“Are you suggesting that ‘hybrids’ possess a higher intellect than ordinary hosts?”
Recalling Dianna’s previous actions, Shirley shivered.
While the hosts, with their rigid and bizarre behaviors, were certainly terrifying, it was the creatures capable of perfectly mimicking humans that truly spelled doom!
“Oh, most certainly,” Salome replied, “After all, they can be considered a form of mimicry within the parasitic species, much like ant-mimicking spiders.
This allows them to infiltrate target populations with remarkable ease.
Typically, ‘hybrids’ are quite common in large human settlements.
While city-states controlled by the Human Revival Council and the Resistance can prevent their infiltration through genetic screening, not all regions possess the material resources to implement such measures.”
“But how did this thing know about what was happening at the school? Our school was just—” Ji Bingyao began, her question trailing off.
“This touches upon another ability of the ‘hybrids’: memory devouring,” Salome explained.
“In essence, they can implant parasitic larvae into the brains of vertebrates, much like the colossal insects that serve as intermediate hosts.
During this parasitic process, they are also capable of forcibly extracting rudimentary knowledge and memories from the cerebral cortex.
Naturally, this function is far from perfect when compared to the achievements my dear mother attained through her research.
Nevertheless, it’s more than sufficient for stirring up trouble in densely populated areas.”
“Damn it… those bugs and the infected people were already troublesome enough, and now this too?!”
Ji Bingyao clenched her fists tightly.
“Ah, but what can be done?
If these otherworldly parasites lacked even this much capability, how could they have plunged the entire world into chaos, shattered the nations of old, and allowed the scoundrels of the Human Revival Council to usurp global power, even if they could attack various parts of the world through randomly appearing portals?” Salome questioned.
“In any case, even these ‘hybrids,’ despite not being exceptionally powerful, are not easily dealt with.
I’m quite curious, what will my dear mother do next?”
“No, I’m the one who should be asking questions,” Shirley interjected suddenly.
“Miss Salome, I wish to know what animosity you harbor against my classmates that would compel you to lure these parasites here?”
“What did you say?”
Everyone else present gasped in astonishment.
“Ha… hahahaha! Truly, you are a brilliant mother,” Salome burst out laughing.
“Indeed, I am responsible for this! How did you discern that I employed a lure device?”
“I am unfamiliar with what a lure device is.
However, it’s not difficult to deduce certain things logically,” Shirley exhaled slowly.
“Firstly, you just mentioned that these otherworldly parasites require humans as their ultimate hosts.
They would target areas with a high human population.
Yet, this is a hilly region on the Welsh border, where the population is extremely sparse.
In the world I previously inhabited, even small towns were a rarity, as people had migrated to places like London or Manchester.”
“Oh, it’s much the same in this world.
That’s precisely why the Council chose to construct their teleportation technology research institute in these relatively sparsely populated mountains.”
“Therefore, I can infer that due to the scarcity of human ultimate hosts, any large-scale aggregation of these parasites in this area would only be possible if they had already herded numerous ultimate hosts captured from elsewhere, forming self-sufficient settlements.
However, in reality, the first entities to enter the school were a large swarm of intermediate hosts—the colossal insects.”
“And so?”
“If there had been an an established settlement near the school’s teleportation point, a large horde of ‘hybrids’ would have prioritized attacking it.
Furthermore, based on the behavioral patterns of these parasites as you’ve described them, their intermediate hosts are primarily used for propagation and expansion at the edges of controlled zones.
In other words, they serve as the vanguard of an assault,” Shirley concluded her hypothesis in one breath.
“In summary, I believe there was likely no widespread parasitic activity in this area originally; they were drawn here by you… So, why did you do it?”
“Why? Because we wish for Mother to reveal her true self,” Salome stated.
“In the past, Mother, you were quite a respectable figure in public.
Everyone spoke of your wisdom, elegance, courtesy, and profound compassion for all.
Only we knew your true face, and that simply wouldn’t do.
Therefore, relying on my sister Cassandra’s foresight, I employed a few minor stratagems to invite those ‘guests’ and orchestrate this grand spectacle.”
“You call this a spectacle?!”
Shirley’s anger flared.
“Yet some of my classmates have already perished because of it!”
“Then you only have yourself to blame.
As the saying goes, ‘if a daughter is not taught, it is the mother’s fault.’
You molded us into these very beings, so you must accept the bitter consequences,” Salome cackled.
“The primary purpose of this drama is for you to display your most authentic self.
I will record your performance and make it public, allowing the entire world to witness the true countenance beneath your mask… Of course, I assure you that one hundred hours after the teleportation, I will rescue everyone still alive in the school and safely escort them to the Resistance Fortress—provided, of course, that anyone remains alive.”
“Ugh, I truly detest yanderes…” Yurizumi muttered with a look of utter revulsion.
“Why can’t this one offer any useful advice?”
“Naturally, I can.
Speaking of which, the ‘hybrid’ you just eliminated technically counts as a human, so it’s provisionally recorded as one life,” Salome stated.
“Do you wish to exchange this life for anything?”
“Let me see.”
Despite her intense aversion to exchanging lives for weapons and ammunition, Shirley pressed the star at the tip of her ‘wand’ and glanced at the ‘pricelist.’
Perhaps because the pistol’s complimentary ammunition had dwindled to a single round, prices for ammunition resupply had appeared: one life could procure four 10-round pistol magazines, 20 shotgun shells, 150 machine gun rounds, or two energy cells—a rather meager offering.
Beyond these, the only other items available for exchange were a double-barreled shotgun or an anti-armor rocket launcher.
Although Shirley had felt an urge to purchase an anti-armor weapon after witnessing the astonishing defensive capabilities of Dianna’s leathery wings, she suppressed it.
Such a ‘superweapon’ was not only single-use but also excessively powerful.
Within the confined spaces of classrooms and dormitories, it might well blow them up or incinerate them.
In contrast, another item proved far more practical.
“Give me the double-barreled shotgun, for Ji Bingyao.”
“An excellent choice,” Salome remarked as a spatial rift opened once more, dropping a double-barreled shotgun and a box of ammunition.
“Mother, do try your utmost to perform well.
It would be truly wonderful if you manage to survive… After all, my sisters are all looking forward to catching up with you in the future.”
Hoo… hah…
After allowing the narrow spatial rift to close, Salome instinctively took a deep breath, forcing herself to divert her attention and resist succumbing to the sensation she had just experienced.
Each time she drew power from the Lihantian, a realm existing beyond this world, through her ‘conductor’—the pair of wings on her back that were incapable of true flight—she would fall into an inescapable state of joy and frenzy.
Thanks to her mother’s meticulous genetic engineering, Salome possessed a remarkable resistance to most hallucinogens, central nervous system stimulants, and depressants, capable of consuming high-purity opioids as if they were candy.
Yet, even with this resilience, wielding the power of Lihantian remained an almost irresistible temptation.
Even a brief exertion, like the one she had just performed, presented a significant challenge to her willpower.
While drug addicts often gradually lose their initial euphoria with prolonged use, the power of Lihantian was profoundly different.
No matter how many times it was wielded, the sensation of exhilaration, lightness, and unburdened joy never diminished in the slightest.
Even with minimal application, her instincts would begin to scream hysterically, demanding more… Of course, Salome knew well that she could not succumb to this primal urge.
She had witnessed countless unfortunate souls drown their own spirits by indulging in such pleasure.
Although some pharmaceutical aids existed, the most crucial element for safely utilizing the power of Lihantian remained one’s personal willpower.
Years ago, Salome’s most frequent task, carried out under her mother’s command, was to dissect and vivisect her sisters who had failed to endure the trials.
Many of them were still alive when cut open, conscious even, pleading with her.
“She is no longer your sister.”
Each time, her mother would declare, “That is a useless failure, only fit for reclamation.
I need you to remember carefully: for the happiness of humanity, for justice and fairness, this world has no need for the weak-willed and the useless.”
Salome had indeed remembered this—remembered it with the perpetually bleeding wound upon her heart.
Consequently, after being assigned the task of ‘receiving’ her mother upon her return to this world, she had been eagerly anticipating the opportunity to force her to reveal her most repulsive nature, so that she and her sisters could, with clear consciences, exact their ‘repayment.’
Yet, to her surprise, her mother had actually claimed not to recognize her!
Not only did she deny her identity as Dr. Irmindada, but she genuinely seemed to believe herself to be an ordinary high school girl!
Putting everything else aside, a doctor going back to high school—what kind of farce was this?!
“Fine, Mother, keep up your act,” Salome murmured, clenching her small fists while gazing at the dozen or so monitoring screens before her.
“I’m eager to see how long your performance can last…”
“Um, Sister Salome…”
“What is it, Cassandra?”
Hearing her sister’s voice from behind, Salome turned her gaze toward her.
Her frail sister appeared like a phantom from a classical fantasy tale, unnaturally pale from head to toe.
Her heterochromatic eyes, one gold and one green, perpetually held an exhaustion that made it seem as though she might never awaken from sleep.
Of course, all of this was a direct consequence of their dear mother’s experiments.
Salome knew well that without the sustaining might of Lihantian, Cassandra would likely have perished long ago.
“Al… although I don’t know if I should say this.
But… I don’t think that’s the ‘Mother’ we know,” Cassandra whispered, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.