Becoming a Hunter in a Dark Fantasy - Chapter 82
Only Noblemtl
Episode 82 Two Cats (2)
There was a moment when the atmosphere of the group became boisterous and heated.
“Go, gogo, how can a cat talk!? Ho, hoho, is that a ghost?! A cat ghost!”
Elwin glanced at Gale with a pitiful look.
“That can’t be true, Gail. I know you’re a coward. Can you stop being so obvious?”
“Who is a coward!”
Elwin continued, ignoring Gale’s screams.
“I clearly said ‘comrades’ earlier, didn’t I? Of course, that means there are more than just Mr. Hake. Mr. Nero is also a member of the Cat Tribe, just like Mr. Hake.”
“Wait a minute. A beastman? But how is it possible to… …completely transform into a beast? That’s impossible, isn’t it?”
Sercia, who was lost in thought for a moment, soon asked half-heartedly.
“Could it be… … that the bonds are broken?”
Sercia’s doubts were valid.
This is because the special hunter of the time who suppressed the ‘Suin King’s Rebellion’ incident in the distant past placed certain restraints on all the Suin tribe, citing joint responsibility.
─Completely no sign language allowed.
Originally, they were a race of beastmen who could freely transform into human, partial beast, and complete animal forms depending on their innate bloodline, and enjoyed the destructive and diverse powers unique to animals… … .
After that incident, they completely fell apart.
“Because of that bondage, the Suin can only partially display the characteristics of my race. Even with that alone, they are born with physical abilities that are more powerful than those of ordinary humans.”
For example, it means having ears or a tail, and having hair or scales growing only on some parts of the skin surface.
Like the Cat Tribe’s Nero and Hake, only the ears and tail show cat-like characteristics.
Like the mermaid Natuia, she has webbed ears and hands, and her legs turn into fish-like ones when they touch water.
It was a binding that the greatest elocutionist in history and the greatest shaman of his time risked his life to impose.
At that time, the forces that believed in and followed the King of Watermen were almost all of the Watermen tribe, and the extremely evil atrocities they committed caused blood to be shed across the entire continent.
The bondage that descendants have borne is the just penalty for their sins. The breaking of that bondage is proof that the people have forgiven all their sins.
But Nero flatly denied this, saying:
“No. The bonds aren’t broken.”
“……then?”
“This is purely my own idiosyncrasy. It has nothing to do with bondage.”
Elwin smiled faintly. He knew it. As he said, Nero’s ability to take on the form of a cat had nothing to do with bondage.
Nero’s unique magic, ‘Imposter’, is merely the ability to transform into another living being. The idea that he can only transform into a ‘human’ is the same as narrowing the scope of his ability.
He could be anyone, anything, as long as it was a living thing.
“Of course, the details are a secret! It’s my trump card, you know?”
Sercia nodded quietly. In this harsh world, it was natural to keep one or two secret weapons hidden.
“Okay, I won’t ask any more questions. Excuse me.”
“Nyahahaha! What a good kid.”
Nero, smiling broadly, changed the subject and said.
“Shouldn’t we start getting ready soon? The sun is already high in the sky. Shouldn’t we be going now?”
“Oh, I see. I have to hurry.”
Elwin agreed, checking the current time with Nexion.
Because of the shadow of the trees, it was dark all around, so I didn’t notice, but the clock hands were already pointing to 12 o’clock.
Wow. Wow.
“Everyone, take one!”
Elwin pulled something out of the subspace and filled his arms with it. There was a sound of shiny glass clashing against each other.
“What is that?”
“Is it a potion?”
“That’s right. They’re specially prepared for this infiltration! They’re all special potions made by Miss Melasa.”
At the word ‘Melasa’, Hake was startled and stood up with his tail straight.
And then, to see if there was anything else to say, I rolled my eyes and listened intently.
“Here, take one of these. You too, Yana. Mr. Hake, you can go in as is, so you don’t have to eat.”
“Yes, yes!”
Meanwhile, Elwin gave a potion to each of the group except for Hake. He also gave some to Yana, who looked no different from the Rampasians.
“Come on, everyone, drink up! Drink up.”
“… … .”
Elwin smiled brightly and urged his companions on. For some reason, Gale felt uneasy.
“What is that? A smile like that of a merchant who collects useless items and makes a living by preying on people. It’s suspicious… … .”
The bubbling, pale purple potion was also somewhat suspicious, and that bright smile was also somewhat dubious.
Doesn’t it seem like you’re expecting something?
“Suspicious? How honest I am. I have to drink this potion to enter the tunnel.”
“Just this? What are the effects of this potion?”
“Do you want to know?”
“Ugh. Seriously.”
Even though Gale questioned him several times with suspicion, Elwin maintained a dubious attitude and did not answer.
“How about trying it yourself and seeing for yourself!”
“… … Kid, you’re really good at making people mad.”
“That’s one of my many strengths. It’s harmless to the human body, so drink it with confidence. Come on.”
“Ugh… …! It’s either death or a crushing defeat!”
Gulp, gulp!
Eventually, Gale, the Spero members, and Yana drank the potion. Soon, all the vials were emptied.
Soon after, they noticed changes in my body.
“Oh my. My hand… … ?”
“Wow! I’ve never seen anything like this done even at Deficio.”
“… … ! Ugh, that’s terrible!”
Amidst the eruption of unusual reactions.
“W, what the heck is this!?”
Gale’s new screams echoed through the trees.
* * *
Since the two major events in the distant past that had a major impact on world history, the ‘Curse of the Great Witch’ and the ‘Rebellion of the Water King’, there has been no space on Earth where different races can live in peace.
Branded as ‘out-of-breed’ by the Rampas, they thought that if they could not establish a safe haven under the sun, they would accept the blessings of the land.
So they went down into the ground, into the caves, into the seabed… … down.
To build a comfortable paradise for the heterodox race. To protect their bodies and families.
This place was one of those underground paradises.
─The tunnels of the Kingdom of Batevil.
The Bateauville Tunnel, the largest of its kind in the world, is located deep underground.
To find the entrance to the tunnel, you had to go through a twisting and turning maze-like path. Even that wasn’t easy because of all the hidden obstacles and traps.
Without a guide familiar with the tunnels or a skilled guide, you could easily die before reaching your destination.
So in most cases, they would contact the tunnel management office in advance and visit through some kind of connection that existed between the different races.
Then, on the day of arrival, a guide would go out to meet them and greet the alien race wishing to visit the tunnel.
Just like now.
“Ah~ Everyone, you’re all working hard!”
Checkpoint in front of the Batavil Tunnel.
The guide who had come behind to lead the group of different races lifted his hat and bowed his head briefly. The gatekeeper who was managing the checkpoint also bowed silently.
The hats worn by the guides and gatekeepers had a picture of the horned lizard, the symbol of the Bateville Tunnels.
“This group is the last visitor for today. They say they came to see their relatives living in the tunnels. Here is the certificate of issue that was issued in advance.”
“Let’s see.”
The gatekeeper who received the triangular token stared at it blankly, then put it in his pocket.
Clang!
The tokens in my pocket clanked together, making a sound.
“Let me verify your identity.”
Then the gatekeepers called their fellow comrades and carefully checked each one to see if they were the ones on the list.
“13 people in total, identities confirmed. Have a nice time.”
A gatekeeper holding a long stick struck various shapes and diagonal patterns drawn on the rock wall with a mysterious rhythm.
Kookookookook!
Then the rock behind the checkpoint descended, revealing a dark passage.
“Thank you for your hard work~ Everyone, let’s go in.”
The guide, who had bowed, led the crowd of different races behind him into the passage.
The gatekeepers, who had been holding the weight until their shadows disappeared, soon let out a sigh.
The rock that let the visitors in had already been raised.
“Oh! You guys are flocking to me again today. My wings are so sore from flying around all day without rest.”
“Oh my. Who else? I thought my tail was on fire because I was running around here and there. Don’t joke around.”
“But why aren’t there a lot of visitors today?”
“Yeah. Did something happen on the ground? It’s bothering you.”
As it was a place where all kinds of ethnic groups and minorities gathered, the security checks were also quite thorough.
In the Northern Continent, which was always at war, traders would occasionally come in for the purpose of human trafficking. Slaves of different races were sold at high prices.
So, the more visitors there are, the more thorough the inspections must be to prevent unexpected incidents.
“Let’s hold on a little longer. It’ll be night soon.”
No matter how deeply hidden a tunnel is underground, it closes at night.
Not only do there sometimes appear naturally in the underground, but the night has a magical power that makes people lethargic or uneasy.
“Hey. Haven’t you seen the troublemakers at the training camp lately? They’re the ones who used to come over and play whenever they had time.”
“Oh, oh. Now that I think about it? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you guys. You guys, I hope something happened… .”
“Hey, no way! You were going around bragging about becoming a full-fledged vigilante after getting stronger. Didn’t you just go into a cave or something to get special training?”
But then, several dolls began to appear from the exit of the only maze.
“… … Hmm? Wait a minute, who’s coming over there?”
A group of people wearing dark robes were rapidly approaching the checkpoint.
“Didn’t the guide say earlier that this group was the last group? Was there a mistake?”
“No, but there’s no guide? I can’t see the hat!”
The path into the Batavil Tunnel was so rugged and complex that even experienced guides often got lost.
But you found your way there on your own without a guide?
Of course… … there were cases like that!
If you are stronger than you can imagine, you will eventually reach your destination even if you wander for several days.
“How is the outfit?”
A doorman tapped his good-eyed colleague and asked,
“It’s almost clean. The exterior is a little worn, but it’s not shabby. There’s no sign of having been out and about for several days or of fighting.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
It was obviously something strange.
“… … suspicious.”
The gatekeepers exchanged glances in silence, each adjusting his weapon. They were all thinking the same thing.
‘He might be a human trafficker!’
Such kidnapping groups usually sneaked in between the afternoon and evening, at dusk when tired gatekeepers were more likely to let their guard down.
‘First, subdue them!’
You can verify your identity later! Once you confirm that you are of the same race, you can sincerely apologize. That’s it.
We must not allow the evil Lampasians to enter… … !
“Put the pressure down!”
The gatekeepers, with their spirits up, formed a familiar formation and bravely rushed at the five robed men.
They are veterans who have been guarding the gate for many years and have honed their skills! They are confident in their own strength!
‘We will not allow our holy ground to be invaded!’
But after a while.
“Kwaaah!”
“Keuk!”
“Eww!”
The moldy, battered gatekeepers lay sprawled on the floor.
“… … .”
And five robed shadows looked down at them.