[Author’s Note] Thank you so much! I can’t thank enough all those who left comments, gave recommendations, or sent sponsorship coupons. Chapter 36, Chapter 12.
Rampaging Magical Beast (Scene Attention) #2
‘Where have I heard this sound before…?’
I frowned, feeling a sense of déjà vu alongside growing unease.
The jingling sound of bells grew louder and louder.
—Hehe. No answer? So I can come in then? Right? No one’s answering. Is it okay to come in then? Eve. Eve, E-v-e…
A thin, shrill female voice tore through the air.
It was an involuntary cringe-worthy sound.
‘I remember. That’s Duoksini.’
It wasn’t until I heard that grating laugh that I finally figured out the identity of the bell sounds.
Duoksini was the bizarre creature we’d met in the forest at night while Leaf and I were heading to Yan-Mite’s cave.
Just picturing the thing made me feel like I needed to scrub my chest with a towel, the discomfort was so visceral.
Crunch, crunch. It sounded like bones or joints breaking from outside the cabin.
Unidentifiable beasts’ howls blended with the jingling bells, creating a cacophony.
—I’m coming in, Eve. Finally, you invited us, huh?
The wooden floor covering the trapdoor under Eve’s cabin shook violently.
Though I was unclear about the exact situation, I could guess that if the monster underneath managed to get in — it wasn’t going to be good for me.
I locked the trapdoor’s padlock and reinforced it with furniture and tables, hoping this makeshift barricade would buy me some time.
The shaking and banging didn’t stop. Crrrashhh!
I paced around frantically, my mind racing.
‘What do I do?! What’s going on?!’
My frantic gaze fell on Eve lying unconscious on the floor.
“Get up, wake up!” I shouted, shaking her face.
“G-gggrk… too much… magical energy flowing….”
I slapped her cheeks repeatedly, but she didn’t get up — still in some kind of post-coital delirium, maybe. She just twitched her eyebrows.
Bang, bang, bang. The knocking on the wooden cover grew quieter.
Finally, the jingling and howling stopped, leaving an eerie silence in the room.
‘Is it over?’
I froze, straining my ears for any sound outside.
‘Nothing. Nothing at all?’
Moving toward the only window in the cabin, I peered through the glass, but outside was pitch black, as if all light had been swallowed.
‘What is this? Why can’t I see anything? Was it this dark outside before?’
Just as that thought crossed my mind, the thick darkness outside the window split like curtains parting.
Two enormous, glowing red eyes stared into mine.
—There you are, Eve.
What I thought was “darkness” was a mass of black hair. Between the strands, a scarlet-eyed, grotesque mouth emerged, an eerie sight that even the name “demon” would suit.
—Oh, for heaven’s sake! You scared me!
The involuntary swear slipped out as the creature hissed and pushed its head through the window, glass shattering with a tinkling sound.
—Ieeve. Eve! Hurry up and merge with us! Kkkhhihhiit. Kkeeegh.
Its long, snakelike neck slipped inside the cabin. Clearly, the unconscious witch Eve was its target.
As the creature’s head slowly approached Eve, unease and anxiety bubbled up within me.
If it got to Eve, something very unpleasant would undoubtedly occur. Exactly what, I couldn’t guess, but my gut instinct sent warning bells.
I extended my front claws, sharpening them to a fine point.
If physical attacks worked on it like they had with Yan-Mite the Tracker, then I might have a shot at stopping this thing.
Luck was on my side, as the creature ignored me and kept advancing toward Eve.
Seeing my chance, I leapt and swiped my claws across its serpentine neck.
—Ghhheeeekkk! Kaaaaa! Guaaaagh!
The creature’s shrill yell was a mix between a woman’s scream and a man’s baritone growl, reminiscent of the wounded El-Gasa I’d fought before.
The beast turned its scarlet eyes toward me.
—White fur… A powerful magical entity. Horns. Voracious feeder… ?
Its jagged mouth erupted with voices, overlapping in a bizarre symphony of multiple tones—faint female whispers, deep male growls, and even youthful cries, as if children and teenagers were chiming in.
This was definitely no ordinary creature. In fact, I wasn’t even sure it was alive at all.
But judging by the green goo-like liquid dribbling from the wound my claws left, it must have some kind of physical form, and therefore a weakness.
—Eat. k*ll her. Eat and k*ll. Strong magic. Juicy flesh.
A cacophony of voices seemed to deliberate, and then the creature lunged at me with a monstrous roar, revealing jagged, needle-like fangs.
It wasn’t just teeth—it was more like unnatural thorns growing in every direction.
If caught, it would shred even my thick fur to ribbons.
The monstrous face loomed closer, trapping me in a corner.
With my back pressed against the wall, I frowned, realizing I had nowhere left to retreat.
—Craaa!
Duoksini extended its gaping mouth toward me.
Before I could react, its fangs clamped down on me.
Crunch!
—Gaaakk! Gah! Thorns!
But the creature shrieked in pain rather than me.
My sharp spines dug deep into its roof, creating a painful distraction.
With a loud “Khkkkk!” it spat me out, the wound leaking a slimy green substance that could either be saliva or bl**d.
The creature glared at me, its face twisted in frustration, hesitant to attack again.
—You insignificant beast, you’ll pay for this!
‘Not bad. This could work.’
In a bigger space, I could’ve used my enhanced agility to my advantage, but the cramped cabin made things difficult.
I crouched on all fours, raising all my fur and spines in preparation.
—Hyeeek. Eve! You treacherous witch, Eve! You invited us in, so why unleash a beast like this? You were trying fool us!
The creature’s head wobbled unnaturally, left and right, like a drunk dancer.
—You’ll pay dearly for this… You will suffer!
Its gaze shifted from me to Eve lying on the floor.
—Eve! I’ll swallow you whole!
It seemed to have changed its target.
Before it could close the distance, I leaped into action, jumping onto its neck and latching onto its head.
With a fierce slash of my claws, a jagged green gash appeared, leaking fluid.
—Ghhhh! Ghaaaaagh!
The creature thrashed wildly, roaring like an enraged bull. I almost fell off multiple times but kept my jaws locked into its skin, embedding my teeth deeper.
The cabin groaned and creaked under the strain, on the verge of collapse.
As it thrashed, I gripped it tighter, my teeth tearing into its flesh deeper.
The green fluid trickled into my mouth, but it wasn’t bl**d—it was bitter, sticky, and foul. I wanted to spit it out immediately, but I couldn’t afford to lose this opportunity.
—Get off! Let go, you foul creature! Detach!
Bang, bang! The creature thrashed violently, its head colliding with the walls and furniture.
Despite the injuries I sustained, I only grew stronger with each blow.
I continued gnawing at it furiously.
*
The witch Eve woke up to the commotion.
How long was I out? I wondered, groggy and disoriented.
A cold breeze caressed my face, making me think I might have left the window open before I… well, whatever it was I was doing.
‘What was I doing again?’
Through the aching headache and stiff legs, I managed to sit up.
Then, I froze in horror.
‘That’s Duoksini!’
Inside the cabin, the massive face loomed larger than my entire body, its eyes bulging and fangs exposed like that of a cursed wraith.
‘Right. The full moon is approaching. During my blackout, it infiltrated the house!’
I pulled my dress tightly around me, inching closer to the source of the chaos.
The creature flailed and whimpered, its neck making eerie crackling sounds.
Approaching cautiously, I spotted something white clinging desperately to Duoksini’s neck.
—Krroooar…
The white beast was ferociously gnawing at Duoksini.
Of course, biting and devouring was a primal act, but the white-furred creature, though young, wasn’t just any animal. It was intelligent, a magical beast known as Behemoth.
My heart sank at the sight of it trying to consume Duoksini’s body.
“Don’t eat it! It’ll corrupt your mind!”
I slowly extended my hand toward the magical beast.
Despite being a newborn, the creature was no ordinary beast—it was called a Behemoth, a divine creation, infamous throughout history.
Its fur stood on end, and it bared its needle-like teeth at me.
—Grrrrr…
I swallowed hard. It was clear—no matter its youth, it was still a dangerous magical beast capable of destruction.
“Be… good. I’m not your enemy.”
Its massive jaws opened wide, ready to pounce.
‘It must be delirious, poisoned by Duoksini’s bl**d. If I can get it to stop eating, its sanity will return.’
I had to prevent a repeat of the ancient massacre that had occurred centuries ago.
“Come here… it’s alright. Don’t be scared.”
Tentatively, I reached out, finally touching the beast’s forehead.
“Pfft!”
The moment my hand touched its fur, it bit down on me.
Though usually invincible to minor attacks, the creature’s venomous bl**d worked like poison on me, causing excruciating pain.
I endured, rubbing the magical beast’s head gently with my other hand.
“It’s okay. You’re safe. It’s alright.”
Perhaps it was my gentle voice or my soothing touch, but the beast slowly calmed down.
It relaxed its fur and released my arm.
—This tastes like grape. Is Wildling around here?
“You’re back to normal?”
—Hmm? It’s Eve, isn’t it? What happened here?
The magical beast blinked, looking alternately between me and Duoksini.
Its awareness had seemingly returned.
‘For a creature that consumed the bl**d and flesh of a ghost, it regained clarity quickly. Is its young age limiting the effects?’
Even cat-based creatures were unaffected by psychoactive drugs like belladonna when still kittens. Perhaps Duoksini’s hallucinogenic bl**d had different effects based on the individual’s physiology.
Or maybe my own mythical being fluids—the Wildling inside me—had helped to stabilize its condition.
I pondered this while inspecting my hand, pierced by the creature’s sharp fangs.
—Hmm? Is this an achievement?
The young magical beast waved its front paw in the air, as if swatting a fly, or maybe dissipating smoke.
Amused by its antics, I didn’t give it much thought, attributing it to the hallucinogenic effects of Duoksini’s bl**d.
