Chapter 11
Chapter 11
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: How to Survive as the Second Son of a Magical Noble House
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[Kyieeeek—!]
Boom—!
“Just falls over in one hit?”
Thirty minutes in, and we’d been dealing with the rats right there on the spot with zero issues. It was getting embarrassing to even call this “cleaning up.”
Leo carefully picked up the dead man-eating rat and slipped it into his sack.
The rats swarming up our legs with insane ferocity dropped like flies at a single gesture.
At this point, bagging the corpses was the real hassle.
I scorched the barrier above us, shaking all the rats loose onto the ground, then gave a simple reply.
“You’re just that strong.”
“You think? You fill your sack yet?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s wrap up and head out.”
Leo glanced down at the rats snagged on his boot tips as he spoke.
The rain-soaked mud was littered with palm-sized rat corpses.
He clicked his tongue at the sight.
“I know we have to dispose of them, but this many? Kinda pitiful. If only there were a cure.”
I nodded at his words.
These magical beasts were ordinary animals that had later absorbed mana, developing cores like humans. They were constantly thirsting for more.
There was no cure except periodic infusions of divine power. Even that didn’t fully heal them—it wasn’t a real fix.
‘They are pretty pitiful, in that sense.’
To feel that way while staring down a horde of rats desperate to devour our flesh? Talk about luxury. Normally, you’d be too busy surviving to pity man-eating rats.
That was Leo, though—even in the novel.
I couldn’t recall the exact timing, but he did develop a treatment for magical beasts at some point.
I tied off my full sack and levitated it in the air before speaking.
“Just make one. Why don’t you give it a shot later?”
“Me? Nah, even the adults can’t do it.”
“What?”
I couldn’t help but snort in disbelief.
Thinking back, that part of the story I’d read was pretty far off from now.
Still, knowing what future Leo invented made it hilarious.
I turned to head back to the start point, giving his shoulder a light smack.
“If you won’t, I will. So lend me your family’s lab.”
“Survive first, then talk.”
Our pointless banter carried us back to familiar ground before we knew it.
The warden, who happened to be outside, spotted us and greeted us.
“You finished quick.”
“We’ll leave this and head back in.”
I set the rat-filled sack down in front of the building.
He approached the bulging shape with a puzzled look.
“What the—? Hmm?!”
The warden peeked inside and went speechless.
“Where’d you find this many...? First time I’ve seen so many man-eating rats in one go.”
“That many?”
“Yeah, you’ve practically wiped out the whole population. Usually, even on a good day, it’s just five or six...”
“They must’ve sensed our mana and come out in greater numbers than usual. They’re beasts starving for mana, after all.”
The warden nodded at Leo’s explanation.
“Makes sense. This haul should keep them away for a while. They’ve been sneaking into the villages now and then—real headache. Glad that’s sorted.”
“Happy to help.”
“Oh, and we’ll have to weigh it, but this’ll be at least fifty thousand.”
The warden hefted the sack and gave his estimate.
I nodded. One hour’s work for about five million won in value? You couldn’t find gigs like this anywhere.
‘We went full extermination mode, so...’
Even Leo, raised in a moneyed family with no real sense of scarcity, seemed satisfied enough with the pay-per-hour. Not bad.
Back inside the barrier, Leo shrugged as if surprised and spoke up.
“Didn’t know you could earn a month’s allowance in one hour. Not a bad gig. Thanks for the experience.”
“Yeah. But don’t go thinking you’ll always make this much in an hour.”
“Obviously, I kn— I get it.”
Leo rolled his eyes as he replied.
Like hell he did. Classic rich kid. Good thing he didn’t end up handling imperial finances with the protagonist later.
Catching my utter lack of faith, Leo quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, we ran into some decent ones during the sweep.”
“Yeah.”
Fast and big for rats—tricky for non-mages, but for us wizards, a body barrier kept their teeth at bay. Welcome opponents.
“Fifty thousand for this difficulty? If we stayed till dawn, you could buy two of whatever you want and still have change. And with me here, we’d finish even faster.”
“Yeah. But sounds like you wanna stick around. Figured you’d say let’s grab a few and bounce.”
“We’re here—might as well do it right. They don’t come out voluntarily, so better make the most of it.”
“Whatever you say.”
That’s when I stopped again.
Leo eyed me warily.
“What, smell blood again?”
“Yeah.”
“You’ve got a dog nose. I don’t smell shit.”
“This one’s cleaner. Not mixed with pus like before.”
“...You can tell that much? People’d think you’re Pleroma folk for real...”
Leo shook his head.
I pressed a finger to my lips for silence and crept forward.
The voices stopped, leaving only the rustle of small creatures and wind through leaves.
Pat-pat—
‘Hm?’
In the quiet, something off caught my ear. A vague lump burst from the bushes.
Boom—!
I scowled, dropped my barrier, and leaped back.
“Jeez.”
“What?!”
It wasn’t attacking—just blindly crashed into us.
Confirming no follow-up, I flipped the sprawled brownish lump.
“Rabbit. Not contaminated.”
I splashed it with water to revive it. Dissatisfied with my defense, Leo yelled from behind.
“Hey, at that distance, max out the barrier.”
“Didn’t you say tone it down before?”
“That was about the edges. And this ain’t sparring. Anchor your lower body to the ground for recoil—don’t forget!”
“Lecturing mid-fight?”
I said that, but he was right about what I’d felt casting the spell.
‘Sparring’s not enough—need practical practice.’
Balancing academic duels and lethal magic worked best with real combat time.
Hard to get full effect here with just small fry, but if no real fights later, I’d bash some Pleroma beasts.
‘But...’
Something’s off.
I watched the fleeing rabbit, lost in thought.
Was this place really safe?
It barreled straight at us without checking ahead.
Plus, that other blood scent earlier.
‘Time to bail.’
The barrier here was low-grade—meaning no dangerous beasts.
Contaminated animals would be like those rats or rabbits at worst.
Non-magical beasts weren’t much worry, but no need to meet man-eaters at night.
I eyed the paw prints in the mud and spoke quietly.
“Leo, defenses up. Let’s back off for now.”
“...Was about to say that. Those wolf prints, right?”
Never heard of wolves around here.
But those prints screamed wolf-sized predator.
Leo gripped his wand tighter, ramping up his body barrier.
[Grrooooaaaa....]
Then a guttural howl echoed faintly through the forest.
No herbivore made that sound.
Too late.
I eased backward.
Two red lights streaked in a line.
[Graaaaaargh!]
Boom—!
“Ugh!”
I crouched low, holding my stance.
Way stronger than the rabbit.
Good thing I’d followed Leo’s advice—no backlash bounce.
Instead...
‘Crack in the barrier.’
No normal animal cracks my barrier. That glow earlier? Definitely contaminated.
I rolled my wand into a sword.
I threw up a new barrier skyward, shattering it for light. Our spot brightened briefly.
‘...!’
Insane.
Leo and I both froze at the glimpse before darkness returned.
“...This is...”
Not just a wolf.
A solid horn protruded inside its wolf ears. Bizarre combo left us speechless.
‘Crazy.’
Probably why the barrier cracked so easy. But that wasn’t the shock. That was still semi-plausible.
My eyes went to its legs.
Unlike the long, thick gray fur on its chest, the legs were short, covered in yellow fur.
Not just color—clearly another animal’s legs.
No time to analyze further.
It went berserk sensing our mana.
[Graaaaaaaa—!]
Boom—! Boom—!
I blasted spells to blind it.
Nearby plants thickened, stretching to ensnare it—Leo’s trick from before.
Legs failed, but it snagged the horn.
With mismatched herbivore legs, it lost balance fast.
I swung my wand. Tree behind it snapped backward.
Boom—!
The blast drowned its scream.
I hadn’t held back, and Leo stayed silent for once.
Pale-faced, he wiped splashed blood from his skin, averting his eyes from the corpse.
“...Chimera.”
“Yeah.”
Splicing different animals that crudely to move as one? Impossible naturally.
Only magic made it feasible, but magic doesn’t spontaneously fuse beasts. Human handiwork, plain as day.
“Felt it at the barrier earlier, and your research said this wasn’t dangerous turf. Why the hell...”
I nodded at Leo.
No such thing in the novel when the protagonist came.
Timing difference might tweak beasts, but not something this shady.
“Barrier’s low-grade from the start. Not supposed to spawn killers.”
I confirmed it was dead, knelt, and inspected closely.
“Leo, come look. What’s the base body?”
“Ha...”
Leo sighed like he couldn’t bear to open his eyes, then took position opposite.
“...Head to chest’s wolf. Horn and legs like mountain goat. Wolf’s the base.”
“Yeah, that’s what I think.”
“Why? Who the hell...”
Leo’s face twisted.
I shook my head and stood.
“Later. Game’s just starting.”
“What?”
“Even chimeras follow base instincts. Remember those prints?”
“......”
Leo’s face hardened as he got it.
The carnivore prints—smaller than a hand, not this wolf’s.
Leo muttered.
“...Goat legs wouldn’t leave wolf prints.”
“Right. They hunt in packs like wolves.”
“How many per pack usually?”
“Dunno. Lucky? Under ten.”
I regripped my wand.
Alien mana waves prickled my skin. Closing in.
[Grrrrk....]
No calling for backup now.
Turn tail, and they’d chase rabidly, front or back be damned. Mana-starved wizards? Prime targets.
Even if we shook them, they’d hit villages—mass casualties.
‘Barrier’s there—worth a shot?’
No. Barriers aid, not guarantee.
Rats hitting villages proved it.
I spun my wand in a circle.
A red spear materialized.
“We take them all out before dawn, right?”