Chapter 66. Mediation
Bastet’s roar echoed.
In response, Solorb slowly began descending toward the ground.
【Pururu】─???
【Pururu】─The sun is fallingggg!!!!!
【Yumi】─It’s like a meteor is falling!
【Rizenova】─It feels like the end of the world…
【Mysticism】─😱😱😱😱😱
【Bubble Bubble】─This is insane…
With Solorb’s arrival, the fierce battle came to an abrupt halt.
The four of them froze, their movements ceasing as their gazes were drawn to the sky like magnets.
─［Wh-what’s this?］
─［Why is Solorb intervening…］
Pharaoh and Anubis.
─“······.”
─［Oh… Could it be that Bastet summoned him?］
Azeras and Arachne.
The gigantic Solorb descended, filling the sky.
The four were overwhelmed by its intimidating presence, their bodies stiffening as if turned to stone.
The desert fell silent as if all life had stopped breathing.
The battle was long forgotten.
Only the descent of Solorb dominated the consciousness of all the monsters.
【Bubble Bubble】─SSS class…
【Pururu】─ㄷㄷㄷ That size is no joke.
【Rizenova】─It looks smaller than I expected up close.
【Pururu】─? It’s the biggest thing I’ve seen so far.
【Rizenova】─That’s true, but I was expecting something planet-sized. Seeing its size now, Solorb must have been closer than I thought.
【Yumi】─Maybe that’s its nerfed size.
【Pururu】─That’s ridiculous. I’d understand if it was Caterpillar, but there’s no way that’s a nerfed size.
【Mysticism】─No! Yumi might be right! There are monsters bigger than planets!
【Pururu】─Is that so…
Solorb, now right in front of Bastet, seemed to consider the ground creatures.
The blazing flames it carried were subdued.
It finally appeared somewhat like a living creature.
At the center, there was a single eye resembling a black hole.
【Pururu】─I wonder what would happen if you got sucked into that hole in the middle.
【Yumi】─Why would you even be curious about that?
【Bubble Bubble】─You’d die for sure.
Solorb briefly surveyed the creatures below and then called out to Bastet.
Not with the overwhelming voice from earlier, but in a much lighter tone.
─［Bastet-daong.］
─［Bastet-daong.］
【Mysticism】─😮
【Mysticism】─Was “daong” part of the name?!
─［Explain why you summoned me.］
─［I need help-daong.］
─［Help?］
─［First, let me explain the situation-daong.］
Bastet spoke to Solorb as if talking to a friend, naturally.
Seeing this, Pharaoh and Anubis turned pale with disbelief.
─［Who is that creature that can talk so casually with Solorb?］
─［Considering we’ve never seen it before… it could be a creature Solorb created…］
While the two exchanged such thoughts, Bastet began explaining the situation to Solorb.
***
Bastet explained.
The spider over there promised her some fish and, in exchange, asked for her help—a brief but concise explanation.
And, she added that it might be a bit difficult to handle Pharaoh and Anubis on her own, so she needed help.
─［Understood. Since it’s your request, I’ll help.］
Solorb accepted Bastet’s request without hesitation.
Upon hearing this, Anubis and Pharaoh panicked and questioned Solorb.
─［…Didn’t you say you wouldn’t interfere in anything that happens on the ground? Why suddenly get involved now, after ignoring it all this time?］
─［It’s baffling that a being like you would listen to such a creature. Why are you helping it?］
Without finding their questions worth answering, Solorb ignored them and began to release intense heat from its body once again.
─［Don’t kill them! I asked you to subdue them, not kill them!］
─［Don’t worry. I’ll only burn them enough so they won’t die.］
Solorb’s gaze then shifted to Pharaoh and Anubis.
─［I won’t kill you, so don’t resist. If you make even the slightest movement, I can’t guarantee your survival.］
There was a chilling weight to Solorb’s voice again.
Pharaoh, sweating, took a step back and glanced at Anubis.
─［Anubis. Are we fighting?］
─［No. We’d die.］
─［Then we should run.］
─［Don’t be foolish. You can’t outrun Solorb.］
─［Then what are we supposed to do?］
─［······.］
Gulp.
Anubis swallowed and looked up at Solorb.
─［We have no choice. He said he wouldn’t kill us, so the only option is to endure the fire.］
─［…Are you insane?］
─［It’s the only way we can survive. I won’t force my choice on you. If you want to fight, then fight. If you want to run, then run.］
Anubis’s choice was wise.
I agreed—the only way for them to survive was to endure.
It’s better to endure some pain and stay alive than to die protecting your pride.
After a moment of hesitation, Pharaoh finally decided to follow Anubis’s lead.
─［Damn it…］
In the end, he stood still, tightly closing his eyes.
【Pururu】─Cowards. Tsk tsk.
【Yumi】─They’ve put aside their pride.
And in that moment.
The flaming meteors of judgment began to rain down from the sky.
【Pururu】─Wow.
【Yumi】─Gasp…
【Bubble Bubble】─Can they really survive that?
【Rizenova】─Since he said he’d hold back, they should somehow survive, don’t you think?
【Mysticism】─Wait? Aren’t our monsters in danger too?
There was no need to worry about our monsters.
The meteors aimed at Pharaoh and Anubis, while the other meteors disintegrated before reaching the ground.
As if the meteors had sensors to detect enemies.
***
Having completed its task, Solorb rose back into the sky.
Pharaoh and Anubis, who had been hit directly by the meteors, were charred black, like lumps of coal, and their bodies were crushed beyond recognition.
But they were still alive.
They were still breathing.
And faintly muttering.
Arachne smiled brightly as she approached the two.
It seemed she planned to bind them so they couldn’t recover their strength.
─［Haha, it’s time for some fun restraints.］
【Pururu】─Our little spider’s an S?
Arachne wrapped them tightly in thin thread and then bound them once more with a thicker one.
Two large cocoons were formed.
For the record, she didn’t cover their faces.
Bastet quietly watched the cocoon-making process, then wagged her tail, urging Arachne when it was done.
─［Give me the fish-daong!］
─［I don’t have any right now. I’ll give it to you once we return to our place.］
─［…You better keep your promise! If you’re lying about the fish, I’ll be angry-daong!］
─［Don’t worry. I’ll definitely keep my promise.］
─［I’ll trust you-daong. Let’s go to your place together.］
Helping just for some fish—what a simple creature, despite the danger involved.
It’ll be easy to tame something this straightforward.
I’ll ask Solorb why it helped after taming Bastet.
For now, I had to keep the promise and prepare some fish to win her over.
“Yumi, did you buy the fish?”
【Yumi】─No, I just arrived at the fish market. What kind of fish should I get?
“Anything is fine.”
【Yumi】─Okay. Just give me a bit. I’ll get them and send them right away.
【Pururu】─Try to get the cheapest ones. That way, we can buy a lot.
【Mysticism】─Yeah, she looks like she eats a ton. You’ll need a lot of fish.
【Rizenova】─I’ll send some too. The fish from Lumina taste terrible.
【Bubble Bubble】─Why send something that tastes bad?
【Rizenova】─Because we don’t want to eat it.
【Bubble Bubble】─?
【Pururu】─Don’t dump your trash here, you crazy fool.
【Rizenova】─Just kidding. Lumina fish actually taste great. Haha.
【Pururu】─Stop lying. If you send it, you’re dead.
***
The fourth team reached a large door that connected to a cave, leading to our hideout.
But there was a problem.
─［Cater, Caterraaal…］
The Giant Caterpillar was too large to fit through the door.
It kept trying to squeeze its body through, but…
─［Caterraaal…］
No matter how hard it tried, it wasn’t going to fit.
Unfortunately.
It looked like we’d have to leave the caterpillar behind in the desert.
There was no other way.
Scratching her head, Arachne explained to the caterpillar that we’d have to part ways here.
Upon hearing this,
─［I want to go too…］
Sniff.
The caterpillar began to cry, tears falling in large drops.
【Bubble Bubble】─Wow, it cries so easily…
【Mysticism】─Wait, it can talk?!
【Pururu】─I told you, it cursed at us earlier too.
【Yumi】─Stop spouting nonsense.
Arachne comforted the crying caterpillar, gently stroking it.
─［If you wait here for just one day, we’ll come back. So, don’t cry. Wipe those tears!］
─［Caterraaal… You promise you’ll come back?］
─［Yes, I promise.］
After calming the caterpillar and promising to return, Arachne smiled at it before continuing forward.
“I guess I’ll have to tame the caterpillar in person.”
【Pururu】─Why bother? You can just stay here and send a severed arm to tame it.
【Mysticism】─It’s hot there.
【Mysticism】─🥵
“I should at least show my face to the monsters I tame. Wouldn’t it be sad if they never saw the explorer who tamed them? Especially this crybaby.”
【Pururu】─Oh, true. That caterpillar will probably cry if it doesn’t see you after being tamed.
【Yumi】─A master who personally visits their tamed monsters! How cool!
【Mysticism】─Not a master. A friend.
“And I happen to have something to do in the desert tomorrow anyway.”
【Bubble Bubble】─So you were planning to go to the desert anyway.
【Pururu】─What business?
“You’ll find out tomorrow.”
Tomorrow, I plan to take the monsters and create a second base in the desert.
Well, not exactly a base…
It’s more like a rest stop where my tamed monsters can take a break.
Since exploration distances are getting longer, it’s necessary to set up a shelter where they can safely stay overnight when it’s too far to return to the main base.
I’m also thinking of appointing the Giant Caterpillar as the deputy manager and means of transportation for the shelter.
There’s no other option since it can’t fit through the main base’s door.
The reason it’s just a deputy manager.
It’s because it doesn’t have the level to be a proper manager.
To safely manage the shelter, I need to select a manager from one of the SS-class monsters.
It feels odd to place one of the existing monsters in the desert, though…
Bastet-daong.
Pharaoh Devil.
Anubis Dragon.
It’ll probably be one of those three.
Once I bring them to the main base and tame them.
Moreover, I’m planning to build multiple shelters, not just in the desert.
Of course, I intend to create shelters throughout the entire labyrinth.
There are still so many places to explore.
And one day…
When the shelters expand and develop properly, with more monsters managing them, I’ll call them villages instead of shelters.
I don’t know when that day will come.
But the more monsters I tame, the closer that day will be.
***
■Anubis Dragon
─Actual danger level: SS-class.
─Current (nerfed) danger level: A-class.
■Pharaoh Devil
─Actual danger level: SS-class.
─Current (nerfed) danger level: A-class.
■Bastet-daong
─Actual danger level: SS-class.
─Current (nerfed) danger level: A-class.
【Pururu】─Aren’t you drawing Solorb?
“Too hard.”
【Pururu】─Haha, that’s why I drew it for you.
『PLATINUM-ranked assistant “Pururu” has sent support items!』
【Pururu】─Here, take it!
■Solorb
─Actual danger level: SSS-class.
─Current (nerfed) danger level: S-class.