53

After returning to my main base and finishing unpacking, I was busy with tidying up.

I had brought back a huge number of books and tools for making seasonings, but the sheer quantity was overwhelming.

And since none of them were for immediate use, I had to find somewhere to store them for the time being.

So I was organizing one of the underground facility’s rooms to create that storage space.

The problem was that I was simply too big.

The facility had been built for human size, so using it with my massive body was extremely inconvenient.

As a result, what should have been simple organizing took far longer than expected.

But once it was finished, the result was satisfying.

Because I had taken the time to think about the layout, even though I couldn’t enter the room that had become a warehouse, everything was within my reach.

All the books were arranged neatly on bookshelves and stored in another room, along with the secret data disks hidden quietly there.

I picked up one of the books and turned its pages.

It was titled “Edible Wild Plants.”

The color pages had faded somewhat, but the shapes of the plants and the detailed information were still clear enough to read, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Only the sound of turning pages could be heard.

Before, even turning a page had been a struggle, but now I could do it normally without damaging the paper.

Then my hand froze.

I couldn’t take in the content of the book.

My mind was distracted by something other than the knowledge before me.

(This isn’t just my imagination, is it?)

It was a sense of wrongness—something that had been with me ever since I lost consciousness that day and woke up again. At first, I had thought it was simply the aftereffects of poison or mental stress and hadn’t paid it much attention.

But despite my condition not being ideal, I had been able to move normally, and gradually my senses had sharpened into something more acute.

If that was all, I could still have dismissed it as normal fluctuations of health. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that my physical abilities had improved.

If it was only my imagination, that would be fine. But the precision of my fingers turning the pages seemed sharper than ever.

‘This could be…’—the possibility felt real, and I couldn’t focus on the book at all.

(Could it be that the poison from that octopus was more potent than I thought, and surviving it triggered a power-up? Like in all those manga where characters dramatically gain strength after escaping the brink of death…)

What a high-spec body—perhaps this could even reach the level of the strongest creature on the planet, not just the strongest on land.

But that made me wonder—what was the Empire’s technological capability truly like?

(My homeland really was terrifying. If they had managed to deploy me in battle, maybe they wouldn’t have needed to use the final weapon at all.)

After seeing the pitiful state of those elf soldiers, it was hard not to think that way.

That was how deeply we Imperials had been indoctrinated with the idea that “elves are an exceptionally powerful race in combat.”

It seemed there had been other genetically enhanced soldiers besides me, but perhaps one of them caused some sort of incident that led to the project being frozen.

After all, that spider-man’s grotesque proclivities would have repulsed even a non-Imperial soldier.

I didn’t even want to imagine such a monster rampaging on the battlefield.

Such disgrace must never be allowed to stain Imperial history.

Which meant I couldn’t keep lazing about forever without carrying out my mission.

(Yes, it was time at last to step foot into elven territory.)

“If they won’t come to the river, then I’ll just go to them”—that logic won majority approval in my inner council.

Though I still wasn’t fully satisfied with that outcome, I resolved to continue my surveillance mission, even at personal risk.

The final push came when one of the inner councilors shouted: “What shame is this, abandoning a mission you volunteered for halfway through?!”

Incidentally, in his hand was one of the “first string” books I had brought back the other day, and the woman pictured on the open page looked strikingly like Number 6.

Though her body volume in certain areas couldn’t compare, her balanced figure deserved top marks.

And so it was decided: I would infiltrate elven territory.

But as mentioned before, it was a dangerous mission.

Even if I had witnessed the elves’ pitiful state and gained a power-up myself, the numerical disadvantage remained.

And since most of them could wield powerful magic, this would be nothing like the Kingdom of Canaan.

My plan was to begin with strict stealth and reconnaissance, then gradually expand my range of activity.

I put the book I had been reading back on the shelf and went to hunt for dinner.

Reconnaissance had to precede surveillance, and it was best done at night.

So during the day, I would read here, and at night, I would do as much as possible.

(As much as possible… no, I won’t reveal myself at all. That way, I’ll lower the elves’ guard.)

Before hunting, I quietly went to check the river—but as expected, no one was there.

I also walked along the riverbank, but there were no signs of anyone visiting.

So I obediently returned to hunting, smashing up some monsters and bringing down a boar.

I processed it quickly after bringing it back, stored it in a cooler box, washed my hands, and returned once more to my reading.

(Books on edible wild plants, mountain vegetables, and mushrooms are good. The more ingredients I have, the more variety I get. Tomorrow, I should bring these books and explore the forest.)

If there were ingredients around the base, I could harvest them regularly.

And if I marked a few other points, my future meals would become much richer.

The only problem was, I had never liked mushrooms or mountain vegetables much.

Still, I had no intention of being picky, so securing ingredients came first.

I hoped this new body of mine might have different tastes.

As I sat and sometimes sprawled out reading, time flew by in an instant.

“Good times really do pass quickly.”

I said, putting the stacked books back on the shelves.

Of course, the porn magazines had their own proper place, so I made sure to return them there as well.

Since dusk was falling, I made an early dinner.

The vegetables I had acquired were steadily dwindling, so eventually I would have to go resupply, including spices.

I quickly finished cleaning up after eating, and then set out.

By the time I reached the river, the surroundings would be dark and silent.

As expected, the river was swallowed in darkness, and the sound of water filled the air.

(…No reaction in hearing or smell. No elves nearby.)

Unless they were hiding underwater, there was no way I would miss them.

I slowly crossed the river and activated my mimicry ability.

(This stealth in the dark forest, using my ability… let’s see anyone break through it—wait, Number 8 is here.)

I had boasted with confidence, but with her enhanced hearing despite blindness, caution was mandatory.

“This might be harder than I thought.”

I admitted, hesitating slightly, but if I didn’t go now, I’d lose my nerve.

I stepped forward into the forest beyond the river.

There was one thing that caught my attention.

It seemed that the ecosystem changed slightly across the river, and I noticed plants I hadn’t seen near my temporary base.

Some of them even matched what I’d read in Edible Wild Plants earlier that day.

(Oops, I was about to forget my mission.)

That unexpected discovery distracted me.

Though I tried to move quietly, with my massive body it was difficult.

I carefully avoided breaking branches as I walked.

Knowing elves, they probably could tell “what passed by” just from a snapped twig.

It was just my own assumption, fueled by the strong “people of the forest” image they had.

At any rate, while things seemed to be going smoothly, the complete lack of change was troublesome.

Since reconnaissance was meant to uncover something, I naturally wanted results.

So, even though it might be dangerous, I headed toward the place I had previously guessed was a settlement.

The result was slightly off—I needed to go a bit farther.

Using a huge tree with multiple pale-blue glowing orbs, I saw what seemed to be artificial structures, and concluded it was an elven dwelling.

Farther back were ordinary wooden buildings, but which one did they actually live in?

In any case, I observed from afar, but the faint voices I heard weren’t clear enough to make out.

Even if I could hear, I wouldn’t understand anyway—I didn’t know the elven language.

Outside were only a few armed elves who seemed to be guards, so it seemed they weren’t being very cautious.

(It’s possible they think this is enough… either way, this is useful information. If I stay too long, I’ll risk being found, so I’ll stop here. Since their nighttime activity seems low, I’ll stick to operating at night.)

One round of reconnaissance had yielded a lot of information, but what I wanted most was geographical knowledge.

I worked on noting the settlement’s location, and I also wanted to know where the water sources were.

So, since my mimicry ability’s time was nearly up, I withdrew.

I hadn’t seen any elves patrolling, but if they did and I showed myself near the settlement, it would only make them more cautious.

I began moving quietly.

At the river, I released my mimicry.

It seemed the duration had extended, since I had managed to return still camouflaged.

I had thought it would deactivate earlier, so perhaps my power-up was affecting this ability too.

After waiting to recover, I decided to re-enter the forest from another location.

Bit by bit, I would uncover the information hidden in elven territory.

Small steps, but they would eventually bear fruit, bringing me undeniable benefits.