West of the village outskirts.
A rugged place where trees grew thick and patches of frozen snow still lingered here and there despite the spring air.
A chill wind blew through, wrapping around his body before passing on.
Just that was enough to make a person's body shiver from the cold.
Before he knew it, the number of people had dwindled sharply.
To be honest, he'd never ventured this far out from the village before.
The guild's infamous weakling monster hunter.
That was him.
And now, that same Haren had come to hunt a mid-size monster.
There was no excitement bubbling up inside him.
If anything, his spirits sank even lower.
He fiddled with the hook at his waist.
Hunting a mid-size monster was an incredibly dangerous endeavor.
One tiny slip, and your head would be flying off—it was like walking on thin ice.
And that was only when you had a group with you.
Coming out alone to hunt a monster? This was truly a first in his life.
Tension made his toes tingle.
He'd rather face Trenba ten more times than tackle a mid-size monster solo.
Still, he'd decided to trust in his Instant Death Magic.
If he couldn't take down a mid-size monster here, he had no future ahead.
Snap—
The thick underbrush crunched underfoot.
Knee-high grass was proof that human feet rarely reached here.
True enough, the surroundings were choked with weeds.
Here and there, ruins of old-style buildings dotted the landscape.
Places where people once lived, but monster appearances had ramped up, shrinking habitable land.
He brushed past bugs veiling his view and soon reached the checkpoint he'd scouted.
A chilling sensation crawled over his skin.
Five years as a monster hunter.
Weakling or not, he had instincts.
'Monster nearby.'
Holding his breath, he spotted something hanging from a distant tree.
It resembled a massive cocoon.
A deer leg protruding awkwardly from it.
Traces of a local deer caught and devoured by the monster.
Looked like the monster's food storage.
He stifled his breathing as much as possible and waited right there.
The carcass hadn't rotted yet.
'The monster's not far.'
He swiftly climbed the tree.
Then lay in ambush atop it, waiting patiently.
Time dragged on.
This was a battle of endurance.
No telling where the monster might appear, so he minimized his presence.
Fatigue piled up, but he endured.
How much longer had it been?
Scratch-scratch—
A sound like bugs crawling in his ears.
His gaze shifted slowly.
And there, in the distance, a scene unfolded.
A spider the size of a house.
Spiderwebs dangled from its body like festering boils.
Its face? An old man's, bald and wrinkled.
A monster utterly alien to this world.
Mid-size monster spider
Zaraqueen
Just seeing it made his fingertips tremble.
True to a mid-size monster, its bulk was immense.
If it showed up in the village, they'd call a mage immediately.
In fact, it had already devoured several monster hunters.
One reason mid-size monsters in the outskirts went unchecked: they'd adapted to the environment.
For a monster hunter, this was stepping into the monster's front yard.
Far tougher than hunting on the edges.
'I'd read the description, but...'
Never imagined it'd be this big.
Now he understood why so many hunters had fallen.
He clenched and unclenched his fist.
Can I do this?
A fleeting doubt.
Not can I—I must.
Aiming at Zaraqueen, he raised his wrist.
Screeech—
Soon, an eyelid parted on his wrist.
Inside the lid, Zaraqueen reflected.
'Show me. Please, show me!'
The desperate plea hit.
The eye snapped wide.
There.
A deep violet flame blazing inside Zaraqueen.
Its life force.
Perfectly captured in his sight.
A massive, grand purple blaze.
Temptingly lush, beautifully radiant.
But instinct screamed: to snuff its life, he had to touch its body.
Decision made.
Having glimpsed the flame, his eye spun wildly.
A craving: I must have it.
Zaraqueen turned its back to retrieve the deer carcass.
The moment it began dismantling it—
Thud—
Without hesitation, he leaped from the tree.
Hurling the hook at the same instant.
Weightlessness enveloped him as Zaraqueen's vast carapace rushed close.
Clang!
The hook caught the edge of its shell.
Landing on its back, he thrust his hand toward the flame without pause.
The searing, heat-packed blaze gripped in his palm.
Hot.
Intense.
As huge as Zaraqueen itself.
With all his might, he crushed it out.
Too late, Zaraqueen sensed him—its body froze.
It thrashed.
Shaking wildly to dislodge the pest on its back.
But Haren clung fast, feet wedged in its exoskeleton crevices, body low.
The flame resisted.
But gradually, the fire waned.
As expected—such a grand soul took time.
Suddenly, Zaraqueen bucked.
Slamming its back toward the trees.
Aiming to crush him flat.
Gripping the hook's rope, he barely flung himself aside.
His body soared as Zaraqueen splintered several trunks.
Had he stayed, he'd be pulp with the wood.
But falling meant getting trampled.
Hauling the rope, he remounted, reaching for the flame again.
It shrank bit by bit.
Zaraqueen resisted a few more times, writhing.
But as the flame dwindled, its movements slowed.
Sweat drenched his face.
His gripping hands ached, muscles bulging taut.
Without the small monster's mana stone absorption, he'd have slipped off.
Then, a gurgling from Zaraqueen.
Gasping, dying breaths.
Thud—boom—
Its legs buckled, colossal body collapsing.
Birds scattered in panic.
Zaraqueen stilled completely.
Peace settled over it.
Atop its carapace.
Haren stood, panting heavily.
No more movement from Zaraqueen.
The invincible mid-size monster he'd thought unkillable by any means.
Dead by his hand.
And not just that.
Zaraqueen's flame passed through its body to him.
His own crimson blaze roared stronger than before.
Vitality surged through him.
Vision sharpened.
Muscles bulked once more.
Growth beyond compare to the small monster.
He clenched his fist.
He'd slain a mid-size monster with his own hands.
In the outskirts, no less.
The fact sent indescribable shivers through him.
"Ha, haha."
Laughter bubbled out unbidden.
That day the village burned to monsters.
Monsters had been symbols of terror, objects of fear.
That's why he became a hunter.
Wondering if it might dull the dread a bit.
But the fear lingered.
He was weak; monsters terrifying.
Mages lorded from on high; hunters mocked him endlessly.
Haren, the worthless weakling without a shred of life's value.
That was him—and would have stayed so.
No longer.
Monsters held no fear for him now.
With Instant Death Magic, they weren't frightening.
Parasitic monster power? Fine.
Devil's gift? Anything—he'd prayed desperately that day his parents died.
His parents killed by mage and monster.
Father, righteous; mother, kind.
Monsters ravaging the village.
A mage ignoring pleas, slaying helpers with laughter.
Father confronted the horror righteously—and died.
Mother shielded village kids, including him—devoured instead.
Village ablaze in flames.
From that hilltop gaze, his long-held wish.
Power to kill monsters.
Power to kill mages, any evil.
Strength to cry justice like Father.
Strength to save like Mother.
He'd begged, strived desperately.
But until now?
No effort strengthened this cursed body.
Childhood illness left him frail—janitor at best.
His justice faded.
Ignoring Trenba's jeers, bowing to the child-killing mage.
Pitifully tarnished righteousness.
No longer.
Monster power, magic, devil—power was enough.
No more fearing monsters.
No more fearing mages.
Childhood chains finally broken.
That truth thrilled him.
Hot tears welled, streaming down.
'But still.'
Reality: couldn't get complacent against monsters.
His Instant Death Magic could stop even this behemoth in a heartbeat.
But the risk—must touch the body.
To counter, move faster, more precisely.
Luckily, among hunters, his legs were quick.
Mocked for fast legs on a weak frame.
Now, grateful for them.
Grow stronger.
More than now.
Much more!
Strong enough his justice never fades.
Firm resolve spread through him.
Granting yet more power.
"Hoo."
Exhausted from tense waiting.
Drew his knife from waist.
To claim proof of Zaraqueen hunt.
Though no mana stone.
To him, the life force was the mana stone.
Once drained, it crumbled to dust like before.
"Must've been valuable."
He muttered, regretting.
Such size meant a hefty mana stone.
Pity to destroy it for the kill.
Debts could wait.
Hunt proof earned commission.
Pay off gradually.
Today, secure proof and head back.
Thus began his honed cleanup and dismantling.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Returning with proof of Zaraqueen's fall.
His steps light, heart soaring.
He who yearned to kill monsters could now do so in an instant.
How could his feet not dance?
Body felt light.
Despite draining all day in the tree.
Running faster than before, it seemed.
Truly refreshed.
Thanks to absorbing mid-size Zaraqueen.
'Maybe revisit the training hall I quit.'
A few more hunts, and he might shine there.
He'd always wished to grow strong.
Suddenly, tasks piled up.
Sunshine finally pierced his life.
Of course, Instant Death Magic's origins unknown.
Hidden risks possible.
'But not using this power in my grasp? That's dumber.'
Use it till he couldn't.
That was Haren.
Passing village outskirts into town.
Dusk now.
Steam rose from chimneys.
Warmth everywhere.
Dinner time for all.
His stomach could wait.
Steps led straight to the monster hunter guild.
He flung open the brightly lit door.
The rowdy voices inside hushed slightly.
Instead, eyes turned to him.
"Oh, the guy who wrecked the problem child."
"Problem child? Wait, Haren really crippled Trenba?"
"Nah, that pretty-faced nobody? No way."
"Hey, heard why Trenba bullied Haren? Girl got stolen."
"Kuhak! Trenba's mug is true to name—a built-in chastity belt."
Nightfall already.
Still on that topic.
Monster hunters lived day-to-day.
Rough talk flew freely.
Trenba must be sick of the roasting.
Judging by reactions, he hadn't shown today.
Good chance to reform, stop bullying.
"Haren!"
A familiar voice.
Oble.
"You really took down Trenba?"
Oble had tried intervening, got knocked flying—missed details, came for confirmation.
"Ask Trenba yourself."
"Haven't seen his ugly mug since yesterday. Guy's always punctual."
Lucky break.
"Here for a commission anyway."
Leaving Oble, he approached the counter.
"Ah, Haren."
Five years frequenting, staff remembered him.
Meril smiled warmly.
Guild's beauty drew sharp stares from rough men, ignored.
"Proof for outskirts Zaraqueen commission."
"Pardon? Pardon?!"
Unslung his bag, placed contents before Meril.
Zaraqueen's head.
"Eek!"
Meril yelped in shock.
Human-like face, natural reaction.
But her eyes widened more at him.
Monster hunters behind too.
All stared in disbelief.
First time feeling smug.
Grueling life.
First taste of superiority, courtesy of Instant Death Magic.