Chapter 162. Hedgehog Summoner God
The Lord of the Abyss.
The Abyss Lord showered the Hedgehog with high praise for its butt dance.
And, using the honorific title of “teacher,” he politely requested that it dance once more, just one more time, here and now.
[“Doodoomba…”]
The Hedgehog was taken aback.
Until now, no one had ever reacted to its dance like this.
Artistic.
It was deeply moved.
Not a single spirit, nor even its disciples, Therio and Ayulla, had ever spoken such words.
Of course,
It had received some compliments about its dance before.
But that only happened after they recognized that the Doodoomba dance increased evasion, and their attitudes changed. Initially, most had looked horrified by the dance.
The reactions from those who were not its disciples weren’t much different.
Vulgar.
Ridiculous.
It looked amusing.
Every time it danced, these types of reactions were the ones it received.
[“Finally! Someone who truly appreciates my art has appeared…!”]
The Hedgehog’s eyes grew misty with emotion.
It was overwhelmed to have finally met someone with an eye for art.
[“It proves that my Doodoomba dance wasn’t wrong! It was everyone else who lacked the eye for it!”]
The Hedgehog stepped past Solorb and advanced forward.
And, as it gazed at the Abyss Lord, it began to move its hips.
[“Dumba.”]
Sway.
[“Doodoomba.”]
Sway.
Its hips gently shook, and soon the sway of its pelvis intensified.
[“Dumba. Doodoomba.”]
[“Ohh…!”]
[“Dumba, doodoodumba.”]
[“I never knew dance lines could be so beautiful…!”]
[“Doodoombabababa!”]
[“This is it! My soul is trembling!”]
[“Dumba, doodumba! Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-dumba!!!”]
[“Magnificent! It’s even more artistic to see it live!!!”]
Zap!
A thrill ran down the Abyss Lord’s spine.
[“Amazing! Truly amazing! I never imagined such a perfect dance could exist in this world!”]
The Abyss Lord, who had been floating cross-legged in mid-air, stood up and applauded with admiration.
The Abyss Lord’s reaction was, in some ways, inevitable.
The butt dance was not one that just anyone could pull off.
If the hip’s bounce was even slightly off, it could end up looking ridiculous; even the most serious dancers dared not attempt it.
[“Shout it out with joy! Dumba, doodumba!”]
[“Dumba! Doodumba!”]
The Abyss Lord swayed his hips as he sang along with the cheerful melody.
[“Dumba, doodumba! Dance with joy!”]
[“I’m enjoying this! I’m really enjoying this!!!”]
[“Dumba? No, no! You’re shaking it wrong. Like this! Like this! You have to shake it like me!”]
[“Understood, Teacher! Doodumba!”]
In this moment of dancing, the Hedgehog held more authority than the Abyss Lord.
To the Abyss Lord, the Hedgehog was nothing short of the embodiment of a dance god.
* * *
[“That’s not how it’s done! It won’t do! I’ll have to teach you from the beginning!”]
Declaring that it would provide a more detailed lesson in the Doodoomba dance, the Hedgehog called all the spirits over to its side.
The S-rank spirits quickly gathered.
Meanwhile, the SS-rank spirits slowly approached, visibly reluctant to dance.
[“We already danced so much earlier…”]
[“Indeed. Isn’t it alright to stop now?”]
[“I don’t even have hips, so why do I keep having to dance this…”]
The SS-rank spirits muttered their complaints hesitantly.
Even though they had made a contract with the Hedgehog Summoner and pledged their loyalty, they were thoroughly fed up with this lowbrow butt dance.
However,
[“No way! It’s special training until you can shake your hips properly!”]
[“Are you daring to refuse the teachings of Master Hedgehog? I may have let you skip my own lessons, but I won’t tolerate skipping the master’s class. If you don’t want to be annihilated, attend the lesson quietly.”]
Neither the Hedgehog Summoner nor the Abyss Lord would let them go.
As a result, they were forced to participate in the lesson.
They had no choice in the matter.
Incidentally, the Abyss Lord did not question the SS-rank spirits for disrespecting Master Hedgehog. The Hedgehog had, in fact, wholeheartedly defended them, now regarding even these spirits as friends.
Anyway,
Thus, under the Hedgehog’s instruction, the dance class in the Abyss commenced.
The students included the Lord of the Abyss.
And the S-rank and SS-rank spirits.
[“Kyu…”]
[“They’re strange ones, indeed.”]
[“Hmph.”]
Melody, Bastet, and Solorb looked on with expressions of disbelief as they watched the “group Doodoomba dance.”
Then,
Bastet glanced at Solorb and spoke.
[“Solorb. I think it’s time for us to leave. There’s no longer anything threatening Hedgehog-daong.”]
[“…It’s still too soon to relax.”]
[“Daong?”]
[“Though this Abyss Lord currently seems friendly toward the Hedgehog, who knows when he might suddenly change? Unlike the other spirits, he’s not bound by a master-servant contract. We cannot leave until we’re sure Hedgehog’s soul safely returns to its body.”]
At Solorb’s words, Bastet nodded slightly.
[“Understood. Then I’ll wait too.”]
[“Kyua, kyu.”]
Thus, the three of them quietly held their positions until Hedgehog’s soul returned safely.
***
On Day 78 in the labyrinth,
An egg cracked open, and from it emerged a bipedal hedgehog, casually draped in a robe.
[“Everyone! I’m back! Doodoomba!”]
“Hedgehog-chan! I’ve been waiting for you, nya!”
The Hedgehog Summoner was still a hedgehog.
One noticeable change was that its body had grown significantly.
Previously, it had been small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, but now it was the size of a small dog.
Its appearance hadn’t changed much.
Aside from a slightly cuter face, there were no significant changes.
【Bubble Bubble】─Oh, the Hedgehog Summoner is out.
【Hwang Mir】─Its size has grown a lot!
【Yumi】─It’s just a bigger hedgehog.
【Mysticism】─Hedgehog!!!
【Mysticism】─Our little hedgehog, you worked so hard in that egg!!!
【Mysticism】─😭😭😭
【Luna-chan】─But, did it really evolve? o_O
【Yumi】─Hmm. I don’t think it actually evolved; it just looks like it grew bigger.
【Pururu】─Lol, obviously it didn’t evolve. It still looks like an ordinary hedgehog; how is this thing supposed to be SS-rank?
【Rizenova】─In my opinion, it did evolve. If it only grew in size, that would be a loss.
【Pururu】─Hey, Geon. Just tell us already.
【Pururu】─Did it evolve? Or did it just get bigger?
“……”
【Pururu】─Geon?
【Mysticism】─🤔 Why isn’t he saying anything?
【Bubble Bubble】─He has a strange expression.
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
It was hard to speak.
And for good reason.
The level of danger radiating from the Hedgehog Summoner was no less than SSS-rank.
[“Doodoomba! Gauntlet, I missed you!”]
The hedgehog leaped into my arms.
I stroked its head, calling its name.
“…Hedgehog.”
[“Dumba?”]
“Just to check…you wouldn’t happen to be able to summon an SSS-rank spirit… or one with strength comparable to Solorb?”
[“Doodoomba! I made a contract with a spirit that even Solorb acknowledges!”]
【Bubble Bubble】─?
【Yumi】─???
【Luna-chan】─SSS-rank?
【Mysticism】─🧐
【Hwang Mir】─What?
【Pururu】─What are you talking about?
【Rizenova】─Oho…
The Hedgehog, looking smug, folded its arms and began recounting its experiences.
The world known as the Abyss.
The SS-rank undead spirits.
The evolution process. Contracts made for evolution.
With help from Melody, Bastet, and Solorb.
And finally,
It shared how it had taken on a disciple—an SSS-rank undead spirit named Abyss Lord, who was captivated by the Doodoomba dance.
I listened to everything the Hedgehog had gone through.
【Yumi】─Do you think what it said is true?
【Pururu】─Maybe it was just a dream? What kind of SSS-rank would enjoy the Doodoomba dance? Jeez.
【Mysticism】─I don’t believe it. 😠
【Hwang Mir】─Honestly, I don’t believe it either, but there’s no reason for the Hedgehog to lie.
【Rizenova】─Everything Hedgehog says has to be true. It really did reach SSS-rank.
【Bubble Bubble】─True, if it couldn’t distinguish between dream and reality, it wouldn’t be SSS-rank.
【Luna-chan】─What sort of place is the Abyss within the Abyss…?
【Bubble Bubble】─It’s definitely not a normal world.
[“The outfit I’m wearing was made by Abyss Lord! He crafted it from a part of his own soul, so it’s incredibly durable!”]
After saying that, the Hedgehog summoned the S-rank spirits.
Then it proceeded to summon the newly contracted SS-rank spirits.
And,
It also summoned Abyss Lord, the undead spirit it mentioned.
[“So, you’re Gauntlet, yes? Pleased to meet you. I am Abyss Lord.”]
“…Uh, yeah. Nice to meet you.”
The Abyss Lord greeted me after responding to the summon.
And while doing so, it performed the Doodoomba dance, as the Hedgehog had taught it.
Naturally, its actual danger level was SSS-rank, though its nerfed danger level was S-rank.
【Pururu】─That’s supposed to be an SSS-rank spirit?
【Luna-chan】─It certainly does seem to have a different aura.
【Mysticism】─😮 Gaon’s first SSS-rank monster!
【Yumi】─But it’s really doing the Doodoomba dance…
【Rizenova】─Undead spirits seem to enjoy dancing.
【Hwang Mir】─Now that I look at it again, the Doodoomba dance actually seems artistic. I mean, if an SSS-rank spirit acknowledges it.
【Bubble Bubble】─Should I try learning it too?
After exchanging greetings with me,
The Abyss Lord hurried to join the dance party hosted by the Hedgehog.
[“Doodoomba!”]
[“Dumba! Dancing in the outside world brings a different vibe!”]
“Doodoombayan! Welcome to your new friends!”
Hedgehog, Abyss Lord, Merino,
Other undead spirits, and a few monsters as well, were all shaking their hips in a chaotic scene.
“…I’m still having trouble accepting this. Could it be I haven’t fully woken up?”
【Pururu】─Seems like it. I feel like I’m dreaming too.
【Mysticism】─Doodoomba! 🤪🤪🤪
Struggling to accept reality,
I sat down to calm my mind, opened the Monster Guidebook, and got to work.
First, I documented the SSS-rank spirit in the guidebook.
I also added the SS-rank spirits, sniffling as they reluctantly wiggled their hips as if forced to dance.
I took one of the spirits myself,
And Artpega Unibicorn took another.
■ Undead Spirit of the Abyss A
─Actual Danger Level: SS-rank.
─Current (Nerfed) Danger Level: A-rank.
■ Undead Spirit of the Abyss B
─Actual Danger Level: SS-rank.
─Current (Nerfed) Danger Level: A-rank.
Next,
I recorded the Hedgehog Summoner, who, while still frail in body, had achieved extreme evasion abilities and contracted with an SSS-rank undead spirit of the Abyss.
This creature had become the strongest among the monsters I’d tamed.
[“Doodoomba?! Are you drawing me right now? Then I’ll have to strike a pose! Keep dancing, everyone! I’ll be right back after posing!”]
I named this new version of the Hedgehog ‘Hedgehog Summoner God.’
■ Hedgehog Summoner God
─Actual Danger Level: SSS-rank.
─Current (Nerfed) Danger Level: S-rank.
─Abilities: Transcendent Doodoomba Dance, Abyss Undead Spirit Summoning.
I found a sense of calm as I sketched.
And as I watched them all shake their hips, I accepted that this was reality, not a dream.
Well, it’s all good in the end…
Thanks to this, the exploration of the labyrinth looked like it would proceed quite smoothly.