The Starter Hunting Ground

There is a place every hunter ends up visiting at least once.

The Starter Hunting Ground.

No one had ever officially named it, and yet it had settled into place like an unwritten law. Put simply, it was the hunting ground everyone used by default.

I had been here once myself, back in my academy days, on a field exercise.

There was a reason the place had earned that name. Nowhere else did a monster's ecosystem show itself so clearly.

Most hunting grounds hosted monsters of roughly the same rank. At most, the gap was a single grade.

This forest was different. From F-Rank all the way to A-Rank.

Monsters of every kind and grade shared a single wood and built an ecosystem inside it.

Near the entrance, F-Rank and E-Rank monsters made up most of the population, eating one another and stealing territory as they went. The ones that survived pushed deeper, so the farther in you went, the higher the ranks climbed of their own accord.

Past a certain point, the story changed.

Deep in the forest there was a boundary line. From there on, ordinary hunters were forbidden entry; the area was under administrative control.

The reason was simple. Beyond that line lived B-Rank monsters, and on rare occasions even A-Rank ones. The restriction was a measure taken for safety.

At that level, it would not have been strange for disaster to break out at any moment, and yet, strangely enough, nothing of B-Rank or higher ever came out past the boundary.

The reason had yet to be discovered.

Thanks to that, the Starter Hunting Ground had become the finest training ground a novice hunter could ask for.

At the entrance, you learned the basics of the hunt against weak monsters. A little deeper, and you felt in your own body just how dangerous a monster could be. And at the end, you stood before the boundary that barred the way and understood that beyond it waited things your present self could not handle.

At the same time, you came to understand what kind of world the hunter trade really was.

'Packed.'

Even before the forest proper, the entrance seethed with people.

Some checked their gear while talking with party members. Others hawked small goods and called out for customers. A few still waited for companions who had yet to arrive.

"Looking for one vanguard!"

"Anyone who can cover the rear!"

Off to one side, plenty of people were scrambling to throw together a same-day party.

They hadn't found anyone in advance, or someone had dropped out at the last minute. Some of them had probably just been too lazy to prepare beforehand.

The reasons, no doubt, were as varied as the people.

None of it had anything to do with me. I meant to move alone.

I had only just started toward the trees when someone caught hold of me.

"Excuse me!"

I turned. A man stood there, but my eyes were stolen by something other than the face in front of me.

The armor was... blinding.

A lot. No—an absurd amount.

Spotless silver plate without a single scratch, and a sword at his hip so buried in ornament that it could almost have been mistaken for a decorative piece. Every inch of him glittered.

'What.'

As if the world needed a separate walking jewelry store.

It wasn't cheap, and it wasn't fake. I couldn't speak to how practical any of it was, but the whole outfit was a young master from a good house, raised soft, who had decided to show up in a complete set.

Was this his first time, and he simply didn't know any better? Or was he just starving for attention?

Was there really a reason to stand out that much?

'Don't tell me he's a tank.'

If this was some new tactic for pulling monster aggro, I might have to give it credit.

While I was thinking that, the man came closer, beaming.

"Are you alone, by any chance?"

I was about to say no on the spot, then faltered at the look in his eyes. He was gazing up at me exactly like a puppy begging for a treat, and that alone stopped me.

"......Yes."

"Ah! Perfect!"

The man's face lit up.

"We're actually short exactly one person!"

With that, he pointed behind him. Following his gesture, I saw three men standing a short distance away.

One had a bow on his back. The other two carried a sword and a spear, respectively.

And the young master in front of me had a sword. So did I.

Was he not even looking at positions? That already made three people with swords.

"Come with us!"

One look at his face said he wasn't worried about any of that in the slightest.

"Do you know those people?"

"No! I met them for the first time today, too!"

Of course.

Just then the three behind him came over.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

They looked me up and down for a moment, then put on easy, good-natured smiles.

"Looks like your first time. Why don't you come along."

"It's safer to move as a party than to go in alone. We'll help you."

The man beside him chimed in at once.

"He's right. More people makes it easier on everyone."

Friendly. So friendly it was a problem.

Even so, they weren't even going to ask my rank?

The young master in front of me was clearly new, so I could write him off as knowing nothing.

These three were different. Their gear showed use, and they looked plenty accustomed to hunter work.

And still they didn't care about positions, and they didn't ask my rank? They weren't running a charity.

Nothing could have looked more suspicious.

"I'll pass."

"Huh?"

The young master's face fell in a way you couldn't miss. If he'd actually had a tail, it would have drooped straight to the ground.

"I've got something to handle on ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my own."

"Ah......"

"Take care."

Once I refused that clearly, thankfully, they didn't grab me. The other three wore faces that said it didn't matter to them anyway.

I turned. I could feel a disappointed gaze on the back of my head, but I ignored it and walked straight into the forest.

"So there was a limit."

A little disappointing.

Then again, it would have been absurd if there weren't one. Stuff hundreds of monsters in and crush everything with sheer numbers—who was going to stop that?

Even I had to admit it would be ridiculously broken.

Still.

Catching more wasn't blocked outright. I simply couldn't deploy them. Anything over the cap could be stored separately.

Coming back to restock before I ranked up to D-Rank would be a hassle, so I might as well fill it as much as I could.

I'd already taken quite a few around here. To move somewhere else, I climbed a tree and unfolded Ghost Shadow Steps.

I was traveling along the branches, scanning the ground below, when—

"Aaaagh!"

A scream, sharp and clear.

'Close.'

I changed direction at once. A few crossings through the branches on Ghost Shadow Steps, and the source of the sound came into view.

'Those guys from earlier.'

The rich young master who had asked me to join them stood with his back against a thick tree, sword in hand.

Terror had him. The hand on the hilt was trembling uncontrollably.

In front of him, the three men from before were slowly closing the distance. A little farther off, a man I took for the owner of the scream lay collapsed in a pool of blood.

Looked like the replacement they'd picked up in my place.

The situation... I had the shape of it well enough.

"Let's do this the easy way."

One of the men stepped forward.

"With hands like those, you really think you can swing a sword properly?"

At the mocking tone, the young master's face went stiff.

"Why... why are you doing this!"

At that, the three looked at one another. A moment later:

"Money."

"I'm in it for fun."

"Both."

Not a shred of guilt showed in any of the answers. The sheer brazenness left the young master staring, mouth hanging open.

"What did you say?"

"Honestly. Does there have to be some grand reason?"

The man at the front let out a short laugh.

"You think you can pull something like this and walk away clean?!"

"Walk away clean?"

At that, all of them burst out laughing.

"Just don't get caught."

"Right, right."

One of the men shrugged.

"Slap the name Pandora on it, and an escape route pretty much makes itself."

Pandora.

An alliance of the underworld, thrown together by criminals and the wicked. With every sort of scum gathered under it, it was hardly some grand organization bound tight as one.

But it hid you when you needed hiding, dealt when you needed a deal, and opened a hole to run through. For criminals, it was nothing short of paradise.

"That can't be......"

"You get it now?"

The man with the spear stepped forward, smiling.

"So if you'll just behave—"

In that instant, I kicked off the branch.

I dropped onto the spearman's head.

A sickening crunch.

"What the—!"

The archer, standing off to the side, jolted and raised his bow.

As he moved to draw, I sent a crescent slash ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flying.

The keen cut split the air and sheared through the wrist holding the bow.

"Gyaaah!"

Clutching the severed wrist, he dropped to his knees.

"You little shit! Die!"

I looked up at the sword falling toward my head.

Instead of batting it aside, I set my blade at an angle and took the blow. The moment the edges met, I twisted my wrist.

His sword slid off to the side. Into the chest he'd left wide open, I drew my blade.

A clean, ripping slash.

Then silence.

"Whoa......"

A gasp of awe slipped out behind me.

I turned my head. The young master was staring at me, eyes round.

"Thank you for saving me! I would have died!"

He bowed at the waist in thanks, then looked up at me with shining eyes.

"You're incredible! It really was over in an instant!"

"......"

"Two ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of them were E-Rank, and one was D-Rank... whoa."

"D-Rank?"

Which one?

"Huh? Oh, that person."

He was pointing at the spearman I had ambushed first.

'Didn't even notice.'

I hadn't meant to, but I'd picked well. Downward Strike was pretty useful, too.

"Urgh......"

The archer with the severed wrist curled on the ground, groaning.

"What should we do with him?"

"Tie him up and report it."

"Ah, I'll do it!"

He moved the moment he answered.

He found a dropped terminal, filed the report, then produced a rope from who knows where and lashed the swordsman and the archer—both still breathing—tight to a tree.

'The rest will sort itself out.'

My business here was done, and I was about to go looking for monsters again when—

"Hyung-nim!"

He stuck to me.

"Since when am I your hyung."

"You saved my life!"

"...So?"

"I will never forget this kindness! That's why I'm going to look up to you as my hyung-nim!"

"I don't need that, so how about you leave."

I ignored him and kept going.

"Hyung-nim! Where are you going? This little brother will follow you!"

"...Aren't you supposed to be over there?"

"The report is already finished."

"You filed a report, so someone has to wait until they show up."

"It's all right! I sent the location, and the criminals are tied up good and tight!"

"......"

"Oh, Hyung-nim, my name is Seo Hajun!"

Seo Hajun clapped a hand on my shoulder and glued himself to my side.

'What am I supposed to do with this kid.'

I set the faint ache starting in my head aside, and was just about to peel him off when—

"What?"