Chapter 1: My Name

'I'm weak…huh.' I thought hearing those words would hurt more than it already did. Strangely though, it didn't change how I felt. That's because I already knew that. I had gotten lucky enough to awaken as a hunter and gain permission to go to the Border World, but In the end, I'm just dead weight.

A "meat shield" they called me. When most hunters awaken, they get some sort of power or abilities that accompany them. Not me, though.

Just a flat +10 in all my stats, and that's it. Sure I was stronger than any un-awakened schmuck, but that's all I was. My stats were raised barely enough to push me past an E-rank, so I was at least able to kill some monsters and clear some dungeons. Sadly I didn't have any abilities. Nor skills or talents. My entire fighting style wasn't augmented by anything. Just dirty tricks, tactics, and the willingness to bash in a goblins knee before destroying their face.

That's the kind of life I lived.

Every fight was a fight for my life. Every encounter was weighed against me. And the pay was just enough to support what I needed.

I had walked for what seemed like hours over roots and under branches, in a sea of trees that drowned the world around me.

A month-long expedition into the Border world with a high enough check to support my mother and me for at least another year, a month of mindless patrols versus several dangerous dungeons that could end my life at a moment's notice.

Yeah, I'd take the patrol without hesitation.

Eventually, I made it to an open clearing, where two other young men were chatting about.

One looked a hair's breadth away from strangling the other while said other could be heard across the clearing.

"Yooo, Harrison!" A cheerful voice called out to me.

"Looks like the patrol went fine, so we're good to go!" His name was Tara; his hair was tied back into a warrior's tail, resting his spear against his pauldron.

He reached out and smacked me on the shoulder with enough force to crack an average person's spine but just enough to just briefly knock the wind out of me.

"All clear, on my end," I say through sucking breaths.

"Are we done here? Some of us have other matters to attend to after our patrol duty." A bespectacled young man closed his book and began walking away.

Hiro Yuu. A foreigner who was granted a spot on the expedition due to his unique ability "Compendium". Anything he writes or draws is stored in his memory permanently. He was basically the expedition logger.

"Ope. Sorry about that! I'll see you at the cantina, right Harrison?" Tara jogs after Hiro, kicking up dirt and waving behind him as he disappears down their path into the woods.

"Y-yeah, see ya…" they disappeared just as quickly as I arrived.

'An odd fellow, but his cheerfulness is rather charming.'

I turn around with a wry smile and check the time 1405. Just as scheduled.

I left the clearing and made my way back into the path.

I had seen these same trees and same rocks so many times now that at this point, I could probably walk this path blindfolded.

It was quiet. Just the rustling of leaves and the droning of insects.

A soft light danced between the branches and leaves warming my cheeks.

Pating the mace hanging from my sides I check the shield hanging from my arm. All E+ rank.

Cost-effective and not complete trash compared to F.

I sighed and thought of my status window.

Pling

「 Matthew Harrison 」

「 Strength - 17 」 「 Stamina - 17 」

「 Agility - 17 」 「 Mana - 15 」

「 Innate ability - ??? 」

「 Skill - N/A」

If it weren't for my elevated stats, I'd be stuck with the E-Rank scroungers barely surviving.

'…'

「 Innate ability - ??? 」

I tapped the ??? multiple times.

'If only this damn thing would manifest. Then maybe I wouldn't be stuck doing these crappy jobs.

I kick at the dirt and make my way back to base camp.

****************************************************

"Uuuugh, I'm stuffed, man!" Once again, Tara had thrown himself face first onto the cantina table. His tray was pushed aside, and a bottle of booze was in his hand.

We had finally eaten our dinner, and the rest of our evening was set to free time. Tara had unfortunately deemed me to be his drinking buddy.

It was a loud setting, filled with the cheers and jeers of hunters of various ranks, ranging from D to B. Some, much like Tara, were getting drunk, while others were regalling each other in tales of their most fantastical adventures.

I just shake my head and continue eating.

That was until Tara opened his mouth again.

"So man, is it true?" he said through slowed and slurred words.

"Is what?"

"You know! About you, you know?"

'What about me?'

"That you're technically an E-rank, but just have D rank stats, man." He lifts his head up and takes another drink.

'Ah, that…'

From a technical standpoint, he's right. Most E-ranks are just slightly more substantially stronger than the average human, but either they have no abilities or their abilities are completely useless. Unfortunately, I happened to have a significant stat increase to offset it.

"Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. He passed the D-rank exam and is still a D-rank."

Surprisingly Hiro was also dragged to the cantina.

"Shut it four eyes. I wasn't asking you." He flicks a pea at Hiiro, and it bounces off his nose.

"You immature lit-"

"But I get it;" Tara's voice sobered as he spoke.

"You wouldn't want anyone to know you aren't gifted like the others are." Tara slowly raises his hand, and in a swift motion, a surge of energy pushes forth, quickly wrapping around his arm, changing its shape into something inhuman.

[ Transmogrification C+ ] the ability to alter any part of the user's body to fit different properties, or monster features, providing stat bonuses and unique abilities based on the skill's rank.

An ability with room to grow.

Staring at his arm, I couldn't help but feel a sense of envy.

"Without a growth-type ability. You'll always be stuck at D…but that means your natural strength is D-rank. So be proud of that."

He gets up and stumbles out of the Cantina.

'...'

"He's right, though. You won't be able to get any stronger without an ability. But life as a mercenary isn't that bad." Hiro adjusts his glasses and avoids eye contact with me.

"Yeah…"

I don't know what took over me at that moment, but I had to get out of there. The room had started to feel small and suffocating, and my ears had begun to ring. My throat seized, and my mouth ran dry. A million eyes felt like they were on me.

'I need to get out.' I quickly stood up and made a b-line for the door. My breaths felt short and raspy.

"H-Harrison!" A voice called out from behind me.

I ignored it, and shoved my way past another hunter.

I kept walking towards the edge of camp and threw my body at the nearest tree.

Slumping against it, I looked at the night sky and let the calm winds take away my problems.

The cold night air seemed to calm my nerves as I looked up to the endless sky. A thousand stars lit up my view glistening like jewels.

'...'

Be proud….what a joke.

There was nothing for me to be proud of. I worked nearly to death on every dungeon I went into, just for a meager pay cut. I act as a Meat shield to provide a home for myself and my mother because my deadbeat father went missing 8 years ago.

But…I can't stop.

I owe this much to my mother. Who worked herself almost to death for years after my father went missing…

I don't care how long it takes. I'll find him and bury him with my own hands, and if he's already dead? Then, I'll drag him from the pits of hell and send him there again!

'..."

I would like to say I would…but if he was alive… If I did see him again. I'm not sure what I would do. My mother was beaten at her old work by her previous boss before I convinced her to quit. So I had to drop out of college to find a job to help support us. I was lucky enough to awaken with higher stats, but that's all I had.

I hate my father. But those years when he was with us. I had quietly admired him. His stoic personality and the aura of authority he gave off. It reminded me of the professional hunters of the golden age.

With this job's danger, will I leave my mother alone in this world too? Just like dad did to us?

'What am I supposed to do?'

I held my head in my hands, opened my status window again, and started tapping away at the ???.

Pling

Pling

Pling

A bad habit I had developed.

Pl-

WROOOOOAAAAARRRR!!

The alarm had started to blare.

Just as quickly as the alarm started to blare, the sounds of footsteps and Hunters preparing ringed out into the camp..

The alarm meant a horde of C rank or lower monsters were invading, or a B rank monster was spotted.

I flick away the status window and begin running towards the armory. I quickly rush in and grab my mace and shield. I was luckily still dressed in my leather armor. Following the flow of hunters, we round our way into the center of the camp.

Standing at the center was the squad leader, an A rank Hunter, Johnathan Briar, Third son of the Family Guild, Black Briars March.

One after the other the hunters began following in line, forming columns with B rank Hunters standing at the forefront, followed by C rank hunters then D rank.

Falling in line, once all the hunters were gathered Johnathan began speaking.

"All Hunters are to be on the lookout for a B rank Oni." His voice boomed and shook the air around us.

An oni? Those are Japanese monsters…what are they doing this far into the western Border world?

"For those of you who are neanderthals, that's a one or two-horned Humanoid monster with immense physical strength! Although usually solitary creatures, they sometimes travel in a pack of two! One red and one Blue."

A possibility of two B-rank monsters. If they attacked the camp simultaneously, it would be a bloodbath.

"All D and C Rank Hunters will be mobilized as scouts, find the Oni, and report their location with a signal flare!

He spoke loud and clear, his grizzled persona giving an aura of expert experience.

I tapped the holster on my side to ensure my flare was there.

'Good' it was there and loaded.

" B rankers, you will travel in groups of two, forming a total duo amount of four duos! Respond to the flares as soon as possible and dispatch the B-rank monsters. Rewards will be calculated properly and any items found will go to the Hunter who slays them!"

The B-rank hunters start cheering.

Loot and rewards are the main reason we are here, after all.

With a flourish of his arms, he yells

"You have your orders! Dismissed!"

The group of ravenous hunters dispersed.