Monster Evolution System: I became a Rat-Chapter 91: Nasreen Stinger

With the night engulfing the sky, the howling and gnawing of beasts echoed through the forest. Farmers lit lanterns and burned fauna to keep the monsters at bay.

Perhaps the sky was too dark, for one of the monsters slipped through the defensive barrier and entered the livestock shed.

Sheep lay before it, bare and defenseless, its mouth watering. Just as it lunged at the beasts, a booming sound roared, and its body fell to the ground.

Rosacer, pointing his Gewehr, held the monster’s leg and dragged it out of the shed.

He has already reverted to his usual appearance—sharp features, black hair, and dark eyes. The classic Rosacer the adventurer look.

Hearing the gunshot, the farmers gathered around, magical scrolls and artifacts laid in their hands. Poppy was widely sold in the Eastern Empire; therefore, the poppy farmers were quite rich and were able to afford artifacts and magical scrolls. Still, it was not enough for them to hire and pay a guard capable of defending them.

Rosacer then threw the body toward the farmers and said, "Rosacer of the Khamosh."

"I have come to exterminate the Nasreen Stinger."

The farmers looked at each other and then roared in screams of joy.

"Adventurer, finally you have come!"

Between them, a rough voice shouted.

"Sir Rosacer, please, this way," the old man said, gesturing for Rosacer to follow him.

Rosacer gave a nod as he followed the old man.

The path was straight, and the lantern carried by a farmer lit the way. The howls and screams of beasts continued in the distance, but neither the farmers nor Rosacer turned toward the forest. Instead, they began to discuss.

"So, what’s the location of the queen?" Rosacer asked, walking behind the old man.

The old man, without turning, kept walking. "Our guess is the northern plains, or the forest before it. We weren’t really able to venture out since a new monster has been roaming around, a black panther. Still, the queen cannot be that far..."

Another farmer, walking beside Rosacer, added, "Nasreen can eat almost anything, but they still chose the poppy fields. We believe this one is still an infant and does not have the better command of the horde that an adult one has."

"Do these have any weakness?" Rosacer asked. He had not really gone through the Bestiary, so he was clueless about the nature of the monster he was about to face.

It reflected on the farmers’ faces. They looked anxiously at each other, then gestured toward the old man.

The old man did not bother to acknowledge the anxious farmers. Instead, he replied to Rosacer, "Nasreen Stingers are venomous, so their bodies are not suited for direct confrontation. If you manage to get close, just burn them with a torch or beat them to death. Their defenses are low. But the problem, as you guessed, is getting closer. For that, you will have to figure it out with your student."

The old man then added, clearing his throat, "Also, there is no antidote, for the monster creates new venom based on the food it consumes... and if you want more payment, we can stretch the payment up to one hundred Ernest coins."

Rosacer maintained his stern face, but inside he was erupting with delight. "Please do so. I will go on the hunt tomorrow morning."

He paused for a second, then added, "Please notify my student too. Tell him to meet me at the northern edge."

The old man shook his head. "Adventurer, you can rest the night at my place..."

Before the old man could complete his sentence, Rosacer shook his head in refusal. Seeing this, the old man gave a nod in return.

Rosacer wanted to try and stay awake the whole night, for Gringha could do anything in his sleep.

With that, Rosacer and the farmers parted ways. He quickly found a place and hid there. Even if Gringha tracked him to this place, it would not be a problem. As long as he was awake, there was no trouble Gringha could create that he could not solve.

Rows of apple trees lined the area, and between them lay a patch of soft moss. He rested there.

And waited. He half expected that Gringha would come to meet him, but fortunately that did not happen. The night slowly passed, and the sun’s rays pierced the surface of the earth within an hour’s notice.

Just as the first rays of sunlight touched the tree line, Rosacer stood up and began to walk, his stride slow and his gaze sharp.

He plucked an apple from one of the trees as he passed by and took a huge bite.

"Juicy!" he exclaimed.

The temperature was still low, and the cold juice flowing down his throat felt unbelievably appetizing.

He ate as he walked.

Soon, the edge was nearing, and the sun’s rays fell directly upon the ground. Rosacer stopped at the boundary as the sunlight reached the earth.

He looked toward the sun for a few seconds, his eyes almost losing focus, then stepped out of the tree line.

He watched as the farmers slowly gathered around him and followed him toward the northern edge. As he walked, some of them chanted his name.

"Hero Rosacer!"

"Hero Rosacer!" a dwarf shouted with a clownish expression on his face, drawing a faint smile from Rosacer.

With the northern edge of the farmland coming into view, Rosacer finally saw Gringha. He looked battered, his clothes slightly wrinkled and torn at the sides.

Beside him stood the old man and a few other farmers, who appeared to be there to bid farewell.

As Rosacer approached the group, he greeted, "Good morning, Chief," he said to the old man.

The old man nodded and replied, "Good morning to you too, Sir Rosacer. Are you prepared for the hunt?" His loose clothes fluttered for a moment as a strong gust of wind blew from the forest.

Rosacer responded with a firm nod. "I am."

He then turned toward Gringha, who seemed preoccupied with thoughts of his own. "You?"

Gringha did not notice the question until the old man touched his shoulder to alert him.

Only then did he look toward Rosacer, who was staring at him. "What?" he replied.

Rosacer did not ask a second time. He turned toward the old man. "Alright, everything is ready. I shall meet you at noon then."

"We will wait for good news..." the old man replied with a bow.

After that, Rosacer turned toward the farmers who had followed him throughout the fields. He gave them a polite smile and a parting gesture, waving his hand before turning toward the forest. Gringha did not wait either and quickly followed behind him.

They walked at different paces, but Gringha remained on his tail at every second. Slowly, they infiltrated the deeper parts of the jungle.

Neither of them spoke a word.

As the duo moved further into the jungle, the silence between them grew heavier and heavier. Soon, one of them had to break it, or it felt as though they would both suffocate under its weight.

Gringha sighed. "Why are you so late? You should have reached the farm the day before."

Rosacer did not reply immediately. He sniffed the air for any strange scent before speaking. "A monster is roaming the grassland plains. I had to wait until it left."

Then he asked a question of his own. "Why are you following me?"

Gringha did not reply.

He stayed quiet for almost an hour before finally speaking. "Why do you have their knives?"

The forest line was slowly clearing. They were entering the open plains. It seemed the Nasreen Stinger was not in the forest and was much farther ahead.

Rosacer replied to Gringha, "I killed one and took his."

Then he added with a small sigh, "But I recently lost it, if you want to fight for it."

Gringha did not seem satisfied with the answer and asked, "Who did you kill?"

Rosacer chose to tell the truth. "Darious Daken."

Hearing the answer, instead of becoming angry or vengeful, Gringha laughed.

Rosacer was confused by Gringha’s sudden change of expression. He turned his head to look at him, his expression asking what was wrong.

Gringha stopped laughing. "Alright, I get it. You stole it from a dead body... there is no shame in that."

"Everybody does that. It gives an ideological power to them."

Then, adjusting himself, he added, "Where did you lose the knife?"

Rosacer’s eyes frowned, but he still muttered, "Mount Hermit."

Gringha nodded to himself and then gestured for Rosacer to continue. They were already at the open field, with a giant circular, throbbing heart meters away from them.

"A Nasreen Queen, still an infant. This should be easy..." Gringha said, then turned toward Rosacer again. "You be the bait. I will torch it."

Rosacer asked, "Do you know fire magic or have any artifact that can create fire?"

Instead of replying, Gringha pulled out his knife, a brown dagger with a curved, crescent moon shape.

Rosacer’s eyes narrowed. He shouted, "You be the bait. I will torch it," and conjured a blight flame in his palm.