Bzzzzztttt—
Bztttttttttttzzzzz—
[Congratulations. The connection has been established.]
[Project "ROR" is now in progress.]
[Progression rate: 0.01%]
[The Constellation of Salvation looks at you.]
[The Constellation of Salvation smiles affectionately.]
[The Constellation of Salvation sheds a tear of joy for her lover's recovery.]
[The Constellation of Salvation wishes good luck to you.]
[The Constellation of Salva——]
[The Constellation of Sa———]
[The Constellation——————]
...
"Ughhh… my head. It's gonna fucking explode!"
I groaned in agony, clutching my temples with both hands. A sudden flicker of light flashed above me—then thwack!—something struck my head. Not hard enough to knock me out, but enough to make me bite back a curse.
"Damn it…" I muttered, rubbing the sore spot before glaring up.
And there he was.
A man in his twenties, dark hair slightly disheveled, eyes as black as obsidian. His sharp nose and calm yet piercing gaze were all too familiar—it was his, or rather, our trademark feature.
The man standing before me was none other than my big brother, Molen.
"No curses,you are way too young for that " he said flatly, his tone carrying that subtle mix of irritation and deep concern I knew all too well.
"Marfin, you brat! Are you slacking off again? You're not taking this seriously, are you?"
I winced, lowering my gaze.
"Haa… that wasn't my intention," I murmured, pressing a hand to my throbbing temple. "It's just… I suddenly felt this sharp headache for a moment." My voice was weak, trembling slightly, barely a whisper.
Molen sighed, brushing a hand through my hair.
"I honestly have no idea what goes on in that thick skull of yours," he said, shaking his head. "But you really need to take this more seriously. We're not out here in this wild zone just to mess around. Didn't you say you wanted to learn hunting? Then why are you making excuses? You were the one who was so hell-bent on coming along in the first place."
I stared at him for some seconds, then let out a frustrated sigh. I was clearly not willing to bicker with him right now. My brother could be strict or loving depending on the mood, and right now I was afraid he was still out for my blood just because I sneakily boarded their carriage.
"Yes, yes, I know, I know! You don't have to remind me every time you speak! And I wasn't telling a lie. I did feel an excessive headache," I conveyed dismissively, standing up and looking around.
Far away, two familiar men sat. One was bulky, the other skinny. They were Molen's teammates—friends, batchmates, whatever title fit. They were gossiping among themselves.
"Haa! What am I gonna do with you!" Molen gave a defeated sigh and gently caressed my head. "Fine… you can rest a bit, but don't get too comfortable. Aharan's group will return soon, and I'll be dispatched next. So you must behave! You know Aharan. He isn't going to let it slide like I do."
Molen left after those words of concern and warning. I found a comfortable branch of a big, sturdy tree and sat down on it.
[The Constellation of Salvation yearns to learn about your condition]
[The Constellation of Salvation is quite displeased with your lack of response]
[The Constellation of Salvation demands a response from her lover]
This constant barrage of text, like silent, neon voices, only made my headache more severe. I licked my lips, groaning in sheer frustration.
"What the fuck is this?" I raged, clutching my head. The pain intensified, a searing spike that felt like I might actually die if it kept up.
"Who the fuck are you? What the fuck do you want?"
[The Constellation of Salvation is amused by her lover's confused look]
[The Constellation of Salvation is astonished by her lover's crude words]
Among the numerous blinding screeches, I could distinguish words like 'lover,' 'salvation,' and 'crude words.' Crude words—yes, I always had a bad mouth. It was just something I couldn't resist; curses flowed from my mouth like water when I was angry or displeased. Either way, the voices grew clearer as my headache increased.
[The Constellation of Salvation suggests that you meditate to raise awareness of your senses]
I didn't understand what was happening, but I might as well go along with it. I breathed a heavy sigh and then tried to focus on my five senses. It had been difficult with all those screeching voices moments ago, but now they were fading away, bit by bit.
[The Constellation of Salvation suggests you to relax your body and to focus diligently]
As I focused more and more and relaxed my body, I could hear the voices far too clearly.
[The Constellation of Salvation suggests you to demonstrate excessive focus on your vision]
What did that even mean? I couldn't help but let out a bitter smile and try to concentrate on my vision. After several more attempts, I finally got the gist of it. The resulting change astonished me. There were several lines of words, all too familiar to me, floating in the air.
[The Constellation of Salvation congratulate you for your achievement]
I stared at the air for some seconds, shocked and a bit intrigued by the sight—there really were words floating on the air.
"What in the hell is this?" I muttered under my breath, my eyes wide.
[The Constellation of Salvation is proud of her lover]
"Lover? What in the world is this weird writing spouting about?"
[The Constellation of Salvation reassures you that it's just light teasing]
Teasing? Were we even that close? What was I even thinking about? A lover? A weird writing? As if!
"Heh! I wouldn't even accept you as my lover! A weird writing and I? In a relationship? That sends a chill down my spine, haha."
[The Constellation of Salvation laughs bitterly]
"Hmphh! I shall tell you in case you misunderstand… I already have a crush on a beautiful girl."
I announced proudly to the weird writing. I wasn't lying; I really did have a girl I had a crush on. She was stunning to look at, and her features were breathtaking, though she was two or three years older than me. That might be a downside to many others, but to me, it was a plus point! I grinned mischievously, thinking about how I should court the Noona. As they say, "Age is just a number," hehe.
[The Constellation of Salvation blushes oh so brightly after watching your dubious grin]
[The Constellation of Salvation is flustered and informs you that your smile is precious]
My smile is precious? I bet it is. I am quite handsome, after all. I felt proud of myself as I raised my chin and continued chatting with the weird writings. Though it felt weird at first, I came to terms with it. What else could I do? It was my reality, and I wasn't so delusional as not to acknowledge it.
After quite some while, I could hear a distinct yet familiar voice calling for me.
"Marfin, come here! Quick!" Molen called out, sounding hurried.
I didn't know the exact reason, but I heeded his call and approached him.
"What is it?"
"Aharan has returned. I will warn you again, little one… No messing around with him. You know how he can be, no?"
Aharan has returned, he said. But I didn't see a trace of him around our campsite. Shockingly, maybe half a minute later, I could hear the distinct murmurs from up ahead.
"How did you know, Molen? I bet he wasn't even in the area nearby when you informed me," I asked, a bit intrigued by my brother's foresight.
"Can you perhaps see the future? How cool!" I added in excitement, but his next reply shattered it.
"See the future? Is that even possible?" he said with a hint of amusement, then added, "No, silly! It's just our senses sharpened by hunting non-stop from a young age. I could even tell what's around us if I close my eyes and focus, haha." He ruffled my hair as he laughed.
"Senses? Is that even possible? I tried many times, but I couldn't do it!" I pouted in irritation as I grumbled. Surely he was joking about it. How could a human achieve such feats?
[The Constellation of Salvation is quite intrigued by your brother's keen senses… she advises you to train your senses to even greater feats]
As I was questioning Molen's methods, the familiar, magical writing appeared yet again. So, it is possible?
[The Constellation of Salvation nods at your question and informs you that it's just a tip of an iceberg of what exists in this vast world]
Maybe it was possible. I also heard that people could even throw fire from their hands—not that I had ever seen it.
"This brat!! Is he zoning out right in front of me?" A deep, cold voice echoed through my ears when I was lost in thought. Before I could react, a big hand grabbed my collar and lifted me effortlessly. His cold eyes glared and pierced right through me.
"You stinky brat! I will make it clear again since my words didn't reach your thick skull!" His voice was rough, devoid of any sympathy. "I don't like troublemakers like you one tiny bit. You are scum who hinder others' work for your petty amusement." His voice was resentful, without any hint of empathy.
"Ughh! It hurts!" I groaned in pain, glaring back in defiance. What had I even done wrong? I just tagged along. I didn't think I deserved such treatment. I really hated him.
This man was Aharan. A middle-aged man with a nasty-looking scar right across his cheek, making his face intimidating. His muscled body showed his experience and created an intimidating aura.
"Mr. Aharan, go a bit easy on the kiddo. I know what he did, and I am partially responsible for this. So, for my sake, can you let him off? Just this time?" Molen asked respectfully.
It was understandable that he was showing respect. Aharan was the Captain of this Expedition team, so he rightfully deserved it. Not only that, but he was more or less the strongest man in the village, so everyone was respectful to him. The exception? That would be yours truly. I never liked his guts, so I never got along with this stinky old man.
"Tsk… you are too soft on this kiddo! A bit more discipline, and he would have been an obedient boy rather than a rebellious one!" He loosened his grip on my collar and roughly threw me down. I could hear Molen's faint thank you to Aharan.
"Listen, punk! I already gave you an order, but it seems that didn't register in that thick skull of yours. So, I will kindly remind you again," he conveyed with a bit of disdain as he pointed behind him.
Two men stood behind him, holding a rather large Orc and many other edible animals.
"See those? Sort them out. You better know how to arrange them, or else you are a dead man. You got that, punk?" he ordered, not waiting for my complaints. How was I supposed to sort them all alone? An eight-year-old boy? This oldie had to be screwing me over! Why did I even sneak into their darn carriage again?
"B-But that's way… too—" I was about to complain, but then I saw his intimidating glare, which sent a shiver down my spine.
"Yes, Sir! I will do as you say!" I gulped hard and ran towards the two men behind him, who were also Molen's teammates.
[The Constellation of Salvation is amused by your antics]
II. The Hunter's Logic
...
"Did you really have to be so rough with him?" Molen asked Aharan, a hint of worry in his voice.
"You know as much as I know how dangerous these woods can be. There is not a single safe place here, and we are already risking our lives as we speak. Sure, this campsite is protected by a magic barrier, but don't forget it's just a first-tier item. If suddenly something dangerous were to bear its fang on us, we would struggle to save ourselves, much less protect that egoistic boy. I don't get where he got that stinky personality from, tsk! Even though your parents are quite admirable." Aharan explained with a contemplative sigh.
Molen laughed gently. "Yeah… he is quite a troublemaker, but nonetheless, he is my precious little brother. And I think it's good that he wants to learn from a young age, hehe."
"Tsk! You pamper him too much, Molen. That's why he is such a troublemaker. You should hand him to me. I promise to make him obedient." Aharan grinned dubiously as he smacked his own fists.
Seeing that, Molen waved his hand dismissively. "Never! You will surely wreck the kid up!" he said with a bit of dread in his tone, and Aharan just kept grinning.
...
I was sorting the hunting beasts: separating the spoils into food, materials, and medicine. Though I was ordered to do it alone, Paul and Reinar helped me. Carrying such a huge boar and the butchered orcs all by myself was outside the capacity of my eight-year-old body. Paul and Reinar were those two hunters who were behind that stinky old man. Their features weren't that noteworthy, but they seemed kind enough.
[The Constellation of Salvation is intrigued by your expertise in these fields]
These weird, glowing words appeared from time to time, notifying me of its existence.
"I guess we were lucky to encounter so many of these beasts. It's something to be happy about, but it's a pain to sort so many of them," Paul exclaimed with a bitter smile.
"Yeah. You are right about that part… it will take some while to sort them all out. Ah, man, I am pretty beat! Wish I could rest for a while," Reinar added with a contented sigh.
I could totally understand their frustration. By the looks of it, they both looked quite spent from the hunting earlier, and on top of that, they had to work extra. I appreciated their kindness, but I was afraid they were the types who were easy to exploit. Not that I was complaining about it.
We were busy with the load of work on our plate. I wasn't sure when, but my brother Molen appeared right before me. I didn't notice him and bumped into him. He caught me gently with a resigned sigh.
"Haaa… what am I gonna do with you?" He exclaimed with a weary voice as he ruffled my black hair. "Behave while I am gone, alright? Or Mr. Aharan might as well kick your butt this time," he continued with a bitter chuckle.
"While you are gone?" I asked with a hint of confusion, but then it hit me. It was now his time to go hunt. He had mentioned it before. "It's your time to hunt, isn't it?" I added, certain that was the cause.
"It's how we operate. The norm for hunting is to operate in a full party of six, sure, but Mr. Aharan divided us into two fronts. Mostly because of how capable he is… And also, he seems to have faith in me. Though it is embarrassing to say, your brother here is dependable as well," he hummed in a proud manner as he explained.
"Wouldn't it have been more efficient if you lot worked together and hunt a bunch? It's obvious that working together is far better than cutting our forces in half," I challenged.
Molen let out a mischievous laugh and responded cunningly to my question, "And that's where experience kicks in! We are not here to save time. Our sole purpose is to secure enough rations for the entirety of the village. Say we did hunt a bunch working together—but then a question rises: Who will collect all the spoils and carry them through the entire expedition? Surely it will tie almost three of us to its sorting and security? Besides, we can't even save the collection for later because of other roaming beasts. Not to mention the danger of getting ambushed by other sneaky beasts… and surely many beasts will also be attracted by the scent of bloods and such!"
Molen continued to talk about his expertise as an experienced hunter but soon came to a halt when he noticed my blank gaze.
"A… anyway, there is a reason for everything we do. You will be taught if you ever desire to be a hunter as well," he conveyed with a hint of embarrassment. It was obvious he wanted to show off in front of me… but Brother, you are way too easy to read.
"I swear you have a damn brother complex! Can't you make it quick, Molen!" A complex voice could be heard from afar amidst our exchange.
"Tsk! They can be impatient sometimes!" Molen clicked his tongue. "Guess I have to hurry," he said but didn't seem to make any progress on it.
"What?"
"Won't you see your brother off?"
How annoying. He could be a pain in the ass sometimes. I appreciated his protectiveness, but sometimes he just spouted whatever he wanted to.
"I am already busy as is… stop being so dramatic and go on!" I said with a hint of irritation.
"Thought you would at least escort me outside!" He conveyed mischievously as he ruffled my hair; it was overly affectionate.
I stared blankly at him for some seconds, then distanced myself from him.
"You are being disgusting right now… just screw off already!"
"Haha, embarrassed, are we?" he laughed with amusement and then left with a parting warning yet again. "Don't do anything stupid while I am gone!"
III. The Sweet Feel of Revenge
An hour and a half later, we succeeded in sorting them out. We divided the spoils and loaded them onto three different carts: one for food, one for materials, and one for medicine.
"Fuck! I am never doing this again. It's such a fucking hassle," I hissed with irritation as I heaved a long sigh.
Paul and Reiner were lying on the dirty ground without any sense of the world. They were more fatigued than I was. Considering they hunted and then helped me move the hauls, their condition couldn't be better than mine.
"I should probably go and report to the old man," I muttered under my breath as I walked towards a large camp. It wasn't grand, but it was definitely bigger than the others.
"Hey, Old man! I am done with the shits you have shoved on me," I yelled, but there was no response.
"Old man?" I called again, and several times after. When there was no response, I snuck a gaze inside his tent.
"Old man~" He was resting soundly, and without a warning, a grin appeared on my face.
[The Constellation of Salvation is curious about your suspicious behaviors]
I ignored the glowing words and stepped inside the tent, step by step, till I was standing right before his sleeping figure.
"Hey, Old Maaan~" I called out again to confirm, but there was no response, only the heavy breathing. I don't know how he could sleep so soundly amidst all of it, but it didn't stop the continuous grin on my face.
"Don't hate me for this… you brought it on yourself! You stinky old bag," I muttered under my breath, grabbing an ink-smudged pen and beginning to draw on his face.
[The Constellation of Salvation is intrigued by your bold move]
[The Constellation of Salvation is curious as to how you will handle the consequences later on]
"Consequences? Don't make me laugh. I don't shy away when it's a sweet feel of revenge." I snuck away from the tent after messing with his face and stretched.
"That was satisfying on so many levels!" I chuckled brightly, clearly satisfied.
"Now what shall I do?"
I pondered for a moment and looked around the camp. It didn't take me long enough to come to a conclusion.
"I will go and hunt! They underestimate me too much just because I am an eight-year-old." I grabbed two measly, ordinary-looking daggers and stepped outside the protective barrier. "It's time to change their perspective."
Once outside the barrier, I felt special, truly special. I felt like a hero out of kids' books who went on his own journey. It felt amazing!
"I will show them! I will show them what a real hunter looks like!"