Chapter 13
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Hungry Slayer
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Dane and Bankers woke up in the tent pitched in the yard.
The hunting party was equipped with tents and field beds so they could depart at any moment. It reflected the Lucas Hunting Party's gypsy-like tendencies.
Just joining the hunting party meant food and lodging were provided. The members covered operating costs through their hunts and took a share of the profits as their cut.
So they planned to fill their bellies to the brim with prairie rabbit stew right after waking up and then head out to hunt.
"Newbie hunters usually apprentice and pick up skills on the job, but we're short-handed, so we'll jump straight into hunting. Learn as you catch 'em," River had said, though truthfully, she wasn't so sure of herself.
She had only just heard the story about Dane taking down sixty Epups all by himself.
'A guy who soloed sixty Epups... what could I possibly have to teach him...?' Still, as the senior member and vice captain, she steeled herself to do her part.
"Today, we're hunting a Galaromotor," River declared in a spirited voice, laying out her ambitions.
"Kraa... impressive right out the gate." Bankers gulped down his stew bowl and all, marveling at both the flavor and the prey they were after.
"What's a Galaromotor like?" Dane had never hunted one before. He'd recognize it on sight. But the name alone didn't connect to anything.
River and Bankers took turns explaining.
"It's a mid-sized monster. Territorial, but lives solo, no packs."
"That long horn on its snout bridge makes it a scary bastard. Step into its territory, and it goes berserk charging at you."
"That's why right now, while it's holding its turf, is the perfect time to hunt. Come mating season, they roam beyond their territories, so you avoid 'em then."
Dane's ears perked up at the mention of a mid-sized monster. A new one, too. A fine chance to build up his strength for once.
"Hunting a mid-sized monster with just three of us won't be easy. But... if we nail the patterns, it's doable. Dane, I'll be expecting big things from you." River said. She saw it as a chance to gauge his skills.
"Dane, you soloed a mid-sized one..."
Dane gave Bankers a subtle nudge with his shoulder. A signal to keep quiet.
Bankers itched to speak, his scales twitching.
* * *
To scout the Galaromotor's territory, the Lucas Hunting Party headed to the Hunter Information Center located within the town.
The building next to the administrative office was busier than anywhere Dane had visited.
"Is that guy Dane?"
The party's entrance drew excessive stares. It was only natural after yesterday's events.
"Rumor has it he joined looking for a bride. That true?"
"Then didn't he join the wrong party? The vice captain's basically a nun, haha."
"And a lizardman to boot. What a combo."
"Only the Lucas Hunting Party, right?"
The jokes were a bit much, but River paid them no mind and shoved through the crowd.
"Lots of interest, huh? Haha!"
Bankers followed, slapping the hunters' shoulders. His light taps sent their bodies swaying. The commotion died down.
The information center's setup felt utterly alien to Dane.
Roots rose to waist height, curled into circular tables scattered everywhere. Semitransparent crystal orbs sat atop each one.
"Those crystal orbs... I saw them when I registered for the exam," Dane said.
"You handle info checks, quest accepts, reports—all through those. You'll be stroking them plenty from now on." River explained as she found an empty spot.
Sure enough, plenty of hunters were caressing the orbs. The occasional twitch of eyelids on those with eyes closed was intriguing.
"You can learn all that just by stroking it?"
No proper scientific tech in this place, yet a system like this—it was astonishing. Dane wondered how it worked.
"Give it a try."
River gave a light nod toward the orb. Dane placed his hand atop it.
Just like before, a warm energy spread from below upward.
"Ah..."
In that instant, information flooded Dane's mind. No words were spoken, yet a conversation was happening. The orb knew Dane, and what the orb knew became what Dane knew.
No sounds, no speech, but it unfolded naturally.
He thought of what he wanted to know. As a test, the location of Dleksadhak. Nothing came up. Unknown monsters were naturally beyond reach.
'Then... Galaromotor...'
Imaginary roots extended from Dane. Like viewing from above, a map of the town and surroundings drew itself in his head.
Their territories lay half a day's travel southwest from the western gate.
He recalled a few whose names he knew. The info cut off at mid-sized monsters.
No further progress, so Dane slowly opened his eyes and lifted his hand.
"How does this even work?"
"When you first registered for the exam, your info got stored. The elves would've added your pass status and rank. You can only access stuff matching your rank."
Even River's explanation didn't make it click.
"Some kind of magic?"
"The elves call it resonance."
"Resonance?"
"Something about living things being able to empathize on contact... that's the gist. I don't get the complicated stuff."
"So the orb's alive?"
"It's called a Tienun of the World Tree—a parasitic lifeform on the World Tree. Any info a Tienun learns gets shared with the World Tree, the elves, and all Tienun."
It had seemed like a simple transparent globe, but learning it was alive sent a strange chill through him.
"Connected across the continent through the roots, huh." That part was even more frightening and amazing.
'A full-on network. They control the flow of information.'
The elves weren't world overlords for nothing.
Protecting the World Tree was important, of course. It blocked monsters, drawing other races to elf-made cities, making them revere elves as the world's guardians.
But the true foundation of their power was this info monopoly—the unique system sharing data across their kind.
'The World Tree doubles as the main server. Managing and protecting it carries that meaning too.'
An unexpected glimpse into the inner workings. The other races seemed oblivious, but Dane felt a twinge of fear toward the elves.
'Dunno how much they know, but with managed info like this, it's gotta be quick.'
Far more efficient than roaming the continent chasing scents and tracks. Becoming a hunter seemed like a huge boon in more ways than one.
He pushed the worries aside for now. Time to make full use of it first.
"The Galaromotors are southwest of the western gate."
"Nice work. Let's head out." After Bankers finished his practice run, the group turned to leave.
* * *
The grass lay flattened in uniform depth and width. A musky stench wafted thickly from between the stalks.
"This is Galaromotor territory now." Dane followed River's gaze into the distance.
'That's a Galaromotor.'
A rhinoceros-like quadruped monster. The sharply protruding horn was plenty threatening. Its bulk easily topped five meters.
Even at a distance where they could see each other, it showed no reaction. As expected, it ignored anything outside its territory.
Bankers set down the bundle of stakes he'd carried half a day. Gear for taking down the Galaromotor.
"We'll do some prep first. Watch closely." River slid a long iron rod through the hole in the center of the tall stakes, linking them into two rows. A clustered fence shape.
The stakes' bottoms were beveled at an angle. Placing the cut end on the ground made them tilt forward at about forty-five degrees.
Dane guessed the purpose of the sharp stake cluster.
"A trap, huh."
"Yep. That's why you need at least two people. Four if you wanna play it safe." One lures the Galaromotor, then at the right moment, the hiders plant the stakes. Once impaled under the neck, they start the attack—that was the plan.
His first party hunt. Dane felt a small thrill.
"Roles: Dane lures, I handle stakes, Bankers attacks. Soon as you step inside the territory, it'll react. Dash in quick, keep your distance, then loop back."
They moved right into action.
The moment Dane crossed the boundary and charged, it snorted and stamped its feet.
He anticipated from the contracting muscles. Charge followed by a long horn gouge to launch him airborne.
Gauging its speed, he whipped around at the right distance.
"Rrkfk! Rkfk!"
The Galaromotor pursued Dane with a monstrous cry of rage and challenge.
Their distance narrowed to a razor-thin margin.
River and Bankers came into view, hidden amid the low brush.
"Jump!"
On River's signal, as Dane leaped over the trap, she yanked the rope connected to the stakes.
"Rrkfk!!!!"
With exquisite precision, a stake pierced the underside of the Galaromotor's neck. Bankers sprang out and drove his spear deep into the side.
The stake weighing down its neck kept its most dangerous horn from working properly.
Bankers nimbly targeted the thrashing beast's neck and belly. After dozens of spear thrusts, it slowly collapsed.
"Rkfk...."
Thanks to Bankers' brute strength, the first party hunt ended smoothly. Quite the sense of accomplishment.
"Nice! We synced up great. You did good." River was genuinely pleased, and Bankers grinned with pride.
Dane smacked his lips and scratched his head.
"We should grab one more."
His eyes locked on the Galaromotor in the next territory over.
He'd cringed watching Bankers' attacks ruin the glowing belly portion, but hadn't stopped him.
"Hey! We're not ready yet!!"
Dane left River's desperate shout behind and vaulted straight over the boundary into the adjacent territory.
At the same instant, the Galaromotor that had ignored its kin's death came charging with a snort.
Dane sprinted straight at it. One hunt had taught him the pattern.
"Rkfkfkfkfk!"
It charged low-headed on short legs—no room to dive underneath. Dodging left or right stayed in horn range.
He matched the rhythm to the ground-shaking thuds.
One. Two. Three.
-Boom!
Collision.
Dane smacked the stabbing horn aside with his cleaver to halve its force, then rode the lifting power.
His body, meant to fly back, instead slid over the beast and behind it.
In the split second Dane vanished from its sight, he jammed his cleaver into the upper butt and hung on.
"Fmahh!!!!"
He wedged a hand into the torn hide, then slammed the blade down again, carving a deep gash in front of one foreleg.
He carved four handholds into the rampaging back and clambered up. The nape was right before his eyes.
-Pshk!
"Rkfk!"
The madly charging beast sprayed a fountain of crimson into the air.
Carrying Dane, the Galaromotor barreled toward River and Bankers before crashing to the ground.
Silence stretched as the monster gurgled its blood-choked death cry.
Dane had proven his story to Bankers in a flash. But to River, it was unheard of.
"Crazy, how..."
"Uhahahaha! You weren't kidding! It's real!!!"
Dane, as if deaf to his comrades' voices, moved straight to the next step.
'Glowing pork belly.'
His hands worked solely for that.
River's shocked heart refused to settle.