Chapter 38

[Object Number] IF-108

[Object Name] Nesi

[Object Class] High

[Threat Level] Neutral

[Imagination] Nesi (Nessie) is a cryptid said to inhabit Loch Ness in Scotland. Known for its long neck and small head, it is considered to be a surviving aquatic dinosaur from mass extinctions. Since the 1930s, it has gained significant attention, with numerous investigations, but the most famous photo of Nesi has been revealed to be a hoax.

[Reality] IF-108 externally resembles an unidentified aquatic creature akin to a plesiosaur. It appears to be the prototype for most ‘long-necked cryptids’ such as Nesi, Champ, Nahuelito, and Lariosaur.

IF-108 causes optical phase transitions around itself, constantly prismaticizing the surrounding space. Since it’s impossible to observe within the phase-shifted space without harming the object, its true form has never been witnessed. The shape of the refracted space changes constantly, and the size can extend up to approximately 15 meters.

IF-108 can teleport by creating a roughly 3-meter-wide wormhole at the front area, conventionally recognized as its “head,” to leap through space. During the process, the phase-shifted space is left behind while merging with the wormhole, resembling the shedding of a shell. The wormhole dissipates within seconds, making interference impossible. The maximum distance IF-108 can teleport remains unknown.

[Containment Procedures] IF-108 should be contained in the Topological Special Containment Chamber ‘Hofmanni.’ Every hour, the quantum cohesion index within the chamber should be measured, and if it exceeds 0.7, Code Blue should be initiated.

(Skipped content)

“Guwwak!”

— Thud.

‘Wall! Leap! Use it! Quickly! Quickly!’

Twisting its small body and narrowly avoiding the beak.

The Small Snake sent a telepathic message to its opponent.

An urgent demand for immediate action.

‘Waaang, my passage. I can finally rebuild it…!’

However, the opponent only murmured, its body wavering, remaining motionless.

Though the red lever was surely pulled, why wasn’t the opponent helping?

The Small Snake grew more anxious.

‘Help…!’

The beak of the Bird Beast got stuck in the wall, but the Small Snake couldn’t relax.

For when the Bird Beast shook its beak, the wall melted, and it escaped.

“Guwwak.”

The Bird Beast swooped down.

The Small Snake scrambled away hastily.

‘Me. Help! Quickly! Help! Help!’

Clearly upset at the opponent who hadn’t kept their promise and remained passive despite being helped.

The Small Snake moved toward the transparent prison wall where the opponent was visible.

Of course, the Bird Beast also flew toward it, targeting the Small Snake.

Finally reacting.

‘Uuuuuh?? Why, why is it coming this way…’

And then,

— Bang!

Unable to control its flight in the low-ceilinged area, nor after being trapped for a long time, the Bird Beast rammed straight into the prison wall of the opponent.

Pii? After assessing the situation,

The Bird Beast, now flattened like a dumpling, was looked upon by the Small Snake as it backed away.

‘Uuueh…’

— Swish.

As the Bird Beast’s outline melted with the transparent wall,

The Bird Beast fell inside the opponent’s prison.

The opponent’s body wavered violently.

Observing the Bird Beast shaking off and standing up without much trouble,

The Small Snake’s eyes darted around.

‘Job. What…?’

‘Uuuueeng…??’

The Small Snake reassessed the situation.

The passage now consisted of small holes melted in the Bird Beast’s shape.

The opponent was inside. The Bird Beast was inside.

But the Small Snake was outside.

Then…?

As the Small Snake hesitantly looked forward, the Bird Beast was already glaring at the opponent.

Though outwardly the opponent appeared several times larger than the Bird Beast,

The clear-eyed, insane Bird Beast was just approaching the opponent, drooling.

‘Uuuueeeng?! Yeaaah, what’s the deal with this…!’

Shifting its gaze sideways and quietly retreating,

‘…Support. Victory. Wish.’

Thinking that, with such a size difference, defeat was unlikely,

The Small Snake cautiously observed the two’s confrontation.

‘Yeeaah, I’m of the pure Sage bloodline! You Bird Beast! Chargeeerrr!!’

While emitting a whiiii noise.

The opponent threatened the Bird Beast.

“Guuuwaaaak!”

Even though the Bird Beast probably couldn’t understand the telepathy, it loudly cried back in confidence and retaliated.

‘… No, it was just a test. Don’t attack…!’

Toward the highly unreliable telepathic message from the opponent.

The Bird Beast darted into the air.

Suddenly,

The opponent’s body violently wavered, then suddenly became over twice as large.

Though the Bird Beast didn’t seem too terrified…

The Small Snake was startled with a scream and was thoroughly impressed by the overwhelming presence.

The Small Snake was shivering.

— Snap.

Something suddenly grabbed the Small Snake from behind and lifted it up.

Startled, the Small Snake nearly fainted as it let out a squeaky “Gueeeeng!”

‘Quiet. The eye trick won’t work twice. Tell the Bird Beast to stay there, and we’re heading to the Progenitor.’

Had the telepathic message not come immediately, the Small Snake might have actually fainted.

It was the opponent.

The opponent, who was just inside the prison, was now behind the Small Snake.

‘What? What?’

The growing question only intensified as the Small Snake alternated its gaze between the opponent inside the prison and the one behind, unable to resolve the confusion.

The opponent existed in two places simultaneously!

The Small Snake asked how it was done.

‘Hmm? The trick? Call it that… Anyway, as long as my body gets through, I just made a larger shell to buy time, then created a small passage inside it and hid it…’

Piiii…

While the Small Snake emitted an annoyed cry at the incomprehensible explanation,

A more pressing matter arose—wasn’t the mention about going to the Progenitor?

The Small Snake recalled this fact.

‘Progenitor! Position. Let’s go!’

The Small Snake wagged its small tail, urging.

‘Alright, let’s gooo!’

When the immediate reply came, the Small Snake was delighted with a “Pii!” at the thought of seeing the Progenitor again.

But nothing happened.

‘???’

The Small Snake nudged the opponent’s head, puzzled.

Though its face was not visible, the opponent seemed quite busy.

‘… Just a moment. Since I’m not teleporting alone, I need to concentrate a bit.’

Pii?

As the Small Snake waited anxiously, the Bird Beast, still locked in the standoff inside the prison, turned its head.

The Bird Beast made eye contact with the Small Snake.

“Guwwak.”

The Bird Beast smashed its beak into the transparent prison wall.

— Squeak, crunch.

The transparent prison melted, cracked, and the beak pierced through.

The Small Snake franticly harassed the opponent.

‘!!! Quickly! Quick!’

‘Ueeeeng, isn’t there more than enough space? It’s because of you that it’s stuck and won’t go through! Too small but so much presence…!! Lose some weight, you fatty!’

— Slap slap.

With sudden criticism, the opponent vigorously slapped the Small Snake’s rear.

Though it didn’t really hurt, the Small Snake felt quite upset.

The Small Snake grew fearful,

Because it remembered the Progenitor’s telepathic warning.

Surely… surely it wasn’t turning from a small snake into a pudgy snake, was it?

At the thought of becoming so fat it could no longer leap gracefully in the future,

‘No! Bad! Denial! Absurdity!’

The Small Snake increasingly and emphatically denied.

— Squish, slurp. Swish.

The Bird Beast, now halfway escaped.

Its imminent escape, coupled with the opponent’s continuing slaps on both sides,

left the Small Snake overwhelmed.

Gueeek…

— Roar.

The glow that warmed the Small Snake’s jaw was what saved it from fainting at that moment.

Thinking, “Without the Progenitor, I might die again,” the Small Snake was terrified.

Then,

The opponent suddenly grabbed and forced the Small Snake’s mouth open.

‘Yaaah, this is why we can’t get through! Not even a Sage, where did you get this pearl?! We’ll all die like this, spit it out quickly! Spit it outuuuu…!!’

‘Pearl? Spit it out? No way! Absolutely not!’

The absurd demand made the Small Snake irritated.

The Small Snake didn’t exactly know what the pearl’s significance meant, as it couldn’t eat it, but it was a gift from the Progenitor.

There was no way the Small Snake could spit it out.

To the Small Snake, it was more precious than life itself.

The Small Snake vigorously resisted.

Even though the opponent was larger, the lack of digits made grabbing the pearl quite challenging.

And as the Small Snake, oblivious to the life-threatening situation, was passionately arguing,

It fell silent.

What fell silent,

Firstly, the Bird Beast, which went berserk melting through the prison wall until it finally escaped,

And,

‘Bad! Bad! Protect the pearl!’

With a roar,

‘Uueeeeng, don’t bite! You know, you know! I don’t want to die yet uu…!’

What was left of the Small Snake’s fervent resistance,

Cooled down and fell silent.

‘Because of you, fat snake, we couldn’t cross the passage…? Uueeeeng?’

‘What?’

Whatever it was, the Small Snake, reassured it wouldn’t be asked to spit out the pearl again, finally looked around.

The Bird Beast was approaching, but it wasn’t important.

‘Alright! This time, for sure, let’s gooo!’

With a cry of ‘Awwwwwwaaaang—’,

The Small Snake was instantly pulled into the abyss.

Despite clearly saying it was to see the Progenitor,

Why was it being swept around in a chaotic and distorted current, the Small Snake couldn’t understand.

‘This is my passage! It’s quick, just hold your breath for a little longer.’

The current touched, making the Small Snake’s sore rear from earlier sting.

It flapped weakly, grumbly.

—–

It irritated me.

… Of course, Kan Hana constantly messing with my horn was also irritating,

but this didn’t bother me as much.

After all, it’s easily resolved.

“No, Loo… don’t leave…”

Why was she reacting this way after I just brushed my horn against hers in my dream?

She even mumbles her prayers rudely like that…

Anyway,

I’m clearly forgetting something, but I can’t recall it.

Despite remembering nearly everything trivial,

some trivial thing eludes me completely.

In human terms, it’s like suddenly becoming curious and going to a search engine only to forget what you were about to search for.

What analogy is this?

At that moment, as I ruminated,

— Pop.

A circle appeared in the empty space beside me with a deflating sound.

What’s this?

Hmm… since the cloaked humans are quiet, I assume humans can’t see it?

It seems to be connected to somewhere.

I peeked inside.

And finally understood what I’d forgotten.

“Gyaoo…”

There it is.

So trivial…

But who’s that beside it? That aura seems familiar somehow.

Could it be?

…Nah, probably not.

“Gyaoo.”

There’s no way I could have so many unknown descendants…

I shook my head.

“Loo… Yipe.”

An additional blow to Kan Hana’s face with my horn was just a bonus.