[Arc 4] Extra Chapter 3: Filyn’s Good and Bad Memories

Filyn's PoV:

"HI-YAAAH!" - Filyn

And then there was one Pettiness, the most common F-rank Curse Creature of them all, less in the world. Good riddance.

After seeing there were no other uglies nearby, I returned to our temporary camp for the night...or the day. Not sure which one it is while we're down here in the Demonic Seas.

...hey, Garami~? I know that I'm reliable and all, but that is no excuse to create hammocks and sleep soundly in them even before I return!! I feel like I'm being taken for granted...

"I'm back..." - Filyn

"Ah! WelcomebackLadyFilyn!!" - Zaria

And this one's as high strung as a guitar string. Geez..., no other choice, I guess. I'm the oldest and most responsible after all.

"Relax your shoulders a little. Down here, I'm just plain old Filyn who built her fortune from discovering God-level-rarity items hidden in the grimmest parts of this ocean." - Filyn

"...WHAT?!" - Zaria

"Yup. I'm an expert in these seas. If there is anyone out there who is a better guide than me, I would give them a medal and a Succubus harem." - Filyn

Mostly to brainwash the poor lad...or lady. Good thing I've prepared both Succubi and Incubi...but thinking about it, they may have met that drama-lover...let's keep the brainwashing off the table.

"...ca-can we please stop talking about...this...place?" - Zaria

Hmm, was that a question to me, or is she unsure whether the definition "place" fits these Demonic Seas? I'll go with the former so the conversation won't clog up.

"Then...how about the time I met Garami?" - Filyn

"Huh? Is that...fine?" the Therianthrope asked while shifting her line of sight repeatedly between me to the sleeping Garami.

"Take a chill pill~, it's fine~." - Filyn

Mostly because I want to tell people about it~. Garami would be furious if she got to know though~, but that won't stop me! I am the owner of [Pride]! Simple fear is not enough to make me pause!!

"Then, we need to go back in time some weeks ago, to when I was scheduled to personally inspect a certain area..." - Filyn

---

Flashback starts:

"Blooooot. Why do I have to gooooo?" - Filyn

In the "tunnel" between the dimensions that Blot uses for long-range teleports, I complained loudly to my partner in crime, fate, and love. And even though I was in the complete right to protest, Blot simply glared at me as if I was a naughty brat! The nerve! 

"Lady Filyn, we-" - Blot 

"Stop with the 'Lady'-nonsense! Nobody can hear us here, of all places on the planet and in between!" - Filyn

"...Filyn, Tir na Nog is an ancient capital that has been isolated from the rest of the world for several hundred years now. It is an unopen treasure chest. And there are many of the rank-and-files who do not know any better that would sneak something away if we do not show that this archeological mission is of great importance. It may also work as a distraction for the Demon King, and that thing." - Blot

Okay, that part is something I can live with. If it's either that puppet king or the puppet master, if either gets distracted from the hydra venom bomb that Blot's stuffed in the specially-made vault for now at least, it may help us take some bigshots down after their eventual betrayal. The question is just how to lure them to take action...

"And more importantly, you need to face the Champion of Alvatria properly this time-" - Blot

"Please, let me skip that. I can't stomach another dude glaring at me with hostility. Having to work with the likes of Springwood and Damrung is enough to bore a hole in me from the stress alone." - Filyn

After I left Noire in that one's care, I've got no cuties to balance the stress I feel with the demonic nobles and those obvious traitor-f*ckers! I know that it's important for Noire-chan to learn some humility by being exposed to that Calamity incarnated, but still!

Even if it's I who gave Noire the false idea that I'm stronger than the gods, and by extension, herself since she's following me! That thing I saved her from that day was just a Feral Divinity! Not even a real god! Just an offspring! No better than a low-ranked magic spell in the eyes of the real gods!!

"Welcome to my world. Now, prepare yourself. We are soon arriving at our destination." - Blot

Giving up on convincing this blockhead, I switched gears into the "lady Filyn"-mode. PR is everything when you lead an organization after all.

We exited the tunnel between the dimensions and had Armveil's Jewel-girl, who heads the operation, update us on the situation. And of course, Blot HAD to ask where that Calamity was! Why couldn't she have gone off the planet today!?

The girl's currently looking for treasures at the north side of the city, an area we have yet to explore, so Blot told me to meet up with her...why's he acting like in command? I'm the real boss here...

It didn't take long for me to reach the northern city. Just a hop and a skip, and my high stats. Bless those beauties. It was worth fighting for 300 years, even if I was delayed because of building the two organizations.

Then, when I arrived, I noticed something fatally wrong. I don't know where in the northern city that girl is! That's too baaaad~. Let's delay this meeting to a day I feel better...

Aw, man. Right when I was planning my excuses to Blot, I had to catch the unmistakable smell of burned rubber, rotten meat, and the perfume that only the worst step-mothers would wear.

If it's not one thing, then it's a Curse Creature. You can never be wrong with that odor. At least I can't, considering I've lived a quarter of my life trying to find items to sell on the Demonic Seashores.

The Creature isn't bothering to hide its presence, so it must be attacking some poor chump. That's what I dislike with those things~. They're only about "killing" and not "living". Even animals know better than that. Though I don't know what to call us humanoids then, or at least guys like me who keep on attacking other living beings for the EXP.

Ugh...I found it, but I kinda wished I didn't do it. The guy looks like a nasty mesh of various human entrails and organs, plus mouths and eyes all over the place. It's closing in on its victim...I seriously hate myself for finding this guy. Why is the Calamity-girl being the one hunted down!?

I get the reason why she's in trouble. You need to be around the strength of two racial ranks higher than a Curse Creature to put up a fight because of these walking nightmare's special traits, so even she would get caught off guard if she fought one for the first time...and is that the markings of the [Attack Seal] skill on her? Did this thing use it on her? 

Yikes, this Creature's nasty. But also talented to have a T-3 skill like this, I have to admit that. But sorry. If you want to go the "surprise attack route", you'd better be prepared to face the same fate.

Before the yucky Creature could get its slimy brain-tissue-arms on Calamity-girl, I had drawn Shul-Shagana and slashed it into two pieces before burning the remaining pieces with dark flames thanks to [Invocation] of the powers from that f*cker god. 

"Okay, okay, move along people. Nothing to see here, just an honorable boss doing her job protecting her goofers. No need to dwell on stupid Creatures or stupid mistakes from the past," I said out loud, hoping that Calamity-girl would catch my drift of letting the whole incident in the past behind.

But no, she just sat there dumbfounded, not even noticing that the effects of [Attack Seal] had worn off...she is dumbfounded, right? Hey, can you even change your expression-*bang!*-guh!?

Hey! What's with the sudden bullet made of darkness!? I don't take damage from that, but it still scares me!

...okay, you don't need to get up close and grab my collar. Please? Even high stats can't save you from a strangled neck!

"Raise." - Garami

"Whazzat?" - Filyn

"...raise...worthy of a General. And party...on your tab." - Garami

Okay, okay, OKAY! Just stop staring at me with those expressionless angry eyes! I'm getting flashbacks from the first days in the Sea!!

---

Flashback ends:

"...wait, she threatened you to give her a raise, and you let her do it?" - Zaria

"What can I say? It was damn refreshing to have someone act like that. And the party she forced me to pay and participate in afterward was so damn hilarious that I almost laughed myself to death!" - Filyn

"Really?" - Zaria

"Give that demon a keg of alcohol and you'll understand. Phew, I don't think I've never laughed so hard in a hundred years!" - Filyn

"That much?" - Zaria

"Definitely...but thinking about it, did I ever laugh at all during those years? No, maybe it's 200 years..." - Filyn

Maybe it's the talk about age and all that, but my memory seems to fail me at this moment. And this bat should better be happy about that because I'm going to "forget" that pitiful look she's giving me. Hmhm, no one can tell I'm not treating my subordinates bad now-

"So you turned into Garami's wallet on that day, huh." - Zaria

...forget all that. This bat's turning into Curse Creature bait!!

---

Kigal-Note/Curse Creature: Pettiness

Description:

A Pettiness is the most common Curse Creature to find. They are horrid creatures born from the pettiness of man, more specifically, their desire to get stronger, which can be translated to their desire to level up, meaning it is impossible to get rid of the Pettinesses unless everyone on Terra Sol stops gaining levels.

Like other Curse Creatures, they are embodiments of their curse, which in this case is the desire for bloodshed and EXP, even if they cannot obtain it, making them the most passively aggressive creatures in the World System...only outranked by its fellow Curse Creatures.

Appearance:

A Pettiness looks like a tall and thin human, around 2 meters in height, and they almost seem to be wearing a black suit. Their arms are even thinner than the rest of their bodies and consist solely of thin, sharp, and horrendous claws. Their heads are a single lump of exposed, pulsating flesh with only an exposed mouth on its face.

Abilities:

Pettinesses are stronger than what people assume from their thin and frail bodies. They can easily break the arm of an adult man. They will try to grasp their prey with their arms and eat them alive with their horrifying mouths. 

They do not have any special abilities except for the standard Curse Creatures ones, such as having an aura that constantly inflicts Fear to non-Curse Creatures and being able to erase skills from the targets that they have wounded. In their case, it's when they have eaten a part of their victim.

If you ever encounter one of these, destroy them before they can act or call any of their friends. These guys swarm like cockroaches. 

Filyn's comment: These guys are so boring...not that I ever underestimate them.