Over the next week, Emma and I trained relentlessly in the undead dungeon. To our surprise, whenever Emma carried Elza—the adorable house cat floor boss—on the first floor, the skeletons attacked. Without the cat present, the monsters across all levels were docile, even non-aggressive. Something about the feline seemed deeply intertwined with the dungeon’s behavior, and it only raised more questions.

  Elza, however, was more than happy to accompany Emma outside the dungeon. The cat had to return for an hour a day to recharge, but it did so instinctively, almost as if the dungeon itself had programmed the behavior. Outside, Emma lavished it with fresh fish, which she hunted tirelessly and stored in an icebox I crafted with magic. Elza had quickly become the center of Emma’s attention. Jealousy flickered within me—of a cat, no less—but I buried it. After all, how could I compete with an irresistibly fluffy creature whose purring melted hearts?

  At level 150, Emma and I were confident we could tackle the final boss chamber with minimal assistance. When we entered, the crystalline glow of the room caught us off guard. The walls gleamed like glass, reflecting the torchlight to create a dazzling display.

  In the middle of the room, sprawled by a small pond, lay the boss: a massive, crystalline crocodile—or maybe it was an alligator? I could never tell the difference, and I doubted this world had any guides to help distinguish them. To complicate matters, this one had a scorpion-like tail, making it even harder to classify.

  As our group prepared for battle, we communicated with a flurry of hand signals. I, as the party’s mage, took the front line. My axes were unbreakable, and I was the eldest—by some technicality—so it felt right. Our archers loosed their arrows to initiate the fight, but the beast’s eyes snapped open, and with a single swipe, it shattered every projectile midair.

  Despite its lumbering appearance, the creature was shockingly quick and agile. It lunged at me with ferocious speed, and I parried each strike with my axes, using wind magic to enhance my movements. The clash of blows was relentless, and every exchange tested my limits. My arms screamed in protest, but I held my ground, refusing to let the creature overpower me.

  As the battle wore on, both the beast and I began to tire. That’s when Emma struck.

  Her Ghostly Flyer class had a unique ability that wasn’t exactly offensive—but devastatingly effective. By using her class’s power, Emma cryogenically stored her physical body in her soul’s spatial orb. This created a temporary mana-constructed form that resembled her past life as a ghost. In this state, she was immune to physical attacks but consumed vast amounts of mana.

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  Emma charged the crocodile-scorpion hybrid with confidence. Unfazed by its strikes, she dodged its claws effortlessly and leapt onto its back, plunging two Elorium knives into its eyes. Grillo had crafted the weapons specifically for her spectral form, ensuring they could channel her mana seamlessly. The beast thrashed violently before collapsing, its crystalline body dimming as its life force drained away.

  Emma stood over the creature’s lifeless body and performed a triumphant victory dance. Despite her hundreds of years of experience, her antics were delightfully childish at times. I couldn’t help but think she’d been reincarnated just to annoy me. Somehow sensing my thoughts, she stopped mid-dance and shot me a glare before shrugging it off.

  After the fight, we searched the boss chamber for the hidden room that housed the dungeon orb. We scoured every inch, but nothing seemed out of place. No switches, no airflow from cracks in the walls—nothing. Then, Elza padded to a sandy corner of the room and began pawing at a tuft of cave grass.

  “Of course it’s the damn cat,” I muttered, smacking my forehead. The plant, aptly named “cave cat’s toy,” had “cat” in the name. Why hadn’t I made the connection sooner?

  As Elza swatted at the plant, a hidden door creaked open, revealing a narrow passage. From the darkness, a booming voice erupted, startling us all.

  “Get away from my precious!”

  The voice echoed in my head, its tone both possessive and protective. No one else reacted, which meant only I could hear it. The source of the voice became clear as we entered the hidden chamber: a small, blue orb floated in the center, its glow pulsating faintly.

  “Don’t you dare take my Elza Bells again!” the orb bellowed, its tone filled with indignation.

  “Enough!” I replied, using [Soul Speak].

  The orb’s glow flickered, and its voice softened in astonishment. “You... you can understand me?”

  “Of course,” I said calmly. “I can communicate with anything that has a soul. Be at ease. I have no intention of taking Elza from you. My beloved simply enjoys feeding the creature because she finds it adorable.”

  The orb hesitated before responding. “Adorable... yes. She does like fish, doesn’t she? But she must return to me. She keeps my power stable.”

  So that was the connection! Elza wasn’t just a pet or a quirky dungeon boss—she was an integral part of the dungeon itself. I decided to tread carefully.

  “Fear not, noble spirit,” I continued. “We have no desire to disrupt your balance. In fact, we admire the peace of this place. Perhaps we can help each other.”

  The orb hummed thoughtfully. “Perhaps. But you must prove your worth before I offer my aid.”

  I nodded. Whatever trial it had in mind, I was ready.

  Gawd Damn greedy little critter coming here and leaving nothing left for me, I inaudibly mumbled to myself this morning. I was starting to suspect I was falling for the ghostly hero that wanted my heart. Then I realized I was jealous of a cat and I got over it.

  Or was it an alligator? I questioned. I never could tell the difference between the two. I hope the lizardmen don't have multiple sub-species that look alike, or someday I'm going to look like a racist. Heck, I'm not even sure how one can tell the difference between male and female reptiles by looking at them. An interesting fact is that reptiles sexual organs fully retract inside their bodies. I'd wish anyone good luck on that riddle of a circumstance.