Jackpot! Guess what? I’ve hit the jackpot! Big thanks to everyone who congratulated me. It’s all thanks to you guys! @reader119 Episode 118
39. Magical Beasts and the Mysterious Town
117 – Magical Beasts and the Strange Town #3
━Oh, long time no see…
The long-tailed fox, Longtail, had just finished its sentence when it kicked the bucket. I could see its bl**d pooling around my feet like it was magnetically attracted to the ground.
To be precise, it was clumping together right behind my back.
I turned my head to see what the heck was sneaking up on me. There stood a grotesque creature—a chunk of red flesh, congealed like jelly, growing from bl**d and flesh.
With its uncanny appearance and vibe, I immediately recognized it as Nialli, the “rat in the wall” that this fox had mentioned.
【Foolish Longtail. To d*e like a fly with all this goodness around. But you did well to summon the magical beasts to this town.】
The fleshy mass reached down and picked up a musical instrument called Hamelin that had fallen on the ground. At the same moment, the fox’s body was absorbed into the flesh.
━Did you bring me to this town?
【Yep, I had my little Brotherhood do some road work and bring the beasts in.】
Crack, crack—there were sounds of joints popping and bones rearranging until someone with a pure-white body finally made their grand entrance in the church’s center.
Long, black hair, skin so white it shone—this creature was androgynous to the point where it was hard to tell if it was male or female.
If it weren’t for the lack of certain body parts between its legs, one would think it was a beautiful boy, perhaps not even fully matured.
【Ah, you’re the little magical beast O Kong talked about. You’re really tiny for a magical beast, huh? Is it because you’re just a baby?】
It flashed me a grin, and just that action made my bl**d run cold.
I jumped back to create some distance.
━What are you, anyway? You don’t seem like a friend of mine.
【I’m the rat in the wall. The ears that hear at night. In other words, I’m the one who defiles purity—Nialli.】
━That’s a grandiose name. So, are you for real? Are you some kind of monkey clone?
【I’m everywhere and can go anywhere. I sneak through small cracks and create big holes in the walls. When you realize it, a rat can swell up pretty fast.】
━Nah, that’s just a cockroach.
I was stalling with this silly wordplay. That creature in front of me was probably a beast from the dozen or so upper-level beings.
That means it must be as strong as O Kong, and instead of rushing in blindly, I thought it best to assess its attack methods and any threatening abilities first.
‘I’ve heard that mythical creatures can’t leave the Ancient Nest. How did this one get here? Does its ability have something to do with it?’
I thought about various possibilities but realized I lacked sufficient information at the moment.
I felt the need to either confront it directly or engage in more of this riddling dialogue to extract what I needed.
The boy who introduced himself as Nialli smiled sweetly at me.
【You’re much cuter with that pretty white fur. Now I understand why O Kong wanted you all to himself. Watching you take down Longtail like picking grains of wheat shows you’re strong too. How about joining me?】
His flirtatious voice tickled my ears, and as I watched something wriggling between his legs, I instantly recoiled, feeling as if a bug was crawling on me.
━Are you saying I should go under you, you filthy beast…?! Sorry, but a male is a no-go no matter how pretty!
Now that I think about it, could I have really introduced myself as ‘the one who defiles purity’? I was feeling a severe crisis of chastity.
Noticing my disdain, Nialli grinned wickedly, his lips stretching eerily to his ears. He snapped his fingers, creating a clear sound.
Suddenly, his flesh began to bubble like high-temperature mud, and something within him trembled violently beneath his skin.
【Appearance doesn’t matter to me. My power as a mythical creature is called ‘Metamorphosis.’ So, I can appear anywhere and become anything.】
Nialli’s voice ominously echoed through the church.
Soon, he transformed into an alluring woman with long, slender limbs and a curvy figure.
【How does this look? You like it?】
━Better than before.
Her long, black hair fluttered enchantingly. She was a beauty rivaling the witch Eve, without a single flaw.
But while Eve was a warm and cozy beauty with a sleepy vibe, this one looked like she’d swallow you whole and shred you into pieces—quite a dangerous contrast.
Still, it was nice to see a glimpse of the abilities she possessed.
‘Being able to go anywhere and change appearance at will. Is it safe to say it’s a mix of teleportation and shapeshifting?’
I had no clue how she would fight. Transforming into various forms and choosing one that fit the situation sounded like tactics seen in games or movies.
Just then, her body melted to the ground like ice under high heat.
Before I knew it, she appeared behind me out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around me. I struggled against the soft flesh touching me.
━Let me go! I can’t afford to lose my purity!
【Don’t be so scared. I just want to talk to you. And I can’t k*ll anyone outside of the Ancient Nest. I can’t harm you.】
Nialli released his hold on me. I quickly stepped back, wrapping my tail around to cover my rear.
━You can’t k*ll me? So, are you saying I’m just going to get clobbered without a fight?
It wasn’t a lie, but when Nialli mentioned that, it was like revealing a big weakness.
Telling me this honestly signals that he doesn’t hold hostile feelings toward me, or maybe he just doesn’t see me as a threat.
【If that’s what you want, then so be it. Everything I have can be yours. I can become anything you desire, and I can give you anything. As long as you come under me.】
Nialli’s form became slender once again, and soon, he turned into a long, thin snake that slithered up my neck.
【Think about it. If you and I join forces, no beast, not even mythical creatures or Mother World Tree, can interfere with us.】
The snake coiled around my neck and then transformed into a delicate woman’s arms that revealed her fair skin. Nialli embraced me, stroking my back with her thin arms as she bit her lower lip.
【Imagine standing atop the World Tree, you and I together. The sight of tiny beasts bowing before us like little ants…】
Nialli’s long tongue almost brushed against my ear.
‘What a passionate courtship.’
Including my days as a human, I don’t think I’ve ever received such bold and alluring temptations before.
‘You’ll grant me everything I desire?’
It was an immensely tempting offer. But the sheer perfection of the proposal raised my suspicions.
If a stunning lady suddenly tried to woo me, asking for my number, it was almost a guarantee I’d get tangled up in something troublesome.
I shoved Nialli away with my front paw and calmly posed my question.
━What’s the price I’ll have to pay for joining you? It can’t just end with us shaking hands. Will I have to offer my soul or something?
Nialli let out a fit of laughter, as if he’d heard something outrageous.
【Your soul? Wow, this baby beast knows quite a lot for someone just hatched. Must be the influence of Adam and Eve? But you’re wrong. I don’t want your soul. What I want is something tangible, right in front of me. Just your body.】
Nialli spoke as if he were a pleasure-seeker refusing to take responsibility.
━Just my body?
【The body of a magical beast is like an instrument in itself. Your horns, fur, claws… your tendons and bl**d. Even bodily fluids like saliva and semen are invaluable. This instrument, Hamelin, is crafted from magical beast fur.】
Nialli lifted the violin he had placed on the ground and produced a haunting sound.
I had suspected it was an unusual instrument, but hearing it was made from magical beast fur left me astonished.
━So you’re saying you’ll k*ll me and disassemble me, you crazy psycho!
【Think about it. Adam and Eve are only using you for their own ends, just like me. It’s wise not to trust anyone. Smart beasts all turn out to be liars. And you should definitely not trust those hairless monkeys.】
━No way, you demon!
I bristled, growling.
Nialli looked annoyed as if he were faced with a bothersome task and spoke quietly.
【I can sense Adam’s energy in you. I’ll take my leave now, but the door to compromise is always open. If you change your mind, just let me know. My eyes and ears will be watching you, no matter where you go. And don’t trust Adam too much. That guy is just trying to use you.】
Just then, there was a loud banging on the church door.
Bang, bang!
The wooden bar blocking the chapel door snapped, and sunlight streamed into the dim interior.
Batus appeared through the light, holding my tooth necklace.
“Everything good, Alpha? Is that thing the mastermind of this incident?”
Batus’s gaze was on my back.
━That thing is…
I turned to look where Nialli had stood, but there was no one there—just the corpse of the golden fox and the string instrument made from magical beast fur sitting alone on the floor.
‘Did it vanish in an instant?’
Batus approached and examined the fallen fox’s body, stroking his chin.
“A long-tailed Tartar fox, eh? Looks like it’s a descendant of Mar and Fenrir. Was it controlling the townsfolk and the rats…? What’s up with this instrument?”
Batus picked up the instrument lying on the ground.
━I heard it’s made from magical beast fur.
“Magical beast fur, the fur of Behemoth. Judging by its length, this might actually be Delta’s fur… Did that thing tell you that?”
━Well…
“You should be wary of trusting Adam too much. That guy is just trying to use you.”
As I tried to explain the situation, a sentence Nialli had left behind suddenly came to mind. I bit into the fallen fox’s neck as I responded.
━Sort of.
【Experience points have increased.】
It tasted like spicy pepper sauce, making my tongue tingle from the residue left by the fox.
I gulped it down, sweating profusely as I consumed it.
‘Maybe for a descendant of a mythical creature, this guy was a bit bland, huh? Didn’t level up right away. But I can feel I’m not far off.’
After devouring every inch of the fox’s skin, I sensed it wouldn’t be long before I reached adulthood.
I felt instinctively that if I could eat another beast of silver grade or higher, I’d hit level 20 and become an adult.
As I headed outside the church, I saw sprawled human bodies and scattered rat carcasses.
“What’s going on? What happened?”
“Ugh, my head. Why am I lying here?”
“What about the rats? What’s with all these rats?!”
The farmers who had been lying on the ground slowly came to their senses. They gasped in shock at the rat corpses scattered like pebbles.
Taking advantage of their confusion, Batus held the fox hide high above his head.
“I am Batus, the Platinum Hunter! I have dealt with the silvers of the chaotic waters lurking in the village! Now that chaos and confusion have quieted down, good farmers, you can return to your work with peace of mind!”
With Batus’s booming shout, the farmers gathered around him, gazing in awe at his medal and the fox hide.
“A Platinum Hunter…?”
“What’s that in his hand? A fox?”
“That tail is ridiculously long. It must be a beast from the Ancient Nest!”
“Goodness, there was a silvers lurking in our town all this time?!”
“I… I can’t remember the last few days…!”
Panic ensued amongst the people, but they eventually calmed down after sunset, once they heard the testimonies from those who weren’t controlled by the fox.
