In Lampas, the ‘night’ is a subject of unrest.
It evokes negative associations such as death, darkness, fear, and shadows.
Above all, the night is when ‘they’ run rampant.
Bizarre and evil creatures that resemble humans in form, but can never be called human.
Monsters that have parasitized the darkness since long ago and prey upon human lives.
“Monstrosities.”
Closer to death than life, they took humans as their prey. Especially as the night deepened, they actively began their human hunt.
Thus, people always made sure to return home or to a safe place before nightfall.
They never ventured outside until the break of dawn.
If a person failed to return home or reach safety before night fell, they were considered deceased from that day forth.
In reality, it was so.
Those who couldn’t make it back home before the warm sun sank beyond the western hills mostly never returned home again.
But how could one bury a loved one in their heart as a ‘lost life’ so readily?
The woman of Mawri Village was no exception.
Her daughter, who had gone out to play with friends, still hadn’t returned even now, past midnight.
“…Oh no. What should I do?”
She, too, had learned from a young age the guidelines that must be followed to survive in Lampas.
Among them were rules of conduct for when someone didn’t return.
It was the same.
Don’t go out at night, worrying and increasing the number of victims.
She knew. She was aware.
“……”
However, her daughter’s face kept haunting her thoughts.
When she imagined her most precious child dying alone somewhere…
It felt as if her heart would tear into a thousand, ten thousand pieces at any moment.
“…No, I can’t! I’ll go out and look for her.”
“You mustn’t, Nora! If you go out now, you too will…!”
Brushing off the restraining hands, just as the woman was about to leave,
“Mom!”
A girl’s voice was heard from outside the door. How could a mother not recognize her own child’s voice?
Slam!
“Ellie!”
Pulling her beloved daughter into a tight embrace, the woman wept and spoke.
“Where have you been? I told you to come home before sundown. If the same happened to you, I…”
“Waaah, I’m sorry…”
Cradling the crying child and relishing their reunion, the woman abruptly raised her head.
Overcome with joy, she had been slow to notice, but the child hadn’t come alone.
“Hello. Are you Ellie’s mother?”
“…Who are you?”
It was a golden-haired boy.
He looked young, perhaps not even an adult yet, but his beaming smile and sturdy presence somehow seemed formidable.
Next, her gaze was drawn to the boy’s attire. Clothes that seemed good for mobility and a long cloak. A sheath hanging from his waist.
‘…An adventurer?’
As the woman was scrutinizing him with a wary gaze, the boy suddenly opened his mouth.
“I was passing by when I found some children hiding in a nearby cave. I safely escorted them all home, and Ellie was the last.”
“It’s true, Mom! That blond-oppa saved me and my friends!”
At this, the woman’s eyes widened.
At the same time, she felt her face grow hot with embarrassment.
“Oh my! I didn’t realize you were my daughter’s savior…”
She had thoughtlessly cast a rude gaze upon the unfamiliar stranger.
The woman hurriedly bowed, conveying the gratitude she should have expressed from the start.
“Thank you so much for saving Ellie!”
“Haha, it was nothing.”
The boy scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed.
“Ah, this isn’t the time. Ellie, quickly come inside.”
“Okay!”
The village interior wasn’t safe either. If they caught the scent of humans, there was no telling when they might attack.
The relieved woman’s gaze soon fell upon the boy as well.
“…Um, it’s humble, but would you like to come in? We have a spare room. Even if just for one night, or a few days, please rest here.”
In Lampas, there was a culture of readily offering travelers a room to stay. It was born from aiming for mutual survival.
Of course, they didn’t accept just anyone. Normally, an identification verified by the state or guild had to be checked, but…
He was her daughter’s savior, and it felt wrong to let him spend the night alone when monstrosities were prowling about.
Above all, the boy looked young. An age still in need of adult protection.
“I’m quite a good cook, if I do say so myself. As thanks, I’ll treat you to a delicious meal.”
“Yeah, blond-oppa! Stay and play with Ellie!”
The boy quietly gazed down at the mother and daughter for a moment before smiling, his eyes crinkling. It was a refusal.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m in a hurry. I’ll be on my way now. Ellie, don’t play so late next time. Take care.”
“Wait! At least until dawn…”
Just then, an elderly man’s voice came from inside the house.
“Enough. Don’t detain a busy person. It’s impolite.”
“But Father!”
“No need to worry. If the lad says it’s fine, it’s fine.”
“…Pardon?”
The woman was startled by the peculiar nuance of his words, and the boy lightly bowed his head in farewell before quickly vanishing into the distance.
Standing there dumbfounded for a while, the woman entered the house.
With a somewhat perplexed expression, she approached the old man smoking a cigarette.
“Father, do you know that boy?”
“…I’m not unacquainted. He used to live in Mawri Village. I was once the village chief, after all. …I remember him clearly.”
As the woman was about to ask ‘Then why did you let him go,’ the old man spoke first.
“There’s no need to worry. No need at all. Because that lad is…”
Exhaling a long trail of smoke, the old man dropped the cigarette butt to the floor and firmly stamped it out.
“…a monster.”
Deep in the forest, looking particularly dark due to the dense branches and undergrowth.
In the tranquil forest path devoid of human presence, only the occasional loud chirping of insects could be heard.
“……”
The boy stepped forward, piercing through the predawn gloom.
“…The village chief seems to be doing well.”
Though he hadn’t directly met him, knowing he was living comfortably put the boy’s heart at ease.
“It’s been a really long time since I’ve been here too.”
Mawri Village was the boy’s hometown where he was born and raised, but he hadn’t visited even once in the ten years since leaving.
Curiously examining his dark surroundings as if it were broad daylight, the boy was startled by his own horns.
“Ah, this isn’t the time.”
In fact, the boy had comrades waiting for him.
The reason he had come to his hometown now was because he had separately squeezed in time from his tight schedule.
He couldn’t afford to linger. He had to quickly accomplish his objective and return.
But in his haste towards his destination, he had discovered lost children and spent considerable time escorting each of them home.
“I need to hurry. There’s still time…!”
The boy, relying on nothing but an old lantern, seemed utterly unafraid of the night that all feared as he pressed onward.
However, contrasting his stout-hearted demeanor, the boy looked young and frail.
Young and frail meant easy to kill, and easy to kill meant ideal prey.
Indeed. The thing hiding in the dark shadows bared its ferocious fangs.
It had marked the boy as its prey.
《Grrr……》
The sound of a beast growling rang out like an echo through the silent night road.
And… rustle, rustle!
The presence of something existing, felt within the impenetrable darkness. Footsteps that seemed to heavily tread the ground and low snarls were gradually drawing closer to the boy.
How terrifying is the fear of the unknown?
An ordinary human would have fainted on the spot from the insurmountable horror.
And ended their life as a single mouthful.
—If they were an ordinary human, that is.
The boy, sensing the approaching presence, turned around. At that moment, an eerie wind suddenly blew.
Whoosh—
The lantern swayed with an unpleasant noise in the wind.
The boy’s face was illuminated in the flickering light.
“……”
The boy’s expressionless countenance seemed utterly unperturbed, as if he had expected this.
…No, perhaps due to the cloak’s shadow cast by the lantern, he even looked somewhat bored.
Soon, the light extinguished and the boy’s gaze fixed on one spot.
There, looming over the boy, was a giant monstrosity…
No, a monstrous creature that had somehow appeared.
《A human, a human it is—!》
An appearance as if human and beast features had been blended together.
It had a human face, torso, and limbs, but its teeth and claws were sharp as spears, and its entire body was covered in thick fur.
The monstrous creature, several times larger than the boy, hunched its enormous body and rolled its bloodshot eyes.
It was assessing how fresh its prey was.
《Heh, hehehe! Human… A young human at that…! Scrawny-looking, but… tender and delicious, I bet…!》
Just as humans prefer the meat of younger animals, so too did the monstrous creature.
《Now then, which part shall I eat first…!》
Drooling as if imagining the taste, the creature noticed the boy’s eyes widen in surprise.
《Don’t be afraid, young human…》
The creature thought,
This young human was probably speechless with fear like other humans.
Soon, he would fall to his knees, begging for his life.
The creature grinned, imagining the imminent future.
While it wasn’t the type to enjoy human suffering like some of its kin, screams of terror were always music to its ears.
However, as always, it was hungry. Its stomach growled. There was no time to ponder further.
It had to eat.
《Humans like you are, by nature, born to be prey… So be good and let yourself be eaten…! Kehehat!》
The creature pounced at the boy, emanating bloodlust.
The creature had no doubt.
《I shall savor you—!》
Its sharp fangs would sink into the boy, and soon a sweet flavor would fill its mouth.
But the creature tasted nothing. The boy had vanished!
《Where…!?》
Strange. He had definitely been right there a moment ago.
“Fate… You sure spout unpleasant nonsense.”
That’s when,
“Care to repeat that?”
A distinct presence was felt behind the creature. A voice whispered.
“Who did you say was whose prey?”
Before the creature could hastily turn around, the boy spoke.
“…Well, that part isn’t really important so I’ll let it slide. But I can’t overlook the rest.”
A clear voice tinged with laughter. The voice of a young human.
One the creature could easily kill.
“My monstrous friend,”
But this time was different.
“You have a sense of self?”
Meeting the boy’s blue eyes, the creature felt chills run down its entire body.
It was the creature’s survival instinct.
The instinctive sense to evade a strong predator and live longer!
—That thing is dangerous!
The creature unwittingly took a step back and shouted.
《…Wh-what are you!?》
The unknown is frightening. That applied not only to humans.
What was it? What on earth was that human?
It was the first time in its monstrous life it was certain it “couldn’t kill” something. And also the first time it was certain it would “be killed.”
《Kroaaargh, die! Dieee—!》
Engulfed in terror, the creature charged at the boy and unleashed a barrage of indiscriminate attacks.
Boom, crash—!
Blows that would have instantly crushed an ordinary human rained down, but—
《…!》
Once again, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Only the crater remained.
《Huff, hah…! Wh-where did you go…!》
Suddenly appearing behind the creature, the boy stuck out his face with a bright smile.
“Were you looking for me?”
《Hii, hiiieek!》
The moment the boy took a step closer, the creature fled with its tail between its legs.
“I was curious, you know? Don’t run and stay there for a bit!”
《S-stay away, you monster…!》
“…Calling me a monster is too much!”
It was shocking to be called a monster by a monster.
“I’m an upright human, I’ll have you know.”
The boy, sulking for a moment, soon muttered in a chilling voice.
Looks like it’s scared out of its wits.
‘Well, I suppose it’s natural since it’s developed a sense of self, even if crudely. It seemed about mid-tier.’
As monstrous creatures ranked up, their strength and abilities grew stronger, and their sense of self also became more distinct.
Even so, that thing’s speech and behavior were a bit clumsy, as if it had only recently ranked up.
“Well, no matter.”
Shing—
The boy drew the sword at his waist. In the pitch-black darkness, the silver blade gleamed with a luster like moonlight.
He had intended to wipe them out here anyway.
“…I can’t let the likes of you monstrosities harm people.”
The boy swiftly pointed his sword towards the fleeing creature. Powerful energy began gathering at the sharp tip.
“You asked earlier. Who I am… I’ll tell you.”
Then he grinned.
“I’m a hunter. Someone who hunts monsters like you.”
The boy lightly swung his sword. But the result was far from light.
A golden slash fired from the blade!
The slash rapidly advanced in a straight line, destroying the terrain as it went.
《Krk, kraaah! Sp-spare…!》
Slice—!
The fleeing creature was split in half. A perfect death, not even leaving a scream behind.
With a heavy thud, the creature’s bisected corpse fell to the ground and black blood poured out.
Come morning, that corpse and bloodstains would all turn to ashes and vanish without a trace.
Into nothingness, as was the fate of monsters.
The boy observed the scene for a moment before furrowing his brow.
‘Judging by its sense of self, it had probably absorbed all the nearby monstrosities.’
Thus, monstrous creatures wouldn’t appear in this area for a while.
Of course, even so, monstrosities endlessly crawled out from somewhere no matter how many were killed, so eventually new ones would be born… But at least they would enjoy some peace for a time.
“…Ah, right. This isn’t the time!”
The boy stood up, dusting off his pants. Then he began running off in a hurry.
As if nothing had happened at all.
“I promised Nar I’d be back before sunrise. Aah, I’ll be late!”
That was perhaps only natural.
Killing monstrous creatures. At least to the boy, it wasn’t anything special.
The boy’s name was Elwin Krieger.
Because he was one of only five “Special Class Hunters” in the entire world.