Once again, Naelune changed the subject and pointed to the door. And, indeed, the number had changed as she said.
Also, not far away, was the girl with horns, along with two spiders: one that looked sliced, and another that, for some reason, was tied up with a rope, while the girl said something to it.
Is she also a demon? I thought she was a dragon woman. Well, I can't always be right.
Cassian thought he had made a mistake. He really thought it was a dragoness or some kind of horned beast woman, but according to Naelune, it appears to be a demon.
He had only seen those three demons, so he didn't have much to go on. Well, if she was a demon, I just hoped she wouldn't be aggressive like the triplets.
"Her energy is different. Hmm, it's not chaotic. She's not a demon! Besides, there are differences in body structure."
I knew it!
But Ellys quickly refuted his conjecture again. It seemed that Naelune was just guessing.
Although it has not yet been confirmed that she is a dragon woman, he hoped that she was. For some reason, every time her fictional knowledge aligned with reality, it gave her a sense of accomplishment, Cassian was feeling on a roll.
"Little angel, so you can even tell those things apart. And to think I thought you were blind... now I feel like a fool for being careful not to mention it at first. Hey, since you can see so well, can you see what's under Cazzy's pants?"
"..."
"Hey, why aren't you answering me? Why are you just blushing intensely...? Wait, angel, don't tell me you already used it that way."
"N-no."
"You stop bothering Miss Ellysia. We're supposed to be in an unknown situation, with potential danger at any moment."
"Well, I don't really feel any tension at all. You and Cazzy seem so strong that I feel like this will be easy. Besides, I'm not really that interested in being an agent or whatever, although if I get a few good things out of it, that wouldn't be bad... like being able to examine Cazzy's body."
"Haah, it's useless to reason with you,"
said an exasperated Valeriane, but in Naelune's defense, Cassian also thought something similar.
Although it seemed like a high-tension situation, in fact, it had been quite calm; in the end, they were just a few little spiders compared to the sea of endless beasts from before.
So far, it hadn't been a big deal. The tension was so low that their conversations easily wandered off topic.
He didn't know why, but even for Cassian, who wasn't very sociable, it was easy to talk to Valeriane, Ellys, and Naelune, as well as the pleasant Yefeng. Well, it was mainly because he hadn't run away or picked a fight with him that this was possible.
Hmm, but it's true that we've wasted a lot of time... Well, that god also said he would return us to the moment we entered.
That could also be the reason for her low tension .
"Well, it's true that there's no danger. Going back to that woman, it's good to know that she's not one of those unreasonable demons. Certainly, if you look closely, her horns are not like those of any demon I know, not to mention her type of clothing... Sir Yefeng , does she have any connection to you?"
"Uh, well... our world also has other beings besides humans, but in fact none with characteristics like horns . Although there are legends of beings like dragon and phoenix and other mystical creatures that take humanoid form,but they are just myths."
"So she probably comes from another world! That would be the eighth."
Cassian was keeping count. After all, he was still evaluating which world was better. Obviously, Yefeng came from a Murim-type world.
But he really didn't like that kind of world, as it seemed easy to get into fights, so it was even lower than the world of flat-chested women, where there are no big-breasted MILFs.
..
.
Finally, the group approached the woman. They had to get rid of that spider, and they still didn't understand why, after so long, the woman hadn't simply eliminated it.
"Well, are you willing to give in? You should be glad that I, the bearer of the ancient draconic lineage, am allowing you to be its familiar."
"..."
That was what Cassian heard as he approached the woman, which unconsciously made him slow his pace.
He was getting closer, but the more he listened, the more he questioned many things. Besides that, this woman was now giving him a strong sense of dissonance, so he decided to stay on the sidelines and just watch.
"Excuse me for interrupting..."
"Hey! What were you babbling about earlier? What is that ancient draconic lineage? Does it have to do with dragons? Is it your skill? Can you control that spider? You seem to be in good shape. Do you have muscles under those robes? Can I examine you?"
"You stop meddling. Sir Cassian, would you do me the favor of keeping her under control? I honestly can't."
"Yes."
Valeriane, who was interrupted by Naelune, asked Cassian for help. Normally, Cassian would wonder why him, and even more so why he had to get so close to Naelune, and he wouldn't do it if it weren't necessary.
"Hummppp mhhg."
"Thank you, Sir Cassian."
But this time, without hesitation, he stepped forward, grabbed her, and covered her mouth with one of his hands. She seemed to struggle to say something at first, but he held her firmly in his arms.
Her struggle was futile, and in fact, two seconds later, Naelune stopped fighting and her body seemed to soften in Cassian's arms.
He ignored this, paying attention to the dragon woman, who had been watching them all this time with her piercing golden eyes.
"Excuse the interruption, but may I ask what your intention is for that spider?"
"Hmph!, I see that you have finally come to me... and the answer is yes. I am willing to accept you as my subordinates. You may now rejoice in this great honor..."
"Um, me? subor- eh?...what was it I asked?"
Valeriane was confused. She just wanted to check if the door would open by killing that last spider. She was sure that her intention was to ask why she hadn't killed it.
She was convinced that she had asked that, but the woman's confidence was so overwhelming that she wondered if she had really asked to be her subordinate.
No, focus... she probably heard wrong.
With that premise in mind, Valeriane tried again.
"Miss, do you know that we may need to eliminate that spider to open that door and continue with the tests and get out of this place?"
"Hmph, there is nothing in the world that can test me, who possesses the ancestral draconic lineage. That self-proclaimed god will not tell me what to do. But it is true that we cannot stay any longer... if it is as you say, then... I'm sorry, 'Weaver of Eternal Blackness' (Web)."
"..."
Valeriane didn't quite understand what was happening, but right after she said that, the woman used her hands and cleanly severed the spider's head, killing it.
"It was for a short time, but rejoice. Now that you have entered the Ancestral Draconic Lands, you can hold your head high and say that you were my familiar. Someone with the ancestral draconic lineage will perform this ritual in your honor and..."
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
Leaving aside what that strange woman was doing, it was as they suspected, the moment the spider died, the one became zero, and the giant, heavy door began to open, shaking the room. No doubt it had served its purpose.
"This... I'll leave you alone, and thank you for your understanding."
Valeriane felt that this woman was not a normal person, so now that this was done, she returned to the group, taking advantage of the fact that the woman was doing whatever she was doing while saying things to the spider's corpse.
"..."
Cassian watched the interaction silently the whole time. He was looking at the woman suspiciously, but it wasn't enough to draw any conclusions yet.
Earlier, with the triplets, he initially thought they were guys with chūnibyō complexes, but then he discovered they were the real deal; here, they could really be what they say even if it sounds absurd.
Now he really wondered if the woman in front of him was too. Normally, he would go straight ahead and check, but when he thought about it, if he asked, he would get the same answer anyway.
Besides, from what she said, just from her horns, scales, and tail, it seemed to be true. Although Cassian still had that feeling of dissonance when he looked at her, it was still too early for a verdict.
"This... why don't we leave her there and move on? ... Hmm, Sir Cassian... is she okay?"
As the group headed for the door, Valeriane pointed to Naelune, who, still in Cassian's arms, did not seem to be fully conscious.
She wasn't moving, and her limbs seemed limp, and her eyes, though open, didn't seem to be focused.
Considering that Cassian's large hand was still covering her mouth, he feared that, because of his request, they had lost a companion.
"Oh, shit, what have I done? Lys, help me out here,Cast a spell on h- '!!!!' Shit, now what?"
Cassian had once again forgotten for a moment that he was holding Naelune in his arms and panicked.
But just then, Cassian felt a very strong chill run down his spine. It could be said that it was the clearest warning he had felt today.
"This... something dangerous... something is coming. Benefactors, this is serious. It feels very dangerous."
It seemed that the moment of low tension was finally over, because, as if to confirm it, what Cassian felt, Yefeng seemed to turn very pale and immediately took his sister in his arms, looking around erratically in various places.
"Hip... C-Cass, we have to run. There are lots of spiders coming, hundreds! From everywhere!"
RUMBLE! RUMBLE!