A Demon Turned House Cat
"Japmir."
"Yes, Master!"
"How do we get out of here?"
"If you connect your mana to me, Master, I can use that power to open the Abyss!"
"You're not trying to pull a fast one with my mana, are you?"
"Absolutely not!"
Imir gasped in fright and immediately dropped back down into a push-up position.
"One! To Master! Two! Obey! One! To Master! Two! Obey!!"
Imir shouted at the top of his lungs, moving up and down in perfect rhythm.
It was a tear-jerking sight.
"Alright, I get it. Stand up."
"Yes, sir!"
Imir sprang to his feet.
He was so drenched in cold sweat it was almost pitiful.
Press.
I pressed my finger against the Void Stone.
As I channeled a small amount of mana into it,
Hummmmm...
"Thank you for trusting me!"
"Open it."
"Yes, Master!!"
Imir grew his index fingernail long and sliced through the empty space.
Riiiiip...
Beyond the torn space, the snowy mountain landscape came into view.
Step, step.
Stepping out of the Abyss, I felt air so cold it threatened to freeze my lungs.
"Mmm!"
How refreshing!
Killing Imir thousands of times had left me feeling wonderfully light and refreshed.
I stretched lightly and looked around.
The carcasses of the ice bears and white orcs lay scattered across the snow.
"..."
The white orcs.
Looking at them again, I felt a twinge of pity.
Since the Orc Paladin, who had been endlessly tortured in the Abyss, finally yielded, all the white orcs had ended up as the demon's slaves.
This Imir guy is a real piece of work.
Of course, I had beaten Japmir half to death to fix his attitude.
But that was only possible because he was a clone.
The real body would be a completely different story.
The 69th floor...
For someone like me, who was currently preparing to conquer the 50th floor, it felt incredibly far away.
But...
...I'll run into them eventually.
The demons of the 60s.
In a way, meeting Japmir today might have been a stroke of good luck.
If I squeezed Japmir for information, I could learn all about the demons in the 60s.
Well, at the very least, I'd get a clear picture of the real Imir.
Flash!
Oh. A reward chest.
Did it count as cleared because all the ice bears and white orcs were dead?
However, since I didn't do it directly and it wasn't cleared quickly,
It's a gold chest...
It was a gold chest, not platinum.
"Hey."
"Yes, Master!"
"I'm going to rest for a bit, so butcher those ice bears."
"Understood!"
"If you scratch the hides, you're dead. Got it?"
"I won't leave a single scratch!"
"Collect any usable teeth and claws, and the mana stones too."
"Yes, Master!"
Having a slave makes life so much easier.
It was a different kind of convenience compared to when I got Cerberus.
Anyway.
Click.
I opened the chest.
◈ Buff and debuff effects increased by 20%.
An alien amulet written in an unrecognizable language emerged.
An increase of 20% to buff and debuff effects...
This would be way better for Maeng Juim than me.
His Temptation would work even better.
He did help me out back on Tsushima Island, so I should give this to him.
And next time I need an ero...
No, wait.
Next time I need someone to draw aggro, I can ask him for help.
"Ah, right."
I also picked up the ice sword and ice shield that had fallen in the snow.
These were actually way better than the chest reward. I couldn't forget them.
Freeze duration is increased.
Oh, there's a set effect?
No wonder that freeze effect lasted so long.
These will fetch a high price.
Plenty of people would drool over weapons of this caliber.
Maybe I'll put them up for auction when the time is right.
After packing the items away,
"Imir."
"Yes, Master!"
When I called him, he turned to look at me, drenched in ice bear blood.
He had looked quite pretty when he first emerged from the ice sculpture.
But looking like that, he was nothing but a common laborer.
"Are you done?"
"I just need to extract the mana stones, Master!"
"Why are you so slow?"
"W-Well, it's because my power is still lacking..."
"Ah. So it's my fault?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Then whose fault is it?"
"It is my fault! The foolish Imir's fault!"
Imir immediately dropped to his knees and slammed his head against the ground.
Hmm.
His attitude adjustment seemed to be holding up well.
"Right, what would a sheltered demon bastard like you know anyway?"
"I am sorry! I am so sorry!"
"Whatever. I'll let it slide this once, so get up and gather the mana stones."
"Thank you, Master!"
He scrambled to his feet and rushed off to extract the mana stones.
After waiting a short while,
"I-I'm finished, Master!"
Imir returned carrying a mountain of mana stones, each as large as his own head.
"Let's see."
The hides were clean.
The teeth and claws were well-selected.
It didn't look like he had pocketed any mana stones either.
"Pass."
"Thank you, Master!"
I swept the neatly processed materials into my inventory.
Hehehe.
Since processing monster materials was difficult, selling them pre-butchered like this fetched a much higher price.
Just the hides I got today would easily bring in at least 3 billion won.
Add the teeth and claws, and it would be at least 4 billion.
I'd be using all the mana stones myself, so those didn't count.
"Get back in, Imir."
"Yes, Master...!"
I tapped the Void Stone.
Whoosh!
Imir was sucked right back into the Void Stone.
The mana I had connected to him returned to me as well.
Convenient, very convenient.
A slave that works automatically just by sharing a bit of mana.
You couldn't even compare this to a mere item.
I had only come here to blow off some steam, but I ended up hitting the jackpot.
"Hmm-hmm-hmm~"
I hummed a tune as I made my way back.
"Ahhh!"
When I returned home, a bowl of piping hot fish cake udon was waiting for me.
Skewered fish cakes arranged beautifully,
and a rich broth brewed with radish, anchovies, green onions, and mushrooms.
The slight kick from the chili peppers made it the perfect companion for a drink.
"How was your raid today, Hunter-nim?"
"Haha. It was pretty ordinary."
Except for meeting a demon.
And turning that demon into a slave.
Chew, chew.
I dipped a perfectly cooked fish cake into the special soy sauce and took a bite.
Mmm-hmm.
It was so delicious I unconsciously let out a goblin-like grunt of satisfaction.
Slurp!
The udon noodles were thick, chewy, and absolutely killer.
And what about the potato croquettes served on the side?
The breadcrumbs were incredibly crispy!
The potatoes inside were fluffy and soft!
Dipping them in pepper-sprinkled mayonnaise was pure heaven.
Fish cake udon and croquettes. What a fantastic combination!
Gulp!
I emptied the bowl in the blink of an eye.
"Thanks for the meal!"
Having finished dinner, I headed straight to the shower.
Maybe because I had spent so much time messing around in the Abyss, I felt like I would sleep like a baby tonight.
Hahaha.
"Ah, so refreshing."
When I came out after washing up, a plate of strawberries was sitting on my desk.
Did Do Sangjin leave them here?
They were large and smelled wonderfully sweet.
Munch, munch.
I sat at my desk and started eating the strawberries.
They were as big as my fist and incredibly sweet.
Do Sangjin really was the ultimate housekeeper.
His knack for picking fruit was top-tier.
Slide.
With a strawberry in my mouth, I pulled out the Calamity Sword and placed it on the desk.
Tap, tap.
I tapped the Void Stone a couple of times.
Whoosh!
A wave of cold air washed over the room, and Imir materialized.
"D-Did you summon me, Master?"
The moment he saw me, he dropped to his knees.
Chew, chew.
Gulp.
I finished my strawberry and gestured for him to rise.
Stand.
Imir scrambled to his feet.
"Alright. From now on, answer my questions honestly."
"Of course, Master!"
Since I had time to spare, I planned to squeeze Imir dry starting today, learning everything about the 60th-floor demons and the tower.
"Tell me how to kill the mermaids on the 49th floor."
Testing him, I asked for information regarding floors 1 through 50.
"The mermaids are most vulnerable when they use their ultrasound attacks..."
Imir answered everything perfectly.
I hadn't even threatened to gouge his eyes out if he got them wrong, yet he was trembling like a leaf with every response.
In any case, even though Japmir was just a clone,
he seemed to possess the exact same memories and knowledge as the original Imir.
He was quite knowledgeable about the tower too.
Now, for the real test.
"Tell me about the demons of the 60s."
Gulp.
Imir swallowed hard, his face tense with anxiety.
"The 60th floors of the Babel Tower are ruled by demons."
"Are you kidding me? Obviously, I already know that."
"W-Well..."
Twitch.
When I furrowed my brow, Imir's face turned pale.
"The 60th floor is ruled by Bizev, the Demon of Hellfire. Since you obtained the Polar Ice Sword and Polar Ice Shield today, you will be able to pass through easily if you use them!"
"Next."
"The 61st floor is ruled by Mordian, the Demon of Plague! Poison resistance is a must. Insect-type monsters will appear..."
"Next."
"The master of the 62nd floor is Bardon, the Demon of Destruction. To conquer this floor, you need at least two mages..."
"Next."
"The ruler of the 63rd floor is Fegor, the Demon of Illusion! Mental defense items or magic are good, but the most important thing is..."
Classified information that probably only the United States possessed at this point poured out of Imir's mouth.
However...
"Then, how do I kill Imir?"
"That is..."
"Do you want to talk after a beating, or just talk?"
"J-Just talk..."
"Spit it out."
"Imir, the Demon of Frost on the 69th floor, is..."
"Imir is?"
"I-I-I-I..."
Imir suddenly began to stutter.
"Imi... imi... imi... mir... mir..."
He even began to drool,
"Imir... Ack! Cough!"
As if someone were strangling him, Imir couldn't finish his sentence and his eyes rolled back.
"..."
Was there some kind of magic cast on him? To prevent him from leaking information?
"Stop."
"Gasp! Cough!"
The moment I gave the command, Imir finally managed to breathe.
"What kind of trick was that?"
At my words, Imir immediately dropped into a push-up position.
"I-I am sorry, Master! It wasn't a trick..."
"Then what was it?"
"T-The original... A restriction has been placed regarding information about the original body! I am sorry! I am so sorry!"
"But didn't you say you've been separated from it now?"
"That is true! However, since I am ultimately a fragment of Imir..."
"..."
"The restriction still functions even after the connection is severed! I am sorry! I was wrong! Please forgive me!"
Imir knelt and began to beg tearfully, rubbing his hands together.
"Hmm..."
He didn't seem to be lying.
Should I beat him up anyway just to be sure?
"You..."
It was then.
Knock, knock.
A knock on the door.
"Hunter Lee-nim, if you are finished with the strawberries, shall I clear the plate?"
"Ah, yes. I'm all done."
Click.
The door opened.
"Did I interrupt..."
Do Sangjin froze mid-step.
"Meow."
"...You have a cat?"
"Ah, hahaha. Well..."
"Is it something like Black?"
Do Sangjin gently stroked the white kitten with blue eyes.
"It's cute."
"R-Right? I got it from the tower."
Phew.
Good thing Imir was quick-witted enough to transform into a cat.
Otherwise, I would have been caught disciplining him.
"Should I bring some tuna?"
"Ah, no, it's fine. I already fed him plenty."
That was a lie.
I had only fed him a shitload of stab wounds.
"Meow..."
The cat—no, Imir—cried out pitifully.
"Good boy."
Having no idea that the creature he was petting was the Demon of Frost, Do Sangjin...
Stroke, stroke...
...stroked Imir for a long while before leaving the room.
...Wait.
Come to think of it, do I need to report this guy as a summon too?
"Meow..."
I don't know.
I'll think about it later.