Reckoning (1)

At the tallest peak of the mountain, which jutted upwards into the sky as if challenging the heavens themselves, was a group of people who attempted to stealthily reach the mouth of the cave where the Wyvern was situated.

Hiding between the rocks 50 metres away from the entrance, crouching on rocky terrain, the group of servants and their 'young master' Vincent patiently waited until Commander Vanderson and company led away the Wyvern

Trying to peer through the darkness and see what was inside the cave, a greedy light flashed in Vincent's eyes, as he couldn't help but salivate at the thought of possessing a wyvern's egg.

'The only rightful owner of this egg is me, Vincent Fletcher, and I shall retrieve it no matter the cost!'

As a strength-oriented individual who viewed others with contempt based on the degree of strength they held, Vincent was obsessed with growing stronger. The feeling of possessing greater power with every breakthrough caused him to become addicted to such a notion.

Hence, if the opportunity presented itself, Vincent would grip it tightly with all he had and ensure that he benefited from such a fateful encounter.

That was exactly what he was doing with this opportunity. Upon receiving news of a Wyvern sighting and reports which indicated there were eggs found in the tallest mountain peak in Zone C, he felt incomparably excited.

'Who wouldn't feel excited? This is the closest thing to the legendary dragons, which possessed astonishing power rivalling the strongest of existences. If I can't steal a dragon's egg, the next best thing is a wyvern's egg.'

There were two main reasons for Vincent's desire to acquire the egg to be so high. The first is that the baby Wyvern, which would come out of its shell, looking for a caretaker. If he treated it well, then the baby wyvern would become loyal to him and could be used as a monster companion.

Monster companions were monsters which were successfully tamed, whether that be through fearful submission or another method like raising them.

Only monsters with traces of intelligence could be tamed, so the price for a monster companion rose to sky-high levels, with even the five supreme families struggling to have access to one. So the value of a monster companion was astronomically high.

The second reason for having such desire is because when a wyvern grew to maturity, the essence inside its body underwent a qualitative change, which was found to greatly benefit a mage once its monster core was used to cultivate.

As many thoughts flowed through his mind, increasing his avariciousness with every passing second, Vincent heard a massive roar, which caused the whole cave to shake wildly.

'Here it comes!'

Wearing an excited grin, he made sure he concealed his body to the best of his ability behind the rock he was crouching behind as his eyes sparkled brightly.

***

Rushing up to the entrance of the cave, Commander Vanderson, the bodyguard and the ordinary-looking mage were running even faster after hearing the angry bellow of the Wyvern.

Having entered its dwelling whilst the others waited outside, the trio were tasked with grabbing the Wyvern's attention, forcing it to leave the cave so Vincent could successfully sneak in and loot the egg.

'Crap! That abomination is massive! It can only deliver the might of a rank 3 warrior, my ass! That thing looks like it can kill us with a single breath.'

Inwardly complaining, Commander Vanderson had thoughts of fleeing but stopped after remembering the remuneration he was to be given after completing his end of the deal.

'This better be worth it!'

Soon, the ground started quaking as the heavy stomps of the gargantuan wyvern appeared ever closer to their current location. Bursting out of the cave the trio heaved a sigh of relief as their figures became enshrouded in a shade of dark orange.

ROAR!

Another angry bellow resounded from the depths of the cave, as the shaking of the earth increased in frequency feeling the tremors caused by the Wyvern moving the earth beneath their feet.

Gazing back with serious expressions, the trio hesitated slightly before beginning another bout of running as they headed further and further from the cave.

A minute later, the Wyvern features finally made their way into the light as it exited the cave, flaring out its wings in seething rage.

Pitch-black skin, golden scales which were littered evenly around its body alongside a pair of yellow reptilian eyes which were narrowed into slits, gave the Wyvern a harrowing appearance.

Using its excellent sense of smell, the Wyvern discovered the whereabouts of those ants which dared to attempt to harm its soon-to-be-born children. With a mighty flap of its wings, it soared into the skies, letting out another ear-piercing roar which caused the nearby monsters to tremble in fear.

The Overlord of the region has come out to show the world its dominance once again!

***

Waking up and getting himself ready to start a new day, Evan wore a pensive expression as he evaluated his progress over the few days that he had spent in the Forbidden Wilds.

'After coming out here to the Forbidden Wilds, I have broken through to the high-tier of rank 1 and can successfully perform the first form of the sword art given to me by Andre. Also, I feel after every battle my technique and combat sense are undergoing changes being honed through battle as I put my life on the line.'

Looking toward his mask that was placed on his bed with a weighty expression, Evan continued the mental conversation he was having with himself.

'My next goal is to break through to the second rank as quickly as possible without harming the foundation I built with the aid of the Demon Reaper Art. However, this is harder said than done. The next best thing apart from strength is to have dependable allies, which can help me in my toughest times. I don't know if the members of the Fanged Wolves fit into this category. My gut is giving me mixed feelings.'

Sighing, Evan walked towards the bed as he placed the mask which he depended on so greatly to ensure his identity wasn't exposed, back on his face.

KNOCK-!

KNOCK-!

Walking toward the door, Evan was just about to open it when a sudden knock resounded on the hard oak wood. Narrowing his eyes after sensing the vague feeling in his stomach become stronger, he raised his guard as he heard Finn's voice echo from behind the door.

"Hey Evan, can I come in? I have something important to tell you."