Everyone Else is a Returnee

You Want to Hunt with Me!? (6)

[……You called me quite early, haven’t you?]

Kang MiRae’s voice over the phone sounded very surprised. Although unintentional, Yu IlHan, who felt like he was a cheap man, retorted bitterly.

“You saw the TV, right?”

[……Yes, you mean the one about the dungeon that appeared in the middle of the city?]

“That’s not a dungeon. It’s a monster. And it’s a strong monster which has a concealment ability.”

[……So it was like that.]

There was no need for an additional explanation for Kang MiRae. Just with that, she had seen through the situation and fell into thought.

He felt like he could hear her thoughts. Yu IlHan waited for her answer while wanting to end the call quickly and go back to his workshop, and he could hear an answer soon.

[I see what happened. It seems very dangerous.]

“I’m planning to kill it. Of course, I don’t have any intentions in forcing you to do it.”

Although he actually wanted to take her there even if he had to drag her by the arm, there was no way he could force a person to help with killing a monster which was estimated to be in its 3rd class. If she rejected, Yu IlHan was planning to go alone.

However, Kang MiRae unexpectedly replied confidently.

[I don’t have any plans on backing out. I also had a fault for not thinking about the fact that monsters would remain at that place. However, I need some preparation. Just in case, I will contact the government and the military.]

“I also have to prepare things, so I will call you again in a while.”

[I understand.]

Just how amazing was she that she said she would call the government and the military like asking a next door lady? – Although he wanted to ask that, there was no way he would get an answer. He just felt satisfied that the rope that he got a hold of was stronger than he expected.

After Yu IlHan ended the call, he headed to his workshop. The Eternal Flame was still burning in his fireplace, and the metals including harkanium were also keeping their place. Well, in fact, Yu IlHan didn’t even need to worry since the entire workshop was protected by the angels’ protection magic.

In fact, the things he were worried about was the byproducts of the Giant Leopard. The bones and leather amounted to ¼ of the entire leopard. As he did the basic processing on them after he came back fron the hunt with the help of Erta, he could go into work straight away.

“Good, shall I start?”

[What are you planning to make? There are not enough to make a defensive equipment, and even if you make a weapon, it will be impossible to surpass your steel spear.]

Although he couldn’t use the leather as a whole as there were holes in various places, it didn’t hinder at all what Yu IlHan was about to make right now. Whether Erta looked curious or not, he didn’t pay any mind and went into work.

First, he selected the thickest of the bones and intentinally shaved it roughly. He also carved out some bits on the surface to make spikes from place to place to look like a spinal bone.

[……I asked you what you were making.]

Erta, who got mad easily as her pride was high, kept speaking on top of Yu IlHan’s head. She honestly looked cute so Yu IlHan smiled and replied to her.

“A pillar.”

[A pillar?]

As the answer was too unexpected, Erta blinked her eyes. Well, the carved bone did indeed look like a pillar. it easily reached over 2m, and had a thickness comparable to a person’s entire body. It was a size that made one estimate just how big of a monster the Giant Leopard was.

However, what was the reason that he had to make a pillar? Her head was full of question marks. This happened several times after she came down for his support.

“I didn’t say anything since I already knew you would react in such way. Wait a little more. You will know soon.”

If a person made one object, then naturally, it would take less time for that person to make the same object. This was because the person would find the trick and remember the experience after trial and error.

And the master of labor, Yu IlHan, had peak-level techniques to reduce the time taken by half when making another item of the same object.

[This makes no sense.]

“It’s just finding the trick to it. The trick.”

[You will keep saying that it’s the trick, aren’t you !?]

“Yes!”

As expected, Yu IlHan held grudges.

[Be honest, you can already use mana, right?]

“Then why would I do such a bothersome work like this? I would have gone to beat that leopard up already.”

One pillar, two pillars, four pillars……In a blink of an eye, the number of pillars increased and in the end, 6 huge bones were made into spiked pillars. The characteristic trait was that it had a hole at the head.

[Hmm, I think I kinda get it.]

“Right?”

[You’re planning to make a giant-only necklace by connecting them all up, right?]

“Go back to pre-school.”

The pillar ended with six. The things that Yu IlHan made next was very obvious in Erta’s eyes.

[This is a spear.]

“It’s not.”

And Yu IlHan denied her as always. He selected and sharpened some bones which were a bit thinner than the pillars but not shorter, and in Erta’s eyes, it was definitely a spear.

However, when work progressed, Erta also changed her expression. It was after she saw Yu IlHan make a hook at the end of the blade.

[……So it isn’t a spear but an harpoon, isn’t it?]

“Yes.”

In spearmanship, there was method of using spear called javelin throwing. In the first place, there were cases where javelins were differntiated to spears.

The thing Yu IlHan was making right now, was a harpoon, which was a type of a javelin to throw at the prey, pierce it and drag it. Piercing power was obvious and it was important that it wouldn’t be pulled back out once it had pierced something.

Like the pillars, he had made 6 harpoons. Of course, he didn’t forget to make a hole at the end of the body.

This took him a mere 30 minutes. It was an impossible working speed, but Erta, who had watched him making Traps of Destruction until now, it wasn’t that amazing.

[You’re planning to make a rope now, aren’t you?]

“Correct.”

There was a harpoon and there was a pillar. What was left was just the rope that connects the two! Yu IlHan turned his gazes towards the leather of the Giant Leopard.

It wouldn’t do with just an ordinary rope. He had to make a rope that wouldn’t snap even with a 3rd class monster at the opponent.

[How cruel of you to kill the offspring with the mother’s bones and leather……]

“I can attract aggro, it’s all good.”

He used the knife to cut the leather equally to make strings, and he twisted a few of them together to make strong ropes.

Although there were a lot of leather, as he was proficient in labor, it was possible for him to make 6 amazingly strong and amazingly long ropes in just 30 minutes. As there were 6 of several tens of meters of ropes, just piling them up would have considerable weight.

“Now.”

[There’s still something else!?]

At this point, Erta was already shocked at Yu IlHan’s ability, but Yu IlHan didn’t stop. The magic stone of the Giant Leopard he earned after achieving the MVP in front of everyone! He grabbed it and stood in front of the harpoon.

Erta was dumbfounded. She didn’t understand why Yu IlHan put every material he had into making a single weapon.

[Don’t you feel wasteful?]

“How could I?”

However, Yu IlHan had a different way of thinking from Erta from the beginning.

“The only thing I value is my life alone.”

He immediately went into mana crafting.

The thing he wanted was an enhancement as a whole. Sturdy pillars which won’t get pulled out easily, strong ropes that won’t snap, sharp harpoon which won’t let go of its prey after biting it!

The mana crafting skill, which, thanks to producing Traps of Destruction with the angels, rose exponentially in proficiency and have become level 11, supported him. 6 pillars and 6 harpoons, and the 6 ropes that connected them all emitted light simultaenously.

[Violent Cruel Leopard Hunter’s Harpoon was completed.]

[Mana Crafting has become level 12.]

What was more, his mana crafting activation time was even reduced. Not even 20 seconds after he started, the magic stone Yu IlHan held in his hand disappeared and the harpoons, pillars, and the ropes became one set of attack artifact. At that time, Erta grumbled.

[Please bear in mind that mana crafting isn’t a skill which always succeeds, okay?]

“Oh, an alpha and beta option again.”

[And please remember that options don’t always attach!]

Ignoring Erta who was grumbling for some reason, Yu IlHan confirmed the stats of the completed harpoon.

[Violent Cruel Leopard Hunter’s Harpoon]

[Rank – Unique]

[Attack Power – 1,050]

[Options – Critical hit rate and damage increases by 20%, binding force increases by 20%]

[Durability – 960/960]

[A hunter’s harpoon made from Giant Leopard’s bones and leather. Due to an exceptinal maker, it was completed with an absurd strength and performance.]

“Akashic Record, this guy knows some stuff.”

[And it’s a higher ranking option too……]

Of course, options had ranks as well. Although it was difficult to differentiate just by the name, if one looked at the performance of the completed artifact, then it would be obvious.

Considering hte fact that options usually increased an area by 5% or 10%, ‘violent’ and ‘cruel’ were definitely higher ranking options.

“It came out twice as better as I expected. This should be sufficient.”

[And the fact that you always underevaluate yourself didn’t change, eh.]

“The trick to winning is to plan something that would work in a worst case scenario.”

He nonchalantly retorted and skillfully tied the harpoon to his back. Then, he left the work shop and headed to a public phone booth again. It was because it was necessary to set a time to start attacking it with the Empress.

[Are you ready? I’m heading towards the scene slowly at the moment.]

As if she had seen through that the call was from him, the Empress, Kang MiRae, immediately asked that. Yu IlHan rapidly replied.

“Don’t enter. It has a concealment ability so you may get ambushed.”

Although it should be 2 days ago when it should have been born, judging from the live TV from a few hours ago, it didn’t leave that place and was staying there.

And that reason could be known too. It was waiting for them at that scene. To receive the price in blood from the people who killed its mother!

Although it would be the same with anyone who entered its area, Kang MiRae, who killed the Giant Leopard with Yu IlHan had to be especially careful. Especially since she didn’t have a physical attack related job.

[We’re prepared for that though…… Are you planning something else for that?]

“Yes.”

He smiled after confirming the object on his back.

His workshop was 20 minutes away from the battle scene, even by normal people’s standards. He would probably arrive much earlier than Kang MiRae.

“It won’t be able to use its concealment. So wait until then.”

[……I will believe and leave it to you.]

Although he didn’t understand how she would believe in him even though they had only fought together once or twice, Yu IlHan felt good as he felt that she had acknowledged him. He had no memory of acquainting himself properly with anyone before he was left out from humanity, much less the thousand years of his dropout.

It was truly a good thing to be connected to another person, no matter what the method. Although he was tearfully sad that he had realized that just now, he endured since this wasn’t the time to cry.

“Believe as much as you want.”

He retorted lightly and ended the call. His footsteps coming out of the phone booth had became a level lighter. The already fast running speed had become even faster. The armor worn on his body, and even the heavy pillars and harpoons that he had on his back weren’t able to slow down his steps.

Now was the time to hunt for real.

Author’s notes

End of book one. Next chapter, Yu IlHan’s remarkable activities will start.

Translator’s notes

This author splits his books every 25 chapters. (prologue was chapter 0)

Starting next book is paid chapters, yay!