A Mother’s Embrace for the Landmine Girl

[Intelligence: 2 (Max 2)]

A sigh escaped him inwardly.

Ah, never mind.

Even if the child was a little foolish, as long as they could eat, sleep, and live happily, that was more important than anything else.

His thoughts swiftly returned to the battlefield.

Lin Ran, observing Lim and the Treasure Chest Monster locked in a relatively even struggle, called out loudly:

“Lim! Hold on! I’ll give you a buff!”

Swiftly operating on the system screen, Lin Ran allocated all five of his free attribute points.

[3 points invested in Strength]

[2 points invested in Endurance]

[Confirm?]

Confirmed!

[Lim – Strength: 13 → 16]

[Lim – Endurance: 3 → 5]

Since the path of intelligence was a dead end, she would simply become a battle maiden and resolve the immediate crisis!

Almost the instant the points were allocated, Lim’s body seemed to shimmer with a faint glow.

Lim herself paused, momentarily stunned, as a sudden surge of vitality and power coursed through her body, leaving her feeling somewhat unaccustomed to it.

She extended a hand, gripping a tentacle.

The limb, which would normally have thrashed in resistance, was now effortlessly torn from the fleshy wall above by Lim’s newfound strength.

Though she had begun to feel a touch of weariness from the prolonged battle, she now felt an inexhaustible wellspring of power within her!

“Ugh…! That hurts!” The Treasure Chest Monster’s cry of pain echoed from all directions, and its attacks faltered in response.

“Haha! Now you know who you’re dealing with.”

Seizing the opportune moment, Lim swallowed every remaining tentacle that hovered in the air.

Then, reverting to her human form, she puffed out her chest, placed her hands on her hips, and declared proudly.

Even on its home turf, the Treasure Chest Monster, overwhelmed by Lim’s absolute numerical superiority, could only concede defeat.

“I… I won’t give up…”

Its voice was laced with a whimper, yet also with an undeniable defiance.

“You’re trying to trick me again! You’re going to…”

Before it could finish speaking, a final tentacle shot out.

It was also the smallest of them all.

This time, however, Lim didn’t even bother to change her form.

She merely extended her delicate, translucent hand, precisely seizing the tip of the tentacle.

Then, with a squeeze of her hand, the tentacle burst with a crisp *snap*.

It was an absolute crushing defeat, leaving no room for doubt.

****

At that very moment, the space began to collapse—

The vast, fleshy-walled chamber started to vanish, peeling away and disintegrating.

They did not crumble into fragments and fall to the ground, but rather dissipated into nothingness.

Revealing the bottomless, empty darkness that lay beyond.

The space abruptly constricted, forcing Lin Ran and Lim together.

In its place appeared a cold wooden chest.

And beneath them, a carpet woven from gold coins.

Lim, however, seemed quite pleased, snuggling even closer.

“Master~ The danger isn’t over yet, so hold me tight~”

She nuzzled against Lin Ran’s chest, her voice laced with amusement.

Lin Ran, however, merely tapped the wood above his head.

“*Thump-thump*”

It was solid.

The space had indeed changed.

Then, taking a deep breath, he exerted force with both arms and pushed upwards with a powerful thrust.

He shoved the lid open, and sure enough, the familiar sight of the real world greeted them.

They were in the center of the wooden cabin.

All around them, various snacks were strewn about, and the little slimes had already begun feasting.

Anmeng Yue lay on the bed, an eye mask covering her eyes, fanning herself with a fan she’d brought from the convenience store.

A tune hummed on her lips, a picture of blissful contentment.

“Did Vera bring us back?”

Lin Ran stroked his chin, having almost instantaneously deduced the answer.

Only she could have transported the massive Treasure Chest Monster back to the cabin after both he and Lim had been swallowed.

“Yep—”

Anmeng Yue drew out her reply, her eyes still closed.

“She said she felt at ease knowing Lim was inside, and then she ordered the little dolls to move everything.”

She answered languidly from her bed.

“Wah! Is this the Treasure Chest Monster? Master, hurry, come see what this is! I found it while rummaging for treasure!”

Lin Ran had been contemplating their next course of action when Lim’s sudden, joyful shriek completely shattered his train of thought.

He had initially intended to scold Lim for being too hasty in opening the treasure chest.

However, as his gaze followed her cry to the chest, Lin Ran’s words caught in his throat.

In a corner of the massive treasure chest, a tiny creature lay quietly atop a pile of gold coins.

She looked exactly like the maiden from the Treasure Chest Monster’s dimension, even wearing the same mimetic ‘Landmine Girl’ attire.

A tentacle, so fine as to be almost invisible, extended from her back, connecting to the inner wall of the treasure chest.

The difference, however, was striking…

She was only the size of a palm.

So pitifully small, Lin Ran and Lim could have easily crushed her underfoot if they hadn’t been careful.

This also explained why neither Lin Ran nor Lim had noticed her within the chest.

Moreover, her entire body was riddled with wounds, with distinct injuries on all her limbs.

Her arms bore multiple corrosive wounds, while her thighs and waist appeared as if chunks of flesh had been torn away.

Lin Ran immediately realized that during her previous fierce battle with Lim, she had been tearing off parts of her own body, molding them into tentacles for attack.

And that “Affection Pistol” shot must have struck her arm.

Under normal circumstances, her bodily tissues should have covered the entire inner wall of the treasure chest, forming a vast domain.

Yet at this moment, apart from a small amount of carbonized tissue at the connection point, no trace of her bodily tissues could be observed anywhere else within the chest, save for the lingering scent of blood.

“Damn it… she really is a Landmine Girl, even picking up self-mutilation.”

Lin Ran, almost too exasperated to comment, hastily grabbed a potion brewed by Vera and cautiously poured it over the Treasure Chest Monster.

Simultaneously, he extended a slime tentacle, using its viscous fluid to mend her wounds.

The healing effect was quite ordinary, but it was enough to sustain a glimmer of life.

He then tossed in some hunger-resisting snacks, such as biscuits and cola, which she would automatically absorb.

Just as she absorbed other living beings, completely without the need for conscious thought.

Soon, her breathing gradually steadied.

Her palm-sized body also began to recover at a visible pace.

Quickly, she grew to about a meter in height, once again taking on the appearance of the young maiden.

More of her tissues began to spread across the inner walls of the treasure chest as she recovered.

The dreamlike princess room also slowly began to reassemble—

The weakened Treasure Chest Monster slowly opened her eyes.

The first person to appear in her bewildered gaze was Lin Ran, who was leaning over her.

“How are you? Are you alright?”

Lin Ran asked, his concern instinctive.

And then…

“M-Mommy…”

The Treasure Chest Monster, facing Lin Ran, uttered this word.

“Huh???”