Chapter 152 - Darkmtl
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Chapter 152

Human relationships are truly mysterious and complex.

And that includes not just relationships between humans, but also between different species like humans and other races, or even between different races themselves.

Have you ever experienced something like that?

When four friends gather, they all laugh, chat, and hang out together, but when one or two are missing, the atmosphere suddenly becomes awkward.

If four friends get along well, it means they all get along, but it doesn’t mean all four are equally close.

For example, if there are friends A, B, and C, friends B and C might each be close to friend A, so when all three are together, they get along well. But if friend A is missing, the remaining friends B and C might feel awkward.

No, sometimes it goes beyond awkwardness and turns into a growling, tense relationship.

That was the kind of relationship Karina and Serena had.

Karina, who despite being from the northern tribes often called barbarians, was very diligent and rigid, and Serena, whose delicate appearance didn’t match her blunt and fiery personality.

Their personalities just didn’t mesh.

The only reason they ended up in the same party was because of Kurt.

Even when Mari, who had such great affinity she might as well be a half-capybara beastkin rather than a half-elf, was around, the two could manage to get along.

But when Kurt and Mari were gone, and it was just the two of them, they reverted to their old growling, tense relationship.

“Seriously, you’re a warrior who can wield aura, and you can’t even find a trace of the monster?”

“Shut up. I don’t want to hear that from someone who’s been leisurely drinking while I’ve been tracking.”

“What? I’m keeping myself lightly drunk so I can use magic at any moment!”

“Calling drinking ‘vigilance’ is just too carefree.”

“What did you say…?”

“….”

“….”

“Tch.”

“Tch.”

Eventually, the two glared at each other, then silently turned their heads and continued searching the forest.

The reason they were wandering the forest, growling at each other, went back to a few hours earlier.

It was the morning Kurt had a hard time dealing with a spoiled noble girl.

Karina and Serena.

The two had returned from the Elf Village and, like Kurt, had been holed up in the Adventurer Guild, taking a break without any special requests.

The reason was the human hunters they had fought in the Werewolf Village not long ago.

It wasn’t that they were injured and needed to recover.

In fact, it was the opposite.

The bounty on those two hunters was enormous.

The human hunters they had captured in the Werewolf Village were far more notorious than they had expected, and the bounty they received when they brought them to the guard post was a staggering sum, even for silver-ranked adventurers like them.

When dividing the reward, Kurt, who had single-handedly taken on one of the hunters, took the largest share, but even so, the three of them had earned enough to live comfortably for a while.

Mari, who had recently learned to use mana and had been promoted to the same rank, seemed motivated and was actively taking on requests without getting involved with Karina and Serena.

But Karina and Serena, on the other hand, spent their days lounging in the Adventurer Guild, enjoying the snacks and meals Kurt made, living a leisurely life.

And as a result of that relaxed lifestyle…

“Hey, Serena… haven’t you gotten a bit rounder lately? Physically, I mean.”

“…Says the one whose abs have disappeared.”

“….”

“….”

Without exchanging a single word, the two headed to the Adventurer Guild’s bulletin board to find a request that would serve as good exercise.

And so, back to the present, the two were wandering the forest.

They had chosen a request that seemed like a good workout but was still light enough to take on without much danger.

The request was to exterminate an Awakening Species of rubber-tailed monkeys.

The Awakening Species, which had recently appeared, used its rubber-like tail to move swiftly through the forest, stealing crops and causing damage to nearby farms.

Though it was an Awakening Species, its original form was only iron-rank, and its abilities were specialized in escape rather than combat.

So, even as an Awakening Species, it wasn’t particularly dangerous, and its escape-focused abilities made it a good target for some exercise.

Thus, the two thought this request was perfect for shedding some weight and accepted it.

But the Awakening Species was far more specialized in escape than they had anticipated.

Excessively so.

“Ah! There it is!”

“This time, I won’t miss!”

Karina immediately threw her hand axe toward the sound, but by the time she drew and threw it, the monster had already disappeared into the leaves, and her axe just stuck into the spot where it had been.

“Ugh… how many times is this now…?”

“Hey! Try throwing better!”

“Shut up! You’re not doing anything either!”

“I’m waiting for the right moment!”

As they bickered, the two moved to retrieve Karina’s hand axe.

But as Karina pulled the deeply embedded axe from the tree, a swarm of insects poured down on them from above.

“Ahhh!”

“What the—! What is this!”

The sudden insect shower left the two flustered, and the Awakening Species, satisfied, revealed itself from a distant tree, laughing mockingly.

“Ugh, bugs in my cleavage…!”

“That little brat! I’ll kill it for sure!”

But even after that…

The Awakening Species continued to toy with them, leading them into traps, rustling bushes to lure them, only to throw rocks from afar, and even reflecting Karina’s flash magic with a shiny broken sword to blind them.

It was a monkey monster that was thoroughly mocking them.

By now, the time they had entered the forest before noon had turned into sunset.

The monkey monster, now completely mocking them, boldly showed itself, shaking its butt.

But despite having fallen into its traps multiple times, the two were too hesitant to charge, trembling with frustration.

“I never understood those who sold their souls to demons in ancient times. But now, I think I get it. If I could crack that monkey’s skull, I’d sell my soul to a demon.”

“Ah… I hate it. I hate that damn monkey. I despise it! That cursed monkey!!”

The two had completely lost their composure, venting their hatred at the monkey monster.

Because that was all they could do.

The most important thing when hunting monsters is to never lose your calm.

If you lose your composure and let your emotions take over, even things that could be easily resolved rationally will go wrong.

It was basic knowledge passed down to adventurers, but for the two who had completely fallen for the monster’s tricks, it was a forgotten lesson.

As the sun began to set and the forest grew darker, the two, blinded by their determination to catch the monkey, didn’t even consider postponing the hunt or finding a safe place to camp.

Instead, they continued to trudge through the forest with bloodshot eyes.

But the end of the monkey hunt came unexpectedly.

The Awakening Species, emboldened by how easily it was toying with the two, grew bolder.

At first, it just showed itself from a distance to taunt them, but gradually it started provoking them from closer, even sneaking up behind them to startle them or smearing foul-smelling fruit juice on their faces.

It was a complete display of dominance.

But even then, the two couldn’t catch the Awakening Species.

Finally, the monkey monster even went as far as stealing their belongings.

“Serena! Watch out!”

“Ah! Give me back my liquor, you damn monkey!”

The monkey had successfully stolen the distilled liquor Serena had brought for the request.

And right in front of them, it drank the stolen liquor with relish.

Then, it fell over.

“….”

“….”

And so, the hunt ended in the most anticlimactic way possible.


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The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Status: Completed
A chaotic and whirlwind culinary adventure of a lizardman reincarnated in another world, driven by an insatiable craving for hamburgers!

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