Chapter 46 – First Camp While Avoiding Monsters

Аftеr walking a bit, I bеgan to sее mоnstеrs hеrе and therе.

Fairy Саts, Woоd Wоrms, Lоw Gоblins—аll E-Rаnk monstеrs.

Perhарs sеnsing thе differenсe in strеngth on an instinctuаl lеvel, they onlу wаtched Asuto from а distаnce, showing no signs of арproаching.

“Аrеn’t уоu going to defeаt them?”

“Nah. Тhеу don’t give muсh ехperiеnce аnyway.”

Evеn if hе defeаtеd dozеns of E-Rаnk monsters, Asutо’s Levеl wоuldn’t increase.

Going оut of his wау tо hunt them wоuld just be a wаstе оf time.

Hе would оnlу fight thоsе thаt attасkеd him and kееp moving forward.

(Since I don’t know how long it’ll take to travel, I should probably hurry as much as possible.)

Careful of his footing, Asuto started running.

The asphalt, overgrown with grass and shrubs, was full of holes and cracks in places.

Even on such terrain, he could run as usual without a second thought—thanks to his drastically improved Status. He didn’t feel the slightest worry about tripping or twisting an ankle.

“Hey, Asuto. How far are you planning to go?”

“Far.”

“…You’re hiding something again, aren’t you?”

“Who knows?”

Internally, he flinched, but didn’t show it.

If he gave out information beforehand—Amy never said she couldn’t share information with other Angels behind the scenes—there was a chance of interference.

For example, if he told her he was heading to the Yoshitake-Takagi Ruins in Fukuoka, she might leak the info to other Angels, and other Hunters could block his path…

So he’d rather not reveal his plans until the last possible moment, when it would be too late for them to react.

After running for a while, the Rank of the monsters gradually increased.

Rock Worms, Goblin Aces, Red Caps—monsters ranging from D to C-Rank started attacking Asuto.

“Tch…”

Drawing his Dagger, he defeated the monsters while consciously using his Skills.

He wasn’t at a Level where he’d struggle much.

But the sheer number of monsters attacking at once made it troublesome.

“Whoa, unlike Gates or Dungeons, they’re swarming all over the place.”

“There aren’t any Hunters here.”

Gates in the Outer Regions were basically left unattended because there were no Hunters to conquer them.

So most Gates ended up breaking.

On top of that, with no Hunters to exterminate them, the monsters just kept increasing.

Asuto took down the attacking monsters one after another with single strikes.

“Wow, you’re strong, strong. You really are amazing.”

“Empty flattery.”

If he kept getting attacked at this rate, his journey would take longer than expected.

Asuto kicked up the Red Cap in front of him and fled at full speed.

Even if they were C-Rank monsters, they couldn’t catch up to Asuto, whose Status effectively surpassed B-Rank.

After running for a while and shaking off most of the monsters, Asuto slowed down and opened the Gold Shop.

○ Monster-Repellent Spray 500G

Description: A spray-type Magic Tool that repels monsters of lower Rank than the user. The Effect is outstanding. However, due to its extremely potent ingredients, those with sensitive skin may develop a rash.

He purchased the spray while running and sprayed it on himself.

Immediately afterward, he felt the hostility from his surroundings, which he’d been sensing until then, suddenly weaken.

“Wow, instant Effect.”

“So you noticed the monster-repelling Item… Tch.”

“…”

“~♪”

When he glared at her for clicking her tongue, she turned away and started whistling.

(What a jerk.)

Amy’s brazen attitude made his temple twitch.

Asuto had a Skill that could kill Angels.

But if he killed one, he would lose all his abilities as a Hunter.

So he couldn’t kill Amy.

She knew that, which was why she could act like this.

“You were better off being all timid like before.”

“Huh? You looking for a fight?”

“That’s a question that doesn’t need asking.”

“You jerk! Fine, bring it on. Lady Amy will take you on!”

She thrust her fists forward, going “shu-shu.”

But her fists passed right through Asuto’s forehead.

It didn’t hurt, but it was incredibly annoying.

“Hey, move from there.”

“If you want me to move, there’s a certain etiquette, you know? Huh?”

“Annoying…”

“Keh-keh-keh!”

While engaging in pointless conversation, they made steady progress.

The scenery of the destroyed city, devoid of people, passed by.

By evening, they arrived in Odawara.

He decided to camp at a park—the famous site where Hideyoshi built a castle overnight.

(At this rate, I should be able to reach Fukuoka in about a week.)

Sitting in front of a campfire, shoving preserved food into his stomach, Asuto checked his phone.

No signal. It was no wonder, since most of the small base stations were dead.

“I brought a battery just in case, but that was a waste…”

Now it was just a clock.

Still, better than nothing.

Asuto switched his thinking to a positive note.

The time was 8 p.m. He had run for about ten hours straight and made it from Tokyo to Odawara—that was quite a speed.

“I couldn’t have imagined this before becoming a Hunter.”

After finishing his meal, he immediately lay down.

Asuto zipped up his jacket and curled up in front of the campfire.

Looking up at the sky, a full spread of stars stretched out.

He could clearly see even the tiny, faint lights.

Partly because the moonlight was weak from the crescent moon, but also because there was no artificial light, it looked this beautiful.

Letting out a breath at its beauty, it seemed to turn white in the air.

It had been warm during the day, but the temperature had dropped considerably.

But perhaps due to his increased Status, he didn’t feel that cold.

More than the temperature, what bothered him was the rough, prickly feeling on his back.

“I thought I picked a decent spot, though…”

The park was overgrown with rampant vegetation, with grass in places taller than Asuto.

He had chosen a spot with relatively less grass, but the foreign object sensation on his back was strong.

It made him realize how crucial the daily maintenance by the workers had been.

“Should’ve cleared the weeds…”

That said, he didn’t want to use his Dagger to cut grass, and he certainly didn’t have any Herbicide. Even if he had Herbicide, it would take time to take Effect, so it’d be pointless.

The Gold Shop did have Herbicide.

Its Name was ‘Herbicide Poison.’ It was a highly fast-acting Item, but it came in small ampules and wasn’t suitable for large areas.

Moreover, true to its name ‘Herbicide Poison,’ it was also a lethal poison to humans.

There was no way he could sleep in a place where he’d sprayed that.

At first glance, it seemed like mere trash, but with a certain usage, it could transform into a unique and precious Item in this world.

Currently, Asuto was the only one who knew the correct way to use this Herbicide Poison, but its Effect was too limited, so even knowing its use didn’t mean much.

(Besides, if I suddenly made something like that, it’d just make Amy suspicious…)

“Hey, Asuto.”

“What?”

“You’re not seriously planning to sleep here, are you?”