Chapter 32

Satisfaction (Warm and Cozy)

This time, I would like to describe the sub-species of crystal scorpions that have been newly confirmed to exist in the New Continent.

Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion

This sub-species of crystal scorpions inhabits only the crystal crown at the central peak of the Sigmonia Frontal Valley, a location with unique topography (research suggests that this area was originally a hilly region that was later eroded to its current form). Strictly speaking, it is not a sub-species of crystal scorpions but a closely related species that diverged from a common ancestor, the origin species.

This species is extremely similar to the evolutionary form of crystal scorpions in an environment that fully satisfies their specialized diet, and its ecology and characteristics differ significantly from those of the original species (hereafter referred to as the "original species" for convenience).

The body of the original species is composed entirely of crystal, but the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion is built from a mineral substance similar to the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal, which is closely related to their ecology. This is a distinct congenital form from the Golden Crystal Solitary Scorpion (hereafter referred to as the "sub-species"), which has been altered by a specialized diet and the accumulation of magical power from moonlight. Generally, individuals with a specialized diet that occasionally occur among the original species evolve into the sub-species, but the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion can be described as a species that has evolved similarly to the original species, possessing sub-species characteristics.

The original species participates in a cycle that includes excrement and carcasses by changing the crystal and the ingested crystal into the same substance, but it takes some time for the crystal to become ingestible. This is because the crystal needs to accumulate magical power internally, and recent studies have shown that the crystals they consume have the property of accumulating magical power over time.

However, the crystal zone where the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion inhabits is a very small area for a species to sustain life. Even if it were in an environment similar to the Crystal Nest Cliffs, if the original species were to inhabit this area, they would soon become extinct due to the imbalance between their self-sufficiency and self-sustainability, which would lead to the depletion of all crystals in the not-too-distant future. Additionally, the limited size of the crystal zone is unsuitable for the survival of the Crystal Cluster Elder Scorpion, which would cause problems in the development of juveniles.

Here, the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal plays a crucial role. This mineral accumulates magical power when exposed to sunlight and moonlight, emitting different glows during the day and night. While I won't discuss the nature of the magical power itself, which changes due to light, it is important to note that the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal accumulates enough magical power to leak externally in about half a day.

This plays a very important role in maintaining the ecosystem of the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion. This is because the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion, which has a body similar to the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal, also undergoes a similar phenomenon. As a result, a self-sustaining cycle is established in the crystal crown over a very short period, forming a significantly different ecosystem from that of the original species.

However, since the entire species lives in a small area, they rarely cooperate with each other, unlike the original species. Each individual has a clearly defined territory, and the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion will not tolerate any intrusion into its territory, even from its own kind.

If an individual dies in combat with a member of the same species, the vacant territory is divided 60% to the victorious individual and 40% to the neighboring individuals. While this might suggest that individuals would actively invade other territories, the excess territory is typically reserved for the next generation, i.e., their offspring, so the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion rarely seeks more territory than necessary. Although they are hostile even to their own kind, they do not tolerate actions that could lead to the extinction of their species. This is evident from their excellent teamwork when multiple territories are invaded by external intruders.

Specifically, it resembles tennis.

Furthermore, it has been revealed that the high concentration of magical power emitted by the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal has the effect of attracting monsters to the surrounding area. This is because monsters that have evolved to a certain size cannot maintain their physical form with material energy alone and have a tendency to acquire the ability to absorb magical power from the atmosphere or generate it within their bodies. While it lacks credibility, some literature suggests that at the farthest reaches of the New Continent, there are monsters that generate their own magical power and build unique ecosystems within or on their bodies.

Returning to the topic, the origin species that reached the Sigmonia Frontal Valley and obtained the "food" known as the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal underwent a unique evolution. While the original species, the Crystal Cluster Scorpion, uses crystal as its primary food source, the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion is strongly dependent on its environment.

The Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal has two types of magical power: red and blue. These typically emit only one color at a time, depending on whether they are exposed to sunlight or moonlight. However, the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion can change these properties at will, using the opposite color of magical power to attack by colliding it with the environment. Their bodies have adapted to this method of attack.

First, the pincers. While they have a shape similar to the original species for consuming Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystals, they are not specialized for attack like the sub-species. Instead, they have a unique shape, resembling two stacked rectangular prisms. This is believed to be an adaptation for the root of the pincers to perform the subsequent attack.

The Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion can amplify magical power by colliding it with surrounding Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystals and then recover and compress it within their body, releasing it from their pincers. In critical conditions, they can attack using their own magical power, but generally, they use the environment as part of their attack.

The pincers also serve to direct the compressed magical power, which is powerful enough to vaporize a human instantly. The shape of the compressed magical light released from the pincers can be specified to some extent, allowing for large-scale irradiation by combining the light from both pincers or creating various phenomena by diverging the light and colliding it with Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystals. According to one theory, while it is rarely used due to the damage it causes to the scorpion itself, it is possible to generate a light sword-like structure by holding the magical light with the pincers.

Next, the tail, which plays an extremely important role in the combat of the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion. Unlike the original species or sub-species, which inject fluids, the tail of the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion is specialized for emitting and receiving magical power. Its shape resembles a mace rather than a needle, making it easier to swing and receive magical power.

While it is also useful for physical attacks, its most notable feature is its remarkable range of motion. Compared to the original species or sub-species, the tail plays a significant role, and losing it would severely impair the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion's ability to fight, as it would be limited to using the magical power generated by its body (specifically, the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal-like body).

To digress slightly, let me explain the nature of the magical power possessed by the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal.

As mentioned earlier, the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal has two types of magical power: red and blue, which have completely different properties. The red magical power does not mix with the blue magical power, and when the two are collided, the blue magical power is repelled. One of the attack methods of the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion, the reflective amplification of magical light, utilizes this property. By emitting blue magical power as the "core," it is reflected by the red Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal, acquiring a small amount of red magical power before moving to the next Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal. The reason why the red magical power is not repelled in this process is unknown, but it is believed that the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion performs some kind of processing.

After the first reflection, the amount of magical power carried away by the "core" increases gradually, and the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion intercepts the magical power mass with its tail, converting it into an attack. Additionally, it can be used as a troublesome attack that reflects off the crystal crown.

What happens in the opposite case? When red magical power is collided with a Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal that has blue magical power, the opposite phenomenon occurs. The red magical power is not reflected but absorbed into the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal. This is thought to be a phenomenon that occurs based on the ratio of the two types of magical power, and theoretically, if the amount of blue magical power exceeds the amount of red magical power contained in the red Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal, a night phenomenon would occur.

The red magical power absorbed by the blue Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal does not dissipate but undergoes a phenomenon similar to random reflection within the crystal. From the outside, it appears as if the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal is alternately flashing red and blue. When the reflection reaches a certain level, the accumulated magical power within the crystal is disrupted, causing the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal to burst due to the instability of the magical power. The destructive force of a mineral bursting from internal pressure is significant; if a human were hit by the sharp crystal fragments, they would instantly be riddled with holes.

The Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion, with these characteristics, is so beautiful that it can be called a gemstone, and combined with the unimaginable beauty of the environment, it is said to resemble a gemstone shining on the crystal crown. It is no wonder that the species living in the New Continent have come to speak of "a crown shining in the center of this land."

Finally, I would like to discuss not only the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion but also the ancient species, the origin species, and the ancestors of the original and sub-species.

While extremely rare, there are cases where monsters that have maintained their form from the ultra-ancient era are discovered in completely isolated, limited environments. Examples of existing ancient species include the Jura Vulcan Rex, but there have been no reports of the discovery of ancient species of crystal scorpions. However, there are examples of fossils that are believed to be close to their origin.

This monster, named "Hard Ancient Scorpion," likely has a congenital property as a parasitic species (a condition where the material ingested is reflected in the body and partially inherited by offspring). Each individual has a different appearance, but they commonly show a strong obsession with making their bodies stronger and harder.

The fossils of these creatures, which only show their former appearance, all have various hard outer shells, and some have been found with mysterious outer shells that do not show signs of degradation due to weathering (the actual specimen was lost due to an attack by an unknown monster during the investigation).

From these materials, it can be inferred that the background for the acquisition of the highly specialized ecology of mineral consumption is that the desire of the origin and ancient species to make their bodies more robust was inherited by their descendants. While they do not possess a civilized level of intelligence, this simple wish was reflected in their descendants over time.

Now fossilized, but having left descendants, what did they think as they survived the distant ancient times? That is a fact known only to them.

Honestly, this is just a usual outburst that has nothing to do with the main story.

I don't really like scorpions, but I can't help it when I follow my instincts, believe me!!

Regarding the ancient species of scorpions, I have no intention of introducing living individuals at this stage. However, the possibility of my emotions running wild and bringing them out is not 0%, but I think there is a certain "elegance" in fossils.

Supplementary setting: the historical timeline of scorpion species

- After the reset caused by [──censored──], the origin species emerged as one of the organisms derived from bacteria in a rapidly evolving ecosystem. At this point, it was a small creature that crawled on the ocean floor and preyed on microorganisms, resembling a cross between a crayfish and a scorpion.

- During the evolutionary process, the body became larger and more aggressive organs developed. At this stage, a mutation as a parasitic species occurred. This characteristic, which was supposed to end with a single generation, was somehow inherited. There is a reason for this, but it cannot be revealed yet; they were a bit smarter.

- Due to the chaos caused by the ancestors of the Deep Sea Trio, a significant number of monsters moved to the land. The origin species of scorpions, which had relatively poor mobility, decided to move to the land, possibly due to trauma from being preyed upon by the ancestors of orcas. They also developed a focus on VIT (Vitality).

- About 30% of the species moved to the New Continent, while the remaining 70% moved to the Old Continent. This was purely coincidental. The origin species that moved to the land specialized in land life, becoming the "Hard Ancient Scorpion." At this time, they were still actively attacking other monsters, the Scorpion Barbarian Era.

- From here, they diverged:

A. The Hard Ancient Scorpions that moved to the Old Continent, unable to satisfy their desires due to the relatively "soft" evolution of other monsters, became gluttonous. Some even ate wood and rocks, and one individual completely merged with the soil.

B. The Hard Ancient Scorpions that moved to the New Continent faced harsh environments and strong enemies, especially the combat power of certain spiders and centipedes, which almost led to their extinction. They began to wander, seeking materials to strengthen themselves (ideally, a stable supply of land).

A. The Hard Ancient Scorpions that encountered crystals that could make them harder decided to make these their main food source. At this time, the [──censored──] phenomenon occurred, and most individuals transformed into mineral consumers with body-altering properties.

B. The Hard Ancient Scorpions that wandered could not find satisfactory land and were on the verge of extinction. The [──censored──] phenomenon occurred, causing them to become mineral consumers. The change in their diet from meat to minerals was a significant psychological shift.

A. They found a peaceful place to settle and began to increase their population. Some long-lived individuals showed a tendency towards body enlargement. At this stage, there was a higher probability of specialized diet individuals occurring, but the [──censored──] phenomenon did not completely transform the entire species.

B. They were in a state of panic, needing to secure food as quickly as possible. They had to start by determining what they could eat, which accelerated their countdown to extinction.

A. Omitted, happy ending.

B. When their population dropped below 100, they discovered that minerals were delicious. They also faced threats from other species that were growing larger, so they moved to areas without external enemies, often stopping at mines. Incidentally, some of the mines used by the mineral people are remnants of their excavations.

- The B group was driven to the central hilly region of the continent. Just before extinction, they encountered the Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal, which would have been depleted if they did not have the characteristics of the Crystal Cluster Scorpion.

- The B group rapidly evolved to become very similar to the current Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion. At this point, they acquired their current battle style and effective means of countering external enemies.

The Gargantula and Trenor Centipede species, which had grown too large to move, launched an attack, leading to a species-wide defense battle.

- Eventually, the Gargantula and Trenor Centipede species began to kill each other, and the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion and Zaberyl Imperial Treasure Crystal became a neutral territory for energy replenishment for both species. The battles between the two species formed a circular valley around the hilly region, physically isolating the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion.

- Unlike the Crystal Cluster Scorpion, the Imperial Crystal Twin Scorpion could not expand its territory and adopted a territorial system. Despite living frugally, they lead a relatively happy life.

- Recently, I made a friend! When he comes, I can expand my territory, which is very helpful.

- Recently, a pervert has been coming. He keeps coming back even after I kill him, which is very annoying.