Chapter 23: Venturing From Monskon City

As many times as Kai had left the city, he still felt nervous the first time he left as an official hunter. No, he wasn't leaving on an official hunt, but encountering monsters was a virtual certainty when leaving well-patrolled lands. This was his first chance to do more than just take the city's resources, to actually protect people from the monster scourge and make a difference.

Despite the difficult path they'd chosen, the trip should be easier than the average escort job. Instead of guarding merchants or other civilians, their central group was all Irunians, most of whom could defend themselves. Tusquo and an Irunian woman had developed a Class, two others were skilled warriors even if they hadn't finished the Hunter Trials, and even the three specialists seemed capable of defending themselves.

Perhaps for that reason, or because this mission was somewhat secret, there were only five hunters from Monskon City. While he kept watch for monsters, Kai checked on the entire group again. Their leader was Curaina Granfian, who he couldn't see at the moment. Yangil headed up the group. That left Kai and two hunters he barely knew.

It occurred to Kai that, even though he'd been using his spiritual sight on everyone in their group, he hadn't really considered them systematically. He still didn't see Curaina, but knew that she was the only member with a Power total over 50. Yangil and one of the other hunters were rated in the 40s, then there was a drop to four along with Kai in the 20s and 30s. Two Irunians with ratings below 20, then the civilians with single digits.

Was that enough? Even though the numbers older hunters regularly talked about made more sense to him now, Kai wasn't sure. He felt like some trips had gone smoothly with fewer hunters while at other times even veteran hunters didn't make it back. Even with all their preparations, they didn't have the monster scourge fully under control.

"Kai." Curaina appeared with very little warning from the bushes alongside their path. She was a woman in her thirties with slate-gray hair pulled back in a tail, clad in a scale hauberk. Though he'd seen her among the other Granfian trainers from time to time, Kai hadn't had many chances to observe her strength with his new senses.

<

Name: Curaina Granfian

Total Power: 64

Stonecaster Class: 15 (25)

Physique Level: F-0 (30)

Soul Level: 3 (9)

>

He blinked aside the symbols to focus fully on her. "What is it?"

"I've been scouting ahead, and I'm afraid we're going into this under-powered." Curaina ground her teeth as she fell into pace alongside him. "If the Irunians weren't so damn secretive, we could have taken a stronger group. Anyway, no disrespect to you, but I want you to take more of a supporting role. Get a longer weapon from the Irunians."

"You think a sword won't be appropriate?" Kai set his hand on the hilt of the simple sword he'd bought earlier.

"You have some disadvantages, but I know you keep a level head. Given this group, we're likely to end up grappling with monsters we can barely match. I don't want you to take them head on, I want you to stay at a distance and strike. Without hitting us, mind."

As soon as Kai nodded, Curaina marched away to speak to the others. She wasn't the most reassuring of leaders, but at least she had offered a reasonable plan instead of mocking him. Kai went to go speak to the Irunians about getting another weapon.

His first intent was to talk to Tusquo, but at the moment the Irunian leader was deep in conversation with some of the hunters in the rearguard. That left the others... who didn't exactly look friendly. Then again, they were all going to be traveling together for some time, so surely they wouldn't reject him. Kai decided to speak to the young woman who had first dropped out of the Hunter Trials, gave her a careful look with his spiritual sight, then spoke up.

"Uh, hi." Kai matched her pace and tried not to stumble over his own feet when she turned her hard gaze on him. "I don't want to bother you, but-"

"You have fought at my side and saved my life against the monster threat in the reserve." She smiled as if the expression took a supreme act of will. "It is not a bother."

"Good. I'm Kai from the-"

"I know who you are, Kai Granfian. I am Kanaqa Hiryla. How can I assist you?"

"Our leader just suggested that I needed a longer range weapon to provide support. I know that generating steel isn't easy for you, but I hope that, given the circumstances..."

Kanaqa examined him seriously. "It is not an unreasonable request, but why did you ask me?"

"Because you're the only one other than Tusquo who rates higher than the first stage of your Path of Steel. I don't know a lot about it, but I figured that would be good."

"I have focused on the path of Irun because I failed to awaken one of your Goralian Classes." Kanaqa frowned, but he thought she was pleased that he'd noticed judging from her eyes. "It is no trouble to form a weapon for you."

After some discussion about her skills and his goals, she formed a long halberd. It took more time than past weapons, the sphere of liquid metal between her palms ebbing and flowing as she wove strands into the long shaft. He considered that it might have been easier to provide her with a wooden shaft, because the final weapon was immensely heavy. Still, with his mana-enhanced Physique it wasn't difficult to wield, and it wouldn't break easily.

Over the next several days, Kai had little chance to use his new weapon. They did run into a few monsters, but they were only familiar twisted dogs like he'd fought in the monster reserve. Not many of them could get close, because Curaina tended to skewer them with floating shards of rock as soon as they appeared.

When he did face off with one, Kai was especially careful, only for it to die in a single thrust. His spiritual sense for monsters was still forming, but he was fairly confident that these were no stronger than the ones he'd fought previously. If they fought nothing but similar alpha-ranked creatures, they had nothing to be worried about.

During the time he wasn't holding a key position, Kai tried to get closer to the other members of the expedition. The Irunians were polite to him, but reserved. He spent almost an hour talking to the woman who had gained a class alongside Tusquo - she proved to be the one who could cast shards of ice - but she never even gave him her name. He had to ask directly before she reluctantly identified herself as Anoqa Hiryla. They were willing to risk their lives fighting alongside him, but he suspected they wouldn't invite him over for dinner unless forced.

Just when Kai was beginning to think the trip might go smoothly, an enormous monster burst from the bushes and charged toward him.

Though it was only about a third the size of the Direboar, the creature was entirely covered in armored scales and still outweighed him. Worse, the single horn jutting from its head looked rather sharp. Kai immediately hefted his halberd and began to retreat, but the civilians were only a few paces behind him. With no sign of Curaina and the other hunters at a distance, he had no choice.

Kai set his legs and thrust with his full strength... and the tip of his halberd glanced off the monster's armor.

An instant later it was on him, bucking its head to try to spear him with the horn. Kai barely managed to dodge to the side, only for its heavy head to slam into his side. It was already inside the range of his halberd, so he drew his sword with his off hand and tried to stab it in the eye.

Another blow skating off the armored scales. An instant later its shoulder crashed into him and Kai tumbled across the ground, dropping his weapons to avoid skewering himself.

He pulled back to his feet and was shocked at how far he'd been thrown. Fortunately, the others were closing on the monster and the Irunian civilians sensibly retreated. Tusquo was battering it with arcs of mana from his sword, the blows failing to draw blood but at least staggering the creature. When Anoqa joined in, several of her ice shards managed to pierce between the monster's scales.

It bellowed in pain, but it wasn't close to down, and its next charge scattered the group. Kai hastened to get back into the fight.

While regathering his weapons, Kai realized that he had a severe cut along his side where the horn must have hooked him. In the midst of things, he hadn't even noticed. Being slammed by the creature's weight hurt more and his chest ached. Kai decided that he needed to drink one of the minor healing potions immediately, then waited for a chance to enter the fight.

Just when it looked like the beast might trample over the Irunians despite their best efforts, Yangil leapt into the fight. He wielded what looked like a simple sword, but he swung it with the full weight of his Knight Class behind the blow. The first swing cut deep into the monster's shoulder and it bellowed more loudly than before.

Yangil's second cut tore scales from its chest, but then the beast's horn very nearly skewered him. The sword was knocked from his hands and he desperately grabbed the horn. For a moment he arrested its movements, then it began to push him back, head bucking to try to drive him to the ground.

Tusquo and Anoqa continued to pierce it with ranged strikes, but the beast was in a blood rage and barely seemed to notice the new injuries. The others, even the experienced hunters, stood at a distance too uncertain to take action.

Then it was up to him. Kai ran closer and cut at one of the monster's legs. Once again, the tip of his halberd failed to penetrate, but he'd expected that: Kai got one of the spikes of his weapon around the creature's leg and tugged as hard as he could.

His pull managed to drop the monster onto its side, which gave Yangil time to retreat to a safe distance. But the beast lurched back up, far faster than he'd expected, and it was almost on him.

Kai whipped his halberd around, slamming the butt into the beast's eye. He could feel something give, but his blow didn't stop its charge and pain tore through his side. All too quickly he was on his back again, the monster rearing over him, its sharp hooves dropping like death...

Earth erupted from beside him and an enormous spike of rock pierced the monster's chest. Even that didn't kill it, the beast shaking its head wildly and stabbing in all directions with its horn. By the time Kai looked back to see Curaina, she had stepped closer and driven another spike through its head.

"Sorry I couldn't get back in time." Curaina glanced over the group, then down at him. "Good work, but that injury will need immediate treatment. Take a potion now, get a bandage on it, then drink another in an hour."

With that she moved away to assist the others. Kai did as she asked, his fingers lingering on the third potion in his pouch... his last. Only a few days into the journey and he'd already burned through his preparations.