Episode 22: Bug

Ding dong!

<‘Bug Worker’ discovered!>

<The Warehouse Keeper’s ‘Promotion Condition’ has been updated!>

“…Bug Worker? Promotion Condition?”

I didn’t know the first one, but the second was quite an enticing keyword.

At that moment.

[Kieeeeeeeeek!]

A screech that seemed to tear eardrums echoed through the passages.

At the same time, the termite-human charged with ferocious momentum.

Uwaaak what why so fast crazy!

Speed rivaling the Hellhound.

I hurriedly retreated.

But the termite-human’s bony arm shot toward my face like a harpoon.

At that instant.

Kwajak!

A chilling sound of flesh rupturing rang out.

Dark green liquid dripped plop plop from under Jeanne’s fist.

Soon, the termite-human with its head completely blown off collapsed.

Kung!

The bug, sprawled from a single punch by Jeanne.

……Weaker than it looks?

Extremely fragile durability compared to the threatening speed.

At that moment.

Flip-

Featherback’s logbook unfolded, and a dazzling page appeared.

Ding dong!

<Worker Bug>

-Danger Level: B

-Discovery Location: Morgue’s Magical Warehouse ‘Safe Zone’

The worker class of the insect-type magical beast ‘Bug’ that forms legions.

Bugs are born with predetermined ranks, and roles and combat power differ starkly by rank.

They prefer dark, humid environments and feed on construction materials like rock, wood, and iron ore. 

Due to their voracious appetite and reproductive rate, it is said that nothing remains where a Bug legion passes.

“Dare to trespass without permission into the Sorcerer Emperor-nim’s vault, utterly useless pests. Kill every one you see. The only stain on my Warehouse Keeper career is catching and losing their queen. I will tear them to shreds, you vermin.” 

– Featherback –

This was the first time I’d seen Featherback’s memo so emotional.

The handwriting grew increasingly scrawled… It seemed rage boiled up in gradients even while writing the log.

Anyway.

……So that was a Bug.

The same name had appeared in the notification earlier.

Official name ‘Bug.’

Nine out of ten, these guys are the main culprits raising the warehouse repair difficulty.

No wonder.

“Wow, damn……. They gnawed all this?”

The state of the spot where the Bug worker had stood was a complete mess.

From walls to ceiling, floor, and iron bars.

Everything was covered in filthy gnaw marks without exception.

Meanwhile, Featherback must have been a human bundled with OCD and paranoia.

Just facing this sight would have maxed out stress.

The guidebook describes Bugs as ‘insect-type magical beasts that form legions.’

In other words, these things are swarming deeper inside.

They’re probably munching away at Morgue’s Magical Warehouse in real time.

They say finding one ant or cockroach means the house is so overrun with them that they’re pushed out with nowhere to hide.

At that moment, a new system window appeared.

Ding dong!

[Promotion Condition]

-Exterminate the pests gnawing at Morgue’s Magical Warehouse.

▶ Bug Worker … (0/20)

▶ Bug Soldier … (0/5)

Promotion!

The very word that had caught my eye earlier.

Promotion.

Dictionary definition: rising to a higher level.

Ding dong!

<Upon successful promotion, access to the 2nd tier ‘Observation Zone’ will be granted.>

“The 2nd tier…….

Even the Safe Zone overflows with bizarre creatures and artifacts.

What could be stored in the lower level.

It’s tempting, yet worrying.

At that moment.

[Master.]

Jeanne pointed at the Bug’s corpse and said.

[I killed it because it charged aggressively……. Was it perhaps a pet you were raising?]

“No.”

As if. Who would raise something like this.

So that’s why she had been hesitating.

……Though the Sorcer Emperor might have kept it as a pet.

I looked at Jeanne and continued.

“This is a pest. Annoying creatures that gnaw through the warehouse everywhere, so we have to kill every one we see.”

I recited verbatim what was written in Featherback’s guidebook.

Jeanne nodded and muttered.

[……There are always beings that ruin a place, no matter where.]

Her face as she said that looked somehow bitter.

We stepped over the Bug’s corpse and moved forward.

Hmm, almost there. 

Just turn that corner…….

Originally, new stored items recorded in the guidebook should have appeared.

But I stopped with a deep sigh.

“What is this…….”

Because collapsed debris had completely blocked the iron bars.

A place filled with gnaw marks everywhere.

The Bugs must have recklessly gnawed even the pillars, causing the storage area to collapse.

According to the guidebook, the item I was looking for should be buried in the rubble.

“Ah, these damn bug bastards…….!”

I could somewhat understand Featherback’s feelings.

All I could see were tiny mouse holes barely big enough for a finger.

Forcing my way through might cause the entire area to collapse.

But then, something suddenly flashed in my mind.

“Ah! That’s right, there was this!”

I quickly took out an item from my inventory.

Soon, a bead-shaped item materialized in my palm.

<Essence of Miniaturization> / Essence / A

An essence extracted from Cerberus at Bupyeong Station underground shopping center.

Absorb this essence to permanently acquire the ‘Miniaturization’ skill.

Miniaturization (A): Freely reduce body size to 1/100 of original. However, during Miniaturization, only 1/100 of original strength can be used. Also, if mana is insufficient, cannot return to original size.

The very skill that turned the massive Cerberus into a tiny chihuahua.

Hmm……. In miniaturized state, only 1% of usual power can be used. 

If mana runs out, can’t undo miniaturization.

No wonder……. Cerberus couldn’t undo miniaturization due to lack of mana.

At that moment.

Flip-

A new page appeared in Featherback’s logbook.

[Essence of Miniaturization]

-This trait is an artificially synthesized ‘artificial skill.’

A fusion of slime’s shape-shifting and doppelganger’s mimicry abilities, it has the fatal flaw of drastically reduced combat power in miniaturized state.

Failure. A useless ability fit only for thieving riffraff or fleeing slaves.

“Featherback”

Fusing slime and doppelganger traits…… Is that actually possible?

Even more chilling is that related information is recorded in the guidebook.

How on earth did Featherback know this?

Perhaps experiments already conducted on the Lokpia continent.

At least in the magic-leading nation Morgue.

There are various restrictions…… but Miniaturization is undeniably a skill with infinite uses.

Other hunters would drool over it.

I held out the essence to Jeanne.

I had planned to give the Miniaturization skill to Jeanne from the start.

With her Death Knight appearance, she attracts attention wherever she goes.

Now with the A+ rank hunter title, accompanying her has become extremely difficult.

It’s good that my reputation rises along with hers, but…….

Plus, I have to attend university.

The downside of Miniaturization is drastically reduced physical ability when miniaturized.

But for Jeanne, even miniaturized, she can exert B+ rank hunter-level power.

It’s the optimal choice for her in many ways.

Soon, I looked at Jeanne and said.

“Use this to shrink your body, then bring the artifact on the other side.”

[As you command, Master.]

As Jeanne grasped the essence, a strange light began seeping into her.

At the same time.

Her body began shrinking to hamster size.

Jeanne transformed into a 2-head-tall character like in games or comics.

Kind of like Thumbelina.

Well. Cerberus also turned into a chihuahua when miniaturized.

It seems the miniaturization process converts to an appropriate form.

“By the way, you need to get smaller to pass through, right?”

[Understood, Master.]

Sssssssss-

Jeanne’s body shrank further to the size of a hornet.

[I will return shortly, Master.]

“?”

She was so small now that even her voice was barely audible.

Soon, Jeanne slipped through the narrow gap.

A few seconds passed.

Jeanne emerged carrying an object dozens of times larger than herself.

It was a small compass.

Returning to her original form, Jeanne said with a strange expression.

[Um……. I humbly report, but the item Master sought seems damaged…….]

“Broken?”

I examined the compass Jeanne handed me.

A wooden compass that looked centuries old.

The peculiar thing was that the most important part of a compass—the needle—was missing.

“No, no, you found the right one. It’s supposed to be like this.”

[?]

Jeanne stared at the compass with a puzzled look.

But I didn’t bother explaining further.

“……Now it’s time for item farming. Shall we go treasure hunting?”

I planned to show rather than tell.