Rebuild world volume 3 p.., p.1
Rebuild World: Volume 3 Part 2, page 1
Table of Contents
Cover
Illustrations
Chapter 86: The Mutants
Chapter 87: Invitation to a Bounty Hunt
Chapter 88: One of Those Murderous, Self-Destructive Types
Chapter 89: Chains and Perceptions
Chapter 90: Revelation
Chapter 91: The Rising Star of Katsuya’s Detractors
Chapter 92: The Hundred-Million-Aurum Hunters
Chapter 93: Tankrantula
Chapter 94: Taking Down the Bounty
Chapter 95: Cheap Tricks
Chapter 96: Katsuya’s Battalion
Chapter 97: The Hypersynthetic Snake
Chapter 98: Chain of Command
Chapter 99: To Each Their Own Judgments
Chapter 100: Choices and Consequences
Chapter 101: Derision
Chapter 102: Ongoing Trials, Diverging Paths
Side Story: A Matter of Luck
Bonus High Res Color Illustrations
About J-Novel Club
Copyright
Chapter 86: The Mutants
Determined to strike it rich, Akira and Alpha decided to comb the desert for an undiscovered ruin. There, they happened upon the Yonozuka Station Ruins, a vast underground expanse with an abundance of relics and no monsters in sight—a veritable treasure trove. Pleased, Akira made a couple more trips to the ruins to collect the abandoned artifacts—first with Elena and Sara, then with Sheryl and her gang. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. But Akira had greatly underestimated how much hunters valued virgin ruins, and so became embroiled in a far larger struggle than he had bargained for.
One shady group of hunters kidnapped Sheryl in an attempt to learn more about the ruin. After Akira rescued her from their clutches, the existence of the ruin became public knowledge, and a massive conflict broke out between the hunters and behemoths who converged on the site. In its wake, the underground expanse was left utterly transformed.
Yet despite everything that happened, Akira came through it all unscathed.
During the fight, Akira unexpectedly encountered Yumina, and—even more unexpectedly—wound up aiding not only her but Katsuya as well. In the end, the two boys found themselves fighting alongside each other. Their time as allies was brief—but long enough for Akira to see how surprisingly capable Katsuya was in combat.
Now they were headed home. Akira lay in the back of Elena and Sara’s truck, sleeping off all the exhaustion he’d accumulated. The battle within the ruins had been fierce, but thanks to Alpha’s support and his newly upgraded gear, at least his life hadn’t been in danger. If he’d gone in there with his old equipment and abilities, he would have certainly met his demise. His new equipment and improved combat skill had increased his strength exponentially—after all, he’d be fighting tougher battles going forward.
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Once Akira returned to Kugamayama City, Elena and Sara dropped him off at his home, where they said their goodbyes. Had he behaved more prudently, he would have first retrieved the relics that he’d sent on ahead to the city and then hammered out who got how much of the loot. Akira was friends with Elena and Sara, but they were all hunters nonetheless. They hadn’t formed an official alliance, nor were they bound by a detailed contract. Neglecting matters like these now left the door open for tension between them down the line.
However, thanks to his trust in them—or perhaps feeling that even if they did decide to betray him, at that point there’d be nothing he could do about it anyway—he decided to shelve the issue for another day. In any event, he felt too tired to do anything about it now.
Moreover, he also wanted to believe that Elena and Sara were the type to act in good faith and refrain from doing anything untoward to a benefactor, let alone a friend. In that case, leaving the division of loot for later would likely pose no issues.
And so it was that, in mutual trust and goodwill, Akira and the women decided to call it a day and, with friendly farewells, went their separate ways.
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As Akira was letting his fatigue and remaining awareness melt away in the hot water of the bath, Alpha (who had joined him in the tub like always) lightly admonished him.
Careful, Akira. If you fall asleep here, you’ll drown.
It took a moment for Akira to respond. “I’m good.” He shook his head slightly to retrieve his consciousness from the water and rose up lazily against the edge of the tub. For some reason, the first thing that came to his newly restored mind was what had taken place at Yonozuka Station. “Man... Today was a full day, huh? What do you think’s gonna happen to that ruin from now on?”
Most likely, it will continue to be explored and looted like any other. After all, with so many hunters flocking to the area, it can’t be considered an unknown site anymore. I do expect that this ruin will get quite a bit harder, though.
“Harder? Like how?”
Well, for starters, mutants will probably begin to crop up now that the monsters’ ecosystem has been thrown out of whack.
Carnivorous monsters devoured not only human flesh but also other monsters. Some ecosystems provided more prey for them than others, and as long as a given ecosystem was stable, the types and populations of beasts in that area remained relatively constant. If something unnatural transpired and disturbed the balance, however, a number of creatures that hadn’t been able to thrive in the previous ecosystem could rapidly appear, and mutants clearly deviating from normal growth patterns would arise. Currently, a swarm of beasts that normally wouldn’t have been able to survive in the Yonozuka Station Ruins (or the area surrounding it, for that matter) were pouring from its tunnels. If a monster mutated as it adapted to the unfamiliar environment, then reproduced and spawned more mutants, it wouldn’t be unusual for one—or many—of them to suddenly become very dangerous.
Furthermore, as a result of the battle between them and the hunters, the ruins were now full of sustenance for the former. As long as a monster had food, there was no telling how large and powerful it could become—but in the original ecosystem, some would’ve been devoured before ever having a chance to get stronger. Now those that had managed to escape natural selection, and that were undergoing rapid growth as a result of the food surplus and new environment, were at just as much risk of mutating.
Once the environment restabilizes, things will go back to normal. But it’ll take a while, so we’ll need to be careful in the meantime.
“Wow, that kind of thing can actually happen? Well, it shouldn’t be a concern for us as long as we don’t get too close to those ruins. Let’s just take it easy for now. You know, stock up on ammo and sell the relics. Things should be calm again by the time we’re done with all that.” Then Akira sank into the hot water once more, turning his attention to more immediate and pressing concerns. When he finally did get out of the bath, he headed straight to bed to get rid of his remaining fatigue.
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After a day’s rest, with his mind and body fully rejuvenated, Akira made his way to Shizuka’s shop to sort out his equipment. The repairs on his truck were complete at last, so he had her move it over to the shop’s parking lot. As he loaded the truck up with all the ammunition he’d purchased, he chatted idly with her about everything that had taken place in the Yonozuka Station Ruins. When he finished his story, Shizuka gave him a wry smile.
“You fought all those monsters on your own, Akira? That must’ve been tough.”
“Yeah, it sure was! It would’ve been even worse without my upgraded gear, though. That really came through for me.”
“As the one who sold you that gear, I’m glad to hear you say so. But how many times do I have to tell you to not bite off more than you can chew?” Shizuka chided him gently.
Akira grinned. “I know, I know. I didn’t do it because I wanted to. And yeah, fighting off those monsters was tough, but it wasn’t a desperate struggle or anything.”
“Really? From what you told me, it sure sounded like one.”
“Well, I did make full use of my DVTS minigun so I could win as easily as possible.” His smile turned a bit rueful. “And, well, it may have been an easy victory, but I blew through a bunch of high-capacity magazines that cost me a fortune and used up a ton of ammo. So in that sense, yeah, I guess it was pretty rough.” Akira had just bought even more of the magazines—enough not only to replace the ones he’d exhausted but to round out his surplus stock as well—and the back of his truck was packed full of them. His ammo had cost so much to replace that he’d be in real trouble if he didn’t cash in soon on all those shelves that he, Elena, and Sara had brought back with them from the ruins.
An amused, teasing grin played about Shizuka’s lips as she spoke in a faux businesslike tone. “Thank you very much for purchasing another lifetime supply of ammunition from my humble establishment. Your patronage is always most appreciated, Mr. Akira.”
“It has been a great pleasure as always, Ms. Shizuka,” Akira replied without missing a beat, returning her grin. They laughed together, and then Shizuka adopted her usual smile once more.
“So what’s your plan from here on out, Akira? Going to head straight back to those ruins?”
“I’m gonna wait till I’ve taken care of everything here before I start worrying about what to do next. For example, I still need to make bank on these,” he said, pointing to several backpacks lying on the floor. Inside were the relics he’d collected during his previous trip to Yonozuka Station, and which had been transporte
Shizuka looked a tad impressed as she eyed the numerous stuffed sacks. “In other words, you had the funds to buy that much ammo even before exchanging these relics? You’ve become quite the wealthy hunter now, haven’t you?” She grinned, then gave him a mild warning. “Climbing the ladder is good and all, but be sure not to let it go to your head. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a world of hurt.”
“Thanks, I’ll be careful.” Akira gave her a warm smile, grateful that he had people who actually cared enough to worry about his safety, however few in number they might be.
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After loading up his truck with the rest of the ammo and relics, Akira left Shizuka’s shop, returning home just long enough to unload a portion of his haul before setting out once more. Then he notified Katsuragi that he was on his way and headed out of town, driving across the wasteland until he reached a familiar place.
Yonozuka Station.
Katsuragi’s trailer, his mobile storefront, was already parked just outside the entrance. When Katsuragi noticed Akira approaching, he called out to him cheerfully.
“Hey, Akira, been expecting you! Looks like you brought me a ton of relics this time.”
“Yeah, a few, to be sure. It kind of seems like these relics have basically made a round trip, though, and I’m not sure how I feel about that,” Akira said, surveying the area he knew all too well with a grimace. Katsuragi laughed it off.
“Oh, c’mon. If it would help, you could always head on in there and collect some new ones!”
“Nah, I’ll pass on that. Don’t feel like it right now. Anyway, I’ve brought them all the way back out here for you, so do your thing.” Akira got out of his truck and unloaded the packs, piling them in front of Katsuragi.
The merchant’s grin grew wider when he saw how stuffed to the brim they were. “The bonus payout for relics collected within a newly discovered ruin’s already expired, so I’ve just been getting more and more common junk lately. These, however, are from when the Yonozuka Station Ruins were still a new discovery, so I’m very much looking forward to seeing what you’ve brought me today.”
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News of the ruin’s ghost of the Old World had spread, and as a result the general populace had come to know the site as Yonozuka Station, the name she’d used for it. Not even a week had passed since the ruin’s existence had become public knowledge, so a number of experienced hunters were still exploring its depths. Katsuragi, seeing his opportunity to make a killing, had taken advantage of having a traveling store to set up shop right at the entrance. Then he’d reached out to his acquaintances and gotten them to set up more shops, creating a small exchange area that allowed for more efficient handling of relics. It was just as convenient for the hunters as well—if they could sell relics and restock ammo nearby, they wouldn’t have to waste time heading back to town. And because many of their customers were willing to pay the marked-up wasteland prices for the sake of this convenience, the profits Katsuragi and his team raked in were well worth the risk of running a business in the shadow of the ruin.
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While waiting for Katsuragi to finish appraising his relics, Akira decided to check on the state of Yonozuka. Zooming in on the ruin entrance with his scanner, he saw many vehicles, presumably belonging to hunters, parked around the area. No one was trying to claim the entrance for themselves now, since there was no longer just one point of entry. The monsters currently outside the ruins had dug their way out from the inside, creating new entrances and collapsed sinkholes through which to enter. That also meant that the monsters could come and go at their leisure, however, which of course made the outer area just as dangerous.
“You’ve got courage to set up shop in a place like this, Katsuragi. It’s way more dangerous than the Kuzusuhara Ruins, you know.”
“I’m aware of the danger. But the profit to be made here is something I just can’t ignore. I have a store I can move wherever I want, and times like this are when it pays off the most.”
Akira reflected. “Well, as long as you’re aware of the danger, I guess.”
Katsuragi’s sales had skyrocketed compared to his usual figures, and he was in high spirits. But Akira’s concern gave him pause, so he decided to probe a bit. “What, you’re wanting to brag that you made it back alive from those ruins or something? It’s not like you to be so conceited.”
“That’s not it at all. I almost didn’t make it back,” Akira said, a tad forcefully.
Seeing his reaction, Katsuragi became a bit concerned, and began to wonder if maybe the ruins really were more dangerous than he’d assumed. But he didn’t let it show, keeping his upbeat attitude and grin as he grilled Akira further. “Really now? Just how dangerous are we talking, then?”
“Enough that after these relics get sold, I’m hightailing it out of here as soon as I can. In fact, if you hadn’t decided to set up shop here, I would’ve stayed as far away from this place as possible. That’s how dangerous.”
“O-Oh, that so?” Katsuragi could tell from Akira’s expression that he wasn’t just being defensive and making things up. He knew how strong Akira was now, and his smile faltered slightly. “W-Well, like I said before, I came here fully aware of the risk. And we’re pretty well equipped for anything here. I engaged several hunters to stand guard and keep us safe too. They were all capable enough to brave those ruins on the first day and make it back alive. So we’ll be fine.”
When Akira heard about the skill of the hunters Katsuragi’s team had hired to protect them, he unconsciously imagined Elena and Sara, or perhaps a group like Charlés and his team, who’d been unfazed by the conflict and had continued to retrieve relics as if nothing was going on. If it was someone like them, he figured, then they probably really would be fine. His relief showed in his expression, and seeing this, Katsuragi also felt reassured.
Then, as if right on cue, his bodyguards entered the market, having returned from their survey of the area surrounding the ruin. Katsuragi pointed them out.
“Hey, speak of the devil, they’re here! It’s these guys, Akira. I spared no expense to hire them, y’know?”
But when Akira saw who the guards were, a shadow of doubt crossed his face. Katsuragi noticed, and his own expression became one of uncertainty and suspicion.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing.”
“If it’s nothing, then why do you have that look on your face?”
Just then, the leader of the bodyguards approached and began making his report. “Squad Five intermittently reporting in as requested. We’ve returned from our patrol. All quiet. We’ll be taking a short rest now, so— Huh?!” He broke off as he noticed Akira.
Katsuragi looked grimmer. “Friends of yours, Akira?”
“Let’s just say I know them.”
The team Katsuragi had hired to guard him was none other than Levin and his crew. They were indeed hunters who had survived the tumult on the first day of exploring Yonozuka Station—so Katsuragi’s description, strictly speaking, hadn’t been wrong.
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When Katsuragi heard Akira’s account of how he had become acquainted with Levin’s team, he was unable to maintain his trademark merchant’s smile any longer.
Damn those swindling intermediaries! “Experienced hunters,” my ass! They may have survived those ruins, but that’s all they did!
Naturally, Katsuragi would’ve preferred hunters capable enough to survive the ruins on their own. Based on Akira’s story, the intermediaries he’d dealt with earlier hadn’t necessarily been lying, but they clearly hadn’t been telling the whole truth. Even if he went and confronted them about it now, they would be certain to play dumb. And from the way Levin and his group were acting, they were likely also complicit, so he didn’t expect them to fess up either.
