Tamia's Dark Underbelly
“Ah, no way! There has to be some other method, for sure……”
Players and familiars without magic skills cannot enter Tamia.
As if to shut down Tina's nonsense right then and there, a notification popped up. It looked like there really was no other way.
This is an unexpected snag…… What now? Should we give up on going in?
But to evolve Mukhyang, they needed clues about the True Ancient Tamias.
And those clues were very likely inside this squirrel kingdom.
No, we have to get in. Sneak in somehow?
—Nah, why overcomplicate it? Do we really all have to move together?
Huh?
—Just split up. The ones who can enter do the evolution quest inside, and the ones who can't handle other quests outside.
Oh.
It was such an obvious idea in hindsight, but Carpe hadn't thought of it. Then again, he'd never once acted separately from his familiars.
—Reverse summoning's not an option, so that's the play. You, Mukhyang, and Mirage head into the kingdom. Tina, Gillian, Royard, and……
Cheonma pointed a thumb at himself.
—Me too. The four of us will scout around outside.
You too, hyung?
—Yeah. I'm on a quest anyway. Sending just those three feels iffy.
Cheonma's Irregular-exclusive quest required keeping all other familiars safe while in the Spirit Realm.
If even one got force-reverse-summoned, the quest failed—and the rank-up bonus vanished.
—Thanks to the Spirit Realm clashing with the Room, I can separate from you here. Perfect chance to make use of it. Outside's way riskier than the kingdom, and you'll need to take Kkwi Kkwi with you. Sticking the most experienced guy on the outside makes sense.
Sounds solid.
Cheonma's knowledge and experience were beyond measure.
He could plot the optimal survival path against any situation or foe!
Plus, Tina and the others were Epic-grade homunculi, far beyond typical familiars.
That combo with Cheonma might not beat a strong enemy, but keeping themselves alive? Piece of cake.
—And I'm mobile. I can zip back and forth, swap intel regularly. Might even wrap things up faster.
Hmm. Yeah.
The more he heard, the more airtight it sounded—no better plan out there. Carpe nodded on reflex.
We still have other quests pending anyway.
—Right. Gotta hunt those cooking ingredients too.
Buk Yeomjon's cooking quest had three items:
First: 'Kuarum meat'.
Second: 'Spirit Tree mushrooms'.
Third: 'Light cat coffee beans'.
Buk Yeomjon said they didn't need all of them—just as many as possible—but Carpe planned to clear the lot.
—Alright, direction's set. You handle the evolution quest; we'll take the sub-quests. I'll pop in and out, so report anything weird on the spot.
Got it.
As the two men reached their decision, Tina approached Carpe.
Her face showed rare tension—not her usual poise.
“My liege. If I may make a humble request……”
“……I can guess, but go ahead.”
“If you happen to have a spare magic-related skill card……”
“Yeah. Nope.”
“Kgh…… I figured as much……”
With her last resort blocked, Tina hung her head.
Carpe did have one skill card stashed in his inventory.
Holy Sacrifice, looted from Ice Queen Kate.
But it counted as a one-use special skill, not magic.
Even if it did, he wouldn't give it to Tina.
Not because the card was precious—it was her skill point he hated wasting.
He got three per level-up; familiars got one.
Skill acquisition demanded utmost caution.
“Using a skill point just to tour the squirrel kingdom? Nah. Better learn something that suits you—for when we face off against the future saintess.”
“……My thinking was shortsighted. Your words ring true a hundredfold, my liege.”
And so, Tina gave up on entering the kingdom.
Still, she kept stealing glances at the squirrels around her, clearly wistful.
“So, it's decided?”
The lead squirrel asked, and Carpe nodded.
“Yeah. Just the ones who can use magic will go in.”
“Thank you for respecting our rules. As expected from a legend and his partner!”
The lead squirrel grinned with a kkwik-kkwik!
“Then, my liege. Good fortune.”
Hmm-hmm. A bit disappointing not to go in, but can't be helped. Plenty else to see in the Spirit Realm.
If there's rare metal anywhere, I'll find it.
Carpe waved off the other familiars and followed the squirrel pack.
At last, they entered the magic squirrel kingdom of Tamia.
* * *
“Whoa.”
Stepping through one of the rock mountain's mouse holes revealed a whole new world.
The outside was a rugged mountain, but inside? A massive city. Skyscrapers rivaling human metropolises, ornate and dazzling!
“One hole, and it's a total shift…… Feels like straight-up magic.”
“It is magic, literally. A massive illusion spell blankets the entire mountain. You saw all those entrances earlier?”
“Yeah.”
“Most are fakes. If an intruder picks one……”
The lead squirrel mimed slicing his throat with a tiny paw.
“They get wrecked by the kingdom's traps. Escaping alive? Impossible. Real entrances change constantly too—no guide like me, no entry for outsiders.”
“Ah, gotcha.”
That explained the entrance overload—perfect defense.
Carpe nodded in admiration.
“Then, welcome to Tamia once more. The palace is a ways off, so take your time sightseeing.”
No need to tell them twice—Carpe, Mukhyang, and Mirage were already gawking.
“Whoa! Whoa! Look, Hyang! So many friends that look just like you!”
“Kkwi-ut! Kkwi!”
The two were hugging and bouncing like kids.
The squirrels were just as fascinated by the group.
Crowds gathered, murmuring.
“Humans! First time seeing humans!”
“How long since outsiders came in?”
“Mommy! I wanna play with the human too!”
“Mommy told you, right? Study magic hard, and you might contract with a nice human someday. Want to play with humans? Hit the books!”
“Okay! I'll study hard!”
Every squirrel was adorable, every building a work of art.
Some hollowed-out giant mushrooms turned into homes; elf-style treehouses dotted the streets.
Magic squirrels scampered about, chattering, cracking acorns.
A fairy-tale world. Pure Märchen bliss.
Just watching healed the soul.
“……This is the good stuff.”
His lips curved up on their own. After the heavy dwarf quests, this hit different.
“Light beats heavy any day.”
Squirrel quests might seem childish to some, but Carpe preferred this vibe.
Not as much as Tina, but he dug cute critters too.
Most people did.
As Carpe soaked in the healing stroll—
“Hm?”
One squirrel bolted straight at them.
Three more chased it.
The lead squirrel looked different from the others.
Its fur was dull, scraggly—nothing like the glossy coats everywhere else.
Skinny too, like starvation was routine.
Poverty in this paradise?
“I-I can't live like this! Freedom, freedom! Ack!”
The scrawny squirrel tripped right in front of them, yelling.
Startled, Mukhyang rushed to help it up—but the lead squirrel beat him there.
He scowled in disgust and kicked the fallen squirrel.
Thwack!
“You filthy wretch! Know who you're blocking?!”
“Kkwi?!”
Mukhyang yelped in shock, but the lead kept beating it.
The three chasers arrived, binding the skinny one.
“A slave daring to run?!”
“No food for a week. Fail your acorn quota, no water either!”
“Dirty unmages always causing trouble!”
After dozens of blows, they dragged the broken squirrel away.
It kept muttering “Freedom…… freedom……”—haunted by the word.
Carpe's group could only stare, stunned.
“What…… the hell was that……”
“Apologies for the unsightly display. Slaves try to escape sometimes……”
“Slaves? The squirrel kingdom has slaves?”
“Of course. What nation doesn't? Status is set at birth.”
In the magic squirrels' world, status hinged on magic use.
“Filthy slaves who can't cast a single spell. Not worth a legend's attention—shall we head to the palace?”
That moment, Carpe realized it.
This cute squirrel land wasn't just cute.
A new quest has appeared.
The 10-Star Player's Lucky Draw