Bad Luck !

"Good job, Noah. Keep it up. But stay sharp. We're just getting started."

Noah nodded, stepping back into formation. His confidence had grown, but he knew there was still a long road ahead. 

The rest of the wolves were swiftly dealt with, and the battle ended without any serious injuries among the team. 

Erin Light moved forward, her hands glowing with a soft, white light as she checked over everyone, ensuring no one had sustained any hidden wounds.

When all was clear, Captain Ladd clapped his hands, signaling a brief rest. "Well done, everyone. Let's take a short break before moving forward. It's only going to get harder from here."

As the group sat down, sharing water and snacks, Noah found himself beside Erin, who gave him a warm smile. "You handled that wolf well," she said kindly. "Is this really your first recall mission?"

Noah smiled modestly, still feeling the adrenaline coursing through him. "Yeah, but I've been training on my own for a while."

Erin nodded approvingly. "It shows. Keep it up, and you'll be gaining more experience in no time."

Her words filled Noah with a renewed sense of determination. He had proven himself once, but he knew this was just the beginning. 

After a brief rest, Captain Ladd stood and gave the signal. "Break's over. Let's move before the sun sets. It only gets darker from here."

..

Over the course of three long hours inside the vast, wild forest, the party had fought off over 300 wolf-like Kaiju, their grotesque forms now strewn across the damp ground like discarded scraps. 

Despite the intimidating number of enemies, the creatures posed little challenge to the seasoned Hunters, three of whom were Ascenders—elite warriors who could handle much tougher foes. For them, these weak monsters were no more than an inconvenience, a distraction from the real action they craved.

"Ugh, if it weren't for these scrawny sausages they call rookies, I'd be home by now," grumbled one of the lower-tier Ascender-ranked Hunters, casting a disapproving glance at the newcomers struggling to keep up.

The large dungeon environment was specifically chosen for this mission to help inexperienced adventurers gain some real-world combat training. 

To ensure their safety, the Adventurers' Association had issued rewards to veteran Hunters, tasking them with protecting the greenhorns during their trials. 

It was supposed to be a teaching moment. In practice, it was becoming an exercise in frustration for the experienced fighters, who had to hold back and babysit the novices.

On the other side of the group, a figure could be seen lying on the ground, curled up in a fetal position. It was none other than Noah Nightshade, his face twisted in despair as tears welled up in his eyes. His hands clutched at his hair, pulling it lightly in frustration.

"Why… why me?!" he growled, sounding less like the brooding warrior he'd hoped to be and more like a child who'd dropped his ice cream. His voice quivered as he spoke, teetering on the edge of a full-blown tantrum.

Erin Light, the team's healer, approached him with a sympathetic smile, crouching down next to him. "It's okay, Noah. Not everyone gets a blood crystal on their first few tries," she said soothingly, though she couldn't even hide the slight hint of pity in her eyes.

The rest of the party members exchanged amused glances. 

Noah had been assigned to act as a porter due to his lack of experience with monster battles, having only awakened his abilities recently. But after showing some surprising skill during an earlier scuffle with a group of wolf Kaiju, the captain had allowed him to join the fight. 

Yet, despite his newfound freedom, Noah had somehow managed to harvest exactly zero blood crystals from the dozen or so Kaiju he had personally slain.

The rest of the hunters, both veteran and novice, had been happily pocketing their fair share of blood crystals. After all, a single crystal from a low-level Kaiju was worth at least 30 bronze coins, and with 300 corpses, the team had collectively earned 9,000 bronze coins—equivalent to nine silver coins. It was a good haul for an easy mission.

But Noah? Not a single crystal. Not one.

"Is it even possible to be this unlucky?" one of the veteran hunters muttered, watching Noah sulk in the dirt. His voice was filled with a mix of amusement and disbelief.

"Seriously, out of 12 Kaiju, zero crystals? I thought it was like, a 90% chance they'd drop something," another chimed in, shaking his head. "The odds are in your favor, right? I mean, even weak monsters should've dropped something by now."

"Maybe he's cursed," a third hunter suggested, not entirely joking.

"How can someone be this pathetic?" the first hunter scoffed, laughing. "Twelve kills and not even one crystal? That's a new level of bad luck."

"Hahaha!" The group's laughter echoed through the trees, much to Noah's increasing humiliation.

Noah's face flushed red, his fists clenched as he fought back the urge to scream. It was as if the universe itself had decided to make him the butt of every joke, the cosmic punchline to this ongoing nightmare. 

He looked up at Erin, who was trying her best not to join in with the others. Her lips were twitching ever so slightly, betraying her suppressed smile.

"Noah, really, don't worry about it. These things happen," she said softly, though the thin veneer of sincerity was starting to crack.

"Yeah," Noah muttered bitterly, staring at the dirt beneath him. "To me."

"Hey, look at the bright side," one of the veteran hunters shouted from across the clearing, grinning ear to ear. "At least you're consistent!"

The whole group burst into laughter again, and even Erin, unable to hold it in any longer, giggled lightly. Noah's eyes narrowed into slits as he stared daggers at the older hunter. 

He imagined hurling his dagger at him—not enough to hurt, just to shut him up. He knew it wouldn't help, but oh, how satisfying that brief fantasy was.

Suddenly, the captain's voice cut through the banter, calm but authoritative. "Alright, enough messing around. We're not here to roast our own," he said, though the slight smirk on his face suggested he wasn't above enjoying the spectacle himself.

Noah clenched his jaw, feeling a familiar heat rise to his cheeks. He hated this—being the butt of the joke, the source of everyone's amusement. 

It always seemed to happen when things went wrong, as if he were destined to be the group's punching bag. His fists curled at his sides, but he didn't dare act out. Not here. Not now.

Erin placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. "You're stronger than you think, Noah. Don't let them get to you."

But the words, however kind, did little to quell the gnawing frustration in his chest.

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Unlucky Nightshade, isn't he? What do think, the cause of not having a single Blood Crystal dropped ever? Let me know in the comments.