Chapter 5

The massive body, dyed red by the sunset, still blocked the entrance to the cave, and its entirety could not be seen.

The ash-gold eyes stared intently at Zoujin's eyes.

Zoujin could not even look away.

An overwhelming sense of awe dominated Zoujin.

It was not the fear that arises from injustice or the eerie terror that comes from malevolence.

It was a heart that wanted to surrender to the vast life that surpassed his imagination.

Zoujin felt a distant sense that he possessed such a heart.

And Zoujin, having accepted it, relaxed his body while still meeting the gaze.

The beast laughed through its nose.

Indeed, that was the feeling.

Its snout pushed Zoujin against the cave wall and then passed through the entrance.

Zoujin, caught between the wall and the massive body, was enveloped in an unexpectedly soft, kitten-like body and the black-spotted white fur that seemed to bury him completely.

It was only when the beast stuck its head into the deepest room that Zoujin finally noticed the cave walls had expanded to accommodate the beast's passage.

All Zoujin could do was watch the beast's back as it disappeared.

He felt as if he had entrusted his life to something.

The sunset had long since faded, and the darkness spirits were drifting through the world.

Zoujin materialized the light spirits, which were being driven out by the darkness spirits, to illuminate the cave passage.

There were two holes facing each other halfway down the passage.

One was the entrance to the toilet and bath that Zoujin had created and covered with earth magic over 180 days, and the other was a small room similar to the deepest room that the beast had created in an instant.

The overwhelming difference in magical skill made Zoujin smile wryly.

Thinking of himself as a human who had only been in this world for 180 days, it was somewhat comforting.

No, it was probably presumptuous to even compare.

The beast that had created the small room emerged from the cave and silently soared into the darkness.

The light from the light spirits faintly revealed a figure that resembled a giant flying squirrel.

With the membrane between its front and hind legs spread wide, it glided and disappeared into the mountainside below.

Zoujin felt a dizzying sense of fantasy.

He had assumed it was an extension of a snow leopard with an incredibly long tail.

The beast silently landed in the cave again.

It wrapped a block of ice around its tail and threw it into the newly created room.

Then it glided away again.

It repeated this several times.

Observing closely, it seemed to be gathering the scarce wind spirits. Perhaps it was working hard to keep its massive body afloat. Why it glided instead of leaping, however, was a mystery.

Humans cannot fly.

This seems to be true in this world as well.

It is a principle. In high altitudes, the scarcity of wind spirits makes it even more difficult.

Flying in the sky is only possible with special tools or tamed beasts.

Zoujin returned to his room and read the magic textbook.

He was in a state of mind where anything could happen.

When he glanced into the small room on his way back, he saw several blocks of ice, making the room appear white and cool. Frozen animals, similar to deer or boars, and creatures he had never seen before were stored there.

Without a second thought, he returned to his room. He tried not to think about the possibility that he might be stored as food.

The deepest room, judging by the position of the backpack, seemed to have grown larger, but Zoujin no longer cared. He moved the backpack to a corner of the room and opened the book, leaning against it.

"Me, meee—"

Zoujin looked up from the textbook at the unfamiliar cry.

The beast, lying gracefully on its massive body opposite Zoujin, had a kitten playing and chirping at the end of its tail.

The unusually long tail made it clear that this was the beast's offspring.

Approaching a fierce beast with its young is probably common sense.

Zoujin knew this, so he did not approach. However, the kitten approached him.

Zoujin stretched, thinking it had been a long day, but returned his gaze to the textbook.

Looking at his watch, it was almost tomorrow.

He decided to carefully carve a character in the morning. Taking out a knife and being noticed could lead to a dangerous situation, so Zoujin rolled over.

Something soft and fluffy wrapped around him, and he floated up, buried in a fluffy bed.

Against his will, the light spirits scattered and disappeared, as if the candle had been extinguished.

It seemed to be the work of the beast.

Zoujin wondered if he had been paralyzed, but when he managed to turn his head, he saw the beast's eyes flash in the darkness for a moment before disappearing.

The tail remained wrapped around Zoujin's limbs, but it was not uncomfortable.

Perhaps because of this, he could not resist the inviting sleepiness and closed his eyes.

Zoujin fell asleep on a soft, warm bed for the first time in a long while.