Monster Taming Broadcast

Kinogine Aracne released her thread.

The shot-out thread wrapped around the serpent-shaped doorknob.

[Father. Should I open it now?]

I silently nodded my head.

After observing my reaction briefly, Aracne pulled the thread with all her strength.

Ku gu gu gung—

The massive door gently opened, brushing against the ground.

The view beyond the door unfolded, filling our sight.

A desolate land stretching infinitely.

A blood-red sky, seemingly stained with gore.

A gray mist swirling ominously in the air.

Although I had never seen hell directly, I thought that if it really existed, it would look something like this; the landscape was sinister.

“That’s one hell of a view.”

[Mysticism] ─ Scary.

[Mirstin] ─ Even just seeing it through the screen makes my body shiver…

[Rize Nova] ─ Seems like there will be a lot of dangerous monsters around.

[Yumi] ─ Be careful, Gun!

[Boglebogle] ─ Can’t wait to see new monsters!

[Pururu] ─ D-Didn’t that place look like real hell?

[Luna-chan] ─ It does look similar to hell. o_O

[Yumi] ─ Huh? How do you know that, Sage? Have you been to hell before?

[Mysticism] ─ Must be because he’s a Dimension Magician, he’s probably been to hell!

[Luna-chan] ─ I haven’t been. OwO?

[Pururu] ─ ?? What a crazy girl. Why were you pretending to know then?

Bottomless pits, hell, the demon realm.

After pondering for a moment about what to call this place, I simply decided to name it hell.

We moved onward, gazing at the hellish landscape.

The voice guidance kept indicating to go straight ahead.

After about five minutes, an enormous shadow suddenly appeared, blocking our way.

[Stop!]

A solemn voice resonated through the air.

I looked up.

A giant monster clad in silver armor was staring down at us, with a white cloak billowing behind him, a massive great sword stuck in the ground beside him.

Its body structure resembled that of a human.

[Luna-chan] ─ Oh, a strong-looking monster has popped out!

[Mysticism] ─ It’s a Minotaur!

[Mirstin] ─ The Horse King has appeared!!!

[Rize Nova] ─ Minotaur? Horse King? What are those?

[Pururu] ─ It’s neither a Minotaur nor a Horse King. Its face isn’t even like a cow.

[Boglebogle] ─ Pururu’s right. There was a Minotaur in Elemenzia too, but it looked completely different.

[Yumi] ─ Oh. The horns sprouting above its head are similar to a cow, but looking closely, its face resembles a dog.

For a moment, I thought it was a Minotaur too.

But the face was completely different.

It had the face of a dog, not a cow.

In other words, it meant a new monster that wasn’t in my information.

[My name is Infernos. The gatekeeper of hell’s door.]

Infernos.

The creature introduced itself.

It seemed that the monsters living here also referred to this place as hell.

I didn’t expect the temporary name I had assigned to be accurate.

Ah, by the way, its nerfed danger level was B-Class.

Its actual danger level was S-Class.

“Gatekeeper, huh?”

[That’s right.]

“So, does that mean there are gatekeepers here too… But if you’re a gatekeeper, shouldn’t you be near the door? Why did you pop out here?”

[I just took a dump.]

[Mysticism] ─ Ugh! Gross!

[Pururu] ─ Don’t you have to poop?

[Mysticism] ─

I wondered why the gatekeeper only just appeared.

It seemed it had done its business away from the door and had just returned to the door’s side that we happened to meet.

[Anyway, you guys have trespassed into this world without permission. This crime is not light and cannot be forgiven.]

Infernos spoke, lowering its voice and trying to impart seriousness.

It wasn’t threatening at all.

For some reason, I didn’t feel any animosity from it.

Infernos continued to survey us.

[Hmm. That said, it’s not like the crime is that heavy. If you pay a toll, I can forgive your transgression.]

[Pururu] ─ O? Changing your tone in just one second.

[Mirstin] ─ Just a moment ago, you said you wouldn’t forgive us.

[Boglebogle] ─ Looks like a dumb monster despite its appearance.

Infernos demanded a toll.

Well, there was nothing I couldn’t give.

If paying the toll could avoid trouble, then so be it.

Even if it was an S-Class monster, I’d want to avoid unnecessary fights as much as possible.

As long as the demand wasn’t too excessive, I was willing to pay the toll.

“So, if we pay the toll, you won’t have a problem with us crossing into this world?”

[Correct.]

What could it want?

It wouldn’t take currency or coins.

What it desired could probably be found out by directly asking.

“What do you want for the toll?”

[I don’t have anything specific, I accept anything, but I prefer things that are edible.]

“So, it doesn’t have to be food?”

[… No. It must be food. I won’t accept anything else.]

[Rize Nova] ─ ?

[Luna-chan] ─ Huh?

[Boglebogle] ─ Why does it keep changing what it says?

[Mysticism] ─ Just now you said you would accept anything!!!

[Yumi] ─ Sounds like it has short-term memory loss.

[Mirstin] ─ Hm. It feels like it’s not really a gatekeeper but just a stupid monster calling itself one.

[Pururu] ─ It looks like it just wants to beg for food using its title of gatekeeper.

I looked at Infernos incredulously and then slightly turned my head to ask our monsters.

“Hey guys. Do you have anything to give it? Food-wise.”

[Beep!]

A Medical Mushroom released pink jelly and handed it to Infernos.

Infernos sniffed the jelly, then without suspicion, popped it into its mouth.

[Hmm.]

“How is it? Is it good?”

[Tastes bad. Give me something else.]

“······.”

[Pururu] ─ Haha!

[Mirstin] ─ Seems like its taste is quite picky.

[Boglebogle] ─ It doesn’t know its place and is being annoying. Let’s just get rid of it.

I slightly frowned, and this time, Niarah Nepensys stepped forward.

[I have snacks that my mom prepared for our son, but I asked Merino to bring them…]

Niarah ripped open a space and pulled out a handful of stone-made snacks from beyond.

[It’s precious, but I guess I’ll have to give it this.]

[Pururu] ─ I envy that spatial pocket.

[Yumi] ─ Pururu should be envious of a different pocket, I think.

[Pururu] ─ O-O? What pocket?

[Yumi] ─ Nothing. ㅎ

[Pururu] ─ ?

Niarah scattered the stone in her hand onto the ground.

[Hey, puppy. Try this one.]

Infernos, lacking pride when it came to food, lay flat on the ground, sniffing at the stones, before eventually picking one up and crunching it.

At that moment, its expression changed.

[Ooooh! Delicious! So tasty!!!]

[Yes, good puppy. Eat lots.]

[Mirstin] ─ Must match its tastes. Hehe!

[Pururu] ─ Those stone snacks Merino made must be delicious.

[Mysticism] ─ Merino’s food is the best in the dimension!

Infernos, burying its face in the ground, began to gobble up the remaining stones eagerly.

I seized the opportunity to attach a spare severed arm I had prepared onto its back.

Even though there was no mind control today, since I had given it delicious food and it showed no hostility, the speed of the color change was particularly quick.

While we were doing this, Artpega Unibicon was sketching Infernos, and before long, completed the beast data.

[Explorer, I’ve finished the data collection.]

[Pururu] ─ Artpega was drawing even in that situation.

[Mysticism] ─ Total drawing addict.

—

Infernos

─ Actual Danger Level: S-Class.

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

—

From the start, it quickly got tamed, having an affinity for me.

It naturally joined our group.

[Mysticism] ─ One more party member added!

Following the guidance voice as I walked, I glanced at Infernos and casually asked,

“Is it really okay for you to come with us?”

[Can’t I follow?]

“No, it’s not that… But you’re the gatekeeper of hell, right? Shouldn’t you go guard your door?”

[What are you talking about? I’m not a gatekeeper.]

“Huh?”

[Seems you heard some strange rumors. There’s no gatekeeper in hell.]

“······.”

[Why are you looking at me that way?]

[Mysticism] ─

[Boglebogle] ─ What exactly is this guy doing?

[Pururu] ─ A crazy dude. Looks like what he said about being a gatekeeper was a lie.

[Mirstin] ─ A liar, indeed.

[Rize Nova] ─ Looks like he’s already forgotten the part where he introduced himself as the gatekeeper.

[Luna-chan] ─ A liar and also seems to have memory loss…

[Yumi] ─ This monster is in urgent need of some healing.

It seems like he really wasn’t a true gatekeeper after all.

He had just lied to get something to eat.

I decided not to continue the conversation any longer.

If the chat continued, I felt like I would become foolish myself.

As I remained focused on walking, ignoring Infernos,

“AAARRRRGHHHH!!!”

“Help me! No, kill me…!”

“Please, stop…!”

Miserable screams and groans pierced my ears.

As I moved towards the sound, I saw colossal iron pillars.

Numerous creatures were hanging, bound by iron chains.

Their skin sizzled and burnt whenever they came into contact with the heated chains, their flesh continuously regenerating and decaying.

Among the various races, there were even ones that looked very much like humans.

“…Infernos, what are those?”

[They are prisoners being punished.]

“Prisoners?”

[Yes. Those who committed heinous crimes in other worlds.]

What it said now seemed to be true.

It was likely that their danger levels were all F-Class.

This meant they weren’t monsters born from the Ancient Labyrinth.

Naturally, they weren’t drifters either.

Drifters have letters displayed above their head.

While there are also intruders, if such a being entered the Ancient Labyrinth, notifications like last time would have popped up in front of me.

[There’s no need to feel sympathy for the prisoners. Though the criteria for collecting souls by the Reaper is subjective, souls that committed only half-hearted crimes are never taken.]

“Taken, you mean? Does that mean they take souls before reincarnation?”

[Correct. And the one responsible for taking the souls before reincarnation is the Reaper.]

This was astonishing.

I had thought it was just a place named hell, but it truly was a location for judging and punishing criminals.

[Mirstin] ─ Whoa. I never expected a place that punishes criminals truly existed… I’ve been living quite well, but it looks like I need to live even more honestly from now on…

[Yumi] ─ This place is different from what we think of as hell. Since a monster called the Reaper takes the souls of the criminals.

[Mysticism] ─ If Pururu dies, she’ll definitely go there!

[Pururu] ─ Why me? What the hell…

[Luna-chan] ─ Don’t worry, if Pururu goes there, the Gauntlet will save her.

[Boglebogle] ─ Just treat Gauntlet well from now on, Pururu.

[Pururu] ─ Stop talking nonsense. I’m not going to hell.

[Rize Nova] ─ Don’t be too certain. You never know.

[Pururu] ─ No way.

The monsters torturing and watching the prisoners showed no interest in us.

It seemed it was because Infernos, who was from this place, was with us.

I slowly observed the prisoners again while continuing to walk.

And just as I was about to ask just what kind of crimes they had committed to be taken here.

[Boglebogle] ─ Oh?

[Boglebogle] ─ Gauntlet!!

[Boglebogle] ─ That looks like a Fallen Hero over there?!

[Boglebogle] ─ A humanoid monster with two horns is currently whipping that person!

[Mysticism] ─

I quickly scanned the prisoners.

Then I found a human with the characteristics mentioned by Elise.

“UAAARRGGHHH!!!”

[Hoho. What a cute scream? Do you like the impact of my whip?]

“I-I’ll kill you! As soon as I regain my strength, I’ll kill you first!!”

[Do you want me to hit you harder? Alright, if that’s what you want!]

Grrr, ggrr—

“Ghh, AAAAAAHHH!!!”

[Ah, how sweet!]

This was a human with a danger level of F-Class.

“That bastard is definitely…”

A familiar face.

It was the man who had been called the Hero of Mercy in Elemenzia.

And.

He was the one who had accepted me as a comrade during my weaker days.

No, it would be more accurate to say he pretended to welcome me, only to ridicule me the next day when I showed up claiming I believed his words.

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