Thump! Thump!! Thump!!!
The footsteps of a massive creature shook the ground in its wake. Leaves rustled violently, and blades of grass quivered, disturbed by the looming force. Birds scattered across the horizon, fleeing in the opposite direction, terrified to cross paths with the reckoning force approaching.
The five humans standing nearby could feel the danger drawing closer, unstoppable, a walking force of nature making its grand entrance. Still, most of them smiled, save for the load bearer, who wore a disinterested expression, and the ninja woman, whose eyes were the only thing visible beneath her mask.
"Seems the boss of this area is making its way toward us, guys. Let's make this quick, we've got a home to report to," the boisterous leader said, unstrapping his double-headed axe.
***
Meanwhile…
Inside a carriage en route to Silverware, the newly formed group sat together, enjoying the passing scenery.
"So, sister's boy, wh—"
"I have a name, thank you," Raven cut Helga off mid-sentence.
Ignoring his interruption, she continued, "What did you do with the core shard of that Beastodon?"
"I swallowed it," Raven replied with a straight face.
"You what?!" Helga suddenly screamed, nearly deafening the others. Her voice echoed down the street, drawing the eyes of passersby.
"You swallowed the core shard?! That was a Mystic Beast-class artifact and you swallowed it?! How are you even alive?!"
Helga was stunned, unable to believe her ears.
"Wait, he swallowed a Mystic Beast core shard? No way, how did he even get it? Did he defeat one?!" Wolfton exclaimed, shocked.
"He didn't defeat it. The Mystic Beast was already dead. He just scavenged its remains," Helga explained.
What she said was half true, that was the story Raven had told her and her former cohort. But in reality, the Beastodon hadn't been dead; merely dying after a brutal battle with the Triospinosaurus. Raven had only finished it off.
Not that he was about to clarify that misunderstanding. It would only bring trouble.
He glanced at Helga, still struggling to process it, and at Wolfton, who looked oddly relieved that Raven hadn't actually fought a Mystic Beast.
"Yeah, even I'm surprised by my body's resilience," Raven said with a smug grin.
He remembered the feeling vividly, the searing pain that had wracked his body when he absorbed the shard. Never in his life would he do something so reckless again. Yes, he wanted to grow stronger quickly, but he'd known the risks of taking in something that powerful, especially with a body still developing. Yet, he did it anyway.
He recalled the unbearable heat escaping from his body, his joints locking, his muscles convulsing, he was lucky to survive with just that much pain. Even though the shard had belonged to the lowest class of the Mystic Beast category, its power had been overwhelming.
Still, despite all that suffering, the system didn't reward him much. It only slightly raised his overall stats:
STR → 25
AGI → 30
DEX → 20
VIT → +20
SPD → 35
ATK → 35
DEF → 20
Raven clicked his tongue just thinking about it. He wondered if the system had prevented his death by suppressing the shard's raw power. Either way, the result was disappointing, probably the system's way of punishing him for doing something so stupid.
Helga was still lost in thought, unable to comprehend how he'd survived something so absurd. Wolfton, though shocked, had his own theory, the system must have intervened.
He laughed inwardly. 'I've really underestimated him. He does the weirdest, most unorthodox things, but that's what makes him grow.'
Still, Wolfton wouldn't let the moment pass without teasing him.
"What were you thinking? Why would you swallow a Mystic Beast core shard in the first place?" he snickered.
"Impulse," Raven replied flatly.
"I bet you wished you were never born after all that pain. You're such a fool."
"If you're trying to make fun of me, you're doing a terrible job," Raven deadpanned.
"What a killjoy," Wolfton muttered.
The carriage reached the city gates. The guards waved them through after noticing their adventurer badges.
After some travel, the trio finally arrived at their destination, the residence of Counselor Rodriguez.
Raven showed the guards their official guild seal, verifying the mission request.
"The master will be with you in a few minutes," said a butler in a crisp white tuxedo, leading them to the guest room.
After a brief wait, a middle-aged stickman with a curly mustache entered.
"Ah, thank you for coming all this way," Counselor Rodriguez greeted warmly.
"The pleasure is ours," Helga said politely. "Before we begin, we'd like some details about the mission."
"Of course. As you may know, Blue Beasts are Mystic Beasts native to the western continent, Kaimaji. Due to their tame and non-aggressive nature, they make excellent companions. Rhodes is my daughter's familiar, she went missing two weeks ago."
"When was the last time she was seen?" Raven asked.
"The last time was when my daughter and Rhodes went out scouting, well, playing, in the eastern woods. They returned safely that day, but Rhodes went missing the next morning," Counselor Rodriguez explained.
"We've already sent search parties, but she wasn't found. My daughter has grown restless and wants to look for her on her own, so I submitted a request to the Adventurer's Guild instead."
"That's understandable," Helga said. "Though a lot of time has passed, it's still a lead we can follow. We'll take it from here."
"Thank you," Counselor Rodriguez said, escorting them outside the residence.
As the trio departed, a red female stickman watched from a window on the mansion's second floor. Her expression darkened, she frowned and clenched her fist.