MHGA Chapter 180 – Lucy in David's Dream
"The misunderstanding will be cleared up in time."
Himmel remained optimistic, touching his face and speaking with a chuckle. "Can't believe I get the chance to meet Frieren again looking like this."
"And resurrection after death…" Himmel turned to Kairo Retsu. "That's really something."
"Of course! You haven't met our Felyne Cart Squad Leader yet! The Radiant Rainbow Cart Hero!" Kairo gave a firm thumbs-up. "Even if you're completely dead—reduced to ash—the Cart Hero will still bring you back safe and sound! You believe me?"
Kairo stood akimbo and declared, "If not, I'll blow you up to show y—"
"I believe you. You already told us before," Himmel nodded—but added a cautionary reminder as he looked at Kairo:
"Still… if things continue this way, the Hunters' sense of life and death might become distorted."
"..."
Kairo paused mid-gesture. Looking at Himmel, then glancing around to confirm only Joseph was nearby, he grew more serious:
"Of course I know that. It's true—our perception of life and death might warp in a setup like this. In fact, during a previous hunt, we encountered a place called a Dungeon."
Kairo explained with gravity:
"In the Dungeon, even if adventurers die, as long as their bodies are intact, they can be resurrected within the labyrinth."
"Hunters are a lot like those adventurers. If this keeps up, we will start seeing shifts in how we value life and death. That's exactly why we need a clear and unwavering purpose."
Kairo sat up straight and looked directly at Himmel.
"Let me formally reintroduce our Gathering Hub."
"We are Hunters—Monster Hunters—tasked with slaying beasts that defy common sense. These monsters may be destructive forces upon ecosystems… or the absolute center of them. Because of that, we must make sure we never become monsters ourselves. That's my duty as Guildmaster."
"Himmel, after hearing all that—do you still want to join this Gathering Hub and become a Hunter?" Kairo asked sincerely. "Everyone here respects your character. But the choice is still yours to make."
"…After receiving such tremendous kindness, walking away now would be far too callous." Himmel sighed and shook his head. "Seems you really are the Guildmaster here—clearly thinking about the Hunters' future. Sorry for raising that earlier concern."
"Now you're convinced?" Kairo scratched his head. "Feels like we only just earned your recognition… Actually, there's something important I wanted to ask of you…"
"Oh?" Himmel raised a brow, and Kairo continued:
"I was hoping you could help train the other Hunters—sharpen their combat techniques, if you've got time…"
Kairo laid out the current deficiencies within the Hub—specifically the lack of fundamental combat prowess.
Despite having completed two major missions, most victories had been achieved by exploiting circumstantial advantages.
In Demon Slayer, the Hunters reduced casualties among the Demon Slayer Corps and overwhelmed Muzan with sheer numbers.
And in Delicious in Dungeon, defeating the Winged Lion had hinged heavily on its own biological weaknesses. Honestly, Kairo believed that battle was practically a scripted win…
When it came to actual raw combat ability—the kind needed against true Monster Hunter monsters—the Hunters were still sorely lacking.
Most of them were still clad in low-rank gear made from leftover scraps.
"Sure," Himmel agreed. He then asked with interest, "Mind telling me the details of those earlier missions? I'd love to hear about them."
Meanwhile—
After leaving the dining hall earlier, David had been led by a Felyne to a bedroom. The moment he hit the bed, he collapsed.
And as he slept… he dreamed.
Those "futures" he'd just seen on the big screen now wrapped around his dream like a nightmare, smothering David in fear.
He dreamt of storming into that black-market clinic run by the Scavs to save his mom—only to find a cold, mangled corpse, all her implants harvested.
He dreamt of Night City, where gangs, mercs, and punks waged endless turf wars with weapons in hand—no place was safe.
He dreamt of his body being slowly outfitted with more and more cyberware, until he barely looked human—just like in that future—and finally becoming another cyberpsycho, crushed into paste by Adam Smasher.
He dreamt…
David saw too much in that brief sleep. The fear, the dread, the helplessness—they dragged him deeper into the abyss, unsure where to run.
He was now fully aware—Night City was hell.
In his dream, he held an urn—his mother's ashes—feeling its weight pulling him down, down into the darker depths of the city.
Night City sparkled in neon brilliance, yet David—with the urn in his arms—fell endlessly into its shadows.
That nightmare clung to him. He jolted awake again and again, only to shove his head under a pillow, desperate to return to the darkness. But each time he closed his eyes, the nightmare returned—unending.
Until…
He dreamt of her.
The one he'd just seen on screen—Lucy.
In the grayscale nightmare, her multicolored hair shone like a beacon, pulling David toward that sole splash of color.
Chasing that glimmer, David found himself in a dreamlike version of a drive-in theater. On the enormous screen played the scene he'd seen before—his future self, David Martinez, clad in the cybernetic Sandevistan, battling Adam Smasher.
David's instinct was to flee. But then he saw it—
On that colossal screen, a crazed David Martinez jumped from the building with Lucy in his arms. Beneath the moonlight, the colorful girl kissed the unhinged future version of him…
And brought him back.
With a single kiss.
David's steps—once set to flee—came to a halt.
He stared at that screen, fully knowing what came after. A future so miserable it made him sick—but he couldn't tear his eyes away from that kiss.
Kairo's earlier words echoed in his mind:
"You want to make a change? How much do you want to change?"
"The depth of your resolve… will determine how much the Gathering Hub can do for you."
David was just about to arrive at an answer when—
He woke up.
Jolting upright, staring at the unfamiliar room around him, David realized—
It was all real.
"…Mom."
He looked down at his hand.
"Maybe… I'll stand atop Arasaka Tower by a different path this time."
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