Chapter 3
I quickly picked up the pumpkin and hurried off. The puppy wagged its tail and trotted after me obediently.
Heading straight to the kitchen, I gently placed a large cast-iron pot onto the hearth.
Sure, it was all analog equipment, but that’s fine. Tools don’t matter to a true master.
Alright, time to witness the cooking skills of a seasoned solo dweller!
“Basically, you just throw everything in and boil it.”
Title acquired: “Peep Peep! Baby Chick Chef”
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Effect: Cooking skill increases.
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Stats: +5 to Health, Strength, Magic, and Luck.
“Woof woof!”
“Aww, you must’ve been starving! You licked the plate clean!”
I smiled in satisfaction at the spotless plate—it looked brand new.
It seemed I’d already succeeded in taming the little guy.
And on top of that, I’d even earned a chef title!
Phew… I almost thought of eating it raw, thank goodness I didn’t.
I’d only tossed everything in to boil, yet it actually turned out pretty tasty. The ingredients must’ve helped a lot.
But then…
When I looked around, the kitchen had turned into a disaster zone.
I closed my eyes tight, then opened them again.
“Haa… today I’m going to max out my Cleaning Mastery level.”
Barely holding on to my sanity, I burned with determination and immediately began cleaning up.
Wait for me, my happy animal life!
Alright, now’s my chance.
I am Cerberus—the Gatekeeper of the Demon Realm, the Hound of Hell.
Though I’m currently exiled, wandering from place to place…
Once I grow into a mighty Great Beast, my master will acknowledge me again.
Then… my master will pat my head once more.
Master, I’ll prove that Cerberus still has worth! Woof!
To do that… I’ll eat this woman!
“Grrrr!”
“Phew, dishes done!”
Just as I opened my mouth wide like a Venus flytrap, ready to devour her, the woman turned around at the perfect moment.
Tch, damn. I wanted to ambush her—she looked terrifying back at the storage room earlier!
“Hey, puppy, wanna go for a walk?”
…Hmm. Maybe I’ll just eat her after the walk.
Heh, look at those twitching ears—he’s so happy at the idea of a walk. So cute!
That said, there’s no way there’s a leash lying around here, right?
Even if no one’s around at night, he might panic and run off if startled.
As a responsible owner, I couldn’t risk that.
Maybe a night walk was pushing it… I turned to look at the puppy.
“Kyuu!”
His red eyes sparkled with pure excitement.
…Somehow, I felt like something terrible would happen if I didn’t take him.
Determined to go even if I had to carry him, I rummaged through the storage room for something useful—just in case.
There, I found a small hand axe and a coil of rope.
“Oh, maybe I should bring both…? You never know if some creep’s wandering around at night.”
As I stood there lost in thought, axe in hand, the puppy flinched and shrank back.
“Aww, did I scare you? It’s okay~”
“If a bad person shows up, I’ll use this to protect you! Don’t worry.”
“Wow, the grip’s perfect. Feels great in the hand—perfect for chopping. Hehehe.”
“Or maybe… I could strangle them with the rope instead…”
Hearing my bold declaration, the puppy finally relaxed—and promptly began clawing desperately at the wooden door.
“Whiine…!!”
“Oh, you really wanna go, huh? Alright, let’s go!”
It’d be my first time stepping outside since coming here… but it should be fine, right?
Stuffing the rope hastily into my pocket, I held the axe in one hand, the puppy in the other, and stepped out of the cabin into the world beyond.
Whoa, maybe my Strength stat really did go up! I feel so light!
Even a small axe has some weight, and carrying it along with the puppy should’ve been exhausting, yet my body felt light as air.
Must be the Strength bonus!
I’d worried that this body’s delicate limbs would be a problem… but it’s getting stronger little by little.
“…Wow, there’s really nothing out here.”
Looking around outside, I let out a small sigh.
It was utterly quiet and peaceful, as if this rustic little cabin and I were the only things left in the world.
Human traces? None whatsoever.
Fwooosh—
A chilly breeze swept through the barren landscape, seeping into my bones.
…To think someone actually bought a house in the middle of nowhere.
Baron Blanche… you were truly a first-rate sucker.
This was basically real estate fraud!
The endless fields and vast horizon were awe-inspiring in their desolation.
Ha… this feels exactly like the kind of place where an old lady retires to live out her days farming.
“Wow… look at those stars!”
Still, there was one good thing—
The night sky was full of stars, the kind you could never see in the city.
Feeling my mood lift, I hugged the puppy tighter and walked on.
“Oh, is that… a forest?”
It was too dark to see clearly—no streetlights anywhere—but I could make out the outline of a dense forest far off beyond the horizon.
“Hey, puppy—!”
So focused on the forest, I loosened my grip just enough for the puppy to wriggle free.
Before I could react, it bolted toward the woods.
Tap tap, thud—
“No, don’t go that way! It’s dangerous!”
I sprinted after it, heading straight for the forest.
Huff, huff… I think I picked the wrong prey!
That woman—just because she’s small doesn’t mean she’s weak!
Even remembering that terrifying smile of hers while holding that sharp weapon sends chills down my spine!
Cerberus turned pale and dashed toward the forest’s edge.
Her face had looked so wicked, even the Demon King himself would’ve been impressed.
First she lured me in with food and walks, then planned to smash me with that thing when I let my guard down!
No—running away is the only smart move! Woof!
As I fled frantically, I glanced back—
She was sprinting after me at full speed!
I knew it! She really means to kill me, that woman!!
I have to hide… I can’t die here!
Master hasn’t acknowledged me yet!
Reaching the forest entrance, Cerberus found a fork in the path.
W-Which way?! And wait—this forest is crawling with high-tier beasts, it’s dangerous!
A quick glance back—she was still chasing, that terrifying face closing the distance fast.
“Whiiine!!”
S-Scary! L-Let’s go left!
He veered hard left—only to find a sheer cliff ahead.
T-That’s a cliff, woof!!
Stop! Stop, stop, stop!
But his momentum wouldn’t let him halt in time.
At this rate, he was going to fall straight into the abyss below.
“Whiine!!”
I-I’m falling! Aaaah!
Flashes of his life ran through Cerberus’s mind.
So this is how I die—falling off a cliff, how pathetic.
I wanted to die proudly, guarding my master as a noble beast…
I knew it all along…
Master had abandoned me.
Ever since the day I was cast aside, I’d waited, but Master never came back for me.
“You still haven’t evolved? Ugh, worthless.”
The disappointed tone of his master echoed in his head.
In truth, Cerberus wasn’t the Great Beast “Cerberus,” but a lesser subspecies—an Inferno Puppy.
A low-rank monster that couldn’t even evolve—no wonder his master never liked him.
As the ground beneath his paws crumbled, his body began to tilt forward.
Below was nothing but blackness.
Just as Cerberus shut his eyes, resigned to death—
“Puppy!!”
A desperate voice rang out, followed by a firm, warm grip wrapping around him.
You foolish woman! Why are you protecting me, woof?!
Cerberus couldn’t understand.
They’d only met today.
Falling from a cliff like this meant instant death for both of them.
Yet the woman didn’t care—
She held him tightly, as if her only concern was keeping him safe.
And just like that—
We began to fall.
