Reincarnated as a Dungeon Master, I Became Unstoppable by Doting on My Monsters—My Gorgeous Monsters Have Started to Conquer the World on Their Own! - Chapter 10: What is a Unique Monster?

“Finally awake, I see.”

As I opened my eyes, Ms. Spoonbender was sighing and holding her head. It seems she had laid me down on a bed. I tried to thank her, but she had placed the dungeon core, representing our very lives, beside her and had her hand on it the whole time. It appears our earlier clash wasn’t just a draw.

“…I was utterly defeated. I apologize for stabbing you earlier.”

“No need. After all, I barged in uninvited, so let’s call it even. More importantly, could you get that mech-tribe unique monster and the cursed-tribe unique monster to calm down?”

Ms. Spoonbender remarked in a jesting tone. Despite her formal speech, her demeanor was quite casual. She’s an interesting person. Following her gaze, I noticed two monsters continually threatening her. Among my monsters, these two don’t require sleep. They probably resisted her sleep-inducing magic and remained vigilant. If Ms. Spoonbender weren’t holding our dungeon core hostage, they’d probably attack her instantly.

“Delilah, Pilriff. She’s a guest.”

Upon my words, the two came over, so I patted their heads. It seems I made them worry.

“Delilah and Pilriff? What kind of monsters are they?”

Surprisingly calm, considering she was holding our life source, the core, Ms. Spoonbender inquired. She’s undoubtedly experienced in life-and-death situations. Still, a calm, experienced individual is more reassuring than someone panicky and shouting, even in a life-threatening negotiation.

“Delilah, as you might’ve guessed, belongs to the cursed tribe and is of the ‘Animated Book’ species. Pilriff is a ‘Decoration Puppet.'”

“I see… They indeed look unfamiliar. While their names give away a bit… The number of unique monsters is astounding. I’ve identified 13 monsters inside the dungeon, and all of them are unique. Creating them intentionally is impossible, so how did this dungeon nurture its monster subordinates?”

Ms. Spoonbender genuinely looked intrigued. But in this situation, I was the one more perplexed.

“First, what exactly is a ‘unique monster’?”

Why was she assuming I already knew about it? I’ve been shut in for ten years, after all.

Upon asking, Ms. Spoonbender looked at me skeptically, wondering how I could not know. …There’s nothing wrong with not knowing something.

“When monsters rank up, they evolve into one of several predetermined forms. For example, if a ‘G-rank’ undead monster called a ‘Crowley Hand’ ranks up to ‘F-rank,’ one that’s trained in physical strength will evolve into a ‘Zombie,’ one trained in intelligence becomes an ‘Edinm,’ and if it develops a bloodsucking skill, it’ll become a ‘Upior.’ Which form they take usually depends on the monster’s preferences.”

I didn’t know that. So, the forms of my monsters were somewhat influenced by their desires?

“You should be able to learn about these conditions by creating a ‘Monster Knowledge Book’ with the ‘Item Create’ skill.”

Ms. Spoonbender looked sternly at me, pointing out my lack of knowledge. …Wait a minute? Something seems off. She mentioned it so casually that I almost missed it but hastily interjected.

“Wait a moment! Ms. Spoonbender, are you a dungeon master?”

Exactly. Why would a human like her know about the ‘Item Create’ skill?

“No, I’m a monster from a particular dungeon. I just borrowed and read the book.”

A monster from some dungeon? She looks entirely human… Is this what happens if one keeps ranking up? The monsters in my dungeon seem to get further away from a human appearance with each rank up. Eglantine, one of the aquatic tribes, for example, has become enormous.

“But you look entirely human…”

“What are you talking about? You stabbed me in the chest earlier, didn’t you? If I were human, I’d be long dead by now.”

Saying that, she chuckled gracefully.

“Well, let’s save that topic for another time. We’ll be in a long relationship, so let’s talk about each other first.”

With that, she stroked the surface of the dungeon core. It wasn’t so much pure malice or a threat but seemed more like a gesture of someone delighting in seeing my reaction.

“We were discussing unique monsters, right? Up to this point, we talked about the standard ranking-up process. Occasionally, some monsters don’t follow the standard evolution path. Individuals who take on a unique rank-up are called ‘unique monsters.’ It’s often said that even if you raise them the same way, replicating them is nearly impossible, making them quite mysterious. Some suggest that it may be due to mental factors, like the manifestation of a strong will.”

“I see. Well, many of my children certainly do have unique personalities.”

Of course, they were notable even before they ranked up. But having an outsider acknowledge them made me feel strangely proud. However, she seemed irked by my casual response and frowned a little.

“Your ‘personalities’ aside, my power is equivalent to an A-rank. I possess the strength to dominate a battlefield where human nations wage war against each other singlehandedly. What rank are your monsters?”

“They’re D-rank. They’ve each ranked up twice.”

Upon hearing that, Ms. Spoonbender displayed a look of utter disappointment I’d never seen before, even in my previous life on Earth.

“You might not be aware, being a shut-in, but D-rank monsters are a dime a dozen! Even human hunters can handle them. How could they match up to me, equivalent to an A-rank, which takes an entire army to take down?!”

Ms. Spoonbender raised her voice slightly, seemingly offended by being perceived as weaker because of her A-rank. It’s not like I was looking down on her for being more fragile. We were the ones losing, after all. But seeing her lose her usual composure was intriguing, and I teased her a bit.

“Well, when you mention wars between nations as an example, there’s a lot of variability, right? It’s a bit hard to compare…”

As I said that, for the first time, she showed an expression befitting her age. However, it wasn’t a smile but a full-blown irritated look.

“A-rank is… think of it this way! Even if I emerged from a legendary ceremony, awakening from a thousand-year slumber, there would be zero disappointment. The audience would be going wild!”

With that, she skillfully floated her broken wheelchair closer to me. Delilah and Pirliport, the two I was petting, twitched nervously. I rub them more firmly to reassure them.

“But, wouldn’t waking from a thousand-year slumber be more fitting for an EX-rank or even an S-rank?”

“Well, you see, S-rank monsters are mostly legendary beasts. They’re the pinnacle of myths spanning thousands of years and are described as ‘the strongest,’ hence the S-rank. A-rank monsters are the current top tier!”

“It seems that S-rank truly represents an extraordinary level of strength. But even after hearing all this, I still feel like waking up from a thousand-year slumber is more S-rank-worthy. However, pushing that point might genuinely upset her, so I remained silent.”

“So, Ms. Spoonbender, you’re at the top of your game then?”

When I asked, she made a face of apparent displeasure.

“You’ve been asking a lot of questions, but remember, I was the one who posed the initial query, wasn’t I?”

Ah, that’s true. It’s been a decade since I’ve interacted this much with someone; perhaps I’ve lost my conversational rhythm. Let’s see, she was asking about why my creatures became unique monsters, right? I’m not familiar with unique monsters to begin with, so how could I possibly know?

“If I had to guess, it’d be their education. I’ve always taught them reading, arithmetic, science, etc.”

On my lap, both Pilripart and Delilah nodded in agreement—especially Pilripart, who had excelled remarkably in science and math. Even though I’d only taught her basic high school math, she seemed to apply it in various ways.

But even though education had helped my child showcase such incredible talent, Ms. Spoonbender looked at me as if I’d proposed something inconceivable.

“Why? Why would you teach them that?”

“Well, why wouldn’t I? It’s for their sake, naturally. Life’s much more enjoyable when you learn various things rather than just fighting.”

Did she expect me to treat them, creatures with emotions who’ve become attached to me, as mere battle machines? Only someone heartless could think like that.

Still, Jacqueline seemed unconvinced.

“I admire your effort in educating those ugly, dim-witted G-rank monsters. But do you believe that changed anything?”

“No, they’ve grown mentally in various ways over the past ten years. This growth isn’t about a mere increase in intelligence stats but the growth of their personalities.”

My passionate argument didn’t resonate with her at all. Instead, she raised her voice, “Ten years? And they can’t even converse? Without interacting with the outside world?”

She seemed taken aback, probably unaware of what G-rank monsters can do.

“They can communicate, you know. It’s just that many lack the affection to understand. Humans can’t communicate properly for the first three years of life, right? My creatures could respond to daily questions with gestures in about a year, making them far more advanced than humans.”

Moreover, when I spoke of stories from Earth, the girls conveyed joy through their bodies and even expressed the tales with gestures. It even seemed like they had a richer expression than me. Yet, Spoonbender-san didn’t seem to be convinced by my words.

“You see, humans, including mammals, educate their children for years because they’re their offspring, look like them, and are cute. But G-rank monsters? They’re born from magic, not humanoid, and look terrifying, right?”

Ah, I, too, had once thought that way.

“Our kids might be special, but in reality, the appearance of a G-rank monster is charming. How they climb onto you or repeatedly try things, they’ve learned…”

“I don’t get it at all. Sigh… I finally got to choose a partner, but you have a strong monster, even at the D-rank stage. You have potential, but…”

She seemed lost in thought. Perhaps it was because the secrets of the unique monster were too straightforward. She was speaking of which partner? Maybe it’s about time I asked her why she came here.

“Um, why did you come here, Spoonbender-san?”

Gathering some courage, I asked, and she paused for a few seconds, sighed, and leaned back in her wheelchair.

“Well, I guess I can tell you now. There’s no right to refuse, so please don’t fuss about it.”

That line was a signal for a change in topic, a sign of a deal. She probably gauged me through our previous conversation. Does this mean I passed in her eyes?

What kind of deal does Spoonbender-san, who radiates an aura of common sense from every part of her conversation, want to propose with such an aggressive approach?

… Anyway, it’s probably not going to be anything good. Bullet bait or decoy? Or regular donations of DP? Regardless, it’s better than being approached by an unsavory guy. Spoonbender-san is beautiful, after all…

Yet, contrary to my worries, she began to remove her lower clothing.

“Hey, what are you doing!? My monsters are watching!”

I immediately covered the eyes of Delilah and Pilriff. Delilah is a book, and Pilriff is a doll, so it doesn’t have eyes…

“Quiet! I’m just taking off my skirt!”

She muttered and threw away even the stool she was sitting on.

“Now, I’ll tell you my request. Please, turn the dying me into a monster.”

The lower half of her body, which should have boasted a beautiful leg line when exposed to the open air, had legs unfittingly reminiscent of an older woman’s.