NOVEL WEB Chapter 21
“Your Weak Poison Resistance (F) has reached maximum proficiency. Weak Poison Resistance (F) Lv.2 → Weak Poison Resistance (F) Lv.3!”
Well, I thought it would be nice if it happened, but it really did level up… Thanks to the heavy metals, my skills were leveling up nicely in this place, and these rats were quite decent experience points.
“You have reached maximum experience points. Lv.14 → Lv.15!”
“Your Hunger (E) Lv.6 has reached maximum proficiency. Hunger (E) Lv.6 → Hunger (E) Lv.7!”
So, I finally reached level 15.
One of the biggest advantages was that it was safe. I’ve been living the high-risk, high-return life lately, but there’s nothing better than low risk… no risk, high return.
Unless it was a Worg, these rats were utterly helpless against me for reasons of type disadvantage. No matter how many there were, they were just weak spots without any real threat. With Hardening, their attacks were utterly useless. Plus, since they’re monsters, I still gain experience. About 10 to 20 per rat? Not a lot, but there were an absurd number of them. And considering how fullness from bad food translates into experience?
No need to search like in Jirisan. I continued my merry hunting alongside the endless swarm of rats and my rising poison resistance. As I walked through the sewers, my eyesight was adjusting to the darkness.
As the hunting repeated, the rats seemed to learn something and started to flee. But, having been used to sensing and hunting since my Slime days, running away only bought them time. Moreover, it was a straight path, so escape was futile.
Slowly, something underfoot indicated that it wouldn’t be long now.
“Your Weak Vision (E) Lv.4 has reached maximum proficiency. Weak Vision (E) Lv.4 → Weak Vision (E) Lv.5!”
“You have acquired the Suggestion (F) Lv.1 skill!”
Suggestion. I felt it was a bit late, but hey, it’s a free skill, so I’ll take it. Even though it’s F-rank, skill is skill, and my dark-adjusted eyes became more accustomed, making hunting easier.
“Your Weak Poison Resistance (F) Lv.3 has reached maximum proficiency. Weak Poison Resistance (F) Lv.3 → Weak Poison Resistance (F) Lv.4!”
***
“What? Come back?”
“This is more urgent than that!”
“Wait a second! Are you saying chasing a single wolf is more urgent than all these damn rats?”
Taking a sarcastic tone, the team leader replied nonchalantly.
“Yeah.”
“Hey! I’ve been running around for months, and suddenly this? Are you crazy?”
“It’s the clan leader’s order. If you have a problem, take it up with them.”
“Damn. Are your threats increasing day by day?”
“Haven’t you had enough of swearing? You do know I’m your superior?”
Through the receiver, the sound of teeth grinding could be heard.
“I’m going! Going! You sneaky bastard!”
“When will you come?”
“How far do I have to go?”
“The faster, the better. At the latest, tomorrow?”
“Hey! Then why ask?”
“Just out of courtesy?”
A while passed in curses over the phone. The team leader chuckled at the swearing.
“Incompetent bastards. All this fuss over just one wolf.”
“Sorry. But it’ll be a bit tough without you.”
“…Is that so?”
It felt like the person on the other end was feeling uneasy.
“Is it really there?”
“Definitely. And I suspect it has evolved.”
“Evolved? Give me a break… Hey! Just hang up. I’ll call back later!”
The hurried call ended, and the team leader furrowed his brow for a moment.
“What’s the rush…?”
Soon, the team leader rested his chin on his hand while reading some documents.
“Department change request.”
***
Confirmed signs with my senses. It wasn’t just a rat, but something much larger. I took a deep breath at the gathered cues.
Sensing the continued signs beneath my feet.
“Grrrr―”
Abandoning the form of a Worg, I spread my body wide and surrounded the sewer like a filter. I advanced, leaving no gap. Of course, the rats were too busy retreating, soon cornered.
It was a wall blocked by bars, and the small-bodied rats could escape through the gaps.
Of course, I could do the same. Being able to change form at will made it easy to slip through the narrow space.
It should be around here…
Having slipped through the gap in the wall, I used my tentacles to lift the ceiling. At first, it felt like I could only scratch or tickle, but now I could actually lift it. I was overwhelmed with growth.
Anyway, as I lifted it, I found a hole. No, not a hole, but a passage.
No wonder it didn’t get detected. This very ceiling was the route down to the underground. It might sound odd to have a path going underground at the ceiling, but given the sewer is where water flows, it was unavoidable.
Climbing to the ceiling revealed a narrow space where an adult could crawl through. Of course, it too was teeming with rats.
[Teeth Rat]
[Body Length 44.5cm] [Height 7.8cm] [Weight 960g]
[Strength 21] [Agility 26] [Stamina 19]
A Teeth Rat resembling a nutria. It was surprising such a creature lurked in the sewer. If this fact were known, wouldn’t it become a B-level horror movie citing real events?
Still, it’s just experience points. While devouring every rat along the way, I discovered a way down. More like a hole, it looked almost like a slide. Whoosh! After sliding down for about 4 seconds, I finally made it underground.
There, just like above, were rats everywhere, and I was starting to get sick of their numbers. Who would expect such a space to exist below the sewer?
“Sizzling! Sizzling?”
Upon seeing me, the rats panicked and tried to escape, but regardless of that, the outcome would not change.
“Your Weak Hearing (F) Lv.9 has reached maximum proficiency. Weak Hearing (F) Lv.9 → Weak Hearing (F) Lv.10!”
“Your Weak Hearing (F) Lv.10 has reached maximum level. Weak Hearing (F) Lv.10 → Weak Hearing (E) Lv.1!”
Finally, my Weak Hearing leveled up to E-rank. Thanks to that, I could now hear even the most annoying sounds. Especially underground, sounds echoed, making it quite a torture. Eventually, I decided to temporarily deactivate my hearing.
Not long after, the way was blocked by flooding sewer water. Water dripping from the ceiling had accumulated over time, forming a deep trench. It was almost a gigantic trench about 10m wide, but thanks to my swimming and diving skills honed back in Susaigol, it wasn’t difficult.
I remembered that in the novel, this trench had caused quite a bit of trouble. Of course, it was because it was filled with murky water.
[Contaminated Piranha]
[Body Length 15.3cm] [Height 5.6cm] [Weight 340g]
[Strength 24] [Agility 21] [Stamina 25]
This piranha dwelled here. In reality, piranhas aren’t that threatening without movie-style exaggeration, but this guy looked like it jumped straight out of a film. Sharp teeth and monstrous ferocity as it attempted to devour me, the intruder.
But that was it. With Hardening, I could become as tough as steel, so even this monster with a strength of 24 had no chance of penetrating with just that. Even without Hardening, all damage reduction and weak regeneration were enough to withstand it. Unless it just stood still and let me kill it.
Both the rats and piranhas offered similar experience points. My Swimming and Diving levels delightfully rose from 4 to 5. Although I still had a ways to go to level 16, it really felt nice to hunt comfortably for a change.
With that, I effortlessly devoured the piranhas and climbed over the trench. Now it was really close. The long sewer’s end was in sight. I was within 100m of the Rat Man.
The creature seemed to be aware of my coming, constantly glancing around uneasily. A couple of antiquated incandescent bulbs illuminated a figure resembling a person draped in a robe sticking to the ceiling.
That was the Rat Man. The thrill of finally meeting a character from the novel was short-lived as I furrowed my brow at its hideous appearance. Put simply, it looked just like a rat standing on two legs? Quite strange.
Unlike the simple description in the novel, it was… disgusting.
[Lord of the Sewers (Rat Man)]
[Body Length 1.61m] [Height 45.7cm] [Weight 28.9kg]
[Strength 67] [Agility 104] [Stamina 97] [Magic Power 115]
Upon stealthily assessing it, I found it surprisingly weak compared to what I perceived as a similar level. It stood upright but measured 1.6m in body length rather than height, which was curious. It made a few squeaking sounds, fiddling with an occult necklace around its neck.
“Sizzle? What is it, squeak?!”
It spoke. I had known it could talk, but hearing it did strike me as fascinating. Though its voice sounded like metal scraping together. It glared at me and threw a flask off the desk at me. I confirmed it with stealth, and boom! It hit me dead on.
“Sizzle! Sizzle!”
I laughed for a moment, but it quickly shut up. Showing my teeth in threat caused it to gulp and step back.
[Neurotoxin Flask: A poison mixture containing various chemicals including acetylcholine]
The neurotoxin had no effect on me. Thanks to that, my poison resistance rose to level 5, so I was thankful. Realizing its poison wouldn’t work, it looked around nervously, obviously debating if there was a way to escape.
‘This is a great place to raise my poison resistance.’
“Hiss, hiss?!
“Your Threat (F) Lv.5 has reached maximum proficiency. Threat (F) Lv.5 → Threat (F) Lv.6!”
The boiling sound echoed in the underground, sending shivers down my spine. The Rat Man raised a filthy dagger covered in muck, looking surprisingly frightened yet choosing to confront rather than flee. It pointed the visually alarming dagger that seemed capable of causing tetanus or allergies right at me.
…Not that I cared.
I could foresee several disasters I could prevent now, but the reason I came to the sewer was due to the type advantage. The monsters here couldn’t possibly defeat me no matter how desperately they tried. More accurately, they couldn’t kill me. Poison would be utterly useless against me.
Soon, it lunged at me. But with its agility lesser than mine and my keen perception and intuition, it was more challenging for me to be hit. I dodged to the side and lunged from behind. The Rat Man found itself flat on the ground, squeaking in alarm. It threw another flask from its arms. I avoided it again.
Gurgle…
The stone floor bubbled. Acid would still affect me, but as long as I didn’t get hit, it wouldn’t matter.
“Quick Sizzle!”
Did it notice my retreat? It discarded all the neurotoxin flasks hanging from its belt and started throwing only acid flasks. But it was easier to dodge than eating rice cakes left and right. In a panic, it even used its magic, but it was slow as molasses. The monstrous wolf was much quicker.
As the flasks fell from its waist, it laid flat on the floor, seemingly resigned.
‘Ah…’
That explained its body length of 1.6m instead of height. It wasn’t a biped, but a quadruped beast. It was merely mimicking a human, but not human.
Its agility was fitting of three-digit numbers, allowing it to leap about here and there. Its movements shifted dramatically compared to earlier. It utilized its agile movements to bounce off the walls. I was briefly caught off guard by its limberness that used both floor and walls. Its claw tips began to gleam.
That glimmer was its magic. Although it lacked in strength with just 115, it was indeed magic.
If nothing else, getting hit by its magic was dangerous. It initially seemed furious, throwing attacks the best it could, but none hit me. At some point, it summoned rats to fight alongside, but I ignored them and relentlessly targeted the Rat Man, causing it to lose vigor and start fleeing.
“Sizzle!”
It was a confusing movement, but it was slow. To be honest, I could’ve finished it long ago, but I dragged it out just to see. After all, it was my first encounter with a character from the novel, so I just wanted to gauge my current strength against Rat Man.
Rat Man served as an excellent gauge. I’d use this to plan my next actions.
Having confirmed so much, it was time to approach using skills like Charge and Dash.
“SQUEAK?!
I subdued it in an instant.
Most of the magic it had was used to maintain its summoned beasts. While I devoured the summoned beasts, the magic didn’t return to it.
Without magic, it was just a beast. There was no reason for me to struggle. I pinned the beast down with my claws.
“SIZZLE! SQUEAK! SQUEAK!”
As it screamed, its jaw trembled.
“SQUEAK! S-SAVE ME! SQUEAK!”
Its tail smacked me in the face. No matter how hard it tried, it only tickled.
“Your grace possesses the Predation skill! Such strength! You must have some intellect, even if you can’t speak! Let’s barter!”
“……”
“If you spare me, I’ll dedicate this sewer as your feeding ground!”
‘That’s a bit tempting.’
This could become my personal fish farm? Considering the reproductive rate of the rats, it was quite a valid proposal. Just by periodically dropping by, it would significantly aid in my leveling up. Sensing my interest, it bore a crooked smile, convinced we could communicate.
…It indeed seemed like a nice idea.
“Well, what about this? If you’ve eaten what I just consumed, it’ll be back in a month! If you spare me…!”
It showed it could do business. The rats this Rat Man periodically summoned would surely be an effective source of experience points and a considerable aid to growth. It meant becoming the owner of a farm creating valuable experience points, surpassing any golden goose.
“SQUEAK! You seem to understand…?”
That was its last wish in this world.
“You’ve consumed the Rat Man. Experience points and fullness have increased!”
“Your fullness has reached maximum. Experience points are being converted into fullness!”
“Experiences have reached maximum. Lv.15 → Lv.16!”
‘There will be no compromise.’
Even though the farm idea was tempting, thinking about what it might do later, I needed to ensure it was dead here. Furthermore, there was no guarantee it would keep its promise.
Its treachery. And knowing the horrid experiments it carried out made it utterly untrustworthy. I knew the truth, but the Rat Man didn’t realize I was aware.
From the start, it was never going to be a deal-maker for me. The sewer king fell defenseless in a manner so trivial. But the job wasn’t done yet. I picked up the key hanging from its waist.
Better to tidy things up effectively.
By killing it, I halted a calamity about to break out in Busan. While I couldn’t claim to have eaten all the rats in this expansive sewer, without its controlling owner, they would be unable to trigger calamity between themselves.
Plus, I’d clean up the leftovers anyway.
On my way back, I thoroughly planned to wipe out every trace of the Rat Man, ensuring not a single rat was detected by my senses.
Click-click― click.
Inserting the key into the doorknob, I turned it. And what lay beyond was a gruesome sight. Just think about how it would have controlled so many monsters.
Sighing, I looked at the heaps of meat extending to either side of me.
Chimera experiments. Chimera does exist in reality. Originally, it was merely a mix of a white rat and a black rat, but the problem is that this is a fictional world, not modern Earth.
It was both a monster and an excellent alchemist. Leveraging its ability, it bred creatures like Curse Rats and Grit Rats from a pair of chimera. And right in front of me, the culmination of its twisted experiments awaited.
Something curled up behind dark iron bars. The incandescent bulb hanging from the ceiling illuminated it.
‘…Just as I feared, it’s still here.’
My hopes that it would be absent were dashed; after all, this was set two years before the novel’s start. But that hope was crushed mercilessly.
[Dungeon Beast (Chimera Beast)]
[Body Length 2.47M] [Height 56cm] [Weight 169kg]
[Strength 265] [Agility 82] [Stamina 244]
A multitude of eyeballs embedded throughout its body spun and monitored me.
“……”
Yeah, I know. I know well that only one living creature in this world has such clear white sclera.