Hunting with Noah was fun and refreshing.
I realized that my assumption—that it would be just like a game—was wrong.
The benefits of party play were undeniable.
By taking turns and syncing our breathing, there were plenty of ways to conserve stamina.
When I fought the Kakaari, I was so out of breath and exhausted that I thought I’d die. But hunting weaker monsters like Pienos with Noah, starting slow and steady, was physically manageable—though it left me mentally drained.
The mental exhaustion came from… well, the tutorial monsters just aren’t fun.
That doesn’t mean I didn’t give it my all.
Even in a game, if my opponent were an elementary school kid, I’d still go full throttle—that’s who I am. The same applied to monsters.
I also came to understand the true essence of hunting requests.
We’d take down small monsters, gather meat, explore the environment to check for anomalies around Antico, and collect all sorts of materials to turn in.
Being a hunter isn’t just about hunting. I felt that anew while working diligently alongside Noah.
I wanted to hunt monsters mindlessly, but as a hunter, that wouldn’t do.
That wasn’t all I learned.
How to secure safe zones with scents monsters hate, how to set up good bases for operations, which natural creatures are edible, and how to cook them—plus a bunch of miscellaneous info that’s handy for partying.
Noah was indeed a veteran. With five years as a hunter, she knew a ton.
Even now, we were in the middle of a request, and I was learning from her.
In the dark night, our voices echoed through the campsite.
“Noah, what’s the strongest monster you’ve hunted?”
“Me?”
I was curious about her career, five years spent as a hunter.
What kinds of monsters had Noah taken down?
Compared to her, I was just a sprout. So far, I’d only hunted about five large monsters, not counting the small wild ones.
“I guess… up to Machitios?”
Machitios.
A monster that uses its front legs like fists, firing shockwaves from vibration organs in its hands. If Lugarak is a close-combat infighter, this one’s more like an outboxer, fighting from a distance.
That makes it pretty tough. Or maybe, in this world, it’s not so bad?
This is a world where you only get one life. Personally, I think a Lugarak—charging in with a “you die, I die” attitude—is harder to deal with than a Machitios that values its own life.
An enemy that cherishes its survival is better than one ready to go down with you.
“What was Machitios like?”
“Hmm… definitely an upper-tier monster. Every time it smashed its fists into the ground, it felt like an earthquake, with rocks flying everywhere. It was cool, but I nearly died dodging those rocks.”
“Hmm.”
Crackle, crackle.
Noah stared into the flickering campfire. The flames danced in her dark eyes.
“Machitios was really scary too. I’m a coward, so taking on challenges like that terrifies me.”
“You’re scared?”
“Yeah. Monsters don’t forgive mistakes. What if I drop my shield or fail to dodge an attack and die because of it?”
Noah spoke weakly.
“I’ve seen plenty of people die. Even the strongest Master-level hunters can die from a single slip-up. Compared to monsters, humans are so fragile.”
“That’s true.”
There was no fault in Noah’s words.
Even someone as seasoned as me could be done for if I took one wrong hit from a monster.
Even if human strength here far exceeds that of my old world, it’s nothing compared to monsters.
Monsters are literal monsters—untouchable forces of nature beyond human reach.
In this world, there are no levels or stats.
The only things protecting my body are my experience, knowledge, and skills.
As Noah said, it can be frightening at times.
What if an enemy, like the Kakaari, threatens me with patterns I don’t know?
What would happen to me then? Could I move as confidently as I do now?
I need to sharpen everything I have so I can handle even those kinds of monsters with ease. This request was another step in that learning process.
Party playtime with Noah.
…But it’s boring. So boring.
All we’re doing is hunting small herbivorous monsters like Mudridon, monkeys slightly weaker than Pienos—Takabibi, I think?—or nameless oversized boars.
What I want to see are massive, majestic monsters.
Why am I regressing in difficulty after taking down a Kakaari?
“…Noah.”
“Yes?”
“For the next request… can’t we go for something a bit stronger?”
How many times have I asked this?
Noah always said no, but I want to aim higher. It’s a hunter’s instinct, I guess.
I cautiously gauged her reaction. She was looking at me with sharp eyes.
Maybe she still thought it was too much.
Just as I was about to say it was fine, Noah spoke first.
“Alright, for someone like you, Alice, I guess it’s okay. Honestly, you’ve been at it for a while.”
“Right?”
Noah spoke as if it was impressive I’d held back this long.
Does she even know how obedient I’ve been? I shrugged. She chuckled and came closer.
Placing her hands on my cheeks, she pulled them.
“You think this is your chance now, don’t you?”
“Ouch!”
“Don’t deny it. You’ve been asking every day.”
Her voice was still grumpy, but she didn’t say no. I couldn’t help but rejoice that the tutorial was finally over.
The happiness of Noah freeing me from the hell of beginner quests outweighed the pain of her pinching my cheeks.
“But try it alone.”
“Alone?”
“Yeah. I don’t mean actually doing the request solo… I mean try it with other people. I’ll be taking on requests too in the meantime.”
“Okay… sure.”
“You don’t seem too disappointed.”
“I am disappointed.”
“Hehe, it’s fine. We can’t always be together anyway.”
Noah’s words were almost a murmur, but they carried kindness. I appreciated her thoughtfulness. She really is a good friend.
I didn’t want to stay under her wing forever. It’s about time I stepped out of her shadow.
Still, it was a bit sad that she wouldn’t be with me.
But requests aren’t the only thing tying us together. We can meet anytime after they’re done—as long as we’re alive.
—
Our last request together was nothing special.
Hunting a Maiyal in the flood area. Maiyal is just a pig. The client was a chef who needed its meat or something.
The reward wasn’t much, but knowing it was the end made even turning in the meat feel joyful.
“Your rank has gone up quite a bit already.”
[Hunter Card]
Name: Alice
Rank: 10
Hunted Monsters:
– [Kakaari]
– [Pienos]
– [Kuchiorak]
– [Poloari]
The assistant’s words made me feel proud.
Small monsters don’t get recorded on the Hunter Card. With Noah, I’d hunted three large ones: Pienos, Kuchiorak, and Poloari.
They were all beginner monsters, so it wasn’t exactly thrilling.
What I needed to cure my boredom was a tense, gripping fight.
After finishing the request, we returned to the lodging. I was drenched in sweat. I showered right away and relaxed at home. After camping, a soft bed felt like heaven.
The next day, I parted ways with Noah for the first time.
I woke up early, but even after I washed up, Noah was still lounging in bed.
“See you later,” she said in a hoarse, groggy voice as she saw me off. She’s naturally laid-back, but it seems she’s been pushing herself lately because of me.
I quietly closed the door so she could sleep more.
Before heading out on the request, I had a few things to do.
First, I went to Matillo to get my equipment repaired.
I considered trying weapons other than the greatsword, but my hands are still used to it, so I dropped the idea.
“So, you’re done with that child’s play?”
By “child’s play,” Matillo meant the educational requests with Noah.
He’s a fiery guy who loves challenges, so he wanted me to aim higher right away. When he’d heard Noah’s plan, he was horrified.
Noah and Matillo’s personalities could never mesh, not even in a million years.
“Why?”
“Because that hunter lady isn’t with you.”
“Yeah, today we’re doing separate requests. I’m going to hunt something stronger than Kakaari.”
“Oh, so you’re finally starting. Good. Bring me good materials, and I’ll make you something great. I’d love to use Kakaari materials, but you don’t have enough yet. Hunt at least two more.”
Matillo handed back my greatsword.
“…Kakaari materials are fine.”
“Oh? Then what do you plan to hunt?”
“Ekricky.”
“…Ekricky? You’ve got guts. Already going for Ekricky?”
Matillo was uncharacteristically dramatic.
There was a reason for his reaction, of course. If Kakaari was a lower-tier monster—a gateway to mid-tier—Ekricky was a true mid-tier monster.
Unlike Kakaari, a mere breath apprentice, Ekricky could fire proper breaths.
That’s where the danger level shifts.
Mid-tier monsters are so common they’re practically the standard in the hunter world, and they’re highly dangerous.
Usually, when mid-tier monsters are spotted nearby, extermination requests go out immediately.
Even if they haven’t done anything yet, their mere presence threatens humans.
Take the battle-crazed Lugarak, for example. You can request its extermination the moment it’s found because it’s that dangerous to humans.
Ekricky is no different.
The Dust Dragon (?) Ekricky is a theropod-like creature with what looks like a fur scarf around its neck.
Powder comes from that fur, causing dust explosions—a real nuisance.
It’s a hassle, but there’s a reason I’m targeting it first.
When I make a new weapon, I plan to use Ekricky materials.
Weapons made from Ekricky retain its dust explosion ability, letting me deal massive damage to monsters with explosions.
I remember using it effectively in the early game stages.
The question is whether there’s an Ekricky extermination request available.
There should be… There aren’t that many laid-back hunters, and surely no one’s snatched it up already, right?
“Oh, the current Ekricky request has already been taken by someone.”
“…”
There was a time when I thought that way.
Did I mess up from the very first step?
Noah-mon, help me!
—
TL notes;
– Monster Names:
– 마치티오스 (Machitios)
– 무드리돈 (Mudridon)
– 타카비비 (Takabibi)
– 마이얄 (Maiyal)
– 쿠치오라크 (Kuchiorak)
– 폴로아리 (Poloari)
– 에크리키 (Ekricky)
– 분피룡 (Dust Dragon)
