Dark Fantasy Genius Demon Hunter

Raid

It was something Gaon had to admit to himself.

He was, in fact, feeling rushed.

Gaon’s ultimate goal.

To save the world from the Demon King and his army’s grip.

Just recalling it made it hard to breathe, such an absurd goal.

It was something even the goddess who protected this world couldn’t accomplish, and the pressure that came with realizing that was far greater than Gaon had anticipated.

But it wasn’t something he could give up on.

If he couldn’t stop their advance, surviving in a world that had been destroyed would be nearly impossible.

Moreover, this mission wasn’t just about Gaon—his mother’s life was also at stake.

So there was no room to entertain thoughts like “what if I fail…”

It had to succeed, no matter what.

That was why Gaon felt rushed.

But after hearing Ren’s words, he realized something.

He had been rushing, and he shouldn’t be.

Looking back at his memories of modern times only made it clearer.

The college entrance exam.

Twelve long years of studying, all to be judged by a single test, scored on just a few hundred points.

As the exam day approached, students endured unimaginable stress, putting everything into their final preparations.

Some might cram at the last minute, but unlike other tests, the college entrance exam couldn’t be solved by sheer luck.

Year after year.

Only those who had diligently prepared for twelve years could expect to be rewarded for their efforts.

So Gaon decided to approach this task with the same steady, step-by-step attitude he had during his studies.

Of course, the weight of the situation was far heavier than an entrance exam, but the principle was the same.

Rushing won’t help in stopping the Demon King’s invasion.

Doubt and anxiety would constantly arise, shaking his heart, but Gaon needed to stay focused and prepare everything he could, step by step.

“Thank you.”

“Huh? For what?”

“Just… for everything.”

Ren asked in confusion, but Gaon only gave him a small, tight-lipped smile in response.

Thanks to Ren’s advice, Gaon was no longer swayed by his feelings of urgency and decided to prepare for the future steadily.

Physical training.

Maintaining combat skills through monster hunting.

Solving economic issues through the sale of monster byproducts.

Living each day with that intensity, he would continue to move forward little by little.

In short, Gaon’s daily routine hadn’t changed much from before.

What had changed were the added pieces of equipment and the types of modern gym equipment he remembered from his past life.

Additionally, it wouldn’t be odd to say he now had a body so muscular it could easily be called a killing machine.

And such drastic physical changes drew a lot of attention.

“Look at that guy.”

“Who?”

“That guy over there.”

“Ah, Gaon?”

“Gaon? Do you know him?”

“Well, he’s been getting pretty famous lately. It’d be hard not to know him.”

“Then why don’t I recognize him?”

“Because you, you idiot, spend all your time in the entertainment district, shoving all your money into the skirts of prostitutes and never leave until it’s all gone!”

They whispered and exchanged gossip, stealing glances at Gaon.

“Well, never mind that. What’s the deal with him?”

“He’s a monster hunter. He doesn’t work in a team; he’s solo.”

“What? Solo?”

The guy who had been embarrassed and cleared his throat widened his eyes in surprise.

“Yeah.”

“But he’s a monster hunter? Isn’t he from outside the city?”

The one who had pointed at Gaon shook his head.

“No, remember the tentacle spider that was discovered recently?”

“Oh! The tentacle spider! Yeah, I heard about it! I was so jealous. If I had found that, think of how much money I would’ve made.”

“Haha, yeah. Even someone as clueless as you must have heard that one. If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be human.”

“Enough of the small talk, what’s the point? Get to the main story.”

“The person who brought in the information about it was him.”

“Ah—so that’s the guy? The one who discovered the tentacle spider and came back?”

“Yeah.”

The guy nodded, and then tilted his head in confusion.

“Huh? But doesn’t he work alone?”

“That’s what makes it even more impressive.”

“Ha.”

A low exclamation was let out.

But the admiration he had to express was only just beginning; it wasn’t the end.

“But what’s really worth noting is that he came back after catching two tentacle spiders.”

“He fought five of them alone and decapitated two of them and made it back alive? He must be quite the expert.”

The one who had been speaking first now gave a meaningful smile.

“Yeah, exactly. But the more interesting part comes next.”

“What else is there?”

“You’ll be intrigued as soon as you hear this.”

“Oh, come on! Stop with the suspense and just tell me!”

“When the outer areas were in chaos because of the tentacle spiders, his body didn’t look like this.”

“Huh?”

“You’re such an idiot. Didn’t you get that?”

“…Just explain it properly.”

Sigh “Fine, I’ll explain. He wasn’t originally this muscular. Not that he was weak, but he was still on the leaner side.”

“Huh? Wait, the tentacle spider incident was like… two months ago, right? Is it even possible to go from lean to this level in just two months?”

The one explaining shook his head.

“It’s impossible. Only a beastman, like a werebear, might be able to do that. Do you think that guy is a beastman?”

“Uhm… no.”

“Exactly. He’s definitely human. But in just four months? Five months? That’s when his body changed to this extent. But what’s even more interesting is that for a month or two after catching the tentacle spiders, he still maintained his original build.”

“So, the explosive physical change didn’t happen in four or five months, but in two or three months?”

“Exactly. Cool, right?”

The friend seemed to understand and nodded while the one explaining smiled smugly.

“How is that a fun story? There has to be something special for that to be possible. Ugh, that was a waste.”

“…What the hell is wrong with you? Ugh, you idiot.”

After hearing the full explanation, the listener actually looked indifferent. And seeing this expression, the one explaining sighed in frustration.

“Ah—why the sudden tantrum?”

Then, shaking his head, the one explaining spoke his thoughts plainly.

“You idiot. It’s a Vision! How do you think he managed to hunt two tentacle spiders alone without a party?”

“Well, because he has a Vision.”

“Exactly! A Vision that allowed him to defeat two tentacle spiders and return alive. A Vision that can develop a human body to this point in just two months!”

“So, it’s the Vision!”

But the listener still didn’t get it.

The one explaining leaned in closer, speaking quietly and calmly this time, unlike before when he was speaking passionately.

“Doesn’t that make you want it?”

“…Huh?”

“I want it.”

His words were blunt, and his greed was laid bare.

Finally realizing what was being said, the listener stammered, unsure of what to do.

“Well, um… that is… uh…”

“I’ve already spoken to Merdson. We’ve arranged for our party to join in.”

“…”

A dry gulp.

“He’ll be strong. No, he’ll definitely be strong. He caught the tentacle spiders even before his body looked like that. But we have the numbers.”

“Numbers?”

“Not just Merdson, I’ve already spoken to the people from the Bayzel and Guen factions.”

“R-Really?”

“It’s a Vision, not some special equipment. Only one person can have a piece of equipment, but Vision? That’s not the case. Everyone who participates in this will get the same Vision. Do you understand?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Stay focused. If we pull this off, we’ll all be Vision holders.”

“Vision… holders…”

His eyes glazed over with excitement.

The contaminated zone was always a harsh environment for humans to navigate.

The choking land,

The air hard to breathe,

And the disordered sensations caused by the miasma of magic.

But if you regularly traveled to and from the contaminated zone, it became something you could endure, almost like developing a sense of invulnerability.

It was like a safety disregard that began with thoughts like, “Eh, it should be fine.”

That’s how it was.

Gaon had come to see the contaminated zone as a more dangerous place after his struggle with the tentacle spiders and the severe injuries he sustained while crossing through it.

The contaminated zone had never been friendly to humanity in the first place.

After that harrowing experience, Gaon no longer took the contaminated zone lightly. Even for simple travel, he became much more cautious than he had been while living in the city, where purification magic circles were always in effect. His senses weren’t as sharp as usual, so he had to rely on all of his senses to scan his surroundings.

That’s why, despite the considerable distance, he was able to spot them—hidden among the twisted plants—almost instantly. It was all thanks to his past experiences.

“It seems like they’re too many to be considered a single team.”

Although monster hunters typically traveled in groups, this was an unusually large number.

Gaon stopped as he made his way through the terrain that twisted around his ankles. He kept his distance, watching them quietly.

After some time, though not long, the tense air began to break.

It was clear that they were starting to feel uneasy, likely because of Gaon’s delay in showing up.

Soon, voices murmured unpleasantly on the violet wind: “What’s going on? Why hasn’t Gaon shown up yet?” “Didn’t he pass already?” “He should’ve been here by now, right?”

Thanks to his hearing, Gaon could pick up their murmurs despite the distance, immediately understanding the situation.

An ambush.

Gaon’s eyes sharpened with focus.

He didn’t know why they wanted to attack him, but one thing was certain: they were not waiting for him with friendly intentions.

He was careful to maintain his cloaking spell, keeping it at a subtle level.

As he got closer, the conversation became clearer.

“Hey, are you sure this is the right spot?”

“Yeah, he always passes through this path when he comes out of the contaminated zone.”

“Then why hasn’t he shown up?”

“How the hell would I know?”

“Dammit! If you proposed we steal his Vision, you better make sure it happens!”

Having heard enough, Gaon drew his weapon from his pouch.

There was no reason to listen any further.

A genius monster hunter in a dark fantasy world.