Monster Evolution System: I became a Rat-Chapter 76: Deep Intuition

The city was a little narrower, with little space to move, and Rosacer struggled to push through the crowd. Many times, he felt hands brush near his pockets, but they were most often met with emptiness.

Rosacer laughed inside at the futile attempts of the thieves. Once, a thief tried to snatch his Grafted Sigil, but the sheer corruption welling inside it surged upon contact, making the man shudder and collapse to the ground in convulsions as passersby rushed to help him.

Passing through the streets, he attempted to converse with the people around him, asking about the city and the places worth visiting.

Through these brief exchanges, he gained a general understanding of where he was.

The city was named Vermis, situated at the southern region, inside the Caesar Kingdom. It had once been shrouded in mist and fog, but with changes in climate, it had transformed into a coastal city bordering the Great Humorous Sea. Vermis was known for its vast production of poppy, which it sold to merchants from the East, where the plant fetched an exceptionally high price.

Spanning nearly fifty square kilometers, Vermis was considered a large city. Much of it was filled with shops and services catering to sailors and port workers, while a few antique shops sold souvenirs to foreign tourists who visited the city.

Despite being larger than most cities, Vermis possessed only a single adventurers’ guild, known as Khamosh, a name inherited from a time when the city saw almost no activity.

With no money left, Rosacer decided to join the adventurers’ guild. It would allow him to earn some coin and, at the same time, understand the city’s currency system.

He soon noticed that the coins used by the people bore different symbols and portraits. When he asked about them, he learned that the currencies came from different kingdoms. Although trade and purchases could be conducted using any of them, each coin held a different value depending on the kingdom it originated from.

There were five kingdoms in the West.

The Rein Kingdom, formed from the weakened remnants of the Rise Kingdom, ruled the central region alongside another major power, then there was Asmara Kingdom, which had emerged after the fall of the Ackerman Kingdom. Asmara controlled parts of the former Ackerman lands through the eastern regions.

Both the Rein and Asmara Kingdoms rule the land that once belonged to the Ernest Empire. Therefore, the currency from their land with the highest gold content is the most valuable.

To the north lay the Makra Kingdom, established after the fall of the tribal confederations of Mount Har’Our. The Cassandra Kingdom and the Caesar Kingdom, both newly formed, occupied the remaining territories. Cassandra shared the central plains with the Rein Kingdom, while Caesar ruled the southern lands, stretching all the way to the Great Humorous Sea.

To the east existed a dual-governance confederation that ruled the entire continent.

Vikasa Setra and Mula Setra were regarded as ruling Houses, each composed of elected leaders. Though together they governed the continent as a whole, their authority was divided by function rather than territory.

The Vikasa Setra House oversaw foreign affairs and internal conflicts, encompassing matters of security and the armed forces of the nation. In contrast, the Mula Setra House was responsible for state policies and the management of the economy.

Following their defeat in the wars against the Western Empires, the currency value of these nations was significantly depleted. As a result, Eastern coins were worth less than those of all the Western Empires.

"Maybe that’s why the waiter was so happy," Rosacer quietly thought as he stood before a massive building towering into the sky. It was the largest structure he had ever seen.

The city of Vermis left Rosacer with a lingering question. The buildings were so massive that the streets between them were cramped, and the population was dense. How, then, had the city been constructed when raw materials could scarcely be transported through such narrow streets?

"Perhaps they built the city from the center outward," Rosacer guessed.

Before him stood a massive building, a board fixed above its entrance. The words carved into it were written in a language he had never seen before. Without hesitation, he activated the system.

[Translating Ermanji....]

[Khamosh, Adventurers’ Guild of Vermis.]

Rosacer swallowed as he adjusted his clothes and brushed the dust from his shoulders before stepping forward. From the outside, the building was an enormous structure made entirely of brick. He pushed the heavy door open and entered.

As he entered, his eyes fell on the counter at the front desk.

Behind the front desk sat a woman. Her eyelashes were long and lustrous, her hair a soft golden yellow, and her eyes shimmered like emeralds.

There’s something about the air around her; it feels bright, her presence bringing light to the front desk.

Rosacer approached her slowly. Beside the desk stood a board, likely the quest board, but he did not turn his head to read it. Instead, he walked straight to the woman behind the counter.

His voice, low and calm, rang out. "Miss, I would like to join the adventurers’ guild." His tone was firm.

The woman smiled. Her name tag revealed her identity. Eria Samson.

"Welcome to the adventurers’ guild," she said after a brief pause. "First, you must fill out the registration form, and then you will need to pass a test conducted by one of our instructors."

As she spoke, she slid a thin parchment and an ink feather across the counter.

The parchment contained several empty spaces for personal details. Using the system, Rosacer quickly translated the Ermanji text and filled in the information on the spot. There was no one waiting behind him, so Eria did not mind him blocking the counter.

As expected, using the system to write in Ermanji was horrendous, and the lady, upon seeing the writing, gave a faint smile.

Soon, he finished and handed the parchment back.

"Alright, Mr. Rosacer," she said. "You may take the test on the 30th of January, 2040. The location will be at the back of the guild."

After speaking, she handed him a small placard. Written on it in Ermanji were the words: Recruit 9.

Rosacer nodded and returned her smile before leaving the building.

He had already decided to see the poppy market for himself and made his way toward the bustling marketplace. Once again, the hand of a thief brushed against his clothes, but as always, it found nothing.

"I have only emptiness to give," Rosacer joked internally.

As the street opened up, he arrived at a round plaza with a large statue standing at its center. Surrounding it were temporary tents filled with all manner of goods he had never seen before. The sight reminded him of the markets of the Eastern sector, similarly crowded with strange and unexpected items.

Most of the wares there had been unnatural in nature. This market, however, seemed to contain items that were curious more in appearance than in dreadful nature. He felt oddly glad to be there.

While wandering through the plaza, Rosacer came upon a shop. The board above it read: Dua Antique Shop.

It was more of a temporary tent than a permanent structure.

He stepped inside. Shelves lined the back of the tent, and behind the counter stood a man dressed in foreign attire, wearing a long-sleeved beige garment paired with brown trousers. His eyes were narrower than most, his skin a brownish gold, and his thick black hair framed a face devoid of expression. It was difficult to tell what he was thinking.

"Welcome to my humble shop, customer," the man said, rubbing his palms together. "I am Kirata Dua, your humble shopkeeper."

Gesturing proudly toward the shelves, he declared, "Here, you will find the most antique souvenirs from around the globe."

"What do you desire, dear customer?" he asked again, still rubbing his palms.

Rosacer frowned. There was something strange in the air. A faint dizziness crept over him.

"What... is happening?" he thought.

His intuition flared. A sense of danger crept over him, something ominous lingering in the air. He quickly turned, scanning his surroundings, but found nothing out of place.

Instead of fleeing the shop immediately, he addressed the shopkeeper.

"Who are you? What did you do to me?" His expression hardened, his voice turning grim.

Kirata raised a brow, confusion crossing his face. "What do you mean, sir?"

After a brief pause, he added, "Are you alright?" This time, there was a hint of concern in his voice.

Rosacer grumbled inwardly. Have it your way.

He left the shop at once.

For a moment, he considered using Oblivion to teleport away, but uncovering the true source of that strange sensation felt more important. For now, he chose to make himself bait.

He moved swiftly through the busy streets and slipped into a secluded corner. Slowly, the dizziness faded, and the unsettling presence began to dissipate.

What’s happening? Rosacer wondered, confusion etched across his face.