Chapter 15
Chapter 15
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Hunting
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"Kyaaang!!"
"Hmmm..."
I hurled my hand axe once more, butchering the monster with a head that looked just like a dog's.
Ah, not as an insult—it really had a dog's head.
The monster I'd just taken down was called a gnoll.
It had physical abilities similar to a goblin's, but its keen sense of smell made it a bit trickier than your average goblin.
"Sure enough, nothing but weak monsters around here."
It had been about six hours since I left the city.
I didn't have a watch, so it wasn't exact—just a rough guess from the sun's position.
I set down the hand axe I'd been holding for replication.
'Looks like no major problems so far...'
There wasn't much chance of getting lost, and no dangerous monsters in sight.
At this rate, I'd reach the city without issue.
But I was mulling over something else.
"Tch. At least one..."
I stared at the gnoll's corpse and touched the gear at my waist.
-Shing...
Hanging at my waist wasn't a throwing hand axe, but a longsword of decent size.
I'd always stuck to ranged throwing weapons since I lacked confidence in close combat.
But heading alone to another city, I'd bought this for self-defense.
'What the hell, 30 silver for this.'
The price was brutal, but having a sword at my hip made me feel secure.
I could've gone for a cheaper shortsword or spear, but I deliberately chose a sword.
The memory of that black sacred object taking the form of a sword in the ruins lingered.
"Though calling it 'used' is a stretch."
I'd just replicated it and swung; the sword devoured the thing on its own.
Still, that beautiful sword form kept flashing in my mind, leading to this impulse buy.
'Might as well try it out since I bought it.'
It's a guy's instinct to practice swordplay even with a stick on the roadside.
Now with a real longsword at my hip—not a stick—my hand itched more and more.
'I tested it on some trees, and it fits my hand surprisingly well.'
Plus, swinging it at the air or roadside trees on the way here felt oddly natural.
"Hmm. Next monster that pops out, I'll aim for the legs with an axe throw, then close in and slash..."
Muttering to myself, I resolved to test the sword next time a monster appeared.
And the opportunity came sooner than expected.
-Rustle.
'From behind?'
I'd just entered the foothills of the small mountain range between my old city and my destination, Revel.
My sharp hearing picked up the bushes shaking.
But...
'Multiple...'
The sounds and presences weren't from a single monster.
Tense, I drew a hand axe.
After a quick think, I swiftly climbed a nearby tree thick with leaves.
'Whoa, insane. I climbed this in one go?'
Amazed at my monkey-like agility, my improved vision spotted figures emerging from the direction of the noise.
They were...
'People?'
Not monsters—people.
Five men, faces grim, pushing through the brush toward where I'd been.
I gripped my axe tight, not dropping my guard, and waited.
As they drew closer, their conversation filtered up.
"Damn... this bastard doesn't tire? What, he came all the way here?"
"Forget it. We saw the gnoll corpse on the way. He's not far."
"Actually, this works out. No witnesses in these mountains, and easy to dump the body..."
'What? Who are these guys?'
Suspicious talk.
Judging by their direction, they started from my old city too—but instead of crossing to Revel, they seemed to be hunting someone.
"No guarantee that corpse is his work."
"Didn't you see the wounds? Axe marks, thrown from range."
"That's him."
'...Me? They're after me?'
The "gnoll corpse" mention felt off, but their emphasis on thrown axe wounds confirmed it—they were hunting me.
One man, eyeing footprints and broken brush, grumbled irritably.
"Damn, what a hassle... Rick! That story from before—it true?"
"Yeah. I saw it clear as day. That guy came out of the temple."
Rick nodded confidently.
And beside him, a vaguely familiar-looking man backed him up.
"Yeah. I saw him go into the smithy. Bought not one, but several pieces of gear."
"Temple healing and gear shopping... pockets full for sure."
"Exactly! An E-rank adventurer hunting goblins—where'd he get that cash? Must've scored big from that mage bitch!"
'Fuck.'
Listening on, I realized why they were after me.
The familiar face was definitely the guy from the smithy... and the other must've seen me leave the temple.
Temple treatments cost a fortune.
Laila's Master covered mine this time, but even minor heals ran dozens of silvers—proper ones, several golds.
To others, me walking out healed screamed "rich mark."
'Witnesses... bodies... those bastards...'
This explained the shady stares at the Adventurer's Guild.
They planned to kill me and rob me blind.
'Knew most adventurers were thugs.'
Apparently, their shabby gear wasn't cutting it anymore.
Never thought greed would have them chase me this far...
'Can't run.'
Mountain path—no paved trail like modern Earth.
Pure wild, rugged terrain.
Deadly beasts and monsters lurked; ankle-grabbing brush everywhere.
Fleeing here?
I'd be caught quick.
Plus, six hours out and they'd caught up—they knew tracking.
'Negotiation... impossible.'
They came to kill from the start.
Show myself?
They'd cut me down on sight.
Other options?
Maybe.
But weighing them all, one conclusion remained.
'...Kill them all.'
Massacre.
The moment I decided to slaughter these five men, my heart pounded wildly, blood boiling through my veins.
Fear?
Revulsion at killing humans?
No.
This was...
'...Excitement...'
My body heated up, primed for battle.
Just like when lust surged creating Laila's replica.
'Practically a beast.'
Not just enhanced physicals and senses—something deeper had changed.
I needed to investigate soon, but first, I touched the hand axe at my waist.
'Replication.'
Replication
Hand Axe duplicated effortlessly amid heightened focus.
Pre-battle focus at its peak? I replicated the new hand axe easily, without much drain or prior mastery.
My arm muscles swelled; the world slowed.
-Whirr!!!
The axe shot from my hand.
-Thwack!!!
Rick's skull shattered!
Suspected instigator eliminated.
"Gurk...!"
"Rick!!!"
The skull-crushing sound of Rick—the one who'd spotted me at the temple—signaled the fight's start.
-Whish! Splatter! Crash!!!
Seizing their panic, I kept replicating hand axes.
First time chaining replications like this, but battle-heightened focus made it possible.
"Gaaah! My... my arm!!"
Next axe hit the smithy guy's arm.
I'd aimed for his head, but humans dodged better than dumb monsters, ducking behind trees.
"Fuck... what the hell! That E-rank bastard?"
"Told you to shut up and move quiet!"
Seeing a comrade's head explode, they freaked, hiding behind trees and yelling.
I hoped they'd cower there, but the burliest bellowed.
"Shut up, you idiots! First time seeing a man die?"
Snapping at his panicking crew, he coldly eyed my direction.
"You've killed plenty before—don't pussy out! Morons, shields up! We knew he throws axes!"
"R-right..."
"Ignore Rick! He pushed for the hunt—his fault for dying!"
Cold, ruthless—no brotherhood.
But to fellow trash, it rallied them.
They shook off panic, raising shields from their backs.
'Shields? All of them have one?'
Not high-quality, but enough to cover their bodies.
I tested with another throw...
-Clang!!
"Ugh!! Wh-what strength...!"
The blocker staggered in shock, but they blocked easily now, advancing.
'Tch.'
They knew my identity, my goblin-hunting style—came prepared.
Wished axes alone could've ended it...
"Victor, you circle right... Leban, left."
Ignoring Rick's corpse and the armless guy, the remaining three spread out calmly, shields up, closing in.
Their leader—the one who'd rallied them—called from behind his shield.
"Yuseong! Stop resisting! You know why we're here... let's not waste energy. Make it easy!"
"Fuck off, asshole."
"Cocky after sniping Rick? That shit won't work now! Drop your weapons, hand over your stuff. Might let you live."
Obvious lie, stalling as his men encircled me.
'Run back...'
I considered dodging flanks, fleeing uphill—but my heart throbbed stronger.
'...Why run?'
Instead, I saw them spread out to surround me—easy prey, isolated in my eyes.
Far from rational.
Throwing axes while kiting might break their shields first.
Their shielded advance was slow enough to outpace anyway—running made sense.
But...
-Thud!!!
"What the...!"
-Boom! Boom!
My heart surged.
Feeling primal fury rise, I kicked off the branch and leaped down, charging the nearest man.
-Shing!!
Drawing the longsword I'd never used in real combat.