Reward for the Ordeal (1)

……

An awkward silence hung over the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠room. I sat on the bed hugging my knees, eyes peeking out, while the black cat lounged not far away. We stared at each other, yet neither spoke first. The only difference was the resentment filling my gaze, while the cat’s face remained as calm as ever.

Looking at that signature “” expression of his only made the resentment I’d been holding back swell even more. Still, I knew better than anyone that nothing would change if we stayed like this. In the end, I was the one who broke the silence.

“……You bastard. Would it kill you to warn me in advance? This was attempted murder. I almost died for real.”

[I’m not a dog, and you’re hardly in a position to call yourself human either… Ahem. Besides, I did warn you beforehand, didn’t I? You’re the one who told me to hurry up and say it. If I hadn’t finished, you would’ve kept doubting me.]

“That’s……”

The point was too sharp to refute. If the cat had kept his mouth shut back then, my trust in him would’ve taken a serious hit. The fact that I’d been too emotional to think clearly at the time didn’t help either. If I’d mulled over his words a little more carefully, I might’ve noticed something was off… That part was my mistake.

Logically I could accept it, but the resentment toward the cat in front of me still hadn’t disappeared. How could he do something like that to his own partner? Judging by his reaction right before saying “that word,” he’d roughly guessed what would happen to me. Yet he still said it, even though I’d pressed him. In every way, he was an extremely dangerous existence.

Still wearing a thoroughly sulky expression, I recalled that horrific moment. My body was fine now, but the pain I’d felt back then remained vivid in my mind. It was an overwhelming agony, as if my very soul was being torn to shreds. Because I hadn’t felt pain at all since becoming this body, the actual sensation had been even more intense. It felt like facing something unknown that a human mind could neither comprehend nor should ever know… something tied to the primal fear of all living things.

Even now, after mostly recovering from the aftereffects, just thinking about it made my whole body tremble and anxiety gnaw at my thoughts. The cat’s warning that I “wouldn’t be able to handle it” had been completely accurate. Ignoring it had come back to hit me like a boomerang. The string of hardships that had continued since morning was part of that price.

Despite waking up early, I’d fallen back asleep after that sudden accident. By the time I opened my eyes again, the sun was already up and morning had arrived. Thanks to the underground room’s lack of natural light and the automatic lights that turned on at sunrise to regulate my body’s rhythm, it was easy to tell. That was where the problem began.

Every morning, a staff member came to check on the room and my condition. Normally it wouldn’t have been an issue, but given my state at the time, it was extremely dangerous. My clothes were soaked with cold sweat, the bedsheets were a mess, and I myself looked like I’d been laid low by a severe flu. The cause was obvious. I’d passed out and fallen asleep right away, so I hadn’t thought about it then, but the situation was dire. If the staff saw the room like that, they’d immediately suspect something was wrong with my health and drag me off for a full day of intensive tests. They were especially watchful of my condition, after all.

Of course, I didn’t actually have a cold, so the tests would turn up nothing—just a waste of time and a huge hassle. Most importantly, today was the day I was supposed to meet the person who’d brought me here. If a health issue came up, the schedule would naturally be pushed back, and there was no telling when the next chance would be. That absolutely couldn’t happen.

So I launched into frantic cleanup work with fire in my eyes. Thanks to my sharpened senses, I managed to avoid the staff suddenly barging in. Relying on that certainty, I used my abilities and moved quickly. First, I had to deal with my uncomfortably sweaty body. Under normal circumstances I would’ve taken a shower, but there wasn’t enough time, and there was a better way. I temporarily turned part of my body into slime and then reconstructed it back into human form. In just a few seconds, my skin regained its smooth, pale glow.

The sweat-soaked clothes and underwear were another matter. I quickly changed into the spare outfit the staff had left last time. Of course, I still wasn’t used to putting on underwear… My face turned apple-red at the sight of my own naked body, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that. I hurriedly finished changing while trying to keep my dizzy mind steady. The last thing left was the bedsheet, which had dark sweat stains. The area where I’d been sitting looked like someone had spilled water on it. Covering it with the blanket might hide it, but I still needed to remove the smell. I used my ability again, partially turning my hands into slime and spreading the remaining mass over the stained spots. After absorbing all the moisture from the sheet and adding just enough water back, the area looked freshly laundered. Finally, I hid the sweat-drenched clothes and underwear out of sight. All the work was done.

My head was spinning from the tension of not knowing when the staff would arrive and the embarrassment of changing clothes, but the crisis had passed safely. The surveillance camera on the ceiling still bothered me, but as always, I reassured myself that Ulthar, who wasn’t here right now, would’ve ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠taken care of it.

Fortunately, the staff member arrived a few minutes later. I greeted her while leaning against the bed’s headboard and looking at my phone like usual. I was nervous she might notice something, but she simply glanced around the room, performed the usual quick check, explained today’s schedule, and left right away.

After a little more time passed, the cat casually showed up, leading to the current situation. No wonder the resentment I felt toward him was still piled up even now. The confusion and shame I’d experienced back then had left a strong impression, constantly feeding the flames of my resentment. Of course, some of it had been my own fault, but if I didn’t rationalize it this way, I wouldn’t be able to calm down.

Ulthar paid no mind to my glare. After clearing his throat once, he spoke.

[Anyway… It’s true that there was external interference this time, but it’s still too early for you to know about it. Still, don’t worry too much! If you keep building your strength step by step, you’ll naturally find out someday. And the same situation won’t happen again! It’s related to… my mistake, so there’s nothing to be concerned about. So just think of it as a minor incident?... Please? For my sake… ><]

The black cat said this with a voice full of sugary aegyo. On the surface it was cute enough, but I grimaced like I’d seen something I shouldn’t have. Of course I wasn’t convinced, but as he said, there was no good way to press further right now. If I threw another tantrum and demanded the truth, the result would be the same as before—it was obvious without even trying. For now, I had no choice but to believe his words that nothing would happen. Even if that belief was a bit shaky in terms of trust…

Though I still wasn’t happy about it, Ulthar somehow sensed that I’d more or less accepted the situation. He immediately leaped up and jumped into my arms. Then he rubbed his face against my freshly changed shirt and looked up at me with a sly smile.

[Hehe, thank you for understanding! …But on another note, you perfectly cleared that impossible dungeon all by yourself, didn’t you? Don’t you have any thoughts or sense of accomplishment?]

At first I didn’t understand what he meant. But then I realized—he was right. I’d momentarily forgotten because of the sudden incident, but I had indeed solo-cleared a dungeon that should’ve been impossible. Strictly speaking, I’d had Nabi’s help, but aside from that, it was an achievement accomplished with my own power. When I thought about it carefully, the corners of my mouth naturally lifted. A deep sense of accomplishment and a pleasant happiness filled my mind. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time. I’d felt something similar when I completed my revenge last time, but that hadn’t been clean in many ways. This time, however, it was a purely solo achievement I could be proud of. Even if it had only been an illusion… even if it was nothing more than a false fantasy, it remained clearly in my memory. Thanks to that, most of the painful knot from the past that had been stuck in my heart seemed to have loosened.

Ulthar, apparently reading my expression, pressed on with momentum.

[Ahem, and since this accident was clearly my mistake, I’ve prepared a reward! ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Your growth has been faster than expected, so you should be able to handle it without any problems. Think of it as compensation for all your hard work so far.]

My eyes lit up at the cat’s words as he acted cute in my arms. It was the first time he’d offered something he actually called a reward. Worried he might have prepared another outfit like last time to test my demonic resistance, I summoned the status window with a mix of anxiety and anticipation, just as he asked.

Without any warning, a blue window suddenly appeared before my eyes. There was no reason to refuse a new skill. Without the slightest hesitation, I pressed the Yes button. After a brief loading screen, its identity was revealed.

A mysterious skill appeared with a flashy fanfare. I didn’t know what it was yet, but its entrance alone felt anything but ordinary.