Volume 1 Chapter 15 I Spend My Days Exterminating While Learning The Story, But...
While searching for the next prey after hunting the first three big rats, I was listening to Gram's story. Normally, it's dangerous to be so distracted in an area where monsters live, but Gram says he'll cover that.
"First, let's understand what a 'spear' weapon is all about."
"It's kind of surprising. I thought I'd be learning some amazing techniques or something."
"Techniques only work when the foundation is there. Just imitating won't work without a solid 'core'. Remember that."
Gram, who has been carefree until now, is in serious mode. I listen to it honestly because of this change.
"The biggest advantage of a spear is its length. Its strength lies in being able to attack from outside the opponent's range."
Outside of opponent's range── in other words, being in a position where the opponent's attack can't reach, we can attack. That's why I chose the spear in the first place. Besides, it feels like it's more usable than a sword for some reason.
"But, the strength of the spear isn't just its length. Depending on how you use it, it can become a versatile weapon that can be used at various distances."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You'll understand better if you actually hold it in your hands rather than explaining it with words. Stop for a moment and hold onto me."
As instructed by Gram, I stopped in place and gripped the spear handle.
"From watching your previous fighting style, partner, you often grip about two-thirds of the way from the spearhead. Why is that?"
"Well... I haven't really thought about it."
"If that's the case, then try thinking and using it a little from now on. That grip position is the most balanced way to hold the spear when using it."
Next, Gram instructed me to grip the exact middle of the handle.
"Now, try swinging the spear lightly from that position."
When I swing the spear, it feels a little different than before. I don't need more force than before to handle the tips.
"Once you feel where to grip the tip, it becomes much easier to control the tip. Since the grip position is exactly half, it becomes easier to use the opposite end for attacks."
I see, by making it easier to swing the spear, I can turn it around and around. I can also use the opposite end in the process.
"It is the most suitable for close combat among the spear grips. However, the distance will be sacrificed, and the turning radius of the tip will be reduced, so the centrifugal force will not work and the attack power will be reduced."
Is it more important to make many moves up close than to hit from a distance?
"Next, hold it in the opposite direction, close to the tip of the stone. It is a distance grip that has the opposite strength to the center grip."
I continued to follow Gram's instructions and gripped the rear end of the spear. This is the position that puts the most weight on my arm out of all the grips I've used so far.
"By making the most of the distance between the spears and adding centrifugal force, you get the most power. On the other hand, it becomes extremely difficult to control the tip, and the centrifugal force increases, requiring more muscle strength to handle it."
When I tried swinging it, the tip of the spear sped up, but my body was thrown off by the spear's rotation. And boy, it was really tiring.
Once I learned the basic grip, I put the spear back on my back.
"There are different ways to grip it, huh?"
"The spear is a weapon that even beginners can handle, but it's also a pretty deep weapon if you become skilled with it."
I'm impressed, but at the same time, I'm a bit unsure if I can handle the spear that well.
"You don't have to force yourself to use the grip I just taught you. Just keeping it in the back of your mind can make a big difference."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, that's right. As you get used to it, you'll naturally start using different grips. Let's take it easy on that part."
Gram's guidance ended here for now, and I continued looking for Big Rats.
──On that day, I caught a total of ten Big Rats and completed the quest.
The next day, and the day after that, and even the day after that, I kept hunting Big Rats single-mindedly. During that time, Gram gave me advice little by little.
It's not about being told everything from above, but more like having those parts that I never paid attention to pointed out. But I could feel that the "sharpness" of my spear increased when I started to be conscious of those things and move accordingly.
The same goes for the "grip" that I learned on the first day. It used to be just a casual way I held the spear, but now there are moments when Gram's words really resonate with me. And when I swing the spear following that feeling, I realized that the unnecessary movements I had before were being refined and eliminated.
"That's why I said it. Your form isn't inherently bad, partner. Just a little bit of guidance and you can naturally reach this level."
While taking in Gram's words, I swiftly deal with the Big Rats.
Perhaps because there's no wasted movement anymore, the effort required to chase after each Big Rat has decreased, leading to conserving energy, and the amount of Big Rats I hunt increases day by day.
So, at first, I could only handle about ten of them due to physical issues, but now, after a week, I can hunt nearly thirty in a day. Carrying the meat and handling that many kills is the most tiring part.
But, there's something that's been bothering me here.
"This forest has way too many Big Rats!"
Since I started working as a mercenary, I've already hunted nearly a hundred Big Rats. Back in my hometown, if I could hunt around twenty in a week, that was considered a lot, so this number is obviously abnormal.
I can't believe they let the Big Rats breed like this. I'm happy to earn money, but it must have been a real nuisance for the neighboring farmers.
──The massive breeding of these Big Rats was actually causing a terrifying situation, but I didn't learn about that until a little later.
As I focused on hunting Big Rats without getting distracted by other requests, the other mercenaries started calling me "Rat Killer," which is a pretty cool nickname. But for mercenaries aiming higher, getting rid of Big Rats is a task that takes a lot of effort and doesn't earn much recognition, so it's a pretty straightforward insult.
Still, considering the balance of risk and money, Big Rat hunting is currently my best option. I have some thoughts about it, but it doesn't bother me much.
On the other hand, unlike mercenaries, the people from the guild were quite grateful.
Big Rats, with their strong breeding abilities and their habit of devouring crops, are a headache for farmers. They frequently request help from the guild.
However, the achievements gained from exterminating Big Rats are at the lowest rank. The rewards for exterminating just one rat are low. So, for other mercenaries, it's more profitable to hunt a few more lucrative monsters instead of just killing ten rats a day.
Thanks to that, the guild receives requests for Big Rat extermination, but very few mercenaries choose to take them.
I finally understood why the Big Rats were breeding so much in that forest. It was simply because no one was hunting them.
It seems that I, who took the initiative to deal with them, became a highly appreciated presence.
So, even though I couldn't earn any achievements, I managed to complete the requests that were kind of put on hold. It seems like the guild members have a good impression of me.
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