NOVEL NEXT Chapter 61
The first place we reached after escaping the base was a humid forest. Celyon moved forward without hesitation, as if familiar with this place.
“Ah, do you see that?”
“Yes.”
Celyon, who was leading the way, pointed to a large tree bearing bright red fruit. It looked a bit oversized, but in appearance, it resembled an apple.
“Isn’t it similar to an apple?”
“Does that mean it’s not an apple?”
“It’s similar but a different kind; it’s a fruit that humans can’t eat. It often causes stomach aches for the novice explorers who visit this area for the first time, mistaking it for an apple.”
“Hmm…”
Nodding at Celyon’s words, I pulled out the small booklet I had kept in my pocket. It was the guidebook for Monster Island that had been distributed to all the new explorers before arriving here.
The guidebook contained details about the red fruit, just as Celyon had said. It was named ‘fake apple’ because it deceives people with its attractive appearance.
Thus, Celyon guided me around while sharing basic knowledge about Monster Island. I was most surprised by the appearance of the goblins residing here.
The goblins in this land had very long arms and primarily moved among the trees.
“Isn’t it a unique appearance?”
I nodded at Celyon’s question. Their ability to climb trees with long arms reminded me of the long-armed monkeys back on Earth.
“Most goblins here look like that. They evolved that way to survive. They usually live by eating fruits from the trees.”
“It seems like they’ve evolved specifically to avoid the monsters on the ground.”
“Yeah. That’s right. Due to the mana storm, the evolution of monsters is quite rapid. In just ten years, the goblins might grow wings on their backs.”
“Is it that fast…?”
I couldn’t hide my skeptical expression at Celyon’s words. I knew that mana in the Forest of Kalbain significantly affects the ecology of monsters, but the idea of goblins developing wings in just ten years was hard to believe.
“Maybe ten years was too fast…? Anyway, it means changes happen quickly.”
“Hmm.”
“Well then, should we go deeper?”
“Yes!”
*
A week with Celyon passed by really quickly.
She taught me a lot of things, from tracking monster traces and using the environment to make traps, to how to butcher the hunted monster. These were valuable skills that I wouldn’t have been able to learn even if I had paid in the Karma Empire.
“Do you think you can manage to return safely?”
“Yes!”
I nodded at Celyon’s question. Now that a week had passed with her, I was assigned a mission to hunt the designated monster to see if I could effectively utilize what she taught me.
It wasn’t just me who received such a mission. All twenty new members who had arrived on Monster Island at the same time as me were given similar tasks.
The monsters to be hunted were different for each, but since there was word that it was okay to hunt in cooperation, some had already formed teams.
As I left the base with Nightmare, I unfolded a stiff piece of paper. This paper contained the name, habitat, and appearance of the monster I was to hunt.
[Eagle Drake]
The Eagle Drake found in the southern rock mountains is a monster with the body of a giant lizard and the head and wings of an eagle.
From birth, it has large wings that allow it to fly, but as it grows, its wings do not keep up with its growing body, and when it becomes an adult, it loses the ability to fly due to its heavier weight.
The wings of an adult Eagle Drake, having lost their flying ability, grow hard scales instead of feathers, changing their use from flying to serving as shields and weapons to protect its body.
A fully grown adult measures approximately 3 to 4 meters, showing some significant size differences, with the presence or absence of feathers helping to distinguish between adults and juveniles.
My task was to hunt this Eagle Drake and pluck the white feathers adornits head.
I looked around to see if anyone among the twenty members was going to the rock mountains with me, but unfortunately, no one had overlapping areas with my assignment. I had to set off towards the rock mountains alone.
“Well then, shall we go too?”
Whoosh—
I began to race through the forest with Nightmare.
There weren’t many big paths in this area since it wasn’t well-traveled by people, but Nightmare had no problem dashing through the narrow paths.
The week with Celyon had brought many changes to Nightmare’s body. Due to the high activity levels, the fat that had made her body plump was almost all burned away, returning to her former sleek form.
As we emerged from the narrow forest path, we were greeted by a long stretch of river. If we continued running along this river, we could quickly reach the northern rock mountains.
I ran alongside Nightmare next to the river.
As we raced along the winding path, we frequently encountered monsters. Small and weak monsters fled at the sight of Nightmare’s imposing presence, but the larger ones or those that hunted in packs charged at us instead.
Boom— Boom— Boom!
This time, the giant lizard showed itself. It looked similar to the lizard I had encountered in the Forest of Kalbain but had a smooth back without any peculiarities, and it was slightly smaller than the previous lizard.
Screech—!
If I had taken a look at the guidebook for the explorers, I would have known this monster’s name, but unfortunately, I had no time for that right now. I hastily pulled on Nightmare’s bridle and turned sharply.
I wanted to avoid battles with other monsters aside from the mission objective, but the persistent lizard seemed intent on engaging, and I had no choice but to fight.
I pulled the reins tighter, drawing my sword from behind me. Nightmare, who had established a good synergy with me through numerous adventures, quickly picked up on my intentions and charged toward the lizard.
Is this what it feels like to charge towards a giant truck?
As I looked at the lizard’s maw, I leaped off Nightmare’s back. Nightmare sensibly maneuvered to evade the lizard’s attack.
The humid wind brushed through my hair, providing a brief sensation of floating. I immediately steadied myself and swung my sword at the head of the lizard below me.
Clang—!
As I swung down, my sword scraped the scales of the lizard. It sounded like it struck something as hard as iron, and considerable recoil shot through my hands.
“Ugh…!”
As I scraped the lizard’s head and fell to the ground, I quickly rolled away. That was because the lizard’s tail came crashing down right above me.
Boom—!
The tail swung down into the empty space, striking the ground with a powerful force.
The earth beneath me was gouged, resembling the work of a massive blunt instrument.
I broke out in a cold sweat at the mere sight. Had I been a moment slower, I would have been flattened like a pancake by that enormous tail attack.
During the week with Celyon, I had mostly avoided such direct dangers since she handled most of the monster hunting.
I recalled the guidebook warning about the dangers of Monster Island and braced myself to swing my sword.
Zing—!
As my heart’s mana circle spun, the lizard swung its tail once more. Its attack was sharp and quick, but to me, who was fully prepared, it was not that threatening.
I lowered my posture and swung my sword with both hands.
Just before the tail touched my body, the emblem of the Great Warrior, glistening with mana, revealed itself, enhancing my physical body once again.
The flow of mana did not stop there. The mana activated on the back of my hand surged toward my sword, creating a blade wrapped in seven starlights.
In that moment, the lizard’s tail and my sword brushed past each other. The impact on my wrist was considerable, but thanks to my grip on the sword, the lizard’s enormous tail was sliced cleanly.
Boom—!
As the long tail fell to the ground, Nightmare leaped over to my side protectively.
However, the lizard, having lost its tail, seemed to have lost its will to fight and quickly dashed across the river to escape. Such a quick acceptance of defeat! I sighed as I watched the retreating lizard.
Whoosh—
Nightmare nudged my back, looking at the fleeing lizard. It seemed to be asking whether I wouldn’t pursue it.
“It’s fine. Let it go.”
I could have chased it, but my goal wasn’t the lizard but the Eagle Drake. Besides, if I chased after that creature and rummaged through the forest, I was likely to encounter another giant monster.
Not to mention, I wasn’t completely empty-handed.
I approached the large tail lying on the ground, which twitched and squirmed, still alive despite the cut.
“Let’s see…”
I pulled out the monster guidebook from my pocket and began to scan the records of the recently seen monster. As I flipped through the small booklet, detailed information about the giant lizard unfolded.
[Whip Tail]
A monster inhabiting all over Monster Island, characterized by its long tail covered in tough scales that performs tail attacks.
The size and color of scales differ based on their habitat, with the largest recorded specimen reaching approximately 30 meters in length.
Its scales are solid yet lightweight, making them a popular material for armor.
“Hmm.”
I nodded while checking the contents of the book.
It’s a great opportunity to test the monster handling techniques I learned from Celyon. I took out the small dagger I had stashed in my bag and began to peel off the scales from the tail.
Nightmare showed a keen interest in the tail meat.
Seeing her repeatedly licking her lips and clicking her tongue beside me, it seemed the tail must look quite delicious.
I cut the flesh revealed beneath the scales and tossed it to Nightmare.
Nom—!
Nightmare chewed happily, sporting a blissful smile.
I watched her while hastening the cleaning of the tail.
The length of the cut tail seemed to measure at least 2 meters. I peeled off the scales and stuffed them into my bag, making it nicely plump.