CHAPTER 032: Centaurides
Suddenly, amid the herd of centaurs, the female Centaurides stepped forward. She assured us she meant no harm and explained that they were the children of an explorer.
While I was sorting through my thoughts, the Psycho Clown tugged at my sleeve.
[Kirik. Done.]
I'd asked him to check while I kept an eye on the centaurs. Looked like he'd finished.
[No lies in what they're saying. Read their thoughts—it's all true. Kirik.]
The Clown declared it firmly. They weren't cunning monsters putting on an act for some scheme.
"So it's safe to trust them?"
[Yes.]
I shifted my gaze back to the centaur herd. Still no hostility. The Clown's mind reading hadn't picked up anything shady, so I could lower my guard a bit. For now, I'd hear more of their story.
The centaurs were extremely friendly toward us. But not toward every explorer.
[We only help the Helper Trait bearer. We ignore the Loner Trait and kill the Domination Trait. That's our mother's dying words.]
Centaur A said.
[Help the Helper. Ignore the Loner. Kill the Dominator. Those were her last commands.]
Centaur B chimed in.
[Our late mother was a Helper Trait bearer too. And she hated explorers with other traits.]
[When our mother became an explorer, there were five of them. Three besides her had the Domination Trait and abused monsters into submission.]
Centaur C and Centaur D added the reason.
I had the same question. So I raised my hand and asked directly.
"Aren't explorers selected one at a time?"
[No. Multiple can be selected.]
[Of course, sometimes only one is. If all previous explorers die and there's only one drifter left in the labyrinth, just that one gets picked. The labyrinth prioritizes drifters already inside when searching for explorers.]
[Oh. Even if there are multiple drifters, if the others have seriously low intelligence, it picks only the smart one. If they're all dumb, it skips drifters altogether.]
I nodded at the new info.
"Nah. I'm the only explorer this generation."
That was solid info. When Min Hyung-seok died, I'd been summoned and demoted to drifter. Then came the notice that I was the only drifter left, and I got selected as explorer. So no others existed.
But if that's the case, was Min Hyung-seok the last survivor of the previous generation's explorers?
If he hadn't been a solo explorer, he'd been the longest-lasting one among multiples. I'd thought he was just a moron... but maybe he had skills after all. Made sense—he'd had a ton of monsters.
[Explorer.]
The Centaurides called to me.
[Solorb's about to close its eye soon. We should head to our home for the full story.]
"Solorb?"
She looked up at the sky.
[See that red-glowing orb up there? That's Solorb.]
She continued. When Solorb closes its eye, darkness falls. Then cloud monster Lunamist opens its eye. Unlike Solorb's intense light, Lunamist gives off a soft glow.
[When Lunamist's light hits the ground, the monsters who've been hiding quietly go berserk. So we need to get to our home safely.]
Did Lunamist's light have some frenzy effect? No idea why, but danger meant move. We followed the centaurs.
Before leaving, Rise circled the bound Pigking and asked me.
"Gauntlet Lord, what about this Pigking? Gonna tame it instead of eating?"
I placed my hand on its red spot. With monsters going berserk soon, if I took it somewhere safe and waited, it'd tame eventually.
But I had no intention of taming it.
"Nah, just checking its power... no plans to tame."
This thing was food. Precious protein source.
"Can't pass up something this tasty."
"Good. I'll handle the butchering then."
As Rise licked his chops and raised his execution sword, the Centaurides hurriedly intervened.
[St-stop! No killing yet!]
Rise sheathed his sword at the shout, scratched his head, and said,
"Dunno what you said, but if it's 'don't,' then I won't."
As the Centaurides sighed in relief, the other centaurs explained why no killing.
[Sorry, we should've mentioned sooner. Solorb loves peace and never tolerates killers under its watch.]
[Right. So while Solorb's eye is open, we avoid hunting if possible. Fighting or wounding's fine, but if we accidentally kill... we'd die too.]
[My daughter and sister should've explained better. Lunamist's light just signals Solorb's surveillance is over. Everyone here can relax.]
[Killing's only allowed when Solorb's eye is closed. So kill that one later.]
Got it. Pigking execution on hold. We'd take it to their home, wait for Solorb to close its eye, then cook it.
The centaurs wouldn't let us ride their backs. Only the Centaurides offered, but my Jo-ryeokja objected fiercely.
In the end, we ran. Luckily, their settlement was closer than expected. Five large tents in a circle, central fire pit for bonfires. No other residents besides the five who'd brought us.
I glanced up. It's fully night now.
Solorb's eye was shut, Lunamist's light blanketing the ground. The safe plain had turned lawless.
Their home was relatively safe, apparently.
[We'll prepare the meal.]
One centaur said. Food first, talk over eating—or after.
[Rest here, Explorer.]
"I'll help."
Four centaurs and Rise left to prep the Pigking. Me and my monsters sat by the fire pit. As I pulled out my notebook,
[Gauntlet.]
The Clown poked my arm with a finger.
"What?"
[First time seeing those guys. Kirik.]
His gaze was on the distant centaurs prepping food. I knew what he was thinking. Wanted to collect their bodies.
"Don't."
[Fine...]
I turned back to my notebook, pen in hand, and started the monster compendium.
■ Centaurides
Actual Threat Level:S-grade
Current (Nerfed) Threat Level:B-grade
Abilities: ?
I sketched the resting Centaurides right in front of me.
"Too much hassle."
Centaurs or Centaurides—same species, just different gender and name. No need to draw both.
[Chatting with your Jo-ryeokja?]
The Centaurides approached and spoke. She knew about Jo-ryeokja. Makes sense—her mom was a Helper Trait bearer.
I nodded at her question. Then her eyes went to my notebook.
[Huh? Is that... me?]
"Oh, yeah. Sorry if it's rude."
I apologized quick. Drew her without permission. I'd sketched thoughtlessly, not considering it might offend. Other monsters were fine, but she was friendly and talkative—should've asked.
[No, not rude at all. Mind if I look?]
She smiled brightly. Wasn't upset. Most hate unauthorized portraits.
I handed her the notebook.
[You draw amazingly. Could pass for a photo.]
She peered at it in the moonlight, soft smile on her face. Liked it a lot.
"Thanks. You know cameras?"
[Yes. My mom's Jo-ryeokja helped with some once.]
Her mom came from a world with some tech.
"...Mind if I ask your mom's race?"
Sudden question—I'd been curious.
[My mom's race? Similar to yours, Explorer.]
"Ah, not Centaurides then."
[Right. And my dad's great-great-grandfather wasn't a centaur either—just a full horse.]
"Huh? Your dad's great-great-grandpa?"
[My mom's first husband was my dad's great-great-grandfather. He passed long ago with her.]
"......"
What? Didn't compute. Was I dense?
Not just me. I asked the Centaurides carefully.
"Um... not getting it. How's your mom's husband your dad's great-great-grandpa? Wouldn't he be your dad?"
[Hmm, how to explain...]
She scratched her head, pointed at a centaur.
[That one's my brother and my father.]
Her finger shifted sideways.
[Next to him's my grandpa. Also my brother.]
Her finger moved again.
[Next is great-grandpa, then great-great-grandpa. All brothers too.]
She lowered her hand.
[We all share the same mother. Born from the same womb.]
I stared blankly. She elaborated.
So, summary: Female explorer birthed sons with horse-form monster. Bred with those sons for more sons. Bred with those sons for more... until birthing the Centaurides.
To those centaurs, the female explorer was mother and wife.
"Why do that...?"
My honest reaction slipped out. The Centaurides gave an awkward smile.
[Mom probably didn't want to at first. But she had no choice. To tame them, she had to mate with them.]
"...Had to have sex to tame? Not just touch?"
[Yours works with touch? Blessed. Explorers' trait conditions vary. Mom's only worked through intercourse.]
Uh, um...... If I'd been unlucky, I could've been fucked. Literally.