Chapter 6. Bigger Prey (Part 1)
Several days later, Gebel went to check the state of the mousetrap and was surprised.
There were as many as ten rats inside the barrel.
Recently, Gebel knew that the number of rats caught was decreasing. Rats learn quickly and soon recognize what is bait and what is a trap.
“Did Isaac neglect to empty the barrel, leading to so many rats being caught?”
Initially, that’s what Gebel thought. But then he realized that the trap had been slightly modified. As he was examining the changes, Isaac walked into the storage room.
“Ah, you’re here? Wow, I just emptied it yesterday, and it’s already full again.”
“You emptied it yesterday?”
“Yes. If they’re left together, they start eating each other quickly, so I’ve been emptying it frequently.”
Gebel couldn’t understand how so many rats were being caught. The mousetrap had only been altered slightly. He noticed a rod running across the center of the barrel and a smelly, sour lump of grain tied in the middle.
“Did you set this up?”
“Yes, I thought if I modified it a bit, it would catch more rats.”
The modification Isaac made was simple. He just installed a rod across the center of the oil-coated barrel. When Gebel touched the rod, it spun loosely.
Isaac continued to explain.
“It’s simple. Until now, to get to the bait, rats had to jump into the barrel and risk falling in. If the bait fell to the bottom, no more rats would be attracted.”
“But if the bait is attached to this loose rod, they slip and fall while trying to get to it. The bait doesn’t fall off, and the other rats don’t see the trapped ones, so they’re easily lured in.”
Isaac nodded. Rats prefer grains to cheese or meat, especially when it emits a slightly sour scent, which made it easier to create the trap.
“Huh.”
Gebel smiled, lifting the corners of his mouth. Isaac was a bit surprised to see him smile, but his surprise didn’t end there.
“Not bad.”
It was a brief compliment, but Isaac knew it was the best praise Gebel could offer.
Gebel was truly impressed.
Isaac’s idea was simple, but more importantly, it was his attitude. A 14-year-old working hard, not just helping with tasks but striving to improve them.
It was enough for Gebel to raise his evaluation of Isaac another notch.
“You’ve done such a commendable job; it would be inappropriate not to reward you. I’ll give you a gift.”
Then Gebel brought up an unexpected topic.
Isaac, who had done the work for his own sake, was surprised by Gebel’s offer. He modestly tried to decline, but then realized this was another opportunity to earn points.
“Could you perhaps give me some candles?”
“Candles?”
“Yes. It would be nice to have candles to use in my room. I don’t have enough time to read in the chapel.”
Lighting candles is easy for the monks, but the candles themselves are expensive. So, they were hardly used outside of lighting the central hall. However, Isaac still had many things to read and study. Personal candles would extend his reading time.
But Gebel shook his head.
“Sorry, but candles won’t work. There’s a fire hazard, and only the lanterns managed by Monk Alex are allowed.”
Isaac pretended to be a bit disappointed, but he wasn’t really upset.
For now, he was content to just owe Gebel a favor. However, Gebel seemed intent on giving something and pulled something out of his pocket.
“I’ll give you this instead.”
Isaac’s eyes sparkled.
What Gebel took out was a sun-shaped necklace made of metal. It was crudely tied with a tough string but emitted a faint glow, clearly not an ordinary object.
“This is a luminous stone necklace, blessed by the abbot himself. Rub it, and it will light up, gradually dimming down. If you hit it hard, the light gets brighter, but it fades faster. The miracle’s lifespan also shortens.”
Isaac looked at the necklace, and something appeared before his eyes.
「Luminous Stone (Rare)」
「A gem imbued with the miracle of the Codex of Light. It emits light depending on the amount of impact it absorbs.」
It was the same status window he had seen in Nameless Chaos. Normal items didn’t display such a window, but it seemed to appear for items of rare grade and above.
“A miraculous item.”
It was a treasure incomparable to a fire hazard-prone, easily extinguishable candle. It could fetch a month’s living expenses for an average family if sold.
Isaac worried that the reward was too generous for his work. He appreciated the kindness but knew to be cautious with excessive favors.
“This gift is too grand…”
“It’s fine. Its lifespan is almost over anyway. It should last about half
a year more. I can get another from the abbot.”
The gift wasn’t just a casual one from Gebel. He already had a high opinion of Isaac and knew he liked books, planning to give him something accordingly. This event just provided the right opportunity.
Knowing it wasn’t an overly burdensome gift, Isaac gratefully accepted it.
“Thank you. I’ll gratefully use it!”
***
‘This is really good.’
Isaac thought as he tested the luminous stone given by Gebel. When he rubbed the stone, it emitted just the right amount of light, and it shone brighter as he tapped it harder.
‘If I hit it hard, it could almost be like a flash grenade.’
Of course, doing that would quickly shorten its lifespan, so he had no such intention.
The unexpected gift left Isaac in a dilemma.
Had it been candles, he would have gladly used them all night, but this was too valuable and could be stolen.
At this time, children are basically liars, thieves, and prepared bullies. Especially orphans who lack many things.
“Maybe later if I find an alternative, but for now, it’s not possible.”
Isaac had too much on his plate to worry about unnecessary things.
Despite making rat-catching easier, Gebel’s workload had not decreased at all. With winter approaching and various chores that had been neglected due to rat catching, there was plenty to do.
Tasks like chopping wood, clearing paths, cleaning latrines, and moving winter supplies sent from the village to the storage were part of his daily routine. These tasks might not be visible, but Gebel was an indispensable part of the monastery.
“Without Gebel, these monks, lacking in survival skills, would probably freeze or starve to death in less than a month.”
But Gebel worked silently, without pay, assisting the monks to focus on their spiritual practices.
“Why, though?”
There were rumors among the children that Gebel was a deserter, but Isaac knew he was a knight. With his experience, including participation in war, he would be treated well anywhere.
“Perhaps a form of atonement?”
Isaac considered this plausible. Gebel might have laid down his sword for the comrades he left on the battlefield. However, Isaac had plans to make him wield his sword again.
“How can I make him reveal his true nature…?”
***
Isaac watched a rat scurry in the corner of the storage room. The moment he thought of catching it, his left hand reacted, or more accurately, a tentacle reacted.
A tentacle burst from his palm and impaled the rat instantly.
“I’m getting used to this now.”
Crunch, crunch. Isaac watched as the tentacle swallowed the rat.
“And this thing… definitely faster and sneakier.”
It had grown longer and thicker. Previously, the tentacles stretched only from the fingertip to the elbow, but now they extended nearly 2 meters, stabbing the rat’s neck in an instant, even predicting its path.
Isaac himself was undergoing changes. Seeing the rat, he felt confident he could catch it, although he had never caught one with his hands before. It was as if the tentacles had become a natural extension of his limbs.
“Is it because I’m getting enough nutrition?”
Isaac interpreted it positively.
He tried extending a tentacle as a test. A thin, red tentacle wriggled out from between his wrist and palm, flexible like a finger. His control over the tentacle felt much more natural now, perhaps due to familiarity or the recent reward.
Though it was clear that the tentacle was moved by some other consciousness, it was undeniably friendly and acted in beneficial ways.
“I should try eating something bigger than rats.”
Not because he was tired of rats—he couldn’t taste them anyway—but because he wondered if eating different creatures would grant different benefits.
[Nameless Chaos watches you.]
[Nameless Chaos wishes you to seek ‘larger prey.’]
[The reward of chaos awaits you.]
Isaac was startled by the message that popped up as soon as he thought about it.
“Can it read my thoughts?”
He reflexively recalled all the curses and insults he had hurled at Nameless Chaos.
“Seems like it either has a thick skin or doesn’t care much.”
But in this poor monastery, there wasn’t much ‘larger prey’ to find—maybe the old donkey in the stable, a few sickly goats, and some monks.
Of course, Isaac had no intention of touching any of them, even if they were dead.
However, an opportunity came to him sooner than expected.
***
As time passed, Isaac realized this world was not fundamentally different from the one he originally came from.
“Hey, Johan. Come with me.”
Labor time.
A time as precious as prayer and studying scriptures, but also the only time when the monks’ supervision relaxed. Johan, who had been digging potatoes next to Isaac, hesitantly got up and followed when called.
They were older boys, with Hans, at 16, being the oldest among the monastery’s orphans. Hans looked around cautiously and caught Isaac’s gaze.
Startled, he quickly looked away.
This reaction seemed odd to Isaac. In this age group, physique and age were almost like social status. Isaac, with his pretty and slender build, didn’t fit the typical ‘boyish’ mold.
Of course, the threat from other kids wouldn’t subdue the mentally mature Isaac. Still, it was strange to see someone like Hans back down first, especially in an orphanage setting.
Johan and Hans’s group disappeared behind the monastery. Isaac watched them go and sighed.
“It’s none of my business, but…”
Johan, who slept in the bed next to Isaac, was the only kid he had somewhat communicated with. Telling the monks wouldn’t help; children feared violence from peers more than adults.
Isaac started walking towards where they had disappeared.