Brrr… It’s cold!

The cold and ice made traveling in winter more difficult. Viers had waited until the peak of the winter season had passed before making his journey. However, the temperature was still quite low when he was near the peninsula.

Viers, in his Devadom Orca form, felt sluggish.

Viers’ choice to go to the destination was by swimming. Traveling by land meant he would have to cross the national border or go through dangerous areas. Since he could become a marine creature, there was no reason not to travel by sea.

Ah… Would you people hurry it up already?

He believed he was met with an auspicious sign when he arrived at the Carfax Peninsula.

There was a naval battle.

It was no grand spectacle between two fleets like in the movies. Only around twenty ships. One side had a dozen ships so that side had a greater number than the other.

Despite being outnumbered, they mounted stiff resistance. Both sides bled as the clash went on. Viers was watching them from a distance. The ships’ designs were not too far off from Earth’s but some had magical contraptions added.

Viers could slip under the battle by diving deeper but he didn't want to miss this, so he waited. The cold made the stop a mild inconvenience. Since there were Level 4s clashing it out, Viers opted for a more passive approach. He didn't want to pick a fight with them. It was good they were too busy to notice a monster spying in the distance.

The battle seemed pretty serious between two forces, if the colors of the two sides were of any indication. People died. An unfortunate but natural consequence of a battle.

Lucky for those poor souls who had fallen, a psychopomp was standing by. He charged a modest fee, just a couple of bites to the soul.

Also, you people don’t need to burden yourself with your worldly possessions. You can't take them to where you’re going so let me lighten your burden and take them off your hands. Viers’ Nirvana Transportation Service always gives five stars service rating.

In time, the side with the fewer ships lost and retreated, their Level 4 also got injured. The other side frantically pursued, they seemed quite driven.

After the sun had set, amidst the wreckage of burning and sinking ships, a person walked on water on the site of the battle that had been abandoned.

Little wisps of light, souls of the dead unseen by ordinary people were drawn to him like moths to a flame. He gently picked them up one by one, as if handling a soap bubble.

Viers didn't want to expose himself but he had no choice. He couldn't use his soul abilities when he was in monster form. More accurately, he didn't possess a monster form that had soul affinities, most of them were water.

Ah, dang it, Viers snapped his fingers. I should have constructed a soul boat construct. To give off a more Charon vibe!

While Viers lamented about a missed chance, he heard a weak voice.

“...help… me.”

Someone had survived. A Level 3 peak young man, fatally injured. By his attire, he seemed to be from a well-off origin. He was from the side with more ships.

“Oh, a survivor. At ease, sir. Let me help you. All your woes and pain will go away soon. You’re in good hands.”

The man was moved and shed out a tear. Because he was close to death, he was able to see the souls of the dead that Viers gathered around him. A man standing on water under the moonlight and burning ships surrounded by ethereal will-o'-the-wisps? The man thought Viers was something divine, perhaps an angel of death from the Church's stories.

Nirvana Transportation Service Customer Count: +1

Viers did not lie. He sent him to a better place. How could it be called anything else other than helping him?

***

“Carfax Peninsula…” Viers crossed his arms as he looked left and right. He had made a landfall on the beach. Because of his unplanned stop, he arrived very late in the night.

There was no immediate danger so he scouted his surroundings next, using Euryale Sight. His eyes turned iridescent green and his pupils elongated like a snake’s as his eyesight improved. This was Viers’ foremost scouting ability.

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I’m really lucky today. Only Rank 0s and 1s monster herds nearby. There are a couple of Rank 3 farther off but they should not be a problem. As expected of Monsterland. So many monsters!

Folk knew about the strong monsters roaming near the Valkut region but the hazard of the Monsterland is about the numbers. In Valkut I didn’t have the time to go monster hunting, but a Rank 5 true dragon made a nest in the area and that was saying something.

Viers turned his eyes to the right, where he spied a sea lion monster approaching which then caught Viers in its sight. It seemed to have decided on Viers as its midnight meal.

A Rank 2… alone. It is still coming despite my aura being stronger than itself? Or it simply is not smart enough to recognize the opposition’s strength. Normally, I wouldn't mind fighting it but I’ll pass.

Viers had been swimming for several days. Although his orca form was tough enough to sustain the travel and the fatigue did not carry over to his human form, the tiredness of the mind did. Viers wanted to have a good night’s sleep before doing exp farming in this place.

Count this as your lucky day, pinniped.

“Whoaa!?”

Viers was about to turn around and leave but halfway doing so, he saw the 1000 kg sea lion leap into the air and cross a hundred meters of distance between it and him.

Viers jumped backward to avoid being pancaked by the body press. An enormous cloud of sand was spreading from the sea lion’s landing. It was out of his expectations. This particular species of sea lion monster shouldn't be able to do that but he just witnessed a jump that would awe any athlete. On a closer look at the sea lion’s flippers with his super sight, Viers found proof of extensive mutations.

What evolutionary mutations. Should I say as expected of Monsterland?

“Ong ong ong!!”

The sea lion was primed for battle. An enemy encounter had been invoked.

“If you want to die that much, pinniped, so be it.”

The monster with its bulbous and flabby body was a little comical, even its face was a little bit cute but it was no doubt a vicious beast.

Viers fought it to the death, slicing and dicing the monster viciously. It was animal cruelty that would make members of PETA call Viers a degenerate. The battle was short but intense. Viers pushed for a short battle because he wanted to finish the fight before other monsters were drawn by the sound, the scent of blood, or a myriad of other things.

Yet he was not fast enough. Something emerged from the sand below his feet.

“Tchih!” Viers cursed and twisted his body to dodge while swinging a water blade he conjured.

The white worm, almost translucent, was separated into two.

A worm? Ack!?

Another worm emerged from the ground and bit his leg. Before Viers dealt with it, more and more worms emerged from the ground.

It’s a fricking colony coming out!

Viers was busy defending himself against the onslaught, his Water Shield Arte kept almost all of the Rank 0s and 1s monsters at bay. Something red got caught in the edge of his vision. Viers looked down. In less than five seconds, the white worm that had bitten him, that was still biting him, had sucked enough blood to turn its one-meter-long body completely red.

“Gross!”

Viers yanked the worm on his feet. The worm’s bite was firm, with its sharp teeth, it took a bit of Viers’ flesh with it. Viers squeezed the now red worm around its head and red blood, his blood, burst out like a tomato.

Viers used an AoE water Arte to slice many worms to pieces but to his surprise, the cut parts grew into other worms.

Wha-!?

The worms had such amazing regeneration that when cut into two, or even three or four parts, could still heal and become multiple, functioning worms that attacked him!

He was surrounded by so many slimy worms that Viers was almost swimming in it. The situation was as disgusting as one might have imagined. Water Artes were not very effective and slashing attacks would worsen the situation so Viers changed strategy.

Ixi Arte - Freezing Breath!

Viers blew a gust of icy winds from his mouth, turning the worms to ice after a short exposure. He had been training his Ixi Artes for times like this.

The battle was stopped as if time itself had become still, except for Viers who was still breathing.

Shit, what an annoying opponent right off the bat… And it’s still not done!

When looking down and seeing through the layer of sand, Viers saw there were still worms underneath. The ice Arte bought him time but it wouldn't last for long.

Viers speedily collected the dead monsters into his inventory, including the sea lion, and left the premises. When the fresh wave of worms emerged, Viers was already too far. The worms were excellent ambushers but their speed would only last for a moment, not sustainable for a long period of time. Their first attack was a success because Viers was preoccupied with fighting the sea lion.

The worms did not like the cold. The ground had a layer of ice because of Viers and the remnants of winter weather in the air. They languidly returned to the warmth of the sands.

As minutes passed, other monsters came to the site of the battle. They found little to no pickings left. Some left and some stayed.

One raccoon monster was digging a thin block of ice with a worm encased in it. It dug and dug and managed to create an opening. Elated, the raccoon bit the flesh of the worm and pulled it out from the ice.

Suddenly, the worm snapped back to life, piercing the torso of the monster raccoon and biting its inner organs.

The flock of monsters was agitated and pounced at the dying raccoon and lively worm.

But the worm was in a frenzy and lashed out at every monster around it.

The worm was red, the one that had sucked Viers’ blood. Viers’ ice Arte had killed every other worm caught in it except this one.

Viers’ blood was rich in vitality and unusual. It triggered an unknown mutation in the worm.

“Hisssss!!!”

The blood-red worm began a massacre of the surrounding monsters, once it latched onto one, it wouldn't let go, burrowing into their insides.