He lowered the helmet's visor.
A translucent display appeared on the visor, showing the Combat Suit's status interface.
"Suni."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Yes. Master.]
A calm, intelligent woman's voice rang out.
Suni was the voice-recognition AI built into the Combat Suit.
"Navigation."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Activating navigation.]
A small minimap and route connecting the gathering points appeared in the top-right corner of the display.
At the same time, a transparent arrow floated in front of him, indicating the direction to go.
He stowed the tablet in his backpack, pulled out his machete and crossbow, and loaded a bolt for immediate firing.
The crossbow was a compound bow-style model. Reloading was slow, but it guaranteed enough power to shatter bones.
For F-rank monsters, you could assume a single shot to the head or heart would kill them.
He slung the crossbow over his left shoulder and gripped the machete in his right hand.
"Hoo..."
After a light deep breath, he followed the arrow on the display into the jungle.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Whether Awakener or not, no one hunted alone inside a Gate if they could help it.
Long-term raids went without saying, but even day trips were done in parties of at least two.
At first, I'd partied up for farming too.
Then I got stabbed in the back.
Betrayals and backstabs were less common nowadays, but just a few years ago, they were everyday occurrences—nothing surprising.
Those guys would've succeeded if it weren't for me.
But they didn't know I was in a half-baked awakened state, and even half-baked was leagues better than nothing.
Naturally, they became excellent nourishment for the Gate monsters.
And that wasn't the last time I got backstabbed.
The world of Non-Awakened Hunters—something I hadn't known about during my days wiping asses for Awakened Hunters—was utterly insane.
The government was overwhelmed just handling Gates everywhere and had no time to worry about what happened inside them.
The apocalyptic vibe from Gates and dimensional rifts didn't help.
No sane people left.
The sane ones stuck together in tight groups and shut out outsiders.
Things improved later with the Herbalist Hunter Association, but that was much further down the line.
I could've brushed off the first betrayal, but after all the backstabs, my thinking changed.
If I were just a normal guy, I'd have died several times over.
This wouldn't do.
I considered forming my own party, but I knew my limits and my personality well.
I didn't trust myself to manage people.
So I blew all my savings on a Combat Suit.
For someone operating in the rear, a Combat Suit was absurd luxury.
Back then, the pinnacle of mana engineering and modern science, it cost a fortune and was the exclusive domain of Awakened Hunters.
Mana Stone-powered Combat Suits had hefty maintenance costs too.
But for safety, nothing beat it.
If asked whether Herbalist work was worth going all-in on a Combat Suit, the answer was obviously no.
But I thought it was back then.
Awakening was my goal over money.
I could've gone back to being a Supporter, but after being treated like a slave, I couldn't stomach it.
Normally, you'd retire with that kind of cash, but back then, I was brimming with passion and never even considered it.
The Combat Suit performed superbly.
Far from feeling uneasy alone, it felt convenient.
Mentally, the security was unmatched.
Even backstabs from other parties vanished just from the Suit's presence, so party thoughts cleared from my mind.
Thus, after five years as a Supporter and nine as a Non-Awakened Hunter, I became a rotting corpse haunting Gates.
Of course, claiming stagnation was fine was nonsense. As you age, you give up on awakening and move to other work—that's normal.
These days, it was more about earning a living than awakening.
Long years as a Non-Awakened Hunter let me buy a house, but not enough for a carefree life.
And no other job seemed easier than this one I'd grown used to.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A light tension hit as he entered the jungle.
A tension he hadn't felt in ages.
How long had it been? A month? Less? He wasn't sure.
"Activate monster detection."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Activating monster detection.] [No monsters detected within 50 meters radius.]
Monster detector.
The epoch-making invention that enabled countless Non-Awakened Hunters.
His was built into the Combat Suit, but Non-Awakened Hunters usually carried tablet versions.
It could even roughly gauge monster ranks, making it essential for hunters.
F-rank monsters weren't hard for any fit adult male with a weapon.
That's why Non-Awakened Hunters without organized parties or the cash often skipped detectors despite the price.
But a monster ambushing from point-blank was a disaster for Non-Awakened Hunters, even F-rank.
Simply detecting approaching monsters drastically cut death risk.
In the rear like this, with cores cleared, monsters were mostly strays leaking from the front—F-ranks. Knowing their locations beforehand meant almost no deaths.
Of course, only feasible in the rear where monsters were scarce; impossible up front.
Following the translucent navigation on his visor, he headed to the first point.
About thirty minutes in.
Just as boredom set in, Suni's voice spoke.
⚔ MONSTER DETECTED ⚔5 o'clock direction, 42 meters. F-rank monster bio-signs: two.
"Two?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Yes. Two bio-signs detected.]
Not even long into the jungle, and he spots two monsters—hard enough to find one. Bad luck, he thought.
"Enlarge minimap."
The corner minimap expanded translucently before his eyes.
The two monsters weren't moving from one spot.
Off his route, but leaving such a hazard was unacceptable.
If not retreating, he had to take them out, even if no profit.
F-ranks were nothing to fear.
He approached slowly, minimizing noise.
The monsters still hadn't moved.
Pre-spotted F-ranks posed no threat.
With a preemptive strike, F-rank monsters were just prey.
Hidden in the brush, he cautiously observed.
Goblins.
Not the fantasy movie kind.
Officially "Corrupted Beings" or whatever, but hunters casually called them that.
Far more grotesque, incomparable.
Gleaming bald heads and pointed ears.
Hunched backs and child-sized frames.
Smooth black skin, naked, with writhing dark-red veins bulging out.
Four oversized, razor-sharp claws mismatched to their size.
Humanoid enough to hide in jungle for ambushes, hence why Non-Awakened Hunters needed detectors.
Conversely, not scary if not ambushed.
The two goblins had torn mouths ripped to their ears, gnawing something with sharp teeth.
Looked like a human corpse.
He carefully raised the crossbow.
The scope's red dot locked on the left goblin's head.
Twang.
"Kek."
The bolt pierced the goblin's temple, dropping it dead.
Instant kill.
Close range; missing would've been weirder.
The remaining goblin stared puzzled at its fallen kin, then shrieked.
"Kii! Kiieek!"
Keeping his eyes on it, he quickly cranked the crossbow to reload.
The goblin, glancing around, spotted him late and charged, baring sawblade-sharp red teeth.
But the reloaded crossbow was already aimed.
Easier to hit the torso than the rushing head.
Twang.
Thud.
The fast bolt embedded in its shoulder.
The goblin couldn't withstand the force, tumbling backward.
But it rolled, stood ignoring the wound, and charged roaring.
Always mad bastards.
"Kieeek!"
No time for another reload.
Non-Awakened or not, he had hunter experience.
Familiar situation.
He swiftly drew the knife from his thigh holster, hurled it, then readied the machete for close quarters.
Thunk.
Luckily, the knife hit the goblin's forehead.
Unexpected luck.
No need for the blade now.
The goblin's eyes lost life with the knife in its forehead, staggered, and collapsed.