It was stuck in Dr. Robanton’s stomach.
“Kuhek, kuk.”
Blood spurted from Dr. Robanton’s mouth.
Crack, crash-!
As the tank burst, the remaining culture fluid poured out.
Zhanil barely avoided falling.
Quickly regaining balance and looking up.
What had been trapped in the tank was now outside.
A protruding belly.
A head with only a mouth, no eyes or nose.
Arms long like tentacles.
Dr. Robanton with his pierced stomach dangled from one hand.
Zhanil alternately looked at the doctor and the nameplate beside him.
──────────────
[Test Flesh, No.05]: Big Belly
──────────────
The sound of breaking glass rang from all around.
The chimeras sleeping in the tanks had been released.
‘What have you done, Robanton.’
The doctor didn’t die peacefully.
“Kueeek!”
With his stomach pierced, he spewed blood and vomit from his mouth.
“D-doctoooor!”
“Saaaaak!”
There was one more thing that screamed along with Zhanil.
That small snake had appeared beside them somehow.
==
Pelerian’s proposal to burn to death cleanly together was ultimately not accepted.
Because the incineration procedure stopped.
Pelerian’s face, which had briefly become peaceful, twisted again like a demon.
“The rat bastards opened the tanks… K-kill them all-!”
I’m glad Pelerian regained his energy.
I ran to the control room.
Good heavens, the control room entrance was hidden beside tank number 5.
Pelerian was so distracted by the chimeras he didn’t even mention that.
The humans from earlier were there.
And a chimera had already pierced through one of their stomachs.
“Saaaak!”
When I roared, the chimera holding one human like a skewer got scared and tried to run.
Not just him.
Other chimeras also ran down the corridor making various strange noises.
“Don’t let them, don’t let them escape!”
For Pelerian, it must feel like watching his secret diary pages flutter away.
I turned my head to the fleeing one and.
‘Isil-!’
I asked Isil.
‘Flame spray!’
I planned to catch all the fleeing chimeras at once.
Isil extended vines in front of me.
Purple flames shot from the ends of his vines.
Whoosh!
A flamethrower in a narrow space is terrifyingly powerful.
It actually was.
As hellfire spread, things in the darkness beyond were revealed.
Some had already escaped.
But it seems the slow-footed ones couldn’t escape in time.
The first to be swallowed by flames was nearby No.5 Big Belly.
「You have killed Test Flesh No.5 Big Belly lv50.」
After that was the legless meat lump.
「You have killed Test Flesh No.1 Meat Lump lv30.」
One Leg with only one leg wasn’t swallowed by flames.
He was using his peg leg at incredibly fast speed.
A sight truly befitting the title of single-legged swift foot.
Instead, Three Eyes with three legs burned easily.
「You have killed Test Flesh No.3 Three Eyes lv50.」
Getting three at once was a lot if you consider it a lot.
But it was also insufficient since the remaining seven had already escaped.
“We must catch the rest no matter what!”
Pelerian shouted thus.
Those chimeras were Pelerian’s shame.
Chimeras so shameful they damaged even his soul, whose very existence was unacceptable.
If this were a game, a new quest window would have popped up now.
──────────────
[Pelerian’s Chimera Hunt (A)]
Kill all escaped chimeras before they leave the dungeon.
These horrible products of shame cannot be revealed to the world.
Remaining chimeras: 7/10
Reward: ???
Accept?
Y/N
──────────────
Something like that.
Actually, it’s not exactly a welcome request.
To have a chase with creepy chimeras in this darkness inside the dungeon.
Considering my relationship with Pelerian, I should help but.
“What are you doing, why are you frozen!”
I was enduring the rising excitement.
That’s because…
「Your level has increased.」
「Your level has increased.」
「Your level has increased.」
「Your level has increased.」
「Your level has increased.」
「Your level has increased.」
…
My level kept rising as explosive magical energy flooded in.
The chimeras weren’t particularly strong.
Their levels weren’t high either so I hadn’t expected this much magical energy.
I instantly passed level 40.
Assuming another evolution at level 50, no, level 60 seems possible too.
The chimeras were massive chunks of experience.
“Hey!”
‘Alright.’
I accepted the quest.
‘Fine, let’s give it a try.’
“Th-thank you!”
Even Pelerian who had been yelling seemed moved by my choice.
I turned my head to look for the human from earlier.
Gone.
Only one corpse pierced by Big Belly remained, and the other human had already fled.
Fast, isn’t he.
“We need to close the doors so they can’t escape outside the dungeon. Quick, get into the control room!”
If the chimeras escape outside the dungeon, pursuit would be impossible.
I quickly entered the control room.
The machinery inside was endlessly complex.
“Damn, it would be easy if we could use voice commands. They messed everything up… open that quartz cover there.”
I did so.
Then I saw complexly connected wires and pins inside.
“Pull out all the yellow and red pins.”
He’s like an engineering student, this fairy old man.
Since I couldn’t even assemble computers in my previous life, I just did as Pelerian instructed.
Bang-!
Something came down from the ceiling.
Ah, I know what that is.
“Insert the ring.”
I did so.
When I pushed in the ring on my tail.
“Identity verified.”
“Welcome, Lord Pelerian.”
The magic spirit welcomed me.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t answer.
“Switching to manual control!”
Following Pelerian’s instructions to operate more.
“Closing dungeon entrances.”
Along with that sound, a heavy impact echoed from far away.
The doors are closed.
“Next, go close to that crystal plate and turn the pin to the right.”
Amazingly, from this control room we could see the situation inside the dungeon.
We could detect life signals and track the locations of intruders and chimeras!
When I turned the pin, something like a map appeared on the crystal plate.
“First, let’s find the nearest chimera…”
The two small white dots in the center are me and Isil.
And.
“Huh?”
Right behind us.
There was one more life signal.
“Behind!”
“Saaaak!”
I leaped up and spun around.
