บท 87: The Fool's Wisdom
Alex flipped through the brittle pages of the notebooks with a grim determination, each turn pulling him deeper into a chilling narrative.
The jagged handwriting reflected a chaotic, almost desperate mind. At first, the contents seemed like a jumble of diagrams, formulas, and erratic notes, but the overarching theme quickly became horrifyingly clear.
"Monster enhancement experiments…?" Alex muttered under his breath, his brows knitting tighter as he pieced together the story.
The notebooks chronicled a series of grotesque and unethical experiments. Creatures were captured, dissected, and injected with chemicals derived from rare plants, monsters, and other illegal substances. These weren't haphazard tests; they were calculated efforts to create living weapons—monsters deadlier, faster, and more controllable than nature intended.
Among the stack of notebooks, one stood out: a journal dedicated entirely to experiments involving Carrion Rats. Alex opened it, his pulse quickening as he skimmed through its contents.
"Carrion Rats are ideal for this stage of experimentation. Their natural resistance to toxins makes them resilient hosts for the serum. By injecting them with concentrated poison and altering their horn structure to evolve into a metal blade, I have successfully created the prototype: the Poison Blade Rat King." the entry read.
Alex's stomach churned as memories of his near-fatal encounter with the Mutated Carrion Rat and its venomous brood flashed vividly in his mind. He continued reading, his face growing darker with every line.
The journal described further advancements: the creation of the Poison Blade Rat Queen, a monstrous counterpart to the King and designed to be an unstoppable breeding machine.
"Initial results are promising. The Queen's offspring exhibit traits far beyond ordinary evolution. I must secure a location conducive to their growth and mass production."
The cave Alex had stumbled upon wasn't a random den—it was a laboratory and breeding ground for a horrifying army. The researcher had transformed the rats into grotesque tools of war, the twisted fruits of his mad ambition.
But the story took an even darker turn. The experiments had been too successful. The Poison Blade Rat King and Queen, along with their enhanced offspring, had begun to exhibit defiant and uncontrollable behaviors as they matured.
The final entries in the journal were scrawled in a frenzied, almost illegible script:
"Containment is failing. The Queen has become too strong to subdue. They have turned on me…"
The page ended abruptly, smeared with ink, claw marks, and dried blood, leaving the researcher's fate grimly evident.
Alex closed the journal with a shudder, his hand trembling slightly. 'So that's what that cave was… A breeding ground for an army of enhanced monsters.'
To summarize, it became painfully clear that someone had been attempting to create an army of frenzied, enhanced monsters capable of devastating an entire city. Carrion Rats, with their natural resilience to toxins, were chosen as ideal test subjects for this horrific project.
The experiment had been disturbingly successful. To refine and mass-produce their abominations, the perpetrator needed a hidden, secluded location where their creations could thrive undisturbed. Poison Mist Forest, with its poisonous environment and its isolation, was the perfect breeding ground for such monstrosities.
However, the owner of the notebook had grossly underestimated their creations. Their hubris had led to their downfall, the abominations they had crafted ultimately turning against them.
"If I connect the dots, the timeline for their growth was unnaturally fast." Alex murmured, closing the notebook and leaning back against his seat. His breath was uneven as the weight of the discovery settled in. "In just a few months, they multiplied into enough plague a entire village."
His thoughts churned as he considered the implications. 'The journal and other evidence suggest this person was working alone. But… I can't believe it's that simple. The ominous ring I found earlier, the scale of this operation, the resources it would've required—it feels like there's a much larger organization behind this.'
"What kind of group funds something like this?" Alex muttered aloud, his voice tinged with both frustration and unease. His mind raced with questions. 'Who was this researcher? Were they acting alone, or were they part of a larger organization?'
"Ignorance is bliss." It was a phrase Alex often remembered from his previous world—a simple truth that those unaware of a problem were free from the burden of worrying about it.
And right now, Alex was determined to keep his life as blissful—and as far from danger—as possible.
He had already made up his mind to hand everything over to the Adventurer's Guild. Sure, the Shadow Robe was tempting. Its abilities were undeniable, and Alex couldn't deny the allure of keeping it for himself. But his greed for survival outweighed his greed for it.
"If I hand everything over as is, no one will suspect me." Alex reasoned, his tone practical as he paced. "Just a lucky adventurer solving Opal Village's problem and stumbling on this stuff. No strings, no suspicions, no trail leading back to me."
The thought was comforting. If the shady organization connected to these items ever came looking, the trail wouldn't point back to him. As far as the world would know, he was just an oblivious E-rank adventurer with no clue about the bigger picture.
"A smart person with too much knowledge dies early." Alex muttered to himself, the edge of a smirk tugging at his lips. 'The fool? He gets to live a lot longer.'
Even as the weight of his decision settled in, Alex's steps felt lighter. This wasn't cowardice; this was strategy.
Alex had no desire to play hero or meddle in affairs far beyond his reach. It was about knowing when to step back and let someone else deal with the mess.
He paused, glancing toward the faint crimson glow of the cursed ring still tucked in his inventory. "The Adventurer's Guild can handle this nightmare." he declared firmly. "They've got the resources, the manpower, and the expertise. Let them figure out what to do with all of it."
Alex exhaled, his gaze turning toward the horizon. There was no glory in courting death, and no shame in walking away from it. For now, survival was enough.
◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆
Arriving back at Lunar City, Alex wasted no time heading to the Adventurer's Guild. His first priority was to report the completion of his quest and rid himself of the "burdens".
At the reception desk, he was greeted by a courteous but somewhat tired-looking receptionist who handed him a tablet-like device. "Please write a report detailing your findings and the events of your quest." she instructed politely.
Alex complied, meticulously documenting everything—obviously hiding a few things. He kept his description vague enough to avoid drawing suspicion to himself but detailed enough to fulfill his obligations.
Once Alex finalized and submitted his report, he waited as the staff at the Adventurer's Guild processed the details. The receptionist verified the attached letter from the old village chief of Opal Village, confirming the authenticity.
After a brief pause, she handed Alex over the rewards with a smile. "Your quest has been officially marked as completed. Here are your rewards for the successful completion."
He was then directed to another counter where he could hand over the items he had brought back. Placing the Shadow Robe and the cursed ring on the counter, Alex felt a surge of relief. But to his surprise, the receptionist behind the counter gave him an awkward look.
"Sir," she began hesitantly, "there's… an unspoken rule here. You're allowed to keep the items you find during quests, especially when they're considered ownerless. In fact, most adventurers would keep such discoveries or sell them. Are you sure about this?"
Her tone suggested she thought Alex was making an unusual, if not outright foolish, decision. After all, the Shadow Robe and cursed ring were both clearly high-grade artifacts, likely worth a fortune. It wasn't often an adventurer willingly parted with such valuable items.
But Alex, far from tempted, had already made up his mind. "I'm sure." he said firmly. He had no interest in holding onto these ticking time bombs.
"If you can, track down any family, friends, or acquaintances of their original owner." he added. "Let them decide what to do with these. Call it a keepsake, if you want."
The receptionist's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but she stopped herself. What she really wanted to say was, 'These items will just be tagged and tossed into storage, where they'll eventually vanish without a trace.' Instead, she forced a polite smile and nodded.
"As you wish. I'll ensure they're properly processed." she said, taking the items and logging them into the system.
Alex exhaled deeply as he turned away from the counter. He could feel the receptionist's confused gaze on his back, but he didn't care. He'd done what he came to do. Let the Guild deal with the mess.
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