This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 651

I decided to walk to the target point.

Everyone knew it was a long distance to walk, but there was no other choice.

After all, there were no options available.

If everyone could move freely in the air, that might be one thing, but due to someone’s limitations regarding their talents, it was simply impossible.

Sure, moving through the air would be faster, but if the Another Ones decided to target and ambush someone, we’d be weakened before the actual operation even began.

So, we had no choice but to walk, even if it would take a bit longer.

Of course, walking had the critical drawback of exhausting our stamina before we even got into a fight… but all we could do was trust the training we had repeated over time.

None of them were ordinary heroes; they had all put in grueling efforts to get to this point, hence a little walking wouldn’t put a dent in the tower of effort they had built.

“However, the problem arises if those guys choose to engage in a prolonged battle…”

Has anyone thought of countermeasures for that?

At the question from one of the members designated as the strike team, people’s gazes naturally turned toward Miss Almighty.

After all, she was the one who proposed this operation, so it made sense to look for countermeasures from her.

“I do have some methods in mind, but… I think we’ll be fine for a while.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Well, it’s obviously because you’ve all cleared them out completely.”

The number was definitely not small, so no matter how much the Another Ones might be, recovering from that level of damage in a short time would be challenging. It was probably what she meant to convey.

Hearing Miss Almighty’s intention, everyone murmured, “Well, true…”

Only then could we finally start moving.

Getting away from the vicinity of the forward base was not so difficult.

In that area, the debris had already been cleaned up neatly, and the mapping phase to figure out where everything was was nearly complete.

And one of the people who participated in that work was in our group as well.

Ah, of course, there were bits and pieces of the Another Ones scattered around due to the battle, but that was all.

It wasn’t like something that was thought to be dead would suddenly stand up and attack; that only happened in war movies.

Of course, it was hard to do so since they were all shattered into tiny pieces anyway.

‘Those things…’

Are actually parts of that tree…

Honestly, I still couldn’t believe it.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Miss Almighty’s words; it was just… hard to believe.

Things that moved as if they were alive—even the “girl” who had intruded into our reality to abduct Dogun—were merely puppets controlled by a massive will.

That certainly wasn’t something easy to believe.

And yet, on the other hand, some things that had never made sense began to make a little more sense.

Like, for instance… how could the Another Ones maintain such numbers even without reproductive organs? The mysterious part of Another ecology that had remained unsolved until now finally made sense.

Of course, there was no need for reproductive organs.

Why would a puppet that was merely a fragment of a massive entity need such a thing?

As I was cramming the newly realized fact into my head and diligently putting one foot in front of the other, a voice filled with tension broke through my thoughts.

“…They’re coming!”

No explanation was provided about what was coming.

But nevertheless, the moment those words echoed, everyone began to feel the tension rise.

It was essential to be ready to react the moment something jumped out.

Suddenly, the ground trembled slightly.

And as the sensation passed beneath my feet, I instantly pulled my body back.

With a squelching sound, the place where she had just stood split open lengthwise right afterward.

From that split, the roots we had witnessed back at the forward base surged up.

Had I been even a moment slower to act, my body could have been pierced by it.

However, the sheer shock of what followed was too startling to freeze in place.

The flower bud made of muscle and flesh, precariously dangling from the tip of the root, suddenly inflated, dropping objects that looked like shredded roots onto the ground.

The pieces that landed began to gather, resembling living flesh and muscle, as if they were playing with clay.

As everyone reflexively grimaced at the sight of the grotesquely writhing mass, a part that was undoubtedly a leg abruptly sprung forth.

Then came the arms and head.

Once it had its arms and head, it was finally complete—

“Insane… the speculation was right.”

Unlike the standard Another, it was streamlined and agile in appearance.

Such beings began to appear here and there.

It was the moment Miss Almighty’s speculations were confirmed.

‘Huh…’

Honestly, I had hoped it wasn’t true.

But witnessing dozens of Another Ones being pulled from nothing like that, I had no choice but to believe it, no matter how much I wanted to deny it.

While that inner lament echoed, my hands were busy holding in check the things that suddenly emerged.

When I sensed an unusual sign, I quietly prepared, aiming at the nearest opponent.

Simultaneously, I glanced at the others to see they had also begun their assaults at similar timings.

Was everyone convinced that now, while they had just revealed themselves, was the best time to take them down easily?

Thanks to that, the sound of chaos erupted all around us.

However, that was just the beginning.

What had just revealed themselves were merely a means to keep us grounded in this place, for soon, all sorts of debris began piling up, and similar things began emerging from the heaps.

“It seems we’re completely surrounded?”

“They’re indicating they won’t let us go easily.”

A situation certainly troublesome enough.

Even so, everyone wore expressions filled with confidence.

After facing the specimens provided moments ago, it seemed like these were not as troublesome as the higher entities we had previously engaged with back at the forward base.

At least their exoskeletal toughness was nowhere near that level… in fact, they seemed weaker than lower-class entities.

However, even if there were dozens of them, how could we possibly feel tense about it?

Naturally, there was no reason to feel tense, and perhaps the Another Ones were dissatisfied with our nonchalant response.

As they spread out, perhaps thinking that the people here would feel some kind of pressure, they began to emit strange cries from their positions amidst the wreckage.

Kieeeeek—!

Kiiieek—!

They looked like they would charge at us any moment.

However, what hit their bodies from our side was far quicker than they could take a step forward.

Had they sensed the debris mounds around them?

The attacks were certainly much better controlled than before, but it was enough.

With our substantial practical experience, we hurled our attacks confidently, knowing they would clear out only the targets without creating any larger disturbances.

That said, while our initial response had seemed loud, their retreat was disappointingly empty.

But that was just the beginning.

Before our party could reach our destination, everywhere we went, similar things began popping up, all aiming to thoroughly drain our strength.