Encounter with the Giant Caterpillar
Giant Caterpillar. The name of the massive larva that Azeras had just subdued in one go. Naturally, it wasn't an existing species name—it was just something I'd slapped on.
Azeras slowly approached the subdued caterpillar. The creature lay flipped over on the sandy ground, twitching faintly before elephant-dung-sized tears began plopping down.
─[Abeol... sniff...]
─"..."
It was a bit disconcerting. A monster crying? Not that crying was weird for them, but an S-grade bawling after one hit? What kind of pathetic demon king was this?
Azeras scratched her head awkwardly, glancing at Iris.
─"It... crying..."
"Didn't you hit it too hard?"
─"Pulled... power way back... shouldn't hurt..."
She'd held back, and it was still sobbing like that. Was it just a drama queen monster?
As that thought crossed my mind, the allies chimed in.
Ha Yu-mi's guess felt spot on. When the caterpillar lunged at Squad 4, there'd been no hostility—just excitement, like it was happy to see them.
"...Yeah, maybe Yumi's right. It wasn't coming to fight; it was just excited and yelling as it approached. The tears sell it."
No big deal if some monsters were like that. Medical Mushroom came to mind.
While we speculated, the caterpillar wailed even harder, tears streaming like a newborn's.
Azeras turned to Arachne for advice.
─"This... what... do..."
─[How about flipping it back first? Then apologize sincerely. Might cheer it up.]
─"Got... it..."
Azeras elegantly swung her arm through the air. A breeze from her fingertips swelled into a gust, wrapping the flipped caterpillar gently.
─[Abeol?]
Its hefty body lifted slightly, spun softly in midair, and thudded back down, right-side up.
Azeras bowed deeply before it.
─"Uh... sorry."
─[...]
The tears stopped. It stared blankly at Azeras, then—
Grin.
A blooming smile lit its face.
─[Aberural!]
Looked like it forgave Azeras.
■ Giant Caterpillar
Actual Threat Level: S-grade.
Current (Nerfed) Threat Level: B-grade.
Too lazy to color it. Anyway, monster compendium entry complete. Notebook closed.
I shifted back to Squad 4's feed. The Giant Caterpillar was jiggling all over, acting cute.
─[Abeol! Aberural!]
Dancing weirdly. Rolling on the sand. Pulling every cutesy move its body allowed.
Not tamed yet. Squad 4 had one severed arm left, busy taming a Mummy Skeleton. The caterpillar was just smitten with Azeras and Arachne.
─[Abeol, Aberurerural!]
It flattened belly-down, like hop on.
Arachne and Azeras eyed Iris in unison.
─[Father. What now?]
─"Can... we ride it?"
"Your call."
No issue riding. Not tamed, but super friendly.
They conferred, then decided. Tossed the bound Mummy Skeleton onto its back first, hopped up lightly themselves. Iris joined.
─[Abeol, Aberural?]
─[No destination. Straight ahead for now.]
─[Abeol!]
Squad 4 aboard, the Giant Caterpillar bolted across the desert at full tilt.
The Giant Caterpillar dove under the sand like a submarine, swam through the earth like fish in water, then burst topside—repeating as it raced.
Squad 4 rode steady. A transparent shell had sprouted on its back, encasing them safely.
After a while, sand structures appeared.
─[Stop.]
Iris approached its head, whispering low and gravelly. It braked hard, shaking its head questioningly.
─[Aberural?]
─[Caution advised.]
Iris floated out of the shell, scanning the sky. Eyes darting, then locking on one spot—feed zoomed.
─[Threat.]
Atop a structure: a monster crouched hunchbacked. Two horns, wings, blue skin—dragonkin. Technically "draconid."
Iris scanned elsewhere, zoomed again.
─[Threat.]
Another blue-skinned monster—Pharaoh-esque demon type. Totally different look.
"...Dangerous. Both A-grade."
"Yeah. Squad 4 level."
Not ideal. But good call sending two SS-grades there. One would've been dicey.
─[Caution wind.]
Feed normalized. Both monsters now visible, chatting loudly from afar.
─[Para. Traitors over there. Gross.]
─[What do, Anu?]
─[Capture one. Kill rest.]
Killing intent dripped from their voices. Not friendly, then.
Arachne twitched an eyebrow.
─[Who are you?]
─[Who we are?]
─[Asked nicely. Answer's manners.]
The duo introduced themselves.
─[Special intro time!]
─[Labyrinth guardians! Hunt explorers, drifters!]
─[Pharaoh Devil! Call me Para!]
─[Anubis Dragon! Call me Anu!]
Anu and Para stood apart. Then—
─[I'm Bastet Daong!]
A third monster leaped between them: winged black cat. Puma-like.
"This is bad."
"Cat's Squad 4 level too."
The surprise cat: nerfed A-grade, actual SS-grade. 2v2 doable, 2v3? No chance. Retreat mandatory.
I opened my mouth to order Squad 4 to bail—but the vibe on-screen felt off. I paused.
What?
Anu and Para looked weird. Standing dumbstruck, blinking confusedly.
Then Anu turned left. Para right. Both stared at central Bastet.
─[Hm...?]
─[...Who're you?]
─[Bastet Daong.]
What. Not allies?