The forest still trembled from the aftermath of the battle.

Ash drifted through the air, faint as snow, while the river behind them whispered against the rocks. The Alpha's head lay in Auren's grasp, dripping dark blood that shimmered under the moonlight.

Across the clearing, the rest of the Night Stalkers froze.

grrrr

Their glowing eyes darted between Auren and their fallen leader's corpse. No howls. No movement. Only the faint sound of claws scraping dirt as confusion spread among them.

Without their Alpha, they didn't know who to follow.Auren's grin cut through the smoke like a blade.

"What's wrong? Don't like the new management?"

The beasts began pacing, growling at each other.One barked, another retreated. Their formation broke apart, wild and leaderless. Some are even starting to back away.

Alyssa spotted the shift. Her eyes narrowed.

"Now! While they're lost—strike!"

The command hit like thunder.

"With pleasure!"Blas drew first, loosing three arrows that cracked through skulls before they could blink.

"Oh yeah!" He celebrated maniacally with every headshot.

On the other side, Alyssa charged with her shield high, her sword flashing with pale light. Every swing left streaks of silver in the air and blood coming from the Night Stalkers.

"Watch out from their range attacks! Essel, focus on healing!"

"Got it!" Essel shouted from the backline, getting some unwanted attention from lurking beasts.

On the sides, Auren darted through the chaos like smoke given form.Each step was calculated, precise, guided by the faint hum of mana paths only he could see through Tiger Focus.

Sometimes, he would unleash his concoctions here and there, combining range and melee attacks along the way.

Hiyah!

SLASH!His sword sliced through another beast's spine before it even turned.

Essel stood behind them, staff raised, light coiling around her like a halo.

[Holy Wind!]A pulse of radiance burst out, washing over the battlefield, sharpening their movements, cleansing their fatigue as they hunted them nonstop.

AWOOOO!~

The Night Stalkers howled trying to encourage each other —but it was over too late.Their bodies dropped one by one, smoke rising from torn flesh while their mana cores dropped along.

"Leave those two," Alyssa said as the last of them fled into the dark—a limping pair, male and female.

"Let them rebuild the pack. Nature needs balance." she explained. Auren and Essel nodded in aggreement.

"Makes sense." Auren added while his eyes followed a moving shadow from behind.

Blas rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. Balance. Until they eat another traveler."Alyssa ignored him, wiping her blade clean.

A sudden crunch behind Essel froze everyone.Her head turned—too late.

A Night Stalker, half-dead but still hungry, lunged from the shadows. Its jaw opened wide, breath reeking of rot, wanting a taste of the beautiful healer.

"Kiyaaaah!"Essel's scream caught in her throat. Blas was startled at her sudden shout.

Fortuantely, Auren was already moving.

"I got you."He pivoted, grabbed her shoulder, and swung his sword upward in a single motion.Steel met bone. The creature's head split in two before it hit the ground.

Blood sprayed across Auren's arm. His chest rose and fell, calm but sharp-eyed."Stay alert, Essel. Don't ever let your guard down." he said, voice low.

Essel's knees trembled. "I—I'm sorry. I thought it was over."

"It's never over until I say so."

Blas swaggered closer, pointing his bow at the corpse. "You're welcome. I hit that first."

Alyssa blinked. "You didn't even notice it until Auren moved."

"Exactly," Blas said, grinning. "I was testing him."

Auren gave a faint smirk but didn't argue.

"Well done everyone! Now' let's start collecting their cores."

The silence afterward was filled only by the crackle of dying embers and the four members collecting the mana cores in pairs.

Soon, they gathere together.

Alyssa called the team together near the riverbank.

The moon reflected on the rippling surface, washing their faces in silver light.

"Good work," she said while panning her face with a satisfied grin.

"Everyone pulled their weight today. Blas, your aim was steady and sharp."

"No biggie." Blas said while wiping the blood stain from one of his recalled arrows.

"Essel, your healing and buffs kept us alive. Your mana management is also improving.Well done." the leader commended.

"T-thank you. I will continue to improve!" Essel replied, blushing from the unwanted attention.

"And Auren…" Ayssa's eyes softened slightly, "your reflex saved her life. Good job."

"Don't mention it. That's part of my job anyway." Auren said as he started walking towards one of the Alpha's corpse.

Blas made a face. "Sure, let's all clap for the sword guy."

"Consider it clapped," Auren said dryly, kneeling beside the Alpha's corpse. He drew a short knife and began cutting through the jaw.

"What are you doing?" Essel asked, still catching her breath and curious.

"Proof of subjugation," he said. "And a keepsake."

sssk~

The blade flicked, smooth and deliberate, as he pried free two massive fangs.

Each one glowed faintly red from the mana still trapped within and gave them to the leader, Alyssa received them with a wide grin.He did the same for the lesser beasts, stacking them neatly on cloth.

Blas grimaced. "You're seriously keeping those? That's disgusting."

"Disgusting pays well," Auren replied.

"I also need them for alchemical ingredients." he added.

When it was done, they packed up, washed the blood off their gear, and lit a small fire back at their camp.

Soon, the air filled with the scent of grilled meat and the faint sweetness of burned bread.Their laughter rose with the smoke. Even Blas couldn't help but smile through his complaints.

Essel brewed tea using herbs she'd gathered, her voice soft.

"To Blue Bound," she said, raising her cup.

"To Blue Bound," Alyssa echoed, lifting her mug of wine. "First one out of three! And to more Victory!"

Auren gave a light toast with his wine."Efficient," he said.

"Could've been cleaner."

"You could've been less smug," Blas muttered.

"You knew I saved Essel, right?"

"Yeah yeah, you did." Auren rolled his eyes before taking a sip.

Alyssa ignored them both.

"The next quest's already lined up," she said. "A caravan escort to the Thunga Desert. Good pay. Low risk."

"Low risk?" Blas snorted. "That's what you said about the ogres."

Essel giggled. "We finished it in one day remember?"

"Whatever," he said quickly.

Auren smirked and turned to Alyssa, "We move after half a day's rest. What do you think, captain?"

Alyssa paused for a moment and answered, "I agree."

And so the team did. After a couple more cup of wine and celebratory talks, they rested with the usual switching guard method.

The next morning, the forest felt lighter. Birds returned to the river. The corpses were already fading into dust, mana dissipating with the wind.They broke camp and followed the trail north toward the trade roads of Doong.

By noon, the landscape opened into a bustling frontier town surrounded by wooden palisades. Caravans lined the entrance, horses snorting, merchants shouting and groups of various adventurer groups passed by.

Dust hung in the air like fog.

"Lively place," Blas said, stretching. "Smells like greed and horse sweat."

Alyssa adjusted her cloak. "Focus. Client first, complaints later."

Soon, they spotted their client near the gate—a short, round man with a green feathered hat and far too much jewelry.He waved them over as if conducting an orchestra. "Ah, the Blue Bound! You look smaller than I expected."

He then took a lustful gaze at Alyssa and waved the team to follow him.

Blas muttered from behind, "Says the guy shaped like a melon."

The man didn't hear. Or pretended not to.

"I am Croko! Merchant, investor, genius of trade and a proud member of the Merchant Association!" He puffed out his chest while walking before stopping on a certain covered cargo.

"You will escort my prized cargo across the Thunga Desert. Dangerous route, but my goods must arrive to the Dwarven King of Runashguard himself."

His assistant—a tall, frail man with sunken eyes—shifted nervously beside him. "Sir, perhaps we shouldn't mention—"

"Nonsense!" Croko barked. "They should feel honored!"

He gestured to a large, covered carriage behind him. The tarp was chained tight, with several glowing runes carved into the metal frame.Even from a distance, Auren could feel the mana pulsing from within.

Cold. Heavy. Familiar.

"What's in there?" Auren asked quietly.

Croko chuckled. "A gift fit for a king. Beautiful. Rare. Cost me twenty men to capture. Quite a fiesty one."

Blas raised an eyebrow. "A monster?"

Croko grinned wider. "Something far more precious. And you're not paid to ask."

Auren didn't reply. His gaze lingered on the carriage.There was a smell coming from the seams of the tarp—faint, metallic, mixed with burnt jasmine.

Somehow, he felt that the scent is familiar.

As the other adventurer groups gathered, Croko bragged to his assistant, loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Imagine the Dwarven King's face when he sees it. A rare elven beauty from the Thugian borders! Hah! Worth every life lost!"

Auren's eyes snapped toward him. His grip tightened on his sword.

'Did he just said an elf?'

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.