Suddenly, the Hedgehog Summoner displayed weird symptoms.
It was engulfed in a brilliant light and transformed into an egg.
It seems the Hedgehog’s strange behavior was merely a precursor to transformation.
【Luna-chan】─Ooh! Dachi-chan is entering the evolution status!
【Boglebogle】─Looks like it’s benefited from Melody Fox’s buff. But I’m not sure we can call it evolution yet.
【Pururu】─No, I was seriously worried thinking something was wrong.
【Mysticism】─Stop messing with people! 😡
【Hwang Mir】─Hahaha, that’s absurd.
【Yumi】─I noticed the Medical Angel wasn’t spraying pink liquid and was just watching quietly…
【Yumi】─Besides, the Hedgehog doesn’t even evolve normally.
【Rize Nova】─That’s the charm of Hedgehog balls.
Anyway, it was a relief.
At least, there was no anomaly with the Hedgehog’s body.
I squatted down and took in the sight of the Hedgehog’s egg.
It was a rather large egg.
However, compared to the eggs of other monsters, it was pretty small.
Just a bit larger than an ostrich egg.
【Pururu】─I’ve been curious, what happens if we break that egg?
【Yumi】─Why are you curious about that?
【Mysticism】─😠 Stop that useless curiosity!
【Boglebogle】─That’s not confirmed as evolution yet, you know.
【Boglebogle】─And in that state, it should be immune to most attacks.
【Luna-chan】─Exactly. It should withstand most shocks from the outside. Since it’s entered a vulnerable state, its defenses must have skyrocketed.
【Mysticism】─Super durability! 😃
【Pururu】─Would it hold up against a Solorb attack?
【Boglebogle】─I don’t think so.
While I was watching the egg,
Merino squatted beside me, carefully examining the Hedgehog’s egg.
Then, she gently poked it with her finger.
─Doom Bar.
“Baa?!”
As Merino touched the egg, it vibrated slightly and a familiar sound floated out from within.
Merino opened her mouth slightly.
She tapped the egg again.
─Doo Doom Bar.
“Baa baa?!”
Once more, a poke.
─Doo doo, Doo Doom Bar.
“Baa baa baa!? The egg is talking…!”
【Pururu】─Hahaha, the egg isn’t ordinary.
【Hwang Mir】─It looks the most ordinary among monsters, but it seems to have a solid personality. Haha.
【Mysticism】─🤭
Merino continued to tap the egg, fascinated.
Then, she carefully cradled it like a baby.
“I’ll take care of you. Be born beautifully.”
─Doo Doom Bar.
While Merino was gently stroking the egg she held,
The one who gave the Hedgehog the buff, Melody Fox, was tugging at Bastet’s front paw with her mouth.
［Kyu, kyu.］
［Daong?］
［Kyu, kyu. Kyu kyu.］
［Got it, Daong.］
Bastet nodded and strode over to Merino.
［Merino Daong. Please hand over that egg.］
“Baa baa? Don’t take my child!”
［If you don’t give it to us, the Hedgehog might not hatch. So please hand it over quickly.］
“Baa baa?! That’s not happening! I’ll hand it over right away!”
Merino startled and hurriedly offered up the egg.
Receiving the egg, Bastet
Moved into the Crystal House,
Carefully placed the egg on a mattress and curled up to protect it.
Melody Fox also stealthily approached and pressed her body against the egg.
Following them into the Crystal House, I asked Bastet,
“Bastet. What did you mean when you said the Hedgehog might not hatch just now?”
［I was just saying that. Since Melody Daong asked me to take care of the egg.］
“Melody asked that?”
［Yes. From the excessive worry in Melody Daong’s cries, it’s certain.］
I turned to look at Melody.
Melody nodded, as if to affirm Bastet’s words, her eyes half-closed.
It seemed entrusting the egg to Merino was a bit untrustworthy.
Well, that was only natural.
It wasn’t an issue of trust; Merino was the weakest, being F-Class.
［Hmm… I suddenly feel incredibly sleepy…］
［Kyu.］
The two, cradling the egg tenderly,
Bastet and Melody gently closed their eyes, soon falling into slumber.
*
In the world of Undead Spirits.
The Abyss.
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A fragment of the Hedgehog Summoner’s soul arrived here.
［…Doo Doom Bar? Where is this?］
In the pitch-black darkness.
The Hedgehog looked around blankly.
［What happened? I was definitely dancing with everyone…!］
The Hedgehog couldn’t understand why it had suddenly ended up in such a space.
It was certain that it hadn’t been turned into a doll by the Stone Maker again.
It had no memory of meeting the Stone Maker, and the feeling was distinctly different from when it had felt stuck as a doll in the dark.
Then, could it be that the Gauntlet secretly used a dispatch ticket?
That thought flickered for a moment, but it shook its head, thinking it couldn’t be.
Knowing the Gauntlet’s personality, it wouldn’t send a dispatch without a word.
［Did everyone leave me behind and go somewhere…?］
Roaming the darkness, the Hedgehog started to call out for its friends as loud as it could.
Hoping that its friends would come looking after hearing its voice.
［Gauntlet! Merino! Kino! Princess! Necro… has gone to the Underwater Town… Medical! Melody! Blamasl! Iris! Azelas! Niarah! Artpega! Bastet! Jaffaaaan!!! Where is everyone?!］
No one responded to the call.
Yet it didn’t give up, continuing to call out the names of its friends.
As time passed,
Exhausted from walking, the Hedgehog came to a halt and sniffled.
Then, calming its heart,
It looked around calmly again.
［…But this place feels somewhat familiar.］
It felt a strangely familiar sensation.
As if it had returned home.
It belatedly realized that this feeling was identical to that radiated by the Abyss Undead Spirits.
［If it’s our Doom Bar friends, they should know where this place is! I need to summon and ask!］
The Hedgehog’s butt wiggled.
And it tried to summon its spirits, but…
［…Doo Doom Bar? I can’t summon!］
It was impossible to summon.
No matter how hard it tried to call them, it couldn’t connect with the spirits.
［Doom Bar friends! Answer my call!!!］
Of course, the spirits could not respond.
Currently, the connection with the Hedgehog was cut off.
The Hedgehog struggled desperately to summon the spirits.
Wiggling its butt up and down, performing an even more dazzling dance.
Then at that moment.
［Doom Bar…］
［Doo Doom Bar…］
［Hedgehog…］
Gigantic forms began to reveal themselves above the Hedgehog’s head.
Seeing them, the Hedgehog bounced in joy and shouted.
［Doo Doom Bar friends?! You’ve finally answered my call! I believed in you!!!］
Unfortunately,
The spirits did not answer the call.
The Hedgehog quickly came to realize this fact.
［Move aside.］
A voice rang out from somewhere.
Upon hearing this, the spirits parted like the Red Sea.
［Tch. These fools are always annoying with their size.］
［Why do they have to be so big when they’re so weak?］
Among the spirits,
Others began to slowly approach the Hedgehog.
They were the SS-Class Abyss Undead Spirits.
While their size was infinitely smaller than the S-Class spirits, their soul rank was incomparably higher.
And then,
Upon seeing them, the Hedgehog belatedly realized that this was the spirits’ home, the Abyss.
［You guys. Don’t just stand there, kneel!］
One SS-Class spirit commanded while looking at the Hedgehog’s S-Class spirits.
The S-Class spirits trembled and instantly knelt.
The spirits without legs lay flat on the ground.
Seeing this spectacle, the Hedgehog shouted in anger.
［Don’t give my Doom Bar friends any strange orders!!!］
［Shut up.］
The voice of the SS-Class spirit lowered ominously.
At that chilling voice, the Hedgehog gulped and stepped back.
Before long, the SS-Class spirits had approached right in front of the Hedgehog.
They stopped and looked down at the Hedgehog with cold expressions, opening their mouths.
［Long time no see, Hedgehog Summoner.］
［Out of all those that have come up until now, you look the dumbest.］
［Today, another Hedgehog Summoner will die.］
［Will the contract conditions proceed as usual?］
［Of course.］
The Hedgehog Summoner had a different evolution method from other races.
It was to contract with a higher spirit than the ones already contracted.
That was the condition for evolution.
For reference, the previous contracts occurred naturally as soon as they were born.
Anyway,
The contract conditions of the SS-Class spirits were as follows.
Defeat them in battle.
A straightforward yet exceptionally difficult condition.
If the Hedgehog Summoner won,
The defeated SS-Class spirit would be forever bound as a summon.
If the Hedgehog Summoner lost, only death awaited.
The SS-Class spirits communicated the entire content of the contract to the Hedgehog before the duel began.
Upon hearing this, a look of disbelief spread across the Hedgehog’s face.
［W-wait a moment?! I came here to evolve! You want me to fight and win against you?!］
Having to fight and win against its summons was an unreasonable condition for a summoner.
Especially for one like the Hedgehog, who had little combat power.
Thus,
Since the dawn of time, not a single Hedgehog Summoner had succeeded in this contract.
It meant that an SS-Class Hedgehog had never been born.
In other words, evolution for the Hedgehog Summoner race essentially meant death.
［That’s an absurd condition! I’m a summoner! Let’s compete fairly with a dance!］
It was impossible for the spirits to accept such a proposal.
Currently, the spirits were in a dominant position, and the Hedgehog had no choice but to comply with the conditions set forth by them.
［Our Doom Bar friends will be the judges, and we’ll see who dances the best butt dance…］
Thud-
［W-wait?!］
An SS-Class spirit’s attack swiftly struck the ground, cutting off the Hedgehog’s words.
Fortunately, it did not hit.
Thanks to quickly dodging while dancing.
It was due to the increase in evasion granted by Melody Fox’s buff.
［Oh. You dodged that? Impressive.］
［What’s up with this? Dancing while evading a pretty lousy attack.］
［This one seems a bit different from the other Hedgehog Summoners.］
［Be careful. It’s been a while since we’ve enjoyed ourselves, so it wouldn’t be fun if we kill it too easily.］
［Doo Doom Bar!!! You bad spirits!!!］
The SS-Class spirits continued to unleash attacks while adjusting their strength.
With expressions twisted in serious twisted smiles like villains enjoying tormenting weak animals.
The Hedgehog’s S-Class spirits couldn’t offer assistance.
In the Abyss, the words of a higher spirit were law.
［Khaha! You can dodge quite well!］
［The more I see it, the more disgusting the dance looks.］
［It looks like the ultimate evasion technique obtained at the cost of hideousness.］
［Doo Doom Ba! It’s not ugly! My dance is cool!!! If you contract with me, I’ll make you dance all day long!!!］
［Now there’s a reason I can’t lose to it.］
［I’d rather take my own life than dance that dance.］
［Besides, we won’t be contracting with it anyway.］
［Doo Doom Ba!!!］
The Hedgehog ran for its life, dodging attacks with all its might.
Then,
Thud-
It made a mistake it never usually would.
It stumbled while dancing, tripped, and fell.
［D-doom Ba…!］
It was over.
Sensing its impending death, the Hedgehog closed its eyes tightly.
And then, at that moment.
Bam-
［Kyuah!］
［Here comes the appearance!］
Two monsters tore through space and landed in the Abyss.
Melody Fox, who attempted direct intervention in the Hedgehog’s evolution, and Bastet Daong, who came along with Melody’s power.
Naturally, their physical forms remained in the Ancient Labyrinth, and only fragments of their souls arrived in the Abyss.
Awakened by the light, the Hedgehog opened its eyes.
In its vision, Melody and Bastet appeared.
The Hedgehog looked at them with a face full of emotion and shouted.
［M-Melody! Bastet!! You came to save me!!!］
［Kyu!］
［It seems Melody Daong’s concerns were correct. It looks like a very dangerous being is attacking the Hedgehog.］
［Kyu, kyu!］
Interpreting Melody’s words, it essentially meant this:
“I told you, it didn’t feel good at all!”
Of course, no one understood.
In any case,
Upon Bastet’s arrival, the SS-Class spirits froze in their actions.
They instinctively realized.
That the soul before them was of the same rank as theirs.
Their playful attitudes turned serious in an instant.
They had no intention of treating the one in front lightly, as they had when toying with the Hedgehog.
Of course, they weren’t overly cautious.
There was only one opponent.
They felt confident in their ability to overcome the presence before them due to their numerical superiority.
And then.
Bastet also judged that she couldn’t face them alone with her strength.
Thus, she decided to use her trump card.
In a world where one could manifest only with a soul, she believed she could activate her trump card.
［Daong!!!］
In that split second,
Bastet’s enormous roar echoed through the Abyss.
And just like that, the pitch-black realm of the Abyss transformed into brilliant light.
*
［Did you call for me?］
Responding to Bastet Daong’s call, the soul of Solorb spread across the Abyss.
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