Chapter 735: I Want to Live

SQUEAK.......

A single rat giving off a rotting stench crawled across the ground.

That rotten smell was not something it had picked up from wandering through filthy places.

It was the smell it gave off because it was, quite literally, rotting.

A small rat that had been dead for a long while already.

And inside that rat’s body.

PSHHH......

A small amount of gas leaked out.

Gas pooled inside the corpse was piercing through the skin and leaking outside.

And when that gas leaked out like that.

SHHHHH......

There were beings expelled into the world along with the gas.

Beings like spores, so small they could barely be seen with the eye.

It was a form meant to parasitize any lifeform with ease.

Reproduction through spores was the fastest, and since they could parasitize without living creatures noticing, the probability of successful parasitization was also high.

The only drawback was that they were too fragile.

Because of that, in environments where survival was difficult, they had no choice but to choose a method where the host directly searched for another lifeform or corpse and reproduced inside it, rather than being expelled in this spore-like form.......

Fortunately, this world was not an environment where survival was difficult to that extent.

In the case of some highlands, there was the drawback that parasitization in spore form was difficult due to changes in atmospheric pressure and the influence of ultraviolet rays, but that applied only to an extremely small number of cases.

In other words.

'Low difficulty.'

This world.

Had a structure that made it easy to be destroyed by them.

Tap.

“W-what...... what is this....... Why did things end up like this.......”

The spores had been floating at a size too small to even be seen.

One of those spores touched a certain individual.

“This is a dream....... It has to be a dream, right......?”

An individual hiding in a narrow space, trembling.

The spore easily dug inside.

SHHHH......

Using the energy contained in him, it instantly took on a clear form.

And began settling inside the body of a lifeform extremely difficult to survive within.

“Brother...... Mother.......”

After taking on a form to some extent, the parasite checked the condition of the host body it had invaded.

'Independently separated organic lifeform. Native dominant species of this world.'

Mana that was small in amount, but definitely present.

And a state of extreme starvation and reduced immunity.

The parasite’s instincts quickly reached a conclusion.

'Time remaining until life cessation, extremely short.'

The individual’s martial ability itself was not low.

But the body’s condition was the worst, and judging by the movement of mana, the mind was also extremely unstable.

Individuals with unstable minds often made poor judgments that were generally unsuitable for survival.

This individual would soon reach death.

And, exactly as the parasite judged.

“R-rather than hold out meaninglessly like this and die in pain.”

The individual was pushed mentally to the limit.

He made a foolish judgment that was not beneficial to survival at all.

Rustle, rustle.

He took off his clothes, tied them into knots to make a long rope.

And hung that rope from the ceiling.

The individual climbed onto a stone protruding from the wall and brought his head near that rope.

'Currently attempting to insert the uppermost terminal part of the body into a knotted circular shape made from specially processed fiber. If this action is successfully carried out, the oxygen supply provided to the organ located at the uppermost part of the body that controls the entire body will be cut off, and due to the shock, there is a high probability that severe damage will occur to the major nervous organ passing through the center of the body.'

The parasite quickly understood what this individual was attempting to do.

'Voluntary life cessation attempt without external intervention.'

But.

'Why?'

It could not understand the cause behind it.

Most of the information engraved in their genes took it as a basic premise that life prioritized the extension of its own life above all else.

But this individual was attempting voluntary life cessation.

'Most likely hypothesis. Due to nutritional deficiency, the judgment organ in the uppermost terminal part is producing errors.'

It was only a guess.

But there was no need to investigate further than that.

Because.

'Unexpected positive situation has occurred. If life cessation occurs earlier than expected, the period for full-scale activity may be moved forward.'

When the host was alive, parasites hid their presence as much as possible, and only after the host died did they occupy the body.

Because their main bodies were not that powerful, so the moment they were detected by the host, it would be difficult to avoid being removed.

Conversely, that also meant the faster the host’s life activities ceased, the faster it could begin moving.

“H-hngh......!”

And in the end.

The individual inserted his head into the rope.

SNAP!

Due to gravity, the body was pulled downward, and his body began a rapid downward movement.

“Keh, kek.......”

Unfortunately.

That single downward movement did not cause life cessation.

'An individual with excellent body durability.'

Even so, the result of that action did not seem likely to change.

The airway was compressed by the rope, cutting off the oxygen supply.

His face turned pale from pain.

If just a few more seconds passed like this, he would certainly reach death.

The parasite watched the situation and began preparing to fully occupy the body.

However.

Tuk......!

The sloppy rope, loosely woven from clothing.

That rope might have been able to endure one downward movement, but it was not strong enough to endure even the weight of a human thrashing in pain afterward.

THUD!

That body fell to the floor.

A powerful impact struck the host’s body.

'First life cessation attempt, failed.'

It was unfortunate.

But the parasite observed the scene without much thought.

The first attempt had failed, but if he tried again, he would be able to succeed then.

It only had to wait.......

'.......'

Or so it should have been.

'Action cessation.'

There.

An unexpected abnormality occurred for it.

Extreme hypoglycemia due to nutritional deficiency.

Interrupted oxygen supply due to compression.

Impact to the back of the head due to the fall.

Because of that.

'Activity in the uppermost terminal part of the body has sharply decreased.'

Serious damage occurred to his brain.

'......Voluntary life cessation attempt stopped. Voluntary movement stopped.'

He could not move.

'Life activities are being maintained.'

And yet he was not dead.

Its host entered a coma.

***

'......An unexpected situation.'

A host who had attempted voluntary life cessation.

But as that attempt ended in failure, a major abnormality occurred in the host’s body.

Cessation of activity caused by damage to brain function...... he had entered a coma.

And.

This state was close to the worst possible one for the parasite.

'Life activities are being maintained.'

If he had died completely from that impact, there would have been no problem.

But despite the sharp drop in brain activity, this body was still operating the minimum functions necessary to sustain life.

Under normal circumstances, it would not last long in this state and would die soon.

[Awakened]

Strangely, however, this body’s life force belonged to the very high side.

Rather, because all functions except those necessary for life support had ceased.

This body had entered a state where it could survive for a long period of time with only the minimum amount of calories.

A state of neither dead nor alive.

It had become clear that he would be maintained in that state for a long time.

'A response to this abnormal situation is necessary.'

If this had been an ordinary situation.

Even if it took some time, it would simply have waited for the host’s natural death.

Because that was the safest way to take over the host’s body.

But the reason for that was only because it was the safest.

If it began acting before the host’s life activities ceased, it would inevitably be discovered by the host and removed.

Conversely.

'A situation where I will not be removed even if I begin activity.'

A host in a brain-dead state.

Even if this host sensed movement inside its own body here, the possibility that this host would remove it was extremely low.

The calories granted to each of them were not abundant.

When in parasite form, the calories needed to maintain life were not large, but it was certain they were consumed little by little over time.

In that case.

'Begin activity.'

At the point when its safety had become certain even if it began activity.

Beginning a slightly faster encroachment would be beneficial for conserving those calories.

SHHHHH......

The insect’s body moved inside the body.

Soon, it approached the body’s central nervous system.

Just as it had expected, even though it had begun moving inside the body, the host showed no reaction.

Rather, it could feel that even the internal defense systems of the body, which should have operated separately from the host’s reason, had slowed greatly.

[Awakened]

Even though it was a living body.

Control over it gradually passed to the insect.

It took over the host’s body smoothly.

But.

As it continued replacing the nerves like that.

And at last.......

Tap.

When that nerve.

Touched the still-living brain.

An abnormality occurred.

'This is.'

The brain of a lifeform whose life has ceased rapidly loses its functions.

The parasite would revive and use only an extremely small portion of those functions.

But cases where it touched a fully living brain were extremely rare.......

'Memories.'

When that rare event occurred.

The memories the host possessed from his life.

Began forcibly flowing into the parasite.

***

'Memories.'

When the parasite touched the host’s brain.

Despite the brain clearly being in a state of serious damage.

The memories remaining in that brain flowed toward the parasite.

No, to be precise, because the parasite attempted to dominate the brain, it was closer to synchronizing with it.

'.......'

Like that.

The parasite grasped the surging memories.

This one was an independently separated organic lifeform...... no.

'A human.'

Human.

A human born in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, a country some called North Korea.

But that life was difficult to call human.

Of the two individuals that gave birth to him, the being called his father died while carrying out activities to obtain food.

When the number of individuals responsible for rearing was cut in half, the children, who were still vulnerable in survival, had no choice but to engage in food-gathering activity.

In that process, several siblings also reached death at an early age.

Even so, he had somehow continued that wretched life.

But one day, the end of the world arrived.

His siblings and mother, the only ones he could even rely on, became food for monsters before his eyes.

'......This is.'

As it synchronized with the host’s memories like that.

The parasite realized one change that had occurred within it.

'Emotion.'

Something they were not originally given.

A function that existed only in this brain.

That settled inside the parasite.

Along with those memories, this host’s emotions had also synchronized with the parasite.

The parasite quickly understood the concept of emotion through the host’s brain.

And according to that knowledge, this was.

'Pain.'

Yes.

His life had been filled with pain.

When the host first chose voluntary life cessation.

The parasite had questioned it.

The conclusion it had soon reached was that the brain had produced an error due to nutritional deficiency.

And that because of that error, he had made a foolish judgment.

But.

The parasite, synchronized with those emotions and memories, thought differently.

'If life is nothing but pain anyway, there is no particular reason to keep living.'

When this host chose death for himself, he had been in an extremely cold-headed state.

There was no abnormality in the function of that brain.

A life that was nothing but pain.

When even the only beings he could lean on in that life disappeared.

He had concluded, very calmly, that there was no longer any meaning in living...... and that was the reason for that action.

Tremble.......

At that emotion of pain.

The insect’s body, rummaging through the inside of the body, trembled.

Certainly.

If this was a life where only such pain continued endlessly.

Ending it early would have been the wise judgment.

The parasite fully agreed with the judgment the host in the memories had made.

However.

The host’s memories did not end there.

“Kek...... kek.......”

The host who had chosen death for himself after a cold-headed judgment.

He hung his neck from the rope, and that body was clearly reaching death.

But.......

At the final moment when that life would certainly cease.

Just before that.

Tuk.......

The host’s muscles began to move.

'......!'

The parasite that checked that memory felt an emotion called shock.

Because.

When the host’s suicide failed and he fell to the floor, the parasite had thought it was because that knot was weak.

But it was not.

Tuk.......

The host himself.

Had moved that body.

'Why......!'

A life that was nothing but pain.

Because of that.

The parasite had fully agreed with the judgment that there was no meaning in any further life.

But.

The final judgment engraved in that memory.

The last thought that host himself had made...... was something completely different.

This host.

Had lived a life that had never been human.

And had been tormented for many years in pain where death would have been better.

Even so.

'I don’t want to die.'

He wanted to continue that life.

He had made that foolish judgment.......

And for some reason.

The emotion that entered the parasite’s mind after seeing that memory was none other than.

“......I want to live.”

That final judgment.

Seemed so incredibly beautiful...... that was the emotion.

“I want...... to live.”

That.

Was the very first thing one parasite said when it succeeded in completely taking control of its host’s body.