Setting the route.
Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede.
A superior species of the Red Teeth King Centipede.
It carries the title "red fangs," but strictly speaking, they are not fangs—they are more like poison claws.
If pierced by those red, fang-like venomous claws, one feels excruciating pain.
The venom of an ordinary centipede is painful but not lethal—but this dangerous monster is different.
If injected with its acidic poison in large amounts, the body melts into a limp sludge.
The tamer Melchi had once seen the giant centipede melt and consume an entire elephant.
"Hahaha—!"
Melchi burst into loud laughter.
"Those cowards."
The warriors of the Runga tribe turned pale the moment they faced the giant centipede.
And rightfully so.
Originally, taming monsters was an extremely difficult task.
Even raising wolves or ostriches wasn't easy—so much so that once a month, a goblin would end up being bitten to death by a wolf.
Trying to tame something far more dangerous than that was no different from attempting suicide.
And Melchi had survived such a suicidal attempt.
He had successfully tamed the giant centipede—one of the most dangerous monsters in the Palamu Forest.
A year ago, when he returned to the Krok tribe with the obedient giant centipede, everyone was stunned.
That day became the greatest day of his goblin life.
Melchi, who was too scrawny to become a warrior.
Melchi, who was so ugly that no one liked him.
But once he gained control over the giant centipede as if it were his own limb, he rose to become an executive of the Krok tribe.
He even earned the nickname "Tamer."
How had Melchi managed to tame that giant centipede?
The centipede only obeyed Melchi. It was something they realized only after several goblins became its food.
Everyone wanted to know his method.
If it were simple and universal, Melchi's value would vanish again.
Knowing that, Melchi desperately kept his mouth shut.
Even when beaten by Krok, he refused to speak.
Even now, a year later, Melchi remained the sole tamer of the giant centipede.
'Though I don't know how long that will last…'
The coat he had never taken off, even while sleeping, for the past year—
He had always been careful not to let it slip off his thin frame.
Melchi shouted in a shrill voice.
"Centipede!"
The giant centipede responded to his voice.
"Kill every last one of those Runga goblins—!"
The giant centipede did not immediately follow the order and remained still.
Melchi clicked his tongue. Despite its appearance, the centipede was not particularly aggressive.
"Right now!"
When he shouted again with authority, the giant centipede finally began to move.
Body length: 9 meters. Weight: 500 kilograms.
Its hardened carapace could only be scratched even by a steel axe.
Forty-two pairs of legs—eighty-four in total.
Each sharp leg was like a dagger.
In other words, it carried eighty-four weapons.
Even without using its venom claws, its physical attacks alone were lethally destructive.
The goblins of the Runga tribe were thrown into chaos in an instant.
"Spread out! Keep your distance! Don't bunch up!"
Nanaruk shouted commands loudly.
If they were crushed while grouped together, it would be over.
Even a hobgoblin warrior would be pulverized.
"Aaagh!"
"Waaah!"
Even the brave warriors screamed in shock and leapt away.
The centipede's charge kicked up massive clouds of dust.
Perhaps because it constantly broke rocks and dug into the ground, the air filled with thick debris, making it hard to breathe.
Visibility blurred.
Within Nanaruk's sight, her younger sibling Zadiram appeared—
And above Zadiram, the black shadow of the centipede loomed.
"Zadiram—!"
Nanaruk shoved Zadiram aside and rushed forward.
The giant head of the centipede lunged toward her—
Along with its bright red venom claws.
Clang!
The venom claw snapped right past Nanaruk's face.
She barely survived by throwing her head backward.
She swung the axe in her hand.
Clang!
Sparks flew as it struck the centipede's carapace.
Nanaruk looked at her axe in disbelief.
The blade had chipped—while the centipede's shell remained intact.
In other words, even Nanaruk would have to strike precisely at the joints to deal damage.
But how could one do that against a living, moving centipede?
"Fight defensively…"
She had been given that instruction.
The one who said it was none other than the Serpent. It was trustworthy.
In this desperate situation, Nanaruk tilted her head slightly.
How had she understood the Serpent's request?
For some reason, she alone could understand her Serpent companion well.
But lately, it had become even more pronounced.
Even a few flicks of its tail conveyed meaning clearly.
It was the same this time.
Don't fight too hard—retreat and defend.
I'll handle things meanwhile.
She understood it instantly.
How?
Her mind felt strangely ticklish.
[Hobgoblin Nanaruk Lv.30]
The greatest warrior of the Runga tribe.
It had been a year since her level stopped increasing.
Ever since she reached the very limit attainable as a hobgoblin at a young age, something had begun to sprout within her body and mind.
Yet she herself had not fully realized this change.
But now was not the time to think about such trivial matters.
The centipede attacked again.
Boom!
Nanaruk leapt high—
Landing directly on the centipede's back.
She began running across it.
The centipede's body swayed, tossing her into the air—
Other goblins caught her.
Nanaruk grinned and brushed her hair back.
So far, the Runga tribe had not suffered a single casualty.
Because the rampaging centipede left even the Krok warriors unable to act.
All they could do was cheer from a distance.
And yet, a single hobgoblin—Nanaruk—was drawing the centipede's attention.
"What is she even doing…?"
"Ugh, this is frustrating!"
The centipede itself seemed unmotivated.
Frustrated gazes turned toward Melchi.
"Do something!"
"Why is the centipede so sluggish?!"
Melchi's anger flared up.
How dare they raise their voices at him—
At Executive Melchi, the Tamer.
'Would they dare shout like that if I were Ayutar?'
A damp inferiority complex and rage welled up inside him.
"Centipede! Fight properly, or else…!"
Just as Melchi was about to threaten it—
Whooooosh!
A sudden whirlwind blew.
There had been no wind at all—so why now?
The air was already thick with white dust mixed with powdered stone.
As the hazy wind surged, it became impossible to open one's eyes.
Melchi quickly raised his arm to shield his face.
"Aaagh!"
"Ghk!"
Screams erupted nearby.
Making such a fuss over sand in the eyes—pathetic.
That's what Melchi thought as he forced his eyes open.
What he saw was goblins collapsed all around him, clutching their throats and choking.
And then—
A sharp sting.
Looking down, he saw a Serpent raising its head near his feet.
It had bitten his ankle.
A venomous Serpent?
Something flashed in his mind.
"The heart-eating Serpent."
At first, he had dismissed it as the ramblings of a loser.
But not anymore.
Even the powerful Ayutar had supposedly died to that Serpent.
'I need to run…'
He tried to flee.
But his body stiffened.
Thud!
Melchi fell backward, his head hitting the ground.
The Serpent slithered up onto his body.
"Ah…"
Was this how he would die—his heart eaten?
The Serpent opened its jaws wide.
That was the last thing Melchi saw before he died from the poison.
[Level has increased.]
What the—startled me.
Why are they so weak?
My deadly poison is an extremely efficient skill.
Against the weak, it could display overwhelming might like Lu Bu.
Of course, if I can't bite them, it's useless—and if someone has extremely strong poison resistance, they could even withstand my venom.
I thought this one looked like an executive, so I figured he'd hold out well—but to think he'd die before I could even eat his heart.
Still, it didn't matter. I wasn't planning to eat this scrawny goblin anyway.
I opened my mouth and bit down—
on his coat.
Unlike the oversized coat, a frail, emaciated body was revealed underneath.
And sure enough, they were there.
Small centipedes.
Hello, little ones.
No wonder something felt off—this giant centipede had the trait Gentle, so it didn't make sense for it to be fighting us.
Besides, it clearly looked like it didn't want to fight.
The goblins didn't notice, but as a fellow monster, I realized it immediately.
It had been forced to obey orders.
[Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede Lv.31]
[Traits]
[Gentle], [Mother]
And the one controlling the giant centipede wasn't even a hobgoblin—just a regular goblin.
Curious what kind of ability he had, I focused my eyes.
That was when I saw it—
a baby centipede poking its head out from his bony ankle.
[King Centipede Larva Lv.2]
[Traits]
[Baby], [Cute]
Not the goblin's status window—but the baby centipede's—appeared.
At that moment, everything clicked.
I punished this absurd goblin kidnapper.
Come here, little ones.
Ah, you're tied up.
There were three of them in total.
Their necks were bound with strings, connected to the goblin's body.
I chewed through the strings with my teeth and cut them loose.
There, there—be calm.
Perhaps because they were still larvae, they were small, with semi-transparent, yellowish shells.
Each was about the length of a human forearm.
The baby centipedes were surprisingly smart.
They crawled off the goblin's body and onto mine.
Let's go back.
To your mother.
Boom!
The giant centipede, unaware that I had rescued her babies, was still rampaging with thunderous force.
Wait.
How do I stop that?
Moments like this made it frustrating that I couldn't shout.
But fortunately, something happened.
The baby centipedes began calling out to their mother.
"Kke-kke-kke."
"Kkee-ee, kke-kke."
"Kke—"
They cried so adorably.
The giant centipede froze.
For such a massive body, her eyes were quite small.
She stared at me intently.
Yes—now.
I bowed my head.
Silence fell.
The giant centipede bowed her head back toward me.
Phew.
That's a relief.
The babies clinging to my body dropped off.
They crawled up their mother, who stood still, and clung tightly to her underside.
The giant centipede gently wrapped them with a pair of her legs—
as if determined to protect them no matter what.
Ah… it was so moving I could cry.
It reminded me of Mother Medusa.
Though our Medusa Mom would turn disobedient children into chunks of flesh.
I wonder where Father is.
I'd like to see him someday.
「Achievement 'Friend of Centipedes' has been obtained.」
Huh?!
After "Killing the Guard Captain (Unfortunate Accident)," I've already earned a second achievement.
I checked it immediately.
[Friend of Centipedes]
You have formed a friendly relationship with centipede-type monsters, which are considered terrifying and grotesque.
Centipede-type monsters will show goodwill toward you.
Terrifying and grotesque?
That's a ridiculous misunderstanding.
Anyway, I'd like to get along well with centipedes from now on.
Just as I thought—centipedes are gentle creatures.
She no longer treated us as enemies.
She simply held her babies and roared toward the sky.
"Keeeeeeek!"
Roar, Giant Centipede.
After letting out a refreshing roar, she immediately charged—
toward Melchi's corpse and the Krok tribe warriors.
Screams erupted.
Thud-thud-thud!
Melchi's body was crushed into an unrecognizable lump of flesh.
The Krok warriors who dared to charge without fleeing met the same fate.
Now that she was fighting seriously, the giant centipede was terrifyingly strong.
She pierced enemies with her venom claws and crushed them beneath her massive body.
And that meant one thing:
The Krok tribe's defensive formation had completely collapsed.
"Hih… Ululukulu!"
Nanaruk came running.
I naturally climbed onto her shoulder.
"Let's go kill Krok! Everyone, follow the centipede!"
With Big Sister Centipede tearing through the enemy ranks, the situation became much easier.
The Runga warriors easily cut down the fleeing Krok goblins.
Before long, we reached the excavation site.
Under Elephant Rock.
There was a gaping hole and traces of artificial structures—
narrow passages barely wide enough for one or two people.
Among dozens of holes, we found the one Krok had entered.
Nanaruk selected a few elite hobgoblins to accompany her and ordered the rest to stay behind.
"Guard the entrance. If we don't return or something happens, fall back from the rock!"
Meanwhile, I looked up at the structure.
[Pelerian's Secret Dungeon]
Dungeon No. 123. Stores magic stones.
We had finally arrived.
—That rat has already gone in. Hurry and chase him!
Pelerian said.
In my mind, I muttered the same line I'd heard endlessly in Dungeon No. 8:
'Intrusion of a monster has been detected.'
Activating interception Serpents.
A field of corpses stretched out before us.
All of them victims of the dungeon's traps.
'Just how many traps did they install?'
—The more traps, the better.
More traps, the better. Fair enough.
But still—so many goblins had died.
At first, most of them were elderly.
Clearly used as meat shields.
Arrows, spears, fire, falls—the causes of death varied.
Next were goblins covered in dust, with pickaxes scattered around them.
They must have been workers excavating the dungeon.
Finally, large hobgoblins—
the warriors who had guarded Krok.
Krok had sacrificed even those who protected him.
That tyrant wasn't far ahead.
A suspicious chamber opened up, and beyond it stood an iron gate.
It was clearly the dungeon's true final entrance—the design matched.
—Th-that bastard…!
Krok was clinging to the door.
Nanaruk clenched her teeth and shouted:
"Krok!"
His face was covered in blood.
As Nanaruk tried to rush toward him, I stopped her.
She looked confused, while Krok smacked his lips in disappointment.
"Heh-heh-heh… you idiots."
Half-mad, he laughed to himself.
"You chased me all the way here just to die. What a shame."
I used mana detection.
Ceiling, walls, floor—everything glowed red.
"One more step and you'd all be dead."
I could tell for certain.
The security of this dungeon was on a completely different level from the one I had cleared.
"If you want to catch me, come and try! Hahaha!"
How did he even get that far?
There had to be a safe path through the traps.
But Nanaruk and the goblins couldn't even think of crossing the chamber.
Bodies crushed into pulp were stuck to the walls and ceiling along the way.
"Ugh—hahaha!"
I really want that laughter to stop.
"…Damn."
Nanaruk ground her teeth in frustration.
Don't worry.
I'll show you the path myself.
'Pellavigation, guide the way.'
—Insolent brat.
With the very being who designed this dungeon beside me,
Pelerian silently began guiding the path.
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