NOVEL WEB Chapter 42: Nylon County
Earthstar has experienced a strange phenomenon, connecting with multiple alternate spaces filled with peculiar energies, leading to terrifying mutations in the planet's flora, fauna, and even microorganisms. These mutated creatures are now known as monsters.
When these monsters are contracted by humans, they become known as beast companions, with their human masters referred to as Beastmasters. The bond between the two is so strong that Beastmasters can sense the intense thoughts of their companions.
Now, with Kent having released his beast companion, everyone assumes he acted out of a belief that his beast would return, a naïve move that would likely be ridiculed in the news back in Microglow City. If Kent truly believed this, he would become the laughingstock of the city.
Despite the harsh mockery from Leng Zimu and the others, Kent has no intention of explaining himself. The more they laugh, the more satisfying it will be to slap their faces later. However, he won't let them have the last word and decides to fight back.
Kent points to the ground and says, "Wukong, with Garfield gone, you're the one who'll stay with me now."
With a flicker, a diamond-grade monkey, Wukong, appears, its eyes gleaming with intelligence and a hint of golden light. Although only level 10, Wukong's innate quality as a golden-tier beast makes it stand out, causing many to take notice, their eyes wide with surprise.
"Another golden-tier beast, and at level 10 no less! It's so rare to have a beast like this," they mutter, green with envy. Even Mr. Eight God, their instructor, can't hide his irritation at the sight.
Leng Zimu, seething with jealousy, lets out a cold snort and falls silent. Zhao Zhi's gaze hardens as he watches Kent, filled with a murderous intent.
"Why does someone so foolish get so lucky?" Zhao Zhi thinks to himself. "Two golden-tier beasts? Even if he released one, this one seems stronger than the last."
Despite his resentment, Zhao Zhi remembers their bet. Wukong is only level 10—there's no way it can surpass his or Leng Zimu's beasts and reach level 30 in time for the bet. If Kent can't pay the two million-dollar wager, he'll have to serve Zhao Zhi.
He chuckles to himself, confident that the bet is in his favor.
As dawn breaks, the group enjoys breakfast before continuing their journey to Nylon County, just a few miles away.
Before Earthstar's strange event, the planet was much like Earth. Earthstar was the third-largest country in the world by area, with over twenty provinces, each with cities, counties, towns, and villages.
The name Nylon County has been passed down from old maps, and it still refers to a small county with a modestly sized city. The trial they are undertaking is known as the Secret Realm Trial, and it involves an alternate space connected to Nylon County. This alternate space is small, with a mountain that resembles a bull's horn and is over ten thousand meters high. The space is home to over twenty types of native creatures, with the strongest being snow cows that feed on snow.
However, due to its proximity to Microglow City, this alternate space has already been cleared by the Beastmasters from there and claimed as a strategic outpost. Despite this, there are still numerous native creatures inside, though they are not too powerful, making it a safe location for lower-level beastmasters to undergo trials.
As they approach Nylon County, Kent and the others spot a partially destroyed city in the distance. It is now little more than a ruin, with little value left to uncover.
The city, often referred to as the "Steel Forest," is akin to a forest in its complexity. The more intricate the environment, the greater the hidden dangers. While large monsters have likely been cleared, small monsters still lurk in the ruins.
Among the creatures that might be found are flesh-eating ants, black death mantises, red-blooded cockroaches, numerous venomous snakes, deadly spiders, and savage civet cats.
Saint Stone High's students form a long line, walking cautiously along a barely discernible asphalt road into the county.
Kent scans the surroundings curiously and quickly notices numerous dangerous smaller monsters. For example, he sees a human-faced spider the size of a basin and a bright red scorpion, about the size of a small car, whose pincers are strong enough to flip large concrete slabs with ease.
"Everyone be careful," Mr. Eight God warns. "Although we have many people, we still might provoke an attack. These monsters may not be very destructive, but their killing power is not to be underestimated."
Just as he finishes speaking, a massive, filthy caterpillar-like creature suddenly emerges from beneath a large stone slab. Its body stretches and contracts like an archway, and although its movements seem awkward, it is surprisingly fast.
Mr. Eight God's face darkens. His beast companion, a short-tailed stingray, swiftly pounces and slams its front limbs into the caterpillar, crushing its fragile body. Yellow-green liquid bursts from its insides, and black smoke rises as it releases toxic fumes.
Everyone instinctively moves away from the creature as the toxic fumes spread.
Kent, taken aback by the extreme behavior of Earthstar's creatures, silently marvels at how out of control the mutations on this planet have become.
Fortunately, this particular caterpillar lacks vitality and soon falls, unable to rise again, although it continues to hiss at the group, its mouth still open in defiance.
After dealing with the caterpillar, everyone moves their beasts to the sides of the road, staying alert to prevent any further ambushes.
On the way, they encounter another unpleasant monster: a dung beetle, which happens to be a level 30 boss-tier monster. Its body is covered in a tough, chitinous shell, and it is as large as a mammoth. The beetle is pushing a dung ball, a grotesque mass of mixed excrement from various monsters, and it seems oblivious to the human presence.
The stench from the dung ball hits them from over a hundred meters away, causing several of the wealthy students to pull out long-range weapons and start attacking.
Leng Zimu, his face twisted in disgust, pulls out a mortar, his muscles tense as he fires without hesitation.
Even Zhao Mengxi, with her brow furrowed in distaste, readies a small missile launcher and adjusts the angle, preparing to fire it from Kent's shoulder.
Clearly, this dung beetle is universally disliked. Ironically, it has no ill intentions towards humans; it simply wants to roll its dung ball through the group. But that doesn't stop the group from venting their disgust.