— Rattle! Rattle!
From the golden pile, a bony hand stretched, soon followed by hollowed eyes, ones that locked straight unto the cat who had disturbed its slumber!
“M-Miaow?!” (M-Monster?! Take this!)
The cat didn’t hesitate, slapping the ever-living shit out of the monster, a crack appearing in its bony skull. Except, even that wasn’t enough. With a groan, it finally rose fully.
[Ding! Undead Soldier Has Appeared!]
A creature of bones, but not the washed-out Halloween version. Those bones were sharp, twisted, full of corruption… and they hungered for blood, their blood.
“SHRIIIEKKKK!”
It lunged at them.
Slow skeleton? It wasn’t.
Treasure exploded all over the place; then it was upon the Cat, the shockwave from its jump pinning the poor thing to the ground. That’s when the creature began its onslaught.
SLASH SLASH SLASH! It swiped its bony claws so fast that afterimages appeared. A pitiful miaow was all that the cat could utter before…. — SLAM!
Just when it was about to die from the avalanche of hits, an ornate vase hit the cat squarely, sending it flying. As for the golden vase? It had gone from robust metallic pieces to shreds.
“M-Miaow?!” (G-Gulp! M-Monster!)
“What you just saw was Bone Aftershock, followed by Undead Slash. It also has an OP passive called Life Drain. You can attack it but never stay next to it more than you must. Understand?”
Damon didn’t waste a breath, revealing all he knew about the monster. As for anyone watching this? Now wasn’t the time to hide, now was the time to bloody survive!
His cat solemnly nodded, just in time for the Undead to attack again!
“SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK!”
This time, it didn’t leap; it ran at them. It was akin to a mini-tornado, sending everything on its way flying. How could it be so fast?! It barely needed a second to cover the 100-meter-long room!!
It swiped again at the cat, but this time, the little one had been awaiting it. Just as the attack came, it bounced on the side, reaching the thing’s back just in time for furious cat slashes!
— Ting! Ting! Ting!
[It’s not very effective…]
There was not a single blemish on the thing’s bones. How?!
But that wasn’t all. That’s when it finally felt it. Its master had said something about a Life Drain, right? It was akin to an invisible forcefield; its vitality was being drained?!
“M-Miaow!” (Is this thing bloody invincible?! No, its skull’s still hurt!)
Even facing such an invincible enemy, its spirit wasn’t dampened. But just as it was ready for round three, footsteps echoed next to it, along with a familiar aura.
“Guess this enemy’s a bit too much for the current you. Let’s do this together…”
Damon gave his pet a reassuring smile as he stood next to it. A weak human facing a Monster? This wasn’t bravery; it was insanity! Even the creature couldn’t help but cackle seeing this.
“SHRIIIEKKKK!”
“Shrieking? Too dumb to speak, eh?”
“Still, I’m impressed; you’re the dumbest guardian ever.”
“Can’t even kill a puny cat. But look at all the mess you’ve done!”
Damon pointed at all the treasures that had either been destroyed or twisted out of shape from the creature’s attacks. But as if that wasn’t enough…
“Don’t worry. You can apologize to your god in the afterlife. You know, once I slaughter you both...”
“SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK!”
The result was instantaneous. The skeleton leaped at Damon. Cat? What cat? It would wipe the smirk off that detestable blasphemous human!
Run? It was far too late.
Damon saw the skeleton magnify before his eyes.
That’s when the creature crashed on the ground, a shockwave erupting. First, it would paralyze the weak human, and then it would—
“Dumbass.” Damon chuckled as he kicked the damn thing straight in the face.
The shock effect? It was a ground-base attack! At the very last moment, he jumped, entirely evading the effect! Then, without waiting, he counterattacked!
Except, he was only getting started…
Before his attack could even connect, he rolled forward, just in time to avoid the countless slashes the thing sent his way. Then, as if in the same movement, he grabbed a nearby vase and—
— SMASH! SMASH!
Smashed it on the thing’s head!
Damage? Minimal. But the words that came next were different.
“Sigh. Just what I was saying. Can’t protect your master’s property for shit. That’s what happens when you’re all bones and no brain.”
With another shriek, the creature kicked backward, right at the human’s torso! But all the kick did was displace some air. As for the human? He had long backed off!
“Now remember. All your power, right there!”
For once, Damon didn’t utter an insult. He simply pointed at the back of the skeleton’s skull, the cat its shoulder instantly striking!
“MIAOW!” (Take that, you brain-dead bastard!)
— CRACK! CRACK!
With one last supplice, the creature’s last breath left it. But as the shiny bones crumbled to the floor, so did Damon, clutching his chest, blood erupting out of his mouth. — Cough! Cough!
“M-Miaow?!” (M-Master, what happened?!)
The concerned cat ran to him, only for its master to give him a meaningful look. What happened? It should have already known. Seeing this, the poor cat racked its brain until it finally exclaimed in shock.
“Miaow?!” (L-Life Drain?! It’s because of the Life Drain, right?!)
At this moment, it felt endless shame. Its Master had to put himself in harm’s way because it had been too weak. Without his help, it would have never succeeded in dealing such a decisive blow.
“Don’t sweat it, just grow stronger. Can’t have me fight every single battle now can you? Besides, it’s not like we didn’t get anything out of that…” Damon pointed at the bone dust on the floor.
[Ding! Successfully Defeated Undead Soldier!]
[Don’t Forget to Absorb its Soul Power!]
A lone cat stood victoriously over its defeated opponent, a strange look on its face. It seemed… just like a house cat having hunted its first mouse, utterly unsure what to do with it. It could sense the Mana in the bone dust, yet...
“Just absorb it. Put your Paw on it and Absorb…”
Damon guided his pet, and the two felt the effects through their link. A rush of energy invaded them like adrenaline; it was AMAZING!
[Pet has Absorbed 7 Soul Power From Its Defeated Foe!]
“Miaow?!” (Master, I feel powerful. It’s like…)
“Hehe, you’ll feel even better in a second!”
That’s when he tapped in mid-air, opening the System interface. He hurriedly went to the Pet panel and observed the Evolution Tree. It was one with endless hidden branches, but the base could be seen, as well as three options...
| Unranked Pride Demon |
[5 SP] → Slash Buff!
[30 SP] → Snack Attack!
[150 SP] → Shadow Cloak!
This merely represented what the Cat could currently learn based on its experiences. The more it fought and leveled up, the more options there would be.
Damon instantly pressed the Slash option, gleefully spending 5 Soul Power. This upgrade would buff its companions' claws and their destructive power!
“Miaow?!” (Master, my claws are… glowing?! And they feel super strong!)
It rushed at a nearby vase, slashing at it. Before, there would only have been a low thud, but claw marks were left this time! It couldn’t help but gaze at its master in awe.
“Hehe. The more Soul Power you get, the more I can upgrade you. That’s how Tamers work in a nutshell. So, what do you say? Are you ready to hunt some more skeletons?”
“MIAOOOOWWWWW!”
Ready? Ready was an understatement!
Undead, undead, undead, where were they?!
To the cat, those weren’t monsters anymore, but XP!
It didn’t take long to find another room just like the previous one, the two entering very carefully. Even in its excitement, the cat hadn’t forgotten how the previous skeleton had been hiding.
“Stay here, I’ll be right back….” Damon ordered his cat. After all, the little one still had the “thief” curse that would alert the skeletons.
As to why Damon didn’t have it even after smashing a vase? The answer was very simple: Demonic Touch. It had tricked the curse into thinking he was one of the Undead!
Damon approached a loot pile, raised his hand, and… didn’t do anything?! He just stood there, hand extended, as if a psychic. What was he even doing?!
He was actually spending a trace amount of Mana…
Tiny threads of Demonic Power oozed out of his hand, so tiny that they were invisible to the naked eye, but he could still feel them. He moved from pile to pile, doing the same until…
He felt it! The Demonic Power was attracted to the pile as if it had found its brethren. That’s when Damon knew for sure: in there was a skeleton, the thing lying in ambush!
“There’s an undead there, I can sense it. You know what to do, right?”
The cat didn’t even bother replying. It readied itself, placing its paws in position as if a cheetah, and then it… POUNCED!
Dash! Dash! Dash! Dash! — SLASH!
It dove into the pile of loot, claws first, just in time for the damn thing to start rattling, a bony skeleton taking form! The poor undead creature barely had time to SHRIEK that…
— SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SHATTER!
Its skull exploded from the attack, its bony body crumbling. Undead? What undead?! Silence came back as fast as it had been disturbed, the entire world seemingly coming to a halt. That was it?!
[....]
[Ding! Defeated an Undead…]
[Earned Title. He Who Spawncamps.]
Before being prompted, the cat hurriedly started devouring its fallen opponent. As for the title it had just received? Who cared about that!
[Your Pet Has Absorbed 3 Soul Power!]
“Next time, give it half a second more. Let it form completely, then harvest it.”
H-Harvest?! At this moment, Damon’s casual attitude felt so goddamn out of place. Was this still the deadly Amber Tower, or was it some XP farm?! Yet, he didn't give a damn about that.
Thus, the master and pet duo kept going. Damon would scout ahead, point out the location of the slumbering skeletons, and then….
Dash! Dash! Dash! Dash! — SLASH!
Dash! Dash! Dash! Dash! — SLASH!
Dash! Dash! Dash! Dash! — SLASH!
[Your Pet Has Absorbed 4 Soul Power!]
[Your Pet Has Absorbed 5 Soul Power!]
[Your Pet Has Absorbed 6 Soul Power!]
[Your Pet Has Absorbed 7 Soul Power!]
The more they went, the more rooms they saw, all sharing the same theme. Wealth, wealth, and some more wealth. What did change, however, were the numbers of Undead.
1 Undead
2 Undead
5 Undead?!
Heck, there was even a room with 12 of them?! At this point, it wasn’t a party, but a goddamn army! This one, they avoided like the plague, especially because it screamed Boss Room!
Glowing riches everywhere, a ginormous sarcophagus, and what looked like a ritual to assure eternal prosperity to its owner in the afterlife. This had to be the key to escaping this place! Except they weren’t ready, not yet…
Damon brought his companion back to a room with a lone undead. His cat almost dashed at it by habit, but he stopped it, shaking his head.
“Soul Power will only do so much. YOU have to grow stronger.” That’s when he threw a pebble at the undead.
— Rattle! Rattle! Rattle! —
The bones started rattling. What started as a small movement soon became a storm of bones clacking against one another, the monster rising in its full glory.
[Ding! Undead Soldier Has Appeared!]
[Fear Not! Upon Defeat, You Will Join Its Ranks!]
The Undead’s empty sockets suddenly filled with dark fire as it glared at them. Then it charged as if trying to avenge all the brethren that they had shamelessly spawn-killed.
“Miaow!” (It’s time to whoop ass! Bad bones, go back to sleep!)
The cat went on the offensive- claws, claws, and some more claw swipes! Yet, it soon became obvious that it had trouble landing a finishing blow. This thing was STRONG!
“Undead are especially resistant to slashes. Except if it’s a direct hit to the skull, your claws won’t do anything. You gotta CRUSH!” Damon remarked.
The cat turned serious…
That’s when the fight changed, going from a cat running pointlessly in circles to a cat running in circles and… throwing vases at its opponent?!
— CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
At this rate, it would eventually make the damn thing fall!
But that’s when the Undead finally noticed Damon. Arms crossed, he was observing the fight, almost expecting rupees to rain down from all those vases.
“SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK! SHRIIIEKKKK!”
“Miaow!” (Bastard, don’t you dare! I’m your opponent!)
Seeing as the creature was ignoring it, the cat raised its leg and… pissed all over the treasure it was guarding?! Overcome by rage, the undead rushed back at the cat.
[Ding! Your Pet Has Learned a New Move: Aggro! Assign?]
[Reminder: Assigned Moves Can Be Changed With TM Seeds!]
How about not?! Damon almost had a heart attack. Up to four moves could be assigned at any time, and those abilities would have increased efficiency. It would be such a waste!
After about 10 minutes, the cat finally defeated its Undead foe. Panting, it towered over the fallen enemy, its entire fur drenched in sweat.
“That was merely one skeleton…”
“Miaow!” (I’ll work even harder, Master!)
Good, because they were only getting started. It was time to turn this entire freaking pyramid into fuel for their growth.
After all, they’d soon face an invincible enemy…
