Wolf

A couple days later

I tap my feet with my arms crossed as I stare at the System Forums thread opened in front of me while sitting on the couch of my portable system store. One with a video showing the planet that I turned that crab on. And the sight of what’s on the video… has me a little speechless.

Not only is the planet filled with even more lunar ice element than when we were there, but there seems to be some villages being built around the world.

Built by people who were apparently infected and turned into something called a Lunar Winter Beast.

I just stare at the video that’s going across the newly built villages, not really sure what to think about it.

And to make matters worse, I read about the Cult of the Blue Moon moving to the planet as well to worship the crab…

“Dad, I think you probably should’ve just killed the crab,” Sapphire whispers into my ear so that the viewers can’t hear.

I glare at her and whisper back, “You were the first one to bring up turning it!”

She looks away with an innocent expression on her face. As if she’s completely innocent.

I snort and shake my head before looking back at the video again, just to find the lunar winter beasts using the lunar ice element as if they were naturals.

Hmm… now that I think about it, what happened to the arctic lycanthropes now that I changed species again? Are they still a thing? Did they change too?

Also, are they still required to obey my every command? I’m rather curious about that, even if I have no interest in giving them orders.

Although, from what this thread says, these lunar winter beasts are similar to the arctic lycanthropes in terms of their hierarchy. The ones with purer bloodlines have much stronger control over the lunar ice, and they can even generate their own lunar ice. Then their control and how much they generate reduces with each generation all the way till around the tenth or so generation can’t generate their own lunar ice anymore and have to control lunar ice elemental energy around them.

Also, the lunar winter beasts all have a lunar winter beast form, where they can transform into a rather large wolf with glowing pale blue eyes, pale blue claws that naturally emit lunar ice, and fangs that do the same. They also get a breath attack filled with lunar ice.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Overall, they’re like superior versions of the arctic lycanthropes.

Something that does bother me a little bit though…

The video shifts to show the massive, five-meter-tall crab that has apparently grown since I last saw it just standing on top of a large temple of sorts surrounded by people who are bowing down. Half of whom seem to be varied species from all over the universe while the other half are lunar winter beasts who look like they’re prostrating before a lord or a god.

And I honestly feel a little uncomfortable watching them.

“Dad,” Sapphire says, turning an odd look my way.

I shake my head and state, “Don’t say it.”

She stares for several seconds.

“Don’t,” I repeat.

She continues staring until eventually saying, “You better be prepared to find a religion worshiping you after you leave the dungeon.”

I let out a sigh and mutter, “I said not to say it…”

And… the fact that there are normal people there who have nothing to do with me and are just sitting there worshipping the damned crab in the hopes that the crab will infect them… that’s just…

Is my venom just a resource people want now?

I blink as a thought comes to mind.

Wonder if people would pay to be turned into a lunar winter beast by me? Or if they’d pay for my venom…

Considering that they’re sucking up to a crab to get it to turn them. A crab that somehow developed enough sapience to actually know what they’re doing after being infected by me.

Which is rather ridiculous in and of itself, if I’m being honest.

I continue watching the video as the crab goes down from its raised dais atop the platform to walk between the people worshiping it. And as it walks, I can’t help but focus on how people are referring to the crab.

Why are they talking as if this crab is some sort of divine angel under me?

“Dad, I didn’t know you had angels,” Sapphire says with a snort while covering her mouth and barely even trying to hide her snickering.

“Ha, ha,” I mutter, not even bothering looking at the girl who is lying across the couch, her legs crossing over my lap as she leans up against the armrest on the other side of the couch from me with a book open above her.

“I…” I begin, only to pause for a second as the crab stops in front of someone and lightly draws its claw against their arm, infecting them, then nodding its massive head once and continuing through the people as that person convulses on the ground, transforming. “…have no idea what’s going on anymore…”

Sapphire stops trying to hide her laughter and immediately bursts out, to the point of almost sobbing as she quite literally drops her book and reaches over to cover her face with her arm.

I ignore the laughing child as I focus on the crab, who seems to be picking and choosing whoever the crab thinks will serve me best. And I can’t help but wonder what’s going through that crab’s head.

It better not treat me as its father or something if I meet it again… one child is already proving troublesome.

I glance at said child, finding her still laughing her ass off.

So I look back at the screen where the crab is still picking and choosing people.

Then I let out a sigh.

I… I give up.

Let’s just continue through the dungeon and act like this didn’t happen.