Chapter 8

In the morning, a minor crisis occurred.

The problem was food. We had plenty of it—specifically, the orc I had hunted earlier—but I lacked both cooking utensils and seasoning.

Eating it raw would be a one-way ticket to a ruined stomach. I wanted to at least sear it over a fire, but without even a frying pan, my only choice was to skewer it on a washed stick and pray I could scrape off the char before eating.

“Humans are so inconvenient,” Lady remarked.

Curse you, wild life! Cooking is the hallmark of civilization! It’s supposed to be delicious!

As I chewed on the bland, singed meat, I couldn’t help but feel I was slowly turning into a feral child myself.

Around noon, the Elder summoned me. Apparently, he had something to discuss regarding my training.

“Old man, I’m here.”

“Ah, you’ve come, Ryu.”

The Elder wagged his tail happily. I wondered if he was starting to mistake me for a grandson or something.

“Are you sure about this, old man? Favoring me like this? There are plenty of others in the pack who aren’t happy about it.”

“It matters not. I brought you here; if they have a complaint, they must defeat me first.”

Defeat the Elder? Yeah, that’s not happening.

“So, what’s this about the training?”

“It is this.”

He nudged a small nut toward me with his snout.

“What am I supposed to do with this? Crush it?”

It didn’t feel particularly hard to the touch.

“No, no. I want you to eat it and gain resistance.”

Ah, resistance. So this thing was poisonous.

“I have heard that humans gain resistance by taking small amounts of toxins into their bodies. I thought you should do the same.”

It was true that skills like “Resistance” or “Nullification” were essential for someone living solo like me. It was better to have them.

“Thanks, old man. But this isn’t… lethal poison, right?”

“Fear not. It will merely give you a bout of diarrhea.”

If the Elder said so, it should be fine. With that thought, I willingly consumed the poison.

Just before nightfall, my “training”—otherwise known as hunting—began again. Tonight’s quarry was a “Cockatrice” (Rooster Magic Bird).

Pork in the morning, poultry at night.

A cockatrice is a nightmare during the day. If it catches you with its magic eye, you’re turned to stone, and the snake for a tail is venomous and incredibly annoying. However, it has weaknesses. Being a bird, it has poor night vision. Being a rooster, it shouldn’t be able to fly. Finally, the snake tail is weak; as long as you kill it before it can land a surprise bite, you’re fine.

The catch? I had to take it down alone.

“Ryu, are you okay?” Lady asked.

“No, I am not.”

How could I be? This morning’s orc was my first hunt ever, and now I was expected to solo a beast that usually requires a B-Rank party from the Guild.

“Grandfather, may I not assist him?”

“No. To silence the dissenters, a display of strength is the fastest way.”

“But Ryu belongs to me.”

“Even so.”

If even Lady was this worried, this thing was a serious threat.

“I shall step in if it truly becomes dire,” the Elder added.

If that’s the case, just be there from the start!

“There it is.”

And there it was—a massive rooster. Since it was sleeping, I had an opening, but if it stood up, its neck would be way out of my reach. I looked for the snake tail… there. I’d kill that first. Even if you cut a snake, it lives for a while, so I’d have to skewer the head before moving on to the main body.

“Alright, I’m going in.”

“Don’t die or get turned to stone.”

Lady rubbed her cheek against my face. Even in this situation, her fur felt incredibly good.

“I know. I’m not a fan of dying or being petrified.”

Time to start the hunt.

I lunged from the brush toward the snake, but the tail woke up before the main body did! No matter—my target was the snake anyway. I grabbed its neck and drove the fang through its head. As long as you watched out for the venom, it really was weak.

KIEEEEEEEEE!!

The rooster was furious. Well, obviously—anyone would be mad if their tail got cut off. But I didn’t want to die either!

The beast was enraged, and even if it couldn’t see well in the dark, it was still dangerous. My next target: the legs. If it’s a rooster, it shouldn’t be able to fly. Once it’s immobilized, the hunt is mine!

“Take this!”

I went for a leg sweep, but… it jumped? No, it flew!! For a rooster, it sure soared high!!

You’ve got to be kidding me. How am I supposed to attack it now? “Gah!” My skin was sliced by a sudden gust of wind.

Wait, this thing can use magic too?! I scrambled for the cover of the trees. Watching from the shadows, I saw it still hovering in the air. If I didn’t have a long-range attack, I was done for.

But what could I do? My knowledge of magic was limited to daily life utility; I had nothing offensive. My only cards were the Elder’s fang and… my magic?

Wait. Could I channel my magic into this fang and fire it? It was worth a shot. I began pouring my magic into the fang—I wasn’t sure how much I needed, so I poured in a generous amount. Time for a live trial!

“Die!”

I swung the fang as if to slash the cockatrice’s throat.

Something actually came out!! A black, line-like projectile surged forth. The black line sliced clean through the cockatrice’s neck.

I… I actually killed it.

The headless cockatrice came crashing down. It felt surreal. I had won, but I didn’t feel like I had truly gained anything.

“Ryu?”

Lady… right, she said she’d be watching.

“Are you… alright?”

“About what?”

“You just looked… lonely.”

“…I’m fine. Probably.”

I think it just hadn’t sunk in yet—the reality of taking down something that huge.

“Well done, Ryu,” the Elder said.

“Old man.”

“With this, you are officially a member of the pack.”

“Wait, a member?”

“Indeed. I told you there were many who were dissatisfied. I told them that if you could complete this hunt alone, they must accept you.”

“Are you serious…?”

So that was the real reason for this hunt.

“Ryu!”

As my strength left me and I started to collapse, Lady supported me. She was so soft. So comfortable.

“Lady… I’m tired.”

“Honestly, you…”

Lady curled her body around me. It was warm and felt amazing.

“Hey, Lady… goodnight.”

“Wait, you’re sleeping here?”

“I’m sleeping.”

I thought I heard a sigh, but I didn’t care. I drifted off immediately.