Rookie Slayer.
I'd heard that name somewhere before.
Back in the training camp, amid the monster hunters chattering away like a bunch of rowdy kids.
It was one of the names that always came up as someone you didn't want to cross.
Someone who only showed up at the training grounds.
At the time, I'd vaguely pictured some hulking monster of a person.
But standing before me was a single girl.
A genius who crushed others' dreams.
Draigen's granddaughter, Maria.
Her face was half-hidden by her jet-black hair as she shouted at Draigen in protest.
"Crushing other people's dreams? Grandpa, don't say it like that!"
"My granddaughter. If you didn't want me saying it, why do you keep wrecking every rookie who steps into the training grounds?"
Maria flinched at Draigen's words.
She looked unassuming in her thick coat—no visible muscles or anything bulky.
One standout trait: for a woman, she was pretty tall.
She'd clearly inherited Draigen's massive build.
"Th-that's... I just thought they looked so weak for rookies, so I got curious how strong they really were."
Her tone was timid.
But the words themselves were anything but timid.
If anything, they'd been loaded with destructive intent.
"Hah hah hot! That's my granddaughter for you."
Draigen laughed heartily, clearly pleased.
This grandpa and his granddaughter... they weren't right in the head.
"So, did you come to smash this rookie 'cause he looks weak too?"
Rookie Slayer.
If even Draigen called her that, it meant everyone else did too.
And sure enough, the instructors who'd been hanging around nearby had all vanished the moment Maria appeared.
They'd decided it was best not to cross paths with her.
A genius, straight from Draigen's mouth.
A genius he'd acknowledged even after surpassing genius territory himself.
Just how strong is she?
I brushed the sand off as I stood, subtly opening my Third Eye.
My body froze solid in that instant.
Not quite on Draigen's level, but a massive blaze of life force burned within her.
This was way beyond a mid-sized monster's life force.
Just looking at her vitality made it clear why Draigen called her a genius.
"How old is your granddaughter this year?"
"What, you planning to steal her away?"
I shot him a weary glare, and he chuckled.
"Seventeen."
Seventeen.
My eyes widened slowly at that.
Being called Rookie Slayer meant she'd been active for a while.
But only seventeen?
"You think she's too young for that reputation, right?"
"Yes."
He cackled at my honest reply.
"Fair enough. She started crushing rookies like that around age thirteen."
Thirteen.
The age when kids are still under their parents' wings.
That's when Maria had begun toppling up-and-coming rookies.
I couldn't believe it at first, but it was Draigen speaking.
He wasn't the type to hype up his own granddaughter.
"Impressive."
"Ah, hah."
Maria hid her face, embarrassed by the blatant praise.
She looked like a tall young lady on the outside, but her actions still screamed kid.
"So, granddaughter—what do you make of this rookie?"
Maria had shown up for the reason her nickname implied.
To slay a rookie.
I tensed a bit, and she peeked at me through her fingers.
"...Weak."
My energy drained in an instant.
It hit harder than today's training.
"...But strangely strong."
A little strength trickled back.
Felt like validation.
"Your tail's drooping one second and wagging the next. What a mess."
Draigen gave me a look of exasperation, but oh well.
After a lifetime of being ignored, I was finally getting some praise.
No wonder compliments could make even a whale dance.
"Three months."
Maria stared me down like she was drilling holes through me with her eyes.
"In three months, you'll make a good opponent."
Three months, huh.
I'd grow a fair bit in that time.
"Oof."
"Smashed."
The lurking instructors sighed in pity.
Why the reaction?
"Even as her grandpa, her hobbies are just awful."
Draigen clicked his tongue.
"No need to like it. Maria's marked you. Terminal case."
"T-terminal?!"
Maria protested, but Draigen just tsked harder.
He showed no mercy, even to his own granddaughter.
More importantly—terminal.
Well, technically true.
The Mana Stone Hardening Disease was still progressing.
"Oh right, you are actually terminal, aren't you?"
Draigen said it like it just occurred to him.
"Y-you're really... t-terminal?"
Maria paled, looking mortified at her massive blunder.
Guess she hadn't known my condition.
"You look way too healthy for it."
"No plans to die from Mana Stone Hardening Disease."
"Good. Don't die. Live stubbornly."
Draigen dug in his ear with his pinky, casual as ever.
Any longer, and Maria might keel over.
"Miss Maria, a duel with me in three months?"
"Eek! Y-yes, uh, if you'd like."
She stammered nervously, and I nodded.
"Got it. Duel in three months."
The infamous Rookie Slayer, Maria.
I was curious how she'd fight.
Even if I lost, it'd be great combat data.
I really wanted to clash.
Determination flared in my eyes.
Maria raised a hand awkwardly, averting her gaze.
"Tsk tsk. This kid's got good eyes. Sharp and steady.
You won't break under our Rookie Slayer."
I thought the same.
Those broken by the Rookie Slayer were cocky rookies who lived for the hype of their names spreading.
Rookies with heads in the clouds, shoulders puffed up.
They'd slammed into the wall in the sky and crumbled.
Me? I couldn't care less.
After crawling the gutters my whole life, would a wall in the sky break me?
Sadly, I yearned to reach even higher—the mages far above.
Every path of mine had been walls.
They weren't obstacles.
They were stepping stones.
The next three months, I'd grow desperately strong.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Time flies.
Monster hunts to halt the Mana Stone Hardening Disease and boost physical prowess.
Plus Draigen's stamina training.
Daily grind, training till I dropped—and my body was completely transformed.
Muscles etched sharply across my frame.
Springy legs, superb flexibility.
Post-strength training, Draigen had forced flexibility drills, expanding my range of motion hugely.
"Flexibility is bone resilience and elasticity. A body bulked only with muscle slows down, reflexes dull. Strength isn't everything in this world."
I mulled that over, repeating various stamina regimens.
Now, I could run easily even loaded with sandbags.
"Your growth rate's abnormal. Messing with that Mana Stone Hardening Disease you mentioned?"
Draigen checked my body daily, so he'd noticed.
But he didn't pry further.
He wasn't one to care about methods if you got stronger.
"Still, remember this: sprint too fast now, and you might crash hard later."
I took Draigen's advice to heart.
Couldn't get complacent treating this speed as normal.
I'd been slower than others; now I was finally running properly.
Thud—
Finished mid-grade monster subjugation, turned in the corpse.
Staffer Meril handed over the pay quick.
"Haren, letters piling up for you lately."
"...Letters? Personal quests?"
"Doubt it. Not from monster hunters."
Meril handed over a stack, looking amused.
Fancy, ornate stationery—clearly effort put in.
I tore one open, skimmed, handed it back.
"Don't bother giving me these anymore."
"But you don't know the contents."
"I trust your judgment, Meril."
She smiled wryly.
"They'll be sad."
"Not big on empathizing with strangers' sadness."
The letters were all cookie-cutter anyway—no interest.
"Must be nice being so popular, Haren."
Meril teased with a grin.
Hard to see what the guild's beauty saw in me.
Exchanged goodbyes, pocketed the cash, turned to leave.
Now a familiar sight among hunters—no big stares my way.
"No doubt now—he's a mid-grade hunter. Rookie tag's coming off soon."
"Mysterious guy. How's he solo mid-grades every time?"
"Speaking of, where's that Trenba punk who got wrecked by him? Haven't seen him."
"Dunno. Heard he popped up in the back alleys."
"Hmm, weird rumors there lately. Dangerous stuff circulating."
"Yeah, bunch of missing persons too."
Typical hunter banter—pointless chatter.
Back alleys, though.
I'd roamed them as a kid after losing my parents.
Village burned down young; only way to scrape cash.
Something new flowing in recently?
Like those bandits before—security felt grim.
Nearby cities rotting, rippling out.
Best steer clear of back alleys.
Everything tangled there.
Touch one thread, whole mess unravels.
Never get involved from the start.
Heading to the training grounds with that thought—
"Hey, you there."
A voice called out right on cue.
Turned, and there stood a guy my age.
Dual spears strapped to his back, baggy pants and coat.
Unusual getup I'd never seen around here.
"You're that rookie rumor—taking down mid-grades solo?"
White teeth flashed in his grin.
Perfectly even choppers.
"What do you want?"
"Plenty. I'm the successor to Gold Coral!"
Gold Coral.
Monster hunter team from our village Laoren, now in the capital.
They weren't dead—why "successor"?
He pointed at me triumphantly, fingers splayed.
"Heard you got Gold Coral's scout offer."
I had, kinda.
They'd said find them in the capital.
That counted as scouting, right?
"That was my scout offer originally."
"Is that so."
"Yeah. So fight me. Winner takes the scout spot!"
Ah, this type.
Troublesome kind of guy.