“Eyes up,” Irene said.

Following her line of sight, Cain saw three birds perched on a tree branch at his 2 o’clock direction. There was still quite a distance between them and the monsters didn't seem to realize their presence yet.

Cain noted that the Tukukus were similar in shapes and sizes to owls. Most of their feathers were white with some black or blue mixed in. One of the owls flew away, leaving only two Tukukus left to observe. The one that left made snowflakes with each flap of its wings. The shape of their brows made the birds look like they were scowling. Other than the white pupils, the rest of their eyes were black.

I expected Hedwig… but they’re kinda scary looking. Not pet material, mrrggh, Cain cringed. I’m sure there are cute and cuddly monsters out there, I just haven't found them yet!

Viers had seen quite a few monsters since he came to this world. Not a great many samples but the lack of cute type monsters disappointed him. They all were either eerie, ferocious, or dangerous. A common slime he fought was the closest thing to a pet candidate. Eyeless, formless, wriggly jelly that closely resembled an oversized amoeba.

Yeah, those guys don't have a speck of Rimuru adorableness in them. Kinda gross, to be honest.

“Further in must be their territory. We’ll circle around the perimeter to investigate. Make sure you don't get too close,” Paul led the younger ones away.

Paul was correct, they found more Tukukus in the area. Some were still sleeping inside a hollowed trunk, some were just flying out to begin their nightlife. These owls, like their Earth counterpart, were nocturnal and the day grew increasingly dark.

“It's time. Let’s go back,” Paul suggested. “Irene, take point. Lead us back. Cain will follow behind and I shall guard the rear.”

Cain followed the instructions like a chick followed its mother hen. Nothing noteworthy happened on the way back. The sky was almost cloudless tonight and the two moons were reflecting sunlight brightly. At the camp, Lena and Oliver were already back.

“Good news, we found a Giant Chicken nest. We’ve also confirmed she had eggs in the nest,” Lena smiled, seemingly back to the confident young woman before that episode with Wollter.

“And we found the Tukukus,” Cain replied.

“Nice! Alright people, it's break time. Eat something and get plenty of sleep. We’ll begin the hunt around midnight. Get plenty of rest, it's more than six hours away.”

They made a campfire and took salted jerky and fruits that they brought from town.

Well, so much for Granma Meow’s food bonus. Reality’s knocking, Cain thought while taking a bite out of a piece of chewy jerky.

Then Oliver brought the carcass of a chicken lookalike, much to Cain and Irene’s surprise.

“Fresh meat! We found the nest faster than expected. On the way back, we found this and Oliver hunted it. It's an Odon, a guineafowl monster. Just a rank 0 monster, not much different from regular animals except for the existence of monster core. This one’s destroyed though, but we can have a warm meal.”

Paul and Cain praised the boy, and he seemed happy and sheepish. After they processed the fowl, hot meals enough to satisfy the five of them were served.

After a fulfilling meal, time to divide the night's watch. The three males volunteered for the first watch. But thanks to his contribution, it was decided that Oliver should get some shut-eye. The task fell to Paul and Cain.

An hour later, besides the fire.

Cain was watching the fire burning with Paul not far from him. The heat from the firepit felt very special right now.

“Pwuooo...” Cain let out a childish voice while opening both palms for the flame’s warmth.

“...You appear accustomed to camping out,” Paul spoke.

“I’ve learned to enjoy it, at a place called Camp Yuru,” Cain grinned like the Cheshire Cat.

Off-season camp is the best… or so Shimarin said. The cold of winter is perfect too, kishishisshi.

“Never heard of it but good for you,” Paul also took refuge close to the fire, absorbing the higher temperature.

Cain eyed the muscular youth in his early twenties and steered the conversation in a more serious direction.

“So, how long have you been in this line of business?” Cain asked.

“Three-four years ago, I registered when I just became Level 0.”

“Hmn, you must be good at this trade then. No limbs lost, not dying, and have advanced to Level 1. Quite a feat in this line of work,” Cain spoke frankly.

“During my first quest ever, two out of five members of my group died. I only survived thanks to luck. I persisted, learning things and getting stronger. I thought I already outgrew my weak self. Then similar things happened six months ago, only this time I was the sole survivor. Again, thanks to luck, I was out on a supply run when the monster was eating my friends. I’ve decided to retire then, to a simple life. Next time, my luck might not save me,” Paul shared.

“...Six months ago, and yet you're still here,” Cain let the question linger in the air.

“I want to open a blacksmith shop, as I have some skill hammering metal,” Paul took a sip from his mug. “So I’m saving money. Because I mainly took safe jobs, gathering the targeted amount took longer. I almost reached the goal.”

“And yet, you are in an Obsidian quest. Normally, an Obsidian is quite risky for Level 1s. Not impossible to accomplish flawlessly, but risky. Contradictory to someone who painted himself in playing it safe… Lena?” Cain utilized his Sherlock deduction skill.

“...We’re acquainted from a few years back, she started adventuring not long after I started but she only sporadically took quests. Pushing herself too far each time she did. I found out later that she’s only adventuring to make extra money for her village, she's just a farmer. Villages around here often have difficulty, poor harvest, high taxes, stray monsters incursion… hard to sufficiently stockpile enough supplies for winter. This year seems especially bad. Lena’s village was forced to borrow money from that loan shark. She’s a strong and kind woman that treasures her home and family…”

He paused and took a deep breath.

“And I want to help her,” Paul said from the heart.

Cain smiled, that was a sufficient answer to his question. On the other note, his super ears also picked up a faint gasp from the girls’ tent. One woman was being naughty, listening to the man-to-man conversation. It didn't sound like Irene so there was only one candidate left. His smile grew wider because of the interesting development.

“Yo! You girls seeing this?” Cain hollered the onlookers inside his head.

“Of course, I support them one hundred percent!” Farley said passionately.

“He’s so sweet, I hope the feeling is mutual for both of them,” Paina added.

“So this is human’s mating courtship... very informative,” Clarissa was genuinely piqued.

With his permission, the girls inside his head could see and hear what Viers experienced. Because of the similarity, Viers called it real-time video streaming. A screen appeared on the flower field where the girls could watch the 'Viers Today' channel. Viers often streamed his journey when it was possible. He did this to prevent boredom and mind atrophy. In addition, to give them hope for the future. The more motivated they are, the more Viers would receive help from them.

No matter the world, girls always like love-talk. It must be embedded in their genetic code, Cain thought while making fun of it, but the truth was he also liked it.

“I’m sure she’s grateful for your consideration towards her,” Cain gently approached the topic.

“She’s pretty dense so I don't think she realized it after all this time,” Paul added.

The secret listener’s sound of breathing was smothered. Cain imagined she must be using her hands to cover her mouth, all the while having an apple-red face. Cain was very amused thinking the cool and collected Lena had the face of a heroine in a romantic comedy situation.

“I think the wind is blowing on your tail, my man. She really appreciates you being here with her,” Cain spun a flowery speech. Yeah, she definitely knows now. My money’s in them being together after this venture.

“...The reward from quests we take after this one should be enough to pay off her debt,” Paul said while putting in another wood log to the fire.

“Yeah, that’s about right,” Cain calculated. Two or three more quests should cover it.

“I’ll ask her hand in marriage at that time!” Paul resolutely said.

Paina and the others were making girly noises like middle school girls witnessing their classmate’s confession. Kya-kya-ing and talking very fast with each other, especially Paina and Farley. Although age-wise, they really are teenage girls.

Lena’s, the secret snooper’s breathing sound disappeared. Either she fainted or dived into what passed for a blanket in the tent. A thousand horses must be trampling on the fields of her mind right now. Despite her reliable demeanor, her reaction was very fresh and interesting.

But unlike the girls, Cain’s face cramped in a smile.

Holy Shit! A death flag!

The talk halted for a while. Sounds of cracking wood in the fire and faint bird hoots from the trees hang in the air. Cain was in deep thought.

“...It's strange. Talking to you doesn't feel like talking to a younger man.” Paul broke the ice first.

“Strange indeed, I could’ve sworn I’m just a teen the last time I saw myself in a mirror.” Cain replied. “I gotta go, I think I ate too much. I have to take a shit.”

“Mm, don't go too far. We’re in an Orange Zone,” Paul reminded.

“Righto, sorry for leaving you alone. I’ll be back as soon as possible,” Cain left while walking hastily.

Just a quick check, Cain thought.

31.73%...