Chapter 39

7/18 This is my second post for today.

I created a stone pillar about three meters high.

And on top of it sat a basket containing materials.

I had successfully materialized my wish to place it somewhere no one could reach, but I ended up in a ridiculous situation where I couldn't reach it myself.

My magic power was down to just enough for one emergency use of [Charge], and I couldn't even test if I could make the stone pillar disappear. I started定点 hunting with tears streaming down my face.

By the time it was evening and my magic power had somewhat recovered, I tried muttering, "Make the stone pillar disappear," and "Turn the stone pillar into sand," but neither worked.

In the end, I managed to retrieve the basket by piling up earth at the base of the stone pillar with magic, causing it to lose balance and fall over.

I hadn't expected that once I turned it into stone, I wouldn't be able to return it to its original state, which made me panic... but it was a good learning experience.

By the way, on my way back to Bezart, I tried various things, thinking it would be a waste to save my magic power, and found that reducing the piled-up earth was easy.

In other words, digging a hole in the ground isn't that difficult with magic.

And for some reason, when I made a gesture with my hand like a pistol and muttered, "Fire, ignite," a blue-purple mist appeared at my fingertips, followed by a flame like a match.

While it was good to be freed from the mysterious rule that I could only cast spells with my feet, I was left with the question of why the [Fire Magic] didn't work back then.

What I couldn't do then but can do now...

Reflecting on it, there are too many possibilities, and I have no idea what the answer is.

It feels like meeting the goddess might be a strong factor, but if that's the case, does every mage in this world meet the goddess directly? That doesn't seem right, and the mystery only deepens.

Well, at least I can cast spells now.

This is incredibly important.

After all, I can use [Fire Magic], [Earth Magic], and the [Wind Magic] I acquired today.

I tried [Wind Magic] and found that I can use it to create a weak breeze on my face, acting as a poor substitute for a fan, and even send invisible blades like an Air Mantis.

Since it's only at level 1, the range is limited to about 10 meters, and it seems to dissipate into the air before it can strip the bark off a tree...

But I should be able to use this wind to knock down fruit from a high place.

Creating earth walls to secure a bed, using fire to cook prey, and using wind to harvest food from unreachable places...

It seems more like magic for building a foundation for life rather than attack magic, but if I can acquire [Water Magic], I could settle down in a hunting ground and live a stable life, which is exciting.

I could use skill points to acquire [Water Magic] and get rid of my water bottle.

Or I could save my skill points and wait until I encounter a water magic user and defeat it, which is a tough decision.

But since it's a pleasant dilemma that I can always act on, I'll think about it a bit more and decide.

Hehe, to celebrate being able to use magic for the first time, I might go to 'Karii's' shop.

But maybe it's a bit too soon?

While I was thinking about this, someone called out to me from behind.

"Hey, wait... wait a minute!"

"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah! Hey! I'm calling you, so don't run!"

I was jogging as part of my stamina training, and the person behind me had to jog to keep up.

The person following me was alone, and the other two, one carrying a basket, were walking leisurely far behind.

I switched to walking, thinking it couldn't be helped.

"So, is there something you need?"

"Yeah. I was wondering, are you hunting alone?"

The man asking this was familiar.

He was the one who shared money at the Hunter Guild... Ah, Adent, I think.

He was holding a spear, so I was probably right.

His gaze was going back and forth between my face and the contents of the basket.

"Yes, I am..."

"Is that so? That's good. I'm Adent. I was thinking of adding one more person to our party, so why don't you join us?"

"...Huh?"

For a moment, I didn't understand what he was saying.

I was prepared for the possibility of a party invitation...

But why am I being invited with such a condescending attitude?

Maybe it's because of my appearance?

Because I look like a child?

The guy in front of me looked to be in his early twenties.

I think the other party members I saw before were around the same age.

I thought to myself, "I'm actually older than you guys..." but, being older, I tried to resolve the situation calmly.

"Thank you for considering me, but I prefer to act alone, so I'm sorry."

"Huh?... I didn't expect you to refuse."

"Huh?"

"You just started hunting in the Locker Plains, right? I've never seen you before. Hunting in the Locker Plains is usually done in a party, you know?"

"I've heard that from Amanda too. But I don't feel the need for a party yet."

"Kids with that kind of overconfidence are the first to die. As a senior, I can't just ignore this. Just team up with us, okay? The Guild will understand too."

Ah, this is incredibly troublesome...

It's obvious that they're after the materials I collect.

If adding one person to the party increases the total reward from about 120,000 Beke to nearly 300,000 Beke, you guys would be overjoyed.

But I'm not happy at all.

There's no benefit for me, and I would lose out in terms of income, experience, and skill experience. Since I already expect to die in the Locker Plains, my safety wouldn't improve either.

But... if I push too hard, it might just make things worse.

So there's only one way to handle this.

"Sorry, but I plan to continue hunting alone for now."

Just keep refusing. That's the best approach.

No matter what they say, if you keep refusing without a reason, they'll eventually hit a dead end.

On the other hand, if you say, "I can't because of this reason," they might try to break down that reason and negotiate.

"No, wait... at least stop and talk to our members. They're all good guys, and you'll get used to it quickly. We even have a dedicated porter, so you won't have to carry anything!"

"I'm fine, thank you."

"Hardly anyone volunteers to be a guardian. If you don't team up now, it'll be even harder to join a party later!"

"I'm prepared for that, thank you."

"Tch... I'll report this to the Guild! Don't come crying to me later!"

"Sorry."

Phew... finally over.

According to the training I received from Amanda, conflicts between hunters are generally resolved among themselves.

Unless it involves killing, which is illegal, minor injuries are often tolerated due to the nature of the hunter profession.

That's why it would have been very bad if he had tried to force me.

It's not about whether I could win, but once a conflict starts, it would definitely affect my future activities.

I'm a solo hunter, meaning I have almost no acquaintances.

On the other hand, they are residents of Bezart and have been hunting for a long time, so they likely have many connections.

This means there are many people who might side with them.

If I get into trouble... I won't be able to live in Bezart peacefully.

It's the same in games.

Soloing is easy and carefree, but once a problem arises, your position becomes weak.

Being targeted for PK 24/7 is common.

In games, I could just PK them back, but this is the real world.

If I kill someone, I'll end up in jail or executed.

Ah, man.

I thought Bezart was full of good people...

Thinking about the future, I felt depressed as I returned to Bezart.

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