Golden Experience

It might be that Blanc needs Newts for seeking Dragon Zombies.

While it’s tempting to create Gargouilles, it’s not necessary for the current strength of my faction as of now. It can be put off for now. Newts will be left alone without over-hunting.

Angels periodically attacking are automatically dealt with by insects placed in various locations.

The Vespas, with a combat power of around ☆3 dungeons, might be outnumbered by angels, but losing is unlikely if the difference is not significant.

Although Vespas are defeated in considerable numbers, they revive by the next wave. It’s a mutual understanding.

Defeating Vespas likely gives experience to the Archangel, but the experience gained by us should be significantly higher. Since angels never retreat, at least in Hiers, insects take care of most of them. While there is a negative modifier for the individual combat power, the total experience gained is substantial.

No matter how long the Archangel has been farming experience on this continent, the day we catch up doesn’t seem far.

I’m considering the Archangel attacks in the following way:

The Archangel views this continent as a huge fish farm, cultivating humans and monsters as fish. Angels serve as both fish food and a net to scoop up the prey. They scatter weaker angels on the surface, defeating them and crushing evolved humans and monsters with sheer numbers.

Individuals that become too powerful to defeat are left alone. Since most characters have a lifespan, troublesome fish will eventually disappear.

In essence, what I am doing in various dungeons is the same, just on a larger scale.

If that’s the case, the Archangel can’t rely solely on weak angels as their pawns. Considering my own situation, it’s apparent.

For me, having high-ranking officers like Sugaru, Deas, Sieg, and Kerry is not surprising. Even if I become strong, defeating the Archangel’s forces alone is difficult. Dependable subordinates who can help control the surroundings are necessary.

Therefore, the immediate task is not the development of new forces like the Gargouille unit but the strengthening of existing subordinates.

Originally, the idea of creating the Gargouille unit was driven by reasons like coolness and romance, but upon careful consideration, there’s no place to deploy them.

Considering the name and the creature it’s based on, a Gargouille’s abilities would probably be most effective near water. While major cities often have rivers, a Gargouille is likely too large to enter them.

Regardless of river width, the water is too shallow. What may be a deep river for humans is not deep for them. Placing dragons in a river only knee-deep, what’s the point?

“Well, they can fly and breathe fire, so it’s not like they have to stick to water.”

Lyra not calling Abigor may also be a reason. Recently, he seems to be talking to the World Tree. It’s fine if there’s communication, but if not, it’s quite pitiful. She hasn’t confirmed it with the World Tree out of fear.

“For now, let’s leave the matter of the nonexistent Gargouille aside and focus on strengthening existing forces.”

The location is the familiar Tore Forest.

In terms of size, defense thickness, and dungeon characteristics, this forest is very convenient.

Most of the trees in this forest are of the Treant type, so like La Colinne’s forest, it can be easily turned into a maze. If you don’t want players or NPCs to approach, it’s easy to prevent.

If attacked directly from the sky, there’s no way to prevent it, but the airspace of this forest is constantly patrolled by Megasyros, defending it. Unless attacked by an overwhelming number like angels, their defense cannot be breached.

“First, let’s play around with those Megasyros a bit. They seem to have increased lately.”

The experience gained recently was given to Sugaru, Deas, and others as pocket money.

For example, if Deas, who doesn’t have any subordinates, used it, it seemed he increased his own abilities. Since there was no increase in active skills, it seems the current ones are sufficient for now.

On the other hand, it seems that Sieg used the reinforcement on his subordinates who haven’t become Warrior Skulls or Giant Corpses yet. Due to their large numbers, the gained experience points may be just a drop in the bucket, but since they were given the freedom to use them as they pleased, there was no need to complain about it.

The issue lies with Sugaru.

Probably, but it seems like she’s using it to create new Megasyros.

“Well, you can use it as you like.”

<I apologize. That’s what I was allowed to do.>

“Ah, you’re here.”

Although she didn’t specifically call, she conveyed the intention to tinker with the Megasyros a bit. Is it really that important?

<It was because you were going to strengthen the Megasyros.>

“Well, I don’t know if there’s a need to strengthen them at the moment. They’re already top-class in terms of combat power among the aerial forces. And the numbers have increased quite a bit. If possible, I’ll fuse a few to organize them more conveniently.”

<If that’s the case, they might become larger in size, like Lord Ubel.>

Sugaru is excited.

However, the Megasyros are already large enough. They may not be as big as Ubel or Ururu, but they are likely larger than the Treants growing around. If, for example, 30 of them were fused, how large would they become?

Considering the current trend, the weight of the born creature is probably larger than the total weight of the input monsters. If that’s the case, it might lead to results that she doesn’t want to think about, or considering the proportional consumption of MP to the size of the egg, it might not be possible in the first place.

“Suga—”

I was about to suggest something else, but Sugaru had already prepared a barrel of some sort. The barrel is fixed horizontally on a pedestal, and the bottom of the lid has a small hole covered by something like a cork.

I didn’t know about this culture in this world because I wasn’t interested, but this is probably a wine barrel or something similar. I had seen images of such things as references.

But I certainly wasn’t trying to make them drink wine.

<Please be reassured. The MP potion is here.>

“…I see. Thank you.”

While most of the production facilities were moved to Rifure, I hadn’t closed down the Liebe factory. She probably requisitioned it from the engineer subordinates working there. The ant engineer working there is one of the members assigned early on, probably mostly directly under Sugaru.

“Just to be clear, if it’s not fusion material, nothing will happen.”

<I understand.>

It can’t be helped. I have to do it.

There’s no denying that I need to increase my strong airborne units.

Considering the current forces, there is a significant imbalance between ground forces and aerial forces. Since the opponents to be fought on the ground are overwhelmingly more, it shouldn’t matter that much, but in this case, all the angels are appearing from the sky.

If I consider reinforcing against the Archangel, expanding the aerial forces is essential.

“Okay, bring everyone over. [Philosopher’s Egg].”

<We have come at your call.>

“Oh, thank—”

There were so many of them.

There were dozens of Megasyros, perhaps even close to a hundred.

I’m not particularly afraid of bugs or anything, but this sight just triggers an instinctual fear. Countless glowing red eyes, wings trembling slightly, and the mysterious “kichikichi” sounds that seem to come from nowhere.

I sympathize with anyone who would have to face this landscape.

Although the angels, when attacking, only seem to have the emotion of “anger” based on their expressions, it’s unclear whether they possess normal emotions.

Ignoring the goosebumps and the wings that for some reason won’t fold, they silently continued with their work.

*

“Well, for now, it seems like we don’t need that large quantity of potions.”

Perhaps due to their size or originally designated that way, only five Megasyros could fit into the egg as materials. Even so, at that point, the size of the eggs was comparable to the size of Ubel.

As before, in addition to the Philosopher’s Stone, I also mixed in my blood. I wanted to experimentally include pure hearts and such, but those were rejected.

And the born creature was named “Meganeuron.”

It had a glossy reddish-black exoskeleton and, in few words, had a silhouette resembling a dragon made from insect parts.

Compared to Gargouilles, it was slightly elongated, and on the front legs, there were large beetle-like appendages. The hind legs were similar.

That would be fine on its own, but between the front and hind legs, there were multiple pairs of similar appendages. It might resemble a shrimp that doesn’t curl, or rather, a mantis shrimp. When it stood up, the densely packed area near the base of those appendages was too uncomfortable to look at.

The head was covered in a sharp exoskeleton, and antennae resembling those of some types of beetles extended backward. Although the silhouette itself could be seen as somewhat dragon-like, it’s regrettable that the lower jaw opens from side to side. The head shape itself could be described as a sleek horse face, but looking only at the mouth, it might resemble a dragonfly.

“…Ah, maybe because it’s a Dragonfly.”

In addition to the mouth, it also had large jaws similar to the stag beetle from before. Rather than resembling a stag beetle, considering the overall silhouette, it gave an impression more like a snake dragonfly.

Also, on its back, wings… no, membranes, were arranged in a shape resembling a combination of bat wings and insect wings, with several veins supporting the thin, semi-transparent membrane. Naturally, it had two pairs, totaling four.

“Come to think of it, I saw somewhere that the gigantification of arthropods is hindered by the exoskeleton. Is it okay?”

When driving joints composed of an exoskeleton, the muscles needed for that are naturally inside the exoskeleton. Therefore, the size of the muscles is restricted by the shape of the exoskeleton.

On the other hand, the strength produced by the muscles is proportional to their cross-sectional area. Additionally, the load that the muscles need to support is proportional to the volume of the organism. In other words, if an organism is similarly enlarged, in terms of proportion, while the strength of the muscles increases with the square of the size, the load on the muscles increases with the cube of the size.

In the case of organisms with exoskeletons, the conditions become even more stringent. In organisms with endoskeletons, it’s possible to cope to some extent by thickening the muscles. However, in exoskeleton organisms, since the size of the muscles is restricted by the exoskeleton, there is inevitably a limit to the size at which their specifications can be fully demonstrated.

This is why organisms with exoskeletons cannot grow as large as other animals, such as elephants or whales.

“…Or rather, my STR isn’t necessarily generated by my muscles. If we go by numbers alone, I’d probably win in an arm wrestle against Lyra’s Gargouilles, but it’s not like my arms are as thick as theirs.”

As long as abilities and skills receive game-like support, the appearance and specs don’t necessarily match. Despite that, there are modifiers for size differences, such as evasion/hit rate adjustments due to size differences, and damage dealt adjustments due to weight. Even if the Gargouilles and I had equal STR, the Gargouilles’ punches would probably be more powerful than mine.

<Yes, it’s good indeed. It looks big and cool.>

“…Yeah. I’m glad…”

When the size is large, there are benefits such as an increase in attack power during physical attacks or a constant percentage increase in LP regardless of VIT or STR. However, in return, there are disadvantages, such as a decrease in accuracy during attacks or receiving multiple hits when subjected to area attacks.

On the whole, considering the psychological pressure it puts on enemies, it might not be bad for it to be larger.

“For now, the Megasyros are done—oh, are you doing them all? Are you going to lay the missing ones now? I see…”