Chapter 226:
Chapter 226:
Dungeon Stampede 2.0 Minions
After about 20 minutes of combat, all the giant mussel crabs that had overflowed into the first basement level of the refrigerator dungeon were exterminated. This took us some time, so I hurried back to the critically injured monkeys.
However, when I returned, the monkeys' condition had worsened.
"Hey, are you okay? Hey… hang in there!"
I tried to wake the monkey by shaking it, but its body was limp, and its head flopped around.
Moreover, it had completely lost its color, and its face was pale despite being a monkey. The fighting frog was also limp, its usually bright eyes now dull and lifeless. As for the giant slug… it was hard to tell, but it was covered in wounds and seemed on the verge of death.
"Damn, at this rate…!"
Was the recovery potion insufficient? Or perhaps the recovery potion meant for humans didn't work on monsters? Either way, if I didn't do something, they would die. Desperately, I rummaged through my belongings, looking around the dungeon antechamber.
Then, I remembered the red slime inside my prosthetic leg.
(That's it! This red slime evolved by consuming my left leg. Serai-san and the others also underwent a life-energy transfer by sucking on my transformed breasts. If I give a part of my body to these guys, maybe I can directly infuse them with life energy…?!)"Yes, that might work!!"
[Gyubamun!!]
With that thought, I hastily tore off the left arm of my insect king suit and concentrated magic power into my bare left arm.
(Yes… if I let them drink my blood filled with life energy!)
Even though I planned to give up part of my body, if I lost any more body parts, I'd be in trouble. So, I decided to imbue my blood with life energy and give it to the monkeys.
"Here, drink this…"
I made a mucus ball with the blood from my cut left arm and gave it to the three of them. The life energy it contained was about the amount of one adult male. In terms of stats, it would decrease my overall stats by 10 points each.
"""………"""
"How is it? Hmm, still not enough? Okay, let's try again…"
If they died after all this effort, it would be too much to bear. So, I infused the second dose with the life energy of two adult males.
The monkey that swallowed it gradually regained its color and started breathing steadily. The fighting frog's original color made it hard to tell, but a glint returned to its eyes. The giant slug's shrunken body began to swell, and its massive frame started to regain its luster.
"Thank goodness, it seems to have worked…"
Somehow, they pulled through. In exchange, I felt drained from the loss of my life energy. But more than that, I was overjoyed that I hadn't lost them.
"Mm… huh!?"
Now Previous
Level 16 19
Race: Human?
Occupation: Teacher
Stats
Strength: 479 568
Stamina: 485 573
Intelligence: 513 603
Spirit: 521 612
Agility: 455 546
Luck: 555 666
Bitterness: 282 282
Blessings:
[Salt Spirit] Kiyomikami, [Fairy Queen] Sachimitama, [Red Slime] Junkimitama, [Spatial Monkey] Minion, [Fighting Frog] Minion, [Great Slug] Minion
Skills:
[Strong Acid 2], [Agility 2], [Disease Resistance 7], [Usurpation], [Mucus 7], [Space 6], [Good Luck 1.4], [Footwork], [Meditation], [Salt 5], [Art], [Maggot 2], [Woman], [Martial Arts 6], [Paralysis 4], [Jump 9], [Sturdy 8], [Charm]
Titles:
[Bug King], [Salt Mate], [Salty Guy], [Bug Queen], [Woman Killer], [Bug Friends]
‘Well, after giving life energy to the monkeys, my stats have surely decreased', I thought as I checked my status. To my surprise, the monkeys were listed under my blessings.
"Minions… Does that mean I've blessed the monkeys?"
The spatial monkey, the fighting frog, and the great slug had all become my minions.
…..
When I was a child, I once took care of a stray cat.
When I found that kitten, it was still very young and had apparently been separated from its mother. It was very dirty and had severe eye infections.
Even so, the kitten struggled to survive and bared its teeth at me, a stranger, trying to intimidate me. It even showed the whites of its eyes, attempting to bite an opponent many times its size.
I later learned that those grotesque white eyes were a normal part of a cat's nictitating membrane.
But at that moment, the kitten looked like a grotesque devil's spawn. ‘If demons existed and had babies, they would look like this kitten', I thought, genuinely believing it.
Yet, despite its ugliness, I also saw beauty in its struggle to survive.
Its appearance was terrible, but its desperate fight to live seemed beautiful to me. I felt that this tiny kitten had taught me something about the nature of life.
I still remember being asked, ‘Why are you helping such a dirty cat?'
To that person, the dirty cat would always be just a dirty cat. But I felt that there was an irreplaceable beauty in that filthy kitten. And I saw a bit of ugliness in the clean person who called it dirty.
Everyone has their own sense of beauty and ugliness, and I don't intend to impose mine on others.
But I do think those who can't understand this feeling will never understand, no matter how much we talk. Well, this is just an old story I remembered.
Anyway, the monkey, frog, and slug became my minions. Since they became my minions, I must take care of them as their boss.
"Alright, let's give you names. You'll be Seitan from now on."
"Ugii…"
"Good, now rest and heal."
I named the monkey Seitan, infusing it with magic and turning it into a card.
I named it Seitan because I wanted it to be less sticky and more crisp, and also after the great monkey king, Sun Wukong.
"Next is the frog. You'll be Uten. Frogs are energetic on rainy days, so get well soon."
"Geko…"
I named the frog Uten, keeping the weather theme with the monkey. Plus, having "ten" (heaven) in the name seemed fitting.
"Finally, the slug. You'll be Nokiri. You like dark and damp places, so it's perfect."
Although the slug's name didn't include "ten", I named it after the king of insects living in the Sea of Corruption. Its silhouette was similar enough. But since I didn't want to copy directly, I thought Nokiri was a fitting name for the slug.
"Alright, rest and heal now. …Wait, all three have turned silver?"
After turning them into cards, they all became silver plates. Previously, only the frog's card was silver, while the others were copper.
It seemed that by giving them life energy and making them minions, their monster grade had increased. So, becoming a minion had such an effect…
"You're so slow! What are you doing, Egetsu-san??"
I turned to see Serai-san pouting from the pitch-black entrance.
"Oh, sorry. I'm coming back now."
"Jeez, we've been waiting!"
Oops, I got distracted by the unexpected situation. It's already been an hour.
…..
"That's what happened."
"Wow, all that happened while I was taking a shower?"
After eating and some love-hustle time, I explained to Serai-san what had happened in the dungeon.
"So, the dungeon is in a crazy state now?"
"Yeah. The monsters that came out of the crab dungeon don't turn to smoke in the refrigerator dungeon, so the passages are filled with corpses."
"I see. It must have been tough after coming back too. Good job."
Ugh, Serai-san. I know you're teasing, but when you do that, it makes me feel all babied. Can I bury my face in your big chest again?
"Then, let's clean up the crab dungeon tomorrow and secure some more food."
"Good idea. It looks like it'll take some time to recover. We should secure enough for ourselves and share a bit with Shark's group too."
"Then it's decided… hey, let's do it again."
"Again?"
"Yes. Or… are you done?"
"No, please, one more time."
"Hehe, mm~~!"
Well, well… but that's also very welcome, of course.
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