Chapter 6. Bigger Prey (Part 1)
Several days later, Gebel went to check out the mousetrap and was totally shocked.
He found a whopping ten rats inside the barrel!
Lately, Gebel had noticed that the number of rats caught was decreasing. Rats are clever creatures and quickly figure out what’s bait and what’s a trap.
“Did Isaac forget to empty the barrel, resulting in so many rats being caught?” That was Gebel’s initial thought. But then, as he inspected the changes, Isaac walked into the room.
“Oh hey, you’re here? Man, I just emptied it yesterday, and it’s already full again.”
“You emptied it yesterday?”
“Yup. If they stay in there too long, they start munching on each other, so I’ve been clearing it out frequently.”
Gebel couldn’t wrap his head around how so many rats were getting caught with just a slight adjustment to the mousetrap. He spotted a rod running through the center of the barrel and a stinky lump of grain tied in the middle.
“Did you set this up?”
“Yeah, I figured a small tweak might make it more effective.”
Isaac’s modification was simple. He added a rod across the barrel’s center, coated with oil. When Gebel touched it, it spun easily.
“See, until now, rats had to jump into the barrel to reach the bait. But if the bait is fixed to this loose rod, they slip and tumble while trying to get it. The bait stays put, and the other rats can’t see the trapped ones, making it easier to lure them in.”
Isaac nodded. Rats have a thing for grains, especially if they have a sour smell, which made baiting them easier.
“Huh.”
Gebel smiled, his lips curling up. Seeing Gebel smile caught Isaac off guard, but that wasn’t the end of his surprise.
“Not bad.”
It was a short compliment, but Isaac knew it was the highest praise he could receive from Gebel.
Gebel was genuinely impressed.
Isaac’s idea was straightforward, but his attitude spoke volumes. A 14-year-old putting in hard work, not just assisting but striving to enhance tasks.
It was enough for Gebel to raise his opinion of Isaac a notch higher.
“You’ve done a fantastic job; it wouldn’t be fair not to reward you. I’ll give you a little something.”
Then Gebel brought up an unexpected idea.
Isaac, who had done everything for his own satisfaction, was taken aback by Gebel’s offer. He tried to refuse humbly, but then realized this was a chance to earn some brownie points.
“Could I maybe get some candles?”
“Candles?”
“Yup. It’d be neat to have candles in my room. I don’t get enough time to read in the chapel.”
Lighting candles might be a breeze for the monks, but candles themselves were pricey. So, they were seldom used outside the central hall. Yet, Isaac had plenty of reading and studying to do. Personal candles would extend his reading time.
But Gebel shook his head.
“Sorry, candles won’t fly. There’s a fire risk, and only Monk Alex’s lanterns are permitted.”
Isaac pretended to be a tad disappointed, but deep down, he wasn’t too fussed.
For now, he was content to owe Gebel a favor. Yet, Gebel seemed bent on giving something and pulled an item from his pocket.
“I’ll give you this instead.”
Isaac’s eyes lit up.
So Gebel brought out this cool sun-shaped necklace made of metal. It was tied up roughly with a strong string but gave off a faint glow, definitely not your average object.
“Check out this rad luminous stone necklace, blessed by the abbot himself. Rub it and it lights up, slowly fading down. Hit it hard and the light gets brighter, but fades quicker. The magical effect doesn’t last long either.”
Isaac gazed at the necklace, and something popped up in front of him.
[🌟 Luminous Stone (Rare) 🌟]
“A gem with the power of the Codex of Light. It glows based on the force it absorbs.”
It was the same kind of status window he’d seen in Nameless Chaos. Regular stuff didn’t have this window, only rare items and above.
“What a miraculous find.”
Way better than a flimsy candle in terms of value. Selling it could cover a family’s expenses for a month!
Isaac felt the reward might be too generous for what he did. He was grateful but cautious about receiving such a lavish gift.
“That’s too much…”
“It’s cool. It’s almost worn out. Will last around half a year more. I can snag another from the abbot.”
This gift wasn’t just random from Gebel. He already had a good impression of Isaac and knew he liked books, so this was a thoughtful present given the chance.
Knowing it wasn’t a burden, Isaac happily accepted it.
“Thanks. I’ll make good use of this!”
***
“This is awesome.”
Isaac thought as he played around with the luminous stone given by Gebel. Rubbing it made just enough light, and tapping it harder made it shine brighter.
“If I whack it really hard, it’s almost like a flashbang.”
But, that would make it wear out quicker, so he wasn’t keen on that.
He pondered over the unexpected gift.
With candles, he’d use them all night gladly, but this was too valuable and could easily be nicked.
Kids these days were sneaky – especially orphans with not much to their name.
“Maybe later, but for now, it’s a no-go.”
He had more important things to worry about.
Despite making rat-catching easier, Gebel’s workload only piled up. Winter was creeping in, along with tasks neglected during the rat-catching chaos.
Chopping wood, clearing paths, scrubbing latrines, and moving winter supplies filled his daily routine. These tasks might go unnoticed, but Gebel was vital to the monastery.
“Without Gebel, these monks would probably freeze or starve in no time.”
Gebel quietly worked without pay, letting the monks focus on their spiritual practices.
“But why, though?”
Kids chattered about Gebel being a runaway, but Isaac knew he was a knight. With his background, he could be treated well anywhere.
“Maybe some kind of repentance?”
It seemed plausible that Gebel was making up for something from his past. Isaac was ready to see him pick up his sword again.
Isaac thought, considering his plans for Gebel’s future.
“Hmm, how do I make him show his true nature?”
***
Isaac watched the mouse scurrying in the corner of the storage room. As he thought about catching it, his left hand reacted, or more accurately, a tentacle reacted.
A tentacle shot out from the palm of his hand and swiftly pierced the mouse.
“I’m getting used to this now.”
Crunch. Isaac watched the tentacle swallow the mouse.
“And this thing… it’s definitely faster and sneakier.”
The tentacle had grown longer and thicker. Previously, it only reached from his fingertips to his elbow, but now it stretched almost 2 meters, piercing the mouse’s neck in an instant, even able to predict its movements.
Isaac himself was also changing. Seeing the mouse, he felt confident he could catch it, even though he had never successfully caught a mouse barehanded before. It was as if the tentacle had become a natural extension of his body.
“Is it because I’ve been getting enough nutrition?”
Isaac interpreted it positively.
He tried extending the tentacle as a test. A thin red tentacle crawled out from his wrist, flexible like fingers. His control over the tentacle felt much more natural now, perhaps because he had gotten used to it or because of the recent gift.
Although it was clear his tentacle was being moved by another consciousness, it unquestionably befriended and acted in beneficial ways.
“I should try eating something bigger than a mouse.”
Not because he was bored with mice—he couldn’t taste them anyway—but because he was curious whether eating different creatures would provide different benefits.
[Nameless Chaos is watching you.]
[Nameless Chaos wants you to seek ‘larger prey.’]
[Nameless Chaos awaits you.]
Isaac was surprised by the message that appeared as he thought about it.
“Can it read my mind?”
He reflexively recalled all the curses and insults he had thrown at Nameless Chaos.
“It seems to either have thick skin or just not care.”
But in this small monastery, there weren’t many ‘larger prey’ to be found—perhaps the old donkey in the stable, a few skinny goats, and a few monks.
Of course, Isaac had no intention of touching any of them, even if they were already dead.
But, opportunity came to him sooner than he expected.
***
As time passed, Isaac realized that this world wasn’t fundamentally different from his original world.
“Hey, Johan. Join in.”
It’s time to work.
Precious time like prayers and studying scriptures, but also the only time when the supervision of the monks was somewhat reduced. Johan, who had been digging potatoes next to Isaac, reluctantly got up and followed the order.
They were older boys, with Hans, who was 16, being the oldest among the orphan boys in this monastery. Hans glanced around cautiously and caught Isaac’s gaze.
Surprised, he immediately averted his eyes.
This reaction felt strange to Isaac. In this age group, physical appearance and age were almost like social status. Isaac, with his beautiful and slender body, didn’t fit the typical ‘boy’ figure.
Of course, threats from other kids wouldn’t make Isaac, who was more mature mentally, give up. But it was still strange to see someone like Hans retreat first, especially in an orphanage setting.
Johan and Hans’ group disappeared behind the monastery. Isaac watched them leave and sighed.
“It’s not my concern, but…”
Johan, who crashed in the bed beside Isaac, was the only kid he kinda talked to. Ratting out to the monks wouldn’t do any good; kids dreaded getting roughed up by their own more than the grown-ups.
Isaac started strolling in the direction where they vanished.
