Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Training (2)
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Putting aside my regret over the 100 points, I entered the Autonomous Guild, where a few others had already shown up for work besides me.
With a faint hope of scraping together even a little points, I glanced around briefly, but unfortunately, the hunters there at this hour didn't have much lust built up.
Probably because most people up at this dawn hour were physically exhausted.
When your body's tired, your sex drive drops accordingly, so it was only natural that the point totals from most female hunters were low.
To hit the peak times when points accumulated the most, afternoon or evening after hunts would be ideal. Or, like with Cha Yu-ri, waiting for someone who's deliberately let it build up for a long time was another option.
Of course, the reason I'd come to the guild today wasn't to forge physical bonds with new female hunters, so I headed straight for window six for dungeon entry right after stepping inside.
Right now, figuring out just how strong I really was took priority over wasting time on anything else. Scouting for high-point female hunters was just a side benefit of visiting the guild—it couldn't be the main goal.
"I'd like to apply for entry to the Peregrine Plains."
"...The Peregrine Plains, you mean?"
"Yes, the Peregrine Plains."
The attendant gave my face a once-over at the mention of Peregrine Plains, then cautiously shook her head as she replied.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think we can permit entry to the Peregrine Plains."
"What? Isn't the Peregrine Plains a C-Rank dungeon? Last time I went into the Ancient Tree Graveyard Sector A, there were no restrictions on entry."
"Yes, generally we allow Apprentice Hunters up to C-Rank dungeons, but for male hunters, entry to the Peregrine Plains and some others is restricted."
"...Why is that?"
"Over 90% of the monsters inhabiting the Peregrine Plains are flying types. It's a regulation for male hunter safety."
In short, it boiled down to: don't go picking fights with flying monsters without an Awakening ability.
There were male C-Rank hunters out there, but even they had to rely purely on their physical bodies without any Awakening powers.
Sure, you could swing a sword or thrust a spear without Awakening, but remote attacks like sword beams or precisely hurling a spear mid-air to nail a monster—those were off the table.
Skills like that were practically impossible to use without an Awakening ability. So, I could understand the attendant's position in restricting entry.
There were occasional male hunters using bows or crossbows, but C-Rank monsters in this world couldn't be brought down by weapons like that anyway.
...Fortunately, I hadn't coasted through Hunter Training High School. I knew exactly how to handle situations like this.
"In that case, I'll sign a liability waiver and go in."
A liability waiver.
It meant you wouldn't hold the guild responsible, no matter if you got injured or died inside the dungeon.
Of course, using dungeons implicitly meant agreeing to that anyway, but there were cases where internal rules required it explicitly.
These waivers were typically used for high-risk dungeons with warnings, or ones ranked above your level.
"You're going to sign a liability waiver...?"
"That's right."
"......"
A hint of worry clouded the attendant's face as she heard my resolve.
She'd probably seen plenty of hunters die or get hurt in dungeons during her time as an attendant. Especially male ones chasing the dream of becoming C-Rank, pushing their limits only to end up as dungeon fodder under her watch.
Regulations forced her to let me in with a waiver, but she'd want to prevent sacrifices where she could.
I could understand her feelings, but that was her problem. I had to do what I needed to get even a bit stronger.
"I'll sign the dungeon entry liability waiver. That means I can go in, right?"
"...Understood. Then please sign this form."
She pulled out a multi-page form and pen from her counter and handed them over.
I took them without hesitation, signed every page, and returned them along with the guild maintenance fund required for entry.
"Final confirmation: C-Rank dungeon, Peregrine Plains, correct?"
"Yes."
"I wish you a safe return."
After exchanging farewells with the attendant, who watched me with pitying eyes like it was our last goodbye outside the portable warp, I entrusted my senses to the soft white light enveloping my body.
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ C-Rank Dungeon. Peregrine Plains. Stepping out of the portable warp, the first thing I saw was a flock of about a dozen black kites circling the skies over the plains in formation.
This Peregrine Plains might sound like open grassland, but nearly all the monsters here were black kites or their variants.
You could occasionally run into small ground-crawlers, but they weren't worth noting. Anything skittering on the ground in this dungeon ended up as kite chow anyway.
-Whish!
A sharp sound cut through the wind as the lead black kite dove straight at me.
Against a female hunter who seemed leveled-up, the standard was a group attack. Solo dives like this were only for one-sidedly hunting low-tier monsters.
Plus, I'd stowed my greatsword in my subspace pocket on purpose, so to them, I probably looked like an unarmed hunter who'd wandered in by mistake.
When the black kite rushing at me—me pretending not to notice—got as close as possible, I whipped out my greatsword from the subspace pocket and swung at it.
-Whish!
'Kreek...!'
It spotted my weapon too late and veered its wings desperately, but it was already too deep in the long reach of my greatsword.
And so, the black kite paid for underestimating me by falling to my Heavy Slash.
...That left about fourteen more.
'Kreek!'
'Kree! Kreek!'
Startled by their sudden companion's death, several black kites overhead screeched down at me.
This time, three dove in formation, straight at me from above.
'Krreeeeek!'
It looked like the first one's attack pattern at a glance, but these were C-Rank monsters for good reason, despite their weak durability.
What made them scary was how they learned from a comrade's death. First and second attacks always used different patterns.
-Whish!
'Kreek!'
'Kree!'
Before I could swing, they sensed my killing intent and all three pulled back. My greatsword whistled through empty air.
Then, exploiting the gap right after my swing, the three charged in unison.
If I lacked an Awakening ability, I couldn't have dodged their follow-up in that opening, and the ensuing flock of over ten would have torn me to shreds, leading to death.
...Yeah, if I lacked an Awakening ability.
'Kree...?!'
'K...!!'
'......!'
Unfortunately for them, they hadn't grasped that merely pulling back distance wasn't enough—they needed to fully evade attacks.
Like with the goblinas before, my sword beam sliced through the air toward the evading monsters. The Vacuum Slash cleaved the three mid-air, sending them crashing to the ground.
All three twitched in agony from deep wounds before expiring.
...Now eleven left.
'Kreek-kreek-kreek-kreek-kreek-kreek-kree...!'
Enraged at losing four comrades already, they all screeched and charged at once, their formation flawless—no blind spots in the total assault.
For monsters, black kites had unusually strong pack loyalty. Once you culled past a certain number, they'd swarm for revenge—a well-known pattern.
A C-Rank combined assault where they'd sacrifice some to ensure the kill.
Not easy for average male hunters, let alone typical B-Ranks, but for me, it was the perfect setup to test a new technique.
-Whiiiiiish!!
"Hraaaaaah!!"
A technique slashing a full circle around me with the greatsword: Great Tempest.
A sword art usually reserved for near B-Rank level, whipping up a vortex of blades around me.
'Kreek?!'
'Kreegh...'
'Kh...kreeek...'
Thus, the rest fell to the blades for failing to gauge my power, piling corpses around me.
A few quick ones managed to dodge the blade itself, but airborne Vacuum Slashes ensured even more painful ends.
'K, kreek...!!'
...One straggler left, huh.
Every group has its oddball. This one must've hung back, gauging, before joining late.
Now, spotting my sword's power and fallen allies, it flapped skyward to flee.
Learning it couldn't win solo, it soared high. I didn't hesitate—palm out, I chanted my new 2-circle flame magic.
"Fire Arrow!"
It was a bit far, but Fire Arrow's straight-line range was decent enough for one airborne black kite.
-Fwoosh!
'Krreeeeek!!'
The final black kite, roasted black, plummeted to the ground.
Flame magic without a staff as focus, and still this potent. Definitely a smart pickup.