NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 79: Tide of Carrion Rats
Carrion Rats surged out of the tunnels like a frenzied tide of death, their sharp claws skittering across the stone as they raced toward Alex with terrifying speed.
Though small, these creatures were vicious, their erratic movements creating a chaotic mass of teeth and matted fur. Beady, red-glowing eyes surged forward, completely surrounding and engulfing him within moments.
"Damn it!" Alex hissed as he assessed the dire situation. "Is this cave their lair? I thought the Adventurer's Guild wiped them out when they sent a party to Opal Village earlier."
The thought of these creatures not being fully exterminated gnawed at him, stirring unsettling concerns and leaving some questions unanswered. But now wasn't the time for speculation.
Alex raised his hand and cast
Their sharp teeth and claws scratched helplessly against the barrier, unable to penetrate the shield he had erected. The rats screeched and hissed in frustration, their numbers swelling by the second. Dozens—no, hundreds—poured out from the labyrinthine passages, completely surrounding him in a frenzied onslaught.
"Gotta clear these things out fast." Alex muttered to himself, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for his next move. The rats were numerous, but they were still low-level monsters. The real danger lurked ahead, concealed in the darkness with its glowing red eyes fixed intently on him.
As Alex moved deeper into the cave, the oppressive presence of poison mist thinned out. Although it was still inadvisable to light a fire here, he realized he was better off using a controlled form of magical fire—one that could be extinguished quickly if necessary.
"
Alex skillfully controlled the flow of mana to the spell, eliminating any chance of an explosion or other unforeseen dangers.
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[The Host has killed a F rank Monster] X113
[+3390 XP and +113 SP]
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The system notification finally stopped buzzing, signaling that all the Carrion Rats had been wiped out.
Just as he thought the threat was over and was about to catch his breath, something leaped through the torrent of black flames. A sharp, pointed object struck him without warning, forcing him to stumble backward.
His moment of carelessness had resulted in a small, gaping wound in his stomach. Fortunately, he had dodged just in time to prevent it from piercing deeper, but it was still more than a mere flesh wound.
In that single attack, 25% of his health dropped, and a new system notification flashed, revealing just how much worse the situation had become.
[Warning: You have been struck by a poisonous object. A lethal toxin is now coursing through your bloodstream.]
[Warning: Health will deplete at a rate of 1 HP/min until the poison is neutralized.]
"Ahh!" Alex gasped, his voice strained as a sharp, burning pain radiated from the wound in his abdomen.
Instinctively, his hand flew to the gash, fingers trembling as they pressed against the torn fabric of his high durability shirt. A hot, stinging sensation pulsed through the wound, and he could feel the poison spreading beneath his skin, a sickening warmth creeping through his veins.
His vision blurred momentarily, the cave around him warping as dizziness set in. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he gritted his teeth, struggling to steady himself. Each breath felt labored, his chest tightening with the relentless onset of the toxin.
The pain wasn't just localized; it coursed deeper within him, gnawing at his strength and resolve.
But he refused to give in. Gritting his teeth, Alex steeled his nerves. He knew that if he allowed the poison to take hold, this battle would be over before it even began.
Fighting through the pain, his fingers trembling, he retrieved a small vial from his system inventory. Without hesitation, he uncorked it and downed the bitter liquid in one gulp, grimacing as the acrid taste burned his throat.
Almost immediately, the effects kicked in. The burning sensation in his veins began to cool, and the fog clouding his mind lifted just enough for him to focus.
His vision sharpened, and the dizziness faded, though the wound in his abdomen still throbbed painfully. He wasn't fully recovered, but it was enough.
'System, activate Berserker skill!' He commanded, blocking another incoming attack with his sword. Sparks flew as the two objects collided.
Finally, the creature that had attacked him came into view—a huge, formidable monster the size of a large adult wolf, yet strikingly similar to a Carrion Rat.
It boasted the same matted dark fur and beady red eyes, along with a sleek, long, cylindrical tail. Its most striking feature was the sharp, poisonous blade protruding from its forehead.
Now in Berserker mode, Alex felt none of the pain or lethargy that had plagued him moments before. Energized and filled with vitality, he launched himself at the vicious-looking monster with ferocity.
Instead of delivering a single fatal blow, he skillfully inflicted varying sword wounds across the beast's body. Though the creature was dangerous, agile, and aggressive in its attacks, it struggled to land a hit on him.
The blade protruding from its forehead launched devastating strikes at Alex, easily fending off his sword with sharp clashes that created sparks and resonating sounds.
Finally, after torturing it enough, Alex decided to end the encounter. "
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[The Host has killed a D rank Monster]
[+300 XP and +20 SP]
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After vanquishing the unknown monster, Alex finally took a moment to rest, gulping down another health recovery potion.
The earlier potion he had consumed was an Anti-Poison potion, capable of neutralizing most effects of any poison—provided the person was still alive.
The Anti-Poison potion had been the most expensive elixir he had ever purchased. Initially skeptical about its price, he ultimately found it to be well worth every last coin.
While the Berserker skill had offset any debuffs and increased his pain tolerance, it also enhanced all his physical stats, which had proven to be a bit of overkill for this unknown creature. In his fit of rage, he had toyed with it instead of delivering a single lethal blow.
"Let's not dwell on that for now." he muttered. "What I'm really curious about is what kind of monster that was—and where is the Territory Boss?" He said this while examining its corpse.
The creature resembled a Carrion Rat but was far more ferocious and larger. Its protruding blade could easily rival his Black Iron Sword in both strength and sharpness.
While considering all the possible scenarios, he moved on to collecting the F-rank monster cores from the Carrion Rats he had just slain.
There were far too many of them, making the task tedious, but he refused to let go of the profits from his hard work.