043. One-Mol-Gil (Long-Range Stealth Taming) — [Doomba, Doo-Doomba!] — [Shiiba! Shi-Doombah!]
The screen zoomed in on Squad 2. A humanoid monster missing one arm was slowly approaching the dancing monsters of Squad 2. Half of the monster's skull was covered in a black, grotesque mass. And scattered messily around the one-armed monster were countless monster corpses. Every single one had a hole punched through its abdomen.
It looked female to me too. No feminine features, but the vibe was there. Whatever, gender didn't matter...
"Hedgehog. Summon your spirits."
I decided to start by commanding Squad 2. Couldn't let them act on their own and get wiped out.
─[Doomba! In the name of the spiky summoner, I call you! Undead spirits of the abyss, cross the wall of death and come to me! Awaken by my side and protect me! Doo-Doomba!]
─[Shiiba! Shi-Doombah!]
The Hedgehog Summoner God danced even more fiercely, summoning undead spirits. Five in total.
"Good. Now order the spirits to attack the monster ahead."
─[Doomba! Got it-yot!]
At Hedgehog's command, the undead spirits charged the one-armed monster all at once.
They weren't sent to win. Just bait.
I gave the next order to Hedgehog.
"And while the spirits fight, you guys run away."
─[Doomba!?]
Hedgehog startled and glanced at the screen. Looked seriously flustered.
"What're you doing? Run if you don't wanna die."
─[Abandon my precious spirits and flee-yot? No way-yot! I can't do that-yot!]
Hedgehog shook its head vigorously, defying my order.
I'd expected this much. I'm the Helper, not the Domination trait holder. Can't force monsters to obey every command.
"Hedgehog... no, Dochi, listen up. They just return to their world if they die, but you guys vanish for good if you die."
─[Doomba?]
The spirits can be resummoned even after death. But you can't come back if you die. Fighting that monster now is a 100% death sentence. I don't wanna lose you forever.
Adding that convinced Hedgehog. It finally obeyed.
─[Such deep meaning behind the order... Got it-yot. Sad, but I'll abandon the spirits and flee-yot! And from now on, I'll follow every order without question-yot! Even if it seems weird, there's always deep meaning-yot!]
─[Shiiba!]
Squad 2 retreated the way they'd come. Even during retreat, Iris kept the one-armed monster in view.
The one-armed monster had already wiped out the undead spirits but didn't pursue Squad 2. Instead, it sprawled on the ground, groping around.
Probably hunting corpses. It seemed to have a habit of eating the innards of slain monsters.
Too bad the ones it just killed were spirits—they vanish without trace upon death, returning to their world.
It might not know that. But even after seeing them vanish right in front of it, it kept searching so diligently. Seemed like low intelligence.
Time passed. Mealtime arrived, and the entire exploration team returned to the shelter.
While eating, I reviewed Squad 2's footage through Iris.
Actual threat: SS-grade. Nerfed threat: A-grade one-armed monster.
Too hectic earlier to check properly, but replay showed a red spot engraved on its back.
"That spot means I can probably stealth-tame it from range."
No plans to face the one-armed monster head-on. Dog Spider's disabling threads probably wouldn't work, and the rest were lower threat anyway.
Black Magma Slime was same grade, but... I preferred not to risk a close fight. No need for gambling.
Slime could lose. Same grade doesn't mean equal strength—matchups matter.
Couldn't afford a single misjudgment costing my strongest fighter.
That's why: attach my severed arm to its back for stealth taming.
Can't just avoid high-threats forever. Need higher-level tames for smoother exploration.
Not great odds unless senses are dull... but my arm weakens nearby monsters too, so worth a shot. Luck might nerf its power and senses.
Thoughts sorted, I switched Iris's screen back to live—
[Mmm, mm.]
The Art Pega Unicorn chewed meat and poked her face in.
The Art Pega Unicorn swallowed her meat, stared at Iris, and spoke.
[That's an explorer from my mother's generation. Did another squad encounter it?]
"Yeah, Squad 2 just now... Wait, explorer?"
[Yes. Never saw her as an explorer, but ran into her once after she became a monster. My brother said she chose the Loner trait. A woman.]
Hearing the one-armed monster was once an explorer, I looked back at Iris's screen.
The Loner from the Art Pega Unicorn's mother's diary. That was her—Azeras.
...Can tame explorers too?
And apparently, monster-turned explorers count as labyrinth monsters. She had a red spot too.
"Nah. Not really?"
"It's a monster now, not human. So no issue."
No plan changes. Explorer, human—whatever. It's a monster now.
After eating, I called Hedgehog and Dog Spider-001 from Squad 2 and briefed them briefly.
Hedgehog nodded, took center stage in the shelter, and started shaking its butt in dance.
[Doomba! Doo-Doomba!]
Undead spirits from the abyss summoned one by one.
[Doomba! Doo-Doomba!]
[Shiiba! Shi-Doombah!]
Hedgehog kept dancing, Dog Spider cheering alongside by dancing too.
As Hedgehog shook harder, spirit numbers grew. Soon, twenty.
[Doomba! Summoning just this many for now-yot!]
Cheat for sure. One S-grade summoning twenty S-grades.
But if the main body dies, it's over.
One spirit took one of my severed arms at Hedgehog's order.
"Alright, Squad 2. Time to head out. One-Mol-Gil time."
[Doomba!]
[Shiiba!]
One-Mol-Gil time.
─[Doomba! There it is, that guy from before-yot!]
─[Shiiba!]
Squad 2 encountered the one-armed monster again.
"Don't approach. Send just the spirits."
I ordered via Iris. Focusing on my left arm—not the attached one, the severed one the spirit carried.
Can't let it drop. Move slow.
Cave ceiling. My left arm, wrapped in Dog Spider's thread, crept stealthily between stalactites.
Below, twenty spirits charged Azeras.
As they lunged—
Swoosh.
Azeras left a smooth afterimage, lightly sidestepping left to evade.
Movement tricked the eye into seeing multiple forms splitting.
─"Feces... none... trash, die..."
Azeras halted. In the silence, her presence weighed heavy.
Then.
Her form spun lightly in place.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud-thud-thud—!
In a blink, finger afterimages stabbed everywhere. Speed warping time itself.
The five surrounding spirits got massive holes punched through, forms fading away.
Five gone, remaining spirits screeched and attacked wildly.
In the chaos, my left arm reached the ceiling above Azeras's head.
Another five spirits down.
I released my grip.
The ceiling-hung arm began falling.
In that instant, another five vanished.
Finally, Azeras extinguished the last five.
Shrrk—
Threads from the severed arm unraveled, living tendrils stretching straight for Azeras's back.
Snap!
Threads coiled like lightning, firmly attaching the severed arm to Azeras's back.