Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Creature Conversion
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The Mermels' abuse of power was so intense that even Yenz and Gray—executive-level figures in the Ulr Cartel—let out cheers of delight.
[Fun. My heart's pounding. Just like that slime earlier. We can do it too.]
[Loyalty increases. Upon reaching a certain loyalty level, monsters (details) transform into creatures.]
Once the group had calmed down somewhat, Dun removed his hands from his ears and focused on the notification window.
Creatures?
The term felt oddly familiar. His Domination Level had risen quite a bit lately, so maybe there were new abilities added. He pulled up his status window to check.
[Monster Domination lv.7]
Description: Fosters empathy with monsters to dominate them. The method of domination varies by empathy type, but at higher levels, you can choose your preferred method.
Domination methods registered so far:
Domination of Warmth, Domination of Strength, Domination of Love, Domination of Respect, Domination of Fear.
*Level up: Additional skills unlocked. They activate automatically when conditions are met.
- Pet Conversion (Learnable)
- Creature Conversion (Learnable)
New abilities had been updated. Honestly, while Domination was useful, it had always felt a bit vague for a Legendary skill.
For some reason, even before acquiring the Domination skill, monsters would follow him whenever certain conditions were met—a similar effect that had existed prior.
The Monster Domination skill merely helped him utilize that existing ability more effectively.
The domination methods were finicky sub-abilities whose purpose he couldn't quite grasp. He only ever used Domination of Strength and Domination of Fear anyway.
The one upside was that Domination of Love didn't trigger carelessly.
He'd wondered why it qualified as Legendary if it was just organizing his existing powers, but the ongoing addition of new skills made it somewhat satisfying.
Dun learned 'Pet Conversion' and 'Creature Conversion.'
[Pet Conversion lv.1]
Description: Transforms into an unyielding ally that can never betray you—a pet. Sharing abilities doesn't reduce the user's own power. Higher levels allow pet release.
[Creature Conversion lv.1]
Description: Frees a corrupted monster, turning it into a single living being. Liberates it from destructive urges. High intelligence allows it to become an NPC, subject to the system like players.
It was intriguing.
With Creature Conversion available, he no longer had to worry about domination wearing off. No need to force an atmosphere of "I'm the strongest, so follow me!" to boost loyalty.
Looking at Individual Dung and the Ulr bunch, both skills seemed like abilities that originally activated on condition fulfillment. Now he could use them freely.
If Creature Conversion would eventually happen automatically anyway, the skill might not be necessary—but one person immediately came to mind who needed it right now.
Tiaryn.
She was the most headache-inducing monster Dun had ever encountered. She never bothered humans, but she always targeted him specifically.
He'd secretly investigated whether she might be a plant from the monster side, but all he'd uncovered was her sticky obsession with him.
The soul contract had been partly because she wanted to be together, but also because he suspected her. With a soul contract in place, she couldn't betray him.
At least, last time he'd tried dominating her, there'd been no failure notification—so she definitely wasn't a plant.
'I wonder if she's gathering those dark elves like I asked.'
The image of Tiaryn whining every time about when he'd come back popped into his head. He hadn't felt guilty at first, but her constant complaints about feeling hurt were starting to wear him down a little.
Dun headed toward where Tiaryn was.
* * *
[Kyaaah, Dun! You're finally here!!]
Dun arrived at Tiaryn's place and twisted his body slightly to dodge her pouncing embrace.
"Tiaryn, did you handle what I asked last time?"
[Straight to business the moment you arrive? My cute little human baby, Dun. Look at how your cheeks have plumped up from eating well lately.]
Tiaryn prodded Dun's cheeks with her long nails. The soft, squishy feel soothed her heart.
Yujin-hyun and Rihaowel had been so insistent on feeding him snacks on time that Dun had put on a bit of weight recently.
It was barely noticeable since he'd been so skinny to begin with.
[You won't eat what I give you, but you'll eat what that Rihaowel guy offers?]
"You're the one without shame."
The guy who mixed night forest bugs with cake had no business picking fights over nonsense.
[You're not too late, Dun.]
"Huh?"
[To make me your mom again.]
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
"You know I'm the safer choice."
Poison, axes, knives, black magic.
Tiaryn handled every dangerous thing with expert skill.
How convincing.
Dun made a face of disgust.
[Nooo... Fine, Dun! How about this?]
"Don't say weird stuff."
[What if I become your big sister? I can't promise to be nice to Rihaowel since I don't like him, but if I'm the messed-up eldest daughter, it'll make sense plot-wise.]
"Oh ho."
[What do you think? What do you think? I'll be the sister who loves her little brother too much. I'll be part of your family.]
Tiaryn as a big sister... Tiaryn next door...
Waking up to find poison mixed in your toothpaste, the incense lit before bed made from toxic herbs, bathwater laced with deadly venom—from your big sister...
"No thanks."
[Why not!!!]
Tiaryn shrieked.
"Can you promise no poison, no curses, nothing like that?"
[Yep! If you don't like it, I won't do it.]
"?"
The answer came more easily than expected.
[I was just a bit sulky because you accepted Rihaowel as your mom.]
Right after turning from NPC to monster, she'd met the human Dun, and genuine murderous impulses had surged.
'Kill them all. Kill them and steal their power. Kill them all. Kill them and steal their power.'
Thoughts she'd never had before, impulses she'd never felt, flooded her mind as if injected by someone.
Yet she'd never killed a human.
There were no humans in the night forest, and the only one she'd encountered was luckily Dun.
Because Dun was strong, Tiaryn could heedlessly obey her instinctive cries.
The despair of never returning to her old self. The guilt, shame, and self-loathing of becoming a monster.
She'd vowed that if she ever killed her lifesaver Dun, she'd end her own life.
Monster Tiaryn had clutched baby Dun's face and wept. Her fingers itched to slit his throat. But she'd barely held back for the sake of the adorable child.
She didn't know how he'd ended up there, but she'd gritted her teeth for this scrappy kid wandering a harsh place without protection.
'Sorry, but even if you turn into a monster, you're no match for my fist.'
After holding back, the still-young child let her scratch his face with her nails. His expression was calm, and no marks appeared. She'd tested knives, swords, and more afterward—no scratches.
Tiaryn relaxed. Even if her instincts screamed to kill, this child... wouldn't die.
Becoming a monster yet escaping its chains felt liberating. Free from a monster's core impulses.
The tests to confirm Dun wouldn't die continued to this day, all to reassure herself.
A petty spite born from her preparations to live together being upstaged by Rihaowel's selection.
[But if you say no, I won't do it. For real. I gave up on mom a while ago. Give me big sister instead. Hand over that spot.]
"Talking like I owe you something."
[Hurry and hand it over. All the spots. If you want a big brother, I can do that too. Hmm, dad might be tricky. I could never get along with Rihaowel, that master actress at doting mom. Wait, no. If I can be family, dad works too.]
Tiaryn's base gender was female, but she could change it with magic. The catch was it didn't last long, requiring constant recasting.
Dun, who knew what male Tiaryn looked like, quickly shook his head. Male Tiaryn was even more intimidating.
[Monster Tiaryn]
The descriptor in Tiaryn's info window caught his eye. Dun secretly activated the Creature Conversion skill.
[NPC Tiaryn]
All his past efforts to revert Tiaryn to NPC had been for naught—she converted back effortlessly. He'd known it would work, but relief washed over him anyway, and he let out a slow breath.
"Why the sudden family talk today?"
Tiaryn blinked slowly, lost in thought at Dun's question.
Gathering dark elves had dredged up memories of her high elf days and her exile afterward.
Tiaryn had been a prestigious high elf, raised by strict parents.
When she grew into a magic weirdo, her parents discarded her ruthlessly to preserve their status. Another magic-weirdo elf named Karin had raised her.
Abandoned by her parents for being different, Tiaryn was deeply cynical about family structures.
Why create such a useless system that bred feelings of deprivation? If she'd been born and raised alone, she wouldn't have felt the pain of rejection from someone she'd trusted and loved.
But living with Karin—a similar yet different elf—taught her otherwise. How much meaning bonds with those who accepted you brought to life.
Blood ties weren't necessary.
If being together felt safe, if you believed you'd be accepted no matter how messed up things got—that was family.
In life's inevitable rough patches, knowing there was someone to return to could fuel you through the blows.
Once, that had been Karin. Now, it was Dun.
In the same way, Tiaryn wanted Dun to see her as his refuge.
Separately, Dun sometimes looked so exhausted.
"I want to help. You're not charging me rent, but you're super anxious right now, aren't you? Scared and uneasy."
"I'm too happy right now."
"That's exactly why you're anxious. You think this happiness is too good to be true."
Tiaryn's words stabbed like a poke to the gut. Dun averted his gaze.
"You've been alone since you were a baby, so of course family feels precious and missed. It's essential for a sensitive growing human kid. The more people around who care about you, the better—even if I'm not qualified, I can try my best for you."
Thick affection poured from Tiaryn's eyes as she gazed at him.
It was unusually normal, sincere, and straightforward for Tiaryn. Dun felt oddly dazed and frowned.
"Not really. I'm satisfied as is. No need to fill any voids. I get by fine without them. That's not my issue right now."
The issue was feeling pretty happy while being targeted by some unknown entity.
Happiness was great, but this wasn't the time for complacency.
He could ignore it alone, but Rihaowel was around. Adding Tiaryn to the mix would create more vulnerabilities.
Higher monsters attacked subtly and intelligently, like the Blue Horn Knights.
With his barrier recently breached, he needed to stay even more vigilant.
Tiaryn rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at Dun deep in thought. She could see his furrowed brow.
Would helpful words smooth that crease?
"Dun, that Primavera girl."
"Yeah? Why her all of a sudden."
"She'll definitely be on your side. If you have to raise someone, raise her."
Dun tilted his head at the out-of-left-field info.
"Why?"
"You two share the same enemy."
Same enemy? Prim was keeping the emperor in check. But his enemy wasn't the emperor.
It was the monsters hunting him.
"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense."
Dun clapped his hands as realization dawned.
Prim had been kidnapped by Montzijel's monsters as a child and tortured. She deeply loathed monsters.
"So the emperor sent Prim to Montzijel to kill her?"
"Can't say for sure. But helping Prim won't hurt you. As a Bachinum, she goes above and beyond basics. Apparently specialized in monster extermination."
Bachimun, huh.
He should swing by the imperial palace library for more related books. Investigating Bachinum might drag out the cowardly villain hiding behind monsters.
The coward who sicced minions on him while staying hidden. If spotted, he'd kill on sight—but the bastard never gave him the chance.
Probably stockpiling power or testing Dun's abilities with waves of monsters.
"Got it, I'll keep that in mind. Separate from Prim—Tiaryn, I came to get you."
"??? Me? You mean me?"
"Yeah, time to relocate."
Tiaryn's eyes widened into circles, sparkling.
"Moving?? You chased out Rihaowel to live with me??"
"Not quite."
"I'm ready anytime, anywhere!"
Crash, bang, clatter!
Tiaryn pulled out a sub-space suitcase and swept all her books and clothes into it. She shoved crafting materials in jars wholesale.
"So just you and me living together?"
"You're going with the other dark elves you've gathered."
"This is too exciting! I've been sad living so far from you, Dun."
"You and the other dark elves are moving to a better place."
"What should we do first once we live together? Tag is boring, but if you like it, I could play forever!"
"Excuse me."
"Live with me!!!"
Waaah, waaaah. Living cooped up with stinky dark elves!
Tiaryn, pretending not to hear Dun, finally burst into sobs.