The Death Mage Who Doesn't Want a Fourth Time

Chapter 215: A way to make artificial limbs one’s own

After being rescued by Vandalieu and Simon, Natania was in Vandalieu’s house.

Darcia was whispering something to Juliana at her bedside, and Vandalieu was touching her expanded, pregnant abdomen and casting some kind of magic. Two strange maid sisters in armor were also present.

“I’ve finished examining and treating Juliana. How are the Demon Eyes doing, Mom?” Vandalieu asked.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t regenerate their limbs with the Demon Eyes of Regeneration after all. If there were at least bones or fragments of their flesh left… But it’s alright. I know you’ll do anything to make things better, Vandalieu,” said Darcia.

“We’ll take care of tomorrow’s preparations, Bocchan,” said Rita.

“The main thing to do is just cut the meat and put the skewers through them, after all,” said Saria. “We’ve already finished preparing to distribute the Gobu-gobu and Kobold meat to our chain stores.”

There was also a person called Tarea. She was a Ghoul woman, even though Ghouls were considered to be an advanced race of Zombies. She had been brought here by space-attribute magic cast by an Elf girl named Gufadgarn, who had been here until just a short while ago.

“Now then, while you tell me the details, I’ll be taking measurements… or rather, feeling your muscle structure,” Tarea said.

The house was full of surprises; Natania was in what could only be described as a very mysterious environment. But she felt no fear or uneasiness; she felt a strange sense of comfort from Darcia, and most of all, from Vandalieu. At the same time, she swallowed her saliva nervously as she realized that there was no turning back for her.

“Y-yes, please do,” she said to Tarea.

Going back to when Natania and the others were entering the city of Morksi…

It was possible that Duke Alcrem’s subordinates were present even here, in order to investigate whether Juliana was really dead.

That was what Natania had secretly been worried about, but they were able to pass through the gate without the guards trying to look into their backgrounds.

The guards were surprised by the fact that Fang had become a Hellhound by increasing his Rank, but they quickly realized that there were more important things to worry about when they saw Natania and Juliana’s conditions. Naturally, they had asked for an explanation as to why their limbs had been severed, but that didn’t take much time.

“Minotaurs?! … We’ll hear an explanation from the Adventurers’ Guild later, so hurry on through. I’m sorry, but try not to let people see them,” said one of the guards.

Minotaurs were monsters that were Rank 5 at minimum. They were usually found in Dungeons and Devil’s Nests; it would be a big deal if victims had fallen prey to them outside such areas.

If there were Minotaurs that had formed a horde, they would pose a threat to even a city as large as Morksi. Thus, the guards didn’t even ask Natania and Juliana’s names. With cloths covering them so as to not cause concern among the city’s people, they were carried to the Adventurers’ Guild as ordinary, injured people.

It was possible that things proceeded so smoothly because Maroru, Urumi and Suruga’s Rank increases hadn’t been noticed as their fur was in an ordinary state, and because Aggar and his thugs weren’t around.

At the Adventurers’ Guild, they were able to explain the situation not at the reception desk, but to the Guild Master Berard in a meeting room on the second floor.

“In summary… you were captured by a horde of Minotaurs, but they were wiped out by an adventurer named Ralph, and you were saved?” Berard said, his tense face relaxing as he learned that the Minotaur horde had already been destroyed.

It was only natural for Berard to be more concerned about the threat of a Minotaur horde than Natania and Juliana’s identities, as he was in charge of this city’s Adventurers’ Guild.

“Do you not know anything else about this adventurer named Ralph? Maybe his adventurer class at the Guild, or where he is usually based?” asked Berard. “If he’s skilled enough to wipe out a horde of Minotaurs on his own, I should at least know his name.”

There were many hero candidates with divine protections from gods who had appeared several years ago, but there weren’t too many of them if one were only looking around the vicinity of the city of Morksi. In fact, Berard had the feeling that their activities had recently been getting more and more distant from the city.

Of course, it would be a good thing if it meant that there were no threats around the city that required the activities of hero candidates with the divine protections of gods to deal with, but… would a Minotaur horde not be considered a threat to such hero candidates? Berard couldn’t help but ask himself this.

“I don’t know; he didn’t tell me anything in detail. He was a human man, and I think he was in his thirties,” said Natania, though she was actually nervous as she was concealing the fact that it was not merely a horde of Minotaurs, but one led by a Minotaur King.

She was entirely unconfident that she would be able to fool Berard, who was probably a veteran adventurer himself.

“I didn’t see any particularly identifying characteristics, either. But from the way he spoke, I think he was quite the skilled fellow,” said Simon.

Berard’s attention was focused not on Natania, but on his own thoughts.

“Hmm… A lightly-equipped spiritual magic user named Ralph… huh,” he muttered.

He had begun to suspect that the true identity of the mysterious adventurer named Ralph was Randolf ‘the True.’

The name ‘Ralph’ was a likely false name, as a shortened form of ‘Randolf.’ He was a human according to Natania, but it was simple to conceal the fact that one was an Elf with a disguising Magic Item.

And if Berard were to try to think of someone who would accomplish something as great as destroying a Minotaur horde on his own and then keep quiet about it… he could only think of one person.

Still, even if that is the truth, there’s no point in investigating it. I’m sure the Guild Master of the Alcrem Duchy headquarters would know something about it, but even if I were to ask him, he’d just tell me to forget about this incident, Berard thought. And if Randolf has done some work, it’s likely that a duke or marquis is involved… Come to think of it, that girl’s name is apparently Julia, but… I get the feeling that the duke’s younger sister was a knight by the name of Juliana.

Berard’s brain processed all of this very quickly, but he then decided to not pay the matter any more thought.

He was no nobleman; he was the Guild Master in charge of Morksi’s branch of the Adventurers’ Guild. Nothing more, nothing less. He discarded his curiosity that might even kill a tiger, never mind a cat, and decided to focus on his work.

“Well, no matter how capable this Ralph person is, it’s possible that a few Minotaurs escaped. We need to report this to the lord of the region and have adventurers be on the alert,” Berard said. “Thank you for the important information.”

“Yeah, I’m glad I could help,” said Natania. “And about the people who used me as bait -”

“The party called the ‘Flame Blades.’ Rest assured. I will certainly investigate them and deal with them appropriately.”

Berard knew nothing of the Flame Blades, which was likely just another D-class adventurer party among many. The only thing he thought when he heard the party’s name was that they had probably been inspired by the famous Five-colored Blades, who weren’t in the city of Morksi.

He remembered being troubled by a trend of adventurer parties’ names ending with ‘Blades’ several years back.

But he thought that if what Natania claimed they had done was true, they were fiends who didn’t deserve to name themselves after the Five-colored Blades.

If they had merely abandoned a companion who had already been captured by a Minotaur horde, then they couldn’t be blamed. A D-class adventurer party might barely be able to take down a single Rank 5 monster; they would be helpless if multiple of them appeared at once. It would be nothing short of reckless to try and save their companion in such a situation.

But to deliberately attack the leg of a female adventurer companion to use her as bait, even if she hadn’t been with them for very long, was too much. Though it was true that perhaps there would have been more victims if they had continued to all try and escape, it was too evil an act to write it off as a necessity.

“Adventurers aren’t tools. They provide services that are based upon trust. It’s because they obey the rules that we allow them to walk around cities while armed and merchants are able to request their protection. We’ll teach these bastards that, though it’ll take a few hours to contact the Guild in the city you were active in and investigate whether there is a party called the Flame Blades,” said Berard. “But executing them or making them criminal slaves isn’t possible. You’ll have to make do with penalties to their promotions and them paying reparations.”

“… I know that,” said Natania with a slightly angry nod.

“Why?” Vandalieu asked, who had been whispering something into Juliana’s ears the whole time.

He and Simon, who was looking uncomfortable to be there, had also been let into the meeting room.

“M-Master, the Guild has its own circumstances…!” said Simon.

“It was clear what fate Natania would have suffered if she were captured, and they still deliberately wounded her leg and used her as bait. I think the punishment for that is too light. On top of that, she is an agile wildcat-type Beast-kin, and she is a lightly-equipped unarmed fighter. I don’t know what kind of members the Flame Blades had, but I find it hard to believe that there was anyone faster-footed than her,” Vandalieu continued, ignoring Simon’s attempts to stop him.

Having discussed things, Vandalieu had begun to suspect that the Flame Blades had let Natania into the party with the intention of sacrificing her if they ever found themselves in danger.

“H-how do you know that I’m an unarmed fighter?!” Natania said in surprise.

Vandalieu had done most of his discussions with those Natania couldn’t see - the Ghosts like Orbia and Princess Levia, and the nearby spirits.

“I also have the ‘Unarmed Fighting Technique’ Skill, so I guessed as much from your muscular structure. Look, even my claws can extend like this,” Vandalieu said, showing her the menacing, sharp claws extending from his fingertips.

“Wow, you’re right… Wait, you’re a Dhampir?! It’s my first time seeing one. You really do have claws,” Natania said in wonder.

“Wow, they’re sharper than most knives. Could I have a closer look at them, for future reference?” said Berard, leaning in to look at them as well.

“We’ve gone way off-topic, Guild Master,” Simon pointed out.

Berard hastily sat straight again. “The reason we cannot punish them more harshly is because the Adventurers’ Guild is not a judiciary body. We don’t have the authority to punish people or turn them into criminal slaves unless they have bounties on their heads, or they’re bandits or robbers. And it is commonly accepted that anything that happens to an adventurer is their own responsibility.”

Things being adventurers’ own responsibility meant that Natania also bore responsibility for the fact that she had been unable to choose better companions.

“But penalties to their advancement and the fines are not light punishments. The fines will be an amount that no D-class adventurer would be able to pay, and the amount that they are lacking will be taken out as a loan from the Guild. The fine that we get from them will be paid through the Guild to you as reparation, Natania-kun,” Berard continued. “And once rumors spread that they sacrificed a female companion to a horde of Minotaurs, nobody will go near them. There won’t be any more victims.”

According to Berard’s explanation, the Flame Blades would become greatly indebted to the Guild, forcing them into a situation where they would be working just to stay alive.

“I see… I’m sorry for interrupting,” said Vandalieu.

“No, it’s fine,” said Berard. “Anyway, moving onto another topic… Natania-kun, what will you do from now on? The amount you will get from selling the Magic Stones you brought and the reparation from the Flame Blades is nowhere near enough for you to live out the rest of your life. Even if you were to buy artificial limbs that are Magic Items, becoming able to use them in combat would be…”

Berard was talking about Natania and Juliana’s futures. Providing care for adventurers who could no longer continue working was one of the Adventurers’ Guild’s duties.

But this couldn’t be described as perfect; it was only small assistance, such as helping the one-armed Simon to find day jobs.

“That’s… Could I ask you to introduce me to someone for work? You should know someone you could introduce someone like me to, right?” said Natania with a dispirited sigh.

It seemed that she was relieved that the Flame Blades would be punished for betraying her, at the same time, she was losing her willpower.

“Alright. I’ll find you the best place I can,” said Berard.

Natania would no longer be able to go adventuring. But she had no savings, and no work or education either. There was one brothel that the Guild directed such female adventurers to.

“But what about Julia-kun over there?” Berard asked. “I’ve contacted the Tamers’ Guild, but… unfortunately, Guild Master Bachem has been out of town for work since this morning, so a price quote will have to be later.”

Juliana, whom Berard knew as Julia, the village girl who had been attacked and captured by the Minotaurs before Natania, didn’t meet the requirements to receive care from the Adventurers’ Guild.

However, Berard had contacted the Tamers’ Guild to have them purchase the monster children that she was pregnant with.

“Julia doesn’t have any family, so I’m thinking of taking care of her. She’s the only reason I still have my sanity,” said Natania.

“Alright. Let’s hurry and have Bachem purchase the monsters as soon as he returns,” said Berard.

“No, there’s no need for that,” said an unfamiliar voice.

“I see. If you don’t need me to get you in touch with him, then I don’t have to… Wait, who spoke just now?!” Berard shouted.

“Juliana-san?! You can talk now?!” Natania exclaimed.

As both of them stared at her, Juliana nodded, with light having returned to her eyes.

“Natania, because of you and everyone, I have avoided death, and my sanity has returned. Thank you for not abandoning me,” she said.

“That’s not true! You’re the one who encouraged me… Ah, I’m so glad! It’s really you, Juliana!” Natania cried, tears of joy from seeing Juliana’s recovery streaming down her face.

She didn’t seem to have noticed that Juliana’s behavior was a little strange.

“It’s wonderful that you have recovered, but what did you mean when you said that you don’t need me to contact the Tamers’ Guild? … I think abortion would be dangerous if they’ve already grown that large,” said Berard, pretending not to notice that Natania had used the name ‘Juliana.’

“I mean exactly what I said. After discussing things with everyone, I have decided to leave everything to the goddess… in other words, entrust myself to this person,” said Juliana, pointing at Vandalieu.

“I’m not a goddess, but I’ll be taking care of her,” said Vandalieu.

It seemed that Juliana would come into the care of a Dhampir boy.

“When did you do that?! No wait, is it really alright to do that?! You’re going to be giving birth to Minotaur children, you know!” Berard exclaimed.

“I’m an official member of the Tamers’ Guild,” said Vandalieu.

“I-it’s true that you have the qualifications to handle them…” Berard murmured.

The Tamers’ Guild purchased young monsters, but there was no rule that forbade members from personally purchasing them.

“And I’ve already tamed Rank 4 monsters,” Vandalieu pointed out.

“You’ve even already proven yourself… On top of that, you have a job and a house, and she herself wants to trust you. She isn’t a criminal or a slave; she’s just a victim with no family… I have no right or reason to stop you,” said Berard, giving a dry laugh. “Very well, do as you please.”

“Is it… really that simple?” said Simon, his eyes opening wide at this sudden development. “Don’t you need to ask your mother first?”

“Ah, that’s right. You should talk to your mother about it first. It’s not a simple thing to take responsibility for a person and Minotaur children,” said Berard.

“My mother is an understanding person, so it’s alright,” said Vandalieu.

He had in fact sent Chipuras to report the situation to Darcia as quickly as possible, but he didn’t tell the truth to Berard and the others.

“I-I see. Your mother must be very understanding indeed,” said Berard. “Well then, about your situation, Natania-kun -” he began, trying to return the topic to Natania’s future.

“Eh, I’m coming with you as well?!” Natania exclaimed.

“Yes, Natania. This person promised that he would help you. This person will definitely grant you new hands and feet,” said Juliana. “let us go to the goddess’s side together.”

Juliana had been persuading Natania to come with her while Vandalieu and Berard had their short exchange.

“I’m not a goddess, but what she says is true. I’m not a god, though,” Vandalieu added for emphasis.

“We encouraged each other when we were in that Minotaur lair. Do you remember what I said back then? No matter how difficult things are, we must not escape towards death. As long as we do not abandon hope, the goddess will answer our prayers,” said Juliana. “And the goddess… Vida has answered us.”

Juliana’s way of persuasion had been quite fanatical. Perhaps having been touched by the voice of Vandalieu, whom she seemed to believe was a ‘goddess,’ she was behaving strangely.

“Umm, I mean, I remember, but… I don’t think this child… I think it’s a boy… would be a god,” said Natania, looking pale with a confused expression on her face.

“You’re right. But she doesn’t listen, even though I’m repeating it multiple times because it’s important to understand,” said Vandalieu.

“But Master also promised me that he would grant me a way to do something about my arm if I believed in him and followed him,” said Simon.

“Alright… I’ll go with you as well. It’s true that this child doesn’t feel like an ordinary person,” said Natania.

It seemed that Simon’s words had added some credibility to Juliana’s… or perhaps she had just given up.

“I see. I’m glad things are sorted out. Well then, I have some paperwork to do, so I’ll excuse myself,” said Berard, unable to hide the twitches of his mouth.

Juliana, who had regained a facial expression and her consciousness, seemed to have gained her sanity back at first glance. But hadn’t she merely gone from being a vegetable to being a lunatic? Looking at her eyes, Berard couldn’t help but think this.

And he was certain that the reason for this was Vandalieu, who had been whispering something in her ear the entire time.

… I was intending to invite him to at least just register at the Adventurers’ Guild once things settled down a little, but… it’s probably best to wait and see for a little longer. He might actually be quite a dangerous person, Berard thought to himself as he left the meeting room to take care of various pieces of paperwork.

After leaving the Adventurers’ Guild and bidding farewell to Simon along the way, Natania was carried to Vandalieu’s house… and received a rough explanation on what they were.

What with Darcia being Vida’s incarnation and her son being Zakkart’s successor, Natania thought she was going crazy, but she somehow made it through the explanation.

“Natania-san, the reason I’m telling you all of these secrets is because -” Vandalieu began.

“I know. You’re making sure that I know there’s no way out now that I know all of this, right?” Natania said nervously, her tail bunching up.

“Vandalieu-sama, Darcia-sama, this girl is misunderstanding,” said Chipuras.

“That’s not it. It’s just that if we’re going to take care of you at our house, you’re going to learn a lot of things, so we thought it would be better to tell you beforehand,” Darcia explained.

“Natania-san, there are a few ways I can help you… to restore your body to the state it was in before, or better. I’m going to explain them to you now, so please make a choice,” said Vandalieu. “First, I can transplant the arms and legs of a female Vampire that I have kept preserved, transforming you into a Vampire after you endure some heavy side effects.”

Unlike Simon, not that long had passed since Natania lost her limbs; she had not yet lost the parts of her brain that were responsible for controlling them. If Vandalieu transplanted the limbs of the Live-dead Pure-breed Vampire Ternecia to Natania, it was likely that she would immediately be able to move them.

However, Natania would not remain a mere Beast-kin after the transplantation of such large body parts. Vandalieu would conduct the surgery while placing her under the effects of the ‘Death Delay’ spell, so she would not die. But in the worst-case scenario, she would suffer agonizing side-effects that would make her wish she were dead as she transformed into a Vampire.

“A-are there no other methods?” asked Natania. “If not -”

“There is the method of using artificial limbs that are Magic Items… We could probably build them if we wanted to,” said Vandalieu.

He possessed the ‘Alchemy’ Skill at Level 10. As long as he had the materials, he would probably be able to create artificial arms and legs that moved like real limbs.

“I think this is the easiest option. But I don’t know if you’ll become able to fight,” said Vandalieu.

“… That might be true, but that would mean just staying in your care for the rest of our lives. I didn’t hear the details, but Juliana-san is going to pay her debt back to you, right? I want to repay my debt too, if you’re going to help me,” said Natania, her resolve firm. “If it’s possible, I want you to let me undergo the same training as that Simon guy.”

“Very well. Then let’s work hard together,” said Vandalieu.

He still didn’t mention the Root of Life. He had decided to help Natania, but the Root of Life was Zakkart’s creation, the epitome of the life attribute. It was a precious material that even Vandalieu could not recreate.

He couldn’t use that for Natania and Juliana’s limbs.

There was also the method of pseudo-reincarnation. But in Natania’s case, it would mean dying and being reborn in a new body like Quinn had done, so Vandalieu had assumed that she would not choose this option.

It may have caused some misunderstandings, after all.

“Then shall we make a start today? You will need more training than Simon,” said Vandalieu.

Natania nodded. “Alright, what do I need to - What is this?! S-something is going inside of me!” she screamed.

The next day, Vandalieu and his companions left not for the Devil’s Nest, but a grassy area some distance away from it.

“Do you not need to hunt for meat, Master? What about Leveling these guys?” asked Simon, looking worried.

“It’s alright,” Vandalieu replied.

Having cast ‘Preservation’ on the meat he already had, there was several days’ worth stocked up at the house. The same was true for the Goblin and Kobold meat needed to make Gobu-gobu and steamed Kobold.

However, Gobu-gobu and steamed Kobold had already gained popularity, so it was possible that these would run out more quickly than expected.

There were rumors even outside the red-light district that Goblin and Kobold meat, which was the typical example of monster meat that was unpleasant-tasting to the point of being inedible, was apparently being served in tasty meals at food carts marked with a heart.

Yesterday, there had even been adventurers who had apparently heard the rumors and made the effort to come to the back alleys of the red-light district to try it as a test of courage.

“If we run out of Goblin and Kobold meat, we’ll put out a commission for it at the Adventurers’ Guild, so there’s no need to worry,” said Vandalieu.

“Ah, that’s… If I had limbs, I might have gone to join that instead,” said Natania.

“If it’s just Goblins, I might have given it a go, too,” said Simon.

If there were requests to buy Goblin and Kobold meat, inexperienced and less capable adventurers would have been glad to go and hunt Goblins and Kobolds.

After all, Goblins were plentiful and weak. They did not even provide Magic Stones that were worth anything, nor did they provide any useful materials. Ordinarily, one would only gain five Baums for selling their ears that served as proof of having killed a Goblin. They were unpopular as prey.

But if their meat could be sold, they would become a precious source of income even for inexperienced adventurers.

“And as for the Leveling of Fang and the others… They’re getting to the point where they can’t increase their Rank just by Leveling, so I’m thinking of spending some time having them learn to move their bodies and promote the learning of new Skills,” said Vandalieu.

Fang had grown from the size of a large dog into the size of an ox, and the rats had grown larger and become able to change the properties of their fur. Thus, they needed to become accustomed to their new bodies.

Levels alone weren’t enough to cause Rank increases in monsters; Skills were needed as well. For example, if a Black Goblin wanted to become a Black Goblin Ninja, they would need to not only increase their Level; they would also need to acquire scout-related Skills such as ‘Silent Steps’ and ‘Trap,’ and increase the Levels of those Skills.

Fang and the others had defeated monsters of similar strength as themselves and gained Experience Points, rapidly increasing their Ranks, but the Levels of their Skills were low as a result. Thus, they were training amongst themselves today.

The Hellhound Fang and the Iron Rat Suruga were having a fierce practice battle, while the Flame Rat Maroru and Wet Rat Urumi were battling with their flames and cold air.

“I-it doesn’t really look like training,” Simon remarked.

“Are they really alright?!” said Natania, looking concerned.

But there wasn’t a problem. Though Simon and Natania couldn’t see them, Princess Levia and Orbia were supervising the training.

“Also, I’m not sure if her name was Julia or Juliana, but I’m curious as to why she’s not here…” said Simon.

“Julia is fine. She’s going to be working hard on a different method from you, so she’s at the house,” said Vandalieu. “Now then, we’re going to begin the training, so please put this on, Simon.”

He handed Simon a practice ‘arm’ that he had brought on his cart.

At first glance, it appeared to be the right arm taken off a set of plate armor with a belt to attach it to the body.

“You got it!” said Simon, believing in Vandalieu as promised and attaching the arm to himself without asking any questions.

“Just to confirm, how is the size?” Vandalieu asked.

“Umm, the belt’s length is perfect… and it attaches firmly to my right shoulder, and doesn’t slip. It’s like you matched it to my shoulder’s size,” said Simon. “Master, when did you make this?! Don’t tell me you foresaw this happening from a long time ago…!”

“No, I can’t see the future,” said Vandalieu. “After I got home yesterday, I just took the arm off a set of armor and adjusted it a little.”

While treating Simon yesterday, Vandalieu had used the ‘Perfect Record Technique’ Skill to remember Simon’s physical dimensions. Based on this, he had used ‘Golem Creation’ to process the armor to create the ‘arm’ and adjust the part that connected to the shoulder with Tarea’s help.

“It’s a makeshift item that I made for practice. I’ll give you a more convenient arm once your training progresses, so look forward to that,” said Vandalieu as he attached similar ‘arms’ as well as ‘legs’ to Natania. “Now then, the training is about to begin, so please come over here, Simon. Sit to Natania’s left and whatever you feel, let it in.”

“Got it. But what do we need to do for the training…?” Simon asked, trusting Vandalieu but looking confused nonetheless.

“He said you don’t have to do anything in the beginning. You just need to learn,” Natania advised him with a rather distant-looking gaze.

“Learn? Learn what, exac - ?!”

Before Simon could finish his sentence, he felt an unfamiliar, foreign sensation.

He didn’t feel pain, heat or cold. But he could clearly feel something that was entirely foreign entering his body, pushing against him.

“W-what in the world is happening to my body, what’s going on…?!” Simon shouted, his eyes opening wide in response to this indescribable sensation.

“Even though it’s my second time, I can’t get used to thiiiiis!” Natania screamed, her tail bunching up as she endured it.

“Don’t be afraid, just stay like that… Just like that…” Vandalieu said gently.

His hands were touching them, and his spirit form extended from them, pressing against the spirit forms that lay within their bodies.

He was trying to press their spirit forms out of Simon’s right shoulder and Natania’s severed limbs.

This was to make them acquire the ‘Spirit Form’ Skill and unliving arms and legs that they could move as their own, like Living-Armor-type Undead.

Ordinarily, it would be impossible for living people to acquire the ‘Spirit Form’ Skill, which was possessed almost solely by Undead. The spirit form of people resided in their bodies and could not extend outside them, and to begin with, there was no point in the living possessing the ‘Spirit Form’ Skill.

In order to have Natania and Simon learn the Skill despite being living people, it was necessary to have them learn the sensation of their spirit form leaving their bodies. Once they were able to extend a part of their spirit form outside their bodies on their own, they would just need to train to become able to move the arms and legs that Vandalieu had given them.

Once they could do this, they would have limbs that they could move as they wished.

It would be nice if I could teach them in their dreams like Vigaro, but… I’ll be able to change Jobs soon, so I guess I’ll become a ‘Dream Guider’ next, Vandalieu thought.

If he did that, perhaps he’d be able to control his actions inside dreams more.

With these thoughts running through his mind, Vandalieu continued pressing Simon and Natania’s spirit forms.

Name: Fang

Rank: 4

Race: Hellhound

Level: 52

Passive skills:

Dark Vision

Superhuman Strength: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)

Detect Presence: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Intuition: Level 1

Self-enhancement: Guidance: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Enhanced Body Part (Fangs, Claws): Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Mental Resistance: Level 1

Active skills:

Silent Steps: Level 2

Aura of Darkness: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Scream: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Charge: Level 1 (NEW!)

Coordination: Level 1 (NEW!)

Flame Breath: Level 1 (NEW!)

Unique skills:

ヴァ■■■ー’s Divine Protection [Va~eu]

Fang, who has become a Hellhound after his Rank increase. As he was a Black Dog previously, he possesses the ‘Aura of Darkness’ Skill that Hellhounds don’t ordinarily have, so he can be stealthy despite being the size of an ox. Because he has experienced working with the rats when hunting, he has acquired the ‘Coordination’ Skill as well.

However, his Skills are lower in Level than ordinary Hellhounds.

Name: Maroru

Rank: 4

Race: Flame Rat

Level: 60

Passive skills:

Night Vision

Status Effect Resistance: Level 1

Enhanced Body Part (Front Fangs, Fur, Tail): Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Enhanced Agility: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Rapid Healing: Level 2

Enhanced Attribute Values: Creator: Level 2

Self-Enhancement: Guidance: Level 2

Murder Healing: Level 2 (NEW!)

Heat Nullification (NEW!)

Active skills:

Surpass Limits: Level 1

Whip Technique: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Armor Technique: Level 1

Charge: Level 1 (NEW!)

Coordination: Level 1 (NEW!)

Mana Control: Level 1 (NEW!)

Projectile Fire: Level 1 (NEW!)

Unique skills:

ヴァンダ■■’s Divine Protection [Vanda]

Fur of Blazing Flames: Level 1 (NEW!)

Maroru, who has become a Flame Rat after her Rank increase. She normally has white fur, but she can become covered in flames at will. By controlling her flames with the ‘Mana Control’ Skill, she can use them as a pseudo-fire-attribute spell, and she can also simply use ‘Projectile Fire’ with them.

Incidentally, her ‘Fur of Blazing Flames’ Skill is a Unique Skill because she is currently the only Flame Rat in existence.

Name: Urumi

Rank: 4

Race: Wet Rat

Level: 59

Passive skills:

Night Vision

Status Effect Resistance: Level 1

Enhanced Body Part (Front Fangs, Fur, Tail): Level 1

Enhanced Agility: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Rapid Healing: Level 2

Enhanced Attribute Values: Creator: Level 2

Self-Enhancement: Guidance: Level 2

Murder Healing: Level 1 (NEW!)

Cold Nullification (NEW!)

Active skills:

Surpass Limits: Level 1

Whip Technique: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Armor Technique: Level 1

Charge: Level 1 (NEW!)

Coordination: Level 1 (NEW!)

Mana Control: Level 1 (NEW!)

Projectile Fire: Level 1 (NEW!)

Unique skills:

ヴァン■ル■’s Divine Protection [Van~ru]

Fur of Frozen Water: Level 1 (NEW!)

Urumi, who has become a Wet Rat after her Rank increase. She is able to cover her fur with a liquid surrounded by cold air, and like Maroru’s flames, she is able to use ‘Mana Control’ to use this ability like a pseudo-water-attribute spell and fire projectiles.

Her ‘Fur of Frozen Water’ Skill is a Unique Skill for the same reason as Maroru’s Unique Skill.

Name: Suruga

Rank: 4

Race: Iron Rat

Level: 58

Passive skills:

Night Vision

Status Effect Resistance: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Enhanced Body Part (Front Fangs, Fur, Tail): Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Enhanced Agility: Level 1

Rapid Healing: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)

Enhanced Attribute Values: Creator: Level 2

Self-Enhancement: Guidance: Level 2

Superhuman Strength: Level 1 (NEW!)

Active skills:

Surpass Limits: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Whip Technique: Level 1

Armor Technique: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Coordination: Level 1 (NEW!)

Projectile Fire: Level 1 (NEW!)

Unique skills:

ヴァン■■ー’s Divine Protection [Van~eu]

Fur of Armor: Level 1 (NEW!)

Suruga, who has become an Iron Rat after her Rank increase. Because she served a defensive role, she has developed in a different direction from her sisters.

She is able to shoot her needle-like metallic fur with the ‘Projectile Fire’ Skill. However, this ability must be used with care as it reduces her fur and decreases her defensive ability until it grows back.