Beyond the woods near Anda Town lies the neighboring Locco Town. With Kells'' reputation in Anda, you''d have to beat this kid to death before he''d dare work there. Besides, no one in their right mind would hire the infamous Kamikaze Kaitou as a shop clerk. But Locco? That''s a different story. Though Locco and Anda are neighbors, they''re actually a full week''s journey apart by the main road. Cutting through the forest, however, slashes it to just three days. Of course, only an idiot would take the forest route—there are monsters in there!


    Kells'' family had no choice but to move into the forest to escape scrutiny. Rumors had long circulated about monsters lurking within, scaring people off for years. They seized this chance to dodge those furious girls! Compared to terrifying monsters, Kells'' family feared those girls far more…


    In truth, they''d lived there for five whole years without encountering the so-called monsters. This lousy forest barely even had regular wild animals! The monster talk was probably just some bored jerk''s rumor, but it sure helped Kells'' family out.


    Today was the day Kells set out to work in Locco. His aging parents had risen early to pack his bags. As he prepared to leave, his mother stuffed all the dried rabbit meat they''d saved for winter into his sack.


    "Mom, Dad, this rabbit jerky is your food for the winter! If you give it to me, what''ll you eat? I know something wrecked the veggies you planted the other day—some wild animal, right…" Kells tried to pull the jerky out, but his father stopped him.


    "Son, we don''t know when you''ll be back. We''ve got no money at all. Out there without cash, you won''t even have a place to sleep. This is all we can do—at least keep your belly full. The rest is up to you. As for me and your mom, don''t worry. I can still hunt, and we''ll replant those ruined veggies in a few days. Good thing it''s not too late to stock up for winter."


    "Dad… if I could…" Hearing his father''s words, Kells felt a pang of sadness, his eyes starting to water.


    "Heh, son, we may be poor, but our hearts are always pure. I know what you''re capable of, but there''s a line you can''t cross as a person. Cross it, and what makes us human changes," his father said gently, patting his son''s head.


    "What makes us human? What''s the point if we starve to death?"


    "Son, just don''t cross that line. Your mom and I will take care of ourselves. Out there alone, you''ve got to be a good person—stop doing all that pointless nonsense. Oh, and honey, grab his bag and take out all that stuff!"


    "Oh! No!!!" Seeing his mom reach for his bag like she was about to dig through it, Kells leapt forward and snatched it back. That bag held his longing for all the girls of Anda—it was his life source! He''d never ditch it, no matter where he went. This guy had to admire his collection daily, after all…


    "Sigh! Unfilial brat. Fine, do what you want. But when you get to Locco, don''t let anyone find out about your nasty habit. If you can''t even stay in Locco, we''re out of options," his father said, throwing up his hands helplessly. He knew his son best—his ridiculous obsession had reached a lunatic level. Even a cart full of oxen couldn''t drag him back.


    "Haha, got it, Dad! I''ll work hard and earn money. Your son''s in great shape—I can handle any job!" Kells thumped his chest confidently.


    "Yeah, if it weren''t for that habit, you wouldn''t have built up such skills. I don''t know whether to cry or laugh…" His father gave a wry smile. Kells'' physique was indeed sturdier than most his age, especially his proud escape speed. Even the town''s sword instructor couldn''t catch him!


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    Why couldn''t the sword instructor catch Kells? Well, that''s obvious—he had a daughter, and a pretty one at that…


    But Kells'' talents didn''t stop at running. This kid could pick just about any lock. His father had drilled into him since childhood never to steal money, though. True to that, aside from girls'' pants, Kells had never touched a thing. If he''d turned to crime, he''d be rolling in gold by now—but he wouldn''t. He knew it''d break his parents'' hearts. Sure, he was lustful, vulgar, shameless, and lowlife, but… That "but" felt pretty weak, didn''t it? Those traits alone could ruin a guy''s life…


    But still! Kells was fiercely filial to his parents. Aside from his habit, he was genuinely a kind kid.


    Oh, and one more thing—mentioned earlier—Kells had a nose like a bloodhound.


    Those were all of Kells'' skills. Without exception, every one was used for crooked purposes. But today, he was leaving behind Anda''s sleazy life to start anew. Let''s forget the past—starting now, pure-hearted Kells is born!


    After a final tearful wave, Kells said goodbye to his parents and home. It was his first time leaving, and despite his thick skin, he felt a strange reluctance. Tears flowed like a woman''s…


    "Dad! Mom! See ya! Without me around, you''ll definitely live more peacefully. And your son''s gonna make something of himself. Once I earn enough for equipment, I''ll rise up—then hire a ton of beauties to adventure and do missions with me! Heh heh! Heh heh!" At that thought, Kells laughed through his tears, his face a tangled mess. His parents, now some distance away, could still see that conflicted expression. The old couple even wondered if their son had gone nuts from fear of leaving home…


    Finally, the sentimental farewell wrapped up. Kells slung his precious treasures and the rabbit jerky his mom packed over his shoulder and headed deep into the forest. In five years of living there, he''d picked up another skill: a sense of direction. Even in a dense, endless forest, he could find his way out. That is, as long as he didn''t run into monsters. Speaking of which, monsters were magic-powered beasts scattered across the De Rossi Continent, ranked by strength and ability into G, F, E, D, C, B, A, S, Super S, and Lesser God tiers.


    G, F, E, and D-tier monsters were relatively common and weaker, but even a G-tier—the lowest—required at least an advanced swordsman or low-level magician to handle. Regular folks? Instant death. A fast runner like Kells could probably escape anything below F-tier. Apparently, there''s a D-tier called a rock ghost that moves so slowly even normals can outrun it. The rest? Faster than humans.


    C and B-tiers were rare. Killing one could net enough wealth for a lifetime. But without serious strength, taking them down was a pipe dream.


    A-tier monsters were regional or racial overlords—tasks beyond a single person. Even humanity''s strongest couldn''t surpass an A-tier monster alone! History records a few massive A-tier hunts, each involving over 200 top-tier pros. Mid-tier fighters joining in? Suicide. Even then, over 50 pros died per hunt.


    The well-known giant dragon? A-tier! That old "slay the evil dragon, win the princess" mission was a total scam. So many pros died, and the guy who landed the final blow croaked from overexcitement. The next year, the princess posted an even crazier mission…


    Back to monsters. S-tiers were basically unseen by humans, though their classification implies they exist—mostly in myths. The phoenix, an immortal bird, is a classic S-tier from legends. Then there''s demon lords, abyss overlords, stuff you can''t even picture… Demons alone start at B-tier or higher. Lords? Their existence is questionable. The abyss overlord? A sea beast supposedly the size of a village when it surfaces! Pure fiction—no one buys it…


    Speaking of that princess, her second-year scam was hunting an S-tier with herself as the prize! She ended up a widow for life. A king''s word is no joke—she couldn''t take it back. Royal rules, you know. She reaped what she sowed.


    As for Super S and Lesser God tiers, humans have puzzled over their classification for over a millennium. The final theory? Some race stronger than humans made those ranks. Why? Go ask them…


    This monster basics stuff was mandatory for mercenary newbies. Kells had it memorized cold—just a little review to hype himself up for his sleazy mercenary life ahead. Plus, crossing a forest alone was boring as hell. Despite his panty-stealing bravado, Kells was a coward otherwise. Nighttime forests? Freaky!


    The lingering monster rumors only made timid Kells gloomier. Any rustle at night jolted him awake, ready to bolt. Too tense… Better clutch those pants for safety, he thought—and did.