Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, I’ve completely accepted the idea that this definitely isn’t a dream--but now I am considering the possibility that I might have somehow transported into a game instead--having so much doubt is really unpleasant. I would have preferred to be in a game like World of Warcraft, or a game that I am very well versed in both the lore and how to play.”

“So, what’s a Magic Core?” I can’t help but ask, I’m pretty sure I already know, but I have to see if my knowledge matches up with--reality?

“A Magic Core is a part of a Monster that is worth the most money--if you sell it to a merchant, you can get various things. Well, almost every part of a Monster can be worth money.” Liza speaks slightly hesitantly, like she is trying to remember an old explanation, as she takes a sphere covered in green blood out of the corpse.

The sphere looks like a red, perfectly smooth, glass ball that is around half the size of my closed fist--however, since the colour is a rather dull red, it is unlikely to be used for high-class jewelry.

I wander over to Pochi, who looks up inquisitively at me as I open the bag and pretend to look around before pulling a pouch out of storage.

When Liza returns, I pass her the pouch, and a bit of cloth to wipe the clotted green blood off it.

“Alright, place the Magic Core inside this pouch. And here, use this spear.”

After Liza placed the red ball into the pouch, I took it back and gave it back to Pochi--who smiled happily and carefully placed it into the bag hanging from her shoulder.

After doing this, I handed the impromptu spear to Liza.

“Liza, when retrieving the Core of the next Monster we kill, Tama and Pochi will be joining you, so, please teach them how to do it.”

“Yes, I understand.” Liza nodded, but her gaze was drawn to the spear I had given her, it was almost as though it were a magnet that keep pulling her attention back.

“Okay!” Pochi looked excited and wagged her tail.

“Aye!” Tama responded as well, her fluffy ears twitching.

I quickly check the Map, recording the name of the corpse and recording it on a Memo--then we get out of the room.

Looking at the Beastkin girls, I compare their statuses from before and after the battle, but beside Stamina--nothing has changed.

So, it seems that they won’t get experience by just being together with me when I kill.

I wonder how supply troops or priests raise their levels--It’s not really important information, so I slip it into the back of my mind and keep considering the problem at hand.

If I can raise the level of the three girls, it shouldn’t be a problem if we meet more people along the way, however it’s not as easy as I had hoped at first. Since this world is game-like, I may as well try a game-like approach.

“Tama, if you see a stone around the same size as that Magic Core, please pick it up.”

“Aye!” Tama replied with enthusiasm, her emerald eyes, with their slit pupils quickly darting down towards the ground and looking around.

***

We move forwards quickly, without interruptions or problems, until the passage divides into branches. They end at the same room, but one of the paths has a room along the way; either path contains a Monster, but the room in the middle of the second passage has two level ten caterpillar Monsters--and there is also a Human there--let’s help them.

“The road is branching.” Tama says with a smile, just as the junction comes into view.

“Well done!” I say in response to her report

I remember to praise her, and begin to pat her head again, much to her apparent joy. Pochi looks over and seems slightly envious, so I pat her too; both girls now stand with one on each side, leaning their heads into my hands, their tails moving--a scene that is rather cute for a Labyrinth.

After finishing stroking the girls’ hair, and ignoring the slightly disappointed, upturned eyes, I decide where to go.

“Let’s take the passage to the right.”

As we proceed further along, I notice a red dot appearing on my radar.

“There are bugs up there” Tama warned.

Since I can grasp its rough position from the radar, I look at where it seems to be. When I stare at the location, the Monster’s name and level appears on my Heads-Up-Display. Holding up my Magic Gun, I repeatedly shoot in the place where the information is floating, in the dark shadows of the ceiling.

Oh, it seems at least one of the shots hit it, and the caterpillar fell onto the ground.

“Tama, hit it with some stones.”

Tama starts throwing stones, hitting it three times before I raise a hand to stop her. She got two hits on soft places on the Monster, but the third hit is repelled--according to the information, only one stone caused damage however.

The caterpillar recovers from the shock of falling, and begins disgustingly squirming towards us--with movements that seem somehow slimy, and sounds though could be found in an R18 game or video that includes tentacles--

Shaking the image from my head, I speak, “Pochi, Tama, get back. Liza, come here. Stab it once using your spear, but stay behind my back.”

While holding back as much as possible, I kick the caterpillar to gain some time for Liza. It had gotten very close and was about to use a ramming attack.

When the caterpillar's head is knocked back by my kick, Liza takes the chance and attacks with the spear. The caterpillar’s HP dropped by at least 10%.

After confirming that she did damage as well, I shoot it twice, killing the caterpillar.

“Liza, Tama, I’ll leave the recovery of the Magic Core to you two. Pochi, follow me, there’s another Monster over there.”

“Aye!” Tama nods to my words, before walking over to Pochi and giving her some stones.

How many did she pick up?

“Yes!” Liza says, and walks towards the corpse, waiting for Tama to come back.

There’s the same type of caterpillar inside the room.

Furthermore, there are the corpses of a young woman and a boy who looks like a slave laying on the ground. Unlike with the cricket earlier, the haven’t been eaten.

“Pochi, when we get into the room, throw some stones at the Monster from my side. When you run out of stones, go back to Tama and Liza, okay.”

I casually enter the room and shoot at the Caterpillar, as I instructed, Pochi throws two stones from close range.

The caterpillar, upon being hit by the stones, turns towards Pochi and spits a blob of venomous-looking blue liquid. Just in the nick of time, I kick the caterpillar’s head and shift it’s aim.

Because I acted quickly and didn’t restrain my strength enough, that single kick killed the caterpillar.

Pochi, hearing my words, runs back to the passage--the opposite passage that is.

Did she get flustered and mistook the direction?

“Pochi, stop!” I immediately after her--but because of detouring around the caterpillar’s corpse, I was a little late.

“Aaah, don’t come, don’t come here!”

Huh?

Who was that?

That’s not Pochi’s voice, it’s the man in the passage.

Looking at the radar, I see that it will be a little dangerous.

“Pochi, stop!”

Okay, it seems that she can properly hear me now, she is coming back.

The man from earlier has disappeared from the radar.

Still--why did that young man run away?

Did he mistake Pochi for a Monster?

Or did he feel guilty for leaving the young woman and slave boy as sacrifices?

“Master! Are you alright?”

“You okay?”

Liza and Tama came running, worried looks on their faces.

“Ah, I’m okay--let’s go back to the room and collect the Magic Core.”

“I’m sorry--” Pochi is apologizing, her ears are flat against her head and her tail curling between her thighs--she is shuddering slightly, she seems to be both upset and scared of my reaction.

“Pochi, it’s fine to run away if necessary--but panicking isn’t okay. Do you understand?” I spoke calmingly, gently stroking her hair, trying to calm her down.

“--Yes.” She looks apologetic, but her ears and tail are getting a little more animated.

Since Tama and Pochi had walked ahead while I spoke to Pochi, they were in the middle of taking the Core from the caterpillar when we entered again.

I write the names of the two corpses in my Memo.

Wondering if they have anything useful, I ask Pochi to examine them.

“Should I strip the clothes?” Pochi asked, looking up with a tilted head.

We don’t really need their clothes, but I only just noticed that the Beastkin girls aren’t wearing shoes.

“Take their footwear, but leave their clothing as is.”

Moving quickly, she passes over the collected items.

The slave boy doesn’t have anything, but the woman has a purse and jewelry. I create another folder in storage which I called Mementos, then I place the jewels in there--I also cut a lock of hair from the two. When I get out, I will give these items to the family.

I’m doing this, because if any of my loved ones died far away from me--I would want some mementos to bury, instead of just empty caskets.

There are two pairs of sandals, which fit both Pochi and Tama--the dead people are around the same size as them.

Liza has to wait for her turn later, she hurriedly says it’s fine when I apologize to her.

But, in the next room, the one with another giant caterpillar--there should be the shoes of the young man from earlier. With a little adaption, they should be able to be made to fit her.

***

The experiment to allow the girls to get a share of the experience, is apparently successful.

Tama and Liza went up one level, and Pochi went up two.

Apparently, people from this world automatically learn skills if they level up: Pochi got the Throwing skill, Tama got the Collecting skill, and Liza got the Dismantling skill.

I don’t have the dismantling skill--maybe I should try cutting up a fish later.

Hmm, there’s something strange with Liza’s skills--her dismantling skill is grayed out, even though her spear skill is white--Pochi and Tama’s skills are also grayed out.

I wonder if they aren’t activated yet.

Well, their Statuses have increased, but--for example, STR is 15 (18), so it seems that it’s possible that they don’t instantly rise.

There are still around one hundred rooms or so until the exit anyway, so let’s work on solving it, but not hurry too much.

I lead the Beastkin girls out of the room.

 

>>Title: Trainer (Tamer) Acquired.