Chapter 5

As he’s being healed, Tama feels intense relief at having saved his master, before slipping unconscious. “An innate skill…you say?” After the duel, Aria is brought to the employee break room at the guild, where she looks puzzled. Tama has been returned to health by the potion and is cuddling in between her breasts. “Yes. The skill Tama activated at the end was an innate skill, I believe. I’ve seen an elemental cat with innate skills when I was an adventurer, so I’m quite positive.” Arnold answers Aria, who is relieved that Tama has recovered. The second he did, a concern grew within her—just what was the technique that Tama used at the end of the duel? Arnold has answered her, saying that it’s likely an innate skill. “It was so powerful, I thought he might be a monster for a second, but I’ve never heard of a monster that looks like Tama. If he was one, he should also have more mana.” Arnold continues speaking. Normally, the amount of mana flowing from animals and monsters is vastly different, largely thanks to their bodies’ physiological differences. That said, Tama is a monster, but he was a human knight in a past life. He’s unconscious of it, but he can regulate and manipulate the mana running through him just like a human being. That means his mana is on the same level as a normal animal. Arnold is a former B-ranked adventurer and has excellent mana-detection skills. Judging from past experience and the amount of mana flowing out of Tama, he’s determined that Tama is not a monster. Hmm. In order to protect my master, I was prepared to have my identity as a monster discovered…but it seems that I’ve been thrown a bone. Not to mention, the fact that elemental cats with innate skills actually exist in our wide world is incredible. Reflecting on these developments while also being thankful that his identity is still safe, Tama breathes a sigh of relief. He’s also thankful for Arnold’s mistake—just like before. In any case…regarding the root cause of this entire episode—Kussman—it’s said that he was completely broken by Aria’s final heel smash and was unable to be healed through potions…and that according to doctors, his manhood no longer functions. That said, Kussman has no right to say anything about the matter. A duel is an official battle sanctioned by law. No matter what the results, they must be accepted. If he tries to plan revenge, the law will come down on him hard—aristocrat or not. For this reason, Aria and Tama will not need to worry about him coming around again. Kussman played a dirty trick to get Aria to fall into his hand. The fact that he’s now incapable of sleeping with a woman ever again smacks deeply of irony. “Okay, Tama, open wide!” “Meowrrr—” Aria is feeding Tama meat from a fork in their room at the inn. Wow, this is delicious! I didn’t expect anything of the food here, but they’re doing it up properly! It’s still late afternoon, but in order to celebrate today’s victory, Aria and Tama are having a toast. Aria is drinking her favorite fruit liqueur, and Tama has a special serving of gourmet milk. Their accompaniments include a braised meat dish, grilled fish, and more, prepared by the female proprietor of the inn. They’ve taken dishes back up to their room, where they’re smacking their lips in delight. Delicious alcohol and tasty food mixed with the lingering aftertaste of victory… Aria and Tama are stuffing themselves. Just then— Hmm? What’s the matter, master? Tama is chomping down on a piece of grilled fish when he realizes Aria’s fork has stopped moving. She has a dark expression, eyes downcast. “Tama…!!” “Meowr?” Tama stares at Aria with worry, and she suddenly scoops him up in her arms. “Tama…Tama…Tama…” Aria tightens her grip and repeats his name multiple times, large tears welling up and pouring out of her eyes. “Thank you so much for protecting me…but please, never do anything that dangerous ever again… If you died, I…I would…” Ah…I see what’s on your mind. Tama infers—Aria is likely remembering what Tama looked like when he was injured protecting her. Now that she’s consumed alcohol, her emotions have exploded. Don’t worry, my master… I have no intention of perishing so easily. And now, if something happens, I can use my Elemental Howl. I also plan on using Iron Body, as necessary, so what happened this time will never repeat itself. The commotion of the duel has left Tama unhindered. The Aether Howl he used in the nick of time in the final moment has been confused as an innate skill. He intends to bring out his other skills as necessary in any dangerous situation he approaches moving forward. “Meowrrr—” Tama mews tenderly, brushing his face against Aria’s cheek to wipe away her tears. “Aw…you’re the one who got hurt, but you’re still cheering me up… You are such a sweetheart, Tama.” Aria finally smiles again, impressed by Tama’s consideration toward her. He continues comforting her long into the night. “Hmm, which one should I choose…?” The day after the duel, in midafternoon—Aria puts her index finger to her lips, perplexed. She’s at Vulcan’s item shop, in the dagger and knife corner. Kussman’s fierce attacks during yesterday’s duel put huge chips in both her knives, dulling them. She’s determined that they cannot be repaired and has decided to buy brand-new ones. It’s already midafternoon because of the expected hangover and because Vulcan, the owner of the shop, is often delving into the labyrinth in the morning anyway. Speaking of Vulcan… “Meow! Tama is as calm and cute as ever!” Vulcan, dressed in her quintessential bare-skinned overall look, takes Tama from Aria and places him in between her exposed breasts. She’s taken quite the shine to the cute little elemental cat, and it shows in her loving expression. “Meowr—” Tama closes his eyes in bliss and wavers on the line of consciousness. Tama is a knight on the inside but still looks like a behemoth cub. He’s tired from yesterday, and his eyes are drooping. “Oh, this looks like a good one.” Aria has finally found a knife she’s interested in among the large selection. She takes it in her hand and slashes with it a few times. The knife rips through the air, and Aria feels like it’s easier to wield than her old knives, with excellent responsiveness. “This is a fine blade…and the price… Oof…” Aria looks miffed. Proper quality weapons definitely come with a price. Yesterday—during her quest before the duel—Aria was able to take home goblin ears and the orc arm, and she has some extra money. But if she buys two of the knives she’s holding in her hand, she’ll use nearly all her earnings. Thinking about the money it will cost for maintenance on the blades, she can’t help but hesitate. “Meow, Aria? Sorry to bother you while you’re selecting weapons, but I have something I’d like to ask you. It’s not anything that will bother you, I don’t think.” “What is it? It’s rare of you to come to me for advice.” Aria often seeks Vulcan’s counsel regarding weapons, but Vulcan asking Aria, her customer, for advice is quite rare. Aria looks puzzled while she wonders what it could be. “Actually, the thing is, I’m currently looking for adventurers to partner up with. If it’s okay with you, won’t you form a party together?” “Wow…? Really, Vulcan, a party with you and me?” “Yes, meow! I feel sheepish saying it, but because I’m C rank, you joining me could be a good thing, right?!” “I am flattered…but why me, of all people? I’m only D rank, and, Vulcan, you had the ex-knight commanding officer Sakura in your party before, right…?” Aria looks elated at Vulcan’s invite—she, too, has been wanting to partner up with female adventurers. The main reasons she’s been taking on solo quests so far are her dislike of men and the fact that few reasonable female adventurers exist around here. Now that Vulcan, who always treats her well—and is of higher rank—has asked her to join up together, she definitely has a reason to be excited. At the same time, she also has her doubts. Just as she said to Vulcan, she’s only recently graduated from the beginner stages and is still merely a D rank. And Vulcan had a B-ranked adventurer named Sakura as her partner in the past. “Rank is not an issue. I’ve been hearing about your potential, and after yesterday’s duel, all the adventurers are talking about how strong Tama is. Also…” “Also…?” Vulcan offers high praise for Aria and Tama but suddenly looks disheartened and hesitates to continue, prompting Aria to ask her what’s up. “Also…Sakura and I broke up our party yesterday. Actually, it turns out she conceived a ‘magic-wielding girlie-boy from another world.’” “Ohhh…is that so…?” Aria senses that something is off from the words another world and girlie-boy, but she accepts the situation. It’s not rare for people from another world to visit this one, and adventurer parties disbanding due to a member becoming pregnant is also common. …In reality, the magic-wielding feminine boy and Sakura are both connected to the Sword Saint Aria longs to meet…but that is a story for another time. “That’s the gist of it, so whaddaya say? Will you form a party with me? If you do now, I can offer you equipment at special party rates!” “If that’s the case, I have no reason to say no! Tama—you think it’s a good idea, too, right?” “Meow!” Aria responds positively as Vulcan presses her again, and Tama concurs with a hearty mew. It’s a great thing for my master to have a partner. It only reduces her risk of being slain, and what’s more—Vulcan already owns her own shop. She’s completely trustworthy. Tama has no objection to forming a party with Vulcan. “Okay, then! We’ll commence activities tomorrow morning. We’ll meet at the guild, okay meow?” “Of course, no problem. Hee-hee, I can’t wait, Vulcan.” “Me too! Meow!” Aria and Vulcan shake heartily on their new partnership. Porcelain-white skin on a female elf beauty and wheat-colored skin on a tiger-eared babe. Joining them is a behemoth who’s been mistaken as an elemental cat. Labyrinthos has a unique new party in town. Ga-gan—!! A goblin is rocked by a blunt-force attack and blasted far across the room. The girl left standing has amber skin and overalls, short golden hair, and cat ears… It’s Vulcan. Yet there are a few things different about her today. She has rough gauntlets on both her hands and similar leggings wrapped around both legs. And she grips a large hammer the same size as herself—a battle hammer—in her gauntlets. The goblin faced her battle hammer’s wrath and was blasted across the room. “Gi-gii—” And your comrade, too! Showing bitter resentment, another goblin grips its dagger and flies at Vulcan. Goblins are imbeciles. The second they see a human, they come rushing at them—no matter who it is. That means no matter how strong their adversary… “Just what the hell does a goblin have to do with me?!” They’re really such a pain, goblins. Vulcan lifts her battle hammer with ease, truly unimaginable given her delicate figure, and brings it down on the goblin before it can reach her. Splat— The monster eats a heavy blow straight to the cranium and is turned into a literal pancake. Blood and viscera fly through the air. For an adventurer, this sight is a daily occurrence. “Absolutely incredible. Vulcan! You are a true member of the tiger-eared clan!” As Vulcan wipes the blood from her battle hammer, Aria addresses her from the rear guard. Tama is pawing around near her feet. It’s morning in the upper layers of the labyrinth. Just as promised last night, Aria and Vulcan have joined forces on their first quest. “Come on meow, I eat goblins for breakfast!” Vulcan raps her battle hammer on her shoulder as she responds to Aria’s praise. It’s true that Vulcan looks cool and relaxed, nowhere close to short of breath. The way she wields a heavy weapon like a battle hammer so lightheartedly should be completely impossible. Wow, I knew Vulcan was part of the tiger-eared clan, but I definitely didn’t think she had this level of superhuman strength. Tama is also glued to Vulcan’s display of prowess. The secret to her unnatural level of strength lies in her race—the tiger-eared clan. As stated previously, the tiger-eared clan is a race of demi-humans. They have tiger blood running in them, and although they look slender, their muscular composition is completely different from the average human. If asked how strong, they can easily carry an entire midsize monster on their backs all the way out of the labyrinth. That is the reason Vulcan can delve into the labyrinth on her own and return with a large amount of raw materials. Vulcan is also currently shouldering a big leather backpack. Today’s quest involves defeating one minotaur, which Tama has also defeated previously. They’re C-ranked monsters… Tama was worried it might be too early for a minotaur for Aria, but after receiving certification from the receptionist lady (?) Arnold that she’ll be fine with Vulcan along, he’s now at ease. “Okay, let’s get their ears off before moving onward!” “Yep!” With Vulcan’s superhuman strength and her backpack, they could easily bring back an entire goblin corpse, but they won’t. The minotaur they’re after won’t appear until the fifth level or below. Carrying something so heavy all the way down would be inane. Also, after defeating the minotaur, they’ll dissect it to bring the whole corpse with them, while also picking up different ores and minerals for blacksmithing on their way out. The second layer of the labyrinth— “Gi-gya—!” “Gugi-gya-gya—!” Another horde of goblins appears in tandem with their screeching voices. Four total… Judging from their number, Aria could likely take them down herself, but the labyrinth is a fickle beast. “Gu-giii!” Fireball! One of the goblin group casts the low-level fire elemental spell Fireball. It’s a goblin mage—the same type that put Aria between a rock and a hard place previously. The fireball surges forward, but Tama and Aria remain motionless because Vulcan has commanded them to watch. It’s easier for them to watch than for her to explain. Vulcan intends to show them how she fights solo so they completely understand her capabilities. “Just who do you think you are meow?!” As she speaks, Vulcan swings her battle hammer from the side. She connects directly with the fireball, and it erupts in a massive roar and creates a small explosion. “Meow it’s my turn!” Vulcan flies out from behind the blast. The goblin’s eyes are bugging out of its head from the sudden turn of events. But just what is happening? Vulcan’s battle hammer isn’t in her hands. “Enchant Flame!” Vulcan utters these words as she rushes forward. Suddenly, both her gauntlets are engulfed in flame. Bwohhh—! Vulcan throws a fist that rips a blaze through the air. Her punch lands directly in the goblin’s gut with a thud, followed by a hot sizzle of flesh. “Ga-gyahhh!!” Its stomach burned to a crisp, the goblin mage loses consciousness and tumbles to the ground. Vulcan brings her steel leggings down on the goblin’s head and crushes its skull. It’s far from over—many enemies remain. Now Vulcan turns all five fingers and aligns them vertically, aiming for the next goblin’s stomach with a fierce thrust. The blade of her hand—wrapped in flame—pierces the goblin’s stomach and sears it from the inside. There’s definitely no chance of coming back from that one. Blood and smoke gush from the goblin’s mouth as it crumples in a heap. As far as the remaining two goblins…their fate goes without saying. As Vulcan takes the life of the last of them, Aria asks, “Vulcan, what was that skill…?” “That was a derived skill that grants elemental powers extrapolated from my blacksmithing capabilities, called ‘Enchant.’ It allows me to put elemental effects on different items!” “I see, a ‘derived skill,’ huh?” The types of skills that humans possess are generally limited to the two types previously discussed—innate skills possessed since birth and skills acquired from magic items called scrolls. However, there are exceptions. They include the type Vulcan just mentioned, the derived skill Enchant. Derived skills refer to evolved skills developed from capabilities that the user refines over a long period, allowing them to optimize that functionality within their own personal characteristics. In Vulcan’s case, her aptitude for blacksmithing has evolved and turned into a battle skill. I see. Vulcan uses her tiger-eared-clan superhuman strength to wield the battle hammer and her derived skill Enchant to bash her enemies, even empty-handed… I see what makes her a C-ranked adventurer now. After seeing Vulcan’s battle prowess, Tama is totally convinced that Arnold giving the go sign for this quest was a spot-on judgment. Just then— “Snort—” A swine-faced orc appears, squealing like a pig. “Vulcan, I understand your true capability now. This round, please observe our power, too. Let’s go, Tama!” “Meow!” Aria reins in Vulcan, who’s gripping her battle hammer, and steps forward. Tama is also ready to wreck. Having seen Vulcan throwing down, his battle spirit is on fire. “Acceleration!” Aria rushes forward with blinding speed. She has to show the girl who invited her into her party, Vulcan, that she has what it takes. No matter what— “What did you think, Vulcan?” Aria wipes the sweat from her brow. The corpse of the orc lies at her feet…with a knife buried deeply in its eye. Just like before, she used Tama’s support from the rear, and when the orc recoiled, she took advantage of the opening and laced a knife straight into the orc’s cranium. “What tremendous speed. Your innate skill, Acceleration… I’d heard the rumors, but I didn’t think it would be like that! And Tama’s cover was sheer purrfection!” Impressed at seeing Aria’s speed, Vulcan offers words of sincere admiration. Complimented by an adventurer of higher rank, Aria looks elated. However… Vulcan suddenly looks serious and says, “Yet there are definitely a few things you need to learn in terms of fighting style.” “Things to learn?” “That’s right, meow. Your attacks are superfast, but your movements are all in direct lines and very simplistic. Going up against goblins and orcs isn’t an issue, but monsters with intellectual capacity like minotaurs will be another issue.” I see—Vulcan has ascertained Aria’s weakness, too. Tama is impressed at what Vulcan has said and thanks god she pointed it out to Aria. Because Aria has the superior innate skill Acceleration, she has the tendency to utilize its capacity and move as fast as possible when attacking as well. Of course, moving quickly is a great thing, but her move set doesn’t include any feints aside from when she uses her throwing knives. What’s more, calling the action she employs when she uses a throwing knife a feint is a bit naive. These are a few of the reasons Aria didn’t stand a chance in her duel against Kussman the other day. Because I can’t speak, even though I can assist my master, I cannot offer her advice. But Vulcan, on the other hand… This is the true definition of Thank god. “I’ve got it! We’ve started a party together, and we should definitely use this as a chance to train you!” “Are you serious? Please, that would be amazing. I want to get stronger!” Aria answers Vulcan with enthusiasm. In the past—ever since the Sword Saint saved her—Aria has always wanted to get stronger, and one could say that reaction is natural. Meowr—I think we really found a winner with Vulcan. We haven’t met anyone this committed to self-improvement, ever! Seeing Aria’s stance, Vulcan is deeply impressed. With Aria, she might be able to reach the same level as she did with Sakura—no, she might even be able to eclipse her. Vulcan’s lips curl into a smile as she says, “In that case, there’s a perfect monster for you waiting on the next level!” Seeing Vulcan’s face, for some reason, Aria is gripped with a frightening chill. Squelch, squelch, shpleeem— Having stepped foot into the third level of the labyrinth, Aria and company are confronted with two writhing figures. “Oof… Vulcan, when you said ‘perfect’ monster, you couldn’t have possibly been talking about that, could you?!” “Heh-heh, you’re spot-on. No matter how much you hate it, going up against these things, you won’t be able to use direct-line movement. You’ll be in a world of hurt if one catches you.” Looking at the wriggling monstrosities, Aria is slack-jawed throughout Vulcan’s response. Writhing figures— Captivating green bodies covered in tentacles…and slick with a squelching, thick mucus dripping off them. These monsters are called “ropers.” On Earth, these plant-based monsters appear in games and comic books, walking definitions of the word aberration that portend they will not tolerate anything following them. They don’t have any real attack power, but anyone caught by them just once will be in a world of misery. They cover their captives’ entire bodies in mucus and use their tentacles on every last part of the human body… Let’s stop there. Can I really let my master…an angel…an elf…her melons…? Can I really let her go up against these things alone?! Vulcan—just what morbid pretext are you acting under?! Tama shudders with fear at Vulcan’s proposal. “Okay, Aria. This is another part of your training! Escape the grasp of those writhing tentacles and defeat it for us! Of course, Tama can’t help you.” “Uuugh…okay, I got it! Accelerate!” Aria’s skin is rippling with goose bumps just thinking about what would happen if she were to get caught as she activates her specialty, Acceleration, and approaches the two ropers. Shloop— One of the pair stretches its tentacles at Aria as she rushes toward them. Its movements were slow and meandering earlier, but the tentacles now move at unbelievable speed. In contrast with their appearance, ropers have excellent dynamic vision, and their tentacles are lightning quick. I see—this will be excellent training after all. Aria thinks this as she circles wide to avoid the outstretched tentacles. In the same moment, realizing she won’t be able to avoid two of the tentacles, she grips her knife in the opposite hand and slices through them with a snap. “Pi-gyah—?!” The roper cries out in anguish at its tentacle being slashed off. However, now it’s spinning all its appendages out in a radial pattern and rushing toward Aria. “Damn—” Aria is appalled as she cries out—even if she cuts off some of the tentacles, she’s still at risk of being caught by the others. Not to mention, another roper waits silently close by, biding its time for the perfect moment to expose Aria’s blind spot and attack. Aria sprints away—but this time, it’s not a direct line like before. She rushes in an ebb and flow of movement with sudden changes in tempo. She throws feints, stepping quickly left and right. Her movements have matured, largely dependent on her singular desire to not be snared. “Now!” “Piiiii—?!” Aria has predicted exactly where the roper’s tentacle would recede and create an opening as she rushes in close. Then she screams with abandon and does a midair cartwheel, taking her knives in both hands and shredding every one of the roper’s arms off at the base. “Now the next one! Oh—no, god!!” Aria realizes that if she steps in to finish off the first roper, she will be immediately wrapped up by the second. She decides to kick the first roper, now void of tentacles, back with all her might. But that was a bad decision. The second she kicks the roper back, milk-white mucilage sprays from every one of its severed tentacle holes, due to the pressure, and lands directly on Aria’s face. “Daaamn…she messed up now. And that visual is absolutely nasty.” “Meow!!” My master!! Aria is sweating from the battle, her face flushed red, and breathing rough. In this condition, with that sort of white all over her face, it’s simply…wrong. Vulcan is clasping her hands together in deep regret, while Tama cries out in anguish at the sight of his master reduced to this level of “pseudo-bukkake.” “Ugh…I can’t believe this!! I would only allow Tama to do this to me!!” Aria is pissed. Her fetish definitely doesn’t extend to all interspecies relations. She loves cats, and she’s deeply in love with the adorable Tama, who saved her life. She’s already committed in her heart of hearts to losing her virginity to him. But now, this disgusting monster has defiled her face… She cannot forgive this. Aria kicks the roper waiting next to her. More mucilage rains down on her, but what does she care at this point? The roper is rocked backward. Aria chases it down…but then she actually rushes right past it. “Meowr?! Aria, what are you doing—?!” “Meow!” What’s the matter, master? Both Vulcan and Tama cry out in surprise. But then—in that second, it happens. Slash—rip—ppplsssh— Blasted backward, the roper’s tentacles are being sheared off one by one. By the time it’s plastered against the back wall, every last one of them is lying on the ground. Vulcan and Tama have no idea what they just witnessed. Aria whispers to herself. “I just learned ‘Whirlwind Slash.’” ““Meowr?!”” Aria said Whirlwind Slash—the name of a new skill she’s learned. It’s a derived skill. The fact that Aria was completely helpless in her duel against Kussman and caused Tama to get injured is reality. During her current quest, Vulcan gave her instructions, and she knew she had to make a change. Acceleration is Aria’s innate skill that she’s used for many years. But different skills can be derived depending on the user’s environment. Aria wants to get stronger. She never wants to hurt Tama again. Her hope, love, and anger—together, they caused her Acceleration skill to evolve. As a result, the skill’s effect creates a whirlwind of attacks that hit all around her. As the slashes flew from her body in every direction, the roper got closer and ended up sliced to bits. Now that she moves with tempo and rhythm, she can’t let loose the same number of attacks she did when she moved in direct lines. However, with Whirlwind Slash, she can attack while she’s on the move. Because she thrives off speed, it’s an ideal skill to have. “Meowr, come to think of it, when I realized my first derived skill, I also exploded with joy…” Seeing Aria suddenly realize her first derived skill, Vulcan recalls her own past. Derived skills are often realized in moments least expected… “Damn—you bastard—!” In the back of the room, Aria is stabbing the lifeless, disarmed roper repeatedly. Amen! Hmm? This might be a good chance! Watching Aria turn the roper’s body into a cold-blooded murder scene out of one eye, Tama realizes something. The monster she’s stabbing relentlessly is the first of the two—the one that sprayed mucilage onto her face. That means no one’s paying attention to the other one. Tama slowly tiptoes over toward the roper by himself, and checking that Aria’s not looking… Chomp—! Tama takes a bite. Oof. This tastes terrible. It’s bitter and super slimy—downright nasty. But what skill will it give…? Name: Tama Type: Behemoth (cub) Innate Skills: Elemental Howl, Skill Absorb, Elemental Tail Blade Absorbed Skills: Storage, Poison Fang, Flight, Fireball, Icicle Lance, Iron Body, Summon Tentacle, Endless Mucus Blast, Crossbreed Oh… Tama is blown away by the new skills he’s obtained. Summon Tentacle, Endless Mucus Blast, and Crossbreed… Just what sort of skills did he acquire? Hmm…I guess thinking about it, it’s obvious. This was certainly my mistake. Next time, I’ll think carefully before eating any monsters. But…Crossbreed, huh? I’ve heard that ropers can also conceive with human females, but I never thought it would be possible due to a skill…hmm? Wait…cross…breed? Repeating the name of the skill to himself, a phrase pops into his head. “…Then we’ll go meow, meow a lot together, okay?” That’s right—it’s what Aria said to Tama when she initially mistook him for an elemental cat in the guild. Shiver— This means that Aria’s desire could possibly someday become reality. A chill runs down Tama’s spine just thinking about it. “Come now, Aria. I think you’ve had your fun; it’s time to go.” “Huff…huff… I’m sorry, Vulcan. I’m coming.” Vulcan addresses Aria while continuing to stab rampantly. A piece of tentacle sticks out from Vulcan’s backpack—she’s collected it as proof of victory. “Hmm? Tama? You don’t look so well…” “Mraw…meowrrr…?” Aria looks at Tama quizzically, but all he can do is maintain his stony face and turn his head to the side, as if saying, Whatever do you mean? The fifth layer of the labyrinth— “Ugh…my whole body feels wet and slippery…” “Meowr…it’s because you fought that many of them—nothing you can do.” Aria’s and Vulcan’s faces are both flushed red as their expressions contort. Their faces and heads are covered in slime, as well as everything below the neck. Just when they thought they’d made it out of the third level, the fourth level was also packed to the brim with ropers. Both knife-wielding Aria and battle hammer–hefting Vulcan used attacks that sent buckets of mucus flying everywhere. Since they’re both close-quarters-combat specialists, it’s no surprise they look like this after engaging in a melee battle with ropers. Since he was devoted to supporting them from the rear guard, Tama has been spared. That said, aside from the fact that their entire bodies are covered in slime, the end result is a positive one—neither of the girls was caught in the ropers’ tentacles even once. If they had been, they’d be acting as a roper’s seed mother about now. “Aria. We need to focus.” “You’re right. This is the fifth level—a minotaur could appear at any time. Tama, if we need you to, can you use the skill you activated before?” “Meow!” Of course, master! Even though they’ve been given Arnold’s seal of approval, the minotaur is a C+-ranked monster. According to simple rank, it’s far above even Vulcan. For the sake of training, they’ve been holding Tama back from unleashing his power, but they won’t continue doing so forever. Just a few minutes after exploring the fifth level— “Mwohhh—!!” Suddenly, a minotaur appears. This one is different from the one Tama previously faced—it has a steel club and shield. “Aria. It hasn’t noticed our presence yet. I need you for a preemptive attack.” “Leave it to me. I’ll dive in first with a Whirlwind Slash.” Aria and Vulcan are whispering quietly in the shadow of a rock outcropping. Aria activates Acceleration and rushes out in a burst. “Mwo—?!” The minotaur is shocked by Aria’s speed and lets out a startled grunt. It immediately reaches for its club, but it’s far too late—Aria has already sprinted past it on the side. Slash—! A bloody cut from Aria’s Whirlwind Slash runs along the minotaur’s front leg. But…Aria is crestfallen. “Agh, it’s not deep at all.” Just as she said, the cut on the minotaur is quite shallow—it’s barely bleeding. Hmm…Whirlwind Slash… It’s a quick attack, but it doesn’t seem very powerful. Ropers and other monsters that are soft should be no problem, but the minotaur is a different story. Tama realizes this as he trots behind Aria to protect her. Minotaurs are covered in a thick armor of muscle. Aria’s Whirlwind Slash isn’t strong enough to make any severe wounds— “How about this, then?!” Vulcan jumps out and raises her battle hammer high, rushing in a direct line toward the minotaur as she swings it down. The minotaur meets the blow with the shield in its left hand. Vulcan screams out Aria’s name as she watches the minotaur’s shield block her blow and takes a backstep to create distance. “Aria!” “Okay! If once didn’t work, I’ll just keep it up, over and over!” Aria and Vulcan have heightened their cooperative awareness over the third and fourth layers of the labyrinth, and Aria knew what Vulcan was going to say without her even saying it. She activates Acceleration and Whirlwind Slash again. She approaches the minotaur from the back with a flurry of attacks exploding in all directions. “Again—attack one!” Aria’s knives cut into the minotaur’s back. It’s still shallow, but it’s causing damage. The minotaur does a 180-degree turn and raises its club high to smash down Aria. “Too slow—attack two!” Aria has activated Acceleration—there’s no way she’ll get caught by the attack. By the time its club has whooshed down, Aria has already ducked under its flank, and as she passes by, she lets loose more slash attacks. Three, four, five—!! Every time Aria gets close to the minotaur, its body becomes bloodier and bloodier. In turn, its movements are dulled. It’s quickly losing blood. Even though Aria’s individual attacks aren’t cutting deep, this many slashes definitely takes a toll on the opponent. “Mwohhh—!!” The minotaur explodes in a cry of rage. In that second, it discards its club and shield, rushing toward Aria with outstretched arms—it intends to strangle Aria to death. This attack is a complete sacrificial maneuver. It has likely sensed imminent death due to high blood loss and is hoping to take someone else down with it. “Tama, help me out!” “Meow!” You got it, master! Aria is unshaken as she calls out for Tama to follow her. Tama answers with a cute mew before popping out in front of her. And then— “Meow!” Aether Howl!! Tama activates Aether Howl, one of his Elemental Howls. The minotaur bearing down on Aria is thrown forcefully backward. Just as with Kussman, the minotaur smashes every last part of its body against the rock floor. It’s so shocked from the sudden turn of events, overcome with confusion and pain, that it doesn’t make a sound. “Meow! Leave the rest up to me-ow!” Sensing her chance, Vulcan leaps into the fray. She’s not as quick as Aria, but the tiger-eared-clan girl Vulcan is also super speedy. She closes the distance to the minotaur in an instant. As it tries to get up, she raises her battle hammer high in the air and crushes its skull. Do-gan—!! The minotaur’s massive body again lies facedown on the rocky earth. “We did it! This completes our quest!” “Meowrn?” Aria cries out with joy and scoops up Tama, elated, sending him directly into a dive between her melons. Tama is surprised for a second but quickly relaxes and rubs his face into Aria’s bosom to praise her. “Meow—you two are so purrfect together!” Vulcan laughs sarcastically as Aria and Tama are enraptured with each other’s touch. “Meowr? Another roper, is it…?” “Oof… Another one, eh…?” After defeating the minotaur and turning to head back home, Aria and company are confronted by another roper. Remembering how covered in slime she got earlier, Aria scowls. “Leave this one up to me-ow.” Vulcan leaves Aria aside and approaches the roper for a fight with a cool expression on her face. She’s different than Aria—she’s laid waste to umpteen ropers in her day, and she’s more than used to getting covered in their slime. Not to mention, Aria looks quite tired by now, and she decides to do her a favor and take this one for the team. “Okay, here we go meow!” Vulcan cries out and raises her battle hammer before rushing forward. The roper squeals “Pi-giii—!” in response and extends its tentacles toward her in attack. Hmm…that voice…! Tama can’t help but feel something is off about the roper’s voice. It’s lower in tone than usual and sounds muffled. Hearing it, he remembers the existence of a different monster and rushes in front of Vulcan. Ga-kinn—! The sharp sound of metal on metal reverberates throughout the room—Tama’s helmet against a blade extended from one of the roper’s tentacles. “Meowr?!” Vulcan’s eyes are wide as saucers seeing Tama jump out in front of her to intercept the roper’s tentacle blade. This was no simple roper. It has a special name: blade roper. It’s a high-level roper that mutated out of the blue. Aside from its slightly different voice, there is no further information distinguishing it from the regular breed, and the chances of mutation are extremely rare at one in over ten thousand. The world at large has no inkling of their existence. However, Tama is a battle-tested knight and has faced off against blade ropers in the past. He still remembers its odd cry from that time and, sensing imminent danger, shielded Vulcan from its blade. Laying a hand on my master’s party member is punishable by death! Eat this! Icicle Lance! Although Tama loses his balance from being hit in midair, he composes his inherent behemoth dexterity and bores a hateful gaze into the blade roper. After charging his Icicle Lance for a few seconds, he lets it rip. “Pi-gyahhhh—!!” The blade roper’s cries of agony reverberate throughout the labyrinth. Pierced by the Icicle Lance, it crumples to the ground. “Tama! Very good boy! Vulcan, are you okay?” Tama’s quick decision saved Vulcan from a certain dilemma, and Aria praises him as she rushes to Vulcan’s side. She can say only one thing… “Meowr…you definitely just saved my life. What a good, tough boi.” Mumbling to herself, Vulcan stares off in the distance behind Tama. At a glance, her cheeks have turned a rosy pink, but what of it…? “Hey, now—!! Vulcan and Aria, welcome back!” Arnold addresses Aria and company as they return to the guild. He shoots a wink their way, and Tama can’t help but nearly turn nauseated at the foul sight of it. “Anna, sorry to cut to the chase, but we’d like an evaluation right away meow. Oof—!” Vulcan sloughs the weighty backpack off her shoulders and begins lining up its contents on the counter. An arm and a leg…pieces of the minotaur, which was dismembered and drained of blood. She also pulls out a handful of roper tentacles and goblin ears. The minotaur’s horns and claws have been removed—Vulcan will use them to modify different items. “Wow, this damage… It can’t be from one of your attacks, can it, Vulcan?” “Meow—nope. Those are cuts from Aria’s new skill. She obtained a new derived skill on this quest!” “Oh, wow, a derived skill?! That’s impressive—nice work, Aria!” Arnold winks again after hearing the news. Aria answers him with a huge grin. “Okay, I’ll put this through for evaluation, so go kill some time as usual, okay?” “You got it! Aria, do you have any plans in mind later on?” “No, not really. If you forced me to tell you, I’d say fooling around with—erm, going shopping for dinner with Tama—that’s about it.” Oh god… Just more evidence that rumor is true… As Aria stumbles over her words, Vulcan remembers a piece of gossip she heard about her recently. A rumor that explicitly states her fetish is…you know. But even if it is true, Vulcan has absolutely zero intention of denouncing Aria. For one, she’s a demi-human with feline blood running in her ancestry, and though it might be rare in this world, there are certainly beings that beget offspring as a result of relations with animals capable of crossbreeding. But thinking about it, the way I’m beginning to perceive Aria’s feelings… No, let’s forget it for now. “In that case, won’t you come to the guild bar and have a toast to our new party? My shop is closed today, so I’m totally free right meow.” “Ooh, that’s a great idea!” Hearing Vulcan’s suggestion, Aria’s elf ears bounce up and down excitedly. Aria loves the food at the guild bar, and if she’s with someone else, she won’t have to put up with being hit on while she eats… At least, she doesn’t think so, and she’s elated at the prospect. “Okay meow! Let’s go!” “Mmm—!! The food here is so damn good!” “Meow! I can’t believe this is the guild’s food!” Aria and Vulcan swoon as a variety of dishes arrives from the guild kitchen. Tama is also busily chomping away at Aria’s side, totally oblivious to his surroundings. The guild menu is mostly seafood. Labyrinthos has waterways running throughout its entire expanse, and the ocean is close by. For this reason, dinner tables are often found full of the bounty of the sea. Whitefish carpaccio, bouillabaisse with many different fish and seafood, shellfish pasta… Everything is outstandingly delicious. Among all the dishes, Aria and company’s favorite is easily the Hoballe prawn, cooked in the shell. The Hoballe prawn is a local specialty from this area. At full size, they grow to be as large as an adult human arm and are essentially close to lobsters that exist in the human realm. The main difference is that they are blue and have a slightly sharper edge to their shape. Their flavor is beyond rich, with a unique sweetness, and each bite has wonderful texture. Here at the guild bar, the Hoballe prawn is sliced in half lengthwise and served grilled. It comes with butter sauce, chili sauce, and garlic sauce, making for many ways to enjoy this dish. Off the subject—but when the dish was first served, the way Aria looked between the butter sauce and Tama with ragged breath was… Well, she just decided to assume that neither Tama nor Vulcan noticed. Nonetheless…this is a resplendent sight indeed. Aria pushes her fork toward Tama, saying, “Open wide!” as he reflects on the situation. The utterly fresh and clean, drop-dead-gorgeous elf girl Aria. The lively and vigorous beast-eared beauty Vulcan. Tama has thought so previously, but the sight of these two getting along like two peas in a pod is a work of art in itself. To boot, today they’ve both imbibed alcohol, and their cheeks are flushed—doubly cuter than normal. The catcalls that usually bother Aria are nowhere to be heard today. The fact that Vulcan is there drinking with her is part of the equation, but seeing the expressions of the men who do come close, she realizes that Tama is threatening them from under the table. After the duel with Kussman the other day, Tama’s latent powers have become quite the rumor. “Beware thee daring to come near the all-powerful Fearsome Cat,” they say… “Meowr—I feel so good right meow! I’m having another.” “Hee-hee—then I definitely am, too!” Vulcan and Aria both order another round. It seems that tonight could be a long one… Tama chuckles sarcastically to himself as Aria orders the round and lovingly rubs his head. The next morning— Mmph…I’m up to my neck here. Tama is facing a certain conundrum. Moving to the left or moving to the right—squish. He is squashed together by a soft embrace on both sides and can’t move at all. Aria is on his right. Every time he moves, she says, “Mmm…oh, Tama, no, that’s too rough…” in her sleep… “Meowr…I might be interested in this fetish, too… Just a little bit…” On his left, Vulcan is also talking in her sleep. In other words, Tama is sandwiched between both their breasts. They’re on the second floor of Vulcan’s item shop—in her bedroom. Just how did everyone end up in this situation…? Last night, Aria and Vulcan started getting rowdy and eventually found themselves at Vulcan’s place for an after-party. They both got wasted and collapsed on the bed together. Aria grabbed Tama and forced him in between her melons. Vulcan, who was equally drunk, said, “Let me-ow join the fun, too!” and grabbed onto Aria as they both passed out…and now it’s morning. Quite the tale, isn’t it? Come to think of it…Vulcan saying, “I might be interested in this fetish, too,” in her sleep… Does that mean…? Well, that’s for another time. Oh well, my master and Vulcan both battled hard yesterday; they must have been tired. I can’t bring myself to wake them. That said, I’m getting totally bored here… Maybe I should double-check my status—Wait, what the hell is this? Tama pulls up his status display to kill some time and is in complete shock from one of the items in the list. Name: Tama Type: Behemoth (cub) Innate Skills: Elemental Howl, Skill Absorb, Elemental Tail Blade Absorbed Skills: Storage, Poison Fang, Flight, Fireball, Icicle Lance, Iron Body, Summon Tentacle, Endless Mucus Blast, Crossbreed Evolution Possible: Behemoth (second form) Evolution…?! So that’s what this means! Tama understands what’s happening as he sees the words Evolution Possible. As behemoths are understood in this world, cubs do not reach a new form through the growth of their body but rather through evolution. This is part of the reason there is little information on behemoth cubs and no information related to witnessing a behemoth during a growth spurt. If evolution is now possible for me, I must have reached the upper limit of my powers yesterday—in other words, my level—during our battle… At least, that’s my assumption. Monsters also gain strength from repeated battle experience, just like humans. Yet, unlike humans, when their level increases to a certain extent, they evolve according to the experience gained. Tama had already attained a certain level of fighting ability as a knight during his past life. In addition, he experienced more than a few fierce battles in the labyrinth soon after he was reborn. Then there was the duel with Kussman, as well as his battles alongside Aria and Vulcan in the labyrinth yesterday. It has been a very short period of time, but Tama has already participated in a vast number of altercations—far more than any normal monster—which has accordingly increased his level. Hmm. This is quite fortunate for me. If I were to gradually grow into a form representative of what people expect from a behemoth, I would not be able to continue protecting my master as her knight. Yet, if I can choose whether or not I want to evolve… As long as Tama doesn’t choose to evolve, he can stay with Aria forever—and Tama is extremely relieved at this revelation. “Mmhnm—ah, Tama. Good morning.” Just at that moment, Aria wakes up. Rising slowly to not wake Vulcan, she smiles down at Tama between her breasts and kisses him on the forehead. “Meowr—!!” Look how it pleases my master—my hands are tied here… These are the excuses Tama repeats in his mind to convince himself as he rubs his face against Aria’s breasts to show her his deepest affection. “Ooooh…Tama, you are such a remarkable lover boy.” Aria’s face flushes red, and her breath is a bit ragged. Tama, knowing the facts behind his evolution, is in high spirits. As a result, he can accept Aria’s fetish, and today he rubs up against her even harder. Watching the two of them flirt, overlooking the fact that they are actually human and monster, you’d think you were watching two lovers intertwined in the softest embrace.