The Demon Lifts the Cat
Raven lifted the cat. Lost in thought, walking absentmindedly, they soon arrived at their destination.
"Oh." "It looks even bigger up close."
A massive gray pillar whose end couldn't be seen no matter how far one tilted their head. The path leading to the dungeon. The Divine Spear, 'Road'. Yet in stark contrast to its grandeur, the entrance was pitifully small. No, it was so tiny it felt embarrassing to even call it an entrance. A small crack in the wall, or perhaps more naturally, a hole dug by a grave robber.
"That's the entrance?" "It's much smaller than I thought." "Doesn't it look like something broke out from inside?" "Oh. Now that you mention it, Raven-nim, it does look that way."
Chatting lightly with the contractor as they walked further, they reached the end of the long line. In front of the small entrance—just large enough for a compact car to pass—guards in shoulder armor stood in pairs, spears in hand. They mechanically warned adventurers trying to cut the line or checked items handed over by those waiting before returning them. Observing the adventurers' gear, twitching ears, and swaying tails, our turn soon arrived.
"Stop! Stop! Sh-show your adventurer certificate!"
A guard around the contractor's age blocked my path. A middle-schooler serving as a guard? Must have decent abilities.
"This is troublesome. I don't have such a thing."
"...!"
"Stop joking with the guard and step aside, please."
"Very well."
After earning a scolding from the contractor for the pointless prank, I quietly stepped back.
"I'm sorry. You must have been startled? My familiar has quite the mischievous streak."
"Ah. No, it's fine!"
The contractor let out a quiet sigh and handed a translucent cylinder engraved with a shining mark to the pale-faced guard, apologizing for the familiar's rudeness. It felt like being a dog that barked at everyone.
"By the way, is that like a certificate case?" I'd imagined a romantic wooden plaque, but something the size of a smartphone thermos appeared instead, which was a bit disappointing. "Still, stored like that, it probably won't discolor easily."
-Tap tap.
With trembling hands, the guard pulled out the rolled scroll and checked it, then nodded lightly as if everything was in order.
"0-tier adventurer Yuri-nim and her familiar, the demon Raven... Confirmed! Have a safe adventure!"
Adventurer Yuri. So they omitted the surname on purpose? Well, she's a smart kid—she must have her reasons.
"Have a good day, guards."
"Th-thank you!"
Passing the blushing guards, we entered the interior of the Divine Spear.
-Whoosh!
At that moment, a strong wind blew from behind as if pushing our backs. The wind was fierce, as though a large hole existed on the other side. I grabbed the contractor's robe—which had been removed for identity verification and was fluttering as if about to flip inside out—and pulled it down.
"Ooooo.....!"
While fixing the robe from behind, a top-tier exclamation burst from the usually emotionless contractor. Following their gaze, I turned my head and was also quite surprised. No—extremely surprised.
"This is... truly beyond words, magnificent."
Complex, intertwined symbols and characters emitted faint light along the smoothly polished silver-gray inner walls.
"I've never seen such an organic structure of a massive magic circle in my life."
Looking up at the ceiling, various giant magic circles meshed like precise gears, slowly rotating in the air while emitting light. Lowering my gaze slightly, a massive brain made of blue holograms in the center resonated with the surrounding magic circles, slowly oscillating up and down.
'It's just like cyberpunk.'
A form close to a single massive system operating organically. I seriously suspected the goddess might have a background in computer engineering.
"To think such a world existed. I was truly a frog in a well...."
"I was no different from a crow trapped in a cage."
A series of surprises and admiration. Excitement and trembling toward the unknown rushed into a chest filled with tension. Wanting to share this hot emotion, I naturally turned my gaze toward the contractor.
'Hm?'
I saw the contractor with a cute expression, immersed in emotion and unable to take their eyes off the ceiling. And beyond those small shoulders—a single pure white hand stealthily crawling up like a snake aiming for prey.
'Approaching so stealthily that even Kkachi didn't notice....'
That might be a bit dangerous.
-Click.
A pitch-black safety device embedded in a corner of the mental world was released. The trigger was pulled, and the vision instantly turned red. At the same time, the right arm shot out swiftly toward the target without a single millimeter of error.
-Thud.
Caught it.
"Nyaak!?"
'...A cat beastkin?'
Judging by the pointed ears flapping vigorously as if flustered and the tail wrapping unpleasantly around my arm, it seemed to be a cat beastkin. What on earth was this thieving cat doing, killing its presence and sneaking up on my precious contractor? I was so curious I could go mad.
"Urgh. Uwek."
Gently grasping the thin, soft neck that fit in one hand and lifting it up like a championship trophy.
"Raven-nim?"
I calmed the contractor who looked up at me with a flustered expression.
"Don't worry. It's just to confirm something."
What this impudent thing was trying to do to you.
"Nyaaaaak!!!"
No sooner had the words ended than the gray-haired woman suddenly convulsed, struggling like a fish on a hook. Eyes filled with fear and drool dripping from her mouth. Her sharp claws dug deep into my wrist as if trying to tear it apart along with the bone. Does it hurt? It hurts for me too. Really.
-Thud! Thud! Thud!
Precise kicks aimed calmly at vital points like the Adam's apple or ribs. Her physical abilities seemed similar to the enhanced humans who were the Doctor's limbs, but the details of how she used her body were different. She knew very well how to kill a person? What is this? A killer cat?
'Dangerous. This woman.'
Though it regenerated immediately upon impact, it was consuming more bio-energy than expected. What a waste, seriously.
"Who are you."
"Nyuuuugh! Uuuuugh...!"
-Thud!!!
I adjusted my strength a bit to hear an answer, but what came back was not a reply but a full-power spinning kick aimed at the back of the head. I was seriously worried if her skull had caved in. Of course, the indestructible Plague Doctor Mask didn't even get a scratch. Maybe her foot hurt more?
'Haah, I didn't want to handle her roughly in front of Yuri.'
Can't be helped.
'I need to calm her down a bit.'
"Nyaaaaaaaak!!!"
"Huh? Huhhh!? Raven-nim, no!!! That person is! Sher—"
The moment I lowered my gaze to the ground, the contractor seemed to realize what I was about to do and began urgently trying to stop me. However, neutralizing an unidentified threat was a critical matter. Conversation could come after that.
Then. Receive the free physical therapy courtesy of the Plague Doctor and calm down a bit.
-Bang!
I slammed the cat beastkin onto the floor with moderate force. It would be a problem if the floor got damaged. Newbies don't have money to pay for property damage. Still, being a fantasy race and all, she probably wouldn't die from this, right?
"Guh!"
She floated slightly into the air from the impact. Then, her limbs lost strength and drooped limply. Seeing that she didn't vomit flesh, it didn't seem like her organs were crushed or bones broken. First time adjusting strength like this. Maybe I have talent?
-Thud!
"Nyaak!"
Stepping on her lower abdomen to fix her in place so she couldn't resist, I bent down, slowly meeting her eyes, and asked again as kindly as possible.
"I'll ask again. What are you? Why did you reach out toward my contractor? Were you hired for an assassination? Or perhaps kidnapping? Even if that's true, I won't kill you (nicely). So open your mouth. Cat woman."
It would be better to speak quickly. Enduring the urge to crush her waist and break it like this was killing me. My patience had long since perished along with the previous world.
-Grind.
Lightly loosening my right hand, staring at the yellow pupils that repeatedly dilated and contracted, the tightly closed mouth slowly began to open.
Yes. Go ahead and speak. Because of you alone, people around are looking at me strangely. If guards come at this rate, I really can't hold back? The cat's going to turn into a 'fried' cat?
"Th-that is, meow...."
A finely trembling voice and moisture welling in large eyes, flowing down her cheeks with a sense of injustice.
"Hm?"
Huh? What on earth is this pitiful creature? The cat beastkin, drooping like a cat melted on the floor, diligently wiping away tears flowing down with both arms. At that incredibly trivial appearance, my vision, reddened by combat stance, returned to normal.
'Hmm?'
Shiver! The now warm head cooled down, turning into goosebumps. The brain, which had malfunctioned due to overheating, began to think. A conclusion drawn from the soft brain that had started operating normally by circulating a large amount of blood.
Wasn't this an overreaction? In the first place, with so many adventurers around, who would attempt kidnapping or assassination? Are you an idiot?
'I messed up.'
Once the situation was grasped, the right foot pressing down gradually lost strength. As the pressure on the abdomen decreased, the cat beastkin's muttering increased. Along with my sentence, that is. Damn. I refuse prison food. Of course, even if given, I can't eat it.
"I, I was just trying to guide the new adventurer...."
The cat beastkin, so aggrieved that she even forgot her cat speech. The woman's tears were spicier than a fist.
"I see. So I was mistaken."
"...."
Cold. So very cold. Has winter already come? Winter is coming.
Zii—
Ah. I felt it. Her or his calm... and cold gaze. I couldn't possibly look to the side. Is this what they call killing intent that I've only heard about? I'm dancing on the blade of death right now. Whether this will be my last dance, I'll have to wait a bit longer to find out.
Oh. Great Labrador Retriever, how should one respond in such a case! Woof! Woof! The advice from the imaginary familiar senior was completely useless. It was all dogshit. From next time, please translate your advice into demon language.
"Raven-nim. Didn't I ask you to stop?"
"...."
It came. A voice so cold it felt like my entire body would freeze over, like ice.
There were plenty of words to refute the contractor with, but my pea-sized brain commanded me to shut up. Does it mean not to make things bigger? Wise.
Kkyu kkyu!
What? It wasn't my brain, it was you, Kkachi? You damn lovable brat! Still, since it makes sense, I'll shut up.
Following the additional command from survival expert Kkachi-nim, I carefully lifted my foot from the cat woman's soft belly and slowly knelt down.
Flash!
I strongly extended both hands toward the sky! What was ultimately created was a posture just like a sample of a child who had done wrong. As expected of Kkachi. The survival genius created based on survival traits had extended my life, if only for a moment. Of course, socially I was half-dead, but that was the paradox of conceptual survival, truly mysterious.
"...."
The contractor had long since lost words upon seeing me like this.
"Nyaang...."
The cat beastkin was sobbing in front of me with her face covered, and passing adventurers pretended not to look while sneakily taking in this chaotic scene with their eyes, filling up on free dopamine. And I, the great demon (or not) who created all this situation in just three minutes, quietly closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I earnestly wished to wake up from this nightmare.
Of course. No such thing happened.