Bunny Princess, what are you doing?

The next day, as the last one on watch, I woke the three who were still dozing in their sleeping bags.

I had woken up two hours earlier than the others, but I wasn’t sleepy. My clear mind helped me quickly pack up our gear.

Since we had set up a base, there was no need to carry our heavy bags around.

To keep monsters or wild animals from tampering with them, we gathered the bags in one spot and covered them with a blanket. My body felt so much lighter without the heavy bag; it was as if my shoulders could fly.

Breakfast was a stew made by Leo. It wasn’t particularly tasty.

I suddenly thought of Chaylor. He really had a knack for cooking.

Perhaps because no one had slept well, there was no conversation until we finished eating. Even the usually cheerful Cloy moved groggily, and the steadfast Aaron seemed a bit sluggish. Only Leo was somewhat alert, though his eyes were sunken.

The sounds of monsters howling during the night, the rustling of leaves, the chirping of insects, and the uncomfortable ground—all these things had disrupted our sleep, so it was understandable.

I touched the area around my eyes. I was surprisingly fine. I had slept well… If it weren’t for my watch duty, I wouldn’t have woken up in the middle of the night.

“Ugh, I can’t wake up.”

“Let’s get ready quickly. Otherwise, we’ll just keep dragging. Let’s wash our faces too.”

After breakfast, we cleaned up. To prevent monsters from being attracted by the smell, we scrubbed the pot thoroughly and covered it. We extinguished the campfire by covering it with sand. Only after washing our faces were we finally able to set out.

“Alright, let’s go. Fighting spirit.”

Leo sprinkled some cooling powder and spoke with a tone meant to energize us. I raised my fist and nodded.

Today’s goal was to reach the plains and, if Cometras wasn’t there, to scout the surrounding area.

It was a vague plan, but it was the best we could do. In the life of a hunter, there’s no precise calculation. Finding a monster living in the wild requires a certain amount of luck. If we could at least find some tracks, that would be fortunate.

By the time the sun was high in the sky, we finally arrived at the plains.

“So, this is the plains…”

“…There’s nothing here.”

Still, Cometras was nowhere to be seen.

In these plains, there were only wild herbivorous monsters, monster bones, or half-eaten carcasses left by someone.

Leo examined a carcass and shook his head. Judging by the decay, it was old meat.

“Cometras eats rocks. Let’s check the rocks.”

Cloy, who had been quiet, offered a suggestion. It was a valid point.

We carefully examined the large rocks scattered across the plains for any signs of Cometras. Marks where it had melted the rocks with the heat from its mouth. Its distinctive signs…

“Found it.”

Aaron spoke in a slightly louder voice.

“Here, there are bite marks on the rock.”

We all gathered around Aaron. As he said, there were marks made by Cometras.

A rock that looked melted and distorted, with a handful of crumbs beneath it. Since there was no saliva, it wasn’t recent, but it gave us hope.

“If we’re lucky, we might find it today…”

“Since this area has a lot of rocks in the floodplain, its activity range is narrowed down.”

“Good, this request might end quickly.”

Leo took out some red powder from his small pouch and rubbed it on the rock. The first trace. We were getting closer to Cometras.

The traces we found weren’t just on the rocks. There was also Cometras’s characteristic hard, clumped excrement.

It didn’t smell, just looked like an odd mixture of rock impurities.

It was clear that it had been here relatively recently. There were several footprints as well…

It was definitely active in these plains. Probably because it was easy to find food here.

But as time passed, I felt something was off.

“…Where on earth did it go?”

The tracks were just circling around within the plains. Leo touched his lips.

According to the tracks, Cometras hadn’t left the plains. Yet, there was no sign of it.

“Did it fly away?”

“No way. You know it can’t fly.”

“Yeah~ I was just wondering.”

It walks on four legs and can’t fly.

There’s no way it flew into the sky.

That leaves only one answer.

“…It’s still here.”

Since everyone had contributed something, it was my turn.

“It’s here?”

“Yes.”

I looked around.

Hidden among the rocks embedded in these plains, Cometras was probably sleeping.

After eating, Cometras camouflages itself by changing its skin color to match the rocks and hides among the boulders to sleep.

It’s a means to protect itself from powerful predators.

“Everyone, get ready.”

Aaron picked up his hammer, Leo drew his sword and shield from his back.

Cloy unfolded her bow, which had been folded in half.

I touched the rocks one by one.

There was no need to rush. Carefully, so as not to wake it, I moved slowly. I leisurely walked between the rocks, reaching out to each one.

Then, I felt a vibrating rock.

It was among a pile of stones.

It was slightly harder than the other rocks, and the texture was different. But outwardly, it was perfectly disguised. Upon closer inspection, it was clear that some parts were not rock but skin.

No wonder it was hard to find.

I stopped in front of it and closed my eyes.

I could feel it. Amidst the wind blowing across the plains, the vibration of life. The sound of its breathing echoing here.

It had been eating rocks, hiding, eating more when it woke up, and sleeping… living like that, trying to survive.

But that ends here.

The thought of finally being able to fight made my heart race.

How should I handle Cometras? How will our teamwork fare?

Cloy’s bow. Aaron’s hammer. Leo’s sword and shield. My greatsword. What kind of synergy will we create to corner the monster?

Thinking about all this made me so happy I could hardly contain myself.

But in its current state, there was no way to attack it with my greatsword.

To wake up this sleeping baby, a loud noise would be perfect.

—

The journey for Cometras to fully develop its hard shell is arduous.

Its body, surrounded by rocks, is still tender. If a predator appeared, it would be helpless and die.

That’s why they camouflage themselves as rocks to protect their bodies.

Somehow, by surviving and eating rocks, those rocks gradually change Cometras’s body. They melt in the intense heat inside Cometras, and the purest parts become part of it.

Over time, it becomes harder and stronger.

The grayish rocks gradually change in composition, becoming darker, and at some point, they become unbreakable by any attack.

It becomes able to protect itself.

At the end of this process, an ironclad knight is born, shaking off the sorrow of the weak and crushing its enemies.

Monsters are true to their instincts. They grow because they are born, and they become strong because they grow. Because they are strong, they are threatening.

Cometras is no different. Because it was born, it repeats eating rocks and sleeping.

Just to don that iron armor at the end. To survive.

But the infinitely weak humans won’t let that happen.

Sizzle.

Cometras opened its eyes at the strange sound nearby.

It wasn’t the usual chirping of insects or the roars of monsters in the plains.

Moreover, there was a strange smell. The smell of gunpowder, something burning, and… the scent of unfamiliar creatures.

It was the malice of humans, something Cometras had never heard or felt before.

Boom!

A tremendous explosion echoed through the heavens and earth.

The ground shook and collapsed in an instant. Cracks appeared in Cometras’s shell.

Kyaaaak!

Cometras was engulfed in the explosion. It let out a scream.

The first pain it had ever felt since birth. Cometras rose from the smoke.

“…It was a direct hit.”

Because humans are weak, they must kill it before it dons its iron armor.

Leo leaned against a tree and swallowed hard.

Without hesitation, they had set up explosives in front of the rock presumed to be Cometras, and before it could notice, Cloy shot an arrow to detonate it instantly.

If it hadn’t been the monster, it would have been a big loss, but fortunately, as Alice had said, the rock was indeed Cometras.

Thanks to Alice, things were progressing smoothly.

KuAAaaaa!!!

Cometras’s roar, filled with pain, was brimming with rage.

The one who dared to disturb its deep sleep would have to face that wrath.

Tension enveloped the hunters.

They clenched their mouths shut and gripped their weapons.

We can do this. We can do it.

They repeated to themselves, trying to ease the excessive tension. But their feet wouldn’t move easily. Even though they were hunters, they were still novices who hadn’t even completed a year.

Facing a monster was still a frightening task. Someone had to take the first step.

Among them, it was Alice who took the lead.

Only Alice walked forward without hesitation, step by step. She stood in the middle of the plains and looked at Cometras.

Its yellow eyes were searching for the source of this pain.

At the end of its gaze, it met Alice’s eyes.

A tingling sensation ran through her limbs. Her instincts screamed that this was dangerous.

That it was an enemy humans couldn’t oppose.

Run away now.

But Alice didn’t shy away from its hostility. She even enjoyed the thrill coursing through her body.

Her white hair fluttered in the wind blowing across the plains. Alice brushed her flowing hair back.

Then, she reached up and grabbed the handle of her greatsword. As always, she intended to charge forward and engage it head-on.

Just as she was about to move forward, she stopped and slightly turned her head.

Unbeknownst to her, three hunters were standing by her side.

Leo, Aaron, and even Cloy. Everyone was together.

They all harbored fear, but their eyes were filled with determination. No one here would turn their back and run.

Alice smiled faintly.

Because she had comrades by her side, she didn’t go ahead alone. Sharing this moment with someone was truly romantic.

“…Let’s go.”

At Alice’s low voice, everyone nodded.

The hunt had begun.

—

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