Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Chapter 213

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Chapter 213 – Isla Wilderness

The one-day “Old Man Obstruction Operation”—or “Skill Collection,” as it was called—was successfully completed. Next up was the D-rank hunting ground, Isla Wilderness.

Early in the morning, I looked out over the hunting ground, which offered a better view than the Waro Hills, and nodded in approval.

(There are so many of them! After all, it’s best when the hunting ground is empty.)

There are three types of monsters in this area:

The Bayprizard is a large lizard, about two meters long, with a brown body that blends into the ground.

The Hide Scorpion looks like a gray rock and often burrows underground.

The Poison Cloud suddenly envelops itself in a blue-purple gas when approached.

Incidentally, all three types are poisonous.

I bought one antidote as insurance, but considering the hunting ground rank, I probably won’t need it.

They have sharp claws with poison sacs, thick skin that can be used for various purposes, and hard shells with poisonous tails. It seems that some of their materials could sell for high prices if brought back.

Considering the exchange rate, though, I guess I’ll just stick with magic stones.

Having made that decision, I impaled the Hide Scorpion from above as it moved.

It didn’t respond to the Call to Assembly, and it didn’t look like the type of monster that would respond to it.

So, I decided to take my time.

This was a normal hunting ground where I had to work hard to take down my prey. However, there was something that bothered me:

Rather, it was the mysterious warnings that only appeared in the Isla Wilderness.

If used properly, something might happen. But would it work? More importantly, would I get anything out of it?

I’ll try various things first.

I ran around the deserted wilderness.

About an hour later…

I defeated all the monsters, glancing at the status screen and organizing the skill information in my head.

The results were roughly as follows:

Bayprizard:

Poison Resistance: The level is unknown, but it’s probably around level 4—the same as the Poison Mouse in Rocky Plains—or maybe level 5.

Claw Technique: The level is definitely 2.

Hide Scorpion:

Hardening: It’s probably level 3, based on the amount of experience points gained.

Poison Cloud:

Vaporization: Level 5 confirmed; extremely hot.

Poison Mist: Level 2 confirmed.

I identified these skills by hunting about ten of each.

There might be other skills that I haven’t identified yet, but I’ve already acquired them either way.

Since these skills are so low-level that I couldn’t notice them from the experience points gained, it’s pointless to wonder what else they might have.

What’s more important are the confirmed skills that will definitely give me the appropriate amount of experience points.

First is the Claw Technique. This was quite unexpected.

I learned about it through an announcement, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn’t find it anywhere.

Why? When I scrolled all the way down, I found it in the “Other” category.

I imagined monks and martial artists fighting with clawed gloves, but…

Apparently, in this world, claws are exclusive to monsters.

It’s still white text, though, so I can use it. I’m just not sure if it’s connected to Martial Arts.

If I equip clawed gloves or gauntlets and fight, I might become a unique fighter.

Also, I’m excited about the high-level skill Vaporization, which I haven’t seen before.

Both Poison Mist and Vaporization are monster-exclusive, which is a bit disappointing but understandable given the skill names.

If I’ve made it this far, I might as well give up on being human.

As expected of a D-rank monster, its magic stones sell for a decent price. Poison Resistance and Vaporization are perfect for boosting bonus stats.

If all goes well, I might reach level 8.

(Yeah, I should stick with the Isla Wilderness.)

After making that decision, I moved on to the next problem.

“If you cause a Poison Cloud, you are responsible for defeating it.”

Then,

“A Poison Cloud can grow larger. If you spot one, don’t approach it; wait for it to shrink.”

As I read this warning in the reference book, I wondered if it was possible to intentionally make the cloud larger.

I regretted not staying to ask the Tanuki lady about it before starting the experiment.

▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽

Poison Cloud is a mysterious monster unlike any I’ve ever seen before.

In fact, I wasn’t even sure if it was a monster.

Its body is a magic stone that rolls around on the ground.

I know this doesn’t make much sense, but when you get close enough, the stone emits a purple mist. This mist is different from magic power; it has a more poisonous color.

I’m not sure if the stone generates the mist, but either way, the mist clings to it.

Of course, it’s just a visible mist, so it doesn’t have eyes, a mouth, or anything like that.

If you get even closer, the mist suddenly attacks, spreading out to about three to four meters.

This is probably the Poison Mist skill.

The mist chases you within a certain range, so it definitely has a will of its own—unlike a trap.

However, it’s just mist with no physical form, so swinging a sword at it is pointless. Destroying the magic stone, its core, will dispel the mist and result in death.

Therefore, Poison Cloud has a unique conversion method.

According to the reference book, the exchange value is determined by the weight of the collected magic stones, assuming they are in the form of shattered fragments.

I understand that broken magic stones have value because they can power magic tools, such as the light.

However, if the stones are crushed into powder, they become difficult to recover, making this monster more challenging to deal with than the other two types.

If such a monster appears, that is, if it becomes shrouded in mist, make sure to defeat it properly.

Otherwise, it will grow larger and become dangerous.

Once it grows large, though, wait for it to shrink again.

I ponder the meaning of this puzzle-like warning as I move my hands and feet.

I can sort of imagine why it grows if left alone, but I don’t quite understand why it shrinks if you wait.

(Hmm, I’ll just try awakening a few and leaving them alone for now.)

I can’t do something this dangerous in a dangerous hunting ground. However, in a D-rank hunting ground, where I have some leeway, it’s quicker to try it out than to think about it.

I turn a few Poison Clouds into mist, step back to observe, and continue hunting other monsters. Nothing changes, though.

The Poison Clouds don’t move from their spots—or rather, they can’t move, so they just float there. Wait, what?

When I looked away for a moment, the Poison Clouds I had awakened had disappeared.

Could the magic stone’s power have been completely consumed?

I approached again and saw that the magic stone, which I was certain had been activated earlier, was once again shrouded in mist.

It seems this is not the answer to the mystery.

In that case, the only remaining possibility is the elapsed time.

I didn’t expect it to disappear without growing larger, but now that I know why it shrank, I’ll try to make it grow next time.

It’s easy to test, though.

When the Poison Cloud turns into mist, I throw the magic stone from a Poison Cloud that I knocked down on the spot.

Then, the fragments of the thrown magic stone melt away, and the mist grows slightly larger.

Yes, this is as expected.

Next, I threw in a magic stone from either a lizard or a scorpion—I’m not sure which.

(Hmm, it’s identifying them.)

I thought it would work, but there was no reaction.

This proves that it only eats Poison Cloud magic stones.

Then, there’s only one thing to do.

I fed the fragments of magic stones to the Poison Cloud in front of me and watched its reaction.

Fortunately, the fragments were likely to fall out of the special basket, so I transferred them to a leather bag.

I grabbed a handful of fragments and tossed them one by one while watching the main body change. The color—or rather, the density—of the mist slightly darkened, and the central magic stone was clearly larger than before.

Several times, it swelled further without me feeding it more magic stones. If there happened to be another Poison Cloud within the mist’s range, it was likely being absorbed and growing larger.

This must be how the Poison Cloud naturally grows.

If it shrinks over time, eating it would be a waste.

For now, I’ll just consider it a life experience.

Since I know it’s weaker than me, I try to inhale the poison mist lightly.

Then—

(Fugoooo!? My eyes and nose!)

This isn’t the kind that kills you.

I knew that, but the intense, stinging sensation was like consuming a large amount of wasabi.

Since I’m already in this situation, I charge in with teary eyes and slash the enlarged magic stone with my sword.

As the mist quickly clears, I check the numbers on the status screen.

(Hmm, that’s a shame.)

At this size, the experience points and skill experience points gained are the same as usual.

But what if I level it up more and Vaporization reaches skill level six or seven?

The mist it produces isn’t deadly like the Kazura Blood Poison I encountered before. If necessary, there are techniques to destroy the magic stone from outside the mist’s range.

Plus, judging by the large number of magic stones dropped after defeating it, there doesn’t seem to be any downside to feeding it. It’s definitely worth a try!

With that in mind, I couldn’t help but smirk at the idea of a backdoor strategy and began preparing for the “Poison Cloud, Maybe It Can Upgrade” operation.

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