Chapter 0: Prologue
Rustle, rustle—.
A cautious presence approached from behind.
…Looks like it’s started.
They tried to sneak up quietly, muffling their footsteps, but their clumsy attempt made it impossible to pretend I didn’t notice.
I didn’t need to look to know what they were.
Probably my party members, aiming to stab me in the back.
I had a bad feeling midway through, and sure enough, they started their nonsense on the way back from the quest.
Seeing them all united in their intent to take me down, they must be the kind who prey on novice adventurers, committing crimes like this.
Their boldness suggested they were habitual offenders.
The quest we took was perfect for novice adventurers.
Kill 30 Dark Stumps and collect 30 eyeballs.
I was short on cash, so I picked the simplest quest.
The bounty specified a minimum of five party members, so I had no choice but to recruit others, only to end up with these lowlifes.
Today must be my lucky day.
“Time to feast on some experience points.”
“Kraagh—!”
I drew my sword and spun around, thrusting it into the neck of the one about to strike me.
“Guh, gurk… grrr!”
The guy, stabbed in the throat out of nowhere, stared at me with shocked, disbelieving eyes.
“What’re you looking at? Think you did something clever?”
Slash—!
“Kaah—!”
I twisted the sword to the left, slicing through his neck.
The guy, half his neck severed, collapsed, spewing blood like a fountain.
“…Damn it! Hey, get him! Kill that bastard!”
“You piece of sh*t—!”
“Yaaah—!”
The others, momentarily stunned, finally snapped out of it and charged at me.
Even if they were just ignorant thieves with no proper training, each one was big and strong.
Plus, there were three of them.
Against a typical novice adventurer, this would be a hopeless fight.
But I’m no novice adventurer.
An orange glow began to emanate from the sword in my hand.
The thieves charging at me froze when they saw it.
“Sh*t…! Hey, that’s—that’s it! Aura Blade!”
“Oh… you know what this is?”
“We’re screwed, f*ck! This guy’s no country bumpkin! Run!”
Leaving their dying comrade bleeding out, the thieves turned and fled without looking back.
Such touching camaraderie.
I unleashed the Aura Blade toward the fleeing thieves.
“Kraaagh—!”
“Guhh…!”
The sword energy, flashing like lightning, tore through their bodies in an instant.
“Haaah! F*ck! Aaaagh—!”
One guy got lucky—only his arm was sliced off, and he survived.
Or, to be precise, I intentionally missed.
I approached the guy, who was crying and wailing pathetically.
“Huuuh…! Please, spare me! Spare me, please! I beg you, sir!”
“Hey.”
“Please, I’m begging you! Just my life…”
Thwack—
I delivered a soccer kick to the face of the panicking guy.
Grabbing his hair, I yanked his head up.
“Huuuh, huuuh…”
“There’s more of you, isn’t there? Your crew.”
“Huuuh…!”
“There’s more. Spill it. Now.”
Just a bit more, and I’d level up.
No way I’m letting this slide.