On his way back home, Kai wore a wide smile that never seemed to leave his face. And why shouldn’t he? He had been gifted a beautiful house in such a majestic place, a home he could never have imagined owning before.
He asked Benjamin about the renovations, and apparently, the property management installed a security system inside every house once it was purchased. Such security measures were mandatory for all residents, though they did not include any form of surveillance.
The work would take, at most, two days to complete. After that, they could finally begin living there.
"Hmm..."
Suddenly, the train jerked violently, sending a ripple of startled gasps through the carriage.
Kai’s brow furrowed as he sensed it. A dense concentration of mana had suddenly spread through the surrounding area.
And he wasn’t the only one who had noticed.
"A dungeon?" someone called from the left, already rising from his seat.
Several others followed suit, getting to their feet as the train came to an abrupt stop only moments after leaving the station.
The lights inside the carriage immediately turned red, bathing everything in an ominous glow. A moment later, an announcement rang through the train.
[An outbreak has occurred. A horde of monsters has escaped and is heading toward this area. Please proceed to the nearest shelter immediately for your safety.]
Fortunately, people who had lived in this world for any length of time were accustomed to such emergencies. The announcement made them nervous, but it did not descend into widespread panic.
Kai was among those eager to leave the train as quickly as possible. He had never been a hunter, nor did he possess the ability to rescue people in the event of a monster attack.
He began filing out with the rest of the passengers when he noticed a little girl suddenly stumble and fall.
Kai immediately weaved through the crowd and crouched beside her.
"Hey, are you okay?"
When the girl lifted her face, tears glistened in her eyes. Even so, she quickly nodded.
"Yes, I’m okay... sniff."
Kai let out a quiet sigh before asking, "Are you traveling alone?"
She looked to be around ten years old, yet there wasn’t a single adult accompanying her.
"I... I was with my aunt. She always gets off at the previous station," she explained as Kai helped her back to her feet.
Kai didn’t fully understand the situation, but with no adult in sight, he decided to accompany her to the shelter.
The other passengers moved in tense silence as well, instinctively heading toward the stairway rather than risking the elevators. Then, without warning...
BOOOOOM!
"Aaaaaaahhh!"
The wall separating the platform from the reception area exploded.
That was when panic finally took hold.
Dust billowed through the station, obscuring everything in a thick haze as people screamed and scattered in every direction.
Through the swirling dust, Kai caught sight of them.
A horde of monsters, standing on tall legs and glaring at them.
"Are those Grey Hounds?"
Grey Hounds were monsters ranked from F to D and were commonly used during assessments to test beginner hunters. But what were they doing here?
And why were there so many of them?
Grrruf!
One of the beasts suddenly lunged at an elderly woman nearby. Its jaws snapped shut around her head, tearing it away before she could even utter a scream.
"Aaah!"
The little girl beside Kai witnessed the gruesome sight and immediately cried out in terror.
Kai clicked his tongue and swept her into his arms.
"Take formation and shoot them down!"
Thankfully, hunters from the Association arrived not long afterward and immediately began engaging the hounds.
"Why are there so few of them?" Kai muttered.
He hurried toward his right, jogging farther along the platform alongside the fleeing passengers. There were only three hunters in sight, while the monsters outnumbered them by at least five to one.
"Hick... hick..."
Hearing the girl sobbing against him, Kai lowered his voice.
"Everything’s going to be fine. Once we reach the shelter, you can go back home safely, okay?"
He did his best to reassure her, though comforting children had never exactly been his specialty.
Fortunately, thanks to his little peanut, he knew exactly how to hold someone securely in his arms.
GRUFF!
Kai’s eyes widened as he glanced over his shoulder and saw four hounds clawing their way toward them.
"They’re behind us!" someone shouted, and the others immediately noticed the approaching monsters.
"I’ll hold them! Gaaaah!"
A man skidded to a halt and thrust both hands forward, instantly conjuring a greenish barrier. The four hounds crashed into it, their claws scraping against its surface as they struggled to force their way through.
Yet the strain was obvious.
The chanter had already been driven several meters backward by the impact, and the barrier trembled violently with every blow. It was clear he wouldn’t be able to hold them for long.
"I’ll back him up!"
Another person stepped forward, this time a woman. A black whip formed from condensed mana materialized in her hand as she advanced, ready to strike down anything that managed to break through the barrier.
"If there’s another awakened among you, go and back them up!" someone shouted from the crowd.
Kai knew perfectly well how useful he could be in this situation.
Which was precisely why he swallowed his pride, tightened his hold on the little girl, and turned away.
His only goal now was to reach the other exit and get out of the station alive.
However, just as the door came into sight, something burst through it from the other side and came sliding onto the platform, bringing every fleeing passenger to an abrupt halt.
Kai froze along with them.
Grrrrr...
A single hound stood several meters away, balanced on its hind legs with its claws extended. Saliva dripped from its broad maw as its blood-red eyes remained fixed on one person and one person alone.
Kai.
Of course.
It wasn’t only humans who could sense monsters containing mana. The same was true in reverse.
Monsters could sense mana within humans too.
And right now, among everyone gathered on the platform, Kai was the only one carrying enough mana to stand out.
The only one the hound could sense.
Or perhaps he should call it a curse.
Kai swallowed hard and steeled himself. He slowly lowered the little girl who was instantly ran towards the others.
’This is bad.’ Kai hadn’t participated in many raids before and even those times, never fought monsters.
Not to talk about he didn’t have a weapon. Ah!
"Huh?"
Someone in the crowd gasped as a dagger suddenly appeared in Kai’s hand.
The monster dropped onto all fours and let out a low growl.
Its claws scraped against the floor.
Then it charged.
Kai closed his eyes for a brief moment and gathered himself. His body tensed, his mind narrowed to a single point, and even his breathing ceased.
The hound leapt at the final moment, one claw extending toward him.
Kai barely had time to react. He twisted his body aside and swung the dagger with everything he had.
SLASH!
SQUELCH!
"Guh!"
Kai staggered as the creature’s claw raked across his upper arm, instantly soaking his shirt with blood.
Thud!
The hound landed hard and skidded across the floor, prompting several people nearby to recoil.
But the monster recovered almost immediately.
It twisted around, its red eyes locking onto Kai once again as it prepared to pounce.
Kai tightened his grip on the dagger and braced himself for another exchange.
But...
KUHHK... KUHHK...
The hound didn’t lunge.
Instead, it began to limp.
Its limbs trembled before gradually becoming weaker, as though whatever strength remained in its body was rapidly draining away.
Kai’s eyes widened.
His gaze fell to the wound he had inflicted on the monster’s side.
The cut was completely frozen.
No blood spilled from it.
The creature’s movements grew slower and slower. By the time it finally reached Kai, it could barely stand. Its tongue lolled from its mouth as it whimpered weakly, seemingly struggling just to breathe.
Then, a notification appeared before Kai’s eyes.
[Task: Become a dependable man.]
[Sub-task: Achieve your first hunt.]
[Reward: Body Strengthening Pill x3]
Kai stared at the words.
He...
had just hunted a monster.