Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 5 - Ch. 231 - An Unpleasent Presence

—30 minutes before the alarm went off

In a location 10 km away from Tenji, multiple contestants were vying for the points in the area.

It was an obvious outcome. Most of the contestants had taken their exit when they spotted Sai, Tenji's summon, loitering around, reporting to the administration 'There's a monster.'

The competition for points naturally shifted to this place.

"......There's no limit to contestants rapidly coming here."

While weaving her way through, Karen Tachibana strained her head, counting the footsteps in the area.

"8, 9, 10......14 people. This can't go on. I would be wasting energy in search of points against such a crowd. I need to move to another area."

After experiencing the first day of final preliminary, and now reaching even second, Karen had noticed a pattern.

Watermelons, the most abundant source for the points, were sorted in multiple areas uniformly, instead of concentrating them on just one area. So, even if one was quick on their feet, they would still lag behind in earning points with all contestants focusing on one area.

The quick wit to notice this hint at an earlier stage was also one of the factors to create a contrasting gap between the contestants ranking.

Karen Tachibana, who had noticed that keypoint, changed her direction.

"Let's look for a quiet place—"

She had just murmured to herself when a sharp fragment of stone grazed her cheek.

She lowered her gaze and saw a red stream of blood was dripping down her cheeks.

"S-Stop there! Don't come any closer!! Ukai-san will not—"

She heard someone's shout not far away from her place, and an intense chill washed over her body, shivering.

It was a sensation familiar, like that time when she had first saw a soul not from this world. Something repulsive was right at that place.

"And you call yourself a pro? What a weakling, you're so weak that it's instead making me tear up for you."

"Damn you bastard. Di—"

The next instant, a human head rolled over to her feet. It just happened their gaze met each other; the head's eyes were peeled back, as if expressing a shock at something.

The wisp of life had vanished from these eyes, visible just from a glance.

Shudder

Her body reacted to the repulsive scene. And once started, her body just didn't stop shuddering.

Her legs didn’t listen to her, as if they had turned stone, unable to move. —It was the first time she had seen someone dying.

"..............."

"A brat huh. A puny professional to boot. What are you doing?"

From inside a small, rundown store with a pop illustration of a crepe, a shadow emerged, lumbering along with turtle-like steps. Yawning lazily, he ruffled his messy bangs upwards.

The man looked as dangerous as a black mane tiger about to pounce.

He wasn't brawny, but rather skinny, yet his unusually tall stature added to his imposing presence. Dark, ingrained circles under his eyes hinted at years of sleepless nights.

The man's eyes were drooping in drowsiness, but Karen felt removing her gaze from him would be a mistake that would cost her dear life.

"Hey, I am asking something here. Where is your answer?"

And then, it was a momentary happening.

Karen should have just blinked when the man's fresh leaf green colour eyes appeared right before her gaze, barely a few centimetres apart.

He stared intently into her eyes, blatantly disregarding personal space.

"——!?"

"You're like a kitten. Hmm, should I crush you? I actually like grinding the cats."

The next instant, the green eyes had disappeared from her sight. Soon, Karen heard a violet sound.

(......Violet.)

Out of reflex, Karen arched her upper body backward. Mere fractions of a second later, the man's sharp index and middle fingers sliced through the space where Karen's eyes had been.

She hadn't expected a clear attempt to gouge out her eyes with murderous intent.

However, Karen did not stop. She swung the long spear in her hand upward, and did a reflexive counterattack, reliant on the skills she had trained herself in for so many years.

Even if she her mind was seized by fear, the harsh training she had endured caused her body to move on its own.

"Woah!? A counterattack!"

The man exclaimed with an astonished tone. However, sfwoosh, her spear only cut through the empty air.

"But still slo—pffft!?"

The man had just scoffed at her when a groan escaped his mouth.

He had been unable to see Karen drawing an upper kick attack that struck square at his jaw. It was the result of the man's conceitedness to believe the spear was the only move.

After following the counterattack user her flexibility, Karen used that momentum to backflip, opening a distance between them. During this, the man tilted his head sideways and repeatedly slammed his head against the ground with great force.

It appeared as if self-harming was some sort of enjoyment process for him.

"Haa...my brain is tingling, you know. That one really hit hard."

"........."

Karen quickly regained her stance, showing her usual posture at last. It was her best form that had learned from her master in the last one year. The devil of terror had long since vanished from her heart.

(I need to be serious here......that man had nearly killed me.)

Her glaring eyes caught the man. Yet, this was like a lullaby for that man, soothing him from inside out.

"Ahhn......yes, this is the best. The absolute emotions I wanted."

"So you're one of those fallen explorers. You really don't think after appearing in the tournament, you will manage to act free? There are many more professionals in this place. I would advise you to back down now if you value your value. Otherwise—"

"Bla blah blah blah blah blah blah, just shut the hell uppppp!! No one asks your sagious advice, you bitch. Hmph, just look at how I make it out alive."

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