'I guess I've gathered everything I can from here.'
After feeding the corpse of the Mule, The Tunnel Digger to the bone parasite, I collected most of the monster corpses scattered outside the Ark's line of sight.
Unfortunately, most of the monster and beast corpses were concentrated on the Red Line front, so there weren't as many as I would have liked.
'I can't let the Ark catch me feeding on monster corpses.'
Even within the Ark, bone parasite equipment and Skull Knights rarely show themselves.
There are many reasons, but the biggest one, as I've mentioned before, is the sheer revulsion they inspire.
Their appearance is practically monstrous.
And if anyone saw them consuming the corpses of beasts and monsters and then found out that they weren't Ark soldiers, they would immediately be branded as Skull Turncoats and be attacked by the Ark.
'Not to mention, I have a criminal record, too...'
The Ark was already aware of the Skull Turncoat who attacked the retrieval team.
There was no reason to risk getting spotted with bone tendrils on full display.
'It's a bit disappointing... but still, what I've gained so far is substantial.'
Thanks to feeding on Mule, The Tunnel Digger and several monster corpses, the aura emanating from the bone armor had become noticeably stronger.
The absorption rate of Ankelenth's Fang had also significantly increased, which likely meant the duration of Ankelenth's Domain had grown as well.
[Gik!]
The bone parasite, seemingly pleased with its full belly, wiggled its tendrils.
'Besides, the really important part is still waiting.'
Mount Noah still housed countless monster corpses I had hunted.
Among them, the most valuable find of the day—Moog, The Stone Thrower—was also waiting.
'Time to get moving.'
Just as I was about to take a step, something caught my eye—a beast corpse.
A Grade-7 Named Beast Type, Scarlet Fang Sakaar.
Though it wasn't as valuable as Mule, The Tunnel Digger or Moog, The Stone Thrower, it still felt like a waste to leave it behind.
'Hmm.'
If it had been within Mount Noah's territory, I would have taken it without a second thought.
But the problem was the location—it was precariously within the Ark's line of sight.
'Of course, the Ark probably isn't calmly monitoring the front line right now...'
Still, it wasn't worth the risk compared to the potential gain.
'Hmm.'
Should I just leave it behind?
As I was turning away, an idea struck me.
'Ah, that might just work.'
It was still risky, but it was better than blatantly approaching the beast's corpse.
'In a large-scale battle like this, ground collapse isn't all that unusual.'
I walked cautiously to the edge of the Ark's sight and focused my mind.
Since it wasn't that far, I didn't need to go underground myself.
['Burrow' activated.]
Ssssss───!
Bone tendrils, responding to my intent, dug into the ground.
As they stretched underground, they began hollowing out the ground beneath Scarlet Fang Sakaar.
Slowly, the ground beneath the corpse gave way.
Thud─!
Finally, the ground completely collapsed, and Scarlet Fang Sakaar's body sank into the earth.
As if waiting for that moment, bone tendrils promptly pierced the corpse.
Ssssk, ssuk───!
Sluurp, slurp─!
After some time, the bone parasite completely devoured Scarlet Fang Sakaar's corpse.
It took longer than usual—probably because I had extended the tendrils to their maximum length.
Had the bone armor not grown recently, it wouldn't have been possible to extend the tendrils that far.
Now, they could stretch several dozen meters if I focused.
[Gik!]
The bone parasite, having unexpectedly feasted, patted its belly contentedly.
'This is probably the limit.'
The spot where Scarlet Fang Sakaar had been was right on the edge of the Ark's surveillance range.
A slight ground collapse might have gone unnoticed, but if the ground kept caving in repeatedly, it would undoubtedly draw suspicion.
'If the ground keeps collapsing, the Ark will think something's wrong.'
It wasn't feasible to dig underground and extend tendrils from below either.
The Ark's surveillance covered not just the surface but also parts of the underground.
If they noticed that a previously intact corpse was rapidly decaying, they'd undoubtedly become suspicious.
'Leaving now is the best option.'
Having made up my mind, I began to move.
Though I couldn't help but feel a bit regretful, my steps toward Noah were noticeably lighter.
As I ascended Mount Noah, various monster and beast corpses lay scattered, seemingly welcoming me, but I ignored them and kept walking.
'I can feed on them later.'
They just weren't a priority right now.
Moog, The Stone Thrower's corpse wasn't going to grow legs and run off, but leaving it unattended felt irresponsible.
'It should be around here somewhere.'
I combed through Noah, retracing my steps to find the rock where I killed Moog, The Stone Thrower.
But no matter how much I searched; the corpse was nowhere to be seen.
In the end, I had no choice but to ask for directions from someone—or rather, from countless entities that were still observing Mount Noah.
"Where's Moog, The Stone Thrower?"
The ether stirred.
My ether sensitivity was high enough that basic communication posed no problem.
[Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there. Over there.]
[Follow me...]
[There. It's there. Over there.]
Following the ether's guidance, I headed toward Moog, The Stone Thrower's location.
'Finally found it.'
Not long after, I managed to locate Moog, The Stone Thrower's corpse, marked by the scorch marks left from the grenade launcher explosion.
At first glance, the body looked relatively intact, as if it had died of illness rather than injury.
The bullet had pierced through its eye and brain but hadn't gone through the skull, getting lodged inside instead.
That was how tough the bones of a Grade-5 Named Monster were, and its hide was just as durable.
Yet, bone tendrils reached out without hesitation, aiming directly at that incredibly tough hide.
Puk! Pupuk!
Normally, it would have been nearly impossible to pierce through a Grade-5 monster's skin.
However, with [Hardening] and [Burrow] both activated, the tendrils pierced through the hide effortlessly.
Even though Moog, The Stone Thrower was known to be weaker in defense compared to Mossback Kupf, this still proved how much the Bone Armor had evolved.
Ssssk, ssssp, ssssp...
Despite the bone tendrils writhing and working tirelessly, it took far longer than when devouring lower-ranked monsters like the ones scattered across the Red Line front or even Mule, The Tunnel Digger.
Then, the Bone Armor began to quiver violently.
Brrrrrr───
[Gik, gikigik─!]
The bone parasite let out a shrill cry.
But this time, it felt different from when it absorbed Ankelenth's Fang.
It felt much more stable.
Proving that point, the trembling of the bone armor gradually subsided.
[The 'Bone Armor' has absorbed 'Moog, The Stone Thrower'!]
[The absorption rate of 'Ankelenth's Fang' has surpassed 15%, unlocking a new ability.]
──────────────
[Bone Armor (Lv.3)] [★★★★★★★★(8-star)]
—An Ark-standard protective suit (Lv.3) enhanced with a domesticated bone parasite as its power source.
—The core is the heart of the Grade-6 Named Monster Mossback Kupf.
—Possesses some of Mossback Kupf's abilities, including Hardening.
—Absorbed Ankelenth's Fang, though not fully assimilated yet.
—Can deploy Ankelenth's Domain for a limited time.
—Current Ankelenth's Fang absorption rate: 15.2%
—Surpassing 15% absorption unlocks the ability to summon 'Ankelenth's Spear'.
—Fully absorbed the Grade-6 Named Subterranean Monster 'Mule, The Tunnel Digger', granting complete utilization of its abilities.
—Fully absorbed the Grade-5 Named Primate Monster 'Moog, The Stone Thrower', granting complete utilization of its abilities.
"View Details"
──────────────
'This is...'
Not only had the Bone Armor evolved from 7-star to 8-star, but the absorption rate of Ankelenth's Fang had also significantly increased, unlocking one of Ankelenth's abilities.
'Ankelenth's Spear?'
It was an ability I had never seen before.
But seeing is believing.
If I didn't know, I just had to try it.
[Summoning 'Ankelenth's Spear'.]
[Summoning time available: 10 minutes 11 seconds.]
A long bone tendril shot out from the Bone Armor.
But this wasn't just any tendril—it was fundamentally different from the countless ones that had emerged before.
It was a dark, murky black.
Ominous and heavy, its very presence exuded a sense of dread.
Despite being the same thickness as the usual tendrils, it felt incomparably more massive and powerful.
'And more than anything else...'
I grabbed Ankelenth's Spear and swung it at the boulder Moog, The Stone Thrower had used as cover.
Crack─!!
The boulder shattered into countless fragments.
Even with my superhuman strength and [Steel Body], it was unthinkable that a spear made of bone could smash a boulder like that.
'...This is practically heavy weaponry.'
A handheld weapon achieving that level of destructive power?
Even I was stunned by its might, despite being the one wielding it.
'It's not just about being sturdy or heavy.'
The spear itself seemed to hold an inexplicable force—something that couldn't be described simply as raw power.
'I got my hands on something incredible.'
I never imagined that Bone Armor, enhanced by Fang Totem, would evolve in such a way.
'Now then...'
I moved on to the original goal—examining Moog, The Stone Thrower's ability.
Among all the gains from today, this was arguably the highlight, but after witnessing Ankelenth's Spear, it felt slightly less impressive.
'Still, I should check it out.'
I focused my mind, relaying my intent to the Bone Armor.
The bone armor's surface trembled slightly.
Before long, a single bone tendril slowly emerged.
Though it looked far sturdier and more durable than previous tendrils, it didn't seem particularly different at first glance.
As I eyed it with mild curiosity—
[Bone Javelin activated.]
A brilliant flash shot forward.