Becoming a Hunter in a Dark Fantasy

Chapter 1: God Knows (1)

In LAMPAS, ‘night’ was regarded as ominous.

Death, darkness, fear, shadows… The night brought to mind all such grim things.

Above all else, the night was when ‘they’ roamed freely.

They looked human, but were by no means human—grotesque and wicked creatures.

Beings that had, from ancient times, preyed on human lives while lurking in the darkness.

「Demonics」

They were closer to death than to life and considered humans nothing but food. As the night deepened, they moved more actively and began their hunt.

So people always made sure to return home or to a safe place before nightfall.

No one ever stepped outside again until morning light broke the horizon.

If someone failed to return home or to safety before night came, that person was considered as good as dead from that day on.

And more often than not, that’s exactly what happened.

Those who didn’t make it back before the sun dipped below the western ridgeline usually never returned at all.

But how could anyone bury a loved one in their heart so easily, as though already dead?

So it was for the woman of Mauli Village.

Her daughter, who had gone out to play with her friends, hadn’t come back even though it was now well past midnight.

“...Ah, what do I do. What should I do...?”

She, too, had learned the survival rules necessary to live in LAMPAS since childhood.

Among them were specific protocols for when someone failed to return.

This was one of them:

Don’t go out at night in worry—doing so would only lead to more victims.

She knew this. She truly did.

“……”

Even so, her daughter’s face kept flashing in her mind.

Just imagining her precious child dying alone somewhere…

It felt as if her heart would rip into a thousand, ten thousand pieces at any moment.

“...No, I can’t do this! I have to go out and look for her!”

“No, Nora! If you go now, you’ll...!”

As she shook off the restraining hand and was just about to rush out—

“Mommyyy—!”

A girl’s voice came from beyond the door. How could a mother not recognize her child’s voice?

Thud!

“Ellie!”

She embraced her beloved daughter tightly and sobbed.

“Where were you! I told you to be home before sunset! If something happened to you too, then Mom would...!”

“I’m sorry, hnnngh…”

While comforting her daughter, who had burst into tears, the woman suddenly lifted her head.

She had been too overjoyed to notice immediately, but the girl hadn’t come home alone.

“Hello. Are you Ellie’s mother?”

“...And you are?”

A blonde boy stood there.

He looked young—perhaps not even an adult yet—but the calm smile on his face and the solid air around him made him seem anything but ordinary.

Her eyes naturally drifted to his attire next—functional clothes, a long cloak, and a sword sheath hanging at his waist.

‘...An adventurer?’

The woman studied him warily, but then the boy suddenly spoke.

“I happened to be passing by and found some kids hiding in a nearby cave. I made sure each of them got home safely. Ellie here was the last one.”

“That’s right, Mom! This blonde oppa saved me and my friends!”

At that, the woman’s eyes widened.

At the same time, she felt her cheeks flush hot with embarrassment.

“Oh my! I didn’t realize you were my daughter’s savior…”

She had unintentionally cast a suspicious eye on the stranger.

Hurriedly, she bowed her head and expressed her gratitude as she should have from the beginning.

“Thank you so much for saving Ellie!”

“Haha, it’s really nothing.”

The boy scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Ah, right, this isn’t the time for that. Ellie, come inside now.”

“Okaaay!”

Even within the village, it wasn’t truly safe. If those things caught the scent of humans, no one knew when they might strike.

The woman’s relieved gaze now turned to the boy.

“...Um, it’s humble, but would you like to come in? We have a spare room. Please, rest for the night—or even a few days if you’d like.”

In LAMPAS, there was a tradition of offering a room to passing travelers. It was a custom born from the need to ensure mutual survival.

Of course, not just anyone was welcomed. Normally, travelers had to present verified identification issued by the state or an association...

But he had saved her daughter, and she couldn’t in good conscience send him off alone into a night swarming with Demonics.

Above all, the boy looked young. Still at an age where he needed adult protection.

“I may not look it, but I’m quite a good cook. Let me thank you properly with a warm meal.”

“Yeah! Blonde oppa, stay and play with Ellie!”

The boy quietly looked down at the mother and daughter for a moment, then curved his eyes in a smile. It was a polite refusal.

“Thank you, but I have places to be. I’ll be on my way now. Ellie, don’t stay out late again, okay? Take care.”

“Wait! At least stay until morning—!”

Just then, a voice came from inside the house. An old man’s voice.

“That’s enough. Let him be. It’s not polite to hold back someone who’s in a hurry.”

“But Father!”

“No need to worry. If that boy says he’s fine, then he is.”

“...Sorry?”

The odd nuance of his words left the woman confused, and the boy gave a small bow before quickly walking away.

The woman stared blankly at his fading figure before stepping back inside the house.

She approached the old man, who was smoking with a strangely heavy expression.

“Father, do you… know that boy?”

“...I do. He used to live here in Mauli Village. Back when I was still the village chief. …I remember him clearly.”

Just as the woman was about to ask, “Then why did you let him go?”, the old man spoke first.

“There’s nothing to worry about. No reason to worry at all. Because that boy is…”

The old man let out a long puff of smoke, then dropped the cigarette and firmly crushed it beneath his heel.

“...a monster.”

The deep forest appeared especially dark, with thick branches and undergrowth.

Along the silent forest path, only the occasional chirping of insects echoed faintly.

“……”

The boy stepped through the twilight of dawn.

“...Looks like the chief’s doing well.”

They hadn’t spoken directly, but just knowing he was doing alright gave the boy some peace of mind.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here.”

Mauli Village was his hometown, where he had been born and raised, but he hadn’t returned once in the past ten years.

As he glanced around the pitch-dark forest as if it were broad daylight, the boy suddenly flinched at the sight of his own horn.

“Ah, this isn’t the time for that.”

Truth was, someone was waiting for him.

The boy had barely squeezed in this visit to his hometown amid a tight schedule.

There was no time to relax. He had to complete his objective and return quickly.

While rushing toward his destination, he had come across the lost children and ended up spending a great deal of time escorting each of them home.

“I have to hurry. There’s still time...!”

Relying on nothing but a worn-out lantern, the boy walked on, showing no sign of fear toward the night that terrified most.

But despite his resolute demeanor, the boy looked young—and fragile.

And being young and fragile meant easy to kill. Easy to kill meant easy prey.

Sure enough, something hiding beneath the shadows bared its vicious fangs.

It had marked the boy as prey.

《Grrrrrr...》

The beast’s howl echoed through the silent night like a reverberating cry.

And then—rustle, rustle!

In the darkness where not even a hand’s breadth could be seen, the unmistakable sense of something’s presence.

The sound of heavy steps pressing into the ground and a low growl crept closer to the boy.

How terrifying is the fear of the unknown, in and of itself?

An ordinary person would have fainted, overwhelmed by sheer terror.

And that would have been the end of their life—in a single bite.

—If they were just an ordinary person.

Sensing the approaching presence, the boy turned around. At that moment, a chilly wind swept through the air.

Whoooosh—

The wind made the lantern sway with a grating noise.

The flickering flame briefly lit up the boy’s face.

“……”

The boy’s expressionless face remained calm, as if he had expected this all along.

…No, perhaps it was the shadow cast by his cloak under the lantern light, but he even appeared a little bored.

Eventually, the flame went out, and the boy’s gaze turned toward a single point.

There, at some unknown moment, stood a towering grotesque figure looking down at the boy…

No—a Demonic.

《A human. A human, indeed—!》

Its appearance was something between man and beast.

It had a human face, torso, and limbs, but its fangs and claws were as sharp as spears, and its body was covered in thick fur.

The Demonic, several times the boy’s size, hunched its massive frame, its bloodshot eyes rolling wildly.

It was sizing up just how fresh its prey was.

《Heh, heheheh! A human… and a young one at that…! Not much meat on you, but… your tender flesh looks quite delicious…!》

Just as humans preferred the meat of younger animals, so did the Demonics.

《Now, which part should I start with…?》

As it drooled and spoke, imagining the flavor, the boy widened his eyes in apparent shock.

《Little human, do not be afraid……》

The Demonic thought to itself.

This young human must be so paralyzed with fear, like all the others, that he couldn’t even speak.

Surely, he would soon fall to his knees, begging for his life.

The Demonic chuckled at the thought of the near future.

Though it wasn’t one of those who derived pleasure from a prey’s suffering, the screams laced with fear were always sweet to its ears.

But just like always—it was hungry. Starving. There was no time left to think.

It had to eat.

《You humans… your kind was born to be prey. So be devoured quietly…! Kuhihahat!》

With killing intent radiating from its body, the Demonic lunged at the boy.

It didn’t doubt for a second—

《I’ll savor every bite—!》

Its sharp teeth would sink into the boy, and soon, its mouth would be filled with that sweet taste—

But it tasted nothing. The boy had vanished!

《Where did he go……!?》

Impossible. He had been right there just a moment ago!

“Fate, huh… You sure spout some unpleasant nonsense.”

It was then—

“Would you mind repeating that?”

A clear presence emerged from behind the Demonic. A whisper followed.

“Who… is whose prey, exactly?”

When had he gotten there?!

Before the Demonic could even turn around in panic, the boy spoke again.

“...Well, not that it really matters. That part’s irrelevant. But there are some things I just can’t overlook.”

His tone was light, almost cheerful. A boy’s voice.

The kind of voice that should belong to easy prey.

“Our dear Demonic friend.”

But this time was different.

“You’ve got self-awareness, huh?”

The moment its eyes met the boy’s icy blue ones, the Demonic felt every hair on its body stand on end.

It was instinct—its primal survival instinct.

The instinct to avoid stronger predators, just to live a little longer.

—That thing is dangerous!

Unconsciously, the Demonic stepped back and shouted:

《...W-What are you!?》

The unknown was frightening. And not only to humans.

What is he? What is that human?

It was the first time in its life it had been so certain—I can’t kill him. And equally certain—I will be killed.

《K-KRAAGH, DIE! DIEEEE—!》

Consumed by fear, the Demonic charged at the boy, lashing out in a wild frenzy.

Boom! Crash!

A barrage of blows followed—ones that would have turned any normal human into pulp in seconds.

《……!》

But again, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Only a dented ground marked where he had been.

《Hah… haah…! What, what is this? Where is he……?!》

Suddenly, the boy popped up behind the Demonic with a bright smile on his face.

“Did you call me?”

《H-Heeeek!》

The moment the boy took a single step forward, the Demonic turned tail and bolted, its tail practically tucked between its legs.

“Weren’t you curious about me? Don’t just run—stay right there!”

《D-Don’t come near me, you monster……!》

“...‘Monster’? Now that’s just rude!”

Being called a monster by an actual monster—now that was a shock.

“I’m just a kind and decent human being.”

The boy pouted for a moment, then muttered with a chilly gaze:

Looks like it got scared.

‘Well, I guess that makes sense. Even a faint self-awareness would be enough. It seemed like a mid-tier one.’

Demonics grew stronger, gained abilities, and developed more distinct personalities as their rank increased.

That one, though, with its awkward speech and behavior, probably hadn’t been upgraded for long.

“Not that it matters.”

Shing—

The boy drew the sword from his waist. In the pitch-dark night, the silver blade gleamed like moonlight.

He had planned to root it out here anyway.

“...I can’t just let a Demonic harm people.”

With a quiet murmur, the boy aimed the sword at the fleeing creature. From the sharpened tip, a powerful energy began to gather.

“You asked me earlier, didn’t you? Who I am. …Well, I’ll tell you.”

And he grinned.

“I’m a Hunter. One who hunts monsters like you.”

The boy gave a light swing of his sword. But the outcome was anything but light.

A golden slash burst forth from the blade!

It tore through the terrain in a straight line, obliterating everything in its path.

《K-KRAAGH! P-Please… spare m—》

Slash—!

The fleeing Demonic was sliced clean in two. Not even a scream remained. A perfect kill.

With a heavy thud, the two halves of the Demonic’s corpse crashed to the ground, and black blood spilled from the remains.

By morning, both corpse and bloodstains would turn to ash and disappear without a trace.

Just like the end of all monsters—into nothingness.

The boy, watching that sight for a moment, furrowed his brow.

‘Judging by the self-awareness, it probably absorbed all the nearby Demonics.’

That meant no new Demonics would appear around here for a while.

Of course, Demonics were a breed that kept crawling out from somewhere no matter how many were killed, so eventually, new ones would be born again… but for now, peace would return.

“...Ah, right. This isn’t the time to be standing around!”

The boy dusted off his pants and stood up. Then, he rushed off in a hurry.

As if nothing had happened at all.

“I promised Nahr I’d be back before sunrise. Ughh, I’m gonna be late!”

And perhaps, that was only natural.

Killing Demonics—at least for the boy—wasn’t anything special.

The boy’s name was Elwin Krieger.

One of only five people in the world who held the title of Special-Class Hunter.