Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Intruder, Horrific Hybrid
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Life is just one thrilling coincidence after another, isn't it?
Because of that, you're bound to run into all sorts of crazy things just by living.
Like getting stabbed to death by a dragon.
Or being reincarnated as a little girl.
Or doing inventory business as a slime.
And.
Waaaaaah!
“...?”
Waking up in the middle of the night to some scream.
Waaaaaah!
It wasn't a hallucination. A pitiful shriek was shaking the rooftop room.
“What...?”
Waaaaaah!
“...!”
My heart nearly dropped.
The sound was closer than I thought. Like it was coming from right below...?
I rubbed my eyes and slipped out of bed. Quietly, so I wouldn't wake the others.
I picked up the flashlight that had been sitting on the desk.
The same one I'd used back at that gate-like incident. A powerful beast that could chase away ghosts.
Creeeak...
As I opened the door, a rush of heat made me grimace.
It was the peak of the tropical night. Muggy air clung stickily to my skin.
Already feeling the discomfort seep in, I headed to the railing. Then I peeked through a wide gap in the railing.
“Where...?”
I stuck my head out and scanned below. I swung the light around, hoping to spot something.
“Damn... get lost...!”
Just attracted a bunch of bugs. Nothing special in sight.
Maybe it was a hallucination after all? I hadn't been dreaming much lately...
Waaaaaah!
“Ugh...!”
No way it was. This time, I even felt the desperate vibrations from the floor.
That made it even more of a problem.
‘What the hell is down there...!'
I couldn't get a read on it. No way it was a real person, right?
Gulp...
My mouth went dry. A couple drops of sweat trickled down my spine.
I somehow dragged my shaky legs to the stairs.
Why does going down feel so awful...?
But I had to. For the peace of the building.
With that resolve, I stepped forward.
They say the back of someone who goes when they know it's time is beautiful.
“Ugh...”
My back probably looked utterly pathetic right now.
But I didn't stop.
I stubbornly descended the stairs. Reaching the first floor was quicker than expected.
“Who's there... who the hell...?”
I scattered the flashlight's beam into the vast darkness. Far off, I could see the giant slimes sleeping.
You guys have it good. You should've protected the building from intruders...!
Blaming the innocent slimes, I twisted my wrist.
The moment the light shifted direction.
Thud thud!
With footsteps, someone darted into the shadows.
Below that, something glinted.
“Glass...?”
Shards of broken glass. Scattered all over the floor.
Unconsciously, I raised the flashlight.
The light pierced a new patch of darkness. Where the window had been.
“...What.”
A clear view of the backyard greeted me. Weird. Visibility wasn't supposed to be this good.
Where the hell did our grimy window buddy go? It had stubbornly held out even against glass cleaner.
Anyway, thanks to its sacrifice, I could be sure.
Something had smashed through the window and broken into the building.
“Over here...!”
Thud thud!
I swung at the source of the noise with all my might, but missed again.
The intruder was unexpectedly nimble. Fine, time for my trump card.
Slowly, I headed toward where the slimes were sleeping. Right there was the switch.
The light switch. Bright enough to light up the whole building.
Without darkness, what could you even do? Pathetic thing.
Click!
A slight delay, like a stutter. But soon, all the lights blazed on.
That's when I saw it.
Innocent, dumb black eyes. Perked-up ears. Even vampire-like fangs.
“...A roe deer?”
Waaaaaah!
Damn. All that tension for nothing. So roe deer scream like that.
But with a mountain right next door, why break into someone else's house and make a fuss?
This is trespassing...!
Thud thud!
As I took a step closer, the roe deer bolted far away.
Thud thud!
Close enough to catch, then not. Then close again, then not.
Why are you so good at keeping distance? If you'd been born human, you'd be a famous ranged DPS with that movement.
How the hell do I chase out this agile bastard?
...
The roe deer shook its head as if mocking me.
“This crazy thing...”
It stared right into my eyes for a few seconds, then looked away.
Even cutely perking its ears. Like it was telling me to check where it was looking.
“What...”
Fine, I'll bite. I turned to where it was gazing.
“...Huh?”
**
[Guys, answers to this balance game please.][Author: IWantToRaiseADragon]
Bat-wielding D-rank hunter (unemployed major) VS wild boar.
Who wins?
Good fight possible? Honestly, hunter gets crushed, right?
-Ban lifted and this is the first post lmao
└Was this guy banned?
└Yeah, got 31-day ban for promoting his site
-I tried it, D-rank hunter wins
└Bullshit lol, you think king boar is a pushover?
└D-rank is still a hunter
-How big is the boar?
└(Author): Massive. Takes five bullets and keeps going
└Then it's bottom C-rank at best. D-rank couldn't beat it even beating it to death ㅇㅇ
“Can't win, huh...”
It was unexpected. I thought with a bat, it'd be a good match.
But as if refuting my opinion,
Baaam!
It rammed straight into the steel door.
“...”
What? A glitch? Did the steel door just bend?
Pat pat.
-(Author): Okay. Analysis complete.
└?
└(Author): Just realized. Can't win.
└Lmao
How do you beat that? It wasn't your average wild boar.
Baaam!
The thick steel door crumpled like paper.
You bastard...! Stop it!
We just got a new one...!
But there was nothing I could do right now. I just climbed atop the giant slime and watched it rampage.
“Guys, any ideas?”
I asked the slimes.
Like Molrang did before, couldn't you just gulp it down?
Looks like tasty pork too.
Thump! Thump!
The slimes bounced twice quickly. Meaning no way in hell.
“What now...”
For now, I decided to observe it closely.
Know your enemy, win every battle. Gotta learn about it to come up with something.
Huff... huff...!
The snorting was ominous. Weirdly, heat haze rose from its red eyes.
“...Mana?”
Why does that thing have mana?
Unbelievable, so I sent my mana to check.
Kweeeee...!
The wild boar shuddered like it was electrocuted. It had devoured my mana and hit ecstasy.
What a bizarre situation.
But I had a hunch.
Sometimes monsters escape gates. Most get killed quick, but there's always exceptions.
The lucky escapees act even more on instinct, they say.
And some beasts...
Right when they sense mortal threat, awaken breeding instincts.
Hybrids of monsters and animals born that way.
Vicious ones raiding homes—news like that pops up now and then.
Kweeeee...!
This guy's definitely a horrific spawn of such a mating.
Never thought it'd happen to me.
...
The wild boar drooled. My mana must've whetted its appetite.
Lots of monsters thrive on mana stones, right?
Maybe it smelled the mana stones in this building and barged in.
Waaaah!
The roe deer? Just along for the ride.
'What to do.'
First, I tapped my smartphone. Opened the map app and checked all nearby gates.
[Gates within 30km radius: 8]
“Quite a few.”
Wild animals roam a few km at most, but monsters have stamina several times that.
So one of those 8 gates' escapees made it here. Or a hybrid.
Usually fine, but...
“Riha... Chain...? A guild like that exists?”
The guilds managing the gates looked sketchy.
Mid/small guilds aren't incompetent, but gate incidents always happen with them.
Kweeeee!
This guy's probably offspring from one of those 8.
Being kinda rural is the issue.
If we were near a city, it'd be in scanner range—no big deal.
Only one way.
'I handle it myself.'
Once it happens, it could recur.
Better prepare now.
Today, I'll use mana not for slime summons, but elsewhere.
Pat pat.
[Guys, got a question.][Author: IWantToRaiseADragon]
If you were raising a monster as a bodyguard, what would you pick?
-Pick me? I'm available. 5 years as home protector.
└How'd a half-demon get here?
└Awakened and chilling at home. Did catch a burglar once.
└No way lol
-Kitsune for sure. Super cute.
└It's for bodyguard;;
└Kitsune's still B-rank.
└B-rank's a bit weak for bodyguard.
-Wolpy for me.
-RockLover: Golem obviously? So sturdy. Punches hurt like hell.
└You got hit by one?
└RockLover: Who said I got hit? lol
└???
Through posts on the half-demon board, I gathered opinions.
After much deliberation, I reached a decision.
Okay. You're the one.