The sky was a hazy gray, and the moon was just about to clock out.
Leon got up early.
Today was the day he would finally collect his gear.
He had spent three whole days in the training area. Starting from the basics, he learned about trap placement and the characteristics of common monsters in the Ancient Forest, cramming a curriculum that would usually take a rookie hunter three years into a single marathon session.
While it was essentially a crash course, Leon fortunately had a strong enough foundation to learn quickly.
Even Flora couldn't help but marvel at his natural talent.
Leon sat on the edge of his bed and looked out the window with a sigh. It had been half a month since he'd crossed over, yet he still often thought about everything he'd once owned.
The house he'd worked so hard to buy, the decades of mortgage still left to pay, and the girlfriend he'd just successfully proposed to—was she desperately searching for him?
Leon slapped his cheeks, trying to shake off these negative thoughts. He had to live in the moment. He believed that only by understanding this world better would he have a chance to return.
"You're up early as usual, rookie, meow." Dumpling stretched as he walked out of his little nest.
"Morning." Leon placed a bottle of Potion on the table. "I'll treat you to breakfast later."
"Oh? Did you take the wrong medicine today, meow?" Dumpling habitually picked up the Potion and gulped it down.
He had been subjected to Coco's hellish training for the past three days. His whole body was so sore he could barely move, and he was relying entirely on Potions to keep himself going.
Leon had seen Dumpling's growth firsthand. Though the cat always grumbled about not wanting to work hard, he was incredibly serious.
Strength could be honed over time, but the most precious qualities were the grit to endure hardship and the perseverance to see things through to the end.
Looking at Dumpling, Leon's gaze involuntarily locked onto the cat's fluffy body.
Sensing Leon's stare, Dumpling quickly covered himself and barked, "What are you doing? I'm not interested in humans, and I'm a male cat! You—"
Before Dumpling could spout any more scandalous nonsense, Leon interrupted, "You need a new set of armor."
Leon remembered that the Smithy could also craft weapons and armor for Palicoes. He decided to go and ask about it later.
...
A moment later, the man and cat arrived at the dining area on the third floor.
Cooking smoke swirled and the air was thick with fragrance. The charred aroma of roasted meat mingled with the scent of sauce and charcoal, wafting into their nostrils.
"Meow!" Dumpling tilted his head and sniffed, his eyes narrowing into slits. Drooling, he said, "Rookie, I feel like happiness is waving at me!"
Leon was amused by Dumpling's greedy expression. He pulled out a chair and sat down, ordering, "Chef, two servings of roast meat and a plate of grilled fish, please."
"Grilled fish? Grilled fish!" Dumpling's eyes lit up. He lunged at the stone table, paws resting on the surface. "My hard work these past few days was worth it, meow!"
"Eat your fill so you have the energy to train." Leon gently pushed Dumpling back a few centimeters to stop him from sneaking a bite early.
"What, meow?! Aren't we getting new gear today? If we're getting gear, shouldn't we be heading out to hunt?" Dumpling jumped up, eyes wide as he stared at Leon.
He had already planned it out: once he was full, they would go gathering in the Ancient Forest, but...
Leon smiled. "You still have to train today. Besides, I see you're getting along well with Coco?"
"What do you know, meow?" Dumpling crossed his paws and grumbled softly, "He... he's a literal demon..."
Before he could finish, a familiar voice suddenly came from nearby. "Who are you calling a demon?"
Dumpling's body shook as if he'd been struck by lightning. He turned his head slowly to find Coco already sitting on a small stool next to them at some point.
Coco calmly stirred his milk, his gaze as still as a stagnant pond, yet it made Dumpling shiver.
"C-Coco, when did you get here, meow?" Dumpling gave an awkward smile, his tail stiff.
"I've been here the whole time, meow." Coco took a slow sip of milk, licked his whiskers, and said gently, "I just heard someone mention 'Coco' and 'demon.' I thought I might have misheard..."
"Of course you misheard, meow!" Dumpling's expression flipped instantly. Pumping his chest, he explained, "I was telling the rookie what a great trainer you are! So professional and kind, meow!"
"..." Leon nearly spat out his juice. This little guy was a quick one.
"Hmph." Coco snorted, stood up, and stretched. The muscular feline arms were still wrapped in training bands. "You seem quite energetic. In that case, we'll add three extra rounds of weighted jumps later."
"Huh??" Dumpling turned to stone on the spot, his smile shattering instantly. Panicked, he cried, "I—I haven't even had breakfast yet, meow! I'm not energetic at all..."
Coco didn't respond, merely pulling out a notebook and writing down a new training regimen.
"Ugh... my life is so hard, meow..." Dumpling sobbed as he bit into the fragrant grilled fish. "Can't I just have a peaceful breakfast?"
"Aren't you eating right now?" Coco flipped through the notebook, confirming that those three rounds of weighted jumps were on today's schedule. He then casually added shuttle runs.
Leon laughed at the interaction between the two cats, his mood significantly lightened. He stuffed the last piece of meat into his mouth and stood up to stretch.
"I have to go get my gear first." Leon looked at Coco. "I'll leave Dumpling in your hands."
"Don't worry, I'll handle it." Coco thumped his chest confidently, then grabbed Dumpling by the scruff of his neck. "Let's go. Today's focus is explosive power and reaction speed. To the training area!"
"Nooooo, meow—!!!"
Dumpling's tragic scream echoed through the dining area as he was dragged away, looking remarkably heroic in his misery.
Watching Dumpling being dragged toward the training area, Leon turned toward the Smithy with a smile on his face.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Pushing open the Smithy doors, Leon was engulfed by the scorching air and the rhythmic sound of metal striking metal.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead caused by the sudden temperature jump and approached the counter.
"Oh, you're here, kid! I've got everything ready. Go ahead and try it out!" The Second Fleet Master placed all the commissioned gear on the counter.
As he looked at the gear, Leon's eyes grew intense.
Although it was technically a Sword and Shield, the weapon looked more like a blade, crafted entirely from beast bones polished to a brownish-yellow sheen.
The blade was curved like a crescent moon, its back embedded with naturally formed serrations that looked like the residual fangs of some ancient beast. The hilt was wrapped in dark brown beast hide.
Leon gripped the hilt; it felt surprisingly ergonomic. He quickly equipped the gear and checked his status panel.
[NAME: LEON]
[LEVEL: LV.2 (550/1500)]
[TRAIT: LONER]
Description: Increases experience gain and material drop rate by 100% when hunting alone.
[ATTRIBUTES: STRENGTH 20, AGILITY 22, CONSTITUTION 15, PERCEPTION 14 (UNASSIGNED POINTS: 0)]
[EQUIPMENT: BONE KRIS LV.2, BONE HELM, BONE MAIL, HUNTER'S VAMBRACES, HUNTER'S COIL, BONE GREAVES]
[EQUIPMENT SKILLS: HEALTH BOOST LV.1, ENTOMOLOGIST LV.1, TRACKER LV.1, STEALTH LV.1, ATTACK BOOST LV.1]
[QUEST LIST]
No active quests.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+40 chapters) patre0n.c0m/Royal_ink]