Overwork Regresor

Wait, what? Gravely injured? 

If that monster only stopped at the Beast level, shouldn't Old Man Hinasagawa have wiped it out by now? 

Besides, why is that old geezer already here? 

Or was he dealing with something else? Something truly dangerous this time? 

It's time for my [Peeking] to debut and confirm things. 

Even though I don't particularly like this stupid power. 

[Desired information obtained: stronger than Hell, weaker than a Beast.] 

What kind of ridiculous information is that? 

"Long live the Prophet." Hinasagawa slumped immediately. 

I wasn't sure if it was some kind of new religious prayer or what, but things seemed to be getting worse. 

Should I return to the dorms and report this to the guards? 

SLASH!

The trees behind me flew apart, and, just barely, as I turned around, the monster was already staring at me hungrily. 

Damn, too late. 

Even on my way here, I wasn't sure if I could actually win. 

But there was no point whining about it now. 

I reached for my waist and grabbed Crimson. This dagger with its jagged, zigzagged blade was my father's only legacy. Though it looked dull and slightly rusty, it could slice through iron like cutting tofu. 

Its lightweight design was also perfect for an amateur like me. 

"Hyahhh!" 

I swung wildly at its shin with all my strength. 

Clang!

Only to see the blade stop at its skin's surface. 

The monster roared, dust flew everywhere, and I struggled to pull out my blade that was still stuck. 

Before I knew it, its hand was reaching toward me, grabbing and lifting me like a helpless baby. 

It squeezed my body, and I heard a painful cracking sound. Its mouth opened, a wave of scorching heat slowly washing over me. 

Was this the end? 

Would I died here, again? 

Damn it. Even after being given a second chance, I was nothing more than a cowardly pig who'd end up trampled again. 

Even if I survived, my fate wouldn't be much different. 

Heh. 

Hehe. 

Heheheh. 

Like hell I'd accept that, you bastard. At the very least, in this life, I want to fight to the bitter end. At the very least, I want to die after losing every limb, every ounce of strength, every piece of my life. 

This time— 

Thud!

And even after these spirited thoughts, all I could manage was a weak punch. 

My breath faded, and my consciousness dimmed. 

And then... 

Suddenly, I fell. The sensation of hard ground jolted me awake. 

The monster roared again, but this time it sounded different. Its tone was raspier, its breaths slightly labored. Was it... hurt? 

I looked at its hand again. It seemed like I had accidentally hit a weak spot. 

I saw my dagger still stuck there, rushed forward, and tried to pull it out again. 

This time, it came free, but the monster was already watching me. Far angrier. 

Its hand swung—just as I expected. 

All I had to do was dodge and stab the same area I hit earlier. 

But could I? That would require agility, focus, and calm—things I never considered my strengths. 

Damn, thinking won't make this any better. 

Just find the right moment. The right moment. 

Now!

A strange gust of wind swirled under my feet as I leaped. While the monster flailed at empty air, I dove and stabbed. 

There. Nailed the spot. 

Clang!

Gotcha, you bastard. 

But wait... was it just me, or... did that seem ineffective? 

Worse, it felt like my first failed strike when my dagger got stuck. 

I looked up. The monster wasn't showing any pain this time. Did I hit the wrong spot? 

Whoosh!

Its other hand swung again, and this time I dodged just in time. 

Damn it. What the hell was that? I was so sure that was the spot. The texture was exactly the same as when I first hit it. 

So why did my stronger attack seem to have no effect? 

Could my weak desperation attack somehow have sent a shockwave of depression as energy? 

Huh, no way. 

But wait. 

Weaker attacks worked, while stronger ones didn't? 

[Stronger than Hell, weaker than a Beast.] 

Even [Peeking] was giving conflicting information. 

If that's the case... 

SMACK!

It's true! 

The monster's mighty hand stopped effortlessly with just my finger. 

Damn it. 

So that's why even a newbie like Ernest could defeat it easily, while Headmaster Hinasagawa ended up on the verge of death. 

I was completely fooled. 

Confused by how its attack was stopped so easily, the monster opened its mouth and gathered a scorching vapor wave. 

In mere seconds, it fired toward me—a body-sized projectile that could burn my skin instantly. 

Facing that, I... spat at it. 

Somehow, it disrupted the vapor's rhythm, scattering it into the air. 

Without wasting another second, I ran toward the monster, threw a punch, and flicked a spot on its lower body. 

And like popping a water balloon, a gush of purple blood exploded, leaving a massive hole that couldn't possibly have been caused by a mere flick. 

This... is insane. 

I actually defeated a monster. 

I actually became a Hunter. 

"YEAHHH!" 

['The Upside Down' has been defeated.] 

[You gained 10 Experience Points.] 

[You received drop items: 

- Camelot Steel (Class B) x10: Renowned for its incredible hardness and mobility. 

- Reverse Armor (Class A): A simple outfit that reverses destructive effects targeting the user.] 

One A-class and B-class drop from my first fight? This was so amazing it was almost scary. 

Especially the Camelot Steel. If I could collect 1,000 of them, I could forge a weapon far deadlier than this stupid Crimson. 

And that armor... I'd never even heard of anyone using something like it. 

Did Ernest get this too and hide it? 

Knowing how troublesome he is, I figured he'd be too arrogant to use something as sneaky as this. 

Still, considering it's an A-class, maybe he couldn't use it even if he wanted to. 

At least you'd need to be a Commander to use an A-class items. Someone who had 100 thousands capacity limit on Experience Points.

Whereas I... 

[- No capacity limit on Experience Points.] 

That's what it said, but wearing it would be risky. 

It could either damage my body or the item itself. 

If I sold it, this armor could be worth over 5,000 tickets—or even more, considering its rarity. 

I gulped. 

I guess I should at least take a look. 

"Materialize the item immediately," I told the information window. 

[Processing ...] 

[Materialization possible, but before that... 

... would you like to multiply both items tenfold?] 

Of course! How could I forget that? 

"Yes. Yes. Yes!" I said eagerly, and the sound of the information window rang like a beautiful song as I processed it. 

[Duplication complete!]

[Materialization complete!]

A small light appeared near the monster's corpse, and after it disappeared, I saw it. 

A pile of treasure!