Nyssa was curled up in the darkest corner of the house, trying to make herself small. The thick cloak Eren had given her still covered almost her entire gelatinous body, muffling most of the embarrassing plops — but not all.
And Mara hated even that.
"Stop making that noise, you disgusting thing!"
The woman raised a clay bowl, throwing it forcefully. The object bounced on the floor before grazing Nyssa. The impact was almost comical — the bowl sank a few inches into the gelatinous body, like soft clay, and then fell to the floor intact.
The wet sound echoed.
"Plop."
Nyssa trembled.
"S-sorry..."
"Sorry?!" Mara snarled. "You’re not even a person to say sorry!"
Another thing ca flying — an old, half-rotten piece of wood. It hit her, cracked, and fell to the floor. The cloak absorbed the impact, but still deford with the blow.
Nyssa felt no pain. But she wished she had. Maybe then it would make sense.
Mara was nearly purple with rage.
"You’re a monster! A plague! You know what will happen when he dies out there? You’ll stay here! Wanting... wanting what?! My daughter? My husband?" She spat on the floor, her eyes gleaming with tears. "Disgusting monster."
Nyssa tried to speak, but her voice died in her throat.
"P-please... I... I didn’t..."
"Shut up!"
Mara turned her back, her shoulders shaking.
Nyssa felt her eyes moist — thick, translucent tears that trickled and were reabsorbed by her body.
That was what she hated. Not being able to cry properly. Not being able to seem human.
She dragged herself to the door, each movent emitting muffled wet sounds from the cloak.
"Plop."
Mara didn’t even turn.
Nyssa pushed the door with a low creak of wood.
Outside, the air was cold. The moon was already leaning, almost hiding. The village seed dead — few lights, many shadows.
She left without making a noise — or as little as she could.
And it was there, with blurred eyes and trembling lips, that she saw.
Far off, on the dirt road, two figures were walking.
Nyssa strained her vision, blinking away tears that wouldn’t fall.
A dark, heavy cloak, stained with blood.
And a familiar face, hard as stone, yet so reassuring it made her tremble with relief.
"M-master..." she whispered.
Her chest tightened.
She wanted to run. To embrace him. To apologize for everything. To say she endured. That she didn’t run away.
But she froze.
Because beside him, so close they seed like one movent, there was another.
A woman.
No — a beast.
Tall, lean. The disheveled black hair swaying. An almost cruel smile on her lips. And those eyes — golden, vertical slits that glead even from a distance.
Nyssa felt sothing she didn’t quite understand.
Burning. Hurting.
Jealousy.
Her gelatinous body trembled, emitting a muffled plop.
"M-master..."
She clutched her chest — or what simulated being a chest.
Darin heard the sound of the door. He turned, still holding the staff.
"Nyssa? What is it now?"
He was going to scold — but the tone died when he saw where she was looking.
He followed her gaze.
His eyes widened.
"No... it can’t be..."
He dropped the staff to the ground with a thud.
"He’s back!" he shouted. "It’s Eren!"
The voice echoed through the crooked, dark houses.
Silences broke. Curtains moved.
"What?" A thin woman’s voice.
"He’s back?" An old man coughed.
"It can’t be him..."
Darin was already running forward, stumbling in the mud.
"Co! Co see! HE’S BACK!"
The village stirred like a disturbed nest of rats.
Doors opened. Candles were lit.
People ca out — so cautious, others excited, many just curious.
Nyssa didn’t move.
The thick cloak hid her trembling body. She felt the wet anger inside her.
Why was he with that... that woman?
Eren stopped at the edge of the village.
He observed the mass of people erging, human shadows gathering, ard with curiosity and fear.
Beside him, Kaela didn’t seem the least bit intimidated.
She snapped her fingers, short claws glinting, a crooked smile. Her chest rose and fell slowly, in a lazy, dangerous rhythm.
She looked at him sideways.
"Kaela slls many scents. Many good scents!"
Eren just nodded.
"Stay calm."
She licked her lips.
"Kaela doesn’t promise."
Finally, Darin was the first to arrive, breathless.
"Eren! You... you’re alive!"
He stopped suddenly, his gaze falling to Kaela.
His pupils dilated.
"W-who... who is..."
Kaela growled low. A feline, possessive sound.
"Friend of the piece of at?" she taunted.
Eren didn’t respond imdiately.
The village began to draw closer. People whispered.
"It’s really him..."
"He’s back..."
"Who is this woman?"
"My God... look at the claws..."
Nyssa appeared behind Darin, her eyes wide and moist.
She saw Eren first. The relief was physical — her shoulders relaxed, her body lted with tension.
But then she looked at Kaela.
The fake chest trembled.
Plop.
She felt a bad sting.
"M-master..."
Eren took a deep breath. The village fell silent. All eyes were on him. He stepped forward.
The cloak swayed.
"I’ll explain."
Silence.
Kaela adjusted herself beside him, arms crossed, chest forward. A wild, provocative look.
Eren cleared his throat.
Great. Now I have to talk. I hate this.
He was good with words. He knew it. All his life he’d learned to mold them like weapons. But he despised having to use them to convince people who didn’t even understand what was happening.
Even so, he raised his chin.
Absolute silence.
He scanned their faces with his gaze — fear, curiosity, disgust, hope. All mixed in a human stew he understood all too well.
Nyssa was huddled near Darin, the heavy cloak draping over her gelatinous body. Her eyes wide, glistening with so hope... and poorly concealed jealousy when she looked at Kaela.
Darin stood firm, a hand on his daughter’s shoulder to keep her close, trying to look brave.
Eren took a deep breath.
"Good evening."
An uncomfortable murmur swept through the village.
"I don’t want to drag this out. I’ll be clear." His voice ca out cold, low, yet firm. "The problem you had is solved."
Soone coughed. Another whispered sothing.
Eren raised his hand, silencing them.
"It was a monster. A wendigo." He said the word carefully, to sound technical, distant. "A creature that feeds on flesh, blood, fear."
Faces tightened. So grimaced.
"It settled in the surroundings. Attacked at night. Tore animals apart. Frightened you."
An old man muttered:
"Damn beast..."
Eren continued:
"Not only that. It possessed soone." He indicated Kaela with his chin without turning. "Her."
The murmurs grew, tense.
Kaela growled low, her lupine ears dropping for a mont, but she didn’t protest.
Eren narrowed his eyes.
Controlled lie. Needs to sound plausible.
"It kept her as a slave. Used her to track, hunt, scare. She had no choice."
Kaela glanced at him sideways, her eyes glinting with sothing undefined—part amusent, part disdain, part... gratitude?
Nyssa lowered her gaze, clutching her gelatinous chest. A muffled plop escaped from her cloak.
Jealousy. Social variable recorded.
Eren didn’t care.
"I faced the wendigo. Alone." He stepped forward. "It’s dead. It won’t kill your chickens anymore, or stalk your children."
The tension shifted.
The vibration in the air wavered.
People exchanged glances.
"Did he really kill it?" whispered a woman.
"Is he saying it’s over?"
"Alone?"
Eren lifted his chin.
"Yes. Alone. I’m a Monster Tar. I ta creatures. I fight monsters."
Silence.
He took advantage.
"She"—he indicated Kaela again—"is mine now. Under my contract. She won’t hurt anyone."
Kaela growled low, but didn’t deny it. She just raised an eyebrow, amused.
"Piece of at talks pretty. Kaela likes." She murmured loud enough for so to hear.
A nervous laugh escaped soone.
Eren pretended not to hear.
"You are safe now. It won’t happen again. And if it does, I’m here to solve it."
The silence broke.
Soone clapped.
Another joined in.
Soon, half a dozen began clapping for real, in a hesitant rhythm that turned into sothing almost proud.
"He saved the village!" soone shouted.
"A hero!"
[System]
[ Reputation in the village: 20]
[ Karma: 10]
Eren sighed.
But then the display flickered.
A glitch.
The claps continued, but the faces began to waver.
Literally.
As if internal lights were turning on and off.
Smiles flickered. Expressions of gratitude contracted.
Eyes narrowed. Noses wrinkled.
Claps turned into steps back.
"He’s a tar," soone whispered with disgust.
"He controls monsters... who guarantees?"
"It’s not natural..."
The claps stopped.
The sound died.
People stepped back half a step, then another.
The system glowed again.
[System]
[Bug detected: Conflicting Karma and Reputation.]
[Hostile NPCs: recalculating...]
[Result: Social ambivalence.]
Eren didn’t move.
He observed.
Great. They applaud and then feel disgust. Bugged system. Good to know.
Kaela let out a low growl of amusent.
"Kaela doesn’t understand, but likes the sll of fear."
Eren glanced sideways at her.
"Your analysis doesn’t help."
She laughed. A deep, sensual, feline sound.
Nyssa, further back, watched everything with teary eyes.
When Eren’s gaze t hers, she shivered.
She wanted to smile—but was confused. Jealousy, relief, sha. All together.
Darin approached, ignoring the rest.
"Eren. Thank you."
Eren faced him.
He just nodded.
Kaela crossed her arms, proud.
"Piece of at talks well. Kaela proud."
The village remained in a bubble of silence broken only by whispers with people still whispering and glancing sideways at Eren and his "companions." But he didn’t mind.
Instead of leaving, he turned to Kaela and Nyssa and made a short gesture with his head.
"Let’s go."
Kaela raised an eyebrow.
"Where to, piece of at?"
He didn’t answer. He just started walking toward Darin’s crooked house. He would analyze his next move in a briefly safe place.
Nyssa followed him, hesitant, emitting a muffled plop as she stumbled on the heavy cloak.
Kaela watched her with admiration. Nyssa felt embarrassed.
Darin hurried ahead to unlock the door.
The door to Darin’s house creaked as Eren pushed it with his foot.
Nyssa entered first, the heavy cloak swaying, emitting a muffled plop she tried to contain. Kaela followed right behind—feline, confident, a crooked smile on her face.
She turned to Nyssa.
"Squishy."
Nyssa cringed.
"N-not..."
Kaela approached, sniffing the new friend.
"Hmmm... sweet."
Without warning, she bit her shoulder—not hard enough to hurt, but enough to sink slightly into the gel. Nyssa squealed a loud plop, stretching her body.
"S-stop!"
Kaela laughed, her teeth gleaming.
"So elastic."
Eren didn’t turn to see.
"Kaela. Focus."
She sighed but released Nyssa with an exaggerated slurp, licking her teeth.
The house was dimly lit, slling of smoke and damp wood. The lamp flickered in a corner.
Mara was there, arms crossed, her face hard as stone. Her daughter—Linn—huddled behind her, clutching a rag doll.
Nyssa entered last, trying to shrink.
Mara shot a venomous look.
Kaela growled low, baring her teeth.
"What a dirty mouth."
Eren raised his hand.
"No threats."
Kaela raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
Darin cleared his throat.
"Well... thank you. Really." He looked at Eren. "You... saved the village."
Eren just nodded, dryly, thinking about what to do next.
Awkward silence.
Nyssa fidgeted in the corner, twisting her gelatinous hands under the cloak.
Eren looked at her.
"What is it?"
She trembled.
"N-nothing, m-master..."
Kaela stepped aside, amused, watching the tension.
Eren narrowed his eyes.
"Speak."
Nyssa hesitated. The cloak shifted in an embarrassed plop.
"The... the woman... she..."
Mara gritted her teeth.
"Is it starting?"
Nyssa took a step back but continued:
"She... hit ."
A heavy silence.
Mara scoffed.
"It’s a lie! I... I just wanted her to leave!"
Nyssa lowered her gaze.
"Threw... things at ."
Kaela let out a low, amused growl.
"But it doesn’t hurt. It’s squishy."
Eren ignored her.
He turned to Darin.
"True?"
Darin rubbed his face.
"I... heard. Didn’t want to believe it."
Mara turned to him, her face red."
"Are you accusing ? Because of this filthy thing?!"
"Mara..."
She cut him off.
"You let these... these creatures in? Look at her!" She pointed at Kaela. "She’s half wolf! And this other slimy thing!"
Kaela raised an eyebrow.
"Not half wolf. I’m better."
Nyssa sniffed, trying to clean her shoulders.
Eren took a deep breath, ignoring the insults.
He then turned to Linn — the girl huddled in a corner, clutching a rag doll.
The air changed.
He approached slowly, eyes narrowed.
Kaela stopped teasing Nyssa and looked on curiously.
Eren crouched down to the girl’s level.
Linn was trembling.
Then Eren took a deep breath — a very deep one. The system blinked.
[System: Synchronized Sll Active]
[Analyzing Genetic Profiles via Pheromones...]
He inhaled the child’s scent. It was mixed: smoke, dirty fabric, fear... and sothing very specific.
"Maternal scent: Mara. Confird. Paternal scent..."
Eren raised his head. Turned his face to Darin. Inhaled.
The system blinked red.
"Paternal scent: INCOMPATIBLE."
Eren narrowed his eyes even more.
"When I ta a monster, I gain attributes in return. In Kaela’s case, I improved my sense of sll.
Darin and Mara took young Linn and brought her closer to them, avoiding the young man.
"And... ? — Darin asked."
Eren just continued turning his face to the window, breathing the night air.
Another scent ca from outside. Weaker.
"Indication of biological father identified."
[System]
[Trace found: Genetic residue.]
[NPC Description:]
Male.
Height: ~1.72 m.
Patchy beard.
Scent: Leather, dried fish.
Location: ~70 ters southeast.
Eren raised an eyebrow and turned to Darin.
"She’s not your daughter."
Silence.
Darin blinked.
"What?"
Mara turned pale.
"It’s a lie! He’s a monster!"
"I’m a Monster Tar." Eren continued, dryly: "Biological father lives 70 ters southeast. Slls of leather and fish. Has a patchy beard."
Darin went pale.
"Jarin...?"
Mara trembled.
"STOP!"
But Darin was already growling like a rabid dog.
"IS IT HIM?!"
Mara crossed her arms, her chin trembling.
"I wasn’t going to raise another man’s child alone! You never would’ve accepted it!"
Kaela approached, growling softly.
"Kaela likes a fight."
Nyssa pulled her cloak up to cover almost her whole face.
"Please... stop fighting..."
The argunt erupted. Mara and Darin began shouting at each other, unfiltered insults, references to lost nights, old lies. They even ntioned not having had much intercourse during their marriage.
Kaela nudged Nyssa.
"Squishy, want to play fight?"
Nyssa shook her head, trembling.
"N-no, I don’t like this..."
Kaela lightly bit her arm — without hurting.
"Hehe, so soft."
Nyssa shook with an almost indignant plop.
Eren watched without emotion.
Eren sighed.
"Let’s go. There’s no thinking in this situation."
Darin was still yelling at Mara. The daughter was quietly crying. Nyssa was sniffling, clutching her cloak. Kaela just smiled, a satisfied predator, teeth bared.
Nyssa looked at him, her eyes wide and teary.
"W-where to...?"
"We’re heading to the nearest city. We need more missions. anwhile, I’ll think of a better plan."
Nyssa trembled.
"C-city?..."
She rembered the last ti she was in a city. That’s why she instinctively covered herself with sha at what might happen now.
Kaela sensed the sha. So she put an arm around her, squeezing like a living pillow.
"I’ll protect you."
Nyssa squeaked a plop.
Eren sighed once more.
"Move out."
Without looking back, he left the house.
Kaela and Nyssa followed him — the wolf still nibbling the sli like playing with a soft toy.
Inside, the family argunt continued, muffled by the door.
Outside, the night wind greeted the trio with a biting cold.
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