279 – Petit Nightmare

【[Petit Nightmare]: D+ Rank Monster】
【An evolved form which is rarely reached by individuals that are raised in a harsh environment and receive the influence of powerful magic.】
【Its skills are abundant and its status is high, but it is most feared for its high intelligence and obsessiveness.】
【If left alone, it will to be too much to handle, so among adventurers, it is recommended that one subjugates it even if that requires chasing it far.】
【However, regardless of whether or not they know the circumstances, there are many cases of such humans chasing it to find it calmly waiting for them in a trap.】

…I check out the details of the masked spider, but it’s really nothing good. For that matter, why doesn’t it mention the mask attached to its face at all? What is that thing? What happens if its torn off? No, the problem isn’t about small details like that.

Unaware of my attention, the masked spider continues to cling to my partner as usual… With it like this, I can only see it as simple minded and innocent, but its skills and species explanation are way too scary.

A harsh environment… Strong magical interference… Was it…harsh? I can only think it joyfully plunged itself into danger each time of its own accord. 

The strong magical interference… Well, that’s probably my fault. It could be because of the frequent [High Rests], or the [High Rest] my partner hit it with just before evolution, or it could be the influence of the [Dragon Scales] curse; there’s too many possibilities that I can’t begin to narrow it down. It could be like how when the ball rabbit evolved into a peach ball rabbit, it had the [Curse Resistance] skill.

It’s not really a situation where I can be delighted that it’s gotten strong… When they finished growing up, I would’ve accomplished the duty given to me by their parent araenie and could release them, but while the araenie that are meant to be gentle-natured are one thing, I can’t delightedly release a petit nightmare that lures adventurers into traps.

…Fortunately, because it’s got [Curse Resistance], I can keep it close by indefinitely. It looks like it’s enamoured with my partner, too. It was written that it’s obsessive, but if its grudges run deep, then its love also runs deep, probably. I’m scared of things turning sour in the future, but it hasn’t approached me at all, so I’ll leave you to do your best, partner.

You’re the one who first said you wanted to keep them, and you’re the one who was jealous of me getting along with the ball rabbit! Aren’t you glad your wish came true?

I glance at her. The masked spider is riding on her head.

“Kikih, kikiki!”

I hear a metallic sound from the masked spider. That’s the sound of its cry…I suppose.

I feel a bit uncomfortable so I look closely and see a number of purplish-red spots emerging on her face.

『For some reason my head’s a bit itchy.』

O-oh… Please try your best, I’m rooting for you. Umm, that’s poisonous, so please be careful. Thanks to [Poison Resistance], the rash doesn’t stand out, and thanks to [Automatic HP Recovery], it fades on its own. Ah, yeah. If anything, it’s perfect for building up more resistance.

…I haven’t solved my worries, but let’s resume the search for the abyss nest. That’s not a problem I can keep at bay, after all.

Since we’re living in this forest, there’s no other way to hide Aro and the others from the Lithovars and also protect them from abysses that attack without warning. My options are only to level them to the point where they can easily repel an abyss, or to destroy the abyss nest.

My only clue for finding the nest is to bet on their homing instinct like in the tale about Hero Gagaza… Both of them died though, so I’ve got to find a new one.

『Isn’t that easy then?』

My partner’s thoughts butt into mine. Oh? What is it?

“Gaah”

With her cry, the lump of thread in which an abyss suffocated to death is infused with a faint black light. The lump squirms and wriggles. C-could this be…

【Title skill [Path of Evil] has risen from level 7 to 8.】

【Title skill [Mean King] has risen from level 8 to 9.】

No matter how I think about it, that was [Soul AppendmentFake Life].

J-just a moment, partner-san!?

『…Was that bad?』

She asks apologetically… Ah, um, yeah. All I’ve really been doing is prattling on, but that skill’s not one I want to use if I can help it, I mean… I can’t really put it into words, though.

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…But, [Mean King] has is now one step before max. With this, I can’t make a single mistake… No, I don’t know what happens when it maxes out…

 Since it’s revived, there’s no helping it for now. Reviving enemy forces to get them to divulge the location of their base, I really am conforming to a villainous pattern here. I can’t help but understand why this raised the level of [Mean King].

It would be too cruel if it died from suffocation a second time, so I tear open the lump of thread with my claw. From inside, the abyss staggers out.

‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐
Species: Abyss Zombie
Condition: Cursed
Lv: 1/12
HP: 17/17
MP: 5/5
‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

…U-umu, an easy-to-understand name is fine. Anyway, it’s not F-rank.

【[Abyss Zombie]: E rank monster】
【A monster produced by the possession of an [Abyss] corpse by an evil spirit.】
【It poses almost no danger at all.】

E rank… Is there some relation to its previous rank? No, I was just considering that I don’t really want to use it.

“Ve, ea…”

Just as I think its eyes are staring at me, it starts walking towards me on its remaining legs… I still can’t get used to this skill.

The spiders approach the abyss zombie for a second time. Could they be thinking about wrapping it up and eating it again? I try to brush them away with my hand, but there’s seven of them so there’s no end.

“Kiki! Kih!”

The masked spider on my partner’s head makes a strange noise. Startled, the spiders tremble, then totter away from the abyss zombie.

D-do those guys listen to the masked spider? As fellow spiders, they might be able to understand each other. It seems it saw I was struggling to keep them away and lent a hand. As the species explanation went, it’s meant to be particularly intelligent for a spider.

“Kiki, kikikiki!”

Even if I look at it, it just makes a shrill cry. The thin smile on its mask doesn’t change at all either… It’s creepy somehow, that mask. It won’t band together with the araenie and overthrow me, will it?

“Vee, ea, aa!”

The next moment, the abyss zombie takes aim at the withdrawn spiders, its mouth gaping open. The edge of its mouth is torn, and body fluids gush out. Panicked, I flick it with my foreleg, knocking it down.

“Vea, aah!”

The abyss zombie gets up and bares its hostility at me, too. Th-this is no good. It looks like a good number of Aro’s memories remain from her past life, so there’s a good chance some of the abyss zombie’s instincts or memories of its death remain.

It looks like it’ll be difficult to have it guide me voluntarily. Should I try threatening it one time?

“GuuOOOOOOOOOOh!”

I amass magic power in my throat, firing off a powerful [Roar]. There’s a burst of activity in the surrounding area, then a moment later everything is silent.

The abyss zombie which received the [Roar] from the front trembles, unable to move.

【Normal skill [Roar] has risen from level 2 to 3.】

That [Roar] just now felt good. With a bit more practice, I think I can improve its power even more. It’s perfect for driving away weaker monsters, so it might not be a bad idea to practice it a bit.

“Ve, ee…”

The abyss zombie turns around, and starts fleeing unsteadily… I’m a bit reluctant, but I suppose I’ll chase after it.

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