— The parasite can utilize the power of Mossback Kupf to some extent.
— Absorbing more of Mossback Kupf's flesh and blood has increased its ability.
— Though it has absorbed Ankelenth's Fang, it has not yet fully assimilated its power.
— Can temporarily deploy "Ankelenth's Domain".
— Current absorption rate of Ankelenth's Fang: 9.8%
— Devoured the entirety of the Grade-6 Named Subterranean Monster Tunnel-Digger Mule, fully assimilating its power.
— Can fully utilize Tunnel-Digger Mule's abilities.
"View Details"
──────────────
'As expected...'
Unlike with Mossback Kupf, the parasite completely devoured Mule, The Tunnel Digger.
Due to Mossback Kupf's massive size and the parasite's underdeveloped state at the time, it couldn't fully consume it.
But this time, thanks to the parasite's growth and Mule, The Tunnel Digger being comparatively smaller, it consumed everything.
With Mossback Kupf, I only gained the [Hardening] ability, but now it was different.
I focused my mind, conveying my intent to the bone armor.
["Burrow" has been activated.]
With that, the bone tendrils immediately plunged into the ground, digging with ease.
I could feel it—
The tendrils could move freely underground.
'Moreover... I can even use it like this.'
The tendrils that had burrowed underground shot up from the surface, launching an ambush.
A surprise attack from below—
It was almost reminiscent of Shadow Sart's shadow manipulation ability.
'Actually... with this ability, I might even be able to hit Sart of the Shadows.'
Despite being a physical entity, Sart of the Shadows can hide within shadows, making it a nightmare to fight without overwhelming firepower to destroy the terrain.
But if I could directly attack the shadow itself from underground...
If my guess was right, it would be enough to deal a blow.
The true potential of [Burrow] didn't end there.
'Can you manage it?'
[Gik!]
The bone parasite, brimming with confidence, moved the tendrils rapidly, burrowing beneath my feet.
Just like Mule, The Tunnel Digger, I naturally sank into the ground.
And then it hit me—
'...Wait, I can't breathe down here.'
But there was a way.
I quickly formed a hollow bone tendril and extended it to the surface, creating a makeshift breathing tube.
A bone respirator of sorts.
Though it looked ridiculous, the ability to vanish underground without leaving a trace was incredibly useful.
'Great for hiding in emergencies.'
While there were monsters underground as well, they were far fewer than those above ground.
Now I had gained the ability to manipulate bone tendrils underground and hide below the surface in case of danger.
Both abilities were as useful as [Hardening] from Mossback Kupf.
'Lucky break. Finding a Grade-6 Named Monster's corpse here...'
And with this, the absorption rate of Ankelenth's Fang had increased.
A truly fortunate find.
But there was no time to celebrate just yet.
I turned my gaze to Mount Noah.
My main dish was still waiting for me there.
'Moog, The Stone Thrower.'
It was time to devour that thing.