Crafting Gear From Monster Genes

Kreyn didn’t have the most typical start. But, in a way, he was one of the luckiest newcomers.

Instead of instructors and scientists guiding him through tests after his awakening, he had Prima, a First-Rank Hunter, and that was worth a lot.

Now he was gaining hands-on experience, which was rare for newcomers.

Step. Step. Step.

Kreyn followed Prima as they made their way along the rocky trail. They were heading toward the summit of a rocky peak that towered above the sand dunes.

"Why do we have to go to the dark cliff, specifically?"

Kreyn asked, carefully walking along the edge. He was worried that his boots would activate again and he’d fall straight off the edge.

"Why couldn’t the military just fly out here to get us?"

"That’s basic knowledge, rookie," Prima replied, turning to him.

She pointed upward.

"Jets always land only on high ground, whether it’s a floating island or a mountain peak. It makes it easier to land and take off, but most importantly, it’s the only relatively safe way."

Prima nodded toward the spot where they’d fought the lizards.

"Do you think a plane could fly there?"

The answer was obvious.

"That’s exactly why, if you want a jet to come pick you up, you have to make sure you get to a suitable spot yourself."

Kreyn nodded. Until today, he was a civilian. He simply never thought about such details.

"You know—"

Suddenly, Kreyn froze as a chill shot through his body. He turned his head just to see a massive monster in the distance.

Its black fur covered its body, which had four long legs and no tail. The monster’s jaw jutted forward like a wolf’s, and sharp teeth ran the length of its head. But the most striking feature was its three yellow eyes, arranged in a vertical line on its head.

"Hey, could that be the Renegade you were talking about?"

Prima spun around abruptly as her eyes widened.

"FUCK! We need to run!"

She grabbed Kreyn by the arm as they dashed forward.

"Listen to me carefully. What I’m about to tell you will be the most important lesson you’ll ever learn!"

Kreyn nodded with a serious expression.

Meanwhile, the Renegade Monster tilted its head, spotting two dots in the distance. It was tracking the energy flows of the two fleeing people.

Unlike most monsters, the Renegades were distinct not only because they roamed through random locations that might not suit them at all.

They weren’t interested in the scent of blood or the desire to fight. They were driven solely by their curiosity, and more often than not, the source of that curiosity was either a smell or an energy flow.

This Renegade Monster was no exception. That’s why, instead of rushing after Kreyn and Prima, it leisurely set off in pursuit of them, knowing they had nowhere to run.

"Ah? There’s no way out of here?!" Kreyn exclaimed. "What are we supposed to do, then?"

"Well, there are two options: either help will arrive sooner, or we’ll have to fight. It’s much stronger than those sand lizards we fought, but it’s not invulnerable. In fact, we don’t even need to defeat it."

"What do you suggest?"

Prima turned to him, her expression more serious than ever.

"We have to push it off the cliff. That way, we’ll have enough time to get out of here. But... I’m afraid you’ll have to act as bait."

Kreyn’s eyes widened.

"What? Who even sends newbies to their deaths!"

Prima bit her lip, staring straight ahead. "We have no other choice. Shit, we have to pull this off perfectly!"

Tap.

The jets already left Dust Star, but they’d still need more time, time that Kreyn and Prima didn’t have.

Deep down, every hunter wanted to take down a Renegade Monster, but they couldn’t take the risk. They were already in a critically dangerous situation.

Whoooooosh!

A gust of wind swept along the dark cliff, ruffling Kreyn’s hair. He stood in the middle of a plateau spacious enough to accommodate several jets, or a single, very large monster.

Prima was in the opposite situation. While Kreyn was out in the open, Prima was hidden among the rocks. Her rifle was ready to fire, biding her time.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Deafening footsteps echoed from the side, causing Kreyn to turn around.

He gulped, knowing exactly what it was.

First, the monster’s back came into view, and then its head and three yellow eyes that immediately locked onto Kreyn.

’Alright, it’s unlikely it’ll start with its strongest attack. I’ll be able to block a regular paw strike, well... I hope so, and then Prima will take care of the rest.’

Scratch.

Three claws scraped the ground as the Renegade dashed forward in a dark flash.

Before Kreyn could even process it, the three yellow eyes were right in front of him.

Instinctively, Kreyn crossed his arms in front of him as a barrier appeared around him, just as it did when he fell from the Aegis A-13.

Crack!

The sheer force of the Renegade’s strike shattered Kreyn’s barrier like fragile glass. The impact sent him flying to the side, essentially saving him from the sharp claws that left deep gouges in the ground.

Kreyn hurried to get back on his feet. He had to prepare for the next attack.

BLAST!

At the same moment, a deafening boom echoed across the cliff as Prima fired her shot.

But a regular shot wasn’t enough to harm a Renegade, so she had to use something else.

"What the...?"

The simple iron bullet trembled, growing dozens of times larger while still in the air. Now, this bullet was big enough to obliterate a tank in its path.

All that speed and weight crashed down on the Renegade.

Tremble!

A tremor rippled across the ground as the Renegade tried to hold its ground, its claws digging into the surface and sending sparks flying.

Prima frowned.

’Damn it! Other monsters would have exploded into bloody shreds, but my bullet didn’t even pierce this one! It’s ramming him like a bull!’

Unfortunately, Prima couldn’t make another shot like that as a trickle of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth. All she could hope for was that this would be enough to knock the Renegade off the cliff.

"GRHHHAAAAA!" The Renegade roared, shaking the air as it reached the edge.

Whoooooosh!

The massive bullet flew past as the Renegade plummeted off the cliff.

"Agh..." Prima sighed in relief. "We managed to do it after all. Good."

Kreyn got up from the ground as he stared at the edge in disbelief. He was deeply impressed by what just happened.

’That bullet, huh... So that’s what a First Rank Hunter is capable of? Maybe I could—’

CRASH!

The dark paw slammed into the edge of the cliff as the long jaw emerged.

Prima’s eyes widened as fear flashed across her face.

’That bastard... Did it hold? No, no, no!’ She hurried to reload her rifle, hoping that regular shots could do something.

Step.

At that very moment, Kreyn took a step forward as his boots trembled.

In a swift dash, he appeared right in front of the Renegade’s head, his fist clenched tightly. After all, he hadn’t used his mutated arms in attack mode once yet.

The red light fell on the Renegade’s head as Kreyn delivered his blow.

The crimson blast erupted with enough force to knock the Renegade off the cliff for good.

Thump.

Kreyn fell to his knees as he watched the Renegade get closer and closer to the ground until it hit the surface. This time, for sure.

At that moment, Kreyn had only one thought:

’Renegade... What could I create from your gene? One day, I’ll definitely find out!’

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