[Warning: Monster core tainted with foreign energy signature]
'Hmm…'
Caleb stared at the monster core in thought.
'… as in extraterrestrial or something more local?'
Whatever the reason, the core or most likely all monster cores had this contamination in them.
That meant his guess was mostly likely spot on.
'But I don't know nearly enough to make a reasonable conclusion.'
He still lacked crucial information about the history of this world, which might hold the key to answering the many questions that popped up in his head.
His nature as a scientist wasn't going to allow him to move forward without knowing the answers.
It was evident that the dungeons were not simple. Something larger was at play.
'In any case, the system is very handy.'
He smiled in contentment as he read the next prompt.
[Foreign energy signature has been removed.]
'The genetic system didn't just fall on my lap. Coincidence like that doesn't just happen.'
There were more questions to ask, but Caleb was not in a rush. He had to take care of what was right in front of him first.
Closing his eyes, he absorbed the energy in the monster core and felt a rush of energy pass through his body.
'Ah…'
The feeling was sensational as his cells felt alive and excited. While the energy was minimal, it did wonders about his state of being.
He didn't know his body craved mana to that extent.
'But the amount is really miniscule.'
He frowned while looking at the bar that the system made to represent the mana in his core.
[Core: 0.067% full]
Maybe it was as a result of Caleb genetically making his core more robust and larger, but from what he recalled from the previous Caleb's memories, it only required about 15 of these low-level monster cores to fill his mana core.
'In any case, I can rely on my physical abilities for now.'
Caleb got back to his feet and then looked in the direction of the town where the Baron lived.
Abruptly, his figure disappeared in an explosive burst of speed that shattered the branch he stood on.
...…..
Moonglade was a town known for its lush surrounding forests and agriculture. The town was not too large and too big either.
The locals typically were farmers who farmed the surrounding lands granted to them by their barons.
Then there were the adventurers who took the risk of exploring the dungeon in the area, and while it was a low-level one, it served its purpose of giving beginner adventurers the resources they needed to grow stronger as well as the needed experience.
It also served as a stable income for the majority as the cores they obtained from the dungeons could be sold to the guild who would in turn, sell it to merchants who come to town from time to time.
Aside from the cores being used as resources to grow strong, they could also be used in making powerful magical artefacts.
Baron Zeke's family had been governing the town and its surrounding ones for as long as many of the folks could remember and while he was not the best, he was not overbearing either.
He never went too much over what the people could tolerate to avoid drawing the attention of the noble he served.
Of course, that was only on the surface as those who knew him up close and personal would tell you the baron was ruthless and unforgiving when it came to his personal business.
He had a bit of rivalry with another baron in the next barony and these two barons caught wind of a unique plant that could fetch them thousands of gold coins if sold to the right person.
They did not know the details of what this plant could do, but they didn't really care as they were not much that could interest them besides money.
They enlisted the help of some adventurers and it became a speed race to see who would get their hands on the plant.
Naturally, Zeke lost to his rival after spending hundreds of gold coins.
He made a loss and that dealt a powerful blow to his pride and his pocket.
As someone who did not like spending his money, it was a painful experience.
He couldn't go after the baron who beat him to the prize, so he did the only thing he could.
In his anger, he sent people after the adventurer who managed to acquire the magical plant.
And to his surprise, it was a nobody; some orphan who was now finding his way as an adventurer.
"Find that bastard and kill him! To think a nameless nobody beat me to the punch?"
Baron Zeke had never felt so humiliated by a youngster, causing him to lose a lot of face.
It was only after receiving confirmation of the bastard being thoroughly dead did he calmed down just a little.
But the loss was already made and the baron had to find ways of making up for the loss.
So he came up with the great idea of imposing a heavy tax on the monster cores the adventurers acquired.
"What? Since when?! We barely make a profit after risking our lives and now you're telling us we would be earning even less?!"
The adventurers felt their blood boil in rage when they heard the guild release the news.
"I apologize, but this information came from the higher-ups. We're only workers here."
The women behind the counter tried to calm down the adventurers but they were too riled up to listen to them.
'Ah, this is getting dangerous. At this rate, they might direct their anger at us!
'Hm?'
The blonde lady acting as the head noticed first.
'Who is he?'
Slowly, the adventurers noticed something and also turned around only to see a young man standing at the entrance with a curious expression with both hands in his pocket.
But what caught their attention was his aura. It was different from what they knew and that got them curious.
Suddenly, the place turned quiet as the people briefly forgot their anger and looked at the new guy with interest.