After about fifteen minutes of continuous driving at the steady speed of the hunting jeep, Kaito and his cousins easily reached the Grey Stone Mountains.
At the entrance of the mountains stood a makeshift camp. This camp wasn't built for hunting purposes but rather as a rest station for the ancestral estate's patrol units. The estate maintained patrols around the periphery of the Grey Stone Mountains to ensure that if any monster ever strayed outside the range, it could be quickly dealt with before becoming a threat. This camp served as one of their checkpoints, a place where patrol members could stop, rest briefly, or change shifts during their rounds.
Kaito brought the jeep to a halt beside the camp. He had already decided that they wouldn't be taking the vehicle inside with them. This particular jeep, being an old Federation-era model, lacked many of the advanced features that made spirit rune-equipped hunting vehicles so valuable.
In his previous life, Kaito had been used to traveling in highly advanced hunting jeeps, ones fitted with spirit runes for defense, attack, and mobility. Compared to those, this hunting jeep felt clumsy and burdensome. Even though hunting teams of the estate normally drove such jeeps deep into the Endless Mountains, Kaito found no reason to bring this one along just for their trip into the Grey Stone Mountains. For him, it was better to leave it here and only take what was necessary, such as the medical kit.
The moment Kaito stopped the jeep, Marcus and the others wasted no time. They released their harness straps and jumped out as if fleeing a cage. Elias clutched his stomach dramatically, pretending he was about to retch onto the ground. Marcus, Lucas, and Calvin didn't go quite that far, but the relief on their faces was obvious.
Kaito ignored their exaggerated reactions and glanced toward the patrol camp. As he expected, it was empty. The patrol team was most likely out on their rounds and hadn't returned yet. With no one around, Kaito gave his instructions directly.
"Marcus," he called, "go take out the medicinal kit. We'll move into the Grey Stone Mountains without the jeep."
Contrary to what Kaito thought, Marcus and the others were not disappointed by this order. In fact, they were thrilled.
Although Kaito had managed the drive without any problem and had brought them to their destination safely, none of them trusted his driving skills completely. To them, the idea of him maneuvering through the rough, uneven paths of the Grey Stone Mountains while they were forced to sit inside was terrifying. They were convinced it would end in disaster.
So when Kaito announced that the jeep would not be coming along, all four of them felt genuine relief. Lucas and Elias even jumped slightly in excitement, unable to hide their joy.
Watching their reactions, Kaito could only roll his eyes. Without commenting, he walked to the equipment box mounted on the jeep. He pulled out his sword, strapped it securely across his back, and prepared himself.
Marcus, Elias, Lucas, and Calvin, after enjoying a brief moment of celebration, also moved to the equipment box. They retrieved their own weapons and the medicinal kit. Lucas and Calvin agreed to carry the kit first, with Marcus and Elias ready to switch with them later so the weight would be shared.
Once everything was organized, the group gathered together. With their gear ready and their spirits steady, they left the jeep behind at the camp and stepped forward.
Together, Kaito and his cousins moved into the Grey Stone Mountains, ready to begin their hunting trip.
...
While they were moving deeper into the Grey Stone Mountains, Kaito naturally took the lead. His sword was held firmly in his hands as he kept his eyes on the terrain ahead. Behind him, Lucas and Calvin walked side by side, carrying the medicinal kit carefully between them. At the rear of the formation were Marcus and Elias. This was their usual arrangement whenever they went out.
The reason for this was simple Elias was an archer. His preferred way of fighting was to stay at the back where he could shoot arrows without being disturbed. He had even once admitted proudly that he enjoyed it most when monsters fell before they could even get close to him. That way, he could end the battle without ever being touched. Because of this habit, the others were used to letting him guard the rear, while Marcus, who fought with brute strength, usually supported him from the front.
As the group advanced, Kaito was not just watching with his eyes. He had already spread out his martial sense to detect if any monsters were nearby. For the first time since his rebirth, he was using his martial sense seriously in reality rather than inside the game.
And as soon as he did, the difference became clear to him. The Sky Shatter Eternity Manual, which he had previously thought of as just a good technique, was now revealing its true strength. His perception extended far further than what a Rank 1 martial artist should be capable of. Every sound, every ripple of movement in the grass and trees entered his awareness.
Kaito thought for a moment and realized this could not be the manual's work alone. Perhaps this sharpness of perception came partly from his rebirth. His soul power must have increased when he was reborn.
Soul power was a mysterious thing. It was a fundamental part of every human being, tied closely to their martial path. Normally, the only way to increase soul power was through advancing one's rank in martial arts. No known cultivation method directly raised it. At least, none that Kaito had ever heard of.
But Kaito did recall rumors from his previous life. There had been talk of a special technique hidden within one of the ruins that supposedly allowed the cultivation of soul power itself. At the time, however, his strength and his family's power had been too weak. They hadn't even been able to confirm if the rumor was true, let alone compete for such a treasure.
Now, with the knowledge of his past life, Kaito had already marked out three or four some specific special ruins he intended to seize in this lifetime. Those opportunities, he vowed, would belong to the Ren family this time not to others.
As these thoughts occupied his mind, a faint sound reached his ears. Footsteps light, quick, coming from the left side of the team. Kaito's body reacted instantly. Without hesitation, he swung his sword toward the sound in one clean slash.
A shadow burst out from the tall grass. It was a large rabbit, startled and leaping forward directly into the path of Kaito's blade. Before the creature could even comprehend what was happening, its head was severed cleanly, and its body fell limply to the ground.
The sudden silence that followed made Kaito pause. When he glanced down at the fallen rabbit, he realized what had happened and could only smile bitterly to himself. He had been so absorbed in recalling the locations of the ruins that he had become overly cautious, cutting down what turned out to be nothing more than a low-level beast.
Bending down, Kaito examined the rabbit more closely. As he thought, it was just a Rank 0 creature. Still, he remembered hearing that the meat of these rabbits was quite tasty. Since they had come here for hunting, they couldn't simply ignore prey when it presented itself. Even small catches would count when they returned.
Kaito unslung the sack he carried from his shoulder. This sack was crafted from a special material that could preserve the freshness of meat and other monster materials for up to forty-eight hours. It was not as advanced as the storage devices used by the estate's main hunting team, but for the younger generation, it was the most practical tool they had.
He placed the rabbit's body into the sack, securing it carefully.
There were, of course, more advanced storage devices available. Some boxes could preserve materials for an entire week or even a full month. The ancestral estate's main hunting team owned one such box, but it had cost them an enormous amount of credits so much that they could only afford a single unit.
Kaito also recalled the developments from his previous life. After the rise of spirit rune applications, storage technology had advanced dramatically. Small-scale space storage boxes had been created, allowing hunting teams to carry large quantities of materials for long periods of time. These boxes had been extremely convenient, capable of preserving items far longer than any sack or box of this era.
But their prices had been astronomical. In fact, buying one space storage box cost more than purchasing a top-grade weapon. Only the wealthiest families and most powerful organizations could afford them.
For now, the sack in Kaito's hands would have to suffice. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough for their current needs. With the rabbit secured, Kaito stood back up and resumed his position at the front of the team.
Behind him, his cousins quietly adjusted their formation again, ready to continue deeper into the Grey Stone Mountains.