Moving along, the quartet continued their journey through the eerie woods. The deaths of monsters kept mounting, their core shards missing. The forest was unnervingly silent; the usual grunts, cries, howls, and chirps were all gone.
Only the sound of the breeze brushing over the canopies remained, sending shuddering chills down their spines and raising goosebumps on their skin. It felt like walking through a ghost town, empty, deserted, dead.
"Uhm, guys," Wolfton said cautiously, "I think we might be walking into something much bigger than just searching for a pet."
"We can all see that," Raven replied, uninterested.
"Then why are we still going deeper into the woods?"
"Because Rhodes is in here," said Tiana, the red female stickman.
"And how would you know that?"
"She's my familiar. We're connected. I can still feel her tether and it only grows stronger the deeper we go."
"Tch." Wolfton clicked his tongue. "I still don't agree with letting this little girl tag along in such an eerie place."
"Well, she's an important piece in finding the blue beast. Her connection convinced me to side with Raven and let her come," Helga replied.
Wolfton curled his lips and scowled but said nothing.
As they continued their expedition, Raven received a prompt:
[ Walking in the shadows of the eerie woods...Wilderness ominously silent. Trees quietly watching.
Monsters slain by unknown marauders. Dangerous assailants roam free. ]
Quest: Find the perpetrators behind the mounting monster deaths.
Rewards: 50 XP, 50 Shadow Essence, +1 Dexterity, +2 Vitality
Penalty: None
Raven smirked at the holographic screen. Even without the system's quest, he had already decided to investigate the killings. But since it offered rewards for something he intended to do anyway, and better yet, there was no penalty, he'd gladly take advantage of it.
Mentally, he selected
"Just to be clear," Wolfton said suddenly, "we're also going after whoever caused this massacre, right?"
Raven glanced at him from the corner of his eye. It seemed Wolfton had also received a quest from his system, and his tone had shifted completely.
"We already are," Helga said. "And frankly, I want to know who did this."
Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath their feet. The trees shook violently as something massive approached.
"About time we find something natural," Raven muttered, drawing his blue, glinting sword.
The monster emerged from the shadows, a towering beast with the head of a T. rex, surprisingly proportionate theropod arms, a slender frame, and six-inch sickle claws on its feet.
[ Juvenile Tyrannobuccus ]
Category: Mega Fauna
Class: Tusked...]
It stood a few meters away, glaring at them with a mixture of fear and fury.
The cohort froze, staring at the creature's wounds.
Deep gashes marred its body. One claw was broken, an arm missing, the other bent backward. The monster was in agony, and from the looks of it, had narrowly escaped death.
They hesitated, torn between putting the creature out of its misery or sparing their supplies. None of them wanted to waste healing items meant for themselves.
The Tyrannobuccus growled weakly and stepped back. From its movement, they could tell it wasn't hunting them, it was simply looking for a place to to heal its wounds. Exhaustion had dulled its senses, and it had stumbled into their path.
Without hesitation, Raven blurred forward, his sword blazing red. In a single clean strike, he cleaved through the Tyrannobuccus' torso. The beast let out a guttural cry before collapsing, lifeless. Blood pooled beneath it.
Raven flicked his sword, scattering the blood onto the ground. The blade gleamed clean again. No one spoke; they understood. If he hadn't ended it, the beast would have died slowly, painfully.
Raven harvested its dimly glowing yellow core shard and tucked it into his pouch. The group continued on in silence. Wolfton, unlike the others, wore a scowl, his fists clenched tight.
Time passed. The sun was setting, and the forest darkened under the moon's pale rise. The cohort decided to camp for the night.
Raven and Wolfton pitched temporary tents while Helga, with some reluctant help from Tiana, prepared supper.
Night descended. Insects chirped softly as the bonfire crackled against the quiet. The group sat around it, eating their meal.
Sips!
"Are your parents not going to worry about you missing from home?" Helga asked, sipping her soup.
"They will," Tiana said softly, sadness hinting in her tone. "But I can feel her, her emotions. She's furious. Whoever caused this massacre made her angry. The main reason I came is to calm her down."
"So you know where she is?" Helga asked.
"Not exactly," Tiana said. "But I can feel her tether. It's growing stronger. If we go further, I'll be able to pinpoint her exact location."
Raven remained silent, lost in thought.
Suddenly, Wolfton shot up, staring into the distance. "Guys, look, is that a campfire? It's huge."
The others turned toward where he pointed. Sure enough, flickering light danced through the trees ahead. A campfire, but whose?
Another adventurer party? Or something else entirely?
The cohort stood, eyes fixed on the distant glow.
"You're thinking what I'm thinking?" Raven asked quietly.
"I think we're all thinking the same thing," Helga replied.
They had a theory, but they'd need to see it for themselves.
Raven's frown deepened as the light flickered in his eyes.