The story of the struggle in another world of the divine cat Mii-chan and the cat supplies summoner

Chapter 264: Divine Cat Mii-chan Encounters a Monster Subspecies

I informed everyone about the lightning skill but kept Mii-chan’s divine lightning skill a secret.

“Whoa, is that a legendary skill?”

“Nero… shouldn’t you just be the hero?”

“Yeah, heroes are all about lightning!”

“Want me to teach you how to learn it?”

“Yes, please! Instructor Nero!”

“Seriously?”

“Can Perro learn it too, nya?”

“Nya?”

“Perro and Sera could probably learn it, but mastering it might be difficult.”

They’d need knowledge of science. Without advanced education, I doubt anyone could handle it well. That’s likely why only heroes—people from other worlds—can use lightning skills.

“That’s a shame, nya…”

“Nya…”

I decided to teach the Munakata siblings how to learn the lightning skill. I’d like them to experience the agony and thrashing I went through. Hehehe…

“Mii…”

We continued our exploration, repeatedly encountering Longtail Apes. Jin handled them as our shield while the Munakata siblings attacked cautiously, defeating them one by one. The Longtail Ape’s materials aren’t particularly valuable; although its fur can make decent armor, the Rock Lizard on the second floor provides even better protection, so only the core is really worth selling.

That being said, the third floor is considerably larger than the second. If this pattern continues, the deeper we go, the wider the floors might become. First, we need to find a safe zone on the third floor. We haven’t eaten lunch yet, and we also need to secure a place to sleep tonight.

We haven’t found any hidden rooms, but we’ve come across some money and weapons/armor here and there. They’re not in treasure chests, just scattered around, so it’s easy to miss them if we’re not careful. Especially the money—it’s all over the place, and we’ve likely overlooked a fair bit.

After about eight hours in the labyrinth, we discussed returning to the second floor’s safe zone to rest if we couldn’t find one on the third floor. Suddenly, Sera, who was behind us, let out a growl. A monster was approaching.

As we were getting ready, Lu and Leti also warned us that monsters were closing in. Coincidentally, we were being flanked. We set up our formation: Lu and Jin, along with Perro, took the front; Leti, Toshi, and Sera were in another group; Kaorin and I stayed in the middle to provide support.

The monsters appeared from both directions almost simultaneously—three Longtail Apes each. But wait, one of them is different.

Using appraisal, I identified it as a Longfang Ape, a subspecies of the Longtail Ape and the leader of the group.

“Jin, there’s a Longfang Ape on your side! Be careful!”

“Tch, a subspecies, huh?”

As the leader of the pack, it’s bound to be strong. Outside the labyrinth, Longtail Apes attack in groups, never acting alone or in small numbers. If you’re ambushed by them in a forest, even the toughest hunters have no choice but to flee. Their strength lies in numbers.

In the labyrinth, they behave differently, often moving alone or in pairs, which makes them easier to deal with. But, as in this case, the labyrinth’s structure can lead to flanking or being cornered in a dead end. Even the most seasoned party can make mistakes when trapped in such situations.

Staying calm is crucial. Longtail Apes are fast, skilled at dodging attacks, and pack quite a punch. Their movements are straightforward, but fighting six at once is still a challenge.

I tried using an earth skill to create a wall in front of Leti’s group to disrupt the apes’ movements, but it shattered instantly. Earth skills don’t work well in the labyrinth. Maybe there’s not enough soil, so the walls are too thin.

Then I thought about using an air skill to fire an air cannon, but being in the rear meant the frontline was in the way—risk of friendly fire. Water skills would waste precious water. So, it’s either guns or lightning skills.

As I considered using my gun to assist, I noticed that Mii-chan was already using her divine lightning, landing a flurry of cat punches on the Longtail Apes.

“Mii~ Mii~ Mii!”

In no time, three of them were down. Do they even need me? Nah, I’ll let Leti and the others handle the fallen apes while I support Jin’s group. Lu and Perro were fighting the Longtail Apes, while Jin was facing the Longfang Ape.

Kaorin was shooting arrows to support the others, so I decided to help Jin. Mii-chan seemed tired and lay limply on my shoulder. I aimed a laser pointer at the Longfang Ape’s face, and it clearly hated it. When its attention shifted to me, Jin managed to land a blow on its limbs, but the ape ignored him and charged straight at me. Yikes!

I fired my gun, but it didn’t stop. What a tough guy! Jin stepped in to block it, but the ape landed a strong kick on him and kept coming. It’s right in front of me—my gun’s out of bullets… but I’m calm. With nothing in my way, I fired an air cannon point-blank. The ape flew back, tumbling as it went.

Jin wasted no time and delivered a finishing blow. The Longfang Ape was sent to the heavens. Lu and Perro, with Kaorin’s support, had also finished off the Longtail Apes. In the end, it was a decisive victory… though Mii-chan probably did half the work.

“Mii~”