Chapter 109 – 16th Floor. Arrogant King (For Real)

[Did you not understand my words! You inferior creature!]

“…”

I momentarily lost my words, dumbfounded by the Miniature Giant Space Squirrel, which was caught in Alraune’s tendrils and couldn’t even move, yet was spouting big talk.

I had expected some difficulty in understanding from a human perspective, as suggested by the name “Animal Conversation,” but I wasn’t sure how to deal with a squirrel playing king.

‘Should I just roast it?’

If I turned it into a drinking snack for the gang, I could avenge my finger and the library authorities might consider it a fitting punishment.

Thinking about it again, it truly couldn’t be a more perfect verdict.

“Should I make squirrel roast for dinner tonight?”

[You dare threaten to eat me! The 67 trillion 8,762 million Space Giant Squirrel Federation will hunt you down!]

At the squirrel’s empty threats with strangely specific numbers, I scratched my head.

If you’re going to do fantasy, stick to one genre—why mix in SF with space and all?

‘Looking at the octopus bastard, was this world always such a mix?’

I gave Severa a pitying look as someone who had lived in this jumbled-up world, but when she started chirping about why I was looking at her like that, I ignored her and glared at the squirrel.

Its appearance was that of a cute K-squirrel that might belong in a pocket monster game, not a ferocious foreign squirrel that might give you rabies if it bit you, but its temperament couldn’t be more terrible.

So began a long staring contest with the rat.

However, due to chronic dry eye syndrome, a disease said to affect 90% of modern people, I regrettably lost the staring contest.

This rat bastard should thank Charles Babbage.

“Anyway… who are you to make the 67 trillion 8000… whatever Space Giant Squirrel Federation move?”

[How stupid! It’s 67 trillion 8,762 million Space Giant Squirrel Federation!]

Alraune beamed with a proud expression as if wanting more praise, but I ignored her and sat on the debris of a collapsed bookshelf, resting my chin in my hand, staring at the rat with its persistently rude manner.

[You finally seem ready to hear my royal voice! It would normally be an unforgivable rudeness, but given the circumstances, I shall overlook it, so consider it an honor!]

‘Should I fry it.’

[First, remove this outrageously disrespectful tentacle monster!]

“Only if you won’t run away.”

[Hmph! I originally just intended to stretch my body after escaping that prison! You’re the one who chased me!]

To think this mess was because I hadn’t used the Animal Conversation scroll first.

Without tearing it twice, the library might have collapsed.

Pinching the bridge of my nose in exasperation from the consecutive nonsensical statements, I gestured to Alraune to release her tendrils.

Rustle—

As if it had been waiting, the squirrel fell to the floor as the tendrils loosened.

Tap-

I thought it might hit its head, but with agility worthy of dexterity in the 30s, it landed lightly, scratched its head a few times with its hind legs, then stood on two feet.

‘It would be cute if it didn’t talk nonsense.’

It had an appearance that would get a flood of upvotes if posted on some community as a “K-animal.”

Honestly, thinking of it as a rat playing king with a weird personality, I didn’t feel much attachment.

“Get back in.”

“Can’t I stay out a little longer?”

“I’ll let you out again later.”

Reluctant to waste Fuel levels, I told Alraune to get back in, and she gave me such a regretful look that only after promising to let her out again did she finally return inside the mimic.

[Hmph! You look like an ant stepped on by a lizard, but you wield peculiar powers!]

The squirrel still using strange metaphors. At least I understood they were meant as insults.

“Frost…”

[Aight! Alright, alright! You’re so impatient!]

Only after I started casting from the frost staff taken from inside the mimic did the squirrel finally stop badmouthing others.

I looked down at it with my lips jutting out.

As if adjusting a crown, it pawed at its empty head several times.

Finally, with its forepaws on its waist, the squirrel declared in a majestic voice.

‘Not Notorious B.I.G., what kind of squirrel name is…’

Though the name somehow conjured an image of a rapper with an impressive physique, I didn’t laugh.

“What… scheme? What scheme were you caught in?”

[It’s a very painful past… a long, long story, so open your ears and listen carefully… Squeak! Squeak-squeak!]

“Oh, time’s up.”

As the magic’s duration ended, Notorious 39th’s speech, which had been automatically translated, became ordinary squeaking.

Notorious 39th, who had been chattering for a long time with majestic squeaking, stamped the floor in frustration or let out passionate roars, but to me, it all just sounded like squeaking.

Squeak- Squeak, squeak! Sque-eak!

“Um… uh… yeah. That’s really sad. Those were truly evil guys, weren’t they?”

Since I couldn’t create another non-existent Animal Conversation scroll just to hear that, I just nodded along, and Notorious 39th, greatly pleased, climbed up my leg and settled on my head.

[You have learned about Notorious 39th’s secret.]

‘I didn’t figure out anything at all.’

Like with Unicellia before, the log kept feeding me something about knowing a secret when I didn’t even know what had happened, let alone any secrets. I scratched my head and stood up to continue moving.

Honestly, I don’t know what it said, but seeing Notorious 39th climb up to my head and make itself comfortable, it seems we communicated well somehow.

I don’t know what this rude rat can do, but at least having it along shouldn’t be disadvantageous.

[The head of the Miniature Space Giant Squirrel Federation, Notorious 39th, has joined you.]

‘So it really was the leader of the Miniature Space Giant Squirrel group.’

Though there was a succession of astonishment in that short time, I decided to ignore it.

The magnificent journey of about 3 hours and 17 minutes with Notorious 39th, who had become a companion—a journey that couldn’t help but bring tears to one’s eyes—was nearing its end.

Squeak!!! Squeak-squeak!!!!

Grooooowl—

Notorious 39th’s endurance was about to run out as it was being chased by sticky ectoplasm curtains flying through the air and zombies that reeked of rot.

The furball was visibly panting as if about to collapse at any moment.

The procession of monsters of all strange appearances following behind it was quite a spectacle.

Notorious 39th’s desperate gaze, cursing me with its eyes to stop just watching from a distance and help quickly, flew toward me, but unfortunately, the timing wasn’t right yet.

“I knew it, but this really is chaos.”

Wraiths made of ectoplasm like Severa but without remaining reason, moving corpses dripping rotting flesh and entrails, skeletons making clattering sounds with only bones remaining, and so on…

While they all belonged to the undead type of enemy by classification, the varieties were extremely diverse.

“Why are such things in the Corridor of Infinite Knowledge…”

Severa was focusing her magical power beside me with a serious expression, as if these parasites hadn’t been present when she passed through here.

Eyes as if seeing something that shouldn’t exist.

As if agreeing, the puppet librarians who had been ignoring us except for the first few hours hurriedly ran out to block the procession of the undead.

Crack, bang!

The noise of flesh or bone being crushed and hard materials breaking begins to spread.

The start of the commotion resembling war represented the bad relationship between the one controlling the librarians and the one controlling the undead.

This Corridor of Infinite Knowledge, starting from the 16th floor, was an extremely unique and distinctive area in D.D.

Unlike the previous areas composed of rooms and corridors like other roguelike games, it had a map with long corridors arranged regularly, too many types of enemies and concepts for a single area, and the hostility between those enemies.

‘Plus, there’s a ridiculous number of enemies.’

There are dozens of enemies just in front of me.

When it was a game, I thought the intention was to progress by using the hostile relationships between this large number of enemies, but it didn’t seem to be an intended phenomenon.

‘Not just the undead… there was one more on each floor, right?’

If the 17th floor is the domain of undead-type enemies, then on the 18th and 19th floors, other enemies appeared.

It was in a state that could only be called a complete mess.

“Should I… shoot now?”

“Ah, right.”

Red flames growing in size from a red magic circle, hot enough to burn one’s face.

Severa’s powerful firepower, derived from her high mental stat, is fully effective even on the 16th floor, which can be called the latter part.

“Alright, Severa-dochi! Don’t make Notorious 39th’s sacrifice in vain! Flame Beam!”

Squeak-squeak-squeak!!!

“This is too trashy…”

Severa muttered something, but I wiped away flowing tears, turning my head slightly to never forget Notorious 39th’s tearful sacrifice.

Sob, I’ll never forget this sacrifice!

KWAAAAAAAAAAANG———!!!

High-temperature flames shoot out like arrows, covering the entangled mass of inorganic dolls and decaying organic matter.

The red flames spread instantly through the knowledge storage, devouring everything around them like a monster crazed with hunger, growing larger.

[You have defeated a Puppet Librarian.]

[You have defeated a Reanimated Skeleton.]

[You have defeated a Ghost Fusion.]

[You have……

Endless logs rising.

The sensation of my spine tingling with pleasure at the visible accumulation of an enormous amount of experience, as if I had taken down a sub-boss.

Looking at the rising numbers, I can almost understand the psychology of people who enjoy auto-farming in mass-produced RPGs.

“Hunting is best as a group hunt. Good.”

Crack- Crack-

Flames exhaling blackish smoke.

I looked at them wistfully, paying my respects to Notorious 39th, who had become squirrel roast.

“Did we get it?”

Squeak! Squeak-squeak-squeak!!! Sque-eeak!!!

“This thing survived.”

The squirrel that somehow had hidden safely and leaped out, trampling and biting my foot as if taking revenge.

Indeed, a magic spell is a magic spell.

Definitely effective.

Crunch.

“Holy shit, GAAAAAAH!!!”

The damn rat that had finally made a hole in my toe after my finger—just as I was about to raise my fist to teach it its place…

“Starting with acrid smoke right away makes my nose go dry, human. Your choice of travel destinations shows terrible taste.”

The reptilian eyes I hadn’t seen in a long time were looking at me and the rat in my hand with a gaze containing gladness.

But why is it drooling?

…It must be drooling over this rat, right?