After all exploration teams returned.
I gifted Basett Daong, who came with Team 4, some food as a reward for helping us in the desert.
Fish that Ha Yumi bought from the seafood market.
Fish from the Rize Nova world sent by Rize.
And even the churu sent by Missy.
Fortunately, the gifts matched Basett’s taste perfectly.
[Mmm, it’s delicious! So, so delicious!!! The fish is tasty, and this churu melts in my mouth!]
It was a moment that significantly boosted Basett Daong’s favorability toward us.
While Basett was devouring the fish and churu like there was no tomorrow.
I placed a severed arm against its spots and tightly tied it with thread.
No matter how friendly they are.
Taming an SS-Class takes quite some time.
By the way, the Snake Head and Mummy Skeleton were already tamed.
[Hooorohooro, chiiyi!]
[…I’m noisy.]
[Hooorohooro!]
[Shut up…]
[Hooorohoorohooro! Chiiyi!!!]
[………]
The two that ended up as mere cocoons.
Pharaoh Devil and Anubis Dragon.
I placed a severed arm on their spots too.
These guys would probably take way longer to tame.
Having shifted my gaze away from them, I looked back at Basett Daong.
“Meow.”
[Churup, churup… Basett Daong.]
“Stay here tonight. I’ll make sure you get food tomorrow.”
[Sounds good! As long as you give me food, I could live here forever!!]
I successfully kept Basett here.
Lucky that it’s quite simple-minded.
I smiled warmly at Basett and asked a question that had been on my mind.
“By the way, Meow.”
[Basett Daong, please call my name properly.]
“Alright, Daong.”
[Why do you call me?]
“Can you tell me what relationship you have with Solorb?”
[Solorb? It’s basically my friend.]
“Friend? How did you become friends?”
[We’ve been friends for a long time. I originally come from Solorb.]
“What does ‘come from Solorb’ mean?”
[It means I come from a world called Solorb. Solorb is also the name of a world.]
Churup churup.
Basett began to elaborate while sucking down the churu like it was the last meal.
*
To put it bluntly.
Basett isn’t a newly born creature nor one who recently evolved.
According to Basett, it has existed for quite a long time, claiming to be about 5,000 years old.
‘They said they crossed into this world recently…’
This creature isn’t one that was born and raised in the Ancient Labyrinth.
Basett’s hometown is Solorb.
Specifically, it’s said to be from an independent world existing within Solorb.
In other words.
Solorb is a monster containing a world.
And Basett lived in that world before coming here.
The reason Solorb helped Basett is simply because it’s from the world it contains.
In a way, it’s like being its child.
【Mysticism】─🧐
Anyway.
In the end, Basett is a monster from another world.
Yet the visible red spots that allow for taming indicate that…
Solorb’s monsters, residing in the labyrinth, are likely recognized as Ancient Labyrinth Monsters.
Even though the world inside Solorb is indeed another world.
It’s essentially a sub-world situated within a labyrinth.
“Daong, so why did you come to this world?”
[I got bored over there, so I came out. I wanted to explore new places.]
That’s a perfectly understandable reason.
Spending 5,000 years in one world would certainly be tiresome.
[And I came out as a representative of Solorb.]
“Representative?”
[Yes. Originally, many friends wanted to come out like me, but Solorb was worried about the dangers outside and couldn’t let everyone go, so we decided to select one representative among ourselves. I was chosen as that representative.]
It seems Basett is the only monster that came from the Desert Solorb.
“What does a representative do? Do you share the stories of your experiences outside when you return to Solorb?”
[There’s no need for that. Everything I see can be seen by everyone in Solorb, including Solorb itself. The sounds I hear are transmitted to Solorb as well.]
The more I listened, the clearer it became.
What Basett sees now is projected through a screen floating in the sky of the Solorb world.
“How many are watching?”
[Everyone in Solorb is probably watching, around 100 million or so I’d guess.]
“…100 million?”
[Could be even more. Many friends live in Solorb.]
“What’s so overcrowded? Knowing that an unspecified number of people are watching me is suddenly overwhelming…”
[Don’t feel burdened. Everyone views you positively.]
“Are there any humans… no, species that look similar to me?”
[There aren’t. There’s no creature that resembles fish either. Most look like me. Of course, faces, fur colors, and sizes vary.]
[Shut up.]
A world of cats…
Most of them are probably monsters, not regular cats.
And there might be peers at the level of Basett too.
It probably won’t be a world filled with adorable kitties but a death world riddled with vicious-looking monster cats.
“By the way, Daong, you’re watching me from Solorb right now, right?”
[That’s correct.]
My gaze moved toward the severed arm secured to Basett’s body.
Is this even okay to tame?
It’d be awkward if Solorb felt unpleasant about it.
While I was thinking about that, Basett spoke first.
[By the way, are you taming me right now?]
“Uh? How did you know?”
[Solorb said the arm stuck to me seemed suspicious. They told me it felt like taming was going on.]
Unlike the dull Basett.
Solorb seemed to be a rather perceptive being.
“Sorry. I’ll remove it.”
Having been caught, I apologized.
It’s dangerous to turn Solorb into an enemy right now.
In case they get upset, just as I was about to hurriedly take the severed arm away.
[You can continue. Solorb said it’s safer for an explorer to be with me.]
Basett quickly said, pulling away a bit.
Fortunately, it seemed neither Solorb nor Basett was in a bad mood.
So does that mean Solorb is okay with it?
[I don’t mind being tamed, and Solorb said as long as it’s not being tamed itself, it wouldn’t care.]
…What a pity.
*
A day passed. The next day.
Pharaoh Devil. Anubis Dragon.
Both are still in the process of taming.
They’re monsters that have a history of being dominated, but there was no issue in taming them.
Unlike monsters that have been tamed before, those with a history of being dominated can also show spots that allow for taming.
Like Melody Fox.
I left just a few monsters behind to guard Para and Anu’s hideout.
Taking all the other monsters with me, I headed directly into the desert.
[Abearallar!!!]
And I tamed the Giant Caterpillar that was waiting at the entrance.
It got tamed just as quickly as the Medical Mushroom or Melody Fox.
By the way, there are no explorations today.
I need to set up a resting place in this desert.
With that, my monsters and I mounted the Caterpillar’s back, scouring the desert for a suitable spot.
Is there no fitting place?
While I was pondering that thought.
“Oh.”
I discovered a suitable spot.
A spot where a spring emerges and grass and trees grow.
An oasis.
After parking the Caterpillar near the oasis, I took out a large sign.
It was the support supplies sent by Rize.
After erecting the rather large sign, I pulled out a small orb that I had kept in my pocket.
This was also a support supply sent by Rize.
“Is it like this, just throw it hard on the ground?”
I threw the orb in my hand with all my might.
Then,
Puuuh-!
Energy was released and a crystal house was created instantly.
If only they had sent something similar last time as well.
…But that thought didn’t really cross my mind.
This orb was said to be extremely expensive.
The fee was also at the maximum of the platinum grade.
Anyway.
The crystal house we just installed would serve as a place for monsters visiting here to spend the night and for the resting manager to live in.
Sadly, the assistant Caterpillar was far too large to use it.
‘It should be either Para or Anu who will be the manager…’
I also assigned an Iris to ensure communication with the resting area.
It was the 6th Iris I recently tamed with the help of the other Iriases yesterday.
Besides, I scattered some minor supplies near the crystal house.
A wooden table, a wooden chair, and a parasol.
All of these were also support supplies sent by Rize.
“Hmm.”
After setting up the house and various objects in the oasis, the resting place now looked quite decent.
As I slowly looked around the place, I realized something was missing.
“By the way, there’s no barricade.”
I forgot the most important thing.
I hadn’t installed a defense wall to prevent outside monsters from invading.
Honestly, I didn’t think a mere wall could stop monsters from the labyrinth, but…
Still, it’s better to have one than not.
It could at least buy us a little time if monsters invaded this place.
Moreover.
Having a defense wall would also serve as a clear indication that this resting place is someone’s territory.
“I should ask Rize to send a defense wall or something later.”
While I was mumbling to myself, stroking my chin.
[Don’t worry.]
A huge voice dropped from the sky.
[I shall personally protect the resting place.]
…Oh, right.
I completely forgot that Solorb was continuously spying on me.
I had momentarily forgotten that through Basett, Solorb and countless cats were watching over me.
Since I hadn’t turned on the broadcast yet, maybe that was why I thought no one was watching me all this time.
Anyway, well, if an SSS-Class monster says it will protect the resting place, there’s no reason to decline.
“Uh… thanks…”
[Hehe.]
Without realizing it, I ended up acquiring a top-tier defense wall.
“…But hey, did you just come a little lower? It’s too hot, could you go back up?”
[Hehe…]
Solorb floated back up to the high sky.
It was surprisingly compliant.
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