Ch. 61 A new monster
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 61 – A new monster
–
After dedicating myself to nightly practice sessions under Andreina’s care, ten days later, I’d grown somewhat accustomed to controlling two dolls simultaneously.
“Ack! I said turn right, not leap forward!”
…Accustomed, mind you—not mastered. Out of ten attempts, maybe eight times it would follow my commands. Still, compared to the early days of pure chaos, this was monumental progress.
The headaches that once plagued me had also eased. Not gone—yesterday, I’d still needed Andreina’s blessing—but manageable without rushing to her.
…A-Anyway, pain is pain! It’s fine to seek help, right? Andreina herself said so!
“Hehe…”
A smug grin crept up as I watched the dolls move like extensions of my limbs. Sure, they occasionally rebelled, but mostly obeying was victory enough.
Might as well test this in a hunt. My wallet had withered to echoes during training. Dinner tonight? Water. Maybe.
Honestly, practice had plateaued. Real combat would reveal more.
Clatter.
“Ah—”
A lapse in focus sent the dolls colliding. This happened sometimes—proof I wasn’t fully proficient yet.
An abrupt end to training, but a timely one. I could refine the rest in the dungeon. Retrieving the Mana Threads, I tucked the tangled dolls into my inventory.
Outside, the sun hung low. Not ideal dungeon hours—returning after dark—but doable.
One glaring issue remained:
“It’ll be crowded right now…”
Floor 1’s hunting grounds were sparse, but its foot traffic wasn’t. My usual strategy—dawn raids off the main paths—wouldn’t shield me today.
Best to wait for morning? But skipping two meals? Even I couldn’t stomach that.
And if Andreina finds out… I’d be force-fed until my ribs cracked.
Loving her didn’t mean loving culinary torture.
I threw on my robe, hiding my face, and exhaled sharply.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
The dice were cast: dungeon-bound in the awkward afternoon lull.
–
As predicted, the area teemed with people. Miao’s boutique, the café—where did this crowd even come from?!
Probably because I only slink around at ghost hours. Eyes glued to the ground, I sped forward.
“Huh?”
A voice—half-startled, half-curious—cut through the noise. My pace quickened. It sounded familiar.
Please don’t be talking to me. Prayers unanswered, footsteps closed in behind me.
I whirled around. A shaggy-bearded Viking loomed, grinning.
“Eeek—!”
His smile was terrifying. Why was he following me?! As I recoiled, he waved frantically.
“Hey! We met last time!”
“Kyaah—!”
“Wait! Just wanna talk—”
You expect me NOT to run when a scary guy chases me?! I bolted.
Behind me, chaos erupted:
“H-Hold on! I just—”
“Olsen, you’re lucky there’s no police here.”
“Seriously. You’d’ve been tackled by now.”
“What’d I even do?! I just wanted to—”
Their squabble faded as I fled. Only after crossing into Floor 1 and running further did I stop, gasping.
“Hah… huff…”
Running after so long left me half-dead. Leaning against a tree, I gasped for air, throat parched.
“Water…”
Wiping sweat from my brow, I yanked my canteen from inventory—only to remember:
“Ah, right… I never refilled it.”
Obviously, since I hadn’t dungeon-crawled lately. Should’ve noticed how light it was. Desperate, I shook it. Not a drop.
“…Maybe just go back.”
Thirsty, exhausted from sprinting—but turning back now felt wasteful. And what if that Viking’s still lurking?
“…Just a quick hunt. Then leave.”
A few minutes of thirst wouldn’t kill me. Decision made, I steadied my breathing.
“Wait… Where am I?”
Not lost—I’d stuck to the path—but how deep into Floor 1 had I gone? Time for the Dungeon Guide. Flipping to the updated map, I squinted at the serpentine trail marked with flags every 0.5km.
Supposedly, U.P. carves their logo into the path as markers… Yet I saw nothing. Probably not far in, then. If I’d run deep enough to spot them, I’d be face-down wheezing.
“Whew…”
Calmer now, I pushed upright. Time to hunt.
First: coordinates. From inventory, I summoned Doll 505—the oversized version.
Thud. The lumbering doll planted its blocky feet, standing as tall as me. Too heavy to move without Core and Mana Threads—even then, it barely managed a shuffle.
Why bother? Simple: I could sense dolls I’d activated before, no matter the distance.
“Not what I made you for, but…”
I patted its lopsided head. At least you’re useful as a landmark.
“Hold the fort, 505.”
I stepped into the trees.
–
The moment Mari vanished into the woods, a man strolling toward town froze.
“The hell—?”
Something hulking loomed roadside. Humanoid? Too small, too… wrong.
Flat torso, spindly cylindrical limbs. Sword drawn, he edged closer.
“New Floor 1 monster?”
Humanoids were supposed to spawn past Floor 6.
Then—wood grain. He sheathed his blade with a scoff.
“Who leaves this crap lying around?”
A statue? A bad one—more robot than man. Did a toddler carve this?
…Unless the dungeon spat it out. That’d make sense. Dungeons laughed at human logic.
“U.P. ‘s problem now.”
Jotting the location in his guide, he ambled off.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading today!!!Mari’s doll 505’s neck is a little different from the one on the cover.
In the beginning, the joints have spheres, right???
I don’t know if it will look like that in the future, but for now it shall suffice…!
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
Gets lost in girlfailure style.What a girlfailure!
Placeholders
0 Comments