1000 999. Mustache Detection
---Unclaimed Mountains---
The ATV was struggling through the savage wind of the blizzard, but the group led by Mike made consistent progress on their path back to civilization. Since he had enough and more material for his divine quest, the beastman fully concentrated on keeping the group safe.
While Kruger was driving the transporter, Mike stayed alert to fend off against the stealth hunters that made these mountains so incredibly dangerous. It was a profound trump card that allowed the champion of Maahes, a magnificent mustache.
The item Seth had given them to detect the invisible agents of The Scene back then. He brought one along just in case and it was a great help during his travel alone in the snow. Although its range was not high, the mustache's detection was still more reliable, than his eyes, ears, or nose in these terrifying snow storms.
Many times, they were able to evade monsters just in time to drive by and evade their attack. The ATV powered by magic crystals was able to reach frightening speeds, at a frightening consumption. Still, it was worth it, since it allowed them to even drive away from beasts ranging between lv.80 and 90.
"Yeah, the company originally got this as a prototype from Y-City. It's the only reason I made it out alive, " Kruger told him when Mike questioned him about his suspicion. Kruger was quite open about Y-City's involvement in the unclaimed mountain. They had been cut off from the world for weeks or months, they couldn't know about Minas Mar's conflict and the fall of Y-City.
Apart from some idle talk and the ample excitement of escapes and battles, the journey was mostly a silent odyssey and a battle with mountains, the landscape, and the climate. The small mining towns and hamlets stayed silent when they came by. Maybe there were already no survivors anymore so far out.
The route Mike took two weeks to walk melted away in a fraction of that time. The storm grew weaker and the climate became less volatile. They had gotten past the roughest part of the road, and more normal monsters started appearing. A sign that they had finally left the influence of the hashing birds.
This was a blessing and a curse since the mountains were filled with various kinds of monster birds and other flying beasts who were able to keep up with the ATV on the ground. As a prototype of technology, it was not built with any high-grade materials. Although it had a basic shield, it was way too flimsy for the current level inside the mountain range.
"Sorry, I don't think I can repair it with my skill..." one of the miners said after another attack that had left the ATV severely damaged. The man in question was the mine mechanic and had been able to do middling repairs to keep the vehicle running.
"The children?"
"Ah. We are apiaries, the last stage. We have already released the next generation of worms, far from the influence of the storms and Lambda, and infected all the settlements on the way here. Now we are just empty husks. Silencing you will be our last task," Kruger explained talkative.
Mike stared at him, shocked. He had expected that there was something wrong with them. Maybe that they were already infected by the worms if the worms really did what they told him. This was why he wanted to stop them here, but ...he had not expected that he was the one who had already released another scourge onto Urth. But there was one thing Kruger said, that caught his attention.
"Lambda? Isn't that another district?" he asked. As a foreigner, he didn't quite know all the names and places on Urth, only the ones that came up often.
"The great Lambda, home of the machine gods. Sitting in their towers of glass and steel, they look down on us- me as they try to find the secret of life, " for a moment Kruger's voice became weird and mechanical as he spoke of the place with great resentment.
"Enough talking. You will have to join us today, Mike."
Kruger's head still spoke, after it was already lopped off by Whitehilt. In the back, his headless body sank to the ground. The stump of his neck was a mix of burned flesh and molten metal. The minders stepped back in shock when Mike revealed his true strength.
A giant lion, wielding a flaming sword, clad in a savage aura. A storm suddenly erupted in the cave, extinguishing the campfires that had previously illuminated the scene in a flickering orange glow. Now there was only the flaming sword and the lion.
The miners attacked, much stronger than they should have been in their state. Mike finally tried to check their status but found that <Observe> actually couldn't tell that there was something wrong with them. It was as if they were strengthened by equipment.
Despite being unnaturally strong, they could only watch the lion in the darkness, as he hacked them apart with his flaming sword. Mike killed them all then and there, but it didn't help alleviate the guilt in his conscience. He had unleashed another danger on Urth.