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280 – Abyss Pursuit

I continue to follow the abyss zombie . It’s movement speed is slow because of its torn off legs and low status, so it’s easy to chase . If anything, it’s annoyingly slow . My partner sends a few glares of irritation to it .

The spiders were doing as they pleased until the nightmare glared at them and they quickly assembled… I really am glad they’ve got a leader now .

『Yeah, it’s good . 』

My partner replies, looking a bit worn out… W-well, please hang in there .

While looking at the nightmare’s mask thing or shell thing, I suddenly think of something . When it evolves, will that face look even more stern, I wonder?

For that matter, it’s next evolution’s its last, right? If it evolves two more times, it’d probably be around B rank . I can’t imagine it, but I expect it’d look seriously monstrous . My partner, who it’s clinging to, springs to mind and I softly close my eyes .

『…Don’t like thinking about other people’s problems . 』

There’s no helping it . When keeping a pet, you pass through the cute puppy stage in no time at all .

It doesn’t take much effort at all to chase after the abyss zombie . But the other monsters that show up en route give more trouble . I slice them up with [Wind Slash] to convert them to experience points, or use [Roar] to keep them away and protect the abyss zombie .

While I’m protecting it, the way the abyss zombie frantically keeps running ahead doesn’t make it look entirely uncute . My desire to protect it is welling up, or rather I’m finally getting used to its gross appearance and, since I revived it, I have a responsibility to it, so I’m getting a sense of duty…

『…Are you thinking something strange?』

My partner glares at me through narrowed eyes .

N-no, I was just wondering what an abyss would be like when it evolved…

『I hate it . 』

But see, since we revived it, we’ve got a duty…

『I hate it!』

She hurls her thought at me… Right, well, that would be the case .

『In the first place, I don’t get what you mean when by duty . It’s just a corpse that’s moving a bit . 』

She looks unashamedly at the abyss zombie . Then she looks at Aro with the same eyes . Frightened by her gaze, Aro’s body shivers . Uninterested, she returns her gaze to the front .

…Because she was born as an ouroboros, reviving and killing for food might feel the same to her . From the start, her instinctive behaviour has stood out . Though if either of us are strange, it would be me who has notions remaining from my previous life as a human .

『Well, if you don’t like something, I can hold back . 』

O-oh, thanks… Somehow, sorry .

『But I hate abyss . Besides, didn’t it try and attack us earlier?』

No, but I checked and it’s also got [Servant of the Evil Dragon]… The treant listens to my orders, so I think it’s got some effect . It might also have some sense of being protected during this journey, too .

At times, the abyss zombie looks back and stops moving . I can’t read an abyss’ facial expressions, but maybe something’s changing inside it…

『Hate it . 』

Ah, understood…

The further we go, the steeper the route becomes . There’s are fields of pretty flowers, inhabited by swarms of strangely glowing insects . Twisted trees block my path . I didn’t realise the forest had a place like this . Once things have calmed down, I’d like to restart the exploration in this area .

“DoraaaaAaAh! Dora, doraAaaah!”

From far away, I hear a strange cry that sounds like a dull noise echoing in a hollow cavity . A moment later, the sound of thuds resound from far away . What is it…? I’m getting a sense of deja vu, or rather it sounds nostalgic somehow… No, but that cry…

Straining my eyes in the direction of the cry, I make out a huge yellow-ochre body . At the end of a long neck it’s got a head that has cavities where eyes should be . I’ve got an idea of what that strange creature might be .

【[Clay Dragon]: C+ rank monster】

【A monster born of earth . 】

【It is strong, and its regeneration ability is particularly high . 】

【The demon lord’s prank brings terror to people . 】

…As expected, it’s a clay-type .

“DoraaaaAaAh!”

Well, all it can do is call out stupidly . What’s doraaa? You’re giving dragon’s a bad name . Shouldn’t you be shouting『maooo！』?

Either way, I’m grateful to be able to collect that much magical earth . Another time, when I have the opportunity, I’d like to go pick it up . Now that I have humanised hands to work with, my firepower is way greater than before . I’m sure I’ll be able to make some splendid pottery .

It seems the clay dragon is territorial and is trying to provoke me from a distance, but I’ll ignore it this time . It roars out in triumph but I don’t pay it any mind . I’ve engraved this place in my memories, though .

While that’s going on, the path continues to steepen . The twisted, hard trees become more common, and the ground gradually gets harder and harder . I see a number of half-eaten, bloodied monster corpses .

Finally, we reach a huge cliff . Rather than a cliff, it’s more like a fissure in the ground . The abyss zombie glances back, then descends down the cliff .