I'm the D-Rank Hunter with the Axe, Baa!
On the way home from the bus stop to My Home.
"Baa~ Baaa~"
I was so bouncy and happy that lamb sounds just popped out of my mouth on their own. My legs toddled along, my arms swung back and forth. The eco-bag in my hand swung whoosh-whoosh following my hand. Even my shadow on the road kept waving hi-hi at me.
Why was I in such a great mood? Obviously because of this!!
I pulled out my new treasure, carefully tucked away close to my chest.
Kim Mijeong
We hereby recognize this person as a D-Rank Hunter.
Hwaseong City Hunter Management Agency
Me! Finally!! D-Rank!!! A hunter!!!!
"Baa~"
Heehee, even I think I was super amazingly cool during the ranking evaluation earlier. Right? Yeah?? Totally deserved that D-Rank, huh?
Originally, I planned to fight like I did in my old body—up close with thwack! whoosh! thud-thud! whoosh!, then swing wildly if they showed an opening!! But when I tried my usual thwack! to close in at the start, it wasn't a thwack—it went shwoooong-! and I flew off. My body did.
If Yumina unnie hadn't dodged to the side right then, I would've gone splat-!! spinning like crazy and ended up with, "Congratulations. You're officially a nationally certified idiot starting today. A solid B-Rank, no less."
I don't wanna rank up like that....
But luckily, her dodge gave me enough distance to finally stop. Phew. No wonder my strength felt so weak even though my athletic rank was the same as my old body. It's not that the inspection sheet stats changed because of Little Lamb—I think my leg strength is just insanely developed, putting me at E-Rank there.
And that's when it hit me! My legs are that strong? Plus, compared to my old body, I'm tiny and super light now? And my lamb-hair is all fluffy and springy, so maybe it cushions impacts too?
Even if not... I've got stamina at D-Rank borderline, so a little ouchie wouldn't leave a mark.
So I figured, time to change strategy~! No more thwack! whoosh! thud-thud! whoosh!—now it's shwoooong-! boing-boing! whoosh-boing-boing!, bouncing around like a blue spiky thing pretending to be a hedgehog with no spikes, waiting till their eyes go all spinny, then ping-!! kaboom!! How's that? Am I a total genius or what? My body's a kid now, but maybe my IQ turned adult-level.
...Huh? But why didn't I just go full bouncy-ball right away and charged at Yumina unnie again? To fool the enemy, you gotta fool your allies first—but I had no allies, so I went straight for the enemy. I figured she'd dodge like before. Then I could've kept going whoosh-boing without stopping.
But unnie kicked me! Well, technically Partner, but... Partner and I are one body and soul, so attacking Partner is attacking me. That's why I gripped Partner tight and never let go—Yumina unnie totally kicked me!
Anyway, I was a bit thrown off, but by then I knew my body was light, so I just spun whirl! in midair and it worked? So I went right for the smack!. Yeah.
But honestly, I still don't get why Yumina unnie didn't dodge the last one and just blocked with her hand. An A-Rank hunter's national-powerhouse level strong—she could've easily dodged. I'm not dumb; I know the huge gap between me and an A-Rank!
...So when Yumina unnie later pried Partner out of her hand with a pop! and blood gushed out like crazy, turning her into an iron-deficient zombie... that was super... no, I was really shocked. She told me to go all out to take her down, so I didn't hold back and swung full force, but this was the first time I'd ever swung a weapon at full power on a person.
Someone could actually get hurt that bad because of me... Even an A-Rank at that. Eek, but thanks to it, I passed and became a D-Rank hunter, so good things are good, right? Still, gotta be more careful from now on.
"Baa~"
Actually, becoming a D-Rank hunter was my dream. Someone might go "Just D-Rank?", but I was an E-Rank hunter for three whole years originally.
...E-Rank hunters are super easy to rank up from—that's why they call it E-Rank. Most people graduate in six months max. I tried hard too, retook evaluations and all, but failed every time.... Eventually they were like, "At least come back after one level up."
...Huh? What's a level up?? Did I not explain this before? Awakeners are actually growing beings. Keep repeating job-specific actions, and your status window rewards you sometimes—that's a level up. And it's customized? Like, two warriors might have different styles—one with shield, one with axe. Status gives taunt skill to the shield guy, axe cleave to the axe guy.
...But my job wasn't warrior—it was black magician... Get it? Why I was the only no-level hunter.
Black magicians level up by mass-summoning evil demons, spamming evil curses, or torturing someone super painfully and cruelly.
...But that's all bad stuff!! My job's black magician, not criminal!! Even if it was, I wouldn't do that. Never!!
...You thought I'd whine right now like "That's so mean. I didn't choose this job!"? Sorry to disappoint—I'm already D-Rank? -Right, baa?
This naughty black magician baa!!
-Mijeong!! Please forgive me just once!!! Sob sob!!
-...Heh. Then answer me, black magician baa!! Do I look like I'd become a D-Rank hunter baa?
-O-Of course! Mijeong is surely a super-pretty lamb who'll become a D-Rank hunter!! Sob sob!
I asked my old job, now gone from my mind, and got a super satisfying answer.
But....
"Y'know, it's super weird baa."
-Sob sob. Please forgive me!! I'll be a good job from now on!!
-...I'm already a D-Rank hunter, but you said "lamb who'll become"—that's total nonsense baa?
-N-Nooo!!
"Baa~"
I zapped a ping-!! kaboom!! at the black magician in my mind that I couldn't do to Yumina unnie earlier and happily headed home to My Home.
Hmm... I accidentally said my imaginary lines out loud again midway. Oh well, no one heard, so whatever.
...Uh? Weren't we gonna hit a gate to make money? Why back to My Home? Won't we starve and go conk if we don't?
Ah... To explain, gotta flashback a bit. But this time it's not just one thing—a bunch happened.
A little earlier, right after the hunter ranking evaluation.
I was gonna apply for gate entry right away to smash some goblins, but Yumina unnie stopped me!
"...How about this? There's a system supporting starter funds for newbie hunters fresh off evaluation."
"Wha? Support money baa?"
"Yes. Even low-grade weapons, armor, and consumables for hunters aren't cheap."
"I-I didn't know baa."
"Mijeong's still only eight. It's natural not to know."
"...Y-Yeah, Mijeong's eight baa...."
I'm not really eight. I've lived plenty.... Later I asked, and it's been around forever. So unfair. I was the only one who didn't know.... Hng.
"Normally it's not instant, but if I ask the person in charge, it'll come today."
"Whaa...? F-For real baa?"
"For real. So go home and rest well today. Use the support for meals."
Anyway, thanks to Yumina unnie's help, money's in my card now. A whopping 2 million won!!
...So what if I didn't know back then! If I'd gotten this big money twice, my conscience would've poked me. But now I'm a lamb, so if sheep-heart pokes, I just conk it.
"Rushing your first proper gate without gear or rest is suicidal... um, not recommended."
-N-Not my first baa....
"Hm? What was that?"
"N-Nothing baa!!"
"...Come to think of it, Mijeong. If you'd gone to a gate today, who with?"
"...? Mijeong alone baa!"
"......???"
Even without conscience pangs, Yumina unnie chewed me out hard after, so I ended up yielding. Like, how could I think of soloing such a dangerous place, going in with just a weapon and no proper armor, what if I get hurt without potions, etc. She lectured so much my head spun, eyes spun, and I went "Sorry baa! I'm sorry baa! Won't do it baa!" till....
"Let's do this. Tomorrow's my day off, luckily."
"Yeah... congrats baa...."
"...Thank you. So, Mijeong, if your schedule's free tomorrow, want to shop for hunter gear together?"
"Yeah... got it baa...."
"...Good. I'll text the details."
And just like that, I swapped numbers with national-powerhouse hunter Yumina unnie. Tomorrow we're shopping in the city, then hitting a gate after.
Why gate if we got support? It's not monthly forever. If we're going, better sooner!
...Now my job changed, so doing stuff might finally get me a level up!
After, we got Yumina unnie's hand treated, then the three of us—the training ground grandpa too—went to the lobby. I was sulky from the scolding till then, but that grandpa was hilarious, so I perked right up!
He kept calling me a super talented prodigy!! Heehee.
Anyway, I said bye-bye to them in the lobby, got my shiny new treasure, took the bus back to my neighborhood.
Now at My Home, ordering dinner with unnie's money and rolling around.
...Today was the absolute best! Morning had a bad memory pop up and soured my mood, but nothing bad happened! Learned more about Little Lamb (EX)'s real power! Ate at a restaurant for the first time! Became D-Rank hunter! And tomorrow, shopping with someone else....
"......Whaa?"
Eh...? Wait. Shopping...? With someone else...?
......?
W-What do I do? Guess I was so hyped about D-Rank my brain melted. Me, talking... one-on-one with someone... shopping?? Then after... my first-ever party play...?
"......"
Ah, time for that thing I haven't done in forever.
KYAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!