I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 30

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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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[030] Gathering Intelligence
The foundation of tracking is information gathering.
To successfully hunt a target, I must understand not only its appearance but also its habits and movement patterns, then prepare accordingly.
But Radi and I hit a wall from the very start.
The moment we began our inquiries, the merchants turned decidedly uncooperative.
“A monster attacking people every night, you say? What good would that information do you?”
“Gathering intelligence for monster hunting? How predictable.”
“You’ll sweet-talk your way to a commission fee, then vanish without a trace, won’t you? Do you think I haven’t seen con artists like you before?! Get lost!!”
｢The street vendor hurls his wares in a furious rage!｣
｢The merchants’ distrust has reached its peak! Like an angry swarm of hornets whose nest has been disturbed, they refuse to speak with you any further.｣
“Damn it…!”
Why was this happening?
Radi and I fled down the street with our heads in our hands, bewildered.
We’d only asked about the creature’s appearance, yet their wariness had crossed into outright hostility.
This was clearly….
“It seems there were adventurers before us who took money under the pretense of slaying the beast, then disappeared without a trace…?”
“That must be it… And judging by how unsettled the people are, it wasn’t just one or two of them.”
“Damn… I need more information to hunt this monster….”
To hunt a beast in this sprawling city, I absolutely needed intelligence, but with the merchants’ lips sealed shut, normal inquiry was impossible.
“Hell… if Malton were here, this would be so much easier… that guy’s charisma is no joke.”
“True… is there any other clever approach we could try?”
“I’m not sure… I’m still thinking it through….”
Worn down by the continued hostility, Radi and I sat on the street, staring blankly at passersby.
But as we huddled together, racking our brains, I noticed a small gray form wriggling beneath a vendor’s stall.
Furrowing my brow, I looked closer—a rat was rummaging through a trash bin.
In that instant, a brilliant idea struck me like lightning.
“That’s it! The rat!!”
“Huh? Me…?!”
“No, the rat over there! I just thought of a perfect way to deceive the merchants.”
After all, there’s an old saying: the birds hear what you say by day, and the rats hear what you say by night.
As I grinned wickedly, Radi caught on and flinched, then grabbed my collar and whispered accusingly.
“Are you serious…? You’re not actually suggesting we transform into monsters to eavesdrop, are you…? If anyone discovers we’ve turned into monsters, we’ll all be branded heretics and…!”
“Didn’t we agree to be in this together?”
“Well, yes, but….”
Radi grimaced and groaned, then finally released my collar after a moment of internal struggle.
“…What do you need me to do?”
“Nothing much—just keep watch for me.”
Radi and I slipped into an abandoned tent nearby.
‘So there should definitely be something in my transformation list….’
“…Found it.”
[Lesser Rat]
｢A large rat-shaped low-tier monster!｣
｢It lacks sharp fangs and possesses no particularly outstanding physical abilities! Should you disguise yourself as this creature, you might be caught and devoured by wild dogs, meeting a pathetic end!｣
｢Unless there’s a compelling reason, I don’t recommend transforming into this monster!｣
A creature I had hunted while crossing the Grassland when I first met Malton.
“Keep watching the outside carefully.”
I left Radi peering cautiously beyond the Tent and devoted myself to the [Disguise] skill.
As I closed my eyes and focused my mind, the world’s cacophony faded, and my senses gradually settled.
‘What did the Lesser Rat look like again?’
About the size of a quokka or guinea pig. Squat overall, and befitting the name “degraded monster rat,” decidedly diminutive.
‘What about its inner nature?’
A life at the very bottom of the monster ecosystem, perpetually fraught with threat.
A desperate, gnawing hunger to scavenge crumbs and breed, no matter how sordidly one must slink through the gutters.
The moment I grasped the essence of the Lesser Rat, an incantation surfaced in my mind.
“Squeak squeak, bread crumbs! Cheese! Garbage! Plague! Squeak squeak!”
As I chanted this somewhat childish spell befitting the monster’s intellect, crack―! My bones twisted and my body began to warp.
My spine curved, my limbs rapidly shortened, and fluffy gray fur sprouted across my skin.
When the transformation finally ceased, I squeezed out from beneath the scattered clothes and stood awkwardly on my hind legs.
‘What a strange sensation….’
With my viewpoint so much lower, I found myself looking up at everything.
My vision was poor too, making the entire world feel hazy and distorted like a dusty action camera.
A deeply unpleasant sensation, as if I might retch.
But soon, a different sensation emerged.
─Sniff sniff!
As the Tent fluttered in the wind, a torrent of scents rushed in.
The smells felt vivid and exotic, like colored mist.
｢You have disguised yourself as a [Lesser Rat]!｣
｢Your concealment is excellent, but it would be wise to avoid combat!｣
｢Some humans will feel revulsion upon seeing you and avoid you.｣
｢’Radi’ is in a state of agitation! Agility increases by 2.｣
When I lifted my head, Radi was staring down at me with wide eyes.
“E-even seeing it again, it’s amazing… To transform into a monster so instantaneously….”
─Squeak!
As if it were nothing, I flicked my long whiskers with my front paws and emerged from the Tent.
Everything I had known suddenly became enormous and unfamiliar.
Signs and billboards loomed everywhere as if to devour me, and I felt like a toy soldier exploring the land of giants.
‘I need to take a route where people can’t see me… squeak!’
I began moving while concealed in the Drainage Ditch.
The sensation was precarious, as if I might be crushed beneath a passerby’s foot.
Finally reaching the Street Market I had aimed for while dodging the terrifying leather boots, I felt the frenzied energy of the place.
The sound of a cleaver chopping through crimson meat, bread, and the aroma of spices.
‘Tsk…! This is better than any buffet!’
I picked up a large chunk of cheese that had fallen on the ground and settled behind a sign, where fortunately the merchants were gossiping about the monster in question.
“Did you hear? Another monster appeared last night… This time it got the Gnome Fence over there. It emerges from the shadows and tears everything apart in an instant before vanishing—it’s like a ghost.”
“It’s so cunning that it avoids all the traps. Those overconfident Adventurer brats just pocket the commission fees and come back in a panic without accomplishing anything… Damn it, what are those Knight Order bastards even doing…!”
“Shh, keep it down. If this keeps up, we’ll lose what few customers we have left and starve to death.”
─Tsk…!
‘It attacks by leaping from the shadows…? Could it be that monster I know about?’
That doesn’t make sense. That particular creature is so rare that an ordinary person would be lucky to see it once in a lifetime.
Skeptical, I climbed the rope and eavesdropped on the merchants’ conversation from above their heads.
But the testimonies I gathered from various people all pointed to the same target consistently.
A sleek, leopard-like build, jet-black spotted fur, unpredictable movements, ambushes through shadows….
Like puzzle pieces, all the clues fit together perfectly.
‘Damn… if that’s the case, things get more complicated….’
While I was pondering this and tearing into a bagel a customer had left behind, a scream suddenly pierced the air.
“Kyaaaaaaah!!”
｢A customer eating at the Street Stall looks up at you in shock!｣
｢Rodents are objects of hatred for Street Stall merchants! Flee!｣
｢Agility increases by 2!｣
‘Damn, I’ve been spotted…!’
The Shop Owner immediately tried to swing a club at me, but I used my wits and bit through the rope that was holding the sign in place.
The wooden board fell and struck the Shop Owner on the head, sending him sprawling.
Another merchant wearing a baker’s hat rushed at me, but I nimbly landed on a flour sack and tore it open with my claws.
As white powder scattered like a smoke bomb had detonated, the Marketplace instantly descended into chaos.
A trash bin got knocked over in the process and some mysterious broth splashed on me, but what did it matter.
‘Actually, this works out perfectly.’
“Cough, cough! Catch that damn rat!!”
─Tsk!
The nearby merchants rushed at me in unison, but I dove deeper into the crowd instead.
As I darted between legs, people erupted in screams everywhere, panicking and stumbling to avoid the filthy rat.
While evading the merchants closing in from all sides with murderous intent, I spotted a flowing lace skirt fluttering through the air, and mischief sparked in my mind.
─Tsk!
I leaped straight into the Noblewoman’s skirts.
“Kyaaaaaaah!! A, a monster…! A furry beast got inside my dress!!”
“Aaaaah!! Something’s crawling under my clothes!!”
I quickly moved to another victim and playfully bit her chest, causing an Adventurer to shriek and create an even bigger commotion.
As people screamed and the chaos escalated, the Bards exchanged glances with each other, then simultaneously began playing fast-paced melodies on their instruments.
Someone swung a club in panic and hit the person next to them, who retaliated with a punch, and the fighting spread uncontrollably.
─Clang clang!!
In the midst of it all, a hunting dog that someone had released barked sharply and charged at me, but─.
—Squeak… squeak squeak!
I snatched the skewered meat from the Adventurer’s hand and hurled it far away, then immediately changed targets and vanished beyond the alley.
After effortlessly evading the chaos-stricken crowd, I leisurely returned to the Tent, where Radi stared at me with bewildered eyes.
“I heard a terrible commotion from the Marketplace just now—surely that wasn’t you…? And you seem more muscular than when you left. Must be my imagination…?”
—…Squeak!
｢The Marketplace has been engulfed in tremendous chaos! It is an Achievement so magnificent that it defies belief that a single small rat could accomplish it!｣
｢Strength increases by 10!｣
｢Agility increases by 8!｣
｢Luck increases by 5!｣
｢Intellect increases by 2…!｣
‘So this is how a gym-rat feels!’
After savoring the lingering sensation, I dissolved the transformation and returned to human form. My sense of smell dulled as if my nose were congested, and I felt my perspective shift upward.
I let out a sharp cry, covering my eyes as I accepted my robe from Radi and spoke.
“I’ve identified the monster’s true nature.”
“Please give me some warning before you transform again!! …You’ve identified the monster?”
“Yes. I’ll explain later—for now, we need to leave this place. We have to prepare before sunset.”
“…Understood. But first, come here for a moment.”
Radi brushed flour from my hair, then followed without complaint.
* * *
｢Night is approaching.｣
｢Prepare for monster attacks!｣
As dusk began to settle, in an Isolated Field far removed from the Shop Street.
While I busily stacked firewood in the hearth before the rented Tent, anticipating the monster’s movements, Radi finally spoke.
“So… I did as you asked, but what kind of monster is it that requires all this preparation?”
“It’s a monster called the Night Stalker.”
“Night Stalker…? I’ve never heard of it.”
Radi tilted her head quizzically, but I merely shrugged indifferently.
‘Of course you haven’t.’
The Night Stalker is an agile and cunning jaguar-type monster.
It’s treated as a quasi-legendary creature—an extraordinarily rare monster.
Even across my ten years playing Belheim, I’ve witnessed it only a handful of times.
Unless you glimpse a taxidermied specimen in a noble’s treasure vault or happen upon one being raised as a god’s pet, you’ll never encounter this monster.
I don’t know why such a creature prowls this area, but given its rarity, I understand why merchants couldn’t identify it despite numerous sightings.
“A monster that rare… Are you sure you’re not confusing it with something else? A leopard, perhaps…?”
“Among what I overheard from merchants, there was testimony that it burst from shadows to attack and then vanished. In this vicinity, there’s no other monster with such abilities.”
“Shadow-based teleportation… that’s an incredibly troublesome ability. But how do we defeat a monster that appears and disappears so mysteriously?”
“Fortunately, it can’t use its ability without shadows. So if we fill the entire area with light, we can seal off its power.”
“Ah, that’s why you’ve set up kerosene lanterns all around the Clearing.”
“Exactly. I’ll eliminate every place it can hide.”
The Night Stalker, being an extraordinarily rare monster, yields quite substantial loot when defeated.
If I could only peel off an intact hide, I could pocket a fortune in a single stroke.
“But… how do we lure it here? While it’s likely to come this way, there’s no guarantee it will stop at this particular tent among so many….”
“I’ve already accounted for that.”
As it happened, I had just the item for this moment.
‘Never thought I’d use this here.’
[Heart of Naga]
｢An item obtained by extracting the heart of a Naga that dwells in rivers and preserving it through embalming.｣
｢Nagas lure and devour monsters using their unique mana and scent! If used properly, you can summon a large number of monsters!｣
The moment Bon Radi saw the contents of the container, he let out an exclamation.
“This… this is a Naga’s heart! Where on earth did you obtain something so precious…!”
“When I met Malton before, we were attacked by the Bandit Gang. I acquired this from them at that time.”
No matter how cunning a creature might be, as long as it’s a monster, it cannot resist the urge to attack.
“With this, we can certainly lure it here. …Then I’ll go check the traps we set up in the distance one last time.”
“Go ahead.”
While Bon Radi was away, I returned to the tent and made a shallow cut on my finger with my dagger.
As I dripped blood onto a piece of the heart I’d removed from the container, a notification appeared.
｢Activating the mesmerizing power contained within [Heart of Naga]!｣
｢The enchanted creature will catch your scent and track you down!｣
Now I just had to wait for the monster to come to me of its own accord.
But at that very moment, the candle burning inside the tent suddenly went out with a whoosh.
‘What was that? The wind?’
Tilting my head in confusion, I moved toward the candlestick to relight it when a chill ran through my entire body.
The flame hadn’t simply been extinguished—the middle section of the candlestick had been cleanly severed as if cut by a blade.
“It’s already here!!”
I drew my sword and spun around, only to meet a pair of golden eyes gleaming from the darkness.
And in that instant, I couldn’t help but be taken aback.
Because those eyes held a cold intelligence that shouldn’t have been there.
｢You have encountered the Ultra Rare Monster [Night Stalker]!!｣
｢An extraordinarily rare creature! Beholding its beautiful tiger-striped pattern permanently increases your Insight by 1.｣
｢A monster so difficult to encounter even once in a lifetime! Among nobility, it is called a symbol of fortune, but to adventurers, it is nothing short of a nightmare!｣
｢Traces of domestication remain.｣
｢Good luck.｣
‘Wait… something feels off…?’
The moment I sensed something amiss, it lunged at me with blinding speed.

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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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