novelraw Chapter 102: Monster Hunter
Chapter 102: Monster Hunter
It was a small village in ruins, where the ash had already settled, coating the ground in its characteristic gray color.
That man in an elegant black suit walked through the devastation, analyzing every ruined house until he came across something very interesting. It was an open area between the houses, shaped like a circle made of stone. There were irregular pillars rising from the ground like the fingers of a skeleton, along with a large magic circle carved into the ruined floor.
The man—an old one, in truth—approached without hesitation. Despite how suspicious everything looked, he remained calm, as if nothing could defeat him.
When he finally reached the center of what seemed to be a battlefield, he crouched down and touched the ground with two fingers.
"Transportation Magic," he said, glancing toward one of the nearby houses, where those walls of roots and branches still remained intact. "This seems familiar. I suppose I’ll have to inform Miss Ellegaard."
That man, Aslan, continued walking toward the darkness of the forest. With a relaxed expression, he hummed a lullaby.
He disappeared into the undergrowth.
***
By the next day, the group was ready. They looked at each other inside the ruined house, making sure their weapons were prepared, and set out toward the castle. They passed through the doorway and stepped onto the city’s cobblestone streets.
"No matter what happens now, we have to stay together and survive," Monar said. He needed to raise his companions’ morale. "Even if something goes wrong, I have some useful spells that can get us out of trouble—but I hope I don’t have to use them, because they’re very dangerous. So please, stay cautious."
Everyone nodded. Then Marco moved to the front of the group to lead them. He drew his sword and prepared to run.
Meanwhile, Azel positioned himself to Marco’s left.
"We already have a somewhat safe route. We’ll encounter very powerful monsters along the way—most of them Rank B or higher—so keep your eyes open. These aren’t your typical ash statues."
’I’m surprised by how far Azel can see. I guess that’s why he’s an archer and not a swordsman.’
Thinking about it, Mitsuki summoned his shotgun in his right hand and the shapeshifting sword in his left. He aimed the shotgun into the void and rested the sword’s guard against his forearm, forming a kind of weak defense.
"We need to be fast if we want to make it there in one piece," Mitsuki added.
Marco nodded.
"Everyone with me... Let’s go!"
Marco launched forward at incredible speed, his body turning into a blur. Azel followed with similar speed, but Monar had to use magic to enhance his own speed in order to keep up.
Mitsuki almost stood there like an idiot, but he reacted in time and used Ash Propulsion. He appeared next to Monar, but the elf was still faster.
’No way... I actually have to spend mana just to not fall behind.’
It was his fault for being a slow weakling. Still, he kept his body partially turned into ash as he advanced, using the spell over and over again.
Monar glanced at him, surprised. It was quite a spectacle to see Mitsuki jumping across rooftops, walls, and even the ground itself while his body turned into a small cloud of ash. Each burst of movement was powerful, launching him several meters toward his destination.
In hindsight, there was no better ability Mitsuki could have acquired than Ash Propulsion. It was a skill that had everything: mobility, speed, brief intangibility, usefulness for ramming and deception, and countless other applications limited only by the user’s imagination.
It was perfect for close combat, but ironically, Mitsuki wasn’t the type to fight up close—at least not for now.
A few seconds into their run, Marco stopped abruptly. Azel stepped back and drew his bow, forming a light arrow. Monar followed, raising his staff high.
Mitsuki, who was behind them, halted when he saw a massive colossus—about six meters tall—round the corner. It was extremely fat with a small head. Its arms were long and thick like tree trunks, and its short legs made the ground tremble under its grotesque weight. It wore heavy gray plate armor, worn down by ash, along with a tattered black cape that fluttered in the wind. In its right hand, it carried a massive rectangular single-edged sword, and in its left, a large shield nearly as big as its body.
Its face was hidden beneath a metal helmet, revealing only two white spectral flames that served as its eyes.
In a fraction of a second, Azel fired an arrow that pierced the colossus’s head—but it didn’t even flinch. Still, the fight had only just begun. Marco appeared before the ash beast, swinging his sword.
The colossus reacted by raising its shield, forcing Marco to retreat. At the same time, Monar unleashed a gust of wind that pushed the beast back, creating the perfect opening for Mitsuki to strike.
’Take this!’
Ash Propulsion.
The soft sound of ash cutting through the air filled the scene. In the blink of an eye, Mitsuki appeared before the monster, aiming his weapon.
The shotgun glowed faintly with a yellow lightning hue. Magical sparks flickered from the barrel.
Click. He pulled the trigger.
An electric blade pierced through the colossus, followed by a powerful surge of radiant electricity that exploded within the heavy armor.
The ash beast fell to its knees. Its ethereal eyes dimmed.
[ You have defeated an unnamed Rank B specter. ]
[ Your stats have increased based on your actions. ]
[ You have received XP. ]
Mitsuki stopped in front of the corpse as the notifications appeared.
’So I won’t always get items or skills. What’s the drop rate for items, then?’
Marco interrupted.
"Keep moving! That was just the first one!"
Mitsuki looked ahead. Monstrous sounds echoed in the distance, and a faint smile formed on his face.
’I didn’t think I’d get the chance to farm XP and stats in a place like this.’
There was no reason to waste the opportunity.
It was time to hunt some monsters.