The group of hunters that young Ethan had joined were a skilled bunch, consisting of five individuals—four awakened hunters and one unawakened, yet highly proficient, firearm user.
Among the group, there were three men and two women.
Due to Ethan's lack of awakening and combat training, whether in handling firearms or any other weapon, his role within the group was not that of a fighter, but rather that of a support member—a potter, to be specific.
When out on hunts, hunters generally preferred to carry minimal gear, as having too much weight not only slowed them down but also hindered their ability to engage in combat effectively.
Of course, this rule did not apply to the high-ranking hunters who possessed spatial equipment, allowing them to store their spoils of war. The less affluent hunters, however, often hired the assistance of potter individuals, like Ethan.
Potter individuals were typically impoverished, unawakened young people who took on this risky job in hopes of earning decent pay.
The occupation was indeed high-risk; considering Ethan's experience before Ryan inhabited his body, one could already surmise the dangers that Potter individuals faced.
Numerous youths have lost their lives in this line of work. Even professional hunters were not immortal when faced with demonic beasts; during adventures like hunting such creatures, they also risked losing their lives. And this was not to mention weak, unawakened individuals like Ethan, who lacked any combat training or skills.
Yet, despite these risks, many unawakened youths aspired to become potter individuals for groups of hunters.
For people like them, living in this world was already worse than death. The life of an unawakened individual was considered lower than that of trash in the present world. So they would do anything to gather enough resources to survive, and being a potter for hunters offered one of the most lucrative jobs that an unawakened person could find.
As Ryan began walking towards the area where Ethan's memory indicated the team of hunters had been battling the pack of three-eyed wolves, before one of them had slipped past the line of defense and come after him, he contemplated his current life.
Though the body he currently inhabited was not unawakened, thanks to the abilities granted by the Great Divinity system, or whatever it was called, he was confident that being unawakened would no longer be an obstacle. He could increase his stat points simply by killing beasts. His main challenge now was to become stronger but to achieve that, it meant he would have to engage in a great deal of killing to level up.
He couldn't help but wonder if there were alternative methods to raise his stats aside from killing demonic beasts.
Lost in his thoughts, Ryan was abruptly jolted back to reality by a mighty roar that reverberated loudly, causing his body to tremble with fear.
The problem was, the deafening roar didn't seem far away—it was dangerously close.
Ryan raised his gaze only to find a severely wounded three-eyed wolf racing toward his direction. What was even more peculiar was that the wolf seemed to be escaping from a group of hunters, which happened to be the same group Ryan was headed toward.
Ryan had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized he had ventured too close to the very spot where the hunters were currently locked in battle with the pack of three-eyed wolves.
The demonic beast released an angry roar upon spotting Ryan blocking its path. Fresh off the battle where a group of punny humans had massacred their entire pack, this puny human seemed audacious enough to impede its escape. Fueled by fury, the demonic beast charged towards Ryan, intent on eliminating this insignificant human.
Although not as intelligent as humans, demonic beasts possessed strong instincts and heightened senses.
The three-eyed wolf, having sustained severe injuries from the earlier battle with the group of hunters and currently escaping from them, was cautious about humans due to the injuries inflicted by the hunters. However, it could already sense that the human obstructing its path was much weaker than its prior adversaries, making for an easy kill.
"Of all the luck I've had today," Ryan cursed under his breath, observing the dire circumstances he found himself in. His misfortune seemed to have reached an all-time low. This marked his second brush with life and death since his rebirth, and this encounter appeared even graver than the previous one.
Given the three-eyed wolf's proximity and swift pace, Ryan doubted he could react in time. Moreover, he lacked the strength to take on the three-eyed wolf.
Despite a slight increase in power thanks to killing the previous three-eyed wolf and gaining 2 [STR] points, it remained insufficient to face the beast confronting him. Even in its injured state, the wolf still possessed formidable strength, far surpassing Ryan's capabilities. Killing such a creature would require cunning and deceit.
"Damn it, is this how I'll pathetically meet my end?" Ryan pondered, watching as the three-eyed wolf closed in, mere inches away from the collision.
Suddenly, the shrill whistle of a projectile filled the air, hurtling towards their location at breakneck speed. The temperature surrounding Ryan soared, causing a tingling, burning sensation on his skin that intensified with each passing moment. He instinctively grasped that someone had launched a powerful fire attack, hastily directed toward the three-eyed wolf.
"Damn it!" Ryan cursed, witnessing the unfolding events. He couldn't even turn to catch a glimpse of the fiery assault before it struck.
Though the attack targeted the three-eyed wolf, it had been too close to Ryan for him to escape unscathed. He would face the repercussions of this assault as well. The fiery projectile materialized as a blazing ball, colliding with the three-eyed wolf in a resounding explosion of scorching heat.
Ryan, nearby, felt his skin sear under the intense heat, exacerbating the already tattered state of his clothing. "Damn it," he muttered to himself, enduring the searing pain as his skin blistered from the heat. Fortunately, the accompanying force of the explosion propelled Ryan backward, preventing him from being charred to a crisp.
Thrown forcefully through the air, Ryan floated for a moment before crashing down with a resonant thud.