Chapter 9. Jellyfish
A *Warrior of Devotion* I met in another world.
She had once hunted down a *Demon Lord*-level monster.
And before the *Demon Lord* was vanquished by her, it made one last desperate move.
Sacrificing its own soul.
It summoned a monster from another dimension.
The monster that was summoned at that time was the *Demon King Jellyfish*.
‘I killed that thing with a flick…’
I hadn’t participated in the *Demon Lord* hunt.
I was just passing by.
But when the Jellyfish spotted me and attacked, I reflexively destroyed it with a flick of my finger.
However, now, even if I give it my all, I couldn’t win.
The Jellyfish’s threat level was S-class.
I’d have to release my seal up to the third stage to even stand a chance.
So, under normal circumstances, I should be running away…
‘Why is that thing B-class?’
The Jellyfish before my eyes wasn’t S-class but B-class.
I didn’t know why.
Although it looked exactly the same, it could be a different individual from the Jellyfish I saw before, or perhaps there was a temporary flaw in my abilities.
If it wasn’t that.
Maybe the Jellyfish wasn’t fully grown, which made it weaker.
The *Dog Spider* was B-class from birth.
Unlike that, there are monsters that can’t display their full power until they reach adulthood.
【Pururu】─Hey Geon. That jellyfish looks like a small fry. How dangerous is it?
【002】─🤔
I answered in a low voice.
“The original was S-class, but weirdly, its threat level is low now. In terms of danger, it’s on par with the *Dog Spider*.”
The Jellyfish was far away, so it wouldn’t hear me at this volume.
【Pururu】─So it’s B-class.
【002】─🧐
【Pururu】─Aren’t you curious how he knows the threat level?
【002】─😀
【Pururu】─Geon has a special ability to gauge his opponent’s level. He told me while you were gone. lol
【002】─😮
【Pururu】─Stop overusing the emoticons, seriously.
【002】─🙃
【Pururu】─You bastard.
Anyway.
If it was B-class, it was on the same level as the *Dog Spider*.
This was something I could handle.
Of course, assuming the disabling thread could also block magic.
Since the Jellyfish used magic.
‘It’s a chance to check if it can neutralize magic too.’
If it couldn’t block magic?
If it undid the threads binding its body with magic?
Then what awaited us would be nothing but death.
…Which is just nonsense.
If it started undoing the threads with magic, I’d just use that opportunity to escape.
The plan was called “shoot threads and run.”
***
I had asked the *Dog Spider* this question.
“*Dog Spider*, can your thread block magic too?”
［Sii?］
At that question, it tilted its head.
Maybe because it had just been born, it didn’t know its own abilities well, or it didn’t understand what magic was.
Whatever the case.
There was no way to know until I confirmed it through battle.
Usually, disabling abilities only work on opponents of a lower rank.
Even so.
I had high expectations for the *Dog Spider*’s abilities.
Its only skill was spinning threads, after all.
I chose to believe that its disabling ability would be exceptional.
“Are you ready?”
［Sii!］
I planned to continue hiding behind the rock.
Monster Tamers typically don’t step out directly.
This was the proper battle method.
It seemed cowardly and weak, but I had no choice.
If my power wasn’t sealed, I would’ve stepped in myself, but in my current state, I’d only be a hindrance. It’d be lucky if I didn’t get in the way.
【Pururu】─Go, little one, you got this!
【002】─😝
The *Dog Spider* swiftly climbed up the wall to the ceiling.
Its eight legs moved nimbly as it scurried across the ceiling at high speed.
Soon, the *Dog Spider* stopped on the ceiling above the Jellyfish and observed its movements.
The Jellyfish hadn’t yet noticed the *Dog Spider*.
Hanging from the ceiling, the *Dog Spider* aimed a thick, tough thread at the Jellyfish and shot it out.
*Shiiiik-!*
The white thread sliced through the air, rushing toward the Jellyfish.
【Pururu】─Oh! Will it hit?
【002】─😝
I hoped it would.
But unfortunately, it didn’t hit.
The Jellyfish quickly twisted its body.
The *Dog Spider*’s thread cut through empty space.
The *Dog Spider* didn’t stop and kept firing threads.
It moved left and right.
Shooting threads from various angles, trying to entangle the Jellyfish.
A barrage of spider threads rained down from above.
The thread attacks grew faster and more precise.
The Jellyfish twisted its body in midair without rest, dodging the threads.
For a while, the thread attacks and evasions repeated.
On the ground, missed threads lay scattered in a messy heap.
【Pururu】─That slippery jellyfish dodges well.
【002】─😠
*Piiiii!*
The Jellyfish began its counterattack.
It generated several blue glowing orbs.
These orbs would explode upon contact.
Seeing it use that magic.
It was definitely the same individual as the Jellyfish I had seen before.
【Pururu】─Whoa, magic!
【002】─😱
*Piiii!*
The Jellyfish shrieked in anger.
At the same time, numerous magic orbs shot wildly toward the ceiling.
The *Dog Spider* didn’t panic.
Calmly, it deployed a thread barrier around itself.
Could that really block the attack?
I briefly worried about it.
*Psss…*
The fiercely surging orbs vanished as soon as they touched the thread.
【Pururu】─Whoa? The magic disappeared?
【002】─👀
“Just as I hoped, that thread can neutralize magic too. Good.”
【Pururu】─Oh. The thread made it evaporate? Little one is amazing!
【002】─👍
The missed orbs struck the ceiling and exploded.
The cave’s ceiling withstood the explosion without a scratch.
The labyrinth’s walls seemed sturdier than I expected.
*Pii, Pii?*
While the Jellyfish was flustered.
The *Dog Spider* quickly made a thick bundle of thread and threw it at the Jellyfish.
Compared to spinning threads.
The falling speed was very slow.
Naturally, the Jellyfish easily dodged the thread bundle.
But the *Dog Spider* had aimed for something else.
The missed bundle unraveled behind the Jellyfish, and in the blink of an eye, it wrapped around the creature’s entire body.
*Piiiii?!*
As if all its strength had drained out.
The Jellyfish’s body went limp.
Bound and disabled by the thread, it plummeted to the ground.
Afterward.
The *Dog Spider* approached it.
It spun more thread, tightly binding the Jellyfish’s body even further.
Then it climbed onto the Jellyfish’s head with a triumphant expression.
*Shishik!!!*
【Pururu】─lol The little one is so cool!
【002】─🤣
The *Dog Spider* had won.
It was so skilled in battle that it was hard to believe it was born today.
***
Having the *Dog Spider* as the first monster I tamed was a stroke of luck.
It could disable opponents of the same level.
And had the ability to block magic too.
This meant that unless a monster used psychic abilities, it could neutralize all B-class monsters.
Surely, it wouldn’t work on higher-class monsters.
If it did, it would be like a game-breaking cheat monster.
【Pururu】─Give our little one more pets!
【002】─😋
As I petted the *Dog Spider’s* head with my left hand, I was in the middle of taming the Jellyfish with my right hand.
I’d been touching the red spot on the Jellyfish for about five minutes.
Not even a quarter of it, not even a quarter of a quarter, had turned green.
The taming process was too slow.
It took only two minutes to tame the *Dog Spider*.
‘Was it because it was an egg at that time that it tamed so quickly?’
I had just learned something new.
Apparently, this Jellyfish was resisting being tamed, and that was affecting the taming speed.
*Shii…*
The *Dog Spider* looked up at me.
Was it because my expression was gloomy?
It had a worried look in its eyes.
The *Dog Spider* glanced at the Jellyfish,
*Goo-ugh, ptoo!*
and spat out something with a chewing motion.
【Pururu】─?? What’s the little one doing?
【002】─🤮
What it spat out was a piece of mint chocolate bread.
It must not have digested what it ate earlier.
Or maybe it had been storing it in its body.
*Sii!*
The *Dog Spider* picked up the piece of bread it spat out and handed it to me.
【Pururu】─Does Geon look hungry? As much as I love you, I wouldn’t eat that, little one…
【002】─🤢
“I don’t think it was giving this to me to eat.”
I could roughly guess its intent.
“*Dog Spider*, are you suggesting I feed this to the Jellyfish?”
*Shishik!*
The *Dog Spider* nodded its head eagerly.
A method to win over the Jellyfish with food.
It was worth a try.
It was better than just blindly holding out my hand.
I offered the piece of bread to the Jellyfish.
【Pururu】─Will it eat that?
【002】─😨
“If it likes mint chocolate, it might.”
It wouldn’t be too opposed.
Even though it was spat out, it didn’t look like vomit; it still somewhat maintained the shape of the mint chocolate bread.
*Piii…*
The Jellyfish cautiously took the piece of bread I offered into its mouth.
And while constantly glancing sideways at me, it nibbled on the bread.
Then, the moment it swallowed the bread.
The speed at which the spot was changing color increased dramatically.