Some species of abyssal monsters have meat that is safe for consumption. This is also one of the keys to human survival. In the absence of 'normal' plants and animals, they inevitably have to change their diet completely. Mutant spider bull meat will not turn into real crab meat just because they want it.

Although it sounds disgusting at first, some monster meat has a great flavor. Some of them are even very similar to beef. Abyssal Screecher, for example, has meat that tastes and has the same texture as crab meat. The meat on its body could be used to make a multi-purpose ointment. Even if it was only on the legs, it seemed fair enough considering their size.

Since Hazel had liked the Abyssal Screecher's meat from the start, he intended to save it.

"Making stew might be good; well, it looks like today's menu is a bit special."

He could not carry the corpse in one piece due to its large size. So he would try to cut the corpse into pieces so that it could pass through the door. As he reached for the small fanny pack he always carried with him, he slapped his head hard because his favorite gloves were not inside.

"Sometimes I wonder how I managed to stay alive until now...."

The glove he was referring to was his most potent survival tool. It had claws like knives and was made of a material so hard that it could be used as a hammer. Hazel just stood there looking at the corpse of the Abyssal Screecher that would rot if he continued to do this. After thinking carefully, he finally decided to bring just the legs.

"Well, what else can I do?" he complained as he sighed, his face turning sour.

Hazel clicked his tongue again and then began to pull out the Abyssal Screecher's legs one by one. As he pulled them out, dark blue blood began to flow from its wounds. After he finished pulling out all eight of the Abyssal Screecher's legs, Hazel quickly tidied up the mess he had made.

He piled up all the Abyssal Screecher corpses and doused them with the pitch-black liquid from the bottle in his bag. He only doused the top of the pile, and then the pile started to burn, creating a huge bonfire.

Hazel looked at the bonfire for a moment before finally going inside with his loot. There was no need for him to bother with the bodies of the victims; someone with more experience would handle it later.

It was common for a Hunter like him to burn the corpses of monsters. If they or the company didn't need them, there would be no point in hoarding. This was done so that the corpses wouldn't cause trouble. They could lure other monsters to come, and monster corpses sometimes carried diseases harmful to humans.

Hence, they made this a kind of good and bad habit.

Burning monster corpses in the middle of nowhere is a very risky act. The smoke produced may attract bandits or even airborne monsters. Therefore, burning monster corpses like this could only be done around cities that had a high level of defense.

After closing the gate, Hazel stretched his body a little before starting his journey back.

"Oops, almost forgot..."

Hazel tried to open his helmet carefully. He rotated the two small disks located on his ears, then pressed the button hidden on the back of his helmet. After a click, the stuffy helmet was removed from his head. He put the helmet, which was now a gray mask with a Y-shaped opening covered in red glass, into his bag and breathed in the fresh air from his surroundings.

The cold morning air is poison to all that live. The ever-changing energy intensity of the Abyss could sometimes make people sick. There was no particular reason for Hazel to always wear his helmet, which had a good air filter. He just used it as mere fashion because he liked the design.

The city had many air filters scattered everywhere. All the facilities in the city truly allowed a normal life for its residents. So, there was no point for Hazel to constantly wear his helmet. He would be labeled strange or even suspected by the surrounding community because of it.

"There's nothing better than the smell of rotten blood in the morning."

He brushed his messy long brown hair with his hand, shifting his bangs away from his eyes. Behind them were eyes with red pupils and black sclera, complementing his sharp eye shape. Hazel had a face that could be considered quite handsome but fierce, coupled with his well-chiseled jaw giving him an absolute aura of masculinity.

He was currently in a very sparsely populated outer district area. Surely, no one would want to stand in front of a crowd of monsters with sausage necklace around their necks. Only certain people dared to set foot here and stay; usually, they were people who were desperate with their lives and could only sit and wait for death to slap them hard. There were also people who were indeed confident in their abilities and enjoyed living here with cheap rent. Some Hunters were also deliberately sent to the outer district to maintain safety and order there.

Hazel lived in an apartment complex that was still livable. It was a very strategic location for Hunters like him who were assigned to the area, and there was no denying that the rent was very affordable. The apartment was about a 5-minute walk from a secret entrance gate that only a few people knew about and was in a very secluded area.

The city of Brenkas has a shape similar to an onion; it has a boundary wall inside and is divided into 3 regions. The outer region, often called Out Far, is a very dangerous and oppressed region. Only poor people who have no hope of life live here, along with some Hunters assigned to this region.

Next is the central region, called Hope Light. It's the residence of those who managed to climb the caste and free themselves from poverty. Most of the people who live in this region work as Hunters.

Finally, the center of Brenkas city is called Sun's Grace. It's a luxurious place where only certain people can live, and this region is where technology is developed by talented individuals.

Hazel walked through what used to be housing built here for the underprivileged, now abandoned and neglected. Although the danger level was high, Hazel could still see one or two nearly collapsed houses that were still inhabited. Sometimes he forgot how stubborn the people here were, but he also couldn't complain because it was natural stupidity.

"Whoever is in charge of this place is a jerk," he grumbled uncomfortably as he saw many slash marks on the roads and walls of the houses. The expression on his face turned sour again when he saw the body parts of the monsters scattered everywhere.

Hazel could only smile and laugh as he continued his journey back to his beloved castle.

After 10 minutes of walking, he finally arrived in front of a 4-story apartment complex. Each floor of the apartment had 4 rooms, making a total of 16 rooms. Hazel lived on the top floor, which was his favorite place. Only lucky people got sunlight, and he happened to be one of them. Whether it was magic or not, the sunlight could still reach his room.

"Finally..."

Hazel went upstairs carefully while carrying his luggage. He had a little trouble carrying the large spider legs, but he finally managed to bring them to the front door of his apartment. He placed all his things on the floor and took a breath, after which he reached into his bag for the card that was the key to the door.

"It's going to be a lonely night, maybe it's better to sleep after drinking," he muttered with a hint of sadness and disappointment. After a while, he finally found the key and fell silent for a moment.

Hazel stood still in front of the door, as if waiting for someone to open it and welcome him home. With a warm smile plastered on his face, he pressed the card he was holding earlier against the doorknob until it clicked. He slowly placed his large hand on the small doorknob and began to open it.

When he opened the door, a very bright light shone directly into his eyes, momentarily blinding him.

But he wasn't angry or feeling threatened at all.

"Whoever planned this birthday surprise is a genius and very reliable," he said with sarcasm, struggling not to smile happily.

"Happy birthday, Mr. Hazel!"