Chapter 108 – 16th Floor. Miniature Giant Space…

Halt-

I hadn’t counted exactly, but I might have smashed about a dozen. The puppet librarians that were rushing toward me suddenly stopped moving and unnaturally returned to their tasks, beginning to organize books.

As if listening to someone’s command, their brisk movements made me stroke my chin while turning my head toward the empty space where, for some reason, I felt a gaze.

Naturally, nothing was visible in that empty space.

But I knew who had issued the command to the librarians.

‘The Puppeteer, Levy.’

The director of the Corridor of Infinite Knowledge, who controls not only the puppet librarians but other doll staff as well, a management position battered from all sides with a mountain of headaches due to uninvited guests who’ve arbitrarily settled in the library.

And also an NPC I need to meet.

‘But this is earlier than expected.’

In the D.D era, puppet librarians didn’t leave the hostile relationship until I met Levy directly.

After meeting Levy and progressing the quest, they would become neutral, no longer hindering exploration—a gimmick where finding Levy first was recommended if you wanted to explore comfortably.

However, something had changed, and it seemed Levy had judged that they shouldn’t be hostile to me and had ordered them not to attack me anymore.

“I guess people need to be seen as powerful? Having a good body saves me from mental trouble.”

No, in this situation, does having a good body save the body from trouble?

Either way, it doesn’t matter.

Even if they had attacked like in the game, the only inconvenience would have been dealing with them, feeling annoyed, and not being able to sleep at night.

Rather, these endless bookshelves that looked overwhelming were making a greater impact on my psyche.

Unlike other areas, without even a safe room, let alone hiding places, the structure was straight if the blocks matched, piercing in a straight line.

A dangerous place that might make someone with a preference for narrow, dark, cozy places cough blood.

“I wonder who designed this…”

I spat out a line of complaint and moved my feet again.

When the others arrive, they’ll probably figure out how to move around on their own.

“Oh…”

Imposing enormity, danger signals declared by instinct.

Brown fur with white stripes, black eyes, a tail like a large club.

Looking at that creature, I couldn’t help but tremble with fear.

At the appearance of an absolute being that humans couldn’t resist, I clacked my teeth as if fitted with new dentures and hesitantly adjusted my posture.

Squeak!

The creature, trapped in a transparent box, jumped forward threateningly after observing me.

Its tail, curved as if to seduce, undulated softly.

“It’s a Giant Space Squirrel!”

“More precisely, a Miniature Giant Space Squirrel.”

Severa, who had popped out at her own discretion again, added a comment. She probably read the text that I couldn’t read.

The Miniature Giant Space Squirrel, perhaps startled by the new enemy, bounced once in place before hurriedly hiding in its shelter.

But its fluffy tail stuck out of the hole of its hiding place, swaying gently.

“But if it’s a Miniature Giant Space Squirrel, it’s no longer giant, is it? What’s different from a regular squirrel?”

When I saw the text saying Giant Space Squirrel, I just thought, “Ah, I see,” and moved on, but seeing it directly with my eyes, it didn’t seem particularly different from an ordinary squirrel.

Severa seemed to think the same, as she wore an expression suggesting it was ambiguous to explain.

Even Severa, who had somewhat of a tendency to over-explain, was like this, so I guess it wasn’t just me being strange.

“Should I take it with me?”

“…It says ‘do not touch’? And it says the Miniature Giant Space Squirrel’s staple food is human eyes.”

Is it that even squirrels are part of the rat family?

That’s one savage diet.

Patter-

Having already escaped from its hiding place, it was now digging through the sawdust floor, suggesting its staple food might be peanuts if offered, rather than human eyes.

“But what’s this next to it?”

A strange, jerky-like plate next to the Miniature Giant Space Squirrel’s home.

The plate with explanations had a squirrel picture along with incomprehensible text written all over it.

“Dried Squidrel? It seems to be a display of food made from Giant Space Squirrels.”

“Wow…”

Of course, I had eaten plenty of giant rat meat in the underground sewers, but I hadn’t thought of flattening a squirrel, marinating it in soy sauce and seasoning, then drying it to eat.

Perhaps this section was a kind of exhibition hall for Giant Space Squirrels, as the books on the shelves and the occasional glass boxes contained items related to Giant Space Squirrels.

Things like miniatures of the Giant Space Squirrel’s habitat or symbiotic organisms.

“Oh, it says here that Miniature Giant Space Squirrels sometimes choose muscular human males as their mounts?”

As we were looking around, Severa, who had been reading a book, told me its contents.

The nerve of a rat daring to choose a mount.

What an impressively independent-minded rat.

“You little thing, I like you! Mounting will commence!”

“Huh?”

“What? It says they like muscular people, right.”

Flex.

Though not at the level of a steroid-guzzling roider, the muscles hidden under my skin are far from inferior—in fact, they show overwhelming performance.

After all, my body has reached the realm of the superhuman!

The Miniature Giant Space Squirrel must like my muscles too.

“Come, let’s go together, Pikachu.”

Though this fellow won’t be able to use Thunderbolt, it does look capable of using Quick Attack, judging by its movements.

I unlocked the glass box and opened the door, and the Miniature Giant Space Squirrel came running out with ears perked up, hopping forward.

“It might bite, so be careful.”

“Isn’t there some kind of code of conduct for handling the terrifying Miniature Giant Space Squirrel that has human eyes as its staple food?”

“I don’t know…”

I thought not.

I held out my hand to the rat that had approached right up to my face and waited for it to sniff.

Sniff- Sniff-

After moving around to explore the large hand that had approached it, the Miniature Giant Space Squirrel began to smell my fingers.

Both Severa and I held our breath, watching this action that continued for quite some time.

Of course, Severa, being a ghost, didn’t need to hold her breath, but it’s a figurative expression.

Squeak-

Having confirmed the smell, the Miniature Giant Space Squirrel raised its head and met my eyes.

Eyes like shiny black marbles.

I could see its fluffy white-covered belly and luxurious tail rising and falling with each breath.

The small weight felt on my palm.

“Oh…”

As the Miniature Giant Space Squirrel climbed onto my palm with its tiny feet, I was filled with a slight sense of elation at communing with an animal.

I’ve never had a pet, not even a goldfish, yet here I am in life, holding a rat on my hand.

Crunch-

“Huh?”

A cool sensation felt at my fingertips and a tingling pain running up my spine.

The Miniature Giant Space Squirrel, no, the fucking bastard rat, had bitten my finger.

Red blood flowing steadily.

“KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

Scamper!

Ignoring my screams, the squirrel ran down my body to the floor and declared freedom as it attempted escape.

“I told you to be careful…”

“GAAAH!!! Severa, that rat bastard bit my finger!!!”

“Oh dear…”

After a fierce battle lasting exactly 6,974 seconds, I recaptured the lizard snack that had bitten my hand and escaped, wiping away a drop of sweat from my forehead.

“This is crazy… why is it so fast…”

I was so out of breath I couldn’t stop panting heh- heh-.

At this speed, its dexterity must be around 35?

It certainly showed an extraordinariness that couldn’t be considered a normal squirrel.

Squeak-! Squeeeak-!

The squirrel, pitifully wailing as it was caught by Alraune’s tendrils, but looking at the library that had suffered damage in my pursuit, even that slight sympathy vanished.

“What a mess, seriously…”

Bookshelves and exhibition areas split in half and collapsed, puppet librarians contorted acrobatically and sprawled on the floor, the floor itself shattered by massive impacts.

Though the damaged area was extremely small compared to the vastness of the Corridor of Infinite Knowledge, as its name suggests, it couldn’t be said that the damage wasn’t serious.

“My goodness…”

Even Severa, who had shown aversion to damaging books, looked on with hollow eyes, not even attempting to reproach me, indicating the seriousness of the situation.

“Master? I caught it.”

“Ah, yes. Well done, well done.”

As Alraune approached leisurely with the squirrel, I vigorously patted her head in praise, making her fresh-colored long hair flutter as it swayed.

It hasn’t even been two weeks since proper teaching began, yet Alraune’s pronunciation has become quite clean, perhaps due to the effect of intensive education. Severa might have qualities as an educator.

Though they’re just onaholes, after all.

“So, how does my finger taste?”

I raised the finger that had been bitten by the rat.

A bandage with a penguin wearing goggles wrapped around my finger.

The power of Antarctica will heal my finger.

Squeak- Squeak-squeak!

The Miniature Giant Space Squirrel glared at me while making mischievous squeaking sounds.

Not giant, not from space, but anyway, the Miniature Giant Space Squirrel growled at me.

“Sigh… you thought you could bite my finger and escape?!”

Squeak-squeak!

I pulled out a scroll I had found between bookshelves.

A scroll of Animal Conversation.

An item that allows communication with beast-type NPCs that normally can’t be talked to.

Actually, it’s close to a useless trash item, but right now, the ability to have a deep discussion with this damn rat makes it the most valuable among all the items I possess.

“Alright, I’ll give you 10 seconds. Explain yourself!”

Riiip—

With the tearing of parchment, a sensation of ears opening.

Vibrating air transmits through the eardrum, simultaneously translating—

[Put down your belongings at once, you crow-trampled caterpillar!]

“…”