Read Novel Full Chapter 281
Chapter 281
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Chapter 281 – Prison
The town built specifically for this hunting ground is wonderful. Getting around is easy.
Even the mountain path only takes 30 minutes on foot or two minutes by flight to reach the D-rank hunting ground, Mount Ransheal.
Amidst the mountain woods that feel like a campground,
―Investigation: Caspar League―
I immediately began searching for my target monster.
A jet-black cat, seemingly less than a meter long, caught my attention.
Its eyes were sharp, it snarled, baring its fangs, and it looked anything but cute.
However, its fur looked exceptionally high-quality. It was probably the kind of monster Carla would like.
I used Mind’s Eye to check this rather large black cat’s skills.
I immediately compared them to my own.
“Hmmm…”
It’s not a perfect match, but it’s decent.
That was my assessment.
Caspar League: Jump Lv3, Bite Lv2, Stealthy Steps Lv2
My skills, on the other hand: Jump Lv4, Bite Lv8, and Stealthy Steps Lv4.
Bite is hopeless, but if I grind a bit, Jump should reach level 6.
I should also be able to raise Stealthy Steps to level 5.
Little by little, bit by bit.
If it leads to stat increases, grinding on weak enemies is no big deal.
“Might as well give it a try while I’m at it.”
With that thought, I put the skill Carla taught me into practice.
“Pursue the target relentlessly to the very end.”
I chanted this as I activated the rarely used Dark Magic.
I visualized multiple black spheres floating around me. The fist-sized orbs scattered simultaneously in all directions.
Dark Magic seemed unique in that it was a hybrid system blending magical and physical attributes in equal measure.
Carla didn’t really understand what that meant either, but if the spheres made contact with a tree, they would carve into it and continue forward. Unlike Ice Magic or Earth Magic, it left no debris and vanished immediately. Unlike Fire Magic or Lightning Magic, there was no risk of starting a fire.
I’d been told that it could be effective in dense forests, depending on the situation, so this mountainous woodland should be the perfect testing ground.
I kept my eyes closed and continuously generated tracking orbs with Dark Magic Level 5, focusing on the reactions detected by my Investigation and Presence Detection skills.
This magic had two major drawbacks. First, it couldn’t be modified to avoid targets other than the intended one.
This meant that if people were in the way, the spheres could pass through them and continue chasing the Caspar League. Therefore, I had to carefully check the area for hunters.
There was no way I could use it outside the range of my presence detection. It was too scary.
The other drawback was the slow tracking speed.
Carla said this was characteristic of Dark Magic, but it was the opposite of the Lightning Magic I often used. I was uneasy about whether this magic could take down a fast-moving monster like Caspar League.
However, this problem didn’t seem too concerning for D-rank monsters.
The monsters saved me; the Caspar League would just charge at me normally if it spotted me. As long as I moved while casting the magic, it would hit fairly reliably.
I still had to run around gathering materials. Whether or not it’s efficient is questionable.
‘You have acquired Jumping Lv’5.’
‘Sky Leg has been unlocked.’
“Whoa!”
I figure I should keep adding to my repertoire, just in case.
▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽
It was evening.
After checking the status screen and nodding to myself in satisfaction at the likelihood of clearing the minimum quota by tomorrow, I scanned my surroundings.
It seemed to be the time when the hunters returned. Here and there, I spotted figures carrying baskets on their backs heading down the mountain.
That meant it was time to start investigating the villains.
―Stealthy Steps―
Erasing my presence, I followed the hunters. At the entrance to the hunting grounds, four men stood as if to block the way.
From a slight distance, I watched them peer into the baskets filled with spoils and casually remove several hunted materials.
Perhaps accustomed to this sight, the hunters returning to town showed no agitation. However, they also lacked any sense of vitality or vigor.
(Caspar League and delicious swamp mushrooms, plus magic stones… Exposed like that? Must be the Goblin Fighter’s stuff.)
They didn’t seem to be targeting any specific monster; they were just picking things up haphazardly and moving on to the next.
It was a rather slapdash approach, confiscating about 20% of the spoils.
(So this is the unique rule imposed on hunters.)
Seeing no sign that they had noticed me, I moved closer. The confiscated materials were sorted by type, packed into wooden boxes or baskets, and loaded onto a nearby cart.
Where this was being transported would be thoroughly investigated later.
Next, I checked the mountain pass checkpoint that I had seen that morning.
When I teleported over, I saw the line of wagons stretching out before me. They were still backed up, even at this hour.
Peering quietly from beside a hut, I observed that, like the hunters, those entering the town handed over part of their cargo and paid some money.
Just as Horace-san said, each carriage had only one escort who didn’t look the least bit like a hunter. You could say they’re organizing the bandits around here. Or perhaps they’re collecting fees because people don’t hire escorts.
If that weren’t the case, I’d never come to a town like this as a merchant.
Additionally, some merchants passed through without being checked, simply because they were recognized.
You couldn’t tell by their appearance, but they were probably the same type of person as the woman who’d been mixed in with the Hunter’s Guild—people who are officially operating as part of the rogue gangs.
When leaving, they were checked quite thoroughly to ensure there were no “extra people” aboard.
Once you entered the town, only a select few who were approved could leave.
When Horace first told me about it, I thought, “This is basically a prison,” but seeing this scene makes me realize he wasn’t wrong.
Neither hunters nor townspeople can just leave easily, even if they hate this town.
Without a map, they know little about the outside world and have no plan for what comes after they escape.
Furthermore, if they tried to flee, they couldn’t use the mountain pass roads. They’d have to wander through the pathless mountains.
Still, they don’t band together to fight back because they can mostly manage to live within the levies’ balance.
Of course, it’s also probably because the top dog is too powerful for them to stand up to.
Flying back up, I watched where the materials collected by each group were headed.
I tracked the loaded carts with my eyes as they passed through the main street and were taken to a large building in the southern corner.
Inside the “Special Zone,” the buildings were partitioned by thick stone walls.
There were four similar-sized buildings, so they were probably all consolidated here for easier management.
Finally, to gauge their total strength, I surveyed the perimeter of the Special Zone.
Is my Investigation skill level insufficient?
Or are they using magic tools to avoid detection?
(This is a bit troublesome…)
Grumbling at my inability to detect the brothers, I returned to base.
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