༺ Struggle (1) ༻
“Did you really just catch a few Man-Eating Fish and actually expected me to grade that?”
The student, who had laid out the Demonic Creatures on his ship, turned pale at the cold words that Hatan just uttered.
Among the Demonic Creatures that could be hunted in the surrounding sea, the Man-Eating Fish were considered to be quite high in rank.
But to think that this was the reaction he received.
“It’s the Hunter’s Night, you know? The. Hunter’s. Night. The time when all kinds of Demonic Creatures pop out everywhere. When I was your age, I could beat the shit out of them with my bare hands. Understood?”
“…”
‘This crazy fucking boomer.’
Though such a thought crossed the faces of all the students present, unfortunately for them, Hatan was someone who had the skills to justify such a boomer mindset.
It wasn’t for no reason that he was the only hunter in history to successfully hunt High-Grade Demonic Creatures by himself.
‘…They’re all below par.’
Hatan swept back his hair, which was wet from the rain, and clicked his tongue once.
Since it was the Hunter’s Night, he thought there would at least be a few people who would achieve some noticeable results. But the result disappointed him.
‘…Is there really no one here who can meet my expectations?’
He didn’t even expect them to hunt a High-Grade Demonic Creature like he did.
But still, he expected them to hunt those with a decent level, at least.
“W-War Chief! War Chief Hatan!”
To make things worse, this bastard spawned out of nowhere. How could he not be frustrated?
Hatan turned towards the one calling his name, barely suppressing the blood vessels that were about to pop on his forehead.
Krun Ger-Do.
The son of Velua Ger-Do, who always annoyed the shit out of him due to his arrogant attitude in every War Chief Assembly.
“…Here, shouldn’t you be calling me ‘Dean?’”
It would be a lie to say that his previous behavior didn’t factor into his current fury; After all, a terrifying aura began to pour out from Hatan, that was in no way suitable when dealing with a student.
In fact, even Krun, who was stomping towards him in a huff, froze for a moment when seeing such an expression.
‘Pathetic bastard.’
After swallowing down such words, Hatan spoke in a voice tinged with irritation.
“What is it, Krun? If it’s nothing much, then fuck off.”
“T-There are bastards who have committed violence against me, a War Chief successor.”
Hatan wiped his face, before sweeping back his hair.
He felt an unbearable headache.
“So? The fuck do you want me to do about it?”
“…What did you just say?”
Krun flinched and took a step back.
It was because killing intent gradually surged from Hatan’s eyes.
“Hey, you. Blue Boar Tribe’s War Chief successor.”
A snarl escaped from his lips.
“If you got the shit beaten out of you, get revenge with your own hands. Solve shit with your own hands, whether it’s with those drugs or that criminal syndicate your tribe is so proud of. Don’t be pathetic and whine to me for help.”
“…”
Krun’s face was now beyond pale and had started to turn purple. At the sight of this, Hatan sneered dismissively.
Considering this bastard’s usual conduct, it was obvious what had happened.
He probably couldn’t rid himself of his old habits and provoked the Garda clan.
Hatan did not expect him to be so one-sidedly beaten like a drum and driven away, though. But anyway, it wasn’t something he wanted to get himself involved in.
His job was to encourage students to play dirty and petty among themselves. After all, through such fights, they could surely mature.
‘…Was that guy with her?’
Hatan frowned and tried to recall his memories.
Dowd Campbell. He was someone who particularly stood out among the people of the Empire, whom he mostly disregarded.
‘He’ll have a bit of a hard time. Poor punk.”
Krun was second to none when it came to playing dirty.
If the two got tangled up in such a manner, it was highly possible that Dowd would have a rough time dealing with the bastard’s petty tricks during the Hunter’s Night.
But, well…
He didn’t look like the type of guy who was unable to resolve just that much.
“The last boat is returning!”
“Last? Who’s on board?”
“Riru Garda, Talion Armand, and Dowd Campbell!”
‘Speak of the Devil.’
Hatan let out a wry smile as he faced towards the boat’s direction.
Though, his expression soon turned slightly grim.
‘What’s with that atmosphere?’
Dowd, with cold sweat dripping down on his pale face. Riru Garda, wearing a noticeable frown. And Talion Armand, who sat at the helm with a blank face, as if he had been through some bizarre experience.
“…Go back and tell the Chief Priest.”
With a sigh, he ordered the assistant next to him.
According to Hatan’s conjecture, there was no doubt that Riru Garda was aiming for ‘Imploration,’ so that she could meet the Chieftain. However…
“Tell her that no one is going to go meet the Chieftain in person this time around.”
She would definitely be pleased.
After all, she had been going out of her way to ensure that the Chieftain would not interact with others.
Though, from Hatan’s perspective, he could only let out a snort of disdain; he was almost certain that Tatiana had fiddled with Chieftain Alan’s mind.
‘…The more people the Chieftain meets, the sooner people will realize that he is not in a normal state.’
As such, unless one made a huge contribution or achievement during this Hunter’s Night, she would have definitely tried to eliminate any opportunity to have an audience with the Chieftain.
If those guys came back in such an atmosphere, there was no way they caught any game that was particularly special or noteworthy. Basically, it was over.
“Hey. What do you think it will be?”
“Excuse me?”
“I mean the Demonic Creature. How exceptional does it have to be for her to give permission?”
“…Unless they brought back an Intermediate-Grade Demonic Creature by themselves, like how the War Chief did, she would reject it for not having enough justification.”
Hatan started at the assistant’s response.
That was the record he had set as a student. One that had never been broken before.
“Who knows. Judging by her attitude, even if they caught a High-Grade, she would merely commend them with some words.”
“…There is no way she would actually do that, right? There has never been a student who had successfully hunted an Intermediate-Grade Demonic Creature besides the Dean. Isn’t that right?”
Indeed, it had been like that for decades.
As such, those guys probably didn’t even have a sliver of a chance.
At least, that was what he had thought until he heard the report of a seemingly depressed Dowd Campbell.
“…Say what? What did you say you brought?”
Hatan questioned in a daze, without even a single thought to wipe away the rain droplets trickling down his face.
Similarly, the assistant beside him didn’t seem to have any intention to close his gaping mouth.
Why? It was because the Demonic Creature this guy had hunted was…
“A Sea Serpent.”
“…”
Why the fuck was he reporting that kind of shit in such a gloomy manner?
No, wait. In the first place, his demeanor seemed to express that such an accomplishment wasn’t even a problem to him.
Hatan’s gaze alternated between Dowd, who spoke with a depressed look, and the massive chunks of a Demonic Creature that caused the entire boat to tilt to one side.
“A Sea Serpent?”
“Yes.”
“That… The dragon race?”
“Strictly speaking, it’s not a dragon. The War Chief knows that as well, isn’t that so?”
Of course he fucking knew.
But he also knew that, even if it wasn’t necessarily a dragon, it was still a foe that a student couldn’t possibly fight against.
No, strike that. Even Hatan himself would have to stake his life if he ever wished to hunt one.
“…You’re saying you killed it?”
“I couldn’t kill it.”
“What?”
“It ran away. So I only managed to cut off an arm.”
“…”
That was even more absurd.
Demonic Creatures were a bunch that had tendencies to give in to their rage rather than fear. That was just how they were.
If he made such a Demonic Creature run away, it could only mean that he had unleashed an ‘overwhelming strength’ capable of quelling that fury in an instant.
Moreover, it was against a Sea Serpent that was so powerful that even Hatan himself could not harm it.
“…”
“…”
While everyone around was gaping in disbelief, Hatan hesitatingly approached the pieces of the Demonic Creature’s body covered by a tent.
When he yanked it away, there was something that caught his eye in a heartbeat.
For sure, it was a gigantic ‘foreleg.’ It was big enough that he could believe it came from a Sea Serpent.
And to prove this impossible sight….
It had scales imbued with mana, a unique characteristic of the dragon race.
“…”
Without a word, Hatan grazed the scales with his hand.
It was real.
There was no doubt about it. It was the scales of a dragon.
“…Hey.”
Hatan turned to the assistant next to him and started speaking with a rigid voice.
“Go tell the Chief Priest.”
However, in his words, there was a smile mixed with a torrent of emotions that even a hunter couldn’t conceal.
Delight.
“…Tell her that this is the first time since the establishment of the Forge of Struggle….”
It was the pure admiration that one felt when gazing at those who achieved an incredible, impossible feat.
“Where students had succeeded in ‘dragon hunting.’”
A silence mixed with astonishment spread through the surroundings.
System Message
[ You have achieved outstanding results in Phase 1 of the Hunter’s Night! ]
[ As a reward, 1 ‘Hall of Flame’ Pass is given! ]
[ 35% of the establishment conditions for the ‘Great Duel’ Event has been fulfilled! ]
“…Hmm.”
While rolling the card I received from Hatan in my hand, I glared at the system window in front of me.
I had been given this as soon as he saw the Sea Serpent’s foreleg.
He told me it was a reward from him, which was separate from the right to implore to the Chieftain.
Seeing that he burst into hearty laughter, remarking that he had not seen such an excellent resource recently, it seemed that he was genuinely happy.
“…”
Honestly, compared to his overblown reaction, I was not that excited nor proud.
I literally picked it off the floor after Yuria ripped it to shreds; and the only reason she was even there was because she chased after me with the intention to kill me.
Whatever. Anyway, if it was the Hall of Flames, then it referred to the Workshop inside the Forge of Struggle.
I aimed to go there in the first place. After all, there was special equipment that could only be made here.
‘Finally, I can use them.’
I had gathered a lot of materials…
Ectoplasm that was left after making Soul Liner, Starsteel that remained after crafting Yuria the circlet, Adaptive Leather I ripped off the hind of the Demonic Creature, and even the Intermediate-Grade Artifacts.
In order to beat the ever living fuck out of Alan and Tatiana, simply raising my specs would not be enough.
Though Tatiana, who could summon all kinds of Demonic Creatures inside the sea, was a problem, the bigger issue was her hidden card, Chieftain Alan.
Not only was he a skilled Unarmed Combatant that could go toe-to-toe with Margrave Kendride, but there was also no one who could confidently guarantee victory, unless they were similar in level to Kasa at her peak.
Moreover, there was no way she would just send out a person with such specs.
There was a high probability that she would attach various artifacts to raise his combat power. Therefore, it was an impossible fight for me unless I also crafted items to counter hers.
To be more precise, I would be fucked unless I created an object that was no different from an end stage boss in the area of ‘Bare-Handed Fighting’.
“…Uh, excuse me, Riru?”
That was why this person’s role was important.
I had to wear this equipment together with her, you know?
So please.
“I’m going to go to the Hall of Flame now. Would you like to come with me?”
Please don’t cause trouble when I’m not around…!
When I spoke with such thoughts in mind, Riru mumbled while avoiding my gaze.
“…No.”
Considering this person’s usual confident and magnanimous way of speaking, this attitude was completely out of character.
It was as if they felt embarrassed when they looked at me.
“G-Go ahead first. I have something else to do.”
“…”
No, fuck, so like…What is that something else? Huh? The fuck is it?
She kept going out of her way to avoid showing or talking about it while I was present.
However…
< Gift-Related Character Alert >
▼ Riru Garda
[ Interest Level 3 ]
[ Related Event Occurs in 1.5H ]
The problem was that this gave no signs of disappearing.
“W-What are you doing? I already told you to go quickly. D-Didn’t you hear me?”
To make things worse, she was trying to send me off even more aggressively than before.
Almost as if there was something she had to do only when I was absent.
“…Fine, then.”
If you want to play like that, then I had my own ways as well.
When Riru brightened up at my response, I muttered inwardly.
“Caliban.”
After confirming that Riru was quite a distance away, I spoke to Soul Linker.
[Mm?]
“As expected, I should follow her, right?”
[…]
“That’s the most rational thing to do. Right?”
[…I swear, you sound like you’re gradually becoming more braindead the more time passes.]
“…”
It would have been nice if he just said I was adapting to survive instead.
“-So, my relationship with Dowd right now is quite harmonious. It was all thanks to your advice.”
“…That’s fortunate.”
Bail replied, cold sweat dripping down his back.
It could be said that his reaction was quite natural. Especially considering that the person he was talking to was able to knead a 5kg steel ingot by using just a few fingers.
Recently, Eleanor had been complaining that her usual exercises couldn’t make her break out in sweat. So, she started to do something as batshit crazy as that as an exercise to make her grip stronger.
Although the transcendental superhuman strength this woman displayed whenever they had their ‘regular contact’ had become increasingly monstrous with each encounter, Bail still couldn’t help but think that this new exercise of hers was a bit too extreme.
“If he is going to do something as intense as that to me… Then, I guess I can tolerate him seeing other women for a bit.”
Eleanor already knew that Riru Garda and Dowd were together right now.
However, that man had done… ’That’ to her not too long ago. Unless he was a playboy who was so trash that he belonged in the sewers with the rats…Surely, he wouldn’t purposely try to lead other girls on, right?
As Eleanor blushed slightly and lightly grazed her lips with a finger, Bail swallowed dryly before beginning to speak.
“Also, the Vagabond… The ’Usurpation’ project you requested has almost finished.”
“That’s good news.”
Eleanor was literally molding the ingot into a ball as she responded.
“It will be a good wedding gift for Dowd.”
“…Are you serious? You’re going to use an organization as big as this for just that purpose?”
“Why not?”
Eleanor smirked, turning her head to his direction.
When she slightly applied some force into her hand, the steel ingot tore like paper.
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“…”
As if there could be any.
As Bail quickly sealed his mouth, Eleanor suddenly frowned before getting up from her seat.
It was because she sensed someone’s presence outside her private room.
“…Is it a guest? I’ll contact you later.”
With that, Eleanor ended the video call.
She would’ve never been able to anticipate who was standing there before she opened the door leading to the hallway.
“…Riru Garda?”
Eleanor cocked her head, puzzled by this unexpected visitor.
After all, she couldn’t think of a reason why this person would come find her.
“Hey.”
Riru let out a sigh.
“I’ve been thinking about this, you see.”
“…About what?”
“Granny once said this; people get stronger a lot more quickly when they fight for their lives and struggle to achieve what they want.”
“…?”
‘What in hell is this woman talking about?’
As Eleanor blinked with such thoughts contained in her pupils, Riru cracked her knuckles and continued.
“And in my opinion…I think there’s a way I can satisfy both those methods through you.”
“What in the world are you talking a—”
“So.”
Then, Riru cracked her neck as well.
“Let’s have a go.”
“…What?”
She looked so nonchalant as if this was the most obvious thing to her…
“Let’s try killing each other once. With that guy, Dowd, as the bet.”
Eleanor’s face surged with killing intent at an alarming rate.
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