The 364th Day - Beware of Magical Beasts
[You have entered the 6th floor.]
[Warning: Magical beasts appear from the 6th floor onward.]
[Magical beasts are wild animals that have evolved by absorbing mana. Please be aware that they are hostile to humans.]
“Magical beasts? You’re telling me those things actually show up?”
I felt a bit flustered after reading the warning sign. Sure, I’d run into a water deer on the 4th floor, but I never imagined I’d have to deal with the term “magical beast.”
: )
“Are you teasing me for being scared? Wilson, you’ve never met a wild beast, have you?”
: )
I swallowed hard without realizing it. Bad memories surfaced like a flashback.
―*Snort!*
“Wilson, if you ever met a Bicorn, you’d be running for your life too. It’s not your average horse. It’s huge, muscular, and its horns are massive. Flames erupt from its hooves, and when it tosses its head, lightning strikes.”
: o
As I tried to scare him, Wilson seemed to finally realize that magical beasts weren’t just ordinary animals.
“Nobody knows why magical beasts appear. The prevailing theory is that wild animals just happen to evolve by chance.”
Countless magical beasts are born every day, and there are dangerous regions where un-subjugated beasts roam in packs.
“But when I think back to that time…”
Hermes had clearly unleashed a Bicorn into our territory with malicious intent. He even claimed he’d borrowed it from Zeus. This meant that magical beasts didn’t just occur naturally. The gods likely kept quite a few of them. Bicorns were especially famous for hunting virgins. It suited Zeus perfectly, given he’d touched every virgin in sight and had countless children.
“Most people don’t know this. They actually think the gods are the ones getting rid of the beasts for us.”
Magical beasts are classified by danger level—low, mid, high, and so on. Mid-to-low-tier beasts, like earth sprites, are often called demonic creatures. They’re dangerous, but at a level that local polis residents can handle.
“For anything high-tier or above, a hero’s help is essential. Wilson, I told you about Penthesilea, right?”
: )
The Greek and Trojan continents have a guild association called Eranoi. They have branches everywhere, immediately identifying regions where magical beasts appear and relaying the news to heroes. It’s a system where heroes who receive the request autonomously set out to subjugate them. If a polis is unlucky enough not to have a hero dispatched, they have to pray the beasts leave on their own or offer sacrifices to the gods for help. That’s why every polis is packed with altars and temples.
“The gods even used to punish us if we didn’t offer sacrifices periodically.”
It’s a kind of tax. The logic is that the city’s prosperity is thanks to them managing the sky, the sea, and the land. If you view Greece as a massive empire with Olympus as its capital, it might not sound entirely unreasonable, but taxes only have justification when a central government builds infrastructure like national defense or road networks. I honestly don’t know if you can call natural phenomena like the sky or the sea “infrastructure.” There are even twelve Olympian gods. I heard of a polis that was destroyed by a beast attack after forgetting one of them by mistake. I’m starting to believe that wasn’t just a rumor.
“Anyway, they said those beasts might show up here. Be careful, Wilson.”
: )
Whether he understands my anxiety or not, Wilson is always positive. I, on the other hand, was incredibly tense. If a low-tier one popped out, I’d have to fight for my life, but if a mid or high-tier beast appeared, I wasn’t confident I could just keep rolling Wilson along calmly.
‘A Bicorn… that was a disaster-class.’
It was a terrifying creature, far above high-tier. A disaster-class is dangerous enough that a single one can destroy an entire city. Even though Pente was an S-class hero, there was a reason it took her so long to subjugate it.
‘If something like that pops out…’
The tendons in my arms, which were supporting Wilson, bulged. I felt like I was sweating even more for no reason. Wait, even if wounds heal naturally here…
“What happens if I get hurt badly enough to die…?”
If a real Bicorn showed up and rammed me, I’d have to be prepared for my upper and lower body to be separated. I haven’t been hurt that badly yet. What if I get stuck in horrific pain, unable to die, but also unable to move forever?
“No, let’s not think about weird stuff.”
I decided to focus on Wilson in front of me for now. If something truly terrifying shows up, I can just run away then.
The terrain of the 6th floor is mostly grassy fields. *Rustle, rustle.* I push Wilson up, avoiding tree obstacles while stepping on the grass.
“Watch out, Wilson. The slope has changed.”
There are parts that turn sharply, and the overall incline has increased. It takes much more strength than it did coming up until now. This is perfect. It’s the exact right angle. Lately, pushing him up had become easier, so my muscles weren’t getting as much of a workout. The right amount of load feels like real exercise.
“Hup.”
A few hours passed like that, and just as I was starting to forget about the magical beasts and focus entirely on Wilson—
―*Sss-sss!*
A sinister sound made my hair stand on end. I looked down to see something pure white wriggling and approaching rapidly.
‘A snake!’
I’d seen that movement before. It wasn’t an ordinary snake. Seeing the mana residue leaking from its trail, it was definitely a low-tier magical beast, a demonic creature.
‘If I get bitten, I’m in trouble. I’ll be hit with paralytic venom!’
Memories flashed through my mind like a revolving lantern.
***
“You shouldn’t pile up fallen leaves like this. It’s perfect for a demonic snake to make a nest. You should warn the villagers.”
Pente, swinging an axe as big as her own body, scattered the leaves I’d painstakingly cleared away. Ever since she settled in our territory, she’d been teaching me life wisdom I hadn’t known. She’s a hero who wanders, adventuring through the outside world. It was the moment I realized the limitations of someone like me, who had only grown up in one neighborhood since birth.
―*Hiss!*
“See, it came out.”
“Whoa, you scared me.”
Pente didn’t even change her expression as she subdued the pure white demonic snake, which was opening its mouth in a terrifying display, with one hand. You really can’t beat someone with experience.
“It’s a Cocadrieu. It’s a low-tier demonic creature, so you can subjugate it by hitting it a few times. If you bring the heads to the guild, they give you one silver coin for every ten.”
“What happens if you get bitten?”
“If you extract the venom immediately, you won’t die. It’s just a bit tingly.”
“That means you could die!”
I don’t know if all Amazons are like that or if it’s just Pente, but she had a tendency to think of everything by her own standards.
“So when you catch them, you have to grab both sides of the head like this. They can’t move then. It’s funny that their most dangerous part is their weak point.”
Pente said that, twitching her long ears.
“I’ll pass that on to the villagers. Thank you for the good advice.”
“Yeah. Especially during this season, they’re rampant, so be careful.”
I continued to clear the piles of leaves with Pente. It was when we were almost finished with the work.
―*Hiss!*
A snake that had suddenly popped out from the bottom of the last pile lunged at me.
“Whoa!”
My mind went blank for a second, and I couldn’t even react. I tried to grab its head like Pente did, but with my pathetic physical ability, I obviously missed.
“Sisyphus!”
When I came to my senses, I was sprawled on the ground, and Pente had already sliced the snake in two.
“I’m sorry. I tried to catch it, but…”
“I taught you wrong. Quickly, take off your clothes.”
“Why my clothes?”
“Hurry.”
I looked down to see two small holes in my shirt. Only then did a stinging pain start to seep into my chest.
“Oh, I’ll take it off right… aww… ahh…”
“The paralysis is already spreading. I’ll just tear it.”
*Rip.* Without hesitation, Pente climbed on top of me and examined the wound. Even as my fingertips went numb, for some reason, her soft touch felt vividly clear through my chest.
“If your chest had been firm, the fangs wouldn’t have gotten in.”
“…Does that even… make sense?”
“It’s true. My chest is firm, so even ordinary arrows can’t pierce it. If you don’t believe me, want to touch it?”
“…No.”
Pente, who had placed her hands on my chest and her own chest respectively, tilted her head and then soon developed a light blush.
“No, I didn’t mean anything else by that. Don’t misunderstand.”
“Brrr-brup.”
“Oh, look at me. I’ll extract the venom first.”
Saying that, Pente brought her lips to my chest without hesitation.
*Suck, suck.* For about ten minutes, she meticulously sucked out the blood and venom from where the snake’s fangs had penetrated.
“Whew.”
The tingling subsided, and the dizziness began to fade. Thanks to Pente, I was able to save my life.
“Sisyphus, are you okay?”
“Whew… Yes, thanks to you… I owe you one.”
“Hehe, the list of things you owe me keeps growing.”
Pente stroked my face lightly and wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth.
“Pente, you really are a true hero.”
“Oh my, that sounds a bit disappointing.”
“Is it?”
“Yeah. Just because you’re a hero doesn’t mean everyone chases nobility or honor. Actually, those types are rare. If the public thinks that way, the guild must be really good at advertising.”
“That’s surprising.”
“Was it? Hehe. Heroes are half-human, too. It’s natural to chase wealth, power, authority, and love.”
If it wasn’t for honor, why did Pente bother helping Corinth? I was curious, but I didn’t ask at the time.
“Then I’ll just consider you great, Pente.”
“I like that much better. Let’s get up now.”
Pente reached out a hand to me. I grabbed it and tried to pull myself up, but I ended up letting go. Pente reacted quickly, supporting my back with her arm. Is this how a princess feels when she’s held by a prince? I felt a little embarrassed.
―*Rustle.*
Hearing someone’s presence, Pente and I turned our heads at the same time. Clea was standing there holding a basket. It looked like she had been picking mint. Her expression was cold. Like a grim reaper who had come with a ledger.
“…Looks like you’re having fun.”
Clea left behind that one remark, not knowing if it was to herself or someone else, and turned away. After she disappeared, Pente asked me.
“Who was that young lady just now?”
“My fiancée.”
“Sisyphus, you had a fiancée?!”
Pente covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide.
“Yes. Though we aren’t going to get married.”
“You have a fiancée, but you aren’t getting married…? The trends in the human world really change fast. It’s not like a meal you just set out and only look at.”
“There are circumstances.”
That day’s event became a lesson. Since then, I’ve learned the basics of dealing with magical beasts from Pente.
***
―*Hiss!*
The moment the demonic snake lunged at me and opened its mouth wide.
“Hup.”
*Pow!* I grabbed both sides of the creature’s mouth with my hands and subdued it.
―*Hiss! Hiss!*
The snake, unable to even close its gaping mouth, panicked. Venom dripped from its fangs. I supported Wilson with my back for a moment.
[Endure has been activated.]
“Hup!”
I snapped the snake’s neck with a *crack*. The creature died instantly, without any strength left.
[You have realized the skill 'Crack'.]
“What is this?”
It’s easier to deal with than I thought?
―*Sss-sss-sss!*
One wasn’t the end of it. A swarm of snakes was rushing in from the grass like assassins.
“Pente also taught me how to deal with this.”
I pressed my back against Wilson.
[Heave has been activated.]
“Wilson!”
⁑ ) After aiming at the gathering swarm of snakes.
―*Boom!!*
I put Wilson down with force. The grass became quiet in an instant. I leaned against Wilson and looked down at the deeply indented soil.
“Magical beasts, easy.”
[You have subjugated a magical beast.]
[The mana of the subjugated beast is stored in your muscles.]
[Skill experience has increased.]
―*Rustle.*
I turned my head at the presence I felt. Is this déjà vu? Behind the dense trees, someone is standing there.
“…Pente?”
As if praising me for successfully subjugating the beast, she left behind a disciplined round of applause with a smile and then vanished suddenly.
“…Haha.”
I feel energized. I pushed Wilson up with force once again.