The Slime-Dragon's Cocoon

Day 9. The dungeon rank had risen, and I had spent a wild night with my subordinates. In the midst of that heated night, I realized exactly what I had done.

"......Whoa, damn." I looked at the five women sleeping near me on the bed and felt a chill run down my spine. Considering Eila’s low probability and the fact that I’d ejaculated inside Ryun while she was still a virgin, I had essentially planted seeds in everyone.

"Eh, I'll just keep on shooting everywhere."

I’d just keep shooting at everything I saw. Since the garden had expanded, I needed to hatch my offspring to increase our combat power. And then, I would take my revenge on Forneus.

'So, what should I do right now?'

Upgrading the dungeon facilities, exploring and occupying the first basement floor, defending against human attacks indefinitely, and searching for new dungeons. And above all, the most important act.

"Gacha!"

For the first time in a long while, I decided to pull the gacha. As if on cue, the summoning circle of the summoning facility was sparkling with purple mana, waiting for me to approach. I got up and picked up the object placed right next to the bed that had been creaking so much yesterday.

"Heh, hehehe."

The thought of the gacha made me laugh involuntarily. There’s no better feeling than pulling a high-grade entity from a high-grade gacha, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and if it’s a guaranteed pull, I’m happier than ever.

The egg. I was excited at the prospect of summoning and hatching at the same time, and the egg obtained from Andras's dungeon was the perfect item to trigger all those daily quests and the 5-star guaranteed gacha.

'I can eat Andras one more time.'

After she evolved, I had immediately devoured Andras. Her wings became Ryun's wing-dress, and her dungeon became a sub-dungeon and a 5-star guaranteed egg, part of our own.

"Alright, time for the gacha!"

"Huh?"

Synthesis? It was the most plausible term in dungeon-related stories, but I didn't know anything about a "Monster Synthesis" system yet.

"So, what is this synthesis..."

"Are you awake?"

Just then, Meari approached from beyond the partition with a tired face. She looked like she hadn't slept in a while, and I felt sorry because I knew exactly why.

"...Did you hear everything?"

"It's fine. I'm used to it. More importantly, what was that you said earlier?"

Meari also started to get curious about the system. I briefly explained the situation to her, and Meari crossed her arms, lost in thought. It looked like she was rummaging through the magical knowledge she had inherited from Mei.

"...It's a technique used by black mages and necromancers. It requires a highly advanced magical system."

"Solomon provided it as a system."

"For humans, it's practically a taboo."

"I'm a monster."

"Then shall we do it right now? How do I do it?"

Meari changed her attitude immediately. It seemed her curiosity about the truths of the system was more important than the fact that we were breaking a taboo.

"Hold on."

"Fusion Summon?"

"Pardon?"

"Nothing."

If we're talking about Avian-type monsters, there were obviously Harpy and Andras. There were even far more than two.

I immediately tried to attempt the Monster Synthesis.

"Is this not Potara Fusion? It's literally a ritual summon."

"Could you please start using words I can understand?"

"It's like A and B fusing to become Ab, not AB."

"I think I get the gist."

Meari started to organize the information I gave her by scribbling it down. Meanwhile, the subordinates who had been sleeping in my bed started waking up one by one, and I couldn't wait for Meari to finish organizing the monster summoning.

"Meari. Let's just do it."

"What? What if it fails or something goes wrong?"

"We'll deal with that when it happens. Isn't it better to just do it and see?"

At my words, Ryun chuckled. Since she had witnessed firsthand the thrill-seeking act of "hymen-targeting shooting" due to my instinct to just shoot first and ask questions later, Ryun knew exactly how reckless I was willing to be.

"You have to taste the shit or the soybean paste to know which is which. Hehehe."

"If you could know without tasting it, you could just observe and learn..."

"Uwaaa! I'm itching for some monster synthesis!"

When I shouted, Meari finally threw up her hands. She decided to go ahead with the monster summoning according to my stubbornness, and I stepped onto the summoning circle.

Wooooong.

Purple mana surged and began to envelop the egg. Purple circles began to shine from the four directions of the summoning circle, centered on the middle.

'Looks like the target to be synthesized needs to stand there.'

The required number of ★ was five. The synthesis condition was 2 or more Avian-type monsters.

"Hmm..."

To put it bluntly, it would be like grinding up my subordinates, but it wasn't exactly a strange system for weak monsters to combine into one and be born as a stronger existence. That is, unless I cared about each individual monster's personality.

"This is a 5-star Harpy setup."

"Me?"

"Yeah, it's time for you to become a 5-star."

"I'm a 5-star? Really? No way. You're lying."

"I'm saying you can become a 5-star."

Harpy looked surprised, her face showing disbelief. I placed Harpy in the center of the summoning circle.

"...Now I need the other four. Who would be good to join?"

"Uh, do we really have to?"

"Yeah. I'd prefer if it were kids from our dungeon."

Rather than summoning Solomon's harpies, it was more efficient to synthesize the existing 1-star harpies. But since I had at least a shred of humanity, I decided to take volunteers.

"Can you call the harpies? Bring Andras, too."

The subordinates quickly brought all the harpies and Andras. Meari summarized what she understood and explained it to the subordinates.

"Ah, we are accepting volunteers for synthesis."

"......."

No one stepped forward willingly.

"It's a great opportunity ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to be born as a 5-star."

"U-um, Master. Then what happens to us?"

"That's what we're trying to find out by doing it ourselves."

"......."

It was a reckless opinion, and it wasn't persuasive at all. Feeling unnecessarily sorry, I changed my tune.

"Then, I guess I'll have to call them from the Demon King's castle to fill the stars."

"I, I will become one, -ras."

Unexpectedly, Andras volunteered. I asked her why she volunteered. And the reason was quite understandable.

"You said, Master, that I was limited to being a sub-Andras. If I can become a 5-star, even if it's 1/5th of me, I'll gladly do it. More than anything... if I'm synthesized, I won't have to end my sentences with '-ras' anymore."

"Good. Accepted."

Andras stood at one corner of the summoning circle. Then, as if she remembered something, she hurriedly raised her hand.

"A-are you planning on not letting me lay eggs?"

"No. I'm going to make you lay several a day."

"Then that's good -ras."

Andras closed her eyes. The synthesis condition became ★★★☆☆.

"Alright, any harpies want to join? If not, I'm getting supplies from the Demon King's castle."

"...I-if that's the case, we'll do it!"

Two 2nd-generation harpies (★) raised their hands. Their mothers, the original harpies, blocked their path.

"Wait a second. Are you really going to synthesize?"

"Living while laying eggs is nice, but we want to be reborn as stronger beings, too."

"...I'm sorry. I should have given birth to you as stronger beings."

The harpy mother and daughter hugged each other calmly and said their goodbyes. Their desire for evolution was deeper than I had expected.

The moment the harpies stood in their respective positions, a brilliant rainbow light began to flow from the magic circle.

"Any last words?"

"Nothing in particular -ras."

"Um, I hope I lay lots of eggs!"

"If you're going to do it, be someone who fights better and does it better. Specifically... Master. Hahaha!"

"....Thank you, everyone."

The harpy standing in the center trembled and hugged the egg with her wings.

"I'll receive lots of seeds from Master and lay ten a day!"

"...There are quite a lot of kids trying to covet my seeds."

How many times would I have to shoot to make them lay ten a day? Ryun and Eila's expressions became quite something. My mouth went dry, but my heart pounded at the thought of testing a new system.

"Anyway, are you ready to become a 5-star Andras!!"

"Yes!"

"Let's go, synthesis!"

Bang!

I slammed my fist onto the monster synthesis screen. The two harpies and Andras scattered into rainbow light.

"Ah..."

The 1st-generation harpies sighed. And before that sigh could even fade, the light from the summoning facility gathered in the center. The harpy standing in the center bowed her head calmly.

"I'll work hard for the sake of the other three!"

Fwoosh—!!

The rainbow light was absorbed into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the black egg, and it grew in size. The egg swallowed the harpy's body as if eating it, and it became a giant cocoon, just like when Eila had reincarnated before.

"Whoa, that takes a long time."

A black cocoon had taken its place in the summoning circle. The membrane pulsed as if a heart were beating, and I raised my fist toward the harpy nestled inside the cocoon.

"Hang in there. For 7 days."

"Uh, Papa?"

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"If I stay here like this, won't I be unable to be summoned in the meantime?"

"......."

"W-what..."

The gacha was blocked.

* * *

It was the start of a gloomy day, but since I had learned of a new system called synthesis, my heart wasn't too uncomfortable. And unexpectedly, there were many monsters who wanted to evolve through synthesis. Almost all monsters wanted to overcome the limits of their birth and evolve through synthesis.

"Are they obsessed with evolution?"

I understand wanting to become stronger, but to the point of becoming one with others? It was hard for me to understand, but the monsters' perspective seemed to be different.

"If I can become stronger, then sure."

"Isn't it a good thing to evolve and become a better entity? It's not like we're mixing with other kids."

"Master, if you only synthesize us with our own dungeon's subordinates and not the Demon King's army, we'll have no regrets... is what Harsus said!"

It seemed I lacked monster sensitivity. If they wanted to evolve this much, it was only natural to listen to them.

"But the problem is, since she's like this..."

The black cocoon sitting in the middle of the summoning facility. No matter how many times I pressed the system window, only the "Unavailable during synthesis" message popped up, so there was no way to check separately.

"Tsk, can't be helped. I have no choice but to live like this."

If so, I had to focus on what I needed to do right now. Planting seeds, harvesting and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠storing fruit, renovating facilities, and expanding new facilities. And eating delicious food in the process. As for the specific system regarding evolution, I would just have to check it again the moment Harpy was reborn as Andras.

"Master, are you not hungry?"

"Ahem, are you not thirsty?"

"Just come to bed right now."

Eating, sleeping, and fucking. What could be more important than this in life? I hugged Eila's waist on the left and Ryun's on the right and jumped onto the waterbed that Lime had already prepared.

"It's time for some Las!"

I started my day with Las.

* * *

.

"Huh?"

A succubus with violet hair sensed something strange. The light of one of the summoning circles that had been connected previously had faded, and a completely new shape of summoning circle had taken its place.

"This is...?"

A green circle. And inside it, a very simple, tilted mark was embedded. The succubus transcribed the mark of that symbol into her notepad.

1+.

"I've never seen a dungeon master like this before..."

"Oh my, is something wrong?"

Click-clack.

The sound of heels could be heard from afar. The succubus was startled and bowed her waist.

"Greetings!"

"Oh my, dear. I don't like that. Just be comfortable."

Estu, the secretary dressed entirely in black, waved her hand to reassure the succubus. But the succubus hesitated and watched Estu's reaction.

"That..."

"Just call me Estu for now, okay? But is there a problem?"

"Yes. Estu-nim. Something strange has happened. You see, the mark of the 63rd-ranked dungeon, Andras, has changed. Could the master have changed? Our team hasn't received any contact yet... I was worried that a rebellion might have occurred."

"Hm? Really? They don't accept our army's dispatch there..."

Estu's expression twisted the moment she saw the mark. At the same time, she licked her lips with her tongue as if it were interesting.

"...Hehe, is that so."

"I-if it's not too much trouble, I'd like to know what's going on, too."

"Ah, it's nothing. It seems the master has changed. Just work as usual."

Estu examined a very small summoning circle she had created in one corner of the cave. That summoning circle had disappeared, and it had taken Andras's place.

"Dear, if a mark of this style appears again, could you report it to me immediately? It's an important matter managed by the Demon King."

"Yes? Estu-nim, you are the Demon King's b-"

"Dear. Just play along."

"...Yes. If I report it to Estu-nim, it will be reported to the Demon King as well. I understand. I will do so."

The succubus bowed deeply. Estu stared at the 1+ mark placed at position 63 for a long time before turning her gaze to the succubus.

"If they call for a dispatch summon from there, pay some attention to it."

"...That is impossible. When Estu-nim gave me the order, you told me to assign them randomly according to principle..."

"No. Do it randomly. Do it randomly, but..."

Estu made a ring with her fingers and poked her thumb into it repeatedly.

"That master over there is a pig who likes to eat. Pfft."

"Ah, if that's what you mean... I understand."

"Then, good work~"

Estu disappeared. And the succubus started recording in her notepad.

Gate 63. Special instructions from Estu-nim to input as many monsters as possible that can be utilized as food ingredients— "Oh, what a mistake."

"Ahem."

The succubus put the notepad in the drawer and took a break. Half a day passed, and a day passed. Even after three days, there was no response from the summoning circle.