Kays Translations

Chapter 31: "Hunting Ground Ravage"

*(Exposed Graveyard ⇒ Uncovered Graveyard)

Now then, the intermediate promotion exam.

I'll clear it swiftly.

"First, let's start with undead materials... It's been a while since I went there."

Since waiting for the shared carriage is a waste of time, Klaus activates his "Automatic Function Auto Mode" as usual.

　──- Skill: "Automatic Movement"!

*Vrooooom...*

　※ ※

《Please specify the destination》

● Town

● Field Dungeon  ← Chosen

● Other

　※ ※

"Alright, found it... ‘Uncovered Graveyard'! This is a dungeon recommended for party conquest, requiring companions, holy water, magic, and social skills, aar~."

And Klaus has none of those...!! *Grits teeth*

"Because I'm alone—"

"But I'm here, right?!"

*Smirks*

"So annoyi~ng."

I gave Merim a dry smile,

I activated the skill "Auto-Move" and specified the field "Uncovered Graveyard."

A soft sound echoed...

　※ ※

《Move to: Uncovered Graveyard》

⇒ Travel time “01:04:33”

　※ ※

"Huh? What? The carriage...? Oh, we're going on that cart? Alright then."

Hahaha!

...There's no way I'd let you ride, though.

"─Activate."

Just like always, my consciousness drifted away, and when I woke up, I was...

"Yes. We've arrived~"

With this, Merim also sowed... I suppose────.

"Ughhhhh... Ha, haa, Klausssss~"

Whoa?! Seriously?!

T-That was fast, Kimmy?!

"I-Is this for real, you...?"

No way, is it?!

Is he a stalker?!

Woah, being young is amazingggggg!!

"H-Hey, hey, let me rest a bit... Seriously, just a little──"

"Yeah, yeah, rest as much as you want──"

I have no intention of waiting!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

"I will──────become the light! Farewell, Merim!"

"Waitttttttttttttttttt!!"

Now, let's head straight to the vicinity of the dungeon.

After securing the cart and the donkey at the hunting ground entrance of the ‘Uncovered Graveyard', Klaus begins to prepare for the quest.

'The Uncovered Graveyard' is a combination of a field and a dungeon, consisting of an above-ground cemetery and an underground ossuary.

On the surface, undead, demi-human, and beast-type monsters emerge, with undead activity becoming particularly active during the night.

Additionally, the underground ossuary, shrouded in darkness, is a place where undead creatures constantly roam.

And the ghoul-type creatures only appear in the underground ossuary────.

...In that case, I'll dash through in one go!!!!

At first glance, it appears to be an ancient cemetery, a peaceful place with occasional groves and ponds.

The destination is the stone-built ossuary resembling a temple, visible in the distance.

"Hey, Klaus~"

"Hmm, just as I thought, there aren't any adventurers active on the surface────they're all underground."

We need to hurry before all the ghouls are hunted down.

While it's not easy to completely wipe them out, if someone else takes the materials first, there are adventurers who would try to sell them at a high price.

Instead, there are adventurers like pickpockets, who prioritize visiting hunting grounds all over the place, knowing there's an advancement exam for intermediate rank.

"I can't be bothered by that."

They inflate the prices to ten or twenty times the usual market value.

It's quite frustrating.

In that case────......

Quickly

“Let's goooooo────!!”

*Zan!!*

Klaus kicks the ground and dashes forward.

Originally, Klaus is considered a veteran lower-level adventurer, well accustomed to combat in lower-level hunting grounds. 

He takes pride in being stronger than the average lower-level adventurer.

"Hyaaa!!"

Klaus swiftly severs the cervical vertebrae of the skeleton that was roaming the surface cemetery, sending it back into oblivion.

*Clatter, clatter, clatter...* The bones make a dry, rattling sound as they roll on the ground.

And as if in response to that signal, the surrounding monsters all converge on Klaus at once.

"The goal is to break through────'Auto-Battle' is still sealed!!"

'Auto-Battle' is advantageous for annihilation battles but unfavorable for breaking through.

There's no time to waste unnecessarily,

"Get outttttttttttttttttt!!"

"『Cocacacacaca』"

"『Garrururururururururu』"

"『Wanwanwan...!』"

Undead, demi-humans, beasts────all of them, mere pests... They're all in the way!!

*Zubababababababababababb!!*

Klaus swiftly swings the obsidian dagger he just finished sharpening, effortlessly cutting down the monsters one after another as he advances further and further.

(I can do this! Even without relying on 'Auto-Battle', I've become stronger!!)

He can feel the improvement in his stats here.

His speed, strength, and endurance are on a completely different level than before────.

"Hyyaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!"

*『『『『Ghoaaaaaaa?!』』』』*

Like a raging storm, the swarm of lower-level monsters is swept away.

　※ ※

~ Drop Items (Proof of Defeat) ~

Goblin Ears ×4

Zombie Wolf Tails ×2

Kobold Soldier Ears ×1

~ Drop Items (Materials) ~

Zombie Wolf Gallbladder ×1

Phantom Core Stone ×1

~ Drop Items (Magic Stones) ~

Magic Stone (Small) ×2 ⇒ Used

Ashen Magic Stone (Ultra Small) ×1

Black Magic Stone (Ultra Small) ×1

※ ※

“Haa, haa, haa...!”

Klaus sprinted through the surface field in one go.

Having left the territory, the monsters he couldn't defeat had probably gone somewhere else.

“Phew... I'm tired. I couldn't collect much material while running.”

Since Klaus didn't find the monster materials he was aiming for, he had randomly tossed the severed parts into his backpack. As a result, he left a large amount of leftovers behind him.

...But there was no other choice.

(Now, I guess I’ll go underground──)

Thinking this, just as he was about to take out the magic light stone lantern,

"What is this...?!"

Klaus, who thought he had arrived fairly quickly at the 'Uncovered Graveyard' 

He discovered that there were already people ahead of him.

It seemed not only examinees but also ordinary adventurers were present, yet for some reason, everyone was wandering around near the entrance.

Of course.

It's a regular hunting ground, so it's not unusual for adventurers to be here. It's just odd for Klaus, who usually frequents unpopular hunting grounds. This is a normal sight, but────... even so, an abnormal scene was unfolding before him.

*Rustle, rustle*

*Buzz, buzz*

Adventurers were buzzing with excitement at the entrance of the hunting ground.

Not a single person attempted to enter, and they all wore bewildered expressions.

"What's going on?"

"Oh, it's Klaus. So you came for the rank advancement exam, huh?"

Though not exactly acquaintances, Klaus spoke to an adventurer he had seen a few times at the guild.

"Well... As you can see, someone's been rampaging through the hunting ground."

"What?!"

As the adventurer said, deep within the dungeon-turned graveyard, the ground rumbled, just as the term "monster poaching" suggests.

Perhaps because of this, 

Adventurers who entered the interior quickly returned, complaining, "There are no monsters here."

"Geez! It's so annoying, you know? Ignoring the reserved slots for regular adventurers, those high-level adventurers barged in and went straight to hunt down the boss. Thanks to that—"

BOOOOOOOM!

A corner of the graveyard collapsed, creating a massive hole, and undead bodies rained down in pieces.

And then, as if to fill the void left behind by the chaos, a calm atmosphere prevailed once again.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON...

"Sigh... They've done it."

Just as it seemed like the screams of monsters from the depths of the earth could be heard,

The dungeon rapidly returned to normal.

Then, the low and mid-level adventurers who had hoped for drops in the hunting grounds sighed in disappointment and started packing up.

It seemed that the mentioned high-level adventurer had defeated the boss, and despite the waiting adventurers, the situation had normalized.

"Ugh... They seem to be outsiders from another town—how infuriating."

There isn't a law punishing anyone who triggers the dungeon's normalization at any given time. 

In fact, normalization is even encouraged to prevent an overflow of monster hordes.

However, for adventurers who rely on drops from the hunting grounds to make a living, the normalization of the hunting grounds becomes a matter of life and death, forcing them into temporary unemployment for a while.

Therefore, there was an unspoken understanding that normalization should not be initiated in popular hunting grounds or hunting grounds where adventurers were in the midst of their dungeon trials.

However, unfortunately today, a high-level adventurer who didn't consider the situation has disrupted a low-level hunting ground.

"What an annoying person. Who the heck is this?"

Damn, my ghoul materials...

"I wonder? I've been diving since yesterday, so I have no idea about the town's situation────"

*THUD!*

"W-What's happening!?"

"Eeek?!"

In front of the chattering Klaus, a burly man appeared, carrying materials from the dungeon boss.

"Th-This guy is──..."

"Glen...? Glen Boghose──Is that you?!"

"Huh? Well, well, if it isn't Klaus."

Glen smirked triumphantly, proudly emerging from the dungeon with a bag full of materials. He ignored the gazes of the other adventurers and slapped Klaus on the shoulder.

It seemed so deliberate...

"What are you doing? In such a shabby hunting ground, no less."

Grinning,

"That's my line. Why is the esteemed Glen, with high level and unique skills, doing in a low-level hunting ground?"

Ignoring Klaus's words with a shrug,

"Just training. ...Is there a problem?"

Seeing Glen smirking and curling his lips into a grin, Klaus caught on.

"...Wait a minute. You guys, don't tell me?"

"Hmm~? Hehe, who knows? But, maybe. Sometimes by chance, our members might end up normalizing a hunting ground, you know."

Seeing Glen laughing heartily, shaking his large frame, Klaus clicked his tongue loudly in his mind.

And he realized.

...Most likely, the 'Special Bond Special Forces' members would already be one step ahead, normalizing the hunting ground Klaus was heading to.

("Damn! Going through all this trouble just to harass me?!")

What a bunch of idle troublemakers...

("Should I just give up? This isn't worth it, right?")

Klaus pondered briefly. Since there were other exam dates, maybe he could give up on this one...

This time, the interference was just a coincidence, likely because Charlotte's exam happened to overlap, and this was just an opportunity to vent a little frustration. 

And there was Klaus, an old acquaintance, serving as an easy target.

So, it was a one-time harassment. (As much as they might gain from it, they surely weren't that idle... or so one would think.)

"I see. But it's better not to ignore the local rules too much, you know?"

"Huh. Who cares about the rules in this backwater place? Get out of my way!"

With just those words, Glen scattered the gathering adventurers, swiftly grabbed the dropped items, and mounted his waiting horse.

(He even prepared a horse?!)

...There's no chance of winning against that kind of preparation.

"Well then, do your best, Klaus.

"............Tch!"

It seems like the situation doesn't look good for other hunting grounds either.

With limited quest items left, there aren't many hunting grounds to choose from...

"Heheh... Hey, don't leave me behind! Put me on the cart too!"

Merim, who had become exhausted, arrived at the scene, but Klaus didn't have the luxury to pay attention.

There was only a day and a half left. And the quest items that must be obtained────…….

　※ Quest Completion Status ※

- Krumel Fruit × 5

- Ghoul Jaw × 5 ⇒ Failed due to interference

- Cave Slime Murky Fluid × 5

- Illusion Nuts × 5

- Unicorn Horn × 1

- Wandering Leather Armor Breastplate × 3

- Silk Spider's Morning Thread × 3

- Salazar's Hairpin × 1, huh...

　※ ※ ※

Among the remaining seven, there are three...

"Hmph... Those Gain guys... Alright, if you're that determined, I'll show you."

Feel free to interfere however you like.

And I'll show you what I'm made of...

*Woosh...*

　※ ※ ※

Skill: Automatic Function - Auto Mode

Ability: Uses SP to perform actions automatically.

Level 1:

- Automatic Return: Can automatically return from dungeons, fields, and other locations.

Level 2:

- Automatic Movement: Can automatically move to places previously visited, including dungeons, fields, and towns.

Level 3:

- Automatic Resource Collection: Can automatically collect resources previously gathered.

Level 4:

- Automatic Battle: Can automatically engage in battles with opponents previously fought.

　※ ※ ※

This is my Automatic Function - Auto Mode..!

Indeed,

Gain, Glen, Chail, Mika...

(...Witness the true power of the Unique Skill **Automatic Function - Auto Mode** that you all dismissed as useless!)

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