Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: To Catch a Hunter, Go to the Hunter Guild (5)
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Unlike my plan to aim for a natural encounter, my body shot forward on its own, driven by the thought that I had to save her first.
I couldn't just stand there and watch that mage get killed by the Woodrello. My legs were already moving busily toward her, right before the next attack landed, to protect her.
"……!! ……!!"
I leaped in front of the mage, still bound and groaning by the tree roots, gripping my greatsword in front of me and swinging it wide.
"Hraaah!!"
Perfectly timed with the start of combat—just once. A technique that dealt far more damage than a regular slash.
I used Heavy Slash to cleave the Woodrello's descending stem in half right above her head.
"……Huh?"
The mage (maybe) whose life I'd suddenly saved blinked in confusion as our eyes met. I sliced through the roots binding her ankles with Double Slash, then yelled at the dazed woman.
Schwick, schwick!
"……?"
"Run! What are you staring at?!"
"……!!"
Snapping out of it at my words, she grabbed her staff and tried to stand, but her body collapsed back to the ground moments later.
-Thud!
"...Ow."
"What are you doing?!"
"M-My leg's cramping...."
"You really have the worst luck!"
While the mage fumbled with this ridiculous issue, the Woodrello's next attack came straight at her. In a pinch, I spread my greatsword wide and formed a barrier of ki.
-Claaang!!
"Nngh...!"
It was a defense against a B-Rank monster, so it didn't block the damage completely.
One more hit like that, and I wouldn't have the strength left to swing my sword—let alone run.
"You seriously can't stand?!"
"It cramped up...."
"Argh, seriously!"
I barely held back a curse and roughly tossed my greatsword to the ground.
Then I scooped up the 160cm woman sprawled on the floor with both arms. In this situation, escaping with this mage apprentice seemed impossible any other way.
"Nng, don't touch weird places."
"Just stay still!"
My hands brushed her chest and butt, sure. But I had no time to savor the softness—I just grabbed whatever I could and bolted from the Woodrello.
Fighting it alone right now would be suicide. Holding the female hunter in a princess-carry-like pose and getting away from the monster as fast as possible was my best bet.
I regretted leaving the greatsword, but I didn't have enough hands. And obviously, what I needed to save was this woman, not the sword.
I knew better than anyone that materials had replacements, but lives didn't.
-Whoosh, boom!
'Groooar....'
Dodging the Woodrello's attacks somehow, I headed into the terrain of ancient trees where it would be hard for the thing to follow, carrying the mage. That's when the woman in my arms mumbled something to me.
Her stone-cold expression from the start had cracked just a bit, her face slightly flushed.
"...Over there."
"What now?!"
"Put me down."
"Pardon?"
"Just for a bit. Put me down."
What? Suicidal?
I glanced at the Woodrello still chasing us, albeit slowly, and shook my head no.
"Are you crazy? You know what happens if I put you down now?"
"I can win right now."
"Win? You'd get crushed."
"For real. My magic's coming back."
The mage (self-proclaimed) in my arms brazenly muttered that without changing expression.
As proof of her skill, she pulled out her hunter ID from her bosom and showed it to me.
「Cha Yu-ri, A-Rank」 "Huh?"
The ID clashed so hard with her actions so far that my mind went blank.
This... no, this woman was an A-Rank hunter?
"Put me down quick. It's coming now."
"……."
"If not now, who knows when it'll block again. Hurry."
Screw it.
I set down the hunter named Cha Yu-ri roughly and got ready to scoop her up and run again if her magic failed.
"If it fails again, I'm carrying you out."
"Shut up, you're breaking my focus."
Man, I wanna smack her upside the head.
Ignoring me completely, the red-haired mage held her staff forward and chanted something.
-Thud, thud, thud!
'Grrooooh...!!'
She aimed her mana-infused spell at the Woodrello crashing through the ancient trees after us.
"...Shatter to pieces, Screw Tornado."
"...Shatter to pieces, Screw Tornado." ⟨ Screw Tornado ⟩
Even I, a magic newbie, could feel the mana surging around her—totally different from before. The red gem on her staff gleamed too.
Showing her first mage-like moment, her spell shot straight at the approaching Woodrello's face.
'Grk...?'
The Woodrello paused, as if assessing the situation after her mana hit it.
'Gr, grooooh...!!'
Then it shattered into thousands of wood splinters amid a deep roar of agony.
"……."
I stared blankly at what was left of the Woodrello—just the core. The 5-circle mage who'd cast Screw Tornado turned to me with a shameless grin.
"Told you it'd come out."
...I didn't think it'd actually work.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After Cha Yu-ri, the A-Rank hunter, obliterated the Woodrello, we headed back to where she'd first faced it—to retrieve my dropped gear.
Luckily, my greatsword was still there. No plant-based monsters in this forest would steal it anyway.
"Phew."
It was an expensive purchase back in middle school, one I'd swung wildly every day without fail.
Losing it like that would've stung. Though saving a life with it meant no regrets even if it was gone.
I brushed off the dirt and moss from blade and hilt, slung it on my back. Then the red-haired mage spoke thanks from behind me.
"Thanks for saving me."
"...Thanks?"
"But don't go blabbing about it."
"Pardon?"
"If word gets out an A-Rank got saved by a C-Rank guy, it'll be too embarrassing to show my face in this business."
...Not sure if this counts as pure gratitude.
"Wasn't planning to anyway."
"...Really?"
"Who'd believe an apprentice male hunter saved an A-Rank's life? Lucky not to get laughed at."
"...What... app-, apprentice? Not even C-Rank...?"
"See for yourself if you don't believe me."
I showed her my wooden apprentice hunter ID. She plopped down and muttered to herself.
"App-, apprentice.... Saved by a male hunter no less...."
"……."
"And princess-carried by a guy too.... So embarrassing I wanna die...."
...Should've just let her die.
I shoved the mean thought aside, sat down to meet her eyes, and asked to clear up my doubts—in exchange for saving her life.
"Can I ask one thing as payment for saving you?"
"...As long as you don't spread it around."
"I said I won't."
"Then ask."
"You can cast 5-circle magic. Why'd you wait till you were about to die?"
No matter how I saw it, her initial flailing looked like panic from failed magic. But after I saved her, she shredded the Woodrello with 5-circle. She had talent, no doubt.
Curious about the gap—and why no magic till I intervened—I asked.
"It was blocked."
"Pardon?"
"Tried to cast, but it just... wouldn't come out."
"First time today?"
"No, two months ago."
"……Pardon?"
...Two months? Did I hear wrong?
"You couldn't use magic for two months and still fought a B-Rank in a C-Rank dungeon?!"
"Last shot."
"Pardon?"
"Thought real combat, life on the line, might bring it back. Maybe I lacked desperation."
"Haa...."
Even recklessness has limits. Facing a B-Rank alone, no backup, was insane.
"What if it didn't work this time?"
"Told you, last try."
"...Pardon?"
"If not, that was it. Over."
"……."
...I'd taken that 50 expected points by her face too lightly.
High points meant deep affection—someone desperate, psychologically cornered.
Seeing her ready to die over lost magic, I vaguely got why I'd awakened this ability.
"...Good thing it came back."
"Yeah."
Standing with her staff, Cha Yu-ri smiled at me for the first time.
"I'll repay you for today later. On leave over the magic block—no free time now."
"Take your time."
"Not saying no need to repay?"
"Of course not."
Whatever her story, I wasn't giving up those 60 points by her face.
...Wait, did the number go up a bit?
"Wanna hunt together next time instead of repaying the favor?"
"No can do. Guild employee."
"Pardon?"
"Rented guild facilities under a fake name for rehab."
"Got it."
"But after reinstatement and next paycheck, dinner's on me."
"Sounds good."
If dinner led to drinks, I could build rapport and steer to sex.
Standing, Cha Yu-ri swung her staff in the air like a ceremony, chanting her finisher from before—to confirm her magic was fully back, probably.
"...Shatter with the wind~. Screw Tornado~."
"……."
"……."
...No magic again?
"Sc-, Screw... Tornado...."
"……."
"Sh-Shatter.... Cannon Cyclone...."
"……."
"Slash.... Wind... Cutter...."
"……."
Looks like her magic returning was just a fluke. Blocked again, just like she said.
"I wanna die...."
"D-Don't say that! It worked once, it'll work again!"
"Who knows when.... Pointless...."
Watching her mood swing from sky-high to pit in seconds, I pondered how to cheer her up when a system window popped up.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ 『Emergency Quest Arrived!』 'Emergency Quest?'
My attention shifted to the awakening message floating there. Right as I questioned this new system, the next box explained the quest.
📜 NEW QUEST 📜 The reason A-Rank Hunter Cha Yu-ri's abilities are deactivated is because her accumulated lust has reached its limit. Help relieve A-Rank Hunter Cha Yu-ri's lust to unblock her mana flow and restore her lost abilities.
🎁 Special Reward: Awakening Points +100
⏰ Remaining Time: 23:59:59
"……."
I questioned the sudden system only briefly.
What stood out more: +100 Awakening Points reward and the 24-hour countdown. My mind raced after reading the quest.
"I wanna die here.... Don't wanna live...."
The 24 hours probably meant the quest deadline.
I sorted what to say to the despairing Cha Yu-ri crawling on the ground and dove into point-farming mode.
"Hey, Cha Yu-ri."
"............What."
"I think I know how to get your abilities back."
"...For real?"
"As repayment for saving your life, trust me once?"
Interested, she shot up from the ground. Her straight gaze locked on me, like she'd found hope.
"...I'll trust you."
Seemed the chance to claim those points by her face came sooner than expected.