I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 35

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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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[035] The Cerulian Golem and the Sleepy Humming Bird
I focused my mind and recalled the appearance of the Cerulian Golem.
A crystalline body as blue as glacial ice, a skeletal frame as solid as a city wall, a colossal form….
‘The Cerulian Golem was undoubtedly created to repel intruders, wasn’t it?’
What obsession had they harbored across all these ages?
An autonomous golem that awakened whenever a blue star crossed the sky, purifying the land.
A singular resolve to obliterate all creatures bearing soft, warm flesh—the power to devour magic itself and the driving force behind it.
As I fully embraced the Cerulian Golem’s raison d’être and the unwavering conviction they possessed, a luminous incantation blazed through my mind.
“Ancient crystal, awaken beneath the blue starlight and consume magic to crush the invaders!”
As I chanted the spell, a cool radiance flowed from my entire body.
In an instant, blue crystals pierced through my skin and spread across my entire form.
I planted my massive feet upon the ground and gazed out at the cyan-white world.
「You have disguised yourself as a Cerulian Golem!」
「A guardian that has protected Moss Valley since ancient times! All living creatures with hot flesh, blood, and bone are your enemies!」
「Your level is still too low to draw out the Cerulian Golem’s full power! Insight decreases. Agility declines. You cannot jump.」
「As a racial trait, your magic resistance becomes extremely high! Magical sensitivity increases!」
「You can grow by devouring magic!」
—…Hmm!
I moved slowly, surveying my newly acquired form.
When I clenched my fist, I felt a hardness and strength incomparable to callused skin.
—Ah… fortunately, my voice works properly….
Though my voice echoed like a cavern, the fact that communication was possible was welcome news.
When I transformed into a Lesser Rat, my vocal structure only allowed me to produce squeaking sounds.
I picked up the robe draped over my head and handed it to Malton, who stared at me in astonishment.
“This is… isn’t that the Cerulian Golem we fought before! You could transform into a golem too?”
—It became possible after I defeated the boss. This is my first time actually transforming into one, though.
“Huh… transforming into an ancient magical creature is possible too… truly the power of Antagon.”
As Malton marveled and examined my crystalline arm, I turned to look at Radi with a golem-like shrug.
But for some reason, he was staring at me with a peculiar gleam in his eyes.
‘That look is definitely….’
Similar to the expression he had when we saw the exchange amount at the Guild.
“Wait a moment, perhaps… this could be an opportunity to print money infinitely….”
—What?
“Malton, if we cut off Doran’s limbs and sold them, we could make quite a profit, don’t you think? I mean, they’re rare monster materials.”
—Hold on, have you lost your mind, creature? What happens if you transform back into a human and have no limbs?!
“Well, that’s not my concern.”
—…Are you still angry?
“Do you think I would be?”
A chill—!
It seemed the magic-blocking effect couldn’t even suppress killing intent.
I hurried away before Radi could unveil his golem disassembly spectacle.
Boom—! Boom—!
As I ventured deeper into the Forest with each trembling footstep, the verdant canopy grew denser.
On the surface, it was a forest of perfect serenity.
With sunlight filtering generously through the trees, I felt an almost irresistible urge to sprawl out and take an afternoon nap.
‘…Is this languor also a racial trait?’
Now that I thought about it, Cerulian golems spent most of their existence in slumber.
I hadn’t noticed it when facing them as enemies, but perhaps I could exploit this lethargy when hunting similar monsters in the future.
Suppressing the desire to use moss as a blanket and rest, I had walked quite a distance when Radi glanced around and spoke.
“Nothing unusual so far… It’s strange that people were attacked in such a peaceful place….”
“Stay vigilant. Danger always strikes when we lower our guard.”
“Should I tighten my earplugs more?”
—Yes. We’ve come far enough. It should appear soon….
In an instant, a faint melody drifted on the breeze.
A sweet, delicate tune like a hummingbird’s chirp.
The moment my golem body—hungry for magic—felt an instinctive craving, I shouted.
—Cover your ears now!!
「Magic nullified!」
「Magic nullified!」
「Magic nullified….」
Ignoring the relentless notifications flooding the log window, I sharpened every sense.
The culprit was nearby.
As my crystalline body turned instinctively, scanning the surroundings, several suspicious locations emerged as candidates.
An empty Ancient Tree, vine-covered rock crevices, behind a tree stump.
‘Not here either. Then…!’
Creaking upward, I looked to the sky and spotted small silhouettes perched on branches.
Adorable creatures fluttering their wings, singing with soprano elegance.
I tapped Radi’s shoulder, and he followed my gaze, muttering softly.
“Those birds….”
—Can you hit them?
Reading my lips, Radi immediately unleashed a volley from his crossbow.
Whoosh—!
The birds, their chests pierced by bolts, burst apart in a shower of feathers as they plummeted.
Confirming the song had ceased, I approached the scattered corpses and finally identified the monster’s true form with my own eyes.
‘…My prediction was correct after all.’
[Sleepy Humming Bird]
「A small, adorable avian species that enjoys gathering and singing together.」
「Normally harmless, but they transform into cruel tyrants during certain seasons! They have a particular fondness for amphibians as prey!」
A small, plump yellow bird that would make a charming ornament.
The Sleepy Humming Bird primarily inhabits the Deciduous Forest in sparsely populated areas.
Their bodies are fragile as paper, and they possess virtually no offensive power, but during breeding season, they wield a potent humming magic that strips intruders of their consciousness.
Once ensnared, victims become defenseless against attacks from other monsters, and just as they regain their senses, the creatures cast their hypnotic spell anew—making them one of the most infuriating monsters in the dungeon.
Once Malton confirmed our safety, he adjusted his earplugs loosely and spoke.
“This monster… I’ve encountered it before. These creatures knock adventurers unconscious, then feed on the flesh scraps that other monsters tear away to replenish their nutrients.”
“Despite their adorable appearance, they’re quite vicious. But how did you deduce the monster’s identity from just hearing the symptoms, Doran?”
─It’s nothing remarkable.
The fallen people bore no external wounds, so physical trauma wasn’t the cause, and multiple victims collapsing simultaneously couldn’t be explained by anything other than magic.
To my knowledge, there’s only one monster on Layer 1 capable of such an act.
Including the fact that their cute appearance prevents them from being recognized as monsters at all.
Above all, we’re now entering their breeding season—a time when unconscious adventurers and herb gatherers are appearing in droves.
‘But something feels off….’
From what I recall, the Sleepy Humming Bird only nests in locations abundant with food sources.
Yet with adventurers flooding in, there’s no reason for them to build nests here while contending with predators.
Could some anomaly have occurred in the Wetland?
A change significant enough to warrant sacrificing safety and establishing nests in this area….
Ding─!
｢You’ve obtained information about an anomaly in the Wetland!｣
｢It’s extremely rare for Sleepy Humming Birds to nest near predators! This must surely be connected to flooding in the Wetland.｣
｢To ascertain the nature of this anomaly, cross the Wetland by raft.｣
｢Reward: ???｣
‘…What’s the real agenda here?’
On the surface, it seemed like an ordinary Quest, but I sensed something peculiar in the currents.
It felt similar to when I was sent to the Canyon without any prior warning about the Golem.
‘If an incident is occurring in the Wetland at this particular time, there are only a few possibilities….’
Though uneasy, I had no choice but to proceed.
If I failed to reach Layer 2 within the time limit, I wouldn’t be able to participate in the Dungeon Gate Construction, and my progress toward rapidly achieving level 30 would be severely hindered.
As I scratched my jaw in contemplation, Radi wiped the blood from his bolt and spoke.
“Without you, Doran, we would’ve been helpless victims… But what do we do? To resume logging, we need to drive away those birds, yet we can’t eliminate them all on our own….”
─Don’t worry. These creatures gather in one place to lay their eggs, so once we destroy the nest, they’ll scatter on their own.
And the method to find their nest is….
“The singing will grow more intense the closer we get! Their protective instincts will make them sing more desperately as intruders approach the nest!”
─Precisely. Your mind works swiftly, creature.
And I possess the ability to backtrack their magic.
｢Cerulian Golems sustain themselves on magic and starlight!｣
｢They instinctively hunger for sweet mana!｣
I followed the gnawing hunger fluttering in my belly like a butterfly, venturing deeper into the Forest.
Thump, thump─ As I drew closer to the nest, the singing grew increasingly intense.
The once-gentle melody gained strength, and the mana woven into the melody deepened in turn.
The number of Humming Birds noticeably increased, and they circled around my head, thrashing about violently.
｢The Sleepy Humming Bird flock is in great panic! You are the first beings in this Forest against whom their magic proves ineffective!｣
“Strength temporarily increases by 3!”
—Kuhahahaha! How pathetic these creatures are!
Watching the birds thrash about helplessly, I couldn’t help but laugh.
There was no way their fragile beaks could scratch my crystalline body.
The few that managed to slip through the gaps in my joints and became a nuisance—I simply crushed their heads.
Once I ventured deep enough into the Forest, I finally spotted my target in the middle of the Clearing.
—Found it! That’s the root of all this trouble.
“You have discovered the Sleepy Humming Bird’s Nest hidden within the Forest!”
“The Sleepy Humming Bird is a monster that practices communal child-rearing. Destroying the nest will cause them to lose their focal point and naturally abandon the Forest.”
A massive nest piled high with eggs the size of quail eggs.
I smashed all the surrounding Trees to force the birds out, then brushed the feathers and flesh from my head before collapsing with a heavy thud.
—What are you doing, creature? Start a fire already.
“…A fire?”
—Sleepy Humming Bird eggs permanently boost your stats when consumed. Only a tiny amount, but it’s not something to ignore.
“But what if the monsters come back and cast spells on us? You’re seriously suggesting we leisurely cook eggs in the middle of a monster’s lair?”
Radi looked at me reproachfully, but I simply shrugged as if to say, what’s the problem?
Malton had already settled beside me, drooling and rubbing his palms together eagerly.
Radi pressed his forehead and let out a deep sigh before sitting down nearby.
“I hate that I’m getting used to this… I have weapon maintenance oil in my pouch, so let’s use that.”
As Malton poured the oil and eggs into his pot and lit a fire, the appetizing sizzle soon produced perfectly cooked fried eggs.
“But… can you actually eat in that state, Doran?”
—Only one way to find out.
I poured the entire pot of eggs through the gap in my gaping mouth.
If the ancient mages who designed the Cerulean Golem had any sense, they would have implemented even a primitive digestive system.
‘Without taste, the texture is oddly mushy…!’
Ding—!
“Wisdom stat permanently increases by 1!”
“Sleepy Humming Bird eggs are a concentration of magical power! Whether it’s just imagination or not, you feel like you can sing a bit better!”
“Consuming additional eggs will not grant duplicate effects!”
—Ah, it seems to work. You creatures should try some too.
“Then where should we…?”
“I’ll gladly partake.”
After hearing my words, Radi and Malton cautiously tasted the fried eggs and gasped in delight.
“Wow, this is incredibly delicious! The mild yolk pairs perfectly with the oil…!”
“Hmm, this is quite a delicacy… The savory flavor makes it perfect as a drinking snack. …But does it really raise your stats?”
—Of course. Trust me, creature.
‘It’s unfortunate that people in this world can’t directly verify their stat increases…’
Though it’s only a single point of Wisdom, stats compound exponentially the more they accumulate.
Even I, despite being merely level 28, would match early level 40 when combining all the bonuses and Achievements I’ve earned.
If I can properly trigger Chaos, I could instantly leverage my inflated stats to suppress opponents far stronger than me, just like I did with the Night Stalker.
‘If I revealed that I’m a reincarnator, I could lead the party far more efficiently than I do now….’
The thought flashed across my mind for a moment, but I shook my head.
The inhabitants of this world would never accept a foreign stranger—a malevolent spirit no different from a murderer.
“….”
My eyes met Radi’s as she gazed up at me with an inscrutable expression, but I quickly turned away.
While I kept watch over my surroundings in place of Radi and Malton, the log window updated.
｢Radi’s Intelligence has permanently increased by 1! If you raise her Intelligence stat further, you may be able to give wings to her acuity.｣
｢Malton’s Intelligence stat has recovered by 1! The time required for his reduced abilities to return from the curse’s aftereffects has been shortened ever so slightly!｣
｢As bonds between companions deepen, you will be able to access more detailed information!｣
‘Is it because Radi has been officially added as a companion that I can now check the stats she gains?’
While I marveled at the remarkably convenient status window system, I felt a sense of incongruity.
Now that I thought about it, hadn’t this status window refrained from hiding the term “she” until I realized Radi’s gender?
As if it were deliberately trying to trick me….
─…This seems sufficient now. Let’s return to the Campsite.
After we thoroughly burned down the Sleepy Humming Bird’s Nest and extinguished the remaining embers, we left the Forest.
Upon transforming back into human form and returning to the Campsite to report, the Merchants widened their eyes in amazement.
“W-well then. So it was a magic-wielding bird that was the culprit! In that case, we should organize a subjugation force right away….”
“Since we’ve already destroyed the nest, it should have moved on to another Forest by now. All you need to do is resume logging operations.”
“Ah, you’ve already resolved it?!! We organized exploration parties several times before, but they all failed… Then I’ll begin the work immediately! Skilled loggers and carpenters are standing by, so the raft construction should be finished in no time!”
“Then we’ll be waiting.”
“Ah, but there’s one piece of news I should inform Doran about.”
The Merchant caught my departing steps with a concerned voice.
When I urged him to continue with a glance, he spoke in an awkward tone.
“Actually… before Doran, there were Adventurers who attempted to cross the Lake by renting rafts… and some of them have gone missing.”
“You mean they disappeared in the middle of the Wetland?”
“Yes, it’s possible they simply made a mistake handling the raft or docked at a different landing… but I hope it’s just my needless worry.”
A shadow seemed to fall across the thick mist hovering over the Lake.

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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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