Okay, okay, I can’t afford to panic here, gotta calm down. Let’s think about this...whatever Monster this is, it’s on its own, I don’t sense any other Monsters in its vicinity. This lake isn’t very deep, so based on what I’m sensing, it seems to be at the very bottom of the lake.

But what is this feeling, this cold chill down my spine...usually, when I sense a Monster with Thought Communication, it just feels like a target, and the only other thing I feel is what species it is, provided I’ve encountered said species before, of course.

This one’s different though...I’m getting a seriously bad feeling from it, like it’s something I really shouldn’t be messing with. It’s giving me the creeps. I’ve completed this quest already, so I don’t need to risk it.

But at the same time...I’m curious to see what it is. After all, if it’s something really dangerous, I should report it. I then headed over to a row of bushes by a tall, thick tree and ducked behind them, peeking out through the leaves as I used Thought Communication to provoke the Monster.

For a moment, there was silence...and then, a response through the mental link. There were no words, just a low, threatening growl...a growl that sent chills of terror down my spine, my blood running cold as I shuddered.

The surface of the water then rippled, the ripples growing wider and wider, right before a loud splash echoed out as something burst out of the water’s surface, a chilling roar ringing out and rattling me through to my bones, my chest pounding.

My eyes widened in horror as I got a look at the creature, a bead of sweat running down the side of my face. That’s...that’s a fucking Basilisk! A massive aquatic snake Monster with lethal venomous fangs and a paralyzing gaze.

If it gets so much as a glimpse of you, the parts of your body that falls under its gaze will instantly get paralyzed. And if it bites you, you’ll be dead in a matter of seconds. And that paralyzing gaze works even through clothing and armor...if I had to guess, it probably shoots out something like a rapid, invisible beam from its eyes, one that can’t be blocked, and if it hits you, you’ll be paralyzed.

In theory, my Universal Resistance should make me immune to those abilities...but I have no interest in putting that theory to the test. Yeah, no, I am not fighting that thing! Fuck that, I’m so out of here! As it looked around the area with a growl, probably trying to spot me, I quickly and quietly snuck away, ducking and weaving behind bushes and trees.

Okay, note to self...if Thought Communication picks up a Monster that gives me chills like this one did, that’s my cue to GTFO as quickly as I possibly can.

But seriously, what the hell is such a dangerous Monster doing in a place like this!? I’m using Super Hearing while sneaking away, just in case it comes this way, that’ll be my cue to bolt.

Hm? Good, it sounds like it’s heading back into the water...I suppose that I should report this to the Guild, probably shouldn’t leave a Monster like this left unchecked for too long.

I let out a quiet sigh of relief as I got back to the path leading to the town, keeping Super Hearing and Thought Communication active as I did, just in case.

I don’t hear anything nearby, other than like, squirrels and other small animals in trees and bushes, and I’m not sensing any more Monsters either. Yeah, let’s hurry back to town while the going’s good, I have no interest in taking chances in situations where my odds of success are low...

...

"Okay, right here should be fine," Remarked Rosary, as she led me to a shed behind the Guild building.

"Sure, got it," I nodded in response, before opening a portal to my Pocket Dimension and letting all the Reptiliasaur corpses fall out into the shed.

"How many are there?" She asked me, as she went ahead to inspect the corpses.

"There should be seventeen in total. But, well, while I did kill all the Reptiliasaurs that were there, the lake isn’t clear of Monsters," I informed her.

"Hm? What do you mean?" She responded warily, a look of dread on her face.

"Well, uh...after I killed this group, I walked around the edge of the lake to see if could spot any other Monsters hiding out in it and...I came across a Basilisk," I remarked grimly. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"What? Sorry, I think I misheard you...did you just say you came across a Basilisk!?" She exclaimed in alarm.

"Uh, yeah...I did."

"Oh, no...we haven’t had any reports of Basilisks in decades here in Obsidian, it makes no sense for one to appear here. I thought something was fishy...even after these Reptiliasaurs were discovered in the lake, we had some our lower level Adventurers scout the area, but they found no tracks or any signs of the Monsters having moved to the lake.

Which makes no sense, we haven’t had any rain for a few weeks, so there should be plenty of tracks leading to the lake from some direction, especially with such a big group of the creatures. But a Basilisk is a whole different story, it’s practically impossible for such a large creature to move to a spot and leave no signs whatsoever.

What’s more, for there to be a Basilisk and such a large group of Reptiliasaurs in that lake at the same time, it seems too unlikely to be coincidence. Not to mention that Basilisks tend to stay in or near water for their entire lives, and once they settle in an area, they practically never move away from that area unless the water dries up or something extreme like that happens," She frowned, muttering as she paced around the shed.

I think she’s mostly talking to herself more than she is to me right now. I agree though, it’s pretty suspicious. Someone might be bringing these Monsters here, for some reason.

"Hey, exactly when did you guys notice the Reptiliasaurs?" I inquired curiously.

"Huh? Oh, about a week ago or so, when a couple of villagers who were drawing water from the lake were attacked. Normally, we would have sent Adventurers to dispatch the Monsters right away, but as I mentioned before, we’ve had Monsters appearing in other areas closer to town and have had our hands full dealing with those.

Normally, the forest that spans to the west and northwest of the town is the only place where Monsters frequently appear and reside in. In fact, we only finished exterminating some Monsters that had appeared especially close to the town about a day before you arrived," She explained with a grimace.

Hm, makes sense that they would prioritize the elimination of Monsters closer to the town. On top of that, there probably aren’t a lot of Adventurers with the skillset to handle aquatic Monsters, so there’s likely been reluctance towards taking on the quest that I took today.

"Is it possible that someone brought all these Monsters here for some reason?" I suggested...after everything she’s told me, that seems the most likely explanation.

Also, if I’d gotten here a couple of days earlier, I would’ve had more Monster extermination quests to choose from...oh, well, guess there’s no helping that now.

"I was afraid to consider that possibility, but I can’t ignore it anymore. After all, there are a few Skills that allow the user to transport things, just like your Pocket Dimension Skill," She mused thoughtfully.

Oh, yeah, Gior had that Skill too. But he’s been in the capital for a while now, so it can’t be him. Even without the alibi, it seems highly unlikely that he’d do something like this.

"Are there any Adventurers in the Guild capable of handling a Basilisk?" I asked her.

"Hm...that’s a tricky question. Like I said, Basilisks haven’t been sighted in this nation for several decades, so no one here has actually ever faced one. We do have a few Adventurers at the adequate ranks to handle such a Monster, but as they’ve never fought one before, it’s not that simple," She frowned with a shake of her head.

"Oh, I see. Well, I have no intention of being involved in anything that has to do with that thing, so it doesn’t concern me anymore," I shrugged in response.

"Wow, uh...I suppose I appreciate you being so frank. Well, anyway, let’s head back to the Guild, shall we? There’s the matter of your reward for this quest to deal with. You’ll also get a small bonus for reporting the Basilisk," She remarked, as she shut the shed and headed back to the Guild.

"Oh, sweet, lead the way," I replied with a grin, as I followed after her.

As we walked around the building and made our way to the front entrance, I stiffened slightly as I caught sight of something truly unpleasant...

"Ugh, just great," Rosary muttered under her breath.

Yeah, she said it...just great. Just fucking great.

"It’s the goddamn Knights," I groaned to myself in dismay.

_____________________________________________

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