"Shhh~ Look what I found, guys. There's a lone Elro Frog here. We might be able to catch it. Just one of these could power me for several... hours."
"They're packed with protein. But Elro Frogs aren't exactly easy prey. Let's sneak up on it from behind—quietly, now. No sudden noises."
Shiraori, acting like she was holding an imaginary mic, seemed to have completely shaken off any traces of social anxiety in front of Nagami, letting her true self run wild.
"I'm not eating that thing," C.C said flatly, a hint of disdain coloring her calm voice.
She walked briskly toward the Elro Frog without the slightest hesitation.
She didn't bother getting into a battle stance—against low-tier monsters, C.C and Nagami were practically invincible in one-on-one combat.
Why, you ask?
The Elro Frog's thick tail swayed as it suddenly leapt from a platform several meters high.
Despite its bulky body, it launched forward at an incredible speed—not leaping into the air, but gliding almost flush against the ground.
Its guttural screech roared like a shockwave through the air, carrying with it a foul stench as it charged at the green-haired girl.
"This ability is really effective… just a bit of a mood-killer, honestly," C.C muttered.
As she spoke, her delicate brows knit slightly.
Her golden eyes gently shut, long lashes quivering.
When she opened them again, her irises had turned a vivid crimson.
With a crisp, sharp cry, a fiery red bird of rebirth seemed to burst forth from her pupils, streaking through the dim cave like a scarlet comet.
She didn't want to use Geass on sentient beings—true.
But that didn't mean C.C would show mercy to low-level monsters.
Anything with a soul could fall under the influence of Geass.
Since skills and stats are rooted in the soul, the system's absorption process inevitably causes some spiritual damage.
And now, after four or five thousand years of system operation, countless human souls—worn down through reincarnation—have reached the brink of collapse.
Those fragmented, fragile souls—when reborn—become monsters.
But these impure and weak monster souls are no match for Nagami's evolving one.
The elite frog monster, once ferocious, froze in mid-air as the red streak passed through.
It landed lightly, then gazed up at C.C. with adoration in its wide, glossy eyes—like a puppy looking at its master—and eagerly hopped toward her.
It lowered its hulking frame before the exquisitely beautiful green-haired girl, panting with its tongue out, trying to snuggle closer.
But it halted the moment C.C raised a pale hand—frozen in place, waiting obediently for her next command.
With a resigned sigh, C.C drew the sword strapped to Nagami's back.
A cold gleam flashed as the blade carved a deadly arc, slicing through flesh and muscle, blood flying high.
The frog didn't resist—not once.
To the creature controlled by Geass, if its death could bring even a fleeting moment of joy to the girl before it, then it was a price worth paying.
———————————————————————
[Experience Gained]
[Unit "Nagami ?? C.C" has leveled up from LV4 to LV5]
[Skill proficiency bonus obtained]
[Magic Control increased from LV2 to LV3]
[Physical Enhancement increased from LV2 to LV3]
[Skill points earned]
———————————————————————
"Leveled up again, huh." C.C flexed her fair, slender hand, feeling the increased MA energy coursing through her body.
The satisfaction of leveling up washed away some of the discomfort from using a mind-control ability.
A small smile curled at the corners of her lips.
"No matter how many times I see it, C.C ability is just broken," Shiraori commented.
She'd seen C.C or Nagami go through this whole process multiple times, but still couldn't help calling out how overpowered Geass was.
"Ughhh, I want a cheat skill too~!" she whined, her glittering eyes practically shooting starry beams of envy.
"There, there, keep working hard. Yours will come eventually~"
Nagami comforted her in a gentle tone, reaching out to ruffle the little spider's head.
Enjoying the soft, plushy feel, he couldn't resist poking her round cheeks too.
Naturally, he earned a disgruntled glare from Shiraori for that.
"Have you forgotten I'm a girl too?" she huffed, swatting his hand away with her front legs.
Scooting her butt away from the shameless black-haired boy, she turned around to hide the faint blush creeping onto her face.
It wasn't like she hated being touched by Nagami—this was just her first time having this kind of close interaction with a guy, and Shiraori couldn't help feeling a little flustered.
Watching her retreating back, Nagami's expression suddenly stiffened. Even his eyes turned a little… conflicted.
Logically speaking—was Shiraori even human anymore?
Physiologically, she was out of the running.
Her spider-like body alone put her worlds apart from being human.
And her soul? That was originally just a normal little spider.
Not human, either.
The only thing connecting her to humanity was the memory of a girl named Wakaba Hiiro.
So… did that make her human?
C.C gently tilted her head in thought, resting a pale hand on her cheek.
Even her normally calm face held a trace of uncertainty.
After a while, when no clear answer came to mind, C.C simply let the question go.
It was obviously one of those subjective things anyway.
As long as Shiro-chan considered herself a girl, then she was a girl. Simple as that~
"Wait… you're not eating the frog's body?"
C.C pointed at the still-bleeding corpse on the ground, a flicker of confusion in her golden eyes.
Was this really the same frugal, food-hoarding spider we knew?
But before her words had even finished echoing, the slowly crawling Shiraori froze.
Completely.
She went stiff all over—no, not "she"—the spider froze like a statue.
And then, the next instant, her white silhouette blurred and vanished, rocketing forward like a streak of light.
Boosted by her Vajra Dash skill, even focusing with both eyes barely let C.C and Nagami catch a ghostly glimpse of her movement.
"Well, if you're not eating it, then I won't hold back—bon appétit!"
All trace of earlier embarrassment vanished at the sight of food.
Shiraori dove in, mouth wide open, toward the fallen beast.
While eating, she even turned her back deliberately toward Nagami—clearly trying to shield him from seeing her "eating face."
After all, Shiraori still saw herself as a proper young lady, and she cared about her image.
...But what's the point of blocking just his view?
C.C's angle gave her a clear, unobstructed sightline.
Nagami sighed inwardly and reached into the backpack behind him, pulling out some high-energy rations and a few compressed biscuits.
He handed a portion to C.C before starting to eat.
C.C accepted the food from him naturally, and out of respect for Shiraori's feelings, she even moved off to a spot where she couldn't see the spider's feast before starting her own meal.
It had only been half a day since the trio had teamed up for their leveling expedition.
Their strategy was simple: target isolated monsters.
Even monsters significantly above Nagami's level could fall under the sway of Geass—because their souls were riddled with cracks and flaws.
These monsters' souls were essentially patchworks, made from countless fragments of shattered spirits.
Only after reaching a certain level and evolving into a higher form would the system begin purifying a monster's soul.
And with that purification came increased intelligence—until they became nearly indistinguishable from humans.
That's why, in a one-on-one scenario, few lower-tier monsters could resist Nagami's control.
But elite monsters that roamed alone were rare.
Most monsters tended to be social or travel in groups.
That was when Shiraori's moment came.
During their afternoon hunt, Shiraori had leveled up once.
She was now just a sliver of experience away from evolution.
Nagami and C.C had both reached Level 5 as well—after all, they shared the same soul, so they couldn't have different levels.
Once Shiraori finished off this elite monster, she'd probably only need to defeat one or two more before she could evolve.
Their goal for the day was clear: gather enough EXP for Shiraori's evolution, then return to a safe place where Nagami could stand guard while she underwent the transformation.