I Was Reincarnated as the Weakest Monster, but I’ll Use My ‘Return from Death’ Skill to Become the Strongest! Even as the Weakest Monster, I Want to Get Stronger, Take Human Form, and Build a Harem… But Why Do Only Yandere Non-Human Girls Keep Showing Up? - Chapter 2.9

“Ahhh…”

Once again, I returned.

“…Hah. Let’s go.”

Up to a certain point, everything had gone perfectly.

If I were to consolidate all the knowledge I had accumulated, there was no better approach than the one I had already taken.

That was why I followed the exact same path as before.

“Nghhh!?”

The only real difference was that this time, I used telekinesis to hurl a wooden pole and forcibly rescue the elderly elf who had been killed in the last loop. Other than that, I did almost nothing different.

“But… why would you, a monster, help me, Riel?”

“To repay you for the food.”

“…That’s it?”

“Yeah. That’s plenty, isn’t it? As far as reasons to help someone go.”

And so, I had returned once more.

Now evolved into a Jinhua Cat and in my human form, I ran alongside Ren, feeling a deep sense of relief that I had made it back safely.

“…”

The subterranean ambush—

This time, I was fully prepared for it.

By using Appraisal on the ground itself, I could detect the presence of any underground creatures. With this ability, countering unexpected attacks from below was no longer an issue.

“R-Riel, wha— ahh!?”

A horned mole-like creature was about to emerge from the ground.

Before it could, I pulled Ren toward me, yanking her firmly into my embrace.

That alone was enough to keep her safe.

“Goodbye.”

The beast had already prepared to lunge, unable to change its trajectory now.

With a swift motion, I skewered it with my sword before it could even surface.

“A-A monster…?”

Ren, who had watched the entire scene unfold, murmured in a trembling voice.

“That’s right. You should be more careful. You never know what might happen.”

“…Y-Yeah.”

After making sure she understood, I let her go.

“Come on, we have to hurry. We still don’t know what else is coming.”

“R-Right.”

Nodding at my words, Ren picked up her pace again.

The first obstacle was cleared.

“That was incredible. You can control weapons?”

“Yeah. Pretty strong, huh?”

Previously, my telekinesis had been limited to throwing stones and wooden debris.

But now, I could wield swords freely.

That alone had drastically increased my offensive capabilities.

“Yeah, you’re really strong. It’s reassuring.”

“You can rely on me as much as you need to.”

“…Thanks.”

We continued running toward our destination—toward the massive black shadow looming in the distance.

“GRAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!”

“Fura!”

But the closer we got, the more monsters swarmed in our direction.

My telekinesis alone was no longer enough to keep up.

The creatures were appearing faster than I could cut them down.

“Sorry, I couldn’t take them all out.”

Ren’s magic was what finished them off.

“It’s fine. I still have plenty of mana left.”

“Good. That’s reassuring.”

“Right? I am reliable, after all.”

“…Wait, Ren—!?”

Even with Ren’s help, we were barely keeping up.

And then, I heard it.

A deep, resounding noise, like countless footsteps pounding against the earth.

My enhanced feline senses sharpened, warning me of what was coming.

A surge of monstrous energy was rapidly closing in from ahead.

“What’s happening?!”

“There’s an insane number of monsters headed straight for us!”

“W-What?!”

The moment I warned Ren, a massive horde of creatures emerged before us.

“…!”

“…!”

Both Ren and I froze at the sheer sight of them.

Faced with such overwhelming numbers, we were forced to halt our advance.

“GRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!”

“W-We can’t get through them…”

“We don’t have a choice! Ren, we have to fight our way through!”

Ren, still searching for a way to push forward, hesitated.

But I cut her off.

“…!”

“Let’s go!”

With that, Ren and I charged into battle against the overwhelming horde of monsters.

…

………

Most of the creatures were F-rank, with a few E-rank ones mixed in.

Individually, they weren’t formidable.

But their numbers… were staggering.

“Hah… hah… hah…”

After more than an hour of relentless fighting, the sun had set.

Night had fallen.

Ren, having exhausted most of her magic, was breathing heavily beside me.

“We… we have to keep moving. If we don’t… the village… the villagers…!”

Even in her weakened state, she remained determined to press forward.

“…It’s no use. We need to rest.”

I steadied her, offering my support as I searched for a place where we could recover.

“Let’s take shelter in that cave.”

“…But…”

Even as flames continued to rise from the direction of the Elven Village, I led Ren toward the cave, forcing her to rest for the night.