This Is What a Real Hunter Looks Like
After receiving the sword from the blacksmith, I left the outpost for the hunter qualification test Dante had proposed. My destination was west—the same route I’d taken when I first arrived here.
‘They called it the Border Forest.’ I’d heard that its rich resources had created a diverse ecosystem. My source, of course, had been Reina. And right now she was still back at the outpost.
She’d insisted at first on coming with me, but I shut that down fast.
“You’d only get in the way if you followed.”
She froze for a second, swallowed whatever she’d been about to say like a sigh, then nodded with clear reluctance.
Truth is, that was just an excuse.
I’d briefly considered using her as a monster generator, but having her around would’ve ruined the pure thrill of combat. So I chose to move alone.
After a moment of hesitation she handed me a small container filled with insects.
“These are guide bugs. Show them traces of the monster you’re hunting and they’ll lead the way. Also, hunting monsters without a special reason is illegal, so be careful.”
I’d nodded back then, but now—
“Haa…”
I couldn’t suppress the sigh leaking out from deep inside my chest.
“It’s not that, okay?”
The chat exploded the moment my sigh slipped out while I pushed through the undergrowth. I finally gave them the truth.
“Why can’t I just kill monsters whenever I see them? Shouldn’t I be allowed to hunt anything that shows up?”
“Ugh… why do they make us do pointless stuff like that…”
In my previous world I’d slaughtered every monster I laid eyes on. This rule felt completely alien. The idea that I wasn’t allowed to fight freely irritated me.
Then a brilliant idea flashed through my mind.
Reina had said hunting was impossible without a special reason. Which meant that with a special reason, hunting was allowed, right?
When I proudly shared this genius insight with the chat, all I got back was disbelief.
The sheer stupidity of the viewers left me shaking my head.
“What do you mean it doesn’t mean much?”
The chat was acting strange, like they were hiding something.
“What do you mean ‘if you can pull it off’?”
“Oh, so that’s what happened?” I nodded in understanding after the explanation.
To summarize: the “no hunting without a special reason” rule had always been there as flavor. But once full-dive VR dropped, it turned into the ultimate cope. Players who got humiliated started claiming they were “just following guild ecology laws.”
A legendary post had cemented it.
The entire gallery had cheered. The author was crowned “The One Who Opened Their Eyes” and “Prophet of the Blind.” The comments flooded in.
After that day, the word “scared” vanished from the community. Only “I had no choice because of guild law” remained.
“So in the end, they really were just scared.”
I left the chat convulsing like a vampire in sunlight and finished organizing my thoughts.
“So basically, as long as I can kill it, it’s fine, right?”
“Then I’ll just kill everything I see.”
Decision made, I followed the guide bug deeper into the forest—
Boom!Ka-boom!
“Shaaaaa…”
I “normalized” every monster that entered my sight. Unfortunately only the familiar Domagirius appeared, but swinging the new greatsword felt so good I decided not to complain.
“This is what a real hunter looks like. The rest of you are fakes.”
“Try it if you can. Assuming that’s possible, of course.”
While I was busy teasing the seething chat, the guide bugs suddenly stopped with a clear chime. They spun in circles in front of a massive tree. A Cucuridea was supposed to be nearby, but the only sign was a cluster of uprooted trees. The monster itself was nowhere in sight.
“It’s supposed to be here but I don’t see it.”
A faint sound brushed past my ear. The source was directly above. I drew the greatsword from my back and leaped backward at the same time.
BOOOOM!
Something enormous slammed into the spot I’d just vacated. Dust clouded my vision. Within it, a massive shape slowly rose.
When the wind cleared the dust—
“Kiiiiooooooot!!”
A chicken-like Cucuridea exactly as Reina had described let out a piercing cry. Bright yellow feathers with crimson tips. A huge beak and, clutched in one claw like a trophy, the very tree it had uprooted. Its pitch-black eyes tilted curiously as it stared at me like a bird.
“Now that’s a flashy entrance.”
I rested the greatsword on my shoulder and kindly answered the chat while still watching the monster.
“I heard it coming.”
“It’s weird that you wouldn’t hear something that big flying at you.”
Capybara has placed a 100,000 won mission
📍 Clear the Cucuridea without getting hit even once.
🎁 Because you called yourself a real hunter, this should be easy, right?
⏳ Time remaining: 59:58
The mission money skyrocketed. When it hit a million won I let a small smile slip.
“Lots of generous donors today. I’ll be using every won you send for purely selfish reasons.”
The moment I finished speaking, the Cucuridea charged. It swung the massive tree horizontally. I dropped low until my upper body nearly touched the ground and angled the greatsword across my back, letting the tree slide off the blade with almost no resistance.
Whoosh!
As the wind roared past my ears I twisted my wrist. The greatsword followed, its dragon scales catching the tree with a solid thunk. Using the momentum and my pre-positioned center of gravity, I rode the swing like a pendulum.
The monster tilted its head in confusion when I vanished from its view. I flicked my wrist, freeing the hooked scales, and lightly landed on the tree it was still holding.
“Kiiat?”
It noticed the sudden change in weight and looked up, but I was already spinning, greatsword flashing.
CRAAAASH!
“KIIIAAAAAK!”
The monster’s head whipped around from the impact. It screamed in pain. I rode the inertia, spun again the instant its head swung back, and smashed it with another full-power strike.
KABOOOOOM!
The forest rang with the impact. The several-hundred-kilogram beast staggered.
Thud.
I dropped to the ground while it was still groggy and glanced at the chat.
The chat erupted like a volcano.