Chapter 38: We Decided To Call It The Killer Smile (1)

“What the hell is this now?”

It feels squishy and damp.

The strange smell makes me want to vomit immediately, but instinctively, I feel like I shouldn’t.

If I do, it feels like I’ll be sucked into that dark hole.

“Selene! Get me out!”

[Hehe, you’re awake?]

“Why am I inside your mouth?”

[I swallowed you to keep you from going pop! Looks like you made it back safely.]

“I didn’t know leveling up would be like this.”

[You had it easy. Most either die trying or end up wishing they had.]

I knew there would be risks, but this is too extreme.

DEAD OR ALIVE, huh?

The penalty is more than I imagined, sending chills down my spine.

“Anyway, let me out.”

[No.]

“Why?”

[Mmm~ But such a delicious morsel is in my mouth~]

Is she joking?

Or is she serious?

I feel a long tongue starting to wrap around my body.

The forked tip of the tongue taps my cheek.

I want to bite it, but I can’t.

“Don’t be difficult. Are you going to ruin everything because of a momentary greed?”

[Hehe, will everything really be ruined without you? Aren’t you being a bit too self-important?]

Well, it might seem that way.

Since I’m the only one who knows the situation the academy is in, it’s not strange that Selene doesn’t see me as that important.

But—

“Selene, since you don’t really want to eat me, let me out. It’s too stuffy in here.”

[You’re no fun.]

With a sinking voice, the world reappears before my eyes.

Nothing much has changed.

Honestly, I thought becoming a spirit would bring some big changes.

“Nine?!”

“Nine, are you okay?”

Two people run towards me as I walk out of Selene’s mouth.

They seem hesitant to touch me, covered in saliva, and sit at a distance of about half an arm’s length, looking down at me.

“Nine, are you… okay?”

“I’m fine.”

Hmm.

What the hell.

Nothing’s really changed.

Did I really become a spirit?

“Nothing seems different. Did I really become a spirit?”

“Nine… You’re walking on two legs now.”

Two legs?

Only then do I realize the odd feeling and look down.

It’s true.

I used to be able to stand but walking was hard.

The feline body structure isn’t suited for bipedal walking, so I could only manage a few steps.

…But now it’s fine?

“Becoming a spirit seems a bit underwhelming.”

If the only benefit is bipedal walking, I might cry.

“At least mana is emanating from my body, so if I can control it, I might be able to use magic…”

“But with this amount of mana, you can only use basic magic, right?”

“Basic magic is better than nothing. I couldn’t use any before.”

It’s better to know how to use even a little magic than none at all.

I’ll figure out the rest gradually.

Right now, I just want to wash up.

“Kazein, do you know a place where I can wash up?”

“Nine, since you’re small, just fill a basin with hot water and wash. I’ll prepare the water for you.”

“I’ll help too.”

Orca was the first to offer?

Have they gotten closer?

Seeing Orca finally initiating a conversation made my eyes moist.

“Nine, why are you looking at me like that…?”

“I’m glad you’re alive. Our Orca is finally starting to have conversations…”

“I-I’m not that bad!”

No, you are.

You’ve been complaining all week about how hard it is to make friends, remember?

When I glare at her with cold eyes, Orca turns her head away.

“…You’re mean.”

First time I’ve been called mean in human terms.

“Hurry back. I don’t want to stay like this.”

————–

“What are you looking at?”

Is it that strange to see a cat taking a bath?

“A cat bathing in water…”

“Rare, right?”

At least when it comes to cats, they seem to get along well since they both have some interest.

Yes, that’s how you slowly expand your social circle.

That way, you can form a party to go dungeon exploring.

…Speaking of which, when does the dungeon exploration start?

It’s been about a month since the semester started, so do we have to wait two more months?

Act 1 ended too quickly, so there’s a bit of a gap.

Since there’s a lot of time before Act 2, it’s not bad to take it easy and prepare.

I have more than just Orca to take care of.

“This should be enough, right?”

I step out of the basin and shake off the water.

Naturally, water droplets fly everywhere.

Kazein, who doesn’t seem to like it, hands me a towel.

“Dry yourself with this.”

“Oh, thanks.”

First time using a towel in my three years as a cat.

I feel a strange sense of gratitude as I touch the towel after so long.

Nothing beats a towel for drying off quickly.

“Done.”

“Nine, you seem a bit bigger.”

“Really?”

It’s hard to tell since I’m standing on two legs, but if you say so, then it must be true.

Or maybe it’s just the fur puffing me up.

“Anyway, now that I’m clean, let’s talk about the future.”

“The future…?”

“Yeah, the future.”

I still have a long way to go, but so do these guys.

Kazein is fine for now since I saved her from dying in Act 1, but her survival could have unforeseen consequences, so we need to be careful.

Orca needs to overcome her severe communication issues to make progress easier.

These two are manageable.

They’ve started talking and understand when spoken to.

But Alice… that’s not easy.

Irina is difficult in her own way.

Madison will do well with just a little advice… I don’t really want to deal with Monster Boy.

That guy can survive on his own even if he’s not the protagonist.

“I don’t like the guy scheming behind the scenes. I plan to keep messing with his plans.”

“Isn’t that too dangerous?”

“Kazein. Since those guys are planning to cause trouble at the academy, we’ll inevitably get involved.”

For now, it’s fine.

It’s hard for them to know that a cat like me is at the academy.

But if I end up taking the protagonist’s place, I’ll attract the attention of the shadowy group.

At worst, someone might try to kidnap or assassinate me.

So, I need to grow my influence before they notice me.

Not by becoming a pig-cat, but by building relationships with the protagonists to form a party.

Frontline Orca, backline Alice and Irina, with Madison in the middle.

If I can train these four well, even if the shadowy group makes a final desperate move to revive the evil dragon, we can handle it.

Wouldn’t it be better to recruit the professors?

Some professors are pawns of the shadowy group, you know?

“You’re involved too, so be careful until the shadowy group is caught.”

“Um… is it okay for me to hear this?”

Orca, who had been quietly listening, awkwardly asks me.

She probably can’t tell if she’s allowed to hear the conversation between me and Kazein.

I decide to kindly explain everything to Orca.

“…That’s how it is.”

“How could they do such things at the academy…”

“So, I need your help too.”

“Leave it to me.”

Orca readily nods at my request.

Even though she’s naturally awkward, lacks social skills, and has a bit of a loner vibe, her sense of justice is strong.

No wonder she’s popular.

“So, first, let’s work on your social skills.”

“I don’t want to…?”

Orca tilts her head at my words.

Ah, not the right place for that.

“Nine sometimes uses strange words. Like a dialect or something?”

“Think of it as something similar.”

It’s hard to explain, and even if I do, it’s hard to make them understand.

Better to just let it be.

“Cats use dialects too.”

Kazein pulls out a notebook from her pocket and starts scribbling something.

I’m curious what she’s writing, but now’s not the time.

I make eye contact with Orca and speak.

“I’ll give you special training to help you make friends.”

“Special training…?”

“Yeah, special training! It’s funny to teach someone how to make friends, but you need it.”

What this kid needs isn’t swordsmanship or mental discipline.

It’s improving her disastrous communication skills.

“…Okay!”

Orca nods with a determined face.

“So, what should I do first?”

“Smile.”

“Huh?”

“Smile.”

I grab the corners of my mouth with my front paws and pull them up.

“From now on, I’ll teach you how to smile.”