- The Mystical Planet Volan**
Upon arriving at the Chiratia star system, we gazed at the holographic display showing its sun. Though similar to Earth’s sun, it had a slightly stronger red hue. This star, like ours, was a yellow dwarf, and its fifth planet, Volan, was inhabited. Five days later, we reached the planet. Volan resembled Earth with its blue oceans and green-covered landmasses. As we approached, a massive structure came into view.
“What’s that?” I asked.
Sario glanced at the hologram.
“That’s the space elevator. The part extending into space functions as a spaceport.”
The spaceport was roughly thirty kilometers in diameter. We followed the docking instructions sent by the control system and docked seamlessly. After changing clothes and storing our gear, we entered the Chiratia Spaceport through the hatch. Security checks followed—scans for pathogens, baggage inspections—all conducted by cat-eared androids. When I asked Sario about them, he explained,
“This planet is managed by the Were-Cat clan. Their civilization is rated [D], but they’re vassals of the Aurebus Celestials. Do not provoke them.”
Some members of the Were-Cat tribe are subordinate to the Celestial Race and work for them. Even though they are of the same Were-Cat tribe, they seem completely different from Berta and Riet, who had died. Inside the spaceport, there is essentially zero gravity. Since it’s unknown what kind of species might visit, artificial gravity is disabled. The air is composed of the standard atmospheric components defined by the Interstellar Alliance. Fortunately, it was a type I could breathe. I decided to take the space elevator down to the surface. The cost was an astonishing 250,000 Krebits per person, but apparently, that was considered cheap. While inside the elevator, we discussed our plans.
“So hunting monsters here earns Space citizenship, right?” I asked.
“Yes, but you need to reach Rank D as a Dragon Hunter,”
“Hmm? What do you mean? “
Dragon Hunters began at Rank G upon registration. Advancing through ranks—G, F, E, D, C, B, A, and S—required defeating monsters to accumulate achievements. I knew about the ranking system but hadn’t realized Rank D granted citizenship.
“How many monsters do I need to defeat to reach Rank D?”
“You must prove capable of defeating monsters with a Threat Level 3.”
Creatures like space clione or space jellyfish were Threat Level 1, so the path to citizenship felt daunting. Sario, however, seemed confident I could reach Rank D quickly, likely overestimating the High-Dimensional Access ability Zolfienne had given me.
“Will you join me in hunting monsters, Sario?”
“Of course not. I lack Bosol sensitivity or physical strength. Instead, I plan to obtain a Class 2 Starpilot License.”
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Species without Bosol abilities or combat power typically relied on Armed Mobile Armor—exoskeletons equipped with integrated weapons that amplified the user’s strength dozens of times.
“Why not buy one of those and hunt together?”
“Even the cheapest Armed Mobile Armor costs at least 300 million krebits.”
Our combined funds, now slightly reduced, totaled 40 million krebits. Purchasing such gear was impossible. Thus, I would hunt alone. The elevator reached the surface, and we stepped onto the Mystical Planet Volan. The elevator’s base had developed into a bustling district. In one corner stood the Dragon Hunter Guild’s Training Center, where we headed to the registration counter.
Registering for the training program granted access to the guild’s Guest Tower—a lodging facility—and a loaned Achievement Badge. The badge, a circular device about five centimeters wide, counted defeated monsters and reported achievements. The counter was staffed by both robots and Were-cat women, as some hunters disliked dealing with machines. Our assigned clerk, Adelina, a Were-cat woman with twitching cat ears, handed us two keycards.
“These are your room keys for the Guest Tower. Don’t lose them,” she said.
The tower, located beside the space elevator, had rooms on its second floor. Two keys were standard, as families sometimes registered together. Higher-ranked hunters accessed higher floors. The tower itself was massive, housing up to 10,000 hunters. Our room was roughly eight tatami mats in size, with a toilet and shower. Sario decided to stay with me to save on lodging. According to the registration counter’s robots, meals were available at cafeterias and supermarket-like stores.
“By the way, do I even need to buy combat gear?” I wondered.
The thought of monster hunting brought fantasy novels to mind—armor, swords? I wondered if I need to buy a gun instead of armor or a sword. But here, maybe guns were more practical.
I wondered where I should buy my equipment, and a map surfaced in my mind. The Dragon Hunter Guild’s Training Center on the Vizela Continent of the Forbidden Planet Volan has nine exits. One connects to the Elevator District, while the remaining eight lead directly into monster-infested regions. Leaving the Training Center, we headed to the Elevator District, where shops sold armor and weapons. The store we entered had a vast selection, with items organized by species. For reference, the Elevator District was home to about three million intelligent beings—far from a small town.
We made our way to the section for Humans and started by checking out the armor. The standard gear seemed to be protective suits with anti-blade properties and impact-resistant vests.
“Look! Dragon Armor!”
Sario pointed to a glass case displaying armor crafted from dragon scales. Priced at 70 million krebits, it was far beyond our means. I settled for basic protective gear and military boots, costing 200,000 krebits total.
“What about weapons?”
“What do mages use here?”
I approached a bored-looking Were-cat clerk, whose appearance vaguely struck me as handsome, though I couldn’t fully grasp Were-cat aesthetics.
“You’re a mage?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Then I recommend a small shield and a Mason Gun.”
The Mason Gun fired explosive rounds packed with high-yield charges, similar to grenade launchers but more compact.
“Six shots, huh? Well, it’s understandable since the explosive rounds are big.”
I would have preferred a gun that could fire more rounds in succession, but according to the shopkeeper, one well-placed shot should be enough to take down a Threat Level 1 monster. I decided not to buy a shield and only purchased the Mason gun. The shopkeeper recommended the Sisuca Grasslands in the south for my first trip into the demon realm, as only Threat Level 1 monsters reside there, making it perfect for getting used to monster hunting.
After finishing our shopping, Sario and I left the store and started walking down the street.
“You mentioned wanting to get a second-class spaceship pilot’s license. How do you go about getting one?”
“There’s a school for obtaining the license. You’ll have to study hard there.”
From what I gathered, the training mainly involves flight simulations. While I’m out hunting, Sario will likely be studying at the spaceship pilot training school.
Later, I used Anubis-made smart glasses to look up information about the monsters we might encounter in the Sisuca Grasslands. The planetary information network of Planet Volan is overflowing with data, so narrowing it down was quite a task. After some research, I learned that the grasslands are home to creatures like the [Rampaging Boar], which resembles a six-legged wild boar; the [Armored Dog], with skin like armored plates; and the [Killer Spider], a meter-long arachnid.
After studying the monsters of the Sisuca Grasslands, I headed to the shooting range to practice with the Mason gun I had just bought. Of course, the bullets I used for practice had their explosives removed. Once I felt confident enough with my shooting, I decided it was time to go hunting.
Early in the morning, I changed into protective gear and a shock-resistant vest, attached my achievement collection badge, and headed down the path leading to the Sisuca Grasslands. As I walked, several sturdy, military-like vehicles sped past me. One of them stopped, and a young man with red hair stepped out from the driver’s seat. He looked to be in his early twenties with a robust build.
“Hey, you new here?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Thought so. Most folks who hunt in the Sisuca Grasslands use vehicles. It’ll take you about an hour if you walk. Hop in, I’ll give you a ride.”
I decided to accept the offer. Apparently, these kinds of vehicles are called Hunt Cars.
“If you don’t have a car, how are you planning to carry your prey back? What’s your plan?”
Now that he mentioned it, I hadn’t thought about how I’d transport any monsters I managed to take down. It seems the income source for the Dragon Hunters active here comes from bringing back their prey and exchanging it for money, so having a means to do that is essential.
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