The Academy’s Barbarian

Chapter 65: Let The Hunt Begin (2)

1-star monster, the ground spider this was a type of spider that does not spin webs, but crawls on the ground. Its behavior was similar to other spiders, with a heightened sense of alertness and nocturnal habits.

However, there was one thing that made it different its size.

Sasak! Sasak!

Eight legs traversing the forest; whenever the ground spider moved, the dense foliage shook in response. It was inevitable; the creature's size was comparable to that of a calf.

Although it shared similar traits with ordinary spiders, the reason it was classified as a 'monster' was evident.

And then, in that moment,

Thud!

The ground spider stopped dead in its tracks. The creature raised its abdomen high, emitting a strange noise.

There was a reason for this behavior Ground spiders were sensitive to mana.

They used the concentration and flow of mana to determine whether they were predator or prey. The tail was where they sensed this mana.

Some time later

It was finished judging.

[Kirrruk!]

The mana concentration was as thin as smoke, and the flow was so weak that it seemed to be cut off at any moment. This was not a predator. It was the mana emitted by prey, food.

As soon as the judgment was made

Sasak! Sasak! Sasak!

the ground spider began its charge.

It traversed the ground, brushing through the bushes, until the destination in the distance came into view. Shortly after, the form of the prey appeared in sight.

"......."

A petite, silver-haired girl.

She stared into space with an expressionless face, though the reason for her stillness was unclear.

At that time, black objects came into view; they were other ground spiders.

[Kkirik! Kkiruk!]

[Kkirik!]

Ground spiders from all directions gathered, roaring fiercely. The reason was obvious; they were claiming ownership of the prey.

However, this was a foolish action.

In a hunt in this forest, the one who sinks their fangs first becomes the true owner.

[Kyahhhhhh!]

The ground spider opened its grotesque jaws; to insert its numerous fangs into the girl's neck and suck up her bodily fluids.

But at that moment

Flash!

With a flash of light, the little girl was gone.

The ground spider's jaws chomped down on empty air, and everyone's gaze was filled with doubt.

Where did she go? She was right in front of them just a moment ago? Just as these questions arose, the bellies of the ground spiders trembled violently.

[......!]

A sudden surge of powerful mana; simultaneously with the girl's disappearance, a distinctly predatory magic was felt.

Sensing danger, they tried to flee the area before anyone else.

However, it was already too late.

Swishhh!

A sound cut through the wind and a large shadow loomed overhead a half-naked barbarian descended directly towards the gathering of ground spiders.

Kwaaaaang!

The ground shook with a thunderous noise. The momentary shockwave swept across the surrounding area. And this was the last memory of the ground spiders.

Squelch! Thud! Woodunk!

Along with the shockwave, a savage axe cleaved through the torsos of all the ground spiders.

After a while, after the hazy dust settled, a gruesome scene unfolded.

The spiders were all mangled. Not a single one had retained its original form. Ulan wiped the bodily fluids from his axe and muttered, "All done."

"Yeah, seems so."

From the bushes a short distance away, the silver-haired girl, Dilia, emerged.

This battle was a hunt devised by the two of them.

Firstly, Dilia, who could manipulate mana freely, would intentionally release a faint mana to lure the monsters scattered in the forest.

Next, Ulan, hidden until then, would appear to strike down the monsters in one sweep. It was a straightforward method.

'Of course, there is an easier way.'

If Dilia unleashed her Rank-6 magic, 'Cluster Bombardment,' dozens of monsters could be instantly annihilated.

And the same goes for Ulan.

Ulan excelled in hunting monsters and magic beasts. So, if he let loose in the forest, most monsters and magic beasts would wither away.

'But.......'

This time, they couldn't. Recognizing their strength, Professor Stella had imposed restrictions.

As a result, Dilia promised to use no more than Rank-2 magic, and Ulan was forbidden from using Aura and Spirit, as well as magic.

And there was one more thing.

Since the purpose of this test was to check teamwork, they had to cooperate and hunt monsters together.

This cumbersome method of hunting monsters was also for that reason.

'It's surprisingly good, though.

Now that she was spending more time with Ulan, Dilia smiled wryly.

As they were retrieving teeth for loot from the carcasses of the ground spiders.

"I apologize," Ulan said suddenly.

The apology came out of nowhere. What did Ulan have to apologize for? Dilia asked, puzzled, "Huh? For what?"

"I know you like spiders. I thought I could leave one for you as a snack." Ulan gestured towards the bodies strewn about.

Spiders that had been crushed and rendered unrecognizable. It would be hard to eat them.

Meanwhile, realizing his intentions, Dilia shook her head, "The thought, I appreciate, but its okay.

They wouldn't be able to eat them anyway. In the first place, the spiders that were edible were limited.

Among them, Dilia only liked honey spiders, jewel spiders, and sugar spiders.

When she informed Ulan of this fact, he nodded with an interested expression, "I see. I've learned something new."

He always had this look on his face when he learned something new, and Dilia smiled faintly as she watched him.

It wasn't anything significant, but it was nice that Ulan was thinking of her and taking care of her.

When the loot was finally collected, Dilia opened the bulging bag wide, "Not bad, the harvest."

The bag was full of loot obtained from hunting monsters over a hundred body parts from 1-star monsters and dozens from 2-star monsters.

"We can stop hunting today."

With such a result in just half a day, Dilia smiled with satisfaction. With this amount, winning first place was practically guaranteed.

Ulan, on the other hand, had a different reaction, "Already?"

"Yes. We caught so many, right?

It still looks a little lacking.

His expression showed that he was not satisfied with this amount so Dilia asked curiously in return, "How many were you thinking of catching?"

"About a thousand."

"You don't have to catch ...... that many."

She was glad she asked first.

If Ulan decided to carry it out, he probably would. Sighing, Dilia patted his arm, "Anyway, for today, let's call it a day."

"Mm, okay. Whatever you say." Surprisingly, Ulan complied. He looked up at the sky and muttered, "It's better to rest when it's raining."

"Huh? Rain?"

Dilia reflexively looked to the sky as well.

And then, at that moment

Tuk! Ttuk!

raindrops fell on her pure white forehead. Judging by how thick the raindrops were, it was going to be a pretty big downpour.

Ulan slung the bag full of loot over his shoulder and spoke, "Let's get back to camp."

"Yes, sure," Dilia nodded obediently.

They set off at a brisk pace. Soon, a torrential downpour pummeled the forest.

*****

When they first entered the forest, Ulan and Dilia set up a base camp before the hunt began. With three days in the forest, a temporary base was essential.

They settled on a naturally occurring cave near the northern forest's periphery, close to a massive canyon; a cave carved into the wall of a cliff.

It was perfect for sheltering from the rain; and there was no worry about rainwater seeping in.

However, the challenge lay in the rather treacherous path leading to the cave. While it posed no significant problem for Ulan, it was still a concern.

"Hold on tight."

As soon as Ulan had finished speaking, Dilia promptly hitched a ride on his back. Using her slender arms, she wrapped them around his neck, securing her arms with ivy to prevent any accidental slips.

After a while, once all preparations were complete, suddenly, Dilia burst out laughing, "I look like a cicada clinging to a tree."

Her appearance, clinging to Ulan, made her feel that way. At that moment, Ulan tilted his head as if questioning her remark, "Heavier than a cicada."

"......Shut up."

She pulled at his cheeks with a pouty face.

But the joke was short-lived.

The rain was intensifying , and Ulan immediately clung to the cliff face. Then, using his arms and legs, he skillfully moved along the wall; like a centipede crawling.

Although it might seem somewhat grotesque from a distance, the effectiveness was as outstanding as it gets. In no time, they reached their destination.

"We're here."

As soon as they entered the cave, Dilia jumped down energetically.

The cave was dark. Since she couldn't see anything, she looked back at Ulan, "First, light a fire."

In anticipation of such a situation, they had gathered dry firewood and leaves beforehand. Ulan brought these items from the cave's corner to the entrance.

Shortly after, Dilia reached out her hand.

Paat!

A brilliantly shining piece of firewood.

It was a Rank-1 magic called 'Starlight Convergence'. A magic that literally gathers the mana of the stars, generates intense heat, and then sets them on fire.

After such a short time

Crackle! Sizzle!

the bonfire was ready. It emitted sufficient light to dispel the cave's darkness. The heat was suitable for drying wet clothes after being caught in the rain.

With her work done, Dilia walked over to her backpack at the back of the cave. It was time to change into spare clothes. However, before that

"...... this way, look, No."

"I won't."

After hearing Ulan's assurance, only then, one by one, Dilia took off her clothes.

Sarrrrrrrr! Rustle!

From her blouse to shorts, socks, everything except underwear was removed. Once she shed her clothes, a clean silhouette was revealed; translucent, snow-white skin. A flawless figure without a single blemish, reminiscent of a master craftsman's pottery.

She took the dry towel she'd brought with her and dried herself off thoroughly. She pulled on a pair of fluffy pajamas and slipped them on.

Glancing at the cave entrance, reflected in her golden eyes was Ulan, staring into the distance without the slightest movement. Dilia narrowed her eyes.

He's not really looking.

A sense of relief needed to set in to consider it normal; but for some reason, an inexplicable feeling washed over her. A feeling that couldn't be described in words.

But only for a moment.

Her purpose accomplished, she returned to Ulan's side. Spreading the wet clothes near the fire, she poked Ulan with her finger, "Ive......I've changed."

"I see."

"Now, Ulan, it's your turn."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your clothes, I mean. Aren't you changing?"

The top half of his body was still naked, but his pants were already soaked with rainwater. Just looking at it made it seem uncomfortable.

Ulan, on the other hand, was nonchalant, "I can dry them while still wearing them."

"What? It's a bit clammy, isn't it?"

"Not really," came the nonchalant reply.

It was understandable. After all, in his past life, he had been through worse. When they fought the monster for two days and nights, he hadn't changed his clothes. Well, to be precise, there wasn't time for that.

'Compared to back then.......'

it was not even close.

Rainwater, but water nonetheless. If he stayed by the campfire, they'd eventually dry.

"I see," Dilia nodded.

She didn't quite understand, but it didn't matter because he said he was okay with it. Closing her mouth, she sits down by the fire without speaking.

"......."

At the same time, the conversation ceased; a sudden awkward silence.

Only the sound of rain pouring heavily filled the awkward atmosphere. Unable to bear the discomfort, Dilia coughed awkwardly, "Ahem! Ulan."

"Hmm?"

"Do you want a midnight snack?"

Ulan's eyes lit up at the mention of midnight snacks, "Do you have anything to eat?"

"You know, something I gathered earlier."

They had just entered the forest.

While Ulan searched for a suitable base, Dilia gathered various things; a few honey spiders, some larvae of longhorn beetles, and mushrooms without poison.

"Can you fetch some water here?" Dilia held out a small pot.

It wasn't that difficult to fetch water. Ulan, taking the pot, caught the pouring rain and handed it to her.

"Thank you."

With a brief expression of gratitude, she began cooking.

First, she placed the pot on the campfire and added all the honey spiders with their legs removed.

Plop! Splish!

Next, she removed the heads of the longhorn beetle larvae, took out the insides, and threw them into the boiling water. Lastly, after adding thinly sliced mushrooms and sprinkling a suitable amount of salt she had prepared, "That's it, it's done."

The spider's body puffed up. The longhorn beetle larvae shriveled up like dried sea cucumbers, and the mushrooms soaked in just the right amount of broth. By all appearances, it was a grotesque meal.

However, Ulan's reaction was different.

Instead of looking at it in disgust, he looked at it with familiarity.

"So this is the Arpen Rangers' emergency food."

"......!"

Before the words could finish, Dilia widened her eyes in surprise; she genuinely seemed taken aback, "Uh, how do you, how do you know?"

"I heard."

From the Dilia of his past life.

She'd often made it whenever they camped in the forest, and most of the companions had enjoyed it, too.

Except for two.

The Saintess and the Bard.

Even in the harshest of conditions, they would not eat a single bug. They said they'd rather starve to death.

A nostalgic memory.

Recalling it, Ulan burst out laughing.

"Yeah, that's right. It's a recipe I learned when I lived with the Rangers," Dilia nodded; as if his words were the right answer.

"The people of Arpen, from the age of nine until they reach adulthood, undergo extreme training four times a year."

Spring. Summer. Fall. And winter.

One for each season, training lasted between three days and a week, and even royalty was not exempt.

So every year she spent in the forest with the rangers, she gained a lot of knowledge. The recipe for this emergency meal was one of them.

"So, I'm used to situations like this."

As she slurped down her midnight snack, when she had finished her past story, Dilia hugged her knees. Then she pursed her lips again, "Not as much as Ulan, of course."

No matter how much she had undergone extreme training every year, it couldn't compare to Ulan. After all, he was originally a barbarian born and raised in the plains and forests.

But then Dilia glanced at Ulan; as if she were expecting something, then spoke directly, "I, Ulan, want to hear your story."

"My story?"

"Not fair, only I tell my story," Dilia nodded. She also wanted to hear about his past. If they were going to be more than friends, they'd have to get to know each other well first. A slight blush crept into her pure white cheeks.

Ulan replied, "It won't be very interesting."

"Still, I'll listen," Dilia replied; a stubbornness in her golden eyes.

He could see the determination in her eyes. If this was how it was going to be, he had no choice. Ulan nodded in understanding, "I was born to a grassland tribe."

Ulan's past was uneventful.

Until he came to the Academy, he had wandered the grasslands at most.

That's why, perhaps? Even his past companions would yawn when he told them stories about his past.

'Dilia did the same.'

So it wouldn't be long before she yawned, too. Ulan had expected that.

But Dilia held up surprisingly well, and even reacted unexpectedly, "You mean you couldnt see the end of the grasslands?"

"Yeah. It took over a fortnight on horseback to finally reach the end."

"No mountains in the middle?"

"Except for the snow-capped mountains I mentioned earlier, there were none. The rest are all plains or forests."

The more Ulan answered, the more Dilia's eyes widened in amazement. The reaction was so different from her last life, Ulan looked at her curiously, "Is that so strange?"

"Yes, it's amazing."

Dilia immediately explained the reason.

The Kingdom of Arpen, where she was born and raised, was almost entirely mountainous, so she had never seen vast grasslands before.

"Someday, I'd like to visit."

"There are plenty of grasslands on the continent. Once you graduate from the academy, you'll be able to see them to your heart's content," Ulan replied.

But Dilia shook her head, "No, other, grasslands, I'm not interested."

"What?"

"I'm interested, Ulan's homeland."

The grasslands where Ulan was born and raised.

That's all she cared about.

When she finished answering, Dilia fidgeted with her white fingers. It was her habit when she was tense or anxious.

At that moment, Dilia turned to face this way, "......So, take me, will you?"

A somewhat serious expression; eyes flickering like the flames of the campfire.

A strangely tense expression was an extra. As she waited for his response, Ulan opened his mouth, "If you go, it will take about two months."

"But that's okay!"

"The road is quite rough."

"I don't care."

Dilia replied firmly.

In this determined will to go no matter what, Ulan put on a serious expression, "Alright."

Given her determination, he could only agree.

Whatever the reason was, there must be a compelling reason why she wanted to go so badly. So, he nodded his head willingly, "Someday, I'll definitely take you there."

Soon after Ulan replied, Dilia blushed. Then, with a twinkle in her round eyes, she asked, "Really? Promise me?"

"Of course. I promise."

Ulan replied, without the slightest hesitation and Dilia smiled with satisfaction.

Ptuk! Ptuk

For the rest of the time, the two of them talked, unperturbed by the torrential downpour; their conversation continued until the flames of the campfire dwindled.

It felt like they were slowly getting to know each other as they shared information. Dilia smiled faintly at the warmth in her heart.

As the night grew deeper and deeper

the first night came to an end.

And the next day

the morning of the second day of the exam dawned.

It was the day Noah had foretold, the day the Abyss Worshippers were scheduled to attack.

(End of Chapter. . . . . . . .Thanks for Reading. . . . . . . . . )

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