The Hungry Fortress Wants to Build a Battleship in Another World – World of Sandbox-Chapter 22Vol 3. : The Giant Scorpions

Thick clouds of sand billowed up, obscuring the ground. As the camera focused on the terrain, numerous scorpions scuttled across the sand.

And behind them.

Though cloaked in the dust storm, a colossal shadow could be seen moving slowly.

“This is...”

“A massive scorpion is currently on the move. This footage was captured approximately one hour ago and confirmed at this location.”

Ringo displayed a marker on the map.

Approximately 200 km southwest of the oil field.

It wasn’t yet close enough to be a direct threat, but it seemed the desert harbored an exceptionally dangerous creature.

“Based on optical observation, its body length is approximately 40 meters. Naturally, it’s far outside the range of normal biological parameters. It’s a monster. Classified as a threat-level entity.”

The footage paused, and a wireframe model of the creature was displayed.

From the tip of its claws to the end of its tail, it measured around 40 meters.

If it raised its tail, it was estimated to stand between 20 and 30 meters tall.

It was clearly a size that a human couldn’t hope to contend with... or so it seemed.

“There are more of these? In this desert...?”

“No. It’s hard to believe we would have overlooked a creature of this size. It’s likely that the number of individuals is very small.”

Aerial reconnaissance using the LRF-1 Vulture supersonic high-altitude surveillance plane had already been conducted.

Though the entirety of the desert hadn’t been surveyed, it was unlikely such a massive creature was simply missed.

“Currently, the creature is on the move. From our aerial observations, we identified distinctive movement patterns left on the ground.”

The enormous scorpion and the smaller scorpions swarming around it all moved in the same direction, leaving a pattern of tracks that resembled a formation.

Though the desert winds could easily erode such tracks, in some areas, they remained partially intact.

“We reanalyzed the aerial images. As a result, we found terrain patterns similar to these tracks across various locations. Initially, we thought they were just unusual wind patterns, but...”

Distinctive tracks confirmed across multiple points in the desert.

When plotted on the map, a rough distribution of the creatures could be estimated.

“Within the entire desert—specifically, within the range of our aerial reconnaissance—we estimate there are between five to eight of these giant scorpions.”

“...That’s not a small number,” Eve muttered.

“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. We are currently dispatching recon units to the regions where the tracks have been confirmed. Most likely, they usually remain buried underground and only emerge when hunting or moving.”

If such massive, threatening creatures were roaming the vicinity of their base, they couldn’t operate without constant vigilance.

Ideally, they’d either drive them away or, if possible, eliminate them.

“For now, let’s identify their habitat... and determine whether they have specific territories. If they don’t approach us, we can focus on just monitoring them.”

That said, they had already clashed once with a part of the swarm.

If the scorpions didn’t perceive them as a threat, that would be ideal. freёweɓnovel.com

But there was also the possibility they might attack again.

For now, the only option was to remain on high alert.

“Commander Ma’am. We have confirmed the presence of five giant scorpions. The remaining two are inferred based on movement patterns, but their existence is nearly certain.”

“...I see. So, we’ve confirmed the existence of a total of seven?”

“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. Further reconnaissance could potentially alert the Forest Kingdom of Levresta, so it’s best to avoid it. The only unexplored area is near the Levresta Fortress. Given the distance, we don’t believe it’s necessary to investigate further.”

“Fine. The problem is the ones closer to us...”

On the map, the five confirmed scorpions and the two inferred from the tracks were displayed.

Among them, two scorpions were within 100 km of the oil field’s drilling plant.

“We have designated codenames for the confirmed seven scorpions. They are: Tefen, Befen, Mestet, Mestef, Petet, Tetet, and Matet.”

Names were assigned to each of the seven scorpion markers.

The two scorpions near the oil field were Tefen and Mestet.

Tefen was located to the west, and Mestet to the east.

“The scorpion that infiltrated our perimeter the other day came from the west. It’s likely that it was sent out as a scout from Tefen’s group.”

“I see. By the way, those names...?”

“Akane suggested them, derived from ancient Earth mythology. Scorpions that appeared in ancient tales. Do they not meet your approval?”

Ringo asked, but Eve shook her head.

“No. I just thought you’d put some thought into naming them. There’s no problem.”

“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. We will proceed using these codenames.”

Commander Eve quickly searched for the names and found references to ancient Egyptian mythology.

“Hm... Then, let’s designate these giant scorpions as <Serqet> from now on.”

“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. We will define the species as <Serqet>.”

The biological and behavioral traits of the giant scorpions—now dubbed <Serqet>—remained largely unknown.

However, at the very least, they seemed to remain underground and only emerged to move for some reason.

Additionally, they appeared to have a degree of social organization, capable of sending out scouts.

“So, we’ve already taken down three of the <Serqet>... children? Are there any signs of a reaction to that?”

“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. Tefen has been moving frequently over short distances and appears to be highly active. From our observations, it’s likely engaged in hunting.”

“Hunting, huh...”

If that was the case, the three that attacked them might have simply been hunting when they °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° encountered the multi-legged tanks.

However, initially, the three scorpions had simply been charging forward, and the multi-legged tanks had just intersected with their path.

Moreover, if those three were scouts, how were they communicating the information?

If they lacked communication capabilities, it would be strange for them to rush in so recklessly.

If they needed to report back, at least one of them would have to return.

Yet, all three had engaged in direct combat.

This suggested that they might possess some form of remote communication.

In other words, it was possible they had already gathered some information about Eve’s forces.

“The most noticeable movements are from Tefen and Mestet. If they are hunting, it’s possible that our advance into the oil field region has triggered this activity.”

“...Our presence?”

“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am. For instance, if local wildlife was displaced by our drilling operations, the prey around Tefen and Mestet’s territories would temporarily increase, leading to their heightened activity.”

“I see...” Eve nodded.

Naturally, they had been aware that the activities of <The Tree> would affect the distribution of local wildlife.

Since this world was plagued by monster threats, monitoring animal movements was a critical task.

It had already been reported that the animals around the oil port and the drilling plant had been fleeing from the multi-legged tanks and other machinery.

“Hm... Well, it can’t be helped. For now, let’s focus on monitoring these two. What about the others?”

“With limited samples, it’s just speculation, but compared to Tefen and Mestet, the others seem relatively calm. We believe it’s due to the lack of prey in their areas.”

“Got it. Then, as long as the Forest Kingdom of Levresta doesn’t notice any significant changes, it should be fine. Keep monitoring those two closely.”

“Yes-affirmative, Commander Ma’am.”

And so, the focused surveillance on the two giant <Serqet>—Tefen and Mestet—continued for several days.

Then, early one morning, Commander Eve was informed that Tefen was on the move again, advancing toward the oil field.