Becoming the Guide of the Mysophobic Villain? Absolutely Not! - Chapter 283

I half-listened to Oscar’s constant muttering as we walked for a long time.

Even though I had braced myself, it wasn’t easy. The barren land kicked up dust with every step, and the path was steep. Soon, sweat was beading on my forehead.

Am I the only one struggling? I wondered and looked around. Indeed, it seemed I was the only one having a hard time. I couldn’t possibly compare to the Espers, but even Shana and Oscar, who were also Guides, looked completely fine. That surprised me a bit.

Not wanting to show my fatigue, I walked more energetically and finally reached our destination.

We stopped at a cliff overlooking a wide plain.

While Claude exchanged a few words with the Espers beside him, I thought about taking a break…

“Rose, come here.”

Claude suddenly turned and called me.

“…Huh, me?”

I asked, bewildered, and he nodded.

Instead of rushing over, I hesitated and stayed cautious. After all, Claude was making the kind of face he wore when he was about to play a prank on me.

As I backed away, he laughed incredulously and used a light gesture to pull me over and stand me next to him.

Ignoring my suspicious look, he put his arm around my shoulder and pointed somewhere with his chin.

There was a hole where Claude pointed.

It was so small and inconspicuous that I would never have noticed it if he hadn’t shown me. I barely noticed it because of the small mound of dirt around it.

“Do you know what that is?” Claude asked.

“…A mutant den?”

We came to investigate a mutant den, so what else could it be?

He smiled and confirmed.

“Correct. Aren’t you curious about what the inside of a mutant den looks like?”

“Not really. I’ve already seen illustrations in books…”

“I’ll show you. It’s quite interesting.”

“?”

I said I wasn’t curious… And besides, how could we see inside a den underground…?

Puzzled, I looked up at him, but he grabbed my chin to make me look forward. Then, he reached toward the hole with his other hand.

Suddenly, the ground beneath me shook as if there was an earthquake.

Kiieeek!

The previously quiet den entrance became noisy. The mutants, just as startled as I was, tried to rush out of the den.

Soon, a mutant resembling a giant mantis half-emerged from the entrance.

However, the mutant collapsed before it could fully exit the hole. It died instantly as its waist was snapped under immense pressure. The dead mutant blocked the narrow entrance, trapping the other mutants trying to get out.

The cries of the mutants trapped underground grew louder. The dead mutant’s body was jostled by the mutants trying to break free.

For some reason, I remembered the time Claude had neutralized four rock golems at once.

Despite his immense power, he always employed the most economical and efficient strategies due to his guiding shortage. This time, he must have…

Sure enough.

Boom!

A deafening noise erupted as the ground began to collapse from the entrance of the den. The trapped mutants were buried under the falling ceiling, making horrific sounds.

“Is this okay?”

We were supposed to conduct research! Are we starting by destroying everything?

Claude nodded casually.

“Collecting data is important, but ensuring safety comes first. We need to eliminate threats efficiently.”

His nonchalant response left me speechless, realizing once again the brutal practicality of survival in this world.

“This is faster.”

Claude answered nonchalantly while holding me close as I covered my ears against the deafening noise, his expression one of brutal amusement.

Soon, the enormous underground den, hidden behind the barely visible entrance, revealed itself. Even though I had often seen illustrations of them in books, they couldn’t compare to the real thing. The underground tunnels, branching out like an anthill, were the size of a large building.

It seemed that the mutants who couldn’t escape the den had all perished.

And Claude, who had caused all this…

“What’s with the face? I thought you’d like it.”

“……”

“Were you scared?”

He raised an eyebrow as he asked. It seemed he had never doubted that I might be frozen in awe at the sight.

Of course, I wasn’t scared since I knew he wouldn’t use that power against me. It wasn’t fear, but… I suddenly felt the urge to playfully challenge him a bit.