Becoming an adventurer by copying monster abilities

The giant rat had already disappeared like the tide, leaving only a pile of mangled corpses.

Bathed in the faint green light emanating from the vines, a slender figure slowly walked in.

What came into view was a slender body encased in black, tight-fitting leather armor.

The leather armor's cut is perfectly suited for combat, and it also perfectly accentuates the opponent's slender waist and impressive bust.

Paired with long, fiery red hair, she exudes a wild and deadly allure.

The red hair features two exquisite and unique horns, and a slender tail with a heart-shaped tip that occasionally sways gently behind it.

This appeal is further enhanced by the otherworldly charm reminiscent of classic figures like "succubi" or "kemonomimi."

"Veronica?"

"Mr... Luke?"

...

Veronica had already canceled her spellcasting state in front of Luca.

The vines on the ground withered quickly, losing their resilience and vitality.

"I...I didn't expect to run into you here."

Compared to the extremely aggressive charm she exudes.

Miss Tifflin's personality still appears to be weak and harmless.

"Did you come here for these giant rats too?"

Luke flicked the steel half-sword in his hand, shaking off the sticky blood that clung to the blade.

The adrenaline surge during the battle gradually subsided, and the body began to feel soreness from the intense exertion.

That's why he didn't activate [Stealth Evasion] just now.

He misjudged the strength of the half-human, half-rat creature, and despite using various abilities and combat techniques, he was unable to capture it.

Although the damage caused to his body by [Fleeting Evasion] has been reduced.

However, if a body that has been under high stress suddenly uses [Stealth and Evasion] again, it may cause its subsequent movements to become weak and sluggish.

He didn't intend to use his last-ditch escape ability in a desperate situation.

"No...no, my target is that ratman."

"A ratman? You mean that guy who can turn into a human?"

With Veronica's explanation, Luca also gained a completely new understanding of the biological system of this world.

The ratmen are not monsters, but rather beings that are humanoid creatures that have been infected with a beast-like disease and transformed into this form.

Just like the werewolves in the literary works that Luke knew in his previous life.

The rat-man can freely switch between three forms: human, rat, and half-human, half-rat.

However, during the full moon, creatures infected with the beast disease will completely lose their minds and become monsters dominated by bestial desires.

Therefore, those suffering from animalistic diseases are also unstable elements rejected by civilized society.

"By the way, were you hurt by that rat-man? If you were, be sure to get to the church for treatment as soon as possible."

Veronica looked Luca up and down with concern in her eyes.

What's most troublesome about beastmen is the terrifying virus they carry that can infect other humanoid beings with beast-like diseases.

Calling it a virus is not accurate; the beast-like disease is more like a curse that cannot be removed by ordinary medicines or antidotes.

Those infected need to go to church as soon as possible, or seek help from a spellcaster who knows how to remove the curse.

This is the only way to remove the curse and avoid assimilation.

Fortunately, Luke maintained an offensive stance throughout the battle.

He suppressed the ratmen so they couldn't get close, and no wounds were left on his body.

At the same time, he also raised his own doubts:

Do ratmen possess spellcasting abilities?

After listening to Veronica's explanation, it seemed that the ratmen were just humanoid creatures infected with a curse that could transform into beasts.

But the flaming scimitar that the opponent just displayed, which was condensed in his hand, didn't seem like something a rat-like creature could wield.

"This rat-man is a bit special."

When talking about her mission objectives, Veronica's speech became fluent and smooth.

"He was originally a druid belonging to the 'Ring of Nature,' but because he betrayed the forces of nature, he willingly degenerated into a beastman, which is why he is the way he is now."

This ratman not only possesses the formidable physical attributes of a beastman after undergoing mutation, but also the spellcasting abilities of a druid.

No wonder he's so troublesome, Luke thought to himself.

"The Ring of Nature" is a druid organization that is somewhat well-known in the northern part of the continent of Rildran.

He had heard about it while listening to people chat in taverns.

Druids, due to the nature of their profession, have a slightly different perspective from ordinary creatures.

In terms Luke could understand, these Druid schools were divided into:

Various sociological schools of thought, including animal protection, plant protection, human supremacy, human inferiority, survival of the fittest, and universal benevolence.

These schools of thought have also given rise to numerous sub-branches, such as the spore fungi conservation school and the volcanic lava geography school.

Veronica's "Ring of Nature" emphasizes the harmonious coexistence of animals and plants.

Without disrupting the ecological balance, we will not interfere with conventional survival behaviors such as hunting and land reclamation, nor will we oppose the use of various natural resources.

Among the many eccentric druid organizations, it is not as extreme as some others.

Even so, they still showed a resolute attitude towards those extremists or traitors like the Ratmen who fled the organization.

Delete it immediately!

Veronica, on the other hand, is an "unofficial" druid who has not yet officially joined the organization.

Eliminating this traitor who escaped into the sewers of Ryan City was the "Ring of Nature" that gave her the membership certificate.

No wonder she, like Luca, chose to take a detour with the convoy to Lane City.

If this drags on any longer, who knows where this guy will run off to.

Veronica told everything she knew without reservation.

At the same time, he took out a uniquely shaped object resembling a compass from his pocket.

The frame is made of a special wood that exudes a pleasant fragrance, and the back is carved with an intricate emblem.

Two green leaves support an upside-down longsword; this should be the symbol of the "Ring of Nature".

The compass has a simple function: it can locate the positions of the ratmen who have been marked by the organization.

The other party had been hiding in the sewers of Ryan City, living with giant rats.

The magic here was mixed and the atmosphere chaotic, so Veronica could only determine the general location of the other party.

However, the ratmen cast a spell in their recent battle with Luke, like a beacon in the darkness.

This allowed him to be precisely located by this special compass once again.

That's why Veronica was able to rush over when the two sides were fighting.

However, the compass's accurate positioning can only last for a period of time.

Once the marked magical trace has completely disappeared, finding the other party again will require a slow search based on their general location.

Veronica was clearly not going to let this rare opportunity slip by.

As for Luke...

Upon hearing the identity of the ratman, he immediately recalled the quests he had seen on the Adventurers' Guild's commission board in the past two days.

One of them was a bounty on the sewer ratman.

The bounty was around 150 gold, I think?