SS1 7.1 - Hunting Old Jack


    When we arrived at the RV it was already past noon. It still looked like how when we left it yesterday, a quiet small mound in the middle of huge plain. We had clear vantage point to all directions, so we could a bit relax while waiting for Jie Ten Bie.


    After taking out the HMV and hopped up on its rear section I said to Ariel, “Let’s have a lunch.”


    “Mhm.” Ariel lightly nodded as she followed me to hop up on the HMV. “Will we cook our lunch?”


    “No, let’s buy it,” I happily said. “From a food vlogger, I know a shop in Tokyo that offers delicious deep-fried cutlets bowl. Let’s give it a try.”


    “Deep-fried cutlets bowl?” Ariel curiously said.


    “Basically, it is breaded deep-fried cutlets being quick simmered on a splash of soy sauce-based stock with onions, and then being bonded using beaten egg and used as topping for a bowl of warm rice.”


    “Is it delicious?”


    After a grin I replied, “It’s super delicious.”


    Without delay I ordered two sets of deep-fried cutlets bowl. For Ariel, I ordered deep-fried pork cutlets or pork katsu bowl. As for me, I ordered chicken katsu bowl. After offering the gratitude for the food, we ate our lunch right away.


    The food vlogger was right. The katsu bowl was superb. I didn’t know how they did it, but after being quick-simmered in stock, large part of the chicken katsu was still crispy. It also went well with the stock and beaten egg, and perfectly matched warm white rice.


    As for the pork katsu bowl, I didn’t need to ask Ariel to know that she liked it or not. From the way she heartily wolfed it down, it was easy to tell she loved it. In summary, we finished our lunch in no time and then enjoyed a small bag of mikan orange as desert. After that I asked Ariel to be on lookout while I did some daily chores.


    We knew Jie Ten Bie would never come, but I and Ariel had to pretend we didn’t know about it. We had to wait for them until tomorrow morning before we could return to Karmen. Honestly, I didn’t want to sleep at a place where a day ago I put nine lives to permanent leave.


    Who knew if their vengeful spirits were still staying around and would wake me up in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, I had no choice. So at least, I would make sure I didn’t spend my time for nothing while faking our waiting.


    Wasting no time, I dug a pit to bury the trash we accumulated in our inventory. After that, I bought a washing machine and did laundry for both Ariel’s dirty clothes and mine. It took about 90 minutes before I finished the laundry and hung every piece of the half-dried clothes in the foldable clothesline made of aluminum frame. Then, I regrouped with Ariel in the HMV.


    “Berg,” Ariel said as I leaned my back on HMV’s side. “Can you teach me how to use washing machine when we return to Karmen later?”


    “Sure.” After a moment of pause I added, “I will also teach you some crafts I know.”This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    “Like using firearms?” Ariel asked as her eyes sparked with excitement.


    I gave Ariel a light nod. “If we will hunt together, it will help us a lot if you master some craft I know.”


    “Okay, but what about Pukin’ Dogs?” Ariel warily asked. “What if they don’t want Ariel to join the team?”


    “I have decided I will leave Pukin’ Dogs and form our own team.”


    Surprise was clearly visible in Ariel’s eyes as she asked me, “You will leave Pukin’ Dogs?”


    “We will need another two hunters who know how to drive and shoot,” I said firmly, “and we are good to go for low-risk hunt.”


    “What if we can’t find another two hunters who know how to drive and shoot?”


    “As long as we keep looking, we will find them sooner or later.”


    “Okay.”


    Silence then descended upon us. At the same time, the thought about Old Jack resurface on my mind. Wasting no time I checked the bulletin from House of Hunter, but I found no update on Old Jack other than the bounty raise on his head.


    ‘Old Jack is still online out there,’ I muttered before tuning my gaze to Ariel. “What do you know about Old Jack?”


    “He is very sly, but Ariel and Big Sis managed to predict his resting spot several times,” Ariel casually said. “We then sent it to house of hunter, but the hunters who received the assignment to kill him always failed or killed to the last man.”


    “I see.”


    “Berg,” Ariel said as her gaze became drop dead serious. “Do you have a means to defeat 9 mm thick armor?”


    I nodded as I recalled that Old Jack’s outer hide was equivalent to 9 mm thick armor. “6.5 mm CBJ, the round I use can defeat 9 mm thick armor with ease.”


    “How far its effective range?” Ariel curiously asked.


    “If I use suppressed TRG M10, it’s about 120 meters in flat trajectory,” I casually said. “If the height difference is higher than third floor, I can extend it up to 160 meters.”


    After a short ponder Ariel said, “If Ariel can get you that close to Old Jack, can you get his head?”


    “I can,” I confidently said. “But, are you sure you can get me that close to Old Jack?”


    Ariel gave me a firm nod. “Super sure.”


    “Kubran Valley is very huge and Old Jack changes his resting spot every 2-3 days. How do you will find his resting spot?”


    “We will track resting spots he used recently. It will narrow Old Jack’s option for his next resting spot,” Ariel confidently explained her plan. “Then, we pick the resting spot with best shooting position and wait for him.”


    “And if Old Jack doesn’t show up as we hope for?”


    “In that case we miss the chance,” Ariel said in low voice.


    “I see.”


    “Do you know why lot of hunters failed or get killed when hunting Old Jack?”


    “They made their approach in daylight when Old Jack’s five senses are in highest level,” Ariel casually said.


    “Are you saying we should approach Old Jack at night?” I curiously asked.


    “Mhm.”


    “But Kubran Valley is full of low rank monster that are very lively at night.”


    “Ariel knows how to evade them.” After a short pause Ariel added, “Big Sis and Ariel always offered night guidance to the hunters who hunt for Old Jack, but they all refused, especially when they had C-rank hunter with them.”


    “I see.”


    Honestly, carrying out a hunt in Kubran Valley only with Ariel gave me a chill in my nape. The population of low rank monster in this valley was really too high. No matter how good Ariel’s evasion skill, she still could make a mistake.


    I also didn’t know if I had enough physical fitness keep up with her in case we had to avoid hot pursuit. If we encountered a mishap, there was a possibility I would get both of us killed. However, after recalling that a few days Old Jack took away two kids before my eyes, I felt an urge to take the chance. I really wanted to kill this wyvern.


    ‘If I die, then I die,’ I muttered as resolve to kill Old Jack blanketed my heart and mind. Then, I looked at Ariel straight in the eyes. “What will you do if we encounter a situation where we have no escape route?”


    “Ariel will fight to the death,” Ariel firmly said.


    “I see.”


    Despite her age, Ariel was truly a hunter and a warrior. I should treat her disposition accordingly. She was not ordinary child.


    After a smile I said, “Well, let’s bag Old Jack’s head or die trying.”


    “Mhm,” Ariel firmly nodded.


    Wasting no time we left the RV. At the same time, I felt a great relief. I didn’t need to spend the night where there was a possibility Sum Ting Wong and his pack would visit me with their pale face.


    *****