11 Chapter 10: Returning to the City

"Ugh..."

I woke up with a headache. Although I didn't feel pain, my body felt heavy, and I felt somewhat lethargic.

Eura's bare breasts were pressed against my face, making it a little hard to breathe.

The tight sleeping bag we shared was only for a single person, making me unable to move.

I crawled my way out of the sleeping bag and explored the cave.

"There should be a storage room for materials and gold they've stolen, right?"

But there was nothing that remotely screamed: "I'm a treasure." Most were just wood, carcasses, and other trash.

I sat on a nearby boulder and looked over my stats.

My FP has recovered to 90%.

'All Seeing Eye!'

I activated my ability to see through walls and scanned the area.

To my surprise, I saw a hidden door behind a pile of dirt.

I stood up, walked towards it, and pushed with all my strength. The door creaked open, revealing a narrow passage leading downwards.

I took out my flashlight and began to descend the stairs. The air grew colder, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed through the passageway.

As I reached the bottom, I shone my flashlight around and saw a large room. The walls were lined with shelves that were filled with various items - gold coins, jewelry, and other treasures.

I couldn't believe my luck. It seemed like my intuition had paid off, and I had found the treasure trove of the infamous bandits who had been raiding nearby towns.

But something felt off.

It was then that I noticed a set of red lights glowing in the corner. I flash the light in its direction, revealing a giant spider lurking in the shadows.

I took a step back, but the spider didn't move. It just sat there, watching me.

I approached it hesitantly, my heart pounding in my chest.

The giant spider hissed, a low rattle that seemed to reverberate through the air, echoing off the walls of the room. Its voice was intimidating and strange like a dozen snakes being shaken in a sack. Its red eyes glowed brightly in the darkness, and it seemed to be sizing me up as I approached.

I took the knife from my inventory and gripped it tightly, ready to fight if necessary. But the spider didn't attack. Instead, it simply watched me, waiting for me to make a move.

Black sludge suddenly poured out of my skin, covering my hands and the knife.

I froze for a moment but then noticed that my arm suddenly transformed into a blade.

So this is the Upgrade skill of the slime? Interesting.

I dashed at the spider and was about to attack when it suddenly fell to the ground, writhing in pain.

It retracted all of its legs and attempted to make itself small in the corner of the room. It was like seeing an abused kid cower in a corner, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the giant spider.

I lowered my knife and approached the spider, its red eyes still locked on me. I could feel a strange connection between us as if we were communicating without words.

Without hesitation, I reached out and touched its furry body. The spider flinched at first but then relaxed under my touch.

"Do you want to come with me?" I whispered to the spider.

To my surprise, the spider seemed to nod its head in agreement.

[You have acquired a pet, "Darwin's Bark Spider (Mutant)"]

And so, I looted the treasure room with my new companion by my side.

So it's a Darwin's Bark Spider... if I remember correctly, that's the spider whose silk is the toughest biological material on Earth. Did it get here from Earth? But since humans also exist here, could it be possible that animals here have evolved in a similar way to those on Earth?

But isn't that strange? If evolution exists in this world, shouldn't it have developed its own unique flora and fauna instead of relying on Earth's existing species and culture? Now that I think about it, aren't Wendigo's folklore monsters from the North American continent?

That's not all; the language in this land is English and uses the English alphabet writing system... For an independent world, it sure has a lot of similarities to Earth that it shouldn't have... I mean, sure, I could attribute the English language and alphabet to some otherworlder that drifted before me, but that doesn't explain the animals and monsters.

What exactly is this world?

As I pondered over the strange similarities between this world and Earth, my new companion nuzzled against my hand, drawing my attention back to the present. I smiled, feeling a strange sense of comfort in its presence.

With the treasure room looted, I left with the spider by my side.

We made our way back to the cave's surface.

When we arrived, Eura was sitting with a seductive smile on her face, beckoning me over.

"Master, is that your new pet? It's adorable," she reached out to stroke the spider's body.

I watched as the spider recoiled at Eura's touch, its red eyes glowing with what I could only describe as fear.

"Yes, it's my new pet. It seems to have some kind of anxiety against humans, though," I said.

Eura pouted, retracting her hand. "Well, can't blame it. Humans are horrible folks, after all."

"Let's leave. I'll check our loot once we're home. This place stinks."

"Do you know the way back to the city?" I asked Eura as we walked out of the cave's exit.

"I'm not sure, master."

For the first time, I saw an uneasy face from the new Eura.

I opened the item shop for clothes that would better suit the chilly weather outside.

I checked the list of miscellaneous items.

Let's see... Military clothes, camo clothes, camo clothes, it's all military clothes.

『Special Outfit Pandora's Box I (Female)』

『Buy 100x for a guaranteed jackpot prize.』

『Jackpot prices: Snowstorm's Wedding Outfit (Legendary), Lost Comet's Trailing Steps Outfit (Legendary), Frost Queen's Icy Coronation Outfit (Legendary).』

『Price: 999 gold』

I scoffed at the ridiculousness of the item. 100 pieces of Pandora's Box would be almost 100,000 gold. That's enough gold to feed the entirety of North Korea, and still have extra left.

But at the same time, I felt curious.

Against my better judgment, I bought a Pandora's Box and opened it.

A large box popped up in front of me.

『You have obtained "E-Girl Aesthetic Outfit Set (Rare)".』

I rolled my eyes. Of course, it had to be a silly outfit like that.

I opened the box to see what I had gotten myself into. To my surprise, the outfit set was actually quite impressive.

There were three sets inside.

The first set came with a mini skirt that had chains attached to it, fishnet stockings, a crop top, and a choker necklace with a dangling cross.

The second set included a black crop top with a heart cutout, a pleated skirt with chain accents, thigh-high stockings with garter belts, and chunky platform boots.

The third set was a bit more revealing, with a lace bralette, high-waisted shorts, thigh-high boots with stiletto heels, and a sheer robe that barely covered anything.

I smirked as I imagined the new Eura donning the outfit.

But then I shook my head, realizing that I wasn't here to indulge in my fantasies. My mind refocused on the task at hand: getting out of the cave and back to civilization.

I handed Eura the first outfit set, telling her, "Put this on. You don't want to enter the city naked, do you?"

"If its master's commands, I will gladly enter the city naked ♡"

I rolled my eyes at Eura's flirtatious response but couldn't help but feel a surge of arousal at her obedience.

"Put on the damn outfit," I snapped, trying to hide my excitement.

She took the outfit from me before changing right in front of me. I couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable, but I tried to ignore it.

Once Eura was fully dressed in the new outfit, she twirled around in front of me, showing off every inch of her body.

"Is this to your liking, master?" she asked with a seductive smile.

I struggled to compose myself as I stared at Eura's curvaceous physique. Eura looked absolutely stunning in the outfit, her curves accentuated by the skimpy clothing.

But I couldn't let my desires get in the way of our mission.

"It'll do," I said gruffly, turning away from her.

Eura's smile faltered slightly, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Shall we go then, master?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

I nodded, leading the way out of the cave.

We began our journey back to the city, with the spider following me closely behind.

As we trudged through the dense forest, we met many wild animals and monsters. Some of which we ate for consumption.

It took us a week until we finally reached the city.

As we walked towards the gates of the city, the guards suddenly stopped us. They eyed us suspiciously, their hands resting on their swords.

"Halt! State your business in the city," one of the guards demanded.

"We're just passing through," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady.

The guard eyed us up and down, his gaze lingering on Eura's revealing outfit.

"Are you sure you're not here for any... illicit activities?"

I glared at the guard, offended by his implications. Eura stepped forward, placing her arms on my shoulders and leaning in close.

"The giant spider, is that your companion?" The guard asked, his eyes narrowing.

I nodded, trying to keep my tone calm.

The guard looked us up and down once more before reluctantly stepping aside.

"Very well, you may enter. But be warned, any suspicious behavior will not be tolerated within our city walls," he warned us sternly.

"And watch your pet. It may cause trouble," he added, eyeing the spider warily.

We entered the bustling city, drawing looks from many of the citizens. Eura's revealing outfit attracted many stares from both men and women, and I could sense her relishing in the attention. While some stared wide-eyed at the giant spider trailing behind us, others shrieked in terror and ran in the opposite direction.

I led the way towards the center of the city, where the palace was.

My home was several hundred meters away behind the palace.

It was outside the castle walls, thus unprotected, but I preferred it that way. I hated the servants and guards that often mocked and disrespected me within the palace walls.

Suddenly, a group of armed men appeared from the alleyway, surrounding us.

"Hand over the spider and the girl, and we'll let you go," the leader of the group demanded, his eyes glinting with greed.

"Eura." I imperceptibly commanded.

"Yes, master ♡" Eura stepped forward, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Sword Dance: Decapitation"

Eura's body moved like a blur, her sword slicing through the air and decapitating the leader of the group.

The other men hesitated for a moment, shocked by the sudden attack, but then they charged toward us with their swords drawn.

"Sword Dance: Eternal Rest"

Eura leaped into action once again, her sword dancing and slicing through the air. The remaining men fell one by one, their bodies collapsing to the ground.

"Good job, Eura," I said, my voice filled with admiration.

She smiled at me, her eyes shining with pride.

We quickly made our way to my home, the spider following behind us as we moved through the city.

Tired from the walk and our encounter with the armed men, Eura and I instantly fell asleep in my bed, the spider comfortably resting in its web in the corner.