Judas crouched beside the pond, a condescending smile playing on his lips. Faint teeth marks were visible on his fingers, which still throbbed from the earlier bite.
The tiny moles floated in the pond like fuzzy dumplings: round, plump, and helplessly bobbing with each ripple of the water.
Their glossy eyes blinked rapidly, shimmering with a suspiciously large amount of moisture. If he didn't know better, he would think they were trying to guilt-trip him.
Judas rubbed his temples and leaned forward.
"Fine. Let me see what you two can actually do."
The moles squeaked, their ears twitching hopefully.
He activated the system with a thought. A blue panel flickered into existence above the surface of the water, bright enough to cast a soft glow onto his face.
The sky was still pale with morning light, yet the panel seemed to shimmer.
[Spirit Monster Status]
Name: Unnamed 1 and Unnamed 2
Class: Feral
Title: Initiate Planter, Initiate Digger
Skills:
Digging 10 (Ordinary-Initiate)
Planting 10 (Common-Initiate)
"Not bad," Judas praised. Seeing these two furry potatoes were Initiates before him should have soured his mood, if not for the notion that they were his spirit monsters.
The moles puffed up with pride. Their whiskers quivered like tiny banners waving in triumph.
Judas felt his dignity crack in half.
'So cute.' His wives would really like them.
Now, they required names.
He crossed his arms, studying the pair as they bobbed innocently in the pond.
Both tilted their heads to the side at the exact same moment. Left tilt. Right tilt. Synchronized and hopeful.
Judas tried a few noble-sounding names. They responded by turning their backs in disapproval.
He tried a few silly ones. They squeaked angrily.
He sighed and stared at their potato-like figures. Then inspiration struck him in the worst way possible.
"Fine. You two are Nibble and Nubble."
Silence.
Then the pond exploded into ripples as the two furry balls danced joyfully, splashing water everywhere.
They hopped, twirled, and even headbutted each other in excitement. Judas shielded his face with one hand.
"Alright, alright. Calm down. Show the dignity of a Feral, at least."
The Class of the monsters was categorized into five: Ordinary, Feral, Elite, King, and Lord. In his previous life, he had been killed by a King-class monster.
From Feral onward, their intelligence begins to increase. A Feral monster could grow its intelligence up to that of a middle-aged human.
For ordinary Initiates, meeting a Feral was a death sentence. Nibble and Nubble were not attack-type monsters, yet they were both Initiates.
Judas doubted anyone in this village reached the Initiate stage. Perhaps the village head.
'It will be better if I get an appraisal skill.' He had to wait for a suitable time for that.
"Alright, Nibble. Nubble. Time to work." He placed the seeds on the ground.
Both moles squealed and shot out of the pond like bouncing dumplings launched from a catapult.
They hit the ground, shook their fur until it puffed up again, took the seeds, and scampered toward the field with surprising determination.
Judas followed them, stopping at the boundary of his land.
The moment they reached the soil, the two spirit moles transformed. Their little paws turned into blurs as they dug smooth, even furrows across the field.
Dirt flew neatly to both sides, landing in precise lines as if shaped by practiced hands. Their bodies moved like tiny tiller machines powered by pure enthusiasm.
When one row finished, they scurried back and switched motions.
They patted the soil rhythmically, their paws creating soft thuds as they worked with the seriousness of seasoned farmers.
Occasionally, one squeaked proudly, only for the other to squeak back as if challenging him.
It was adorable. Too adorable.
Judas covered his mouth, unable to stop the smile stretching across his lips.
He stood in the quiet morning light, watching the two round creatures turn his hopeless field into workable farmland.
The moles squeaked in perfect unison, their tails wagging as they continued their tireless march across the soil.
Judas folded his arms and let the morning breeze wash over him.
"Good. Keep working hard. Your master will feed you well." The two potatoes squealed louder, digging even faster.
The seed planting finished in five hours.
Nibble and Nubble perched proudly on his shoulders like plump, furry kings surveying their conquered land.
They squealed for praise, their round bodies wobbling as if they might burst from happiness.
Judas laughed and rubbed both their heads, unable to hide the wide grin stretching across his face.
"You two are amazing. Truly. I should build a shrine for potatoes like you."
They squeaked even louder, tails flicking.
His stomach responded next with a long, painful growl. The sound echoed embarrassingly across the quiet fields.
Judas froze. Then he slapped his palms together in sudden realization.
"The fish. They should be matured already."
He spun toward the pond. A shimmer of silver rippled beneath the water, and his eyes instantly lit up.
Schools of Moonscale fish swam in circles, their bodies flashing under the sunlight like polished silver coins.
They had grown. Not large yet, but big enough to eat. Big enough to make his mouth water.
Seafood had always been his favorite.
His previous world had twisted every aquatic creature into monstrous horrors. Eating fish had become a distant memory, something he mourned every time he looked at a river.
But now, the sight before him was pure heaven. His appetite surged.
He considered using a lucky draw, imagining he might get a net or even a magical fishing tool. But that felt wasteful. Drawing precious items just to catch fish was something only an idiot would do.
He stripped off his shirt without hesitation.
"Come here, my little silver snacks."
Nibble and Nubble squeaked in confusion as Judas leaped straight into the pond. Water splashed into the air like a glittering curtain.
In a single swift motion, he twisted the shirt beneath the surface and scooped.
The cloth instantly bulged. Ten, maybe more, wriggling fish thrashed inside, their scales catching the sunlight with dazzling sparks.
Judas lifted the dripping bundle with a triumphant grin.
"Oh man. This is heaven."
He trudged out of the pond with the sagging shirt slung over his shoulder. Droplets of water streamed down his arms and chest, glistening like morning dew.
Nibble and Nubble dove into his hair, squealing with excitement. Their round bodies burrowed into his damp curls as if claiming territory.
Judas laughed, shaking them gently.
"We are going to eat well today."
* *
Author notes:
I am in complete disbelief after knowing my contract for this book is rejected by the webnovel. Do you guys think I have to change anything, to be worthy of their contract? Below is what they said about the reason.
Regrettably, your has been rejected for contract for the following reason:
What's difficult to follow in this book? I don't really understand. I have messaged my editor to know about this. Let's see if I can get contract. What a pity, I am enjoying writing this. If it didn't get contract, there will be no other options other than publishing it on another platform.
Royal road is apparently biggest after WN, but their readers adamantly hate harem. So, No. Scribble hub is another option. But that site is filled with Yuir/Gb. Then there is amazon, but I doubt this book is polished enough to publish there.
I might continue this here. I really don't want to drop it.
Thanks for reading my rant.