"Will I see you around?" I asked, standing up to take my leave.
"‘Course!" he said as heartily as ever. "I mostly travel about, but Locke has been a good base of operations for the last month. I’ll leave soon, though not before I investigate that supposed Abomination infestation up at the foot of the Incen Mountain Range."
"Abomination… infestation?" I cocked my head.
"Oh haven’t you heard? That’s the reason why there are so many Monsters in the area. Or at least, that’s what the guild thinks. They suspect that Abominations must have taken over a Monster’s nest or something up there, causing an exodus of Monsters to come down here. They have sent a few Hunters to investigate, but none of them have returned. It’s worth quite the reward."
I frowned, casting a glance at the job board. Sure enough, there was an open bounty for 20 gold to simply scout out the area, and report back with as much information as possible; as for the extermination of the Abominations, it was stated to be at 50 gold, however depending on how big of an infestation it was, the reward could have gone up to even double or triple the starting price.
"And you want to wipe them all out?" I shuddered, remembering those corpses infected and conjoined by the blue bulbs.
I had seen some Abominations out and about while I was leaving the Free Lands; they were not as terrifying as the horde which brought down Bys in a night, but they still sent shivers down my spine. The faint yellow glow they emitted only made them more eerie, while their chirping shrieks would have sent any grown man running for their life.
"Hah, I am not insane," Gennady chuckled, "but I do want to assess what kind of a threat they are. The Church has said there are various types of Abominations, but they have withheld exactly what are the differences between them. I have to know— to add it into my bestiary."
"Surely there’s a safer way to do that," I suggested. "If these Abominations can evict so many Monsters from their homes, they can’t can’t just be a small group. It’ll be dangerous— what happens if you die?"
The Dwarf snorted. "I told you, I’m a B Rank Hunter, I can hold my own."
"And I told you I don’t know what that’s supposed to mean." I sighed stepping away from the table and towards the door. "Just… think about it. They are dangerous. An entire city— one of the biggest in the world— was destroyed overnight by them."
"Which is exactly why I have to do this," Gennady said, his voice firm, and his eyes blazing with determination. "The job of a Hunter is to protect innocent civilians from Monsters. And this is a new type of Monster. One that threatens all the towns and cities in the area. If I just let it continue, I won’t be a very good Hunter, would I?"
I held the man’s gaze for a moment. The B Rank Hunter seemed like he would refuse to back down. So I did instead. "I… you’re right. Just don’t get yourself killed."
I turned around to walk away. I did not know why I cared so much; the lives of others were not in my hands. Hunters probably died every day all across Vitae. It mattered not to me if another one threw his own away because he overestimated his own abilities.
But something still called to me. A voice whispered in my head, telling me I was wrong. Telling me that Gennady was wrong. Because—
These were not Monsters.
They were Abominations. Created by a false god and unleashed upon this world for whatever reason he had in mind.
So as I fell asleep in my bed. Inside an inn protected by a city and all its guards. I could only dream of one thing.
A mannequin with a wig. Or a god. His malicious smile spreading across his face. The three men in the woods, praising ‘Him’. And the two figures in Bys— one that brought the Abominations into the city, and the other that saved me.
Whatever it all meant, I knew it had something to do with me. It was not my responsibility, but I was involved in it somehow. That must have been important… I think.
And when I woke up, I saw the twilight sun setting over the horizon as evening turned to night. Then sighing, I gathered my things and prepared to leave.
I could not help it; something within me compelled me to act. If it was something else, maybe I could have ignored it. The reward would not have been worth it then. But these were Abominations, and it was not like they were capable of hurting me anyways… I think.
Regardless, it was my first proper mission as a Hunter, and it was time for me to go hunting.
Chapter 15: Monster Hunting
The Incen Mountain Range was one of the largest mountain ranges in the entire world. It did not have the highest peaks nor did it have the most dangerous Monsters, but it stretched for almost five thousand miles, creating the natural border between the Free Lands and its western and southern neighbors, preventing many territorial disputes as a result.
While there were many passes cutting through the Incen Mountain Range, most of them were narrow enough to dissuade conflicts, sustaining relative peace between the Free Lands and the likes of Laxis or the Rem Republic. Entering Laxis from the Free Lands was not as difficult as, say, Elius, for the peaks separating the two were not as high, nor was the valley as small as the other routes available to safely travel through. That, and the fact that it was one of the closest direct ways out of the Free Lands, were
