Comfortable Demonic Realm Island

A mission inside a Tower warped by a Distortion Phenomenon.

"Survive? That's it?"

No time limit. No other objectives. Just stay alive.

A mutation on Hard Mode Floor 40 — there had to be more to it than that.

But right now, something mattered more than the mission.

"Find Mitsu first."

Mitsu was eighty percent of the reason I'd even challenged Floor 40. Without her, our odds of walking out alive dropped to zero.

Once I'd finished sizing up the situation, I didn't go charging off around the island's edge. I stayed right where I was.

That was the plan.

Sit tight and wait for Mitsu to find me.

Why that choice, you ask…

I'd heard that when a little kid loses their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠parents, it's smarter to stay put than wander around.

"Not that I'm completely defenseless."

My physical stats were still basically those of an ordinary little girl. If some monster ambushed me at the wrong moment, I'd be dead before I could blink.

I was pretty sure this was the optimal call under the circumstances.

"She's late, though…"

No matter how long I waited, there was no sign of Mitsu or Undtung.

If they weren't coming to me, I'd have to go find them.

"Time to go round up my runaway familiars."

I said it with confidence, but honestly, I was terrified.

Was this what riding a roller ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠coaster with no safety harness felt like?

Dopamine only shows up when you know you're safe, right?

I had no idea where a monster might jump out from, so I couldn't drop my guard for a second. Before I realized it, my grip on the hammer had gone white-knuckle tight.

Ding!

"Aagh! You scared me!"

The sudden donation chime nearly gave me a heart attack. I was so spooked my eyes actually watered a little.

Getting spooked by a donation alert was so embarrassing I fired back at full volume.

"What exactly have I done wrong?!"

Had I blown up Mitsu's precious katana? Had I blackmailed Undtung into performing on stream?

Thanks to the donation, the tension drained out of me in an instant. I wiped away the tears that had started to well up and looked around.

Still nothing but a peaceful stretch of coastline. Not a single monster in sight.

A place like this, a hidden stage? Maybe it was actually just a healing island.

Around the time that thought crossed my mind, the chat started acting weird.

Far off in the distance, a human figure came into view. Someone I knew very well.

"Mitsu—!"

She was scanning the area, searching for me. Relief flooded through me so hard I broke into a run toward her.

"…my lady!"

I couldn't quite make out the words from this far away, but Mitsu was racing toward me just as fast.

"Hic… Mitsu!"

"Princess, are you unharmed?!"

It felt exactly like finding your mom again after getting lost in a crowded amusement park.

"Where did you go?!"

"When I opened my eyes, I was somewhere unfamiliar. I ran without pause in search of you, Princess."

"From this moment on, I shall remain at your side and keep you safe."

Having Mitsu there felt incredibly reassuring.

"Have you seen Undtung?"

"This humble one ran a full circuit of the outer rim and found no sign of him."

Our next objective settled itself naturally: find Undtung.

"Think he's somewhere near the center of the island?"

"Knowing that wretch, he may well be clinging to a treetop, trembling."

Somehow, that really did sound like Undtung.

We left the sandy beach and headed inland. Still no monsters in sight, but neither of us let our guard down.

Rustle.

Something stirred in the underbrush. Mitsu slashed through it with her katana — and out tumbled a very familiar face.

"Eep—i-it's me, yes it is!"

"……"

"And just where have you been, and what have you been doing?"

"When I opened my eyes I was all alone, so I used my camouflage and hid in the bushes, yes I did!"

At Undtung's words, Mitsu's grip on her katana hilt tightened.

"So what you are saying is that you were so frightened you hid by yourself?"

If those two started going at it again we'd be in real trouble, so I stepped in to mediate.

"Mitsu, calm down. Undtung alive is better than Undtung dead, right?"

What was that look on her face. That was absolutely the face of someone who thought dead would have been preferable.

"As the Princess commands."

And so we kept exploring the island, and we learned a few things.

First: the island was empty as a deserted atoll. No monsters, no animals — just scattered trees and scrub.

And second…

Sealed within a crystal was a sleeping girl.

Black and white hair, blended in a style that somehow suited her perfectly.

"So this is the gimmick."

Something stuck right in the middle of the island out of nowhere — she was clearly the key to clearing this floor.

I stepped closer and checked her with the Eye of the Unbeliever.

"Huh?"

The Eye of the Unbeliever had gone blank. I thought it might be broken and tried it on Mitsu — worked just fine.

Something felt off. Then a warning flashed across my status window, and the island began to tremble.

Deep-sea monsters began slowly emerging from the shoreline. They were coming from every direction — a full three-hundred-sixty-degree rush straight toward the center.

"E-eek!"

"I shall protect you."

Undtung recoiled in terror from the swarming monsters while Mitsu planted herself in front of me like a wall. I checked the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠approaching creatures with the Eye of the Unbeliever.

"Heh heh heh…"

I couldn't hold the laughter in. Why?

"They're free EXP!"

C-rank trash couldn't touch my familiars. And with all the experience I'd been stockpiling bit by bit through three weeks of enhancement streams, I might even level up.

I told Mitsu and Undtung to just suppress them — I'd take the finishing blows myself.

"As you command."

BOOM!

Every time Mitsu swung Dark Red Shadow, the sea beasts crumpled into near-death states.

I bestowed my blessing upon the half-dead things.

"I-I can do it too, yes I can!"

Apparently Undtung couldn't just stand there watching Mitsu massacre everything. Not to be outdone, he started swinging Opportunity.

Of course, all I was doing was gobbling up the last hits my familiars had so generously plated for me, like a baby bird.

Countless sea beasts were reduced to enhancement fodder in the blink of an eye.

How many minutes did this go on?

The experience was climbing steadily, but there was one problem.

As the viewers pointed out — no time attack. Nobody knew when it would stop.

"Why do they just keep coming…"

Far out beyond the water, fresh specimens kept rising without end.

Their ranks kept climbing higher, and my familiars were starting to tire.

"I can't go on anymore, no I can't…"

Undtung collapsed from exhaustion, and the burden on Mitsu grew even heavier.

"Princess… if this continues, this humble one's stamina will give out first."

Mitsu said it calmly, but the content was grim.

"What the hell is the problem here?!"

We'd been holding out just fine and protecting the girl the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠whole time!

"Huh?"

Wait a second. Was protecting this girl even the right move?

The Tower's mission said survive — it never said protect this girl. And considering the monsters only showed up after we found her…

"Is getting rid of her the real answer?"

And if it isn't? Then we're completely out of options.

"Kh…"

Holding the line against monsters pouring in from every direction, Mitsu took a shallow wound.

"……!"

No time to second-guess. At this rate, a total wipe was locked in.

Praying my conclusion was right, I went all-in and tried enhancing the crystal.

I started smashing through the crystal's triple-layered structure, one shell at a time.

Please let my judgment be right.

The last of the barriers shattered. I swung my hammer at the unconscious girl.

The moment the enhancement landed on the girl, every abyssal beast froze in place.

I accepted the contract without even checking her rank.

As the deep-sea monsters toppled one after another, the clear message began to rise.

"Uh…?"

I had gained an EX-rank Familiar.