Chapter 1: Hunter of the One Eye (1)
When people say, "I've lost my eyesight," many imagine complete darkness where nothing can be seen. However, this perception is not entirely accurate.
In most cases, it means the vision has severely deteriorated to the point where shapes cannot be properly discerned. There might be a faint glimpse of something visible, but overall, clarity is lost.
If one's vision becomes completely dark and can't see anything, it is an incredibly unfortunate circumstance. Unfortunately, I have experienced both scenarios: the former in the past tense and the latter in the present tense.
"Rowan, it's me!"
A short-haired female hunter approached, waving her hand slightly.
Embarrassment washed over me as I found myself relying on the strength of an associate to join the raid team at this point, but there seemed to be no other way.
I am Rowan Anderson, a C-rank hunter who has been in the field for a mere six years, although it feels like an eternity.
The meager connections I had built up during that time were nearly lost during my eye surgery and hospitalization.
Thankfully, amidst my struggles, there stood one precious connection right in front of me—my associate. With a mixture of gratitude and unease, I greeted her. "Who are you? I can't see well..." I muttered.
"Come on, Rowan. This is no time for jokes! Your eyes are fine, right?"
"It's okay. People have two eyes."
The diagnosis was clear- retinal detachment. Let's skip the minor details and get straight to the point.
At present, my right eye's vision is severely impaired. The field of view is reduced by nearly half, and even simple tasks such as reading, becomes arduous when I close my left eye. Unfortunately, it's expected that my vision will continue to deteriorate.
Interestingly, my perfectly fine left eye automatically compensates for the field of view, so it doesn't pose a significant problem in my daily life.
However... what about battles in dungeons? Today, I decided to join my associate's team to find out. My proud associate, Sarah Reynolds, looked at me with a worried expression. We were so busy that this was the first time we'd met since my discharge from the hospital.
Before delving into the mission, she swiftly inquired about my well-being.
"The right eye still hasn't fully recovered, right?"
"No, unfortunately, the treatment for my right eye was delayed, and there's no hope for improvement in the future. However, I consider myself fortunate to still have about half of my field of vision."
"Can't they use any healing abilities on you?"
"No chance."
I chuckled as I recalled the conversation at the hospital. Despite the remarkable healing abilities of hunters, it's rare for a mere touch to instantly cure someone. Most cases require surgical or similar procedures.
"Is the hospital overflowing with patients? Mild cases like mine can't receive treatment using abilities."
"You have vision loss in one eye, and they consider it mild?"
"Well, to be considered severe at the hospital, your vision practically has to be completely gone. My neighbor in the hospital said that."
The problem was that the surgery had only been partially successful. Had it been a complete failure and my eyes remained sightless, I might have been able to receive treatment from a medical hunter.
However, the hospital was flooded with patients in far worse conditions than mine, and there weren't enough medical hunters available. So I ended up being discharged without a full recovery.
"But... can I still continue hunting?"
"Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough."
The truth was that the conclusion had already been reached before I arrived here. I coincidentally entered an on-the-spot interview with the team leader.
"Hello, are you Sarah's friend at university? I heard you were hospitalized because of your eyes. Are you okay now?"
"Don't worry. I only bumped into something three times on my way here."
"...Really?"
Before I could continue, Sarah interjected, "Rowan!"
Unbeknownst to me, losing vision in one eye had an unexpected consequence—it affected my sense of balance.
The raid team leader politely remarked on my explanation, "Rowan, if I recall correctly, you were a psychokinesis hunter, right?"
"Yes."
"Psychokinesis requires precise aiming... I'm sorry, but it seems impossible for you to participate in our team."
"I understand. I wish you all a successful hunt."
At that moment, I made a clean break. What good would it do to force myself into battles within the dungeon, risking harm to my teammates? Combat seems impossible with this cursed eye of mine. At least I should wait until I have better control of my body.
My associate, Sarah, held onto me, tears welling in her eyes, and scolded me. "Are you joking right now? You should at least lie in situations like this!"
"I lied. Truth is, I bumped into something five times."
"Rowan, seriously..."
"I apologize for putting you in that position. What would I do if I caused harm to you or anyone else? I should become more accustomed to hunting again before joining any teams. Best of luck with your hunts."
Leaving Sarah with a worried expression, I turned away. The truth was, I didn't expect it to be this bad. Thinking about various things on my way home, I suddenly felt a surge of exhaustion. Was it due to the strain of navigating cautiously to avoid bumping into anything on my way back?
Despite the remaining daylight, I collapsed onto my bed. Even though I had been recovering and thought I wouldn't feel drowsy, it wasn't the case.
"How should I live now... Should I try loading and unloading using psychokinesis?"
Lost in thought and unable to find an answer, I lay there absentmindedly, and soon sleep overcame me. I closed my eyes without any lingering attachment.
"Foreigner. Wake up! Foreigner."
As I slowly opened my eyes, I found myself in an entirely unfamiliar world. It may sound dramatic, but that was the only way I could describe it.
The walls were barely knee-high, and the people around me were no larger than the size of my hand. They were dressed in exotic attire, speaking in a language I couldn't understand. It felt as if I had stepped into a miniature world or a fantastical theme park.
"What on earth is going on?"
Had a dungeon opened in my house while I was asleep? I had never seen such a tiny dungeon before. The shock of it all left me frozen in place, but amidst the confusion, a voice echoed from the wall.
The words he spoke were somewhat comprehensible, though his pronunciation was rough, as if a foreigner were struggling to speak clearly.
"Oh, foreigner, Rowan, bearer of the one eye! We beseech you to vanquish the malevolent dragon and save our land! Your humble subjects implore you earnestly!"
Amidst the crowd of peculiarly dressed individuals, I tilted my head slightly to catch a better glimpse of the person speaking. His face was so small that it was hard to recognize him properly without getting closer.
"Dragon? Are you talking about a dragon?"
"Th-that's right! Since it obtained magic, that creature has grown ferocious, and we kind-hearted people are in trouble!"
"No, how am I supposed to catch a dragon?"
As a soft chuckle escaped my lips, I felt a slight catch in my breath. But it's not a bad omen.
I finally noticed... this dungeon has an incredible concentration of magic power. Hunters are supposed to enter dungeons to grow, but this place seemed to exist on an entirely different level.
"What is this dungeon? Should I call it a miniature country dungeon?"
"Oh, esteemed foreigner, Rowan, bearer of the one eye! You are our last hope!"
"Foreigner?"
"Kryaaaah!"
As I hesitated with unfamiliar words, a ferocious roar reverberated through the air. My gaze snapped towards the source, and there it was—a black dragon hurtling towards us with astonishing speed.
I widened my eyes with the eye that was functioning better. Dragons are usually top-tier monsters that only S-rank hunters can handle, but that creature... "It's small?"
No matter how I looked at it, it barely reached the height of my knee. Despite its elongated body, the volume is overwhelmingly different.
The black dragon, who noticed me belatedly, swiftly shifted its body in an attempt to escape, but I reflexively grabbed hold of it. Its long and slender neck easily fit into my hand. "Kkieeek!"
"Wow!"
With a firm grip, I squeezed tightly, startled by the sudden twist of the creature's body before it collapsed lifelessly. A frenzied cheer erupted as I stood there holding the dragon's corpse. Most of it was in a language I couldn't understand, but sporadically, there were phrases that I could grasp. "Kneel and worship! The one-eyed foreigner, Rowan, has defeated the dragon!"
"Oh, great father! I will shout your name until my voice grows hoarse!"
"Alright, send me back quickly. Oh..."
As soon as the thought of wanting to return home crossed my mind, my body rapidly faded. I found myself back in my bedroom, accompanied by the corpse of the black dragon.