In this world, there were two primary ways for a person to hunt monsters and make a living from it.
The first was the official, sanctioned method through the use of gates, which were tears in reality that led to pocket dimensions teeming with monsters, and these gates were managed and controlled entirely by the Hunter Association.
It was a structured, organized, and relatively safe career path for those with the talent.
The second method was far more chaotic and dangerous, it was hunting in the wilds. The world was a vast and untamed place, and beyond the safety of the city walls, monsters roamed freely.
Some regions were so infested with powerful beasts that they were permanent, unspoken no-go zones for all of humanity, but other monsters, known as strays, would often wander too close to civilized areas, becoming pests and threats that needed to be dealt with.
Hunting strays was an unsanctioned and unregulated activity, a high-risk, high-reward venture for those who operated outside the Association’s strict rules, and for someone like Luthra, it was the only logical option left.
The Hunter Association was a dead end, a bureaucratic wall Luthra had no time to climb, so he turned his back on the grand building and headed for the only place that made sense, his apartment.
His room was exactly as he left it, a testament to a life with few possessions, and in the corner, his true partner was waiting, the heavy industrial chain. He picked it up and began to methodically wrap it around his arm.
With his weapon secured, he walked out of the apartment building and headed directly for the massive gates that marked the edge of the city. The sun was still high in the sky, it was a good time to head out.
The most direct route took him past a row of street food vendors, and one stall in particular always caught his attention, not just for the food, but for the girl who worked there.
It was a simple cart that sold grilled meat with a spicy chili sauce, and the girl running it was always moving, always cheerful. She had long red hair tied back in a messy ponytail and a smile that was almost always on her face.
When he got closer, she saw him and her smile got bigger.
"Hey! I was wondering where you went!"
Her voice was clear and loud, easily heard over the other sounds on the street. He stopped at her cart.
’I was just gone for a day.’
"I didn’t see you at all yesterday," she said, leaning on her counter and putting on a fake pout. "I thought you got into some trouble at one of those construction jobs you’re always taking. You missed out on the best sausage in the city, you know!"
He just looked at her, "I had to do something."
"Something? Is that what you’re calling it?" she laughed, and then turned around to flip the meat cooking on the grill. "Well, as long as you’re okay, I guess it’s fine. You’re always so quiet, it makes a person worry sometimes."
"Sorry if I made you worried."
She just laughed at his apology, waving her hand as she turned back to her grill to flip the food.
"Don’t be sorry, I’m just giving you a hard time, I know a big guy like you can take care of himself, I just get a little bored when my favorite customer doesn’t show up for his daily meal."
Her eyes then fell on the heavy industrial chain that was wrapped around his arm, and her cheerful expression was replaced by a look of pure curiosity.
"Whoa, hold on a second, what in the world is that thing? Did you get tired of construction and decide to become a gang boss? Because that thing looks like it weighs more than me."
He looked down at his arm, then back at her.
"It’s for my new job."
She leaned forward over the counter, her chin now resting in her hands as she looked him up and down.
"Is it another one of those jobs where you have to lift heavy things? Because you do plenty of that already, you should really find a job where you can just sit down and look handsome, I bet you’d make a fortune."
He had no idea how to respond to a statement like that, so he just remained quiet, a reaction she found extremely funny.
She laughed again and picked up a freshly cooked piece of meat with a pair of tongs, putting it inside a bread roll before covering it with a thick, spicy sauce.
She pushed the food across the counter toward him.
"This one is a gift, a ’be safe’ present, so you should eat it before you go off to do whatever dangerous thing your new job is."
He took the food from her, a simple gesture, but it was far more kindness than his own family had ever shown him in his entire life.
"You’re welcome, Luthra."
He took a bite, and for a single moment, the quest, the system, and his stupid unranked status didn’t matter at all, he was just a guy eating food on a street.
[System Notification: The Host is consuming food with a positive emotional context. A temporary buff ’Well-Fed’ has been applied. All stats are increased by 0.5% for the next hour.]
He finished the rest of the food in a few more large bites and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Rena just nodded, her smile a little smaller now, a hint of real concern showing on her face.
"Yeah, I figured, you always look like you are on your way to do something important."
He gave her a small nod and turned to leave, ready to head for the city’s north gate. He had only taken a few steps before her voice called out to him one last time, her tone louder now.
"Hey, Luthra! Be careful out there, you hear me?"
He turned, and for the first time since she had met him, he gave her a small, deliberate wave. Then he turned back and walked off down the street.
His path led him to the city’s North Gate, a massive slab of metal and concrete that stood as the final barrier between civilization and the wild. Guards in standard-issue armor were stationed there, their faces set in a permanent state of boredom from watching the same road all day.
One of the guards saw him coming. He took in the cheap clothes and the heavy industrial chain wrapped around the man’s arm.
’Another one,’ the guard thought. ’Thinks he’s tough enough to hunt strays, probably won’t even last the night. Just means more duty when we find what’s left of him.’
He didn’t say anything, it wasn’t his job to be a nanny. Luthra walked right past the checkpoint without a word, stepping out from the long shadow of the city wall and into the unfiltered sunlight. The paved road ended abruptly, becoming a simple dirt path that disappeared into the dense, dark trees of the Fanged Woods.
He stood there for a moment, taking it in.
’This is a good start. Plenty of places for things to hide. This should be more efficient than waiting for a gate to open in my apartment.’