Chapter 263

263 – An Ominous Nightmare

After eating up all the tribute with my partner, I rest in the shrine . Even though she falls asleep right away, I find it a bit harder to get to sleep .

Kasasakasakasakasakasakasakasakasakasakasakasakasakasakasakasakasa .

…The baby araenies, the spiderlings, are moving around the shrine strangely energetically . It’s bothering me too much that I can’t sleep . Please quiet down a bit, seriously .

“Ngaa…”

My partner lets out a carefree sigh in her sleep . Damn it, why just me…? I wonder if there isn’t a skill to put yourself to sleep . If I had that, I’d be able to fall asleep right away no matter where I was .

Even with my eyes closed, I’m not able to fall asleep, so I watch my partner breathing as she sleeps… When I next evolve, will she disappear, I wonder?

She’s saved me countless times already . When we couldn’t quite understand each other at the start, we’d clash over the differences in our way of thinking, but now she’s my closest friend and most my important ally . This is despite how, way back when I saw the twin head dog, I swore that I’d never evolve to get two heads .

In my next evolution, can I still be a two-headed dragon? If I can’t, I don’t really need to evolve .

As I am now, I’m plenty strong already, so I probably won’t ever be forced into choosing to lose something again . I’ve never seen any A-rank monsters besides myself, and the knight leader, Adolf, was only a little stronger than a C-rank monster . Though please forgive me for not wanting to evolve into a three-headed dragon . With the stress we’d cause each other, it’d be hard to get things done .

【】

Hmm? For just a moment, it felt like there was a blank in my consciousness… Just now, was that God’s Voice? Though it’s not like there’s a message coming through, nor did I just defeat a monster or anything, so it could’ve just been my imagination . Though maybe it was some sort of unexpected bug . With how game-like this world is, having a few bugs wouldn’t seem strange .

As I’m thinking that, my consciousness grows dimmer and dimmer .

Kasakasa, kasakasa . As I’m waking up, I hear the sounds of the spiderlings crawling near my ear… These guys, when will they take a break, seriously?

One of the spiderlings sticks to my nose . It’s ticklish, so I feel a sneeze coming .

Y-you! What are you doing?! I shake my head and the spiderling falls to the floor, and I get up .

“Guachhonh!”

From beside me, I hear my partner’s giant sneeze . Did you also get woken up by them? I feel like my tail’s a little bit itchy, so I turn around to see a good number of them crawling over my tail too . Y-you guys, you’ve really got the nerve to do as you please…

In the next moment, the spiderlings all disperse in different directions . Remaining in the middle is an abyss . The abyss had frantically waved its eight arms around, sending them flying .

It doesn’t look like the spiderlings got fatally wounded . The abyss is C-rank, and the spiderlings are E-rank . With the difference in status, they should be crushed when struck, not just thrown away like that .

I’m glad they’re okay but… It’s you agaaaain?! The abyss must have hidden its presence, because I discovered it painfully late .

It seems like they were crawling on my nose to tell me about it .

Even in this situation, I’m unexpectedly calm . Though I’m not pleased that I’ve seemingly gotten a used to having an abyss on me .

“GaaaaaaahaaaaaAhaah!”

My partner roars, shaking her head . It seems she hasn’t gotten used to it at all .

“A, ze, hou… ge, [Gale]”

Aro raises her hand towards my tail that the spiderlings scattered from . A miniature tornado appears and attacks the abyss .

Losing to the [Gale], the abyss’ mouth separates from my tail . However, the tornado also breaks apart, and after wrapping a pair of long legs around my tail, the abyss opens its mouth and faces Aro .

“VeeEEE!”

The abyss opens its mouth wide, revealing the creepy insides of its mouth lined with a massive number of teeth… Now that I look, this guy has two rows of teeth . I hadn’t notice earlier since I don’t like looking, and even now I want to puke .

I raise my tail into the air . The yellow liquid it fires misses Aro, splashing against the back wall . With a sizzling sound, the wall is eroded .

It seems that was meant to be its revenge for the [Gale] . I wonder if all of its techniques are disgusting .

I raise my tail further, smashing it against the ceiling .

“VeAah!”

The whole shrine shakes . A cavity forms in the abyss’ body, cream-coloured body fluids leaking from it . I continue on to slam it against the floor . Crushed, its legs convulse . It seems that one of legs was lost in the strike, as there are only seven now .

I turn around and pierce my claw deep into its back .

【173 experience points have been acquired . 】

【Due to the Title Skill [Walking Egg: Lv -], an additional 173 experience points have been acquired . 】

【The level of [Ouroboros] has risen from 65 to 66 . 】

Ugeh, I got abyss between my claws… It got on my tail too, so I need to wash it .

…Isn’t the abyss encounter rate a bit high? Is that just how it is? I have a bad feeling about it though… That reminds me, the spiderlings and Aro participated in the battle, so their level should have risen, right?

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Name: Aro

Species: Revaana Mage

Condition: Cursed

Lv: 3/30

HP: 50/54

MP: 44/55

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Oh! I didn’t think she’d progress as fast as she did in her previous evolutions, but it looks like her level went up a decent amount . Even though the early levels right after an evolution tend to be fast, she’s making good progress . Her next evolution might come sooner that I thought .

“Gaah! Gaaah!”

Hmm? What’s up, partner?

『Two of them, caught in tail!』

Eh…? I look back to see the abyss’ legs caught in my tail . They’re still twitching as though they’re alive .

“GuaooOOOOh!”

I shake my tail, sending the legs flying .

As always, the spiderlings are cluster around the abyss’ corpse . One of them chases after a leg I tossed away . Those guys’ stomachs really are strong .

As I breathe a sigh, [Presence Perception] reacts . Several somethings are moving towards the shrine . This feeling… They’re humans .

I signal Aro with a glance, and she nods in response . Picking up the clay rabbit, she runs into the depths of the shrine .

I poke my head out of the shrine and see Hibi and Baron approaching . I’ve seen them as a pair before, so I’m wondering if Baron is Hibi’s guard .

The two of them are running closer in a hurry . However, Baron’s usual running speed is faster, so he stops and waits for her to catch up a few times… Just match her pace already .

Hibi’s face is obscured with a mask, so I can’t see her expression, but Baron’s face is pale . But his relief upon seeing me is apparent in his breathing .

“It’s awful! The village is in a terrible situation…! Please, please, would you be so kind as to lend the weak us your strength?”

Arriving first, Baron sits on the ground and bows his head to me . Wh-what’s wrong? Why the need for such a hurry?

Hibi, who arrives after, breathes heavily from behind her mask .

“…Baron, please step back . ”

“I-I have no excuses, Hibi-sama . But, but, I was in such a hurry…”

Baron bows his head to me and Hibi, then steps back behind her .