You Want Me to Be a Hunter?

"Call me teacher," Nathas said with a laugh, slipping back into his drunken stupor.

Andy pursed his lips. You're Nathas! How could you act like this?

When he'd first heard the old man's name, Andy had nearly jumped out of his skin. It was Nathas! Another big shot—a famous Elf Ranger! But he was a High Elf, wasn't he?

After the Well of Eternity exploded, some of the High Elves followed their queen, Azshara, and were transformed into Naga by the demons, sinking beneath the sea. A small group of High Elves went to a place called Quel'Thalas and founded a kingdom there. Why hadn't Nathas gone with them? His old flame was still over there, after all!

"Hm? Why aren't you calling me that yet?" Nathas mumbled. "Do you think your teacher isn't qualified?"

"Ah!" Andy snapped back to his senses. "No, that's not it!" If you weren't qualified, then almost nobody would be.

"Teacher," Andy said quietly.

"Why do you sound so reluctant? Forget it. Do whatever you want. I don't care anyway." Nathas took a swig of wine.

"Teacher, why do you live in a place like this?" Andy looked around the already cramped little shack and clicked his tongue.

"What's wrong with me living here? I like it!" Nathas rolled his eyes.

Andy had finally seen Nathas for what he really was: an unreasonable old lunatic.

Andy slung his bow over his shoulder again and glanced at the sun, already sinking in the west. "Teacher, what are you having for dinner?"

Nathas stared at Andy in surprise. "You can cook?"

"A little, but I don't have any ingredients," Andy replied. "Teacher, do you have any money? I could go buy some food."

"Money? I'm out." Nathas shook the wineskin in his hand. "I spent it all on booze."

"Th-then what should we do?" Andy stared at Nathas imploringly. Surely the old drunk wasn't going to leave him without dinner?

"Don't worry. Come here!" Nathas beckoned. "I'll teach you a couple of things. Go outside the city and catch some small game."

Andy looked at his rather unreliable teacher and wondered if he could trust him not to teach the skills wrong while drunk.

Andy watched as Nathas pulled a little booklet from somewhere behind himself and tossed it over. Andy caught it. The words on the cover read: Hunter Crash Course.

W-what was this? "Teacher, didn't you say you'd teach me a couple of things? What's this?" Andy asked, baffled. Why had Nathas thrown him a book like this?

"This is what I'm teaching you. Hurry up and study it. Once you've learned it, go get us something to eat," Nathas urged.

This was it? Hunter Crash Course? Andy frowned and opened the booklet. It covered making traps, crafting bows and crossbows, practicing archery, and finally, a skinning skill. "Teacher... are you telling me to become a hunter?" Andy asked softly.

"Of course! How else are you going to get us food?" Nathas replied as if it were obvious.

Andy rolled his eyes and promptly fainted. Was the old man messing with him? He wanted Andy to become a hunter just so he could bring back food! Just as Nathas was about to fly into a rage, Andy hurriedly scrambled to his feet and ran out of the stinking thatched hut.

"Received one Hunter Crash Course! One Eaglehorn Bow!" As soon as Andy ran outside, the long-missed voice of Monster Spirit sounded in his mind.

"What good is that?" Andy sent back a thought. "Hunter Crash Course? Who knows what that thing even is! And what good is a bow without arrows?"

"Hunter Crash Course is a guidebook that teaches you the basics of a hunter's work. It contains all the hunter skills. It's a cheap street-stall book that costs fifty cents," Monster Spirit explained. "By the way, a guide to making arrows is included in Hunter Crash Course. First, you need to learn how to make arrows, then how to shoot. Before that, you need to improve your aim. Before that, you need to build up your arm strength. Before that, you need to improve your physical strength. Before that, you need to improve your agility. Before that..."

"Stop!" Andy's head was spinning. "So what should I do first?"

"Obviously, you need to improve your stamina and strength first!" Nathas was suddenly standing at the doorway. "Here's a copper coin. If you're hungry, go buy yourself something to eat. Before I get back, you need to build up your stamina and strength!"

"Then where are you going?" Andy finally couldn't help asking.

"Me? I'm going drinking, of course!" Nathas staggered away.

"Teacher, when are you coming back?" Andy shouted.

Nathas didn't answer. Maybe he hadn't heard, or maybe he didn't want to reply. Either way, he staggered off, nearly falling over several times.

"Build up my stamina and strength?" Andy muttered. "How?"

"I don't know!" Monster Spirit's voice rang out.

"Don't you know everything?" Andy rolled his eyes.

Andy thought through every method he could remember from his previous life for improving stamina and strength. In the end, he settled on one: running! Yes, running! Why? Because it was the simplest!

He got right to it. Andy didn't want the drunken old man to come back, declare him unfit, and mock him. He kept going until sunset, when he finally stopped, panting.

"Growl, growl." Andy's stomach was protesting. He pulled the copper coin from his pocket, and tears nearly sprang to his eyes. A copper coin! Why had the old man given him just one? According to Andy's memories of World of Warcraft, a single copper coin was practically worthless! And yet the old man had expected him to buy food with it!

With his stomach protesting repeatedly, Andy had no choice but to clutch the coin and head for the nearest stall in the city.

"Boss, I'd like to buy something to eat." Andy felt like he could barely get the words out.

"Oh? What would you like?" the cheerful stall owner asked.

"I don't know. I only have one copper coin!" Andy figured his face must be as red as a monkey's backside.

"Oh, wait a moment!" The owner reached into a basket, took out some food, and handed it to Andy. Then he accepted the coin.

Andy stared at the food in his hands, hardly able to believe it. One copper coin had really bought him food—and so much of it? He looked at the owner, who wasn't even watching him and was busy with his own work.

Andy was starving and couldn't worry about it any longer. He'd fill his stomach first. He ate as he walked, his bow still slung over his shoulder. Only after Andy had left did the stall owner look up at him. Then he went back to his work.