Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Episode 008 (3)
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It was an egg with a milky sheen and a shell that looked sturdy at a glance.
This was the egg from the mine centipede undergoing spirit beast transformation deep in the caverns.
In other words—
'Does that mean the hatchling inside might have inherited some of the spirit beast's traits?'
Of course, just because it inherited blood from a monster in the midst of spirit beast transformation didn't guarantee it had received that spiritual essence as well.
After all, the vixen's mother had been an ordinary fox, not a spirit beast—and the opposite could just as easily be true.
'But—…'
At the very least, the possibility was high.
Kuhn gazed down at the egg in his hand, lost in thought.
Plus, unlike taming a fully grown spirit beast, subjugating a newborn hatchling was said to be far easier by comparison.
'So, there must be a way to subjugate the egg of a spirit beast before it even hatches….'
If things went according to plan, he might just claim the second wonder of the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade.
With that, drawing on the lingering underworld memories in his mind, he let a few drops of blood fall onto the eggshell.
Kuhn quietly pocketed the egg he'd been holding.
Smoothly—.
Even if what hatched turned out to be an ordinary mine centipede hatchling instead of a spirit beast, it didn't matter.
'I'll deal with that when the time comes.'
His thoughts on the mine centipede egg ended there.
Turning his head, he now took in the massive corpse of the giant mine centipede sprawled across the cavern floor.
It was so enormous that its body alone seemed to fill the entire cavern, creating an illusion of complete occupation.
In truth, it took up about a third of the vast space.
A trophy of that size would more than suffice for the second exam's requirement, even if he carved off just a portion to submit a month from now.
'Roughly 7 meters long, by the look of it.'
If needed, he was fully prepared to reveal the location of the carcass.
Not only was there a blood metal vein here, but mine centipede shells were a prized material for crafting various pieces of equipment.
Besides—grrr rumble—.
Ever since earlier, the power of Monstrous Strength and Chaotic Spirits had been raging toward the corpse like a starving beast, growling hungrily.
As if sensing hunger from the magic beast's remains. It was a starkly different reaction from when he'd first encountered the fox kit.
He still didn't know the source of this difference—….
'About twenty days left, time-wise?'
Until then, he could leisurely absorb the creature's fluids and lingering evil energy from the corpse to bolster his aura reserves.
'But first….'
Catching a whiff of the foul stench rising from his body, Kuhn shook his head with a grimace.
Acidic fluids clung stickily to his skin, and his training garb was riddled with holes where the acid had eaten through.
Shaking his head, Kuhn let out a soft sigh and muttered in a low voice.
"First things first—I need to wash up and find a change of clothes."
Just as he said.
'Even with a body immune to poison, this is too much.'
No one, not even him, could stay comfortable drenched and reeking like this.
'…Ugh.'
Wrinkling his nose at the stench wafting from himself, Kuhn headed toward the cavern's exit.
For now, he'd search for a stream or river to clean off.
3.
Exactly twenty days later.
The tail end of a lingering winter was finally drawing to a close. The senior instructor of Cave Three slowly turned his head.
Flanking him were the senior instructors from Caves Four and Two, lined up in formation like an impenetrable blockade.
It was as if they'd sealed off the only pass out of the Jigal Mountains.
At the same time, a band of pale white light began spreading along the eastern horizon.
Confirming this, the Cave Four senior instructor nudged the one from Cave Three and spoke up.
"Just about time."
"Mm."
Exactly as he said.
The second exam ended right after dawn broke until sunset. The trainees should be emerging from the Jigal Mountains any moment now.
The ones still inside the range were likely witnessing a similar morning scene.
—Rustle rustle.
About fifteen minutes later, signs of movement echoed from within the mountains.
The first presence to emerge.
Pushing through the dense foliage came a trainee in Lion’s Den training garb.
"I-I'm back."
His voice sounded utterly exhausted, but his face didn't show signs of any great ordeal.
Naturally, the hunted prey he set down wasn't anything impressive either.
'A sulfur rat?'
Sulfur rat.
True to its name, it was a rat-like monster that fed on other animals' corpses or sulfur.
Having ingested large amounts of sulfur, it could emit a sulfurous stench, and sometimes even poisonous fumes or flames laced with that aura.
Though calling them "poisonous fumes" or "flames" was generous—they were barely enough to obscure a predator's vision.
In essence, a magic beast at the absolute bottom of the Jigal Mountains' food chain.
That was the sulfur rat.
'Aggressive temperament and sharp claws, but small size and weak flames make it an easy hunt.'
No need to check further to gauge the skill of someone submitting one as their trophy.
'He's barely survived this far, nothing more. Bottom tier among the trainees, for sure.'
To the senior instructors, he wasn't even worth remembering by name or face. That was his standing.
'Though you could tell just from him being the first back.'
After all, anyone who'd ventured deep into the mountains couldn't possibly return this quickly.
'Didn't even go inside—just hunkered down on the outskirts waiting for the exam to end?'
'Makes sense, since sulfur rats only inhabit the mountain fringes….'
'To think a coward like that was still in Lion’s Den.'
That was the instructors' assessment of the first trainee to exit the mountains.
As if sensing their gazes, the trainee's shoulders visibly shrank as he set down his prey.
He knew full well that sticking to the outskirts wouldn't earn him any praise.
But even knowing that, he hadn't mustered the courage to venture deeper.
And he wasn't the only one.
Sulfur rats, plant-type monsters from the foothills, vine moths, and the like.
Seeing more trainees submit such paltry trophies, the regular instructors clicked their tongues in displeasure.
Some even squeezed their eyes shut.
'—Tch, not one or two, but over ten of them.'
'Forget skill—guys obsessed with playing it safe. Do we have to babysit them separately?'
The regular instructors rarely showed emotion over such things.
But their discontent stemmed from a simple reason.
Lion’s Den had been running for nearly three years now, and they were the instructors in charge.
They bore the responsibility of forging the next generation for the Northern Overlord Jordic Family!
Yet a good chunk of the trainees from Caves Three and Four under their watch were showing such feeble resolve—….
'Not impressed.'
They just weren't voicing it outright.
The two senior instructors felt the same dissatisfaction with the current state.
'Mm.'
Their expressions finally softened once trainees who'd reached the mid-mountains or even the heart returned.
"Hm, copper ants. Soldier caste, huh? Social creatures, yet he managed to snag a soldier."
"That one's a blood silk spider. By the size, about seven or eight years old? Not full-grown, but still a tough catch."
Ants and spiders as huge as grown men.
But what truly captured the instructors' attention were the trophies from the Silver siblings and Taylor Rosetta.
"That one's—!!"
"…A sword-tooth red tiger?"
The Silver siblings' prey was none other than a sword-tooth red tiger.
Unlike the common variety, it had red fur and could unleash flames far fiercer than any sulfur rat's—a saber-toothed tiger variant.
This rare subspecies, rumored to lurk somewhere in the Jigal Mountains, was a magic beast that even Lion’s Den regular instructors had to handle cautiously.
And yet, even as a pair—
"Never thought they'd bag a sword-tooth red tiger."
"As expected of Silver family blood."
Not on par with vassal clans, but still a solid house.
The twins' boasting in front of Kuhn the day before hadn't been empty talk; some instructors nodded, murmuring the family's name.
Next came Taylor Rosetta's trophy.
"That's a giant black mamba."
"A constrictor monster snake strong enough to snap an elephant's leg in one squeeze—!!"
Equally astonishing, either way.
True to the rumors of their talent, the regular instructors whispered in awe.
That's when one, noting the encroaching dusk, approached the seniors.
"They've all probably come down by now, right? Sun's almost set…."
Cave Three's senior instructor slowly shook his head at his subordinate's words.
"No. Not yet."
"……?"
The sky held just a sliver of sunset. Less than three minutes till full dark.
So what did "not yet" mean?
As the puzzled regular instructor glanced between the two seniors—
One senior's lips twitched upward as he started to speak.
No, tried to.
"Here…!!"
Whoosh—!
A strange ripple in the forest's gloom, like the darkness itself surging. The two seniors froze mid-exchange of glances.
'What the hell was that just now…!!'
Step, step.
"…Sorry I'm a bit late."
Cleaving through the shadows, Kuhn emerged from the woods and thudded something enormous onto the ground.
Thump—.
It looked heavy even at a glance.
A creature's head carapace, no less.
'Shape says mine centipede? But that size…?'
'Did he hunt a mutant specimen!?'