The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 73



Only Noblemtl

Episode 73. I want it

“It’s really quiet.”

Hela and Belle ran to the president’s office without any problems.

Except for the sleeping employees, not a single mouse was in sight.

There was no urgent intelligence operation as imagined.

In reality, it was closer to a running race with the added constraint of a time limit.

“Huk! Huh! Okay, let’s take a break… … .”

“Are you here to play? What kind of rest is this? What are you going to do if you’re out of breath after climbing just a few stairs? It’s not like there was a fight.”

“This, this, originally the lower exoskeleton was supposed to reduce the burden on the wearer, but there were design issues when changing the fully automatic design to a manual one… … It seems like it’s due to the hydraulic device… … .”

“What are you talking about?”

Hela could not understand Belle’s mumbling explanation, and had no intention of understanding it.

“So the problem is the machine after all?”

“In the end, huh! That’s true, though!”

“Then we need to fix it.”

“That’s easier said than done… …!”

“The machine is original.”

Taang!

A refreshing striking sound.

Belle realized with a shock that shook her lower body and her skull.

This woman slapped her own armor.

A sturdy spear made with the vision of a dwarf, cool and merciless.

“If you hit it, it will be fixed.”

“Oh my! This ignorant… … !”

They say mercenaries are more gentlemanly than contract workers.

Bell was sure it was a joke.

A contractor with no respect for technicians.

A mercenary who does not know the subtleties of machinery.

Both were so ignorant that it was impossible to tell which was better.

“What if it breaks down like this?”

It is an armor modified from a broken combat aircraft.

Since it was like patching up torn clothes with rags, you never knew when or how something would go wrong.

If that’s the case, then it’s a bit of a stretch that the exoskeleton doesn’t work.

There was again the risk of being trapped inside or even an explosion.

You’re saying that beating it will fix it?

It was crazy talk and crazy action.

“What are you talking about? You’re moving just fine.”

“… … Huh?”

“Just kidding. See.”

Belle jumped up the stairs.

The weight that had been weighing down my whole body disappeared.

The exoskeleton is finally working properly.

Fortunately, Belle did not consider this fortunate.

“T, why is this… … ?”

“Anyway, engineers are the most ignorant. I don’t understand why they say something so simple can’t be solved.”

“I told you, this isn’t right… … ?”

“What can’t be done? If you don’t know much about it, then keep quiet. Are you a company employee or a technician who makes things like this?”

Yes, the technician is right.

But Belle, with her pride crushed, could not reveal the truth.

Allen too, it’s clearly ignorant, but why does ignorance work?

I even started to feel confused about my own common sense.

“Anyway, the problem has been solved, so run. This is a race against time.”

It was fortunate that the Shadow Empress of Madhouse was absent.

But that didn’t mean I had time to relax.

The lawbreaker, who moved on a whim, had no way of knowing when he would return, just as he disappeared.

I had to achieve my goal as quickly as possible before anything annoying happened.

“Don’t even think about going off course like you did before.”

“It’s not a deviation from the path… … !”

“No, what?”

“Oh, I should stop talking.”

I was just doing what my colleague told me to do.

Belle was wronged, but the circumstances were inexplicable.

And it wasn’t just a deviation from the path for that reason.

I packed some items that would help me succeed in the mission assigned to me.

Bell suppressed his anger as he thought about the time when the ignorant mercenary in front of him would make him look at himself again.

“Is this the president’s office?”

Instead of borrowing the fallen researcher’s ID card, Hela took a classic approach.

Kkudangtang!

Belle swallowed a scream as she looked at the door, which was crumpled like a piece of paper.

Hela shook her hand lightly as if it was no big deal and strode into the room.

“That is… … ?”

“Wait a minute, let me check.”

Bell lifted the face of the middle-aged man, who looked as if he had fainted, and looked at him.

“I’m the president of Delight Confectionery.”

“You came to the perfect spot.”

Bell pushed back the chair he was sitting in.

It seemed as if the sleeping pill had definitely taken effect, as it didn’t even move an inch even when handled roughly.

“I’ll look over here.”

“You’re like an ignorant mercenary. What are you looking for?”

“Don’t you remember what we came here for? We’re supposed to be looking for ledgers and blueprints.”

“So why are you looking for classic handwritten documents?”

Bell clicked his tongue and connected the cable he had brought to the device on the table.

“… … found it.”

“You found it? Already?”

Belle smiled triumphantly at Hela’s surprised reaction.

But it wasn’t visible because it was covered by a gas mask.

“Storing blueprints and manipulating ledgers are easier electronically than by hand.”

The more shady a company is, the more it is competitively introducing this method as if it is being chased by someone.

It was a trick I knew well because I had tried it myself.

“What, you were a hacker?”

“Ahem, you could say that.”

Although it was a talent he had mastered due to circumstances, Bell did not hesitate when the moment came to show it off.

“I see? That’s right.”

Hacker.

As technology advanced and cities prospered, it was a profession that gained popularity.

In missions where success could not be guaranteed by force alone, they played a role in providing convenience and paving the way.

He was just the talent the mercenary group needed, suffering from a chronic manpower shortage.

His personality doesn’t seem to be very good, but that’s something that will change as he gets older.

Hela whetted her appetite.

“Then, after this request is over, come with me to see the old man’s face… … .”

It was at that moment that he was about to extend his reach.

Woohoo!

“What, what is it!”

The light began to fade.

The bright interior of the building was plunged into darkness, as if it had transformed into the interior of a cave in the corner of a mountain.

Unlike Belle, who was flustered, Hela could intuitively sense what was going on.

“Damn, you’re back already.”

The return of the Shadow Empress.

“You! Are you done preserving the data?”

“It’s almost… … over!”

“Then bite this hard and hold on to my waist.”

“What the heck… … .”

Belle’s curiosity was soon satisfied.

Because I experienced it firsthand.

Clang!

“Eww!”

As the window momentarily delayed the movement of the firewall covering the outer wall, Hela jumped down while hugging Bell.

Her hair and clothes were blowing wildly, and her facial muscles were contorted by the pressure of the strong wind.

Belle opened her eyes wide at the dizzying freedom that flashed through her mind.

It seemed like the sky was close and the ground was far away, but then it gradually started to turn around in the opposite direction.

It was a free fall.

“You ignorant mercenary bastard!!”

“It’s noisy, so shut up!”

“Ugh!”

Hela, who had stunned the terrified Belle, scanned the entire building.

All spaces except the president’s office were plunged into darkness.

It was a characteristic phenomenon that appeared when the Shadow Empress displayed her power.

‘Is it okay?’

Even though the opponent was a thief and not a famous combatant, I was worried considering Madhouse’s reputation.

Should I just throw the luggage down and ask for help?

Hela, who was thinking about slowing down by smashing a window into the building next door, suddenly experienced a blindingly bright flash.

Hwaaaa!

A brilliant blue light spread through the darkness.

‘Oh, there it was.’

It wasn’t a particularly unfamiliar sight.

Because it was an opportunity to look at the clumsy rookie contractor differently.

‘I guess it’ll be okay.’

He seemed very confident.

There was indeed a corner of belief.

***

Bianca deals with shadows.

It was a natural ability for a thief who was comfortable with darkness and had a knack for stealth.

If there was an unclaimed treasure, she would beat out countless competitors and get it.

If there was something he wanted, he would steal it from the hands of those in power and run away.

Naturally, the process wasn’t always smooth.

Yet Bianca succeeded in committing numerous thefts.

It was impossible to disparage him by saying that he must have received help from his colleagues.

It was before she joined Madhouse that she gained an unprecedented reputation as a thief.

So a mere thief ended up on the madhouse’s roster.

Contrary to popular belief, what made him possible was not merely the ability to manipulate shadows.

The source of Bianca’s powers came from the monsters she raised.

Growl!

Their silhouettes were completely absorbed into the darkness, their boundaries vague.

Because the cries were coming from all directions, it was difficult to determine their location, let alone their number.

The Shadow Empress who appeared on the prepared stage was not a mere thief, but the embodiment of fear.

That is why even those in power who have suffered many setbacks, as well as large corporations that have attracted top talent, do not act rashly.

Unless there is some special measure to dispel this artificial darkness, everyone is helpless.

“Try it somewhere.”

That’s why Bianca just enjoyed the hitman’s strange provocations as entertainment.

A swarm of monsters rushed at the enemy like waves.

The wave of monsters rushing in, their faint silhouettes visible in the darkness, had a corner that evoked the primal fear of living things.

This time, I think it will be the same feeling.

The other party did not react at all.

‘It’s over.’

Bianca relaxed her shoulders and thought about what to do next.

By a stroke of luck, I had the opportunity to steal an android without incurring any ill will from my partners.

All I had to do was slightly modify the plan that had already been established and give it some flesh.

The task is not that difficult… … .

Peeeeek!

“… … !”

The continuation of my thoughts was interrupted by the sharp roar of a beast.

“You’re not the only one who deals with beasts.”

A faint smile appeared in his voice.

The falcon that appeared from his tattoo pecked, grabbed, and threw the monster.

Even in the thick darkness, Bianca’s bright vision alone captured this accurately.

“Hmm, it looks like it’s no ordinary beast.”

The size of the winged beast was so large that it blocked the hallway.

The sharp eyes in his sharp gaze seemed to pierce through the darkness, tirelessly tracking the enemy’s movements.

The herd of monsters trying to devour their defenseless prey were unable to show off their might against the suddenly appearing top predator.

“That’s not all.”

Quazajak!

Bianca slid backwards through the darkness.

Immediately afterwards, a sharp, pointed stem shot up where she had been.

“What a unique ability?”

Tame beasts and manipulate plants.

It was a unique ability even among the contractors who gathered from all sorts of strange races.

bang!

“The aim is sharp.”

The shadow cast from her hair blocked the bullet that had been fired unexpectedly.

He doesn’t just rely on his abilities, he also has his own weapons.

Information about the other person vaguely appeared in my head.

“I think I’ve heard of it. I thought some random person was going to try to overturn the table without even knowing what was going on, but surprisingly, a famous person got involved.”

Of course, even so, he’s just a worthless rookie.

Yet what she remembers is…

“You were the one who fucked our mad dog, weren’t you?”

Because he was the one who toyed with Buggy Byle and even took it a step further and made him lose his life.

Although it was treated as a rumor in the industry, Bianca, who was moving with Buggy at the time, knew it was true.

“So, are you planning to take this opportunity to vent your grudge against your colleague?”

“We’re not that close. I’m just thinking of an excuse. With that crazy dog ​​personality, if I told you I killed you, you’d go crazy.”

“So you’re saying you’ll let me live?”

“Surely, I was wondering if my mad dog would give me a hard time if I killed you and said something.”

Thinking about the aftermath gave me a headache, but it didn’t change my decision.

“You killed my children, so shouldn’t you pay the price?”

He is the one who toyed with Buggy Byle.

Now that I know the identity, I won’t let my guard down from now on.

“Come out.”

While continuously charging the monsters, Bianca took out a special monster that had been sleeping in the subspace.

Kkumultung!

It was so large that it filled the hallway as a single entity rather than a colony.

Its entire body flowed like a liquid without any set form, and every time the bubbles on its surface burst, it gave off a foul, putrid smell.

Shadow Slime.

It was a monster that Bianca truly cherished.

If the wolf monster is a wave, then the shadow slime is a tidal wave.

The creature preys on everything it passes through and cleans it up.

‘The medicine I gave to Buggy probably wouldn’t work either.’

Since he is not a living creature, any hidden means he may have used would be useless.

The compatibility was bad.

Off the stage, Bianca was nothing short of the guy’s natural enemy.

Because Shadow Slime was an embodiment of immense physical force that no grabbing technique could overcome.

“I’ll finish it quickly and painlessly.”

Shadow Slime opened his mouth wide, crushing the monsters blocking his path.

The monsters were crushed into clay and scattered, absorbed by the guy.

Shadow Slime grew larger as he absorbed the hordes of monsters.

The rotten stench that had been vaguely hanging in my nose now filled the hallways.

Bianca sensed the end.

“… … ?”

It was then that I suddenly noticed a sense of discomfort.

‘The light… …?’

Slowly, a halo of light began to rise from the ceiling.

A halo of light floating in the air chased away the shadow.

It shone brightly in the darkness like stars densely packed in the dark night sky.

It was mysterious, like fireflies dancing at night, and dreamy, like the Milky Way pouring down from the sky.

“!”

It might have been like that for some people.

Bianca regained her senses, which had almost caused her to lose her mind.

Her survival instinct was sounding the alarm in the face of that beautiful sight.

“What the heck… … !”

The thick darkness that had descended upon the room was an artificial realm she had created.

Even if the outer wall of the building is breached, this darkness is not easily erased.

But this light shone brighter than the sun and drove away the darkness.

They erased her territory and created their own territory, painting it over.

Hwaaaa!

And when Bianca opened her eyes, suddenly, in the face of a sudden burst of light.

The world had changed.

‘What is this…?’

The sensation on my soles was different.

It’s dirt.

The smell that reached my nose was unfamiliar, so I had a hard time recalling it.

It smells like grass.

I thought I could faintly hear birds chirping.

The sound of insects chirping and water flowing tickled my ears.

Above all, everything I saw was green.

It was neither pitch-black nor the grayish-white of inorganic concrete.

It was a bright green color.

The splendor of the flowers blooming here and there was dazzling.

“… … .”

At the center of it all was a man.

Suddenly, a halo of light emerged around the man, illuminating his entire body one by one.

The gentle breeze ruffled his hair, catching the tip of his slender, sharp jaw.

High nose and pure white skin.

The eyes looking straight at her were sharp and focused, as if they showed strong will.

Bianca’s watch naturally expanded, as if guided by an exquisite visual device.

The illusion of a giant tree towering over the sky cast a shadow.

Bianca felt an indescribable thrill from him as he stood upright and solemnly beneath her like a priest.

“……and.”

Greed is the mind of covetousness.

And the standards of value that fueled Bianca’s material desires were dependent on others.

She had no sympathy for the monetary value of objects or the aesthetic value of works of art.

She was simply addicted to the base pleasure of possessing something that others desired.

Even she, who was like that, had a different opinion now.

“Declare territory.”

Bianca was honestly impressed for the first time.

Art that amazed everyone was unfolding before our eyes.

Wedge!

In the midst of the great waves of nature that flood you.

She felt an intense greed.

‘I want to have it.’

The material desire that suddenly arose was directed at people, not objects.