by Yuu Tanaka
“You’ve committed a great crime.”
“Bwuh?”
“An absolute atrocity.”
No, he hasn’t. All of this could’ve been settled by asking the guy to pay for your soup.
“Shut up! Leggo of me! Aaargh!”
Something was off about him, but his maniacal strength was still no match for Fran. She soon stopped him squirming about.
You’ve caught him, but what now?
I’ll show him hell.
As Fran made her intentions clear, the city guards caught up to the commotion. I overheard their conversation as Fran handed the man over.
“Another one from the slums?”
“There sure are a lot of them this year. Some crazy drug must be making the rounds.”
“Sure looks like it.”
Marquis Christon had mentioned bouts of unrest in the slums. This man was one of its inhabitants.
Come on, stop glaring at him. We need to go.
“Hm…”
Oh, stop sulking. I’m sure he’ll face his fair share of discipline.
All right.
She wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but we couldn’t afford to waste any more time.
Today was the first day of the Festival of the Moons. Rituals would be performed tonight, and I wanted to return from the Haunt by then. We made our way to the city gates, stopping by the odd food stall here and there, and eventually left Bulbola.
Okay, we’re going to have double time it from here. Jet, we’re counting on you.
“Awooo!”
It took a day to reach the Haunt on horseback, but we could make the trip in three hours if Jet was at full speed. There was also a clear path made by many adventurers before us, so we had no fear of getting lost.
“Come on, Jet!”
“Woof, woof!”
Three hours later.
We’re right on schedule.
“This is the Haunt?”
A wooded sea of looming trees stood before us. We could hear the sounds and auras of various monsters even from here.
Yep. Crystal Cage, B-Class Haunt.
“I can sense a lot of monsters.”
“Woof.”
Fran and Jet’s expressions tightened in agreement.
So here’s the plan. We’re shooting for the middle section of the woods. Once there, we’ll hunt only the monsters we can eat. A monster’s mana reserve was no indicator of whether its meat was edible.
“Hm. Time to stockpile some meat.”
“Arf, arf.”
We didn’t have much time, so we would only look for the monsters we needed. According to the books at the Adventurers’ Guild, they generally lived in the middle of the forest.
With Fran on his back, Jet used Air Hop to leap over the woods. The plan was for him to jump all the way to the middle of the forest to minimize the risk of getting lost. As much as I wanted to hunt near the entrance, time was of the essence.
“Is that the Crystal Tree?”
Fran spotted the Haunt’s namesake from Jet’s back: an imposing crystalline tree three thousand meters tall. Its transparent trunk shone beautifully with sunlight and its own radiating mana.
It was a divine wonder. I had never seen anything like it.
They say that magic tree’s over three thousand years old.
The Crystal Tree radiated a certain kind of mana which attracted herbivorous monsters. These monsters feasted on the tree and offered it protection in return. In effect, the strange plant used monsters as its defense, which wasn’t to say that herbivores were the only ones there. Their presence attracted carnivorous predators in turn, making the Crystal Cage a thriving ecosystem for all sorts of creatures.
This was the world’s greatest crystal tree. The larger they grew, the more mana they contained and the stronger the monsters it attracted. I could only imagine the beasts that made their home around this three-thousand-year-old specimen. You could say that this tree had single-handedly created the entire Crystal Cage.
“Wow.”
“Woof.”
Fran and Jet were just as impressed. Their eyes glowed with wonder as they took in its beauty. I’d never seen such childlike wonder on Fran’s face. That alone was worth the trip.
Tiny birdlike creatures flew about the tree. They looked minuscule against the giant crystal tree behind them, but they must’ve had at least a five meter wingspan. I made a note to avoid them if at all possible.
Careful, now. The closer we get to that tree, the more likely we are to run into high-threat monsters.
“I know.”
We’re almost to our destination. See any quarry, Fran?
“Hm… What about that one?” Fran had seen a large pig monster bathing in some mud.
Good eye. Jet, land us over there.
“Bark!”
All right, let’s take it down in one.
“Will do.”
“Woof, woof!”
Jet targeted the closest monster and descended on it like a hawk, maw first. Fran jumped off his back and cut another one to pieces.
“Oink!”
“Jet, over there.”
“Grrr!”
It didn’t take long for us to kill five of the F-Threat Swamp Pigs. These monsters lived in the marsh and had hard shells on their backs. We were thrilled to have completed our first successful hunt, but if I was being honest, these swamp swine weren’t worth much.
As far as taste was concerned, Swamp Pork didn’t taste bad. In fact, it was quite delicious. However, it wasn’t quite as tasty as specially bred pork, which was usually raised in particular conditions, and it took time to get the swamp stink out of the meat. They were known as the Novice Adventurer’s Piggy Bank, since beginners usually hunted them for money.
Impressive as they were, these were not the pig monsters we were looking for. We stored them away anyway, just in case we couldn’t find our main quarry.
Time to look for more monsters, Jet.
“Arf!”
“Should we go deeper?”
Yeah, let’s get closer to the Crystal Tree. I think we’re still too close to the entrance.
Swamp Pigs were usually found roaming at the edges of Crystal Cage. The fact that we’d run into an entire drift of them indicated we were not far enough in.
We advanced into the forest for an hour until we finally found a boar to our liking.
Our expedition had been a pain in the hilt so far. All we wanted was monster pork and beef, yet we’d run into creatures that were inedible at best.
“So does this guy taste good?”
Yep. Boar. Large tusks. Golden mane. That’s our boy.
Gullinbursti, a D-Threat monster named after the mythical boar with a similar golden mane. That mane could deflect a certain amount of magic, and its tusks could fell a tree in a single charge. The Gullinbursti was even aggressive enough to attack creatures stronger than itself. People called it the Mad Boar for its tenacity and seeming inability to do anything other than charge forward.
For all its pugnacity however, its flesh was surprisingly soft, and its fat delectable. The Adventurers’ Guild would often post hunting quests for the Gullinbursti, and its meat was popular throughout Bulbola. Fortunately for us, this pig monster was huge, over five meters long—easily three times bigger than Jet.
Don’t go too crazy on the offense. We want to preserve as much meat as possible.
“Got it.”
Jet, you slow it down.
“Grrrr!”
If we wounded it, it would bleed. The more it bled, the more flavor the meat would lose. The texture would suffer as well, becoming too tough to eat. We had to kill it with as few blows as possible. One strike through its crystal was the ideal…but Telekinetic Catapult was out of the question. Even if I could kill it, I’d explode the entire Gullinbursti into mincemeat.
“Oink!”
Watch out, Fran!
As I was considering our options, the golden boar charged. The pig was faster
than I expected. It was bearing down on us before I noticed. I tried slowing it down with Telekinesis but to no avail. The creature was a lump of pure strength.
“Urgh!”
Fran! You okay?
“More or less…”
The boar’s charge only grazed her, but it was enough to fling her ten meters away. The beast was a force to be reckoned with. Fran regained her footing with a well-placed Air Hop and dropped into her battle stance.
The Gullinbursti continued its charge, felling trees that could have served as shrine pillars back on Earth, and disappeared into the forest.
However, Jet had its scent, so we were in no danger of losing the trail. This was the perfect time to set a trap.
I’ll dig a hole with Earth Magic. Jet, you lure him over. Our trap won’t hold him for long, but we only need a few seconds for Fran to take him down.
“Got it.”
“Woof.”
I created a large underground sinkhole with Earth Magic. If anything heavy got on top of it, the crust would give way. It was the perfect pitfall for our pig friend.
A few minutes later, Jet reappeared with the Gullinbursti hot on his tail. He strutted in front of the giant boar as if challenging it. Jet had even shape-shifted to his smaller size to increase his cheekiness.
“Arf!”
“Oink!”
Steam gushed out of the Gullinbursti’s huge nostrils. It charged at the tiny wolf, intent on crushing it, and felled many trees along the way. The momentum reminded me of a truck, and the boar soon paid for it. Its golden-furred leg sank into the ground, leaving half of its body exposed.
“Oink?!”
My pitfall worked perfectly.
Now, Fran!
“Hm!”
Fran leapt towards the golden boar.
“Where’s this thing’s crystal?”
It should be right at its heart.
“Hm!”
I Transmogrified myself into a long and slender blade, more able to reach the creature’s heart with one strike. In effect, I’d taken on the form of an estoc.
“Haaaa!”
“Oiiinkkk!”
Fran used an underhand grip and plunged me right into the beast.
“There!”
She used a Level 8 Sword Art, Pinpoint Stab, and thrust me right through the boar’s back. The skill concentrated all of her energy in the point of my blade, and I had little trouble penetrating the beast’s golden mane and musculature. I felt myself pierce its heart and crystal. The blow had barely bruised the Gullinbursti. The perfect end to our hunt.
We did it!
“Hm. That’s a lot of meat.”
It sure is. That’s our pork supply settled.
The giant boar provided us with more than enough pork for the contest. We stored it away for now. As much as we would’ve loved to take it apart, the scent of its blood would attract nearby monsters. We’d have to skin and prepare it at the Adventurers’ Guild.
Let’s move on!
“Hm.”
“Woof!”
We hunted monsters for the next two hours.
First was the Apis, a crafty white cow monster that could use Healing Magic. We hunted two of those. Somehow, we also killed five Gullinkambi and golden bird monsters that whizzed through the trees at blinding speeds with beaks that pierced metal. Finding their nest, we took eight of their golden eggs—each bigger than the largest ostrich egg on Earth. It was a great haul.
But the monsters here were tough, and we were pretty spent after the hunt. Although the Haunt’s encounter rate wasn’t as high as a Dungeon, staying here for extended periods of time was still a bad idea. Now that we’d finished our business, we should head home.
But before we could, a strange feeling came over the forest. The local monsters started to get agitated. The weaker ones in particular looked tense, as if they were terrified of something swooping down from above. The air became heavy, and even Jet looked restless.
Still, even when I used Being Sense, I couldn’t figure out the source of this agitation. Was it just me?
Soon, the source of terror revealed itself.
KABOOM!
“Huh?”
Whoa! What is that mana signature?
“Bark…”
Thunder rumbled through the Haunt as an immense mana signature emerged from near the crystal tree. It was so strong that I could feel it from all the way out here.
“Teacher, over there.”
Looks like some flying monsters.
A gigantic bird flew out of the crystal tree. It sparkled with a bluish white light. I couldn’t cast Identify on it from here, but one look was enough to remind me what it was.
It’s a Thunderbird, and there’s three Storm Eagles around it.
The Thunderbird was a B-Threat monster, while the Storm Eagles were D-Threats. The encyclopedia I read at the Adventurers’ Guild warned us about the Thunderbird, saying we should steer clear of its electric attacks. Its unrivaled speed made it the ruler of the Crystal Cage.
But the strange mana signature I sensed didn’t belong to the Thunderbird.
“Is someone fighting it?”
A figure jumped through the sky and clashed with the flock. This was the source of mana. We were quite a distance away from it, but the mana still reverberated here.
The aura belonged to a person. Somehow, they’d managed to trip my Danger Sense and Being Sense despite the great distance. I couldn’t make out the figure’s face, but their hair was done in a topknot and they were outfitted with dark blue equipment.
They fought the Thunderbird alone. I would’ve called it reckless if it didn’t look like they were winning.
“It’s starting.”
“Woof.”
Lightning streamed out of the Thunderbird’s beak. Megawatts of electricity lit up the forest, and thunderous rumbling echoed through the trees. The shadow easily dodged out of the way.
The attack would have been a killing blow for us, but it was likely no more than an opening feint to the Thunderbird. Its flock charged through the electricity, heading for the figure.
The bird’s speed must be imperceptible at close range. We could only see it move because we were watching the fight from such a distance.
In a show of superhuman reflexes, the figure dodged again.
Now I understood why the Thunderbird was an object of fear for the forest’s inhabitants. Flightless creatures were helpless in the face of its lightning and its speed. Even if a creature could move as fast, it still had to worry about the lightning.
Although it was the same threat level as the Daemon we’d faced, I didn’t think we stood a chance. Unlike the dungeon Daemon, the Thunderbird was unfettered and had access to all its abilities. Not to mention the Storm Eagles that served as its vanguard.
All of which made me wonder about this lone figure.
None of the birds’ attacks even grazed them, although the streams of electricity seemed to split the sky itself. In fact, it looked like the figure was baiting the flock to attack.
The eagles circled around the stranger in an effort to regroup, and the figure went on the offensive, eager to exploit the opening. Their counterattack was the beginning and end of this encounter.
“So many swords.”
Magic? Or is it a Skill?
The figure thrust out their hand and summoned a large number of swords all around them. The swords appeared so quickly, it was like they teleported into existence. I wasn’t sure if the figure had summoned them or if they were just manifestations. Each sword emitted great amounts of mana, and Identifying them revealed that each was as strong as an enchanted weapon.
The swords launched at the electric birds all at once.
Although they were slower than my Telekinetic Catapult, the sheer number of them overwhelmed the Thunderbird’s flock. There must’ve been about a hundred blades altogether, and they didn’t just fling themselves towards their targets, either. Instead, they fluttered about with the precision o
f a choreographed dance, leaving the birds no room for escape.
Enclosed in a cage of swords, the monsters fell one by one.
Even the Thunderbird, who struggled until the bitter end, had holes in its wings from the storm of swords. A greatsword dealt the killing blow, stabbing the Thunderbird in the neck. With that, the great lightning bird fell out of the sky in a tailspin.
“Wow.”
Yeah. Let’s try not to run into either of those things.
We didn’t know the stranger’s intentions. What if they were a bandit? They just beat a Thunderbird, a foe we had little chance of defeating, in an instant. I didn’t want to make an enemy of them if at all possible.
The figure disappeared towards the crystal tree, probably to claim their spoils.
We already got what we came for. Let’s pack up and head home.
“Hm.”
“Woof.”
We left the Crystal Cage, feeling as though we’d escaped the mysterious figure, and made our way back to Bulbola. We still needed to prepare the monster meat for our curry.
“Teacher, there’s a lot of people over there.”
Maybe they’re adventurers guarding a caravan.
“But something seems…off.”
We found the caravan on the highway, five carriages in total. Today was the first day of the Festival of the Moons, and we were about an hour from Bulbola. They were probably visitors from nearby villages heading over to take part in the festival. Fran was right, though. They were acting strange.
The caravan had stopped, and I could hear pained cries coming from their direction. Upon closer inspection, the leading carriage was riddled with arrows.
I think they’re being robbed.
The men surrounding the caravan were dressed rather crudely and didn’t look like your usual bodyguards. Plus, their swords were pointed towards the caravan rather than away from it. The bandits had even succeeded in destroying the lead carriage’s wheels.
“We have to help them!”
Step on it, Jet!
“Woof!”
As we dropped in from the air, we saw some female adventurers defending the caravan from the bandits.
“Don’t rough ’em up too badly, now! We can make a small fortune selling these ladies!”
“Hya ha ha! You got it!”
“I can’t wait to sample them!”