111. Apple Farm Manager

［Doombar! Geontlit!!!］

［Doombaaa!!!］

［That was scary-yot! I was trapped in this super dark place-yot!!!］

［Doombar, doombarba! I was trapped in a really bright place!］

The Hedgehog Summoner God and the Abyss Lord undead spirit. Both latched onto my legs at the same time. The hedgehog climbed up my leg to my shoulder, then rubbed its face furiously against my cheek.

［Thank you for not forgetting me and remembering me-yot! As expected, only Geontlit-yot! I love you-yot, doombar!!!］

I stroked the hedgehog's head with my finger and asked, "Dochi. Did you have any awareness when you were turned into a bear plushie?"

［Normally, no-yot! I was trapped in this weird space-yot! But when I heard Geontlit's voice and that beautiful word 'doombar,' the outside world started to faintly appear-yot!!］

In simple terms, it meant that while in plushie form, hearing my voice had partially awakened its consciousness.

［Anyway, thank you for saving me-yot! Doombar!!!］

With an expression full of emotion, the hedgehog kept thanking me nonstop, refusing to leave my side. Being small like a little animal, it wasn't burdensome at all.

Afterward, I shifted my gaze. The bisected corpse of the Stone Maker. Beyond it, countless lumps continued pouring endlessly from the torn space.

Once all the lumps had spilled out, the torn space closed as if it had nothing left to vomit.

"...Looks like if you stay as a plushie too long, the original body dies."

A gruesome mountain made of corpse lumps. As I slowly approached it, a foul stench stabbed at my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nose.

"Puppeteer, can you come here now? It'd be a waste to just discard these bodies."

The damage was severe, so I couldn't tell what monsters they were, but a wide variety seemed mixed in. Surely some had abilities useful to us. No harm in collecting them.

—［On my way.］

The Necro Puppeteer's voice flowed from Iris.

While waiting for the Puppeteer, I slowly circled the corpse mountain, examining it closely.

"Some bodies are in pretty decent shape."

Poison Apples, Iris, Jellyfish-002, Dog Spiders, Melody Foxes, and more. Plenty of familiar monsters. And humans... Well, probably monsters resembling humans. Maybe one of the old explorers.

As I observed the corpses like that—

［Groooan...］

Suddenly, a groan leaked from between the corpse pile.

What? A surviving monster?

With so many bodies tangled, I hadn't sensed any life signs. I focused my eyes and senses. Deep in the corpse mountain, a B-rank threat monster was detected.

"Kino. Can you clear some bodies? There's a survivor inside."

［Yes, Father. Leave it to me.］

At my request, Kinogine Arachne spat threads and began removing the corpses.

［I thank you sincerely. You are my lifesaver.］

One monster placed a sword on the ground, knelt politely, and bowed to me. It was the one Arachne had just pulled from the pile.

Its name was Lionhart. A beastman monster with a lion's appearance—actual threat level S-grade, nerfed threat level B-grade. Notable features: one wing of fire, one wing of water.

［How can I ever repay this immense grace...］

"No need. I just pulled you out because I sensed something in the pile."

I hadn't intended to rescue it specifically. Curiosity about what was inside prompted the extraction. Even so, Lionhart insisted on repaying the favor, urging me to name anything I desired.

［If I can't repay my benefactor, my heart won't rest until my dying day. Please, allow me to repay this grace.］

"No, really, I don't need anything..."

［Please, at least think it over. I beg you.］

Anything worth requesting? As I pondered, an idea flashed through my mind. No way it knew, but worth asking.

"Hmm... Do you happen to know how to become the Labyrinth Dominator?"

［I do not. But if that's the repayment you desire, I'll stake my life to find out! Trust me!］

Lionhart sprang up, promising soon to deliver worthy info, then vanished hurriedly somewhere.

"Obviously not."

As Lionhart left, the arriving Puppeteer began collecting all corpses from the Stone Maker's space. While waiting, I carved a mark on the useful Poison Apple's body—an X mark meaning absolutely do not eat.

［Purrrr. Now I'm safe.］

I skipped taming it. Not worth the time. Despite pretending otherwise, it was full of hostility like the other Poison Apples.

As I turned to leave—

'...Hold on.'

Suddenly, I recalled one of the Necro Puppeteer's abilities: Mind Control. Manipulating emotions.

'It only works on weaker foes, right...?'

Back when Puppeteer was Psycho Clown—S-grade—Mind Control was useless except on itself. But now at SS-grade, it could strip hostility from S-grades and below.

'Why didn't I think of this sooner?'

Well, better late than never. I called the Necro Puppeteer, explained the idea, and asked to remove the marked Poison Apple's hostility.

"You can still use Mind Control, right?"

［Of course. Haven't used it since evolving, but I know I can.］

The Puppeteer activated Mind Control on the marked Poison Apple.

［Purrrr? What ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠are you doing to me! Breaking our deal...?］

The raging Poison Apple suddenly clamped its mouth shut and went quiet.

［Purrrr~］

Soon, it started giggling dumbly, looking like a screw was loose in its head.

"Puppeteer. You just removed the hostility, right?"

［Removed hostility and, since it was noisy, changed it to a positive personality for everything.］

"Good job."

With that, I tamed the Poison Apple and appointed it manager of the apple farm here. It loved that.

［Purrrr! Power is mine! All Poison Apples, bow ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to me if you don't want to be next meal!］

Afterward, cradling the exhausted hedgehog tightly, I returned to the Oasis Shelter with the monsters. By then, Art Pega Unicorn had already finished the codex entry for Lionhart.