Recruiting a New Companion
The state of the Nepentula was far from normal. Three of its eight legs had already been torn off, and its body was riddled with thirty-one holes, hundreds of cuts, and wounds from Neon's magic. Under normal circumstances, it could have regenerated from such injuries at any time, but Owen had sealed its regenerative abilities, leaving it bleeding fluids as it slowly died.
"That thing has monstrous vitality. It can still move with wounds like that?"
"That's why they call it a tyrant."
As Owen said, it earned the title because it possessed the corresponding power. But that was only while its regeneration was intact. Once that ability was sealed, its limits became clear, and it was no match for Owen and me.
"Kiiiiiik!"
I walked toward the Nepentula as it thrashed in one final act of defiance. My steps, slow at first, gradually quickened until I was running fast enough to leave afterimages. I could have moved even faster with the propulsion unit, but my own situation wasn't ideal either. My mana reserves were relatively low compared to my skill level, so I had to make do with my body.
I squeezed out what little mana I had left, wrapped aura around my sword-spear, and glared at the creature. The Nepentula, which would normally have reacted with ease, was slowed by its injuries and failed to respond in time. Thanks to that, I pierced through the barrage of obstacles it created and drove my sword-spear straight into its head.
The Nepentula's body convulsed violently from the lethal strike. Owen finished it with a casual swing of his longsword, severing its head and the remaining legs. Already at its limit, the Nepentula could not defend against our attacks. It trembled once more before meeting its end without any resistance.
For a monster that could recover as long as there were plants nearby—even with its head cut off and heart destroyed—the battle felt strangely hollow.
"Thinking about it again, Owen's ability is completely broken."
"Thank you for the compliment."
I chuckled at Owen's smooth reply and stored the Nepentula's corpse in my inventory. Owen watched with an envious gaze as the body vanished with nothing more than a light touch.
"Your Mystery is plenty broken too, Argo. Nothing else can match it for everyday convenience."
"I won't argue with that."
No subspace could rival the convenience of an inventory. Even if I had the chance to return to the past and choose any Mystery, I would pick it without hesitation. It was the pinnacle of convenience, and I felt immense satisfaction from it.
With the biggest obstacle removed, we headed toward Adela to seize control of the Mystery phenomenon's core. When I had glanced over during the fight, the battle had already ended. Expecting to congratulate her on her victory, I arrived to find an unexpected sight.
"Why is the queen still alive?"
"It's more profitable to keep her alive and use her than to kill her."
The wording was a little odd, but since we had captured her alive, it was a gain. Adela had bound the queen's neck and hands with threads spun from the Nepentula and wore a proud expression.
"From now on, her name is Chunsik. Chunsik!"
"Hello, I'm Chunsik....."
"......"
"......"
Neon's stare from the side was piercing. Had he really remembered that joke we tossed around at the guild? He sometimes asked about words he didn't understand, but I never expected him to store it away and use it like this. Under his accusing gaze that seemed to ask how I had raised her, I made a guilty face before changing my mind and glaring back. I raised her alone? You helped too. Neon quietly averted his eyes.
To be honest, she had grown well on her own, so I hadn't worried much. Perhaps our influence had been greater than I thought. Just as I was considering whether I needed to properly educate her for Adela's sake, Adela's lips curled slightly as she formally introduced the queen.
"Just kidding. Her name is Beatrice."
"Hello, I'm Beatrice....."
"She's joining us on the journey to build the mobile nest."
I let out a sigh of relief at Beatrice's subdued reply. She had anticipated our reaction and played along. It had been a while since I felt so startled.
'Let's not say weird things in front of Adela from now on.'
'Good idea. Let's be careful not to teach her strange words.'
While Neon and I exchanged glances and patted our chests in relief, Owen—who stood apart from the situation—watched with keen interest from a third-party perspective.
"You all seem like interesting people."
"The people involved didn't find it interesting at all."
"That's exactly why it's fun. Because I'm not one of them."
I shot him a brief glare at his infuriating attitude before turning to Beatrice.
"Your name is Beatrice, right? I'm going to form a taming contract so you can't betray us. Any objections?"
"None. As long as you let me live, I'll do anything."
She begged quite boldly. Her confidence was so strong that it didn't even feel servile, leaving me with a dumbfounded expression. Of course, cooperating was the correct choice, but she was so cooperative that it was almost unsettling. Reading my expression, Beatrice straightened her shoulders and spoke proudly.
"I have to survive if I want to plan for the future. Resisting out of emotion would be no different from throwing my life away."
"Does that mean you'll betray us someday?"
"No. I'm referring to the Guardian of the Earth, not you."
"The Guardian of the Earth?"
"The being humans call Magranas."
"I see."
Without knowing the full context, I couldn't grasp the situation. Still, her docile attitude suggested she was willing to cooperate, and Adela wanted her tamed anyway. Since taming would prevent betrayal, I decided to form a contract with Beatrice as Adela wished.
"Beatrice, will you accept the taming contract?"
"Yes, I accept."
With the subject's permission, the taming contract proceeded smoothly. A translucent thread of soul emerged between us and connected. Beatrice, who had maintained a blank expression until now, widened her eyes slightly and examined her own body.
"This is.....a strange sensation. Since it's a contract between souls, betrayal would bring a price close to death, wouldn't it?"
"That's right. That's why even if there's a big gap in power, betrayal isn't easy, so contracts must be made carefully."
Of course, since I was the contracting party, it wasn't a completely equal agreement. But now that the contract was formed, there was no need to worry about her betrayal. Beatrice seemed to realize this as well, and her attitude became more proactive.
"What should I explain first? Just tell me."
"First, let's occupy this Mystery phenomenon. We need to gather our scattered companions and support the defense team outside."
"A good plan. The monsters brought by the Guardian's minions aren't limited to this place."
At Beatrice's words, we hurried toward the center of the Mystery phenomenon. Only a few more rifts remained, so we arrived quickly and approached the sphere at the island's center.
"Is this the core of the Mystery phenomenon?"
"It's made by combining highest-grade magic stones. And not artificially—they merged naturally."
"Now I understand why Mystery solvers exist in the South."
Neon clicked his tongue at Owen's explanation. Highest-grade magic stones were worth a fortune, and the thought of multiple such stones merging left him marveling at their value.
"Just this alone could probably buy an entire city, right?"
"And still have plenty left over."
While we stood stunned by the unimaginable value, Adela calmly stepped in front of the core. Whether it was from memories left by the previous queen or an instinctual sense, Adela extended her hand and focused. When she opened her eyes, countless islands appeared in the background where only clouds and sky had been visible before.
The islands, which seemed as though they had always been there, displayed all manner of variations. Some teemed with life from the outer universe, others radiated an eerie presence even from a distance, and one featured a massive tree that had swallowed an entire island.
"So this really was only possible because Adela was here."
"The previous queen was clever. She used the nest's characteristics to create a subspace connected to the outside world, designed so dangerous elements would enter on their own."
"Does that mean no one knows what traps are prepared in there?"
"Except for a few secured routes, all of them are dangerous."
She really had planned well. As I vaguely realized how formidable the previous queen must have been, Adela, having grasped the core's functions, looked at us and spoke.
"Argo. I have good news and bad news."
"Start with the good news."
"I can gather the scattered raid team here."
"That's a relief. What's the bad news?"
"I'm still not used to controlling the nest's functions. Once I activate it, the maze will shrink and its durability will weaken. These functions are extremely delicate, so even a small touch drastically reduces efficiency."
"Why is that bad news?"
"There are too many of Magranas's monsters outside. The defense team is holding, but they look like they're struggling."
Though I didn't know how she had assessed the situation outside, I responded calmly to the expected development.
"Can you gather the raid team first and bring the defense team here?"
"It's possible using the mana stored in the core."
"Then do that. Let's regroup the entire expedition and head to where the legacy is."
"Understood. I'll also create paths leading beyond the Mystery phenomenon."
After hearing my plan, Adela made several adjustments. Dozens of rifts opened around us, and the scattered raid team members stepped through. They looked bewildered at first, but upon spotting us and grasping the situation, they smiled brightly and approached.
However, it wasn't over yet. A large rift opened next, revealing the situation outside at a glance. Endless waves of monsters clashed against the defense team struggling to hold them back. The supply carts had long since been used up as barricades, and even the scholars and staff were fighting with everything they had.
"Maintain formation! Don't let them break through!"
"They're coming from the sky! Mages, intercept them!"
"We need support over here!"
For a moment, everyone stood frozen in shock at the sudden scene. Then I shouted.
"All raid team members! Support the defense team under attack outside and retreat!"
Hearing my cry, the raid team—now understanding the situation—rushed through the rift to aid the defense team. The defense team, initially startled by the sudden reinforcements, cheered upon recognizing familiar faces.
"That's it! I knew you'd come!"
"So today's not my day to die!"
"I was getting nervous—we've almost used up the holy water assigned to this side!"
"Send the non-combatants this way first! Form up and retreat slowly!"
With a commander present, the expedition moved with composure. The scholars and staff went through the rift first, followed by the Silver-rank members, and finally the Gold-rank adventurers. Once they had crossed, Adela closed the rift.
After opening the final rift leading to the exit, Adela stepped away from the core without hesitation.
"This place won't hold for long either. If they push with force, it'll be destroyed quickly."
"It's fortunate the guests from the outer universe are getting irritable from the shrinking space. If monsters rush in, a fight will break out."
"Then let's get out quickly. We grab the legacy and run."
At the two queens' words, the expedition charged into the rift leading to the exit without hesitation. A major battle was coming, but it didn't have to be now. The moment the monsters arrived, our reconnaissance objective had been achieved. Deciding to secure only the legacy and return, I shouted the moment I arrived beyond the exit.
"Move quickly! Head to where the queen's legacy is, grab what we need, and retreat......?"
But before I could finish, I was struck speechless by the astonishing sight beyond the exit. The rest of the expedition was no different—every single one of them stared in shock at the scene before them.