Becoming an adventurer by copying monster abilities

The journey to that abandoned quarry takes about three days.

The place was located on the edge of Sunset Forest, not too close to Twilight Town, but not too far either.

If you travel at full speed, you can arrive in a little over two days.

However, for solo adventurers, conserving stamina while traveling through Sunset Forest is clearly more important than simply pursuing speed.

Previously, there was a sizable human settlement around the quarry.

They made a living by quarrying, transporting goods, logging, and simple handicrafts, and their lives were quite lively.

Later, for reasons unknown, the human settlements in that area gradually moved away.

After that, transporting materials and maintaining the quarry became extremely difficult.

In addition, monsters such as goblins and goblins often come out to harass you.

The quarry was naturally abandoned.

After it was abandoned, it was often occupied by monsters such as goblins.

Then, it will soon be cleaned up by the adventurers who received the commission.

Goblins consider it a sacred place, while adventurers use it as a monster spawner.

Every now and then, adventurers would go there to try their luck.

Over time, this abandoned quarry on the edge of the forest became a relatively safe resting place.

Even if a foolish monster occasionally gets close, it will be quickly dealt with by passing adventurers, merchants, or even some smugglers who meet there.

Without further ado, Luke quickly packed his bags.

After checking what he had on him, he set off.

With a large influx of adventurers into Sunset Forest, it's now difficult to find any decent monsters in the outermost areas.

The journey during the day was so peaceful it was almost monotonous.

The day passed quickly.

At night, Luke chose a sheltered spot to stop.

Despite his current abilities and 120-foot range of dark vision, traveling at night is no problem for him.

However, in order to ensure that his body is in the best condition when facing unexpected situations, he decided to rest until dawn.

Luke cleared a small patch of ground, gathered some dry firewood, and soon started a small campfire.

He left in a hurry, and his dry rations were bought randomly from a roadside stall.

After being heated over a fire, it turned directly into a hard "wooden stick".

Luke felt the hardness of the bread in his hand; it was probably harder to knock on than those twigs used for starting fires.

I can't help but think, who says there's no such thing as a perfect crime in this world?

Anyone who eats this stuff will probably choke to death on the spot.

Even with the added power of a ghoul's digestive abilities, he dared not swallow this thing.

Left with no other choice, Luke set up the small pot again and brewed an extra cup of tea.

I'm going to soak the bread little by little until it softens before eating it.

Fortunately, he had brought a lot of dried meat, which was enough for the journey.

A night breeze blew through the woods, and Luke's nose twitched slightly.

Being downwind, he smelled a peculiar odor.

It smelled of sweat, blood, and the smell of boiled linseed oil used to maintain weapons and armor.

The smell was mixed, and gradually became clearer and stronger.

It seems someone is coming...

...

Before long, several figures appeared in a circle not far from the woods.

There were five people in total, and their equipment wasn't uniform.

Some people wore worn-out leather armor, while others only had a few rough protective gear strapped to their chests and arms.

The weapons were also varied, including short bows, short swords, and axes.

They didn't look like a regular adventurer team; they looked more like a group of desperate outlaws hastily assembled.

They did not approach rashly.

One of them drew his short bow and shot several arrows at the road ahead, where a bulging sleeping bag lay.

The arrow struck the sleeping bag with a dull thud.

Judging from the sound, the sleeping bag was not empty.

"He's dead already?"

Faint conversations could be heard coming from the shadows of the woods.

His tone carried a hint of uncertainty, and even a touch of disbelief.

"I already told you, that kid's equipment is just for show. You're overthinking it. How could someone who's just wandering around the edge of the forest be a master?"

"But I really think he's not simple. After all, I've been a hunter for several years now. There are some things I can't explain, but I can sense them."

"Feeling what?! You just chickened out because they had decent gear, didn't you? If we keep targeting those penniless losers, how long will it take us to save up the money we need?"

Upon hearing this, the tall, thin man with the bow stopped arguing.

After a while, once they were sure there was no movement, the five figures cautiously walked out of the forest.

The tall, thin man put away his short bow and walked toward his sleeping bag, muttering to himself as he went.

"May you rest in peace. We really had no other choice. Once I've saved enough money for Anka's medical treatment, I'll quit this line of work."

The man was trying to alleviate his guilt with these words.

However, she didn't stop walking at all, and reached the sleeping bag in just a few steps.

The man pulled out a dagger and used its sharp tip to poke at the sleeping bag.

Only after confirming there was no reaction did he reach out and pry it open.

Surprisingly, there was no one in the sleeping bag.

Inside, there was only a pile of fallen leaves and withered branches stuffed in as filler.

"He's not here!"

The tall, thin man exclaimed in surprise.

The others immediately changed their expressions, gripped their weapons tightly, and cautiously observed their surroundings.

Time passed by, second by second.

It was very quiet in the forest.

There were only the chirping of unknown insects and the crackling sound of firewood burning fully.

Beside the campfire, the shadows of the five people were stretched long by the firelight.

As the flames flickered, they twisted and deformed on the forest floor.

The expressions on their faces gradually changed from panic and tension to confusion.

"Could it be that the kid discovered we were following him and ran away secretly?"

A short, stocky man couldn't help but whisper.

"impossible."

The other person frowned as he looked at the cup beside the campfire.

"The tea by the fire is still hot. Even if they were trying to escape, we should have found them by now. I think they're probably hiding."

"Where's Isaac? Aren't you a hunter? Come over to the campfire and take a look; maybe you can find some clues."

The tall, thin man named Isaac gripped his shortbow tightly, his throat bobbing.

He recalled the inexplicable unease he had felt when he first saw the black-haired adventurer.

That wasn't simply because the opponent had good equipment.

Rather, it's an intuition developed through years of hunting.

Like an experienced hunter spotting an unusually quiet patch of bushes in the woods.

Even without seeing any wild animals, one will instinctively feel that something is wrong.

Unfortunately, he was eventually persuaded by his companions.

Or rather, they were persuaded by the potential money they might receive.

Luke sat in the tree, watching the crowd below carefully searching for traces of himself.

I felt a little confused:

"Do I look like an easy target?"