Chapter 22: Four Guys on a Monster-Hunting Journey (2)

We passed through the Kurutta Highlands, crossed the Sanzanna Caves, and now we’re in the Obora Marshlands.

Creepy, drooping trees grew thick all around, making the place dim and gloomy. The ground was muddy and the footing was awful.

“Hey, watch it. Something’s here.” 

Agaro warned.

No way. I immediately drew my sword, ready for anything. Then I noticed the swamp water near Hoss’s side bulge ever so slightly. Something was there.

“Hoss, right next to you!”

“What the—! Whaa—!”

Something leaped out of the swamp with its jaws wide open, lunging straight at Hoss.

He barely managed to block it with his halberd, giving me the opening to slash it down. The creature flopped back into the swamp as if it had been knocked away.

“You okay?”

“That was close. You saved me.”

“So that’s a swamp croc, huh?”

It was about half the size of a normal crocodile. Since it hides in the swamp, people just call it a “swamp croc.”

But the strange thing is — swamp crocs aren’t monsters. They’re just animals.

Honestly, I can’t really tell the difference between monsters and animals unless they’re using Relics. My personal rule is: if it’s got a bunch of extra eyes or something, it’s a monster.

“Good thing it wasn’t a swamp shark.”

“Swamp shark’s a monster, right?” 

“Hoss, can you eat swamp croc?”

“Gotta let it soak to flush out all the mud first.”

“Let’s just get out of here, guys. I’m not spending the night in this place.”

No arguments here. I didn’t want to camp in a place like this either.

We raised our lanterns and pressed on.

“You know, my eighth sister once said my fifth sister was ‘stuck in a swamp,’ and I never got what she meant. Still don’t.”

“Probably not a good thing, whatever it means.”

“I heard about it before. Apparently, when you get obsessed with something, they call it ‘falling into the swamp.’”

“Ah, I see. But I still don’t know what hobby my fifth sister’s into.”

“It’s rare for you not to know something, Rell.”

“Well, I did hear something about roses blooming, or lilies blooming.”

“Roses? Lilies? You mean flowers?”

“Like a flower bed or a garden, maybe?”

Sounds like a pretty wholesome hobby for a girl, honestly. Kinda sweet.

“…Actually, I think I’ve heard something like that too.” 

Agaro chimed in.

“You know what it means?”

“I once heard Megadia talking about it. She said something like, ‘roses for boys, lilies for girls.’ No idea what she meant, though. You guys have any clue?”

“Not a clue.” 

Hoss replied.

“Me neither.”

“Thought it was about flowers.”

We all tilted our heads in confusion. Total mystery. Girls really are impossible to understand sometimes.

After that, we took down a few more swamp crocs, ran into a horde of swamp goblins and trolls, and fought them off.

Wiped them all out, and finally took a break. Just as the sun was starting to set, we managed to get out of the marshlands.

Beyond the marsh was a forest, and after that, the misty valley.

We decided to set up camp in the forest for the night, same routine as yesterday.

Unlike the marsh, the forest was quiet, with a thin layer of mist hanging in the air. Must’ve been because of how close the valley was.

“Alright, dinner’s ready. Got mushroom and herb soup, roasted meat wrapped in big leaves, and some roasted bean bread.”

“Whoa, looks great.”

The roasted meat was wrapped in big leaves, and the mushroom soup had a bunch of different kinds of mushrooms floating in it.

“Made plenty, so dig in. Oh, and Agaro, you wanted something to go with your booze, right? Made you a little something.”

“Oh yeah? What is it?”

“Crushed beans and nuts, mixed with spices and roasted.”

“Damn, this is crunchy and tasty.”

Agaro popped some into his mouth right away.

I grabbed my own plate and joined in.

“There’s some mixed into the roasted meat too.”

Tasted even better when you paired it with the bean bread. This roast was really good.

“Hoss, what kind of meat is this?”

“Mad Edge.”

“…Wait, you mean the Mad Edge rabbits from the Kurutta Highlands?”

“Tastes more like pork than rabbit, though.” 

Rell commented, cutting into the meat on his fancy-looking plate with his own personal knife and fork.

Watching him eat like that always reminded me he was born and raised a noble, no matter how rough the journey.

Well, if you ignore how the Mad Edge looks, the meat’s actually delicious. Can’t blame the meat for the monster’s appearance.

“Yeah, monsters are like that a lot, huh?”

It happens pretty often — their looks don’t match their taste. Like that time we killed a Water Elk, and its meat tasted like tomatoes. That was a real surprise.

Rell spoke up quietly.

“Speaking of things being different than they look — my sixth sister’s a mercenary. She’s working as a bodyguard for Marquis Tasan right now.”

“Marquis Tasan? That’s one of the big noble houses.”

“That’s impressive.”

“Yeah, but a mercenary, huh? That’s pretty unusual.” 

Agaro muttered. He had a point. These days, most fighters were dungeon explorers, not mercenaries. That job was practically extinct.

“She didn’t become an explorer.”

“Why not?”

“Because she’s terrified of dungeons. Can’t handle undead, either. She’s the only one of us who never set foot in the crypt under our thirteenth sister’s room.”

“Afraid of undead, so that’s why she avoids dungeons, huh.”

Undead only spawn in dungeons, so avoiding dungeons means you’ll never meet them.

“There’s that, but also — dungeons are cramped and dark. She can’t stand that.”

“Sounds like a little kid, that sister of yours.”

“Still, funny that she ended up as a mercenary.”

“She loves to fight, though. That’s why she’s strong.”

“Well, I guess if she’s guarding Marquis Tasan, she’s gotta be strong.”

“Your sisters all sound kinda violent, huh?”

“Nah, my fourteenth sister isn’t like that. She’s quiet and shy, but she’s great at hand-to-hand combat.”

“That still sounds pretty violent, if you ask me.”

“Oh, by the way, are you sure it’s okay telling us all this about your sisters?”

“Not a problem. It’s not like you guys are ever gonna meet them.”

Rell said it confidently. Fair enough — I had no plans to meet them, and I bet Hoss felt the same.

We wrapped up our meal, chatting away like that, and when Ler was about to take the first watch, Agaro spoke.

“Alright, time to talk about tomorrow. You all probably figured it out already, but tomorrow we’re heading into the Misty Valley to hunt the Grand blade tusk Rhino.”

“…Can I ask something first?”

“What is it, Axe?”

“I was meaning to ask before we face it… Why are you even doing this hunt for our sake?”

Agaro paused for a moment, then answered:

“Let me ask you instead — have you ever fought a monster or enemy wielding an OOPArt?”

We all looked at each other.

“…Nope.”

“Not once.”

“Me neither.”

Thinking back, sure, we’d fought monsters and enemies that used Relics.

But none that had OOPArts — and that must’ve been the point.

“So you’re letting us fight an opponent with an OOPArt just to give us some experience?”

“Well, yeah, pretty much. You’ll be going up against enemies equipped with OOPArts that sync with their relics. As you guys climb the ranks, the dungeon floors you explore will get deeper too. It won’t be unusual for the monsters down there to have OOPArts. Especially the humanoid ones.”

“…So that’s why the quest is ranked Mid-Gold, huh?”

“Yeah. It was a perfect job for you lot. Besides, watching from above is the best way to learn, right?”

“Hmph. Makes sense. My seventh sister once went one-on-one with a Low-Gold rank monster and nearly died.”

“There’s nothing reasonable about going one-on-one with a Gold-ranked creature.”

Fighting a Gold-tier monster solo is beyond reckless.

“Well, since we’ve come this far, might as well learn as much as we can.”

“Yeah, so this ‘Grand Bladetusk Rhino’ — what kind of relic does it have?”

“Ah, that’s the thing — you won’t know until you actually fight it.”

“It’s not predetermined?”

Normally, a monster’s relic is tied to its species.
For example, a Lightning horse always carries a lightning-type relic. A Firebear? Fire-type, obviously.

“With the Bladetusk Rhino, you won’t know until you go head-to-head with it. That’s pretty typical for Gold-ranked monsters.”

“Typical, huh…”

“Yeah, no kidding.”

“Hmm.”

Even we couldn’t help but feel uneasy at that.

Agaro let out a dry chuckle as he sipped his drink.

“Hey now, you’re not the main ones fighting, remember? Your job’s support — back me up properly, alright?”

“Got it.”

“Yeah.”

“Just gotta do it, I guess.”

Right — gotta stay sharp for tomorrow.

And with that, the conversation wound down. We took turns keeping watch until dawn.

A thin fog drifted endlessly through the forest, creeping in from the Mistdeep Gorge beyond.

That’s where we were headed next — the gorge said to be ruled by the legendary treasure-class monster, Mistlanda.

“Alright, let’s move. Stay alert.”

With Agaro leading, we advanced toward the gorge, weapons drawn and ready.

The gorge was strange — the cliffs and stones all had a murky blue hue, and the ground underfoot was the same, hard and clouded.

“Is the fog getting thicker?”

“It’s getting denser as we go.”

“Well, it’s called the Mistdeep Gorge for a reason.”

“…Hold up.”

We froze.

Agaro signaled silently, pointing ahead — and there it was.

A Rhino.

But not an ordinary one — its horn was grotesquely oversized and unnatural.

The monster was massive, at least as tall as a two-story building, and its hide was a dull blue-gray. But that horn…

The horn took up nearly half of its head — thick, sharp, and glowing faintly white like a blade embedded straight into its skull.

The Grand Bladetusk Rhino.

Its legendary horn wasn’t just a weapon, it was an OOPArt perfectly synchronized with the beast.

“So that’s it, huh.”

“Mid-Gold rank… maybe?”

“……”

It hadn’t noticed us — or so we thought. There was still a good distance between us, yet the pressure it exuded was overwhelming, almost suffocating.

So this is what a monster truly is… The feeling reminded me of the time I’d faced Agaro during training.

“Lightning Fang. I’ll take point. You lot do what you always do.”

Agaro grinned, drawing his saber — the Flame Tongue.

It was a strange blade, curved and swollen like a tongue. An OOPArt perfectly synchronized with Agaro’s relic, [Annihilation]. The sword itself was known as the [Blade of Annihilation].

And in that moment — the Rhino glared at us.

A single, pitch-black eye locked onto us. That’s when I realized I’d made a terrible mistake.

It hadn’t just noticed us now.

It had known we were here all along.

And that stare wasn’t discovery — it was a warning.

VmooOOOoooooo…

A low, rumbling growl.

The Grand Bladetusk Rhino turned fully toward Agaro, lifting its massive horn — showing off its deadly weapon.

What the hell? The blade looked like it was… wavering?

“Well then — let’s do this.”

Agaro’s Flame Tongue began to glow, slowly turning a deep, smoldering red.

VmooOOOOO!!

With a roar, the Rhino raised its huge frame, lifting its front legs high, then slammed them back down as it swung its horn in a wide diagonal arc.

The moment it landed, the ground trembled, and a sweeping crescent-shaped shockwave tore through the earth.

Agaro barely managed to dive aside in time, rolling to safety.

The hard, murky blue ground split open as if it were paper.

“I see… So that’s the kind of relic it has.”

Agaro stood back up, gripping his now glowing-red Flame Tongue with both hands.

The Grand Bladetusk Rhino gave its head a light shake, and the massive blade-horn trembled — sending out a flurry of small flying slashes.

“Tch, like hell I’ll let that through!”

Agaro swung his Flame Tongue, and a wall of flame expanded in front of him like a shield. The sharp crack of impacts followed — the sound of the slashes colliding with the wall of fire.

‘VmoooOOOooOOO!!’

“Lightning Fang! I’m counting on you for support!”

Agaro shouted as he leapt forward, swinging the Flame Tongue straight at the Grand Bladetusk Rhino.

Black flames danced — the flames of annihilation.

The Flame Tongue clashed head-on with the Rhino’s enormous horn, the Grand Bladetusk.

“Raaaahhhh!”

‘VmoooooOOOooooo!!’

The annihilation flames from Agaro’s blade began cracking the Grand Bladetusk.

He was pushing it back. They could win this — or so it seemed.

But then the horn suddenly shone with an intense, blinding light.

“Whoa—!?”

Agaro shut his eyes against the flash. In that instant, the Grand Bladetusk Rhino swung its massive blade-horn high overhead and brought it down with all its strength.

The blade struck Agaro directly, launching him into the air.

His body crashed into a wall high above, and then fell, disappearing from sight.

“Agaro-san!?”

‘VmooooOOOooOOOO!!’

The Grand Bladetusk Rhino raised its upper body again, lifting its massive horn high into the air.

This was bad.

Right as it was about to strike, an arrow hit the side of the Grand Bladetusk, triggering a sharp shock.

‘VmoooOOOo!’

The Rhino staggered slightly. Surprised, it turned its head just in time to see Rell let loose a second arrow.

The shot struck the beast square in the head, unleashing another shockwave.

So those were impact arrows.

Arrows tipped with shockstones — a relic fragment known to release powerful shockwaves on contact. Costly, and difficult to handle, but incredibly effective.

Even so, after taking two of those hits, the Grand Bladetusk Rhino still kept its upper body raised. Its defenses were incredible.

So this was the strength of a mid-tier Gold-ranked monster.

“Taaaah!”

At some point, Hoss had circled around behind it.

He aimed for the Rhino’s leg with his halberd, striking true and managing to leave a wound.

‘VmoooOOOooOOO!!’

The Grand Bladetusk Rhino wobbled, its massive frame finally faltering.

“Axe — go check on Agaro!”

“R-right!”

Rell loosed another impact arrow, hitting the horn and staggering the creature again.

Hoss followed up, slashing at its leg with the halberd, deepening the wound and making the Rhino lurch violently.

While the two of them held the beast’s attention, I started searching for Agaro.

“Hey! Hey, where are you!?”

“Agaro-san!?”

“Axe, over here!”

I turned toward the voice.

Agaro was buried under rubble.

The wall he’d crashed into had cracked and collapsed, partially burying him.

Luckily, the debris wasn’t too heavy, and I was able to clear it away by myself.

Looking up, I noticed the cracks from the impact stretched all the way to the top of the wall, faintly revealing the upper edge.

Could it be…?

After I cleared enough debris, Agaro crawled out, sitting up against the wall.

“Huff… huff… You saved me. Thanks. What about the Grand Bladetusk Rhino?”

“Hoss and Rell are still holding it off.”

But the real question was — for how long?

Agaro must’ve thought the same, because after checking himself for injuries, he forced himself back to his feet.

“Alright. Let’s move.”

“Wait — Agaro-san. I have an idea.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it.”

I explained the plan that had come to me.

When I finished, Agaro let out a grin.

“So, what do you think?”

“It’s clever — and it might just work. But the question is, Axe… Can you hold out long enough? You’ll have to stall that beast with just your team until I’m ready.”

“We’ll be fine.”

We, the Fang of Thunder, will see it through — no matter what.

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