|Himeko Aomine — Aspiring Hunter|
"Come on, Ace!"
"Coming, Master Utsushi!"
I run through the dirt pathway as I catch up to Master Utsushi. We are currently running through the forest of the Shrine Ruins region to start my first hunt as a full-time hunter. Usually, we use the other place for someone like me, but after Lord Omnevis took over this region, we know which part of the region is safe and which is not.
We are good as long as we use the safer part of the region.
Speaking of Lord Omnevis, he became some kind of deity in our village. Me? I believe in his divinity, but he is not the almighty deity. He is powerful, but he is not someone who is all-knowing and all-powerful.
However, that is what makes us love him even more. He is approachable. He loves food and is willing to play with us.
I still remember how he took me and the others on his back to fly around the village. It was the greatest thing I've ever felt. Soaring through the sky is an experience I will never forget.
Lord Omnevis does not demand that we worship him; he is more than happy to help us when we need him.
Every once in a while, he will help us defend the Red Stronghold against the rampaging monsters. Some of us want him to keep helping us, but Lord Omnevis told us that we need to be able to defend against the horde because we cannot depend on him every time there is trouble.
And I agree with him. He is a God, and we cannot exploit his kindness. That is what got us into this mess to begin with. I know about the legend of the Kind God and the humans who betray him.
I don't know if that legend is true or not, but when there is smoke, there is fire somewhere.
Maybe it is an Elder Dragon that gets betrayed, maybe it is a real God. The bottom line? Don't exploit the kindness of a powerful being shown to you. The result will be ugly.
"What took you so long, Ace?!"
"Give me a break, Master Utsushi! You run like there is a Rathalos behind you."
"You are just slow, Ace! Maybe we should train your agility some more! A full course!"
I get pale at his words and shudder at the memory of his full course training.
"There is no need to do that, Master Utsushi!"
There is no way I want to go through that hell again.
"Anyway! What are we doing here, Master Utsushi?"
"We are here to hunt, of course! Hinoa is kind enough to give you an official mission. Here. Take a look at this."
I take the paper and see that I must hunt a pack of Jagras. It looks like a devout Felyne wants us to take care of the Jagras who block the path to the nearby Shrine to worship Lord Omnevis.
Ah, I know that shrine. It is a shrine built by the carpenter and blessed by Lord Omnevis. Anyone who stays in that place will have their mind cleared. I once stayed in that shrine for the night after training, and when I woke up, my mind felt fresh and the invisible weight I didn't know I had lifted.
"The scout already looks ahead and gives the green light. We don't need to herd them away; we can kill them. There are a lot of Jagras in the area, and killing this pack will make sure the ecosystem is balanced."
Master Utsushi looks at me and grins.
"That means you can go all out, Ace! Show me what you learn from all the training."
"Yes, sir!"
I give a salute and ride my Palamute, Ado, to go through the forest. My Palico, Kira, sits on my shoulder, and I open the map. According to the mission, the pack of Jagras is located in Area 3. That is the designation Elder Fugen put to make hunting and exploration easier.
We cannot go to Area 11 through 13 without a full party or a high-ranking Master Hunter. Kamura does not have any G-rank or even a Legendary Frontier Hunter. This part of the continent does not have high-ranking hunters, so we create an alliance between regions. It is to ensure we can help each other in need.
There is a rumor that someone from Yukumo Village is reaching G-rank, but it was a long time ago, and I hear she is retired.
Anyway, only a high-ranking Master Hunter can enter those areas because, according to Lord Omnevis, that part is where the Apex or the Alpha monster stays.
Areas 9 and 10 are also off limits to me because those areas are the hunting ground for those Apex and Alpha monsters. That means there is a chance of them seeing me as a delicious meat.
I shake my head and focus on Area 3. It is a bamboo forest with the shrine sitting on a small hill in the middle of the bamboo forest. The mission also says a group of Melynx and Felynes is making a nest in that area.
While the Melynx love to steal something from the caravan that passes through, they are not a threat. As long as you lock the most valuable thing, they will not be a problem. As the local Felynes, as long as you do not provoke them, they are good.
I look at the terrain and create a plan in my head. As someone who uses a longsword, I am not good at fighting in a place without a large space. The bamboo forest will prevent me from doing maneuvers or techniques that I need in my hunt.
Because of this, I need to herd them through the bamboo forest and enter the opening not too far away from their nest.
With that plan in mind, I nod and put away the map.
"Kira"
"Yes, meowster~?"
"We will use the Fishing Lure tactic. I need you to herd the Jagras to my location. You and Ado will ensure they arrive at me so I can fight them without worrying about the bamboo."
"O-kay, Meowster! Leave it to this purr-fessional, nya~!"
With that plan, we depart for Area 3 and arrive after a few minutes. We are now in a small clearing, perfect for me to hunt.
"Ado. Kira. It is time for you to lure them."
"O-kay, Meowster!"
While waiting for them, I decide to sharpen my sword, and just as I am done sharpening my sword, I can see Kira and Ado running toward me with a pack of Jagras behind them.
"Meowster! Incoming, nya! I've got a whole paw-ty followin' me~! Hope you're ready to claw 'em down, nya-ha~!"
I grin and dash forward. As Ado and Kira jump away, I swing my sword at the first Jagras. My first attack cut through the Jagras' body but did not kill it. I thrust my sword and pushed deeper into the wound while Ado and Kira blocked the other Jagras from attacking me.
After killing the first Jagras, I target another one. I swing my sword, and use my wirebug to go into the air when they try to jump at me. I move my body and use the gravity to stab one of the Jagras in the head, killing it instantly.
I throw a kunai at the one trying to jump at me and stab it right in the eye. With it distracted, I dash forward and swing my sword upward. I cut through the soft spot of Jagras' scales and cut its head clean off.
With a deep breath, I dash forward and swing my sword while dashing. I use my inner energy to activate my technique, and when I am done, I can hear an explosion happening behind me.
When I turn around, all of the Jagras are dead, and my job is done.
"Perfect, Ace~"
I turn around and see Master Utsushi land. I can see him grinning at my performance.
"However, there are a few things we can fix in that hunt. But! It is something we can discuss later. For now, let's go to the shrine. We should make a camp."
"Eh? We are staying here, Master?"
"Yes. Elder Fugen requires me to check on the upper area. He needs me to make a note of which monsters are staying in that area."
"Ah, you are doing a census."
"Bingo! In case they go on a rampage, we will be ready."
I nod, and the two of us walk to the hill not too far away from us. We walk through a thick bamboo forest and see a small clearing with a shrine sitting in the middle of it. The shrine is not too big, but it is big enough for the people to stay there comfortably.
We walk close to the shrine, but immediately stop when we see someone coming out of the shrine.
"I have been waiting for you two. Come in."
It is Lord Omnevis!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hey! If you want to support me, you can go to my P@treon! ([email protected]/abis1dua). Don't worry. You will be charged the day you become a member instead of each 1st month.
There are at least five chapters ready for you to read.
At the moment, I post 3 times a week. However, I will add one post per week for each $20 income in my P@treon.