Chapter 23: What Happens In The Dark.

The jungle of Ranemal was so vast, to the point that no one had been able to fully explore it. This was not only due to the immense area that the jungle-covered, but as one went deeper and deeper into the jungle, the monsters would become stronger and stronger.

The main reason for this was because the concentration of Rehi was much greater in the center of the jungle than in the surrounding areas. This large accumulation of Rehi made the central areas of the jungle the perfect environment for high-grade resources to form naturally.

This vast concentration of energy and resources was what allowed the jungle monsters to grow and develop. But it also caused fierce competition for territory.

Thus the high-ranking monsters ended up occupying the central areas where the concentration of Rehi and high-grade resources were most abundant. While the weaker monsters that were unable to compete for resources tended to be displaced from the central areas and ended up occupying the outer areas of the jungle.

It was therefore normal that in the peripheral areas of the jungle where the monsters were weaker, a being such as the horned basilisk was the Alpha predator of the territory. 

However, the fact that a creature of such a level was killed could only mean that a monster equal to or even stronger than the basilisk had appeared nearby.

"What do you mean you don't have a clue?! You seriously don't know any creature that can kill a horned basilisk?!" 

"I didn't say that Astor. Look, I've hunted monsters most of my life, so I know a few creatures that would be capable of slaying a horned basilisk of this size. But none of those creatures leave wounds like these."

"Wounds, what wounds?" asked Astor as he scratched his head. 

To the naked eye the large snake only had a huge jagged gash where its core had been located, but other than that single gash, the creature had no other wounds.

"I'm not talking about the external wounds, but the internal ones. The horned basilisk's skin is incredibly tough and its regenerative ability is a real pain in the ass. Even I would need an enchanted weapon of at least medium tier to deal with it. But whatever killed this bastard over here managed to ignore his defense and killed it by damaging its vital organs."

"What?!... You're telling me... it killed it from the inside? "Astor was truly dumbfounded. 

The horned basilisk was a very powerful creature that thanks to its magical abilities was ranked as the strongest among monsters of the same rank. For something to be able to murder him like that, it would at least have to be a monster with the ability to destroy a town on its own.

"Sh*t!... If a monster like that is on the loose in the area it's sure to cause trouble... What do you suggest we do?"

"Hmm" Hans thought for a few moments in silence before answering.

"Hum. Let's keep this under wraps for the time being. I don't want people panicking about an unknown threat. Also, have them double the number of night patrols. Tomorrow I'll summon the other clans and the governor to an emergency meeting to resolve this."

"Very well... What are we supposed to do with the basilisk corpse?"

"For the time being, I'll take it to the syndicate warehouses to be butchered. Tomorrow I might have some clues after the autopsy and hopefully, we can figure out what we're dealing with. I'll let you know when everything is ready."

Astor nodded and once everything was settled he took his leave as Hans and his group entered the city along with the corpse of the colossal creature.

"Tch, I can't get a moment's peace... Huh?! Where did that guy go?!"Astor looked around but was unable to find the strange hooded man he had been interrogating only moments before.

Astor asked the other guards in the city if they had seen him, but they had all been so focused on the corpse of the colossal creature that they did not notice the presence of the hooded man, but all indications were that the man had made it into the city.

****

Even though it was night, the port city of Neima was wide awake and lively. People were strolling along the cobblestone streets, which were illuminated by the lights of the lighthouses, which gave the city a really warm and lively atmosphere.

The bars were full of workers, mercenaries, and adventurers, who were just looking to have fun and share their anecdotes after a hard day's work. While others were just flirting with women, who were dressed very provocatively.

In the main square, people strolled around while observing the various merchant stalls and food carts that gave off many aromas capable of whetting anyone's appetite.

Tonight the square was very busy. News of how a group of the Giant clan, led by "the master of the great sword" Hans Renier, had defeated a huge horned basilisk had already spread throughout the city and everyone was eager to see the corpse of the enormous creature.

But a hooded figure, however, did not seem to be very interested in the corpse of the great beast and tried to pass through the large crowd, who were walking in the opposite direction to him and despite being very hunched over, the figure walked at a very fast and erratic pace.

The figure was tall and thin. His arms were wrapped in gauze and despite the unbearable summer heat, he was dressed in multiple clothes with a hooded cloak covering his face.

The figure walked through the crowded streets until finally arriving at the pier. The hooded figure entered a dark alley and continued walking.

A few moments later, the hooded figure reached an area where the houses were in a truly pitiful state. The streets in this area were unpaved and due to the humidity in the air had turned into a muddy heap.

And if that wasn't enough, the streets were dotted with puddles of vomit and other bodily fluids, between the alleys there were small bonfires fueled with dung and animal fat from which emanated foul-smelling steam, covering the buildings in the area with a layer of black and sticky grease.

These were the slums.

At first, they were built with the idea of creating a second residential area to house people who migrated to the city in search of better working conditions and safer life than that offered by the villages in the surrounding areas of the jungle. But due to multiple cases of corruption and embezzlement of funds by the nobles of the city, the infrastructure of the district was built with cheap materials of very poor quality.

Over time, the buildings deteriorated and the city guard stopped patrolling the area to the point of becoming a lawless land. Now, the only people who inhabited the slums were low-income people, people with criminal records, and the members of the local gangs. 

The hooded man walked down a few more streets, until he entered another small alley between two three-story wooden houses, which looked as if they might collapse at any moment.

At the end of the narrow alley, there was a pile of wooden crates, which were being used as seats by a thin man wrapped in a cloak and whose figure was illuminated only by a small hand-held lantern.

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The man appeared to be deep in concentration as he used a small knife to remove the gunk that had accumulated under his fingernails but stopped when he became aware of the presence of the cloaked figure.

"You're late." the man said with a slight tone of annoyance in his voice. Apparently, he had been waiting in that alley for quite some time.

The hooded figure said nothing. Then he reached into his clothes and pulled out a small triangular medallion. 

*Bzzz Bzzz*

At that instant, the medallion began to vibrate and emit a slight crimson glow. Shortly thereafter a somewhat distorted voice could be heard from inside the medallion.

[I apologize, it seems my puppet had some trouble getting in. And it looks like the patrols will start getting more rigorous from now on. I'm afraid I must ask your boss to take it upon himself to reduce them before next month].

"Don't worry, I'll let him know- Ugh, this guy smells terrible!"

[Hehehehe...I apologize on his behalf, it's a little side effect of his illness. But relax, he probably doesn't have more than ten minutes to live. Although it could be less than that].

Hearing this, the thin man had a sudden shiver and couldn't help but tremble from the fear he felt. He also felt a bit sorry for this hooded bastard, who had fallen victim to such a heinous spell.

"Cough cough... Okay, but getting to the important stuff. Do you have what we asked for?"

The hooded man reached back into his robes, pulled out a leather packet, and held it out to the thin man who took it with a grimace of distaste. The man looked at the package and hesitated for a moment before opening it.

Inside the package were at least three dozen small glass vials which were filled with a green luminescent substance.

"Where's the rest of it?! This is only half of what you promised!"

[You will receive the other half next month, when everything is ready].

"That's not what we agreed!!"

[Plans have changed a bit. Tell your boss that, if the information he gave me is correct, I will naturally keep my end of the bargain. I'll even throw in extra for the trouble]

*Crack Crash*

Suddenly, the voice inside the medallion went dead.  A few seconds later the medallion began to crack until it finally turned to dust and vanished into thin air.

*Thump*

Once the medallion was destroyed, the hooded figure fell to the ground and began to convulse. His constant movements caused his bandages to shift, thus revealing his arms covered in dark protrusions. And it wasn't just his arms.

"But what the sh... Bleeegrh!"

Finally, the man was able to see the hooded man's face which was covered in nasty black lumps so large and swollen that they looked like they would burst at any moment. It was so unpleasant to look at, that the man began to vomit after a mere glance.

*Tssssss.*

The hooded man's convulsions became more violent, and a strange white gas began to come out of his body. Then the hooded man's body began to bubble and corrode until only a pile of white bones remained.

Soon, the white bones took on a striking yellowish color and began to crack until they finally turned to dust.

"But what the… Bleergh... Cough, cough... Ugh, poor wretch."

The thin man stopped vomiting, picked up the leather pack, and left the alley as fast as he could while trying to forget the horrifying scene that had taken place in front of his eyes only moments before.

When the man left, the dark alley was completely silent. Aside from a pile of tattered clothes and soiled gauze, there had been no evidence left of what had happened that night.

****

Approximately 23 kilometers(14 miles) north of the city, there was an old town. In the past, this town had been able to house over 5000 inhabitants, along with some farm animals. 

But due to a sudden displacement of multiple monsters from the surrounding jungle areas, the town had been abandoned and the residents were forced to move to the nearest city in the hope of being able to survive.

As a result, the place had ended up becoming a typical ghost town. But even though the entire town was overgrown with plants, vines, and weeds, some houses were still standing.

Inside one of the wooden huts, a middle-aged man wearing black robes was sitting in front of the table of what was once a family dining room.

The man picked up the crystal ball he had been talking to a few moments earlier, put it in his storage ring, and walked out of the hut.

When he came out, the first thing he saw were dozens of huge compound eyes, which glowed a reddish hue in the darkness of the night.

" Let's go guys, we've got a lot of work to do."

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