Monster Taming Broadcast

The fifth companion monster has been obtained!

Its species name is Psycho Clown. That was the name it proclaimed itself.

The Psycho Clown was currently looking at its fingers, dripping like candle wax, moaning softly.

[Kirik…]

[Pururu] – Does it hurt? Good!

[Mysticism] –

I left the clown in that state and stood with my hands behind my back, leisurely browsing the preserved specimens on the shelf, throwing in various questions for good measure.

About five minutes passed.

Now it should be okay to heal it.

If I leave it like this for too long, my favorability will drop.

“Mushroom. You can heal it now.”

[Beeeee…]

The Medical Mushroom, who had been restless, flew over to the clown as if it had been waiting for this moment.

It dropped a pink liquid onto the clown’s hand.

[Kirik?]

The clown’s fingers were completely healed.

The healing ability of the Medical Mushroom was indeed overpowered.

[Pururu] – Since you’ve experienced the same pain, I guess you’ve reflected on the things you’ve done. Empathy, you little rascal!

[Mysticism] –

I don’t think it would reflect.

There’s no way its true nature would change with just this level of punishment.

After all, it was the type that claimed collecting body parts was more than a simple hobby; it was the reason for living.

Of course, it seemed somewhat remorseful about stealing my finger.

The clown cares about the preserved specimens just as much as me. It grew fond of me the moment it was tamed.

[Pururu] – Hey, tell him to stop collecting body parts from now on.

“Interfering with hobbies seems a bit much.”

I am not the Ruler but the Supported One.

It’s better to avoid tyrannical acts that control hobbies as much as possible.

As I mentioned earlier, monsters aren’t my subordinates.

I’ve tamed them, but we are more like friends.

Still, I have some authority to issue commands.

I can intervene as long as I don’t cross the line.

“Clown. From now on, whenever you collect body parts, try to get my permission first.”

[Kirik? Why do I need to ask for permission?]

“If you go around causing trouble for everyone, we might get caught in the crossfire. You’re one of us now.”

[Kirik…]

The Psycho Clown seemed to ponder my words for a moment, then nodded and replied.

[Got it. I won’t put friends in danger. Kirik.]

The clown accepted my request.

The reason this was possible was simple.

We’re closer to a horizontal relationship than a hierarchical one, but a completely equal relationship doesn’t exist either.

Even though we say we are friends, there are invisible ranks, and since I ranked higher than the monsters, the clown readily accepted my request. After all, I’m the one who tamed it.

Even if I appended a plausible reason, if I had a lower rank, it wouldn’t have listened to me.

The Psycho Clown unexpectedly walked up to me and bowed politely.

[Kirik. To be honest, I expected you to stop me from collecting. But you respected my hobby. Thank you, really. Without my hobby of collecting kids, I wouldn’t have a reason to live.]

What a surprising side to it.

It may have a nasty taste, but it seems its nature isn’t that bad.

Perhaps it became tamed and softened up a bit.

“Now you have one more reason to live besides that hobby.”

[Another reason?]

“I’m as precious as your kids, right? Then my existence can be a reason for your life too, can’t it?”

[Thinking about it, that’s true. From now on, you are part of my life. Kirik.]

[Pururu] – Haha, how heartwarming!

[Mysticism] –

[Pururu] – What’s your problem now?

[Mysticism] –

[Pururu] – Lighten up! They resolved their issues amicably, so why are you still sulking?

The clown grinned and attached itself to me.

Even after melting my finger in revenge, to think our rapport is so high…

It was truly impressive.

This is the effect of taming.

‘I really don’t think I need to worry about betrayal.’

The credibility of the saying that tamed monsters never betray is on the rise.

*

The secret space of the Psycho Clown.

The entrance to the place where the preserved specimens are stored was blocked by magma.

This was to prevent other creatures from intruding while the clown was away for a long time.

Unless someone could bypass the magma, nothing would get near that space.

[Pururu] – The magma door… d-damn!

[Mysticism] –

Just so you know, we have free access to that space.

The magma of the Black Magma Slime is set to not affect allies.

[Beeeep…]

[Pururu] – It’s hilarious how the mushroom lady keeps coming in and out marveling at the magma door! Haha!

[Mysticism] –

Taking my eyes off the entrance.

I sneakily checked my wristwatch.

There was still ample time until 12.

I thought it wouldn’t be a problem if I explored a bit more before heading back.

Just as I was about to continue my exploration.

[Pururu] – Hey, shouldn’t you ask that psycho what the real name of the Dog Spider is? I’m curious!

Pururu’s message popped up.

“Really? What’s its real species name?”

[Pururu] – Remember when you pointed at the spider legs and called it Dog Spider? The psycho said that wasn’t its name.]

“Oh right?”

I had brushed that off lightly.

Was it not Dog Spider’s legs but from another spider monster? I was thinking that way.

“Clown.”

[Kirik?]

“About those spider legs I pointed at.”

I gestured towards the Dog Spider, continuing.

“Is it from the same species?”

[Yes. It’s the same species.]

So it wasn’t from another spider monster.

“Do you know its actual species name?”

[I do. Hek Hek Sil Sil Sha I I Ik, that’s its species name.]

[Pururu] – ?

[Mysticism] –

“…”

Did I just mishear that?

“What? I didn’t catch that.”

[Hek Hek Sil Sil Sha I I Ik.]

[Pururu] – Don’t mess with me!

[Mysticism] –

I hadn’t misheard.

Hek Hek Sil Sil Sha I I Ik.

This is the actual species name of the Dog Spider.

“Are you joking?”

[I’m not joking. That’s really the name.]

The clown looked serious.

It didn’t seem like a joke or a lie.

“How did you find out its species name?”

[I heard it directly from Hek Hek Sil Sil Sha A A Aak long ago.]

[Pururu] – ?? That’s different from what you just said! You trying to die?]

“Really? Hmm…”

I let out a hum.

After thinking for a moment, I turned to look at the Dog Spider.

“…Let’s just stick with Dog Spider.”

[Shii!]

[Pururu] – Ooh, that seems right. Forget about the previous species name!

[Mysticism] –

I decided to erase the Dog Spider’s actual species name from my memory.

*

While exploring.

Many conversations flowed between me and the Psycho Clown.

“Clown. When were you born?”

[I don’t remember. I don’t even know if I was born.]

“You don’t even know if you were born? What does that mean?”

[It’s hard to explain. I just feel like I naturally existed at some point.]

[Pururu] – Sounds like it wasn’t born through breeding.]

[Mysticism] –

For a brief moment, our conversation came to a halt.

But I managed to keep the conversation going again by asking another question.

“Did you have a hobby for collecting body parts from the beginning?”

[I didn’t have it at first. I ended up developing this hobby as I lived.]

“Really? What made you obsess over preserving body parts?”

[It’s too long ago, so I don’t remember well. I’m sorry.]

[Pururu] – You’ve become quite chatty.]

[Mysticism] –

It was inevitable that he’d become more talkative.

He was the first maze monster I met here who could communicate properly.

“Do you know about explorers?”

[Explorers. I know a bit. They’re the ones who make others submit, the ones who eat others and get stronger.]

“Do you realize I’m an explorer too?”

[I noticed that. When in the same space as an explorer, I feel weaker.]

While replying, the clown stopped moving.

It stared at me intently and spoke.

[Now that I think about it, you are strange.]

“What’s strange?”

[You don’t seem like the kind of person who eats others to get stronger; you seem more like someone who makes others submit… however, I feel like you’re somehow being dominated. And I don’t feel any hatred at all. All the ones dominated by explorers wanted to kill them out of hatred.]

“Well, I’m an explorer with the supporting trait, not a dominating one. I’ve tamed you, not controlled you, so we became friends.”

[Kirik? Supporting? Tamed?]

The clown tilted its head.

“I guess you haven’t met a supporting genre explorer before?”

[This is the first time.]

It seems that among the past explorers, it was rare for them to choose the Supporting One trait.

[Pururu] – Seems like people didn’t often pick your trait.]

[Pururu] – Honestly, I would’ve chosen the dominating thing too.]

[Mysticism] –

As I shifted my steps, I continued talking to the clown without becoming tired.

Changing the subject.

“By the way, how did you come to know your species name?”

[I met someone who knew my species name.]

“Oh. Did they tell you?”

[No. I found out through telepathy.]

“Telepathy?”

[Pururu] – You mean you can use telepathy?]

I wasn’t overly surprised.

After all, the Psycho Clown’s actual danger level is S-Class.

As a demon lord specialized in diverse psychic abilities, telepathy should be within its capabilities.

[By the way, I’m not using it right now. Using this ability requires concentration. So my movements are restricted.]

It seems it can’t be used easily.

Well, since it’s such an overpowered ability to read someone’s mind, it’s only natural that it requires deep concentration.

“I wonder how deep your telepathy is.”

[If you allow me, I’ll use it. I won’t read my friend’s thoughts without permission. That would be bad.]

“Go ahead and use it once.”

The clown nodded.

Then it looked at me intensely, furrowing its brow.

[Pururu] – Just how many psychic powers does it use?]

[You saw the words. Pururu said, just how many psychic powers does it use?]

[Pururu] – Wait, how did you read my chat?]

[Pururu] – Who is Pururu?]

[Mysticism] –

[You looked at the drawing. Missy used an emoticon. Surprised emoticon.]

The Psycho Clown was smoothly recounting the chats of the assistants.

It doesn’t see the chat window.

My brain was naturally reading the assistants’ chats while the clown was using telepathy to peek into my thoughts.

[Pururu] – Goosebumps! d-damn!]

[Pururu] – Hold on a second! Now we can actually communicate with that psycho?]

[Pururu] – Communication with monsters is so dope! Let’s go!]

[Mysticism] –

I told the clown to stop using telepathy for now.

I briefly explained about the assistants. It looked curious.

Then I asked one last question.

“Clown. How close does the opponent have to be to use telepathy?”

[Distance doesn’t matter. As long as the opponent is in my line of sight.]

It turned out to be a pretty useful ability.

I did a good job taming it.

*

After finishing my exploration, I returned to the assembly point.

The current time is 11:30.

Since I returned earlier than scheduled, I couldn’t see Rize.

‘I guess I’ll wait by drawing a picture.’

I took out a notebook and pen from the Magma Slime.

I had brought it along to draw during lunch when meeting new monsters.

[Pururu] – ?? How the hell is that in there?]

[Pururu] – It looks perfectly fine too.]

[Mysticism] –

I settled in a suitable spot.

Then I started to sketch the Psycho Clown in my notebook.

■ Psycho Clown

─ Actual Danger Level: S-Class.

─ Current (Nerfed) Danger Level: B-Class.

─ Ability: Psychic Abilities.

As I finished the drawing.

I heard a familiar voice from a distance.

“I’m impressed! To defeat such a strong monster! Amazing!”

[Pii~]

“Still, you’re badly hurt! It seems your regeneration ability is lower than mine, so you should hurry to the healer… Oh! Everyone’s back already!”

Rize and Jellyfish returned.

Rize was struggling to drag the gigantic corpse of the Pig King.

The Jellyfish was covered in wounds.

Its teeth were missing in places, and half of its tentacles had been torn off.

It seems they barely won after a fierce battle with the Pig King.

“Jellyfish, you’re hurt a lot! Hurry and get healed─”

[Beeeee!!!]

Before Rize could finish his sentence.

The Medical Mushroom dashed out and started healing Jellyfish.

Rize finally let out a sigh of relief.

Then he turned his gaze back to us and exclaimed,

“Oh, wait? That thing is the clumsy enemy of my side…!”

[Kirik?]

He flinched and took a step back upon seeing the Psycho Clown.

It seems those two are acquainted.

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