I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 107

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[107] Water Sage’s Refuge #3
I had to admit, I was looking forward to this.
‘This is the first time I’ll see this woman hunt properly.’
A Leopard beastkin specialized in combat.
An opportunity to witness the battle of Nia Arje, one of Belheim’s named NPCs, unfold before my eyes.
Honestly, I’m still uncertain about her, but since the status window referred to her as an ‘old comrade,’ perhaps I’ll learn something by moving alongside her.
Radi tilted his head as he examined Nia’s attire before departure.
“But Nia, you’re not bringing any equipment? No matter how I look at it, you seem to be traveling empty-handed….”
Nia carried a large woven basket on her back, but nowhere on her person could I spot anything resembling a weapon.
“Huh? Why would I need a weapon to hunt?”
“Then… what will you hunt with?”
“Just wait and see!”
Nia laughed cheerfully and took the lead.
She navigated through the shadowy Primordial Forest as though it were her own backyard, moving without hesitation.
Even across treacherous terrain, Nia advanced lightly, her breathing never once labored.
Even I had to marvel at her stamina.
Then, without warning, she flattened herself against the ground and gestured urgently.
Radi and I reflexively lowered ourselves just as an enormous creature appeared before us.
｢You have encountered a Primitive Salamander!｣
As the massive salamander passed by, scattering mucus in its wake, Nia whispered with amusement.
“That reptile has poor eyesight—if you stay flat like this, it can’t see you! It hunts by detecting the movement of its prey!”
Nia continued forward a bit more, then suddenly clamped her mouth shut and pointed upward.
Between the branches, a silhouette resembling an enormous cocoon hung suspended.
｢You have sighted a Primitive Moth.｣
Nia crept cautiously around the tree in a wide arc before finally exhaling once we were clear.
“Phew… I thought I’d suffocate! That creature is extremely sensitive to sound! Not just footsteps—even loud breathing will trigger it!”
“You seem very familiar with this Primordial Forest, Nia.”
“Of course! I’m the greatest warrior of our village! And I’m a fearsome Amur Leopard beastkin to boot!”
Nia curled her fingers like claws and let out a fierce growl, drawing a quiet laugh from Radi.
Her behavior was innocent, yet the wild instinct etched into her very body commanded my admiration.
Perhaps this is what inhabitants of the Village Before High-Level Dungeon are like—those who’ve lived there for generations.
Not mere knowledge, but survival instinct carved into flesh and bone.
“So… might you tell us what your intended prey is?”
“Hmm… I won’t target anything too large! Even if I catch it, I won’t be able to carry it. And if it’s too loud, other monsters will swarm us, so I’ll go for something I can take down quickly!”
“That’s quite rational.”
I observed her movements carefully as we walked.
Remarkably, Nia made virtually no sound as she ran.
The distinctive gait of a Leopard—weight shifting fluidly from the ball of her foot, each step deliberate and silent.
Similar to Malton’s elven footwork, yet subtly different in character.
‘Is that something innate? If I could master it, it would be quite useful.’
As we continued forward for some time, this time it was Radi who issued a warning.
“Wait a moment. I smell something unusual ahead. It’s like… mushrooms.”
“Wow, your nose really is incredible! How did you know? This is exactly where the mushrooms thrive!”
As we advanced further, a clearing emerged dimly between the branches, bathed in pale light.
And at its center, mushrooms the size of human torsos wandered about.
「You have discovered Leg Mushrooms!」
「Herbivorous monsters at the bottom of the Primordial Forest’s food chain! When they detect enemies, they flee rapidly on their short legs!」
‘Leg Mushrooms, then…’
They were monsters easy to hunt, lacking any formidable means of attack.
Though they did emit toxic spores, it was not breeding season, so we were safe.
Nia licked her lips and whispered.
“Let’s catch those! They’re absolutely delicious!”
“If we approach, they’ll flee immediately… How should we hunt them, Doran?”
“We’re three strong, so let’s use our numbers for a drive hunt. Can you lure those mushrooms for us, Nia?”
“Of course! Leave it to me!”
With our strategy devised, we dispersed.
Radi set a makeshift trap of spider silk along their escape route, while I camouflaged myself by draping cut moss over my body and waited in position.
Once preparations were complete, Nia revealed herself from the opposite side of the clearing.
As she began to sprint, golden radiance scattered in her wake.
Like a nimble border collie herding sheep, she deftly guided the mushrooms toward a single point.
The moment they reached the target location, the horde of Leg Mushrooms tumbled as their legs caught in the thread trap.
“Now!”
I immediately cast off the moss and rushed forward, cutting short their lives.
A few mushrooms managed to rise and flee, but they fell under Radi’s precise strikes.
Ding!
「You have successfully hunted a group of Leg Mushrooms! You have gained substantial experience!」
「Your level has increased!」
‘This is quite convenient.’
Having a swift-footed party member made drive hunts far easier.
Moreover, the creatures of the Primordial Forest were treated as rare monsters, yielding generous experience.
Nia immediately crouched before the prey and began butchering it.
“The legs are tough—better to discard them! The caps are also dry and tasteless, so we just need to carve out these torsos and take them with us.”
With clumsy knife work, Nia stripped the torsos from the Leg Mushrooms.
Watching the limp mushroom bodies stack neatly in the basket, Radi spoke up.
“Hmm… I’ve been curious all this time how you managed to bring us to the village… Did you carry us like these mushrooms, strapped to your back?”
“Yep! It was so heavy I struggled! I even ran into monsters on the way and it was dangerous!”
“…Thank you once again. In truth, we were complete strangers to you.”
“Well… that’s true, but… for some reason, I just felt like I had to save you. …Why is that, I wonder?”
Nia gazed at Radi and me, tilting her head with innocent curiosity.
「…」
After gathering the Leg Mushrooms, we each filled our baskets to the brim and rose to our feet.
If we returned to the Village like this, our food procurement mission would be complete.
But in the perilous Primordial Forest, unexpected calamities often strike without warning.
Kuguguguguong—!
The earth suddenly trembled beneath us.
At first I thought it was an earthquake, but the vibrations grew steadily closer.
Soon, dark silhouettes came pouring forth from between the Ancient Trees.
“A swarm of Primitive Beetles has appeared!”
“They travel in hordes, pulverizing everything in their path!”
“A direct confrontation is strongly inadvisable!”
Armored war-beasts encased in steel-hard carapaces.
Colossal beetles advanced toward us, obliterating everything in their way.
Engaging creatures of that size and number would be sheer madness.
“Nia! We have to run!!”
Radi and I had already prepared to escape through Shadow Leap.
But Nia’s tail bristled upright, and she set down her basket before lowering her stance.
“Wait, hold on—what are you—!”
Whoosh—!
The moment she kicked off the ground, her form blurred into motion.
Nia streaked across the forest floor, closing the distance to the beetles with blinding speed.
Just before impact, she kicked off the moss and executed a graceful tumble, landing atop the commander beetle’s carapace.
Then she brought her fist down.
Boom!
The beetle struck on its back barely stumbled, its charge unbroken.
But her strength lay not in the devastating power of individual blows.
Patter-patter-patter-patter-patter—!
Nia’s strikes rained upon the beetle’s shell at a speed my eyes could scarcely follow.
An endless barrage flowing like water. Relentless strikes without pause.
A combat style overwhelmingly centered on overwhelming ‘speed’.
If one strike couldn’t break it, then ten would suffice; if ten weren’t enough, then a hundred blows would do.
At some point, the once-impenetrable carapace began to crack with a sharp sound.
Watching in shock, I suddenly snapped back to my senses and shouted.
“Radi! Smoke screen!!”
“Yes!”
Radi hurled a smoke bomb into the air.
A crossbow bolt pierced the glass vial with precision, releasing a thick plume of smoke.
I cast Shadow Leap toward the shadow cast by the smoke obscuring the sunlight.
I materialized and landed atop the beetle where Nia was perched.
“Wh-when did you get here?!”
“Pardon me, but I’ll be taking the finishing blow!”
I drove my sword straight through the beetle’s cracked carapace.
Squelch—!
As the blade bit deeper along the fractures after two or three thrusts, the beetle exhaled its final breath and slid across the ground.
“You have slain the ‘Anomalous’ Primitive Beetle Leader!”
“Antagon’s Rune is absorbing the soul! Once analysis is complete, you will be able to manifest this creature’s carapace ability.”
“With the Leader dead, the beetle swarm loses its focal point and scatters in all directions!”
“Your level has increased!”
I caught my breath, gazing down at the fallen beetle.
‘Was it really this easy…?’
Compared to the grueling days it took to bring down the Primitive Tarantula, this felt almost unbelievably effortless.
It was all thanks to Nia, a born hunter, taking the lead in combat.
I opened my mouth anew, marveling at her battle instincts.
“Thank you, Nia. Because of you—”
But I had to stop mid-sentence.
Nia, who always smiled, had an unusually stern expression on her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“Hold this open for me for a moment.”
Nia cut open the beetle’s abdomen with her dagger, revealing what lay inside.
I furrowed my brow at the sight.
“It’s… empty?”
“There should be organs here, but… there’s nothing.”
Nearly half of the beetle’s interior was hollow.
It was remarkable that it could move at all—like a zombie animated in nothing but a shell.
“…This again.”
“Again?”
“Yeah. Lately, this phenomenon has been appearing more and more among the Primordial Forest’s creatures. Even the Village Elders say they don’t know why.”
“…Could it be related to the Flower Queen?”
“I don’t know…”
Nia furrowed her brow and shook her head, but soon her cheerful expression returned.
“Anyway, let’s take the carapace! This beetle’s shell is light and durable—it has plenty of uses!”
“Good idea.”
We separated the shell from the beetle and divided it among our baskets, then began our journey back.
‘This should be enough to fill the villagers’ affection completely…’
And that wasn’t all. I had even gained the carapace ability of the Primitive Beetle.
Essentially a superior version of both Rapid Crab and Stone Breaker.
As I was grateful for Nia’s blessing-like presence, a subtle marking carved into the Village Entrance caught my eye.
The moment I crossed the perception-blocking barrier, the familiar sight of the village came into view.
‘We’re returning laden with provisions, so the people will be pleased.’
Having spent a week here and grown attached, I felt anticipation swell at the thought of the children greeting us joyfully.
But we soon realized that the village’s atmosphere was far from normal.
“Gather every bandage and medicinal herb we have! Right now!!”
“Bring the Elders here at once!!”
Urgent cries echoed across the town, and I felt the sharp tension hanging in the air.
Sensing something amiss, we dropped our packs and rushed toward the commotion.
Pushing through the crowd gathered in the center of the town, I saw unfamiliar faces.
The herb gatherers who had left the village had returned.
But most of them bore grievous wounds, and some were clinging to the edge of death itself.
“…What happened here?”
A resident beside me turned with a grim expression.
Upon hearing the answer that followed, my breath caught.
“They were attacked by the Flower Queen.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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