Monster Taming Broadcast

We needed a Necro Puppetmaster.

Using his psychic ability, Mind Control, made taming monsters a breeze.

After realizing this a bit late, I returned to the hideout with the puppetmaster and headed back to the desert.

By the way, I also brought Niarah Nepensys along. I hadn’t originally planned to, but I saw her sulking next to the modifier’s house, sadly rolling a stone.

She looked so pitiful that I couldn’t just leave her behind.

[Hehe, thanks, son. After all, mom only has you, right?]

[Pururu]—Why did you bring her?

[Mysticism]—

First, we took a look around the Desert Rest Area.

Numerous robots from Omega and the Machine Factory were busy working. Along with the rest area managers, there were Snake Heads, Mummy Skeletons, Anubis Dragons, and Lionhearts.

Everyone who had arrived early was seen working on the town construction.

[Yumi]—Everyone is working hard.

[Rize Nova]—Pretty much all the work is being done by the robots.

[Boglebogle]—Gauntlet. That Snake Head over there is just pretending to work.

After checking Alice’s chat, I closely watched the Snake Head’s actions.

“…It’s true.”

It really was just pretending to work. While two robots were supporting both ends of a long material, the Snake Head snuck in the middle, barely touching it while moving.

[Orooro! So heavy!]

[Pururu]—Hahaha, what a lazy bum!

[Mysticism]—

[Yumi]—Let’s teach it a lesson.

I turned my gaze. I should just pretend I didn’t see that. Clever tricks can be a skill too.

I passed the Snake Head and approached Omega.

“Omega. How long will the construction take?”

[It won’t take long. If all goes well, it’ll be done within 10 days. Zap zap.]

“10 days? You mean building that gigantic town will only take that long?”

[Zap zap. Surprised? My skills are the best in the dimension.]

Seems I underestimated Omega’s tech. Even Omega, I thought it would take a few months to build a town.

[Pururu]—Does that even make sense? How can you finish construction in 10 days?

[Mysticism]—Isn’t that just bragging?

[Yumi]—Everyone, we shouldn’t compare Omega’s tech to Earth technology. For a being that’s almost a god, 10 days is actually quite a long time.

[Pururu]—Really now.

[Mysticism]— Is that so?

[Boglebogle]—If Omega comes to Elemenzia, national reconstruction would be quick.

[Rize Nova]—Wasn’t Boglebogle just indifferent to national reconstruction?

[Boglebogle]—I’m just busy with things I have to do right now, but I’m not entirely uninterested.

[Yumi]—Such a busy person watches the broadcast every day without fail.

After chatting with Omega a bit more, I took the monsters I brought with me and moved outside the rest area.

It was finally time to recruit some townsfolk.

[Abberallar! Let’s go!]

We decided on the Giant Caterpillar for our ride. The goal wasn’t to move quickly but to explore the monsters inhabiting the desert.

“Bug. We can move slowly.”

[Abberallar!]

[Pururu]—Calling it a bug is a bit much.

And so, we started to traverse the desert atop the caterpillar.

*

As we crossed the sand dunes…

[Mysticism]—Hey, bro.

[Mysticism]—But about the town construction, can’t Niarah just create it instantaneously with her creation power?

A question from Missy popped up. I looked around the desert for monsters and answered her.

“Niarah can create a town, but there are specific limits.”

[Mysticism]— What limits?

[Pururu]—Stop pretending to be cute.

“To simplify… Niarah excels at large-scale creation but has limits making finely detailed structures. Of course, if she puts in the effort, she could create a town similar to blueprints. But the town designed by Omega is packed with Omega’s unique technology, right? Niarah can’t replicate those technologies.”

A town that’s an empty shell with no technology.

It meant a massive, overly designed model town, impressive on the outside but lacking substance.

[Mysticism]— Niarah’s creation power isn’t omnipotent!

[Boglebogle]—Omnipotent? I thought Niarah’s full name was Niarah Nepensys?

[Pururu]—It’s Nopantis.

[Rize Nova]—Nopantis is correct.

[Boglebogle]—Really? I must’ve been mistaken about the name.

[Yumi]—It’s Nepensys…

After kindly explaining, as I focused back on searching for monsters, I suddenly felt a heat rise from the top of my head.

It seemed Solorb had sneakily floated down again.

I looked up and called for Solorb.

“Solorb.”

[Oh, I’ll ascend soon…]

“Not that I’m complaining about you coming down a bit… But I wanted to ask you something since you’re already here.”

[…A question? Very well, the questions from Bastet’s friend are welcome.]

That was a bit unexpected. I expected him to say he wouldn’t take questions.

Perhaps this could turn into something.

I immediately shot my question at Solorb.

“Last time when I was trying to tame Bastet, you said you wouldn’t mind unless it was about taming you. Do you still feel the same way?”

[Do you inquire about a change of heart?]

“Yeah. You’ve been watching me closely through Bastet until now. I wondered if you might have changed your mind.”

I asked with sincere hope.

I had felt that Solorb had been quite friendly towards me, similar to my tamed monsters.

Whenever I got close as an explorer, directing him to ascend high without any objections, he would do so.

Especially since, although it was for a short while, I had taken care of Bastet Daong, one of his offspring, I thought he might have opened up a bit towards me.

But sadly…

[There is no change of heart. I do not go beneath anyone.]

It seems Solorb’s feelings remained unchanged.

His response was unwaveringly firm, crushing my expectations completely.

“So, you won’t be coming under me.”

[I know that your trait is the ability to make friends. But even among friends, there is a hierarchy. Just like my relationship with Bastet Daong.]

“…That’s true. So, you have no intention of being tamed by me at all, huh?”

[Correct.]

“Alright. That’s too bad then.”

Looks like the timing isn’t right just yet. I cleanly abandoned my plan to tame Solorb today, saving it for another time.

Opportunities don’t only come once.

[…]

“…”

An awkward silence followed after our conversation ended.

While I silently stared ahead…

[Explorer.]

Solorb spoke up again.

“What?”

[Is this the end?]

“What do you mean?”

[Weren’t you trying to tame me? Were you really going to give up just because I refused you once?]

“Just because I ask multiple times doesn’t mean you’re going to get tamed so easily.”

[True. I am going to refuse again.]

[Pururu]—What the heck, damn it.

[Mysticism]—

I have no idea why he’s acting like this. Does he want me to persist?

Or is he upset that I only made one attempt to recruit someone of his caliber?

As I pondered these thoughts, Solorb spoke to me again.

[Silence. Are you not going to ask again?]

“I told you no.”

[……]

“What?”

[While I don’t plan to be tamed by you… if you, Explorer, sincerely wish for it and continuously ask, I might consider it just a tad—]

Whoomp!

Cutting off Solorb’s words, a monster suddenly burst out before us, creating a sandstorm.

[Abberallar! Whoa!]

The Giant Caterpillar quickly stopped in its tracks as a sandstorm surged up in front of it.

[Here I come!]

[Pururu]—Oh! A new monster appears!

[Mysticism]—

[Boglebogle]—Finally found one.

[Yumi]—Looks a bit tough, doesn’t it?

[Rize Nova]—No matter how tough, it can’t take on the Gauntlet Guy.

The humanoid monster with shining blue eyes was expertly manipulating the sandstorm and glaring fiercely at us.

—[Explorer! I heard from Neo Hyeong-seok that creature is called a Dune Strider. It’s not from Min Hyeong-seok’s memory but derived from the memories of other monsters within its body.]

From beside me, Iris’s voice carried the knowledge of the Centauress.

A Dune Strider.

Actual Danger Level: S-Class.

Nerfed Danger Level: B-rank monster.

…That’s right, isn’t it?

It oddly felt as if the danger levels were fluctuating out of nowhere.

“O Centauress, do you have any other information besides that monster’s name?”

—[Yes, there is. If it encounters a stronger being, it can temporarily unleash power equal to that being.]

“Only the temporary part is similar to my abilities.”

—[Yes?]

“Never mind.”

Now I understood the strange feeling I just had.

It wasn’t a creature whose maximum danger level is fixed like a Poison Apple. It was a monster that could rise above the current danger level under certain conditions.

The fact that it hadn’t been classified into a higher rank was probably because its abilities were fundamentally different from those of the Poison Apple.

“Anyway, then can it match SSS-Class monsters when encountered?”

—[I’ve heard that’s not possible.]

So, it seems not even SSS-Class is within reach.

Well, being able to deal with S-Class itself is powerful enough.

“Any other abilities?”

—[No. That’s all it has.]

“Well, then it’s not a troublesome opponent. It was said that the power boost is temporary anyway.”

I turned my gaze towards the monsters beside me.

I instructed them to approach the Dune Strider for capture.

Just as the monsters were about to get close…

[I’ve tried to hold back, but I can’t endure this insult any longer.]

Above the Dune Strider’s head, intense sunlight poured down in a straight line.

[How dare an insignificant creature interrupt my speech!]

[Ah, noooo!!!]

[Pururu]—D-damn!

[Mysticism]—

In an instant, it turned to ashes and vanished.

---