The grasslands spread out in front of us.
In the midst of this magnificent landscape, something flat and huge and black was moving across the land, making the earth shake and roar.
(I see, it was indeed huge.
　Gently emerging from the shadows of the rocks and staring ahead, Kevin's eyes caught sight of the centipede monster running with countless wriggling legs and antennae.
　It must be a few hundred meters away.
An ugly figure that makes me want to throw up. The unique name that was officially designated by the guild just the other day comes to mind.
(Fifteen meters.........or is it closer to twenty meters? If you want to get rid of a centipede, the best thing to do is to trample it, but you can't trample that thing with your foot.)
　Kevin couldn't help but chuckle as he pictured himself stomping on that big centipede.
　You're not too tall, so stomping on the head of a centipede is not impossible, but I don't think he'd be able to step on you very easily. No, even if he did, he's that huge. It could be said that he has a relatively stocky body for a man of his age, but it's more likely that he wouldn't feel any pain or itch at Kevin's level of weight.
(Would he lose his balance by going for one leg from close combat, as is customary?　(Either way, I don't think we'll be able to do anything about that quickness.
　It's that ferocious aggression on top of its surprisingly agile movements.
　On the contrary, the probability that it would bite you in a flash and say goodbye to your ups and downs would be high.
　If we don't slow that centipede down by some means first, we can see the outcome if we bring it into close combat.
(If this is a rocky area, the best thing to do would be to drop a rock to block its movement and slowly stab it in the back... but that's impossible.)
　Kevin's eyes look around.
　The surrounding area is a grassland area with a good view. This is not the kind of terrain where you can plant a falling stone.
The only thing left to do is to break through the front door using martial arts or use a grammatical technique to forcefully arrest them. I'm not sure how many times I'll be able to fight with them head on.
Gently looking behind him, Kevin gave a small sigh.
(I would use a grammar technique to stall them, or set up a trap and use a decoy to lure them in, but.......................but which one will Commander Rick choose?
　It's a big gamble to go into a life-threatening job with someone who hasn't built up a trusting relationship with you.
The individual's abilities are unknown, and the group's cooperation is uncertain.
Nevertheless, the clan that Kevin belongs to right now is the Clan [Clouds of the Blue Sky], which specializes in undertaking adventuring tasks such as monster defeating and resource gathering. The leader, Rick, the leader of the clan, is a well-trained veteran with a reputation for being one of the best among the adventurers currently operating in Roselia.
　Rick's personal guild rank has a double A, and the clan as a whole has a single A rating. This is a higher rating than the members of the [Red Lion] clan who trained Kevin.
　Of course, there is a difference between the stance of mercenaries and adventurers, and the rank of the guild is not necessarily directly related to the strength and weakness of an individual, but it's impossible for someone who has reached this rank to be weak.
(Well, I guess we'll just have to try that... well, either way, it means we finally have a prey worth killing.)
　Anxiety and elation shook Kevin's body.
　A shell that rivals steel armor and the strong muscle strength characteristic of insect species. That centipede, which combines both, is truly a living nightmare.
　But that doesn't mean that the great centipede is a predator that belongs to the absolute top tier.
　It's not just good fortune that a race of people, a species that is even physically vulnerable, dominates most of this earthly world.
　Kevin had a number of plans in his mind for killing that big centipede.
　There are plenty of more dangerous creatures in the backcountry of the Woltenia Peninsula. There is no way they can survive if they fall behind that level of monster.
He may look like a blue-bellied kid in his mid-teens, but he's got real battle experience.
　It's been two and a half months since we left the Woltenia Peninsula. His face naturally lights up as he looks at his prey.

What do you think, Kevin? I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time with us. In other words, it is this time's prize.

　A wild man's voice rang out from behind him and Kevin was tapped on the shoulder.
At that moment, Kevin's expression instantly changed. It's the expression of a weak man imbued to the core of his bones.

　Kevin slowly turned around, suppressing the elation that was welling up in front of his prey.
　Because right now Kevin is an amateur child with a personal story 《cover story》 of being the illegitimate child of a fallen knight.　
''Yes, I didn't think it was that big.......are you really going to deal with that thing?　Commander Rick.

　His voice is a mixture of confusion and some fear.
　It's the same expression that comes to mind when a new recruit heads to the battlefield for the first time.
　The reflection in their eyes is a pair of armed men and women. The number one and number two of the clan that Kevin belongs to are here.
　A middle-aged man with short, cropped hair turned his mischievous gaze to Kevin.

'Yes, and they're not just big. It's not just a big guy, it's also an insect species' life force. Even though they were just centipedes originally, they are still in serious trouble when they grow up to that level. Their intelligence is low, so they don't use grammar skills, but that hard shell and muscle strength are a threat in themselves. I don't know if it's true or a lie, but if it's the largest one confirmed in the past by the records kept by the guild, it was said to be comparable to the lower phantom species and dragon species. It was a tiny centipede to begin with........

A dragon...?

　There are various dragon species in the earth world, from lowly dragons to high ranking dragon-kings, but they are so powerful that they are even more powerful than humans.
　They are few in number and rarely leave their territory, so people don't have much of a chance to see them, but once they begin to rampage, they are devastating. Villages and towns are burnt to ashes, and if they are not dealt with properly, the country will certainly fall to the ground.
　That's why the damage caused by the dragon species is called dragon damage, and it's considered a natural disaster just like typhoons and earthquakes.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of good reasons to be a part of this.
　Kevin couldn't help but swallow his spit at the man's threatening words.

''Well, I'm just joking about that now, but if we let this go, it won't be a joke at all. Normally, big names like that don't come out in public often, but sometimes they come crawling out of the woodwork. Do you know why?

　As if enjoying Kevin's reaction, Rick asked as he floated the net.

'Yeah, you mean you've learned to taste human flesh, right?

　It is not only humans who feed on the lives of others to increase their own power.
　It would not be an exaggeration to say that insects and beasts benefit from this power even more than people.
The principle of the law of the jungle.
　They are devoured and killed. The strong men who have survived such a race for survival.
　Even so, they wouldn't normally be this important.
　Even though this is a world where people can outnumber dragons, the chances of that happening are in the hundreds of thousands, even millions. No, one miracle in billions.
　If you talk about probability, it's such a small possibility that you can declare it impossible.
　But that doesn't mean it's impossible, nor does it mean that its benefits are reserved only for the race of man.
　Sometimes the goddess of destiny can give a tiny life a formidable power.
　To the point of overturning the law of the food chain....

'Yes. You seem to be learning a lot for a rookie. It's just like you said, when adventurers and mercenaries are eaten in the forest, they get a taste for it and come crawling out. It's a good thing that the adventurers and mercenaries have absorbed the vitality and raised their level, because they are good prey in their eyes.

　Rick nodded with satisfaction at Kevin's answer.
　Regardless of whether it's because it tastes good, or whether it's because it's easy to absorb live energy, or whether it's for some other reason, it's true that people seem to be good food for creatures that can possess a certain amount of power.
　That's why people have to fight to survive.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one. There are some adventurers who never returned from the forest where it is believed to have been located, so the number of victims is more than ten. It's no surprise that the guild has asked us to give top priority to defeating them.

　The woman, who is best described as bewitching, smiles softly and continues to speak in a way that threatens Kevin.
　She's a talented woman with long wavy blonde hair tied up and gold-rimmed glasses.
　Kevin couldn't help but frown at the words of Anastasia, the number two of Clan [Clouds of the Blue Sky].

''Can you really hunt with this number of people?　Maybe we should get a few more people together.

Kevin's gaze falls on the men standing in the back with weapons in their hands.
　There are about 20 of them.
　The average formation of a squad "party" is four to ten men, so that means the number of people gathered here is equivalent to two squads.
　It is not a small number, but it is not a large number.
　He could tell from their appearance that they were warriors of the past, but Kevin thought that was still not enough to take on that class head on.
(If we're going to take on that class, I want at least double this number of people.)
　If possible, I would like to organize a group of fifty people. An anxious and gloomy gaze was cast on Anastasia.
　It was half an act and half serious.
　Kevin wasn't going to be afraid of that big centipede, but he wasn't going to underestimate it either.
　In fact, Kevin had taken out a number of monsters of that class in the past when he and his friends were on the Worthenian Peninsula.
　However, that was only the result he got after submerging himself in bloody training with his trustworthy comrades who were united by a bond thicker than blood.
It has been less than two months since Kevin joined Clan [Clouds of the Blue Sky]. I know that this clan has a high reputation in the guild, and I have some understanding of their competence in the past relationship, but I can't say that I completely understand them.
　And a lack of coordination can sometimes be fatal.
(I don't know if we really have a chance of winning.......if it's bad, we have no choice but to sassily disappear. Because we can't die without fulfilling Gokan-sama's life.)
If you're in a situation where you can pull it off, don't play a game you have no chance of winning. That lesson is ingrained in Kevin's body.
　Pushing back the elation of wanting to hunt that centipede, Kevin spoke of prudence.
　However, such an attitude of Kevin is probably only seen by Rick and others as a rookie's characteristic anxiety.

'What's the matter, spooked?　Hey, Anastasia is in command. There's nothing wrong with that. I know how you feel, but don't look so worried. You'll be down on your luck.

That's okay. You just need to mind your own business.

　When he said that, Rick slapped Kevin on the back and laughed vigorously, as if he was trying to blow away his anxiety. Then he turned on his heel toward his friends with Anastasia, who was smiling softly.

''Can't we go any further.......well, it can't be helped.

　Normally, I would like to receive a detailed explanation of the operation, but if Kevin, a newcomer, asks for it, he will inevitably get the impression that it is unnatural.
(So, do you have the ability to meet Mikan-sama's expectations, let's see what you two can do?)
　Kevin's lips hung up as he stared at their backs as they moved away, a huffy smile unbecoming of a newcomer.
　With a secret order handed down to him by the one and only Lord.