HP: Sacred Gear Chat Group - Chapter 55 (Patreon)

POV: ?

Inside a massive and unnatural structure that loomed across the landscape, the stench of dirt and filth clung to the air. The place looked less like a fortress and more like something grown out of the ground, twisted and wrong, made from hardened soil and layers of feces that gave it a grotesque appearance.

“Our peons are ending up dead?” The voice came from a figure with human-like face but far from human in truth. His broad chest and muscular torso could have belonged to an Insect, yet the eagle-like wings sprouting from his back and the taloned claws of a beast betrayed his real nature. His mouth curved into the shape of a hooked beak, and his segmented limbs moved with a stiffness that gave away the fact he was not flesh and blood.

This was Colt, one of the Chimera Ant Squadron Leaders.

“Eight of mine. Twelve of Zazan’s. I heard some of the others are complaining too. Everyone’s losing a lot more than usual.” The reply came from a tall Chimera Ant with the build of a predator. His body was slender and fast, covered in patches of white fur around his chest and thighs. Purple hair fell down to his neck, while dark streaks beneath his eyes gave him the look of a hunting cat. His muzzle stretched forward like a cheetah’s, and the only thing he wore was a pair of cut-off blue shorts.

This was Cheetu, another Squadron Leader.

Colt frowned, his sharp gaze narrowing. “Are you certain? That many losses doesn’t make sense. Nothing my squadron has faced could deal that much damage.”

“My squad didn’t even return. Their signal was completely lost.” Cheetu’s voice carried a strange unease, his usual confidence replaced by a shiver of discomfort. “Zazan’s peons—some of them were found, but not in the same area. They were scattered into another region entirely. And every body they recovered had the same wound. A clean hole through the head. But I don’t think they died from that Region… there never have been any remains from anyone going in.”

Colt’s expression hardened. His seriousness made the air around him heavier. “Shot? With what? Humans don’t normally carry weapons that precise.” He paused before pressing further. “And this other ‘region’—where exactly?”

Cheetu gave a helpless shrug, his tail swishing behind him in irritation. “How should I know? Some weird human weapons, maybe. They keep surprising us with new tricks. But…” His ears twitched, and his eyes gleamed with interest as he leaned forward. “You mean you really haven’t heard about that place? With losses this big, I thought everyone would know.”

“Stop stalling.” Colt’s voice dropped with annoyance, his wings shifting slightly. “If there’s a death toll this large, then it’s not something we can ignore. Tell me everything. We need to plan before sending out more troops.”

“Fine, fine.” Cheetu raised his claws in a dismissive gesture before speaking more dramatically, clearly relishing the attention now that Colt had pressed him. “At first it was just some weird forest up north. A creepy place. But our scouts spotted a human village right in the middle of it. Since it wasn’t far from our nest, we decided it was easy prey. Of course we sent people to hunt the humans there.”

Colt kept his silence, listening intently.

“My peons were the first to head out. Everything seemed normal at first,” Cheetu went on. “They crept through the trees, moving from the ground to avoid alarming the prey. But when they reached the edge of the village—that’s when it happened. That’s when things got strange.”

Colt’s brow furrowed. “Strange? And if they all died, how do you even know that?”

“I was linked to them telepathically, right up until the moment they died,” Cheetu explained, his tone sharper than before. His arms crossed and his tail lashed behind him as he recalled the details. “The first thing they noticed was strange enough. No matter how far they walked, the village never got any closer. It was like the distance between them kept resetting. If they tried to fly, they’d suddenly find themselves back on the ground again, like something forced them down. Then the village disappeared entirely. A thick purple mist surrounded them, so dense they couldn’t see each other, not even the ground beneath their own feet.”

Colt leaned forward slightly, his wings shifting as he focused on every word.

“And then it happened.” Cheetu’s claws flexed as he spoke more animatedly. “The monster appeared out of nowhere and snatched the first of my peons. It was too fast. The link between us shook, and all I could hear was its screams. It couldn’t even describe what was happening. It only cried out in pain, saying it was falling apart from the inside. Something was eating it, but not by biting. It was as if its very body was being consumed from within.”

“Falling apart… eaten without being bitten?” Colt repeated, his eyes narrowing with thought. His tone carried both disbelief and suspicion. “Are you certain? That doesn’t sound like anything we’ve seen before.” He fell silent for a moment, his mind running through possibilities.

Was it some unknown human power? A new kind of weapon? None of the answers he imagined fit the description.

“Yes. That’s exactly what happened to the others as well.” Cheetu nodded firmly, as if there was no room for doubt.

Colt exhaled slowly, his voice heavy. “Then what came after?”

“The mist vanished as suddenly as it appeared. The scouts could see the human village again, clear as day.” Cheetu spread his arms wide, as though still baffled by it himself.

“Just like that?” Colt asked, clearly unsatisfied with how abrupt the explanation sounded.

The cheetah chimera ant gave a grave nod. “Yes, just like that. Since then, we’ve tried over and over to reach the place. We sent peons in massive groups to rush it, squads to fly directly from above, even burrowers to approach from underground. The result never changed. No matter how we approached, they couldn’t reach the village. The mist would appear, and those inside never came back. None of the Squadron Leaders dared to step into it themselves. Altough we asked Meleoron to try scouting it while camouflaging himself, but he was too scared.”

Colt rubbed his chin and shook his head, frustration clear in his expression. “I see… then the matter is serious. Good that he didn’t waste his Life. You should have done the same. Instead of wasting troops on certain death, shouldn’t we focus on hunting elsewhere? These lands are filled with humans. There’s no need to throw away soldiers on a place like that.”

“That’s exactly what we did at first!” Cheetu snapped back, ears flattening against his head. “After flying, digging, and sending hordes didn’t work, we decided to leave it alone. But that’s when the real problem started. Every time we sent peons there, the mist spread further. At first it only covered the village in the center of the forest. Then it crept outward. Before we realized it, the mist was reaching the edges of the forest itself. And now…” He trailed off with a low growl before continuing, “Now it’s spilling beyond the borders. The northern region is almost entirely swallowed by it. It remains invisible until you step into its range. Then it surrounds you and you are dead.”

A heavy silence settled between them before Colt finally asked the question gnawing at him. “Is the nest in danger?”

“We don’t know.” Cheetu’s expression hardened. His usual arrogance was nowhere to be seen. “So far, it hasn’t reached the nest itself. But that’s not the worst part.”

Colt’s eyes narrowed. “What could be worse than that?”

Cheetu leaned closer, his voice low and serious. “We think the mist is moving. After we stopped sending peons against it, it began appearing in different regions—far from the forest. But at the same time, it never left the village. It exists in both places at once.” He paused, his tail curling tight. “Colt… I don’t think we can avoid it. The thing isn’t defending itself anymore. It’s hunting us. Even worse… how do we know if it isn’t around us right now?”

———

POV: ?

The hunters could only watch in horror from their hiding spot. One of the strange creatures had gotten its hands on a human firearm and was firing into a crowd of helpless villagers.

These poor people stood no chance. Without weapons of their own, they were already prey. Against bullets, it became nothing more than a cruel game. The creature laughed as it fired, clearly enjoying the slaughter.

This sight alone was enough to raise the hunters’ evaluation of the threat. These things weren’t just strong.

They weren’t just monsters. They were capable of wielding human weapons, of learning how to use them, and worst of all, of finding joy in the act of killing. If this spread beyond the borders of the NGL, mankind itself could be in danger.

“These things are bad news,” one of the hunters whispered, his voice trembling as he watched another villager drop. “We’re screwed!”

The group knew they had no chance in a direct fight. They had to move carefully, step by step, avoiding broken branches and dried leaves as they tried to retreat without being noticed.

Only after they reached a safer distance did anyone dare to speak again.

“No use…” Ponzu muttered, her expression pale. One of her messenger bees landed softly on her hand, wings buzzing faintly before going still. “The message didn’t get through. All five hunter groups we were in contact with… they’re probably dead.”

“I see…” Pokkle, the leader of the team, spoke weakly, though his tone carried a heavy weight. He was the only licensed Hunter among them, and the responsibility of command pressed hard on his shoulders.

Ponzu’s eyes lowered, but Pokkle straightened, forcing his voice to steady. “Let’s head back. We can’t do this by ourselves. We need to leave the NGL and inform the Association. Only an official extermination team will be able to deal with this.”The group nodded grimly. It was the only logical decision.

That was the cruel reality of the NGL. With no technology, no radios, and no long-range communication, days or even months could pass before anyone outside realized what was happening inside its borders. Until then, the creatures had free reign.

The irony wasn’t lost on Pokkle. Of all the places in the world, these monsters had landed in the one region perfectly suited for them to grow unchecked. The NGL had become the ideal nest for a new threat.

But for Pokkle’s group, it was already too late.

A faint rustle broke the silence. Before anyone could react, a Chimera Ant stepped out of the brush behind one of the hunters. Its clawed arm swung once, and the man’s head was severed in an instant.

Blood splattered against the trees, and the body fell without a sound.

The rest of the hunters froze. An easy kill. That was the difference in strength between a normal human and a Chimera Ant.

Pokkle, however, wasn’t a Hunter for nothing. His instincts kicked in before fear could paralyze him. With a shout, he drew back his bow, aura surging as he formed an arrow of pure Nen.

His ability, Rainbow, allowed him to create seven arrows, each imbued with a different power corresponding to the colors of the rainbow.

The arrow he loosed first was red. As it flew, it ignited, bursting into flame before it struck the Chimera Ant peon that had killed his teammate. The impact engulfed the creature in fire, forcing it to shriek as its body burned.

It was a strong ability. Not the kind that could compare to the most powerful Hunters, but not something to be taken lightly either. Unfortunately, Pokkle’s talent had always been only average.

Against common beasts, his arrows were more than enough. Against Chimera Ants, it wasn’t nearly enough.

Even before the flames burned out, another enemy appeared. This one was no ordinary soldier. Though not a Squadron Leader, it was one of the intelligent types just below that rank—a spider-like Chimera Ant with a sharp glint in its eyes.

The creature hadn’t even awakened Nen, but its talent was frightening. It could see Nen naturally, and that alone gave it a terrifying advantage.

Pokkle switched to his fastest shot, the orange arrow, and fired. The glowing projectile tore through the air at blinding speed. Yet the spider-ant raised one arm casually and caught it between its claws, crushing the Nen construct as if it were nothing more than a twig.

The difference in power was overwhelming.

The hunters didn’t stand a chance. While Pokkle’s two male comrades were torn apart one after another, the leader fought on desperately. His aura flared again, forming another arrow as he aimed at the spider-like Ant. Sweat ran down his forehead, and his arms trembled, but his focus didn’t waver. He had to buy time, even if it cost him his life.

But before the shot was released, something cold pierced at his Neck.

Suddenly he couldn’t feel his body anymore. He was Paralyzed as Zazan the Squadron Leader of the Chimera Ants in this Region stepped behind him out of the Forest.

Different from his Comerades, Pokkle got caught alive. His fate far worse than theirs.

Amid the chaos, no one noticed Ponzu slipping away. Her body shook as she stumbled into the trees, forcing herself not to look back at the carnage. Every instinct screamed at her to run faster, but she bit her lip to hold in the sound of her sobs. If she made a single mistake, if she tripped or cried out, Zazan’s squad would notice.

For now, survival was her only choice.