The Unexpected Hunter

[Wyvern Valley Quest]

Quest: Basic Wyvern Hunt

[Kill 20 Valley Venomwings]

[Kill 15 Nimble Stonehides]

[Kill 10 Muffled Breath Wyverlings]

[Kill the Valley Reaper]

Collect 5 Crystal Shards

Reward: 10,000 XP, 1000 gold

Bonus Reward: If quest completed within 7 days: Choice of 1 rare Wyvern item

"So if we complete it within 7 days, we can choose an item. Isn't 7 days too long?"

"I don't know, the previous dungeons were easy. We finished Twilight Pit in 2 days. This should take 3, maybe 4 days tops."

"Let's hurry then! We shouldn't leave anything to chance."

Boran and Noemi slowly advanced into the lower layers of the valley. The vegetation around them grew denser, and humid air filled their lungs. The soil beneath their feet was soft and fertile.

"This place... is unexpectedly beautiful," said Boran, touching the giant fern leaves. Water droplets from the leaves clung to his fingers.

"It is," said Noemi, advancing with careful steps. "Look at those crystals."

When Boran looked up, he saw the translucent crystals jutting out from between the rocks. When sunlight hit them, all the colors of the rainbow scattered around.

"These crystals... are they a source of elemental power?" asked Boran.

"Yes. The wyverns feed on them. Not physically, I mean... They draw their energy from here. That's why there are different colored crystals in each region."

They walked a while longer. Boran occasionally stopped to examine the plants and rocks around them. Everything was so foreign, so mesmerizing...

He suddenly stopped. "Look at these tracks," he said, pointing to strange indentations in the ground.

Noemi bent down to look. "What do you see?"

As Noemi leaned down to examine the tracks, her long robe settled gently against her body. The fabric clung to the curve of her slender waist, creating an elegant silhouette with the robe flowing down from her shoulders. The loosely-stitched chest area shifted with her movement, the front unconsciously parting slightly. Every detail was understated and natural.

When Boran caught this sight from the corner of his eye, he couldn't process what he was seeing at first. His throat went dry, his face slightly flushed, and he quickly averted his gaze.

"Um... well... Small claw marks. Fresh ones. Look here," he said, pointing to a track. "The damp soil hasn't collapsed yet. They passed through here no more than half an hour ago." His eyes were fixed on the ground, but his mind was still affected by what he had just seen. The tension in his voice was noticeable.

"How close could they be?" asked Noemi, scanning the surroundings with concern.

"Not sure..."

Noemi turned her head slightly, as if noticing Boran's glance, but said nothing. She just smiled—perhaps she hadn't noticed, or if she had, she didn't mind.

Just then, it occurred to Boran: The ring! Boney was still inside the ring! He hastily touched his ring, and Boney appeared.

The skeleton initially looked somewhat angry. The fire in its eye sockets blazed with fury. It couldn't speak, but its body language said everything — arms crossed, foot tapping the ground.

Noemi looked at Boney in amazement. "Is this... is this a skeleton? Wow!" She came closer to examine it more carefully.

Boney adopted a shy demeanor in response to Noemi's close attention. The fire in its eye sockets flickered slightly, and it lowered its head.

"This is Boney," said Boran with a smile. "My... well... we could say companion."

"Amazing!" said Noemi excitedly. "Since I've never seen a summoner before, so it's strange seeing normally hostile types as friends."

Boney looked even more embarrassed now. Scraping its bony feet on the ground, it shook its head from side to side.

"I'm sorry," said Boran, intervening. "I apologize for forgetting about you, Boney. But maybe you can help us now. The Venomwings are nearby. We'll need your bow and you."

Boney immediately pulled himself together. The fire in his eye sockets rekindled, and he drew his bow, beginning to scan the area.

"Boney is wonderful!" said Noemi with a smile. "You didn't mention you had such a companion, Boran."

Boran shrugged. "We're actually just getting to know each other. But yes, he's... someone special. I guess I skipped that part."

Boney became embarrassed again at this compliment but quickly composed himself. He pointed in a direction with his bony hand.

"What's he saying?" asked Noemi.

"He's probably saying 'let's go that way,'" said Boran, interpreting Boney's signals. "Let's get behind that rocky outcrop. Maybe we can get a good view of the area from there."

From behind the rocks, Boran could clearly see three Venomwings. The small wyverns, covered in greenish scales, were flying like dancers around the crystals on the ground. Their wings were translucent and almost as thin as butterfly wings. With each wing beat, they released a poisonous mist into the air, which danced with a greenish sparkle in the sunlight.

"There they are..." whispered Boran, readying his shield.

[Gained passive ability: Observation]

[Observation]

Type: Passive – Perception and Analysis

Level: 1

Domain: Equal or Lower level creatures

Description:

Combat experience and careful structure enable better observation of surrounding creatures. This ability allows for rough understanding of an enemy's behavioral patterns, weaknesses, or habits when first encountered.

Level 1 effects:

Only works on creatures of equal or lower level than you

Provides basic information: Whether the creature is aggressive, tendency to flee, and other basic behaviors

Cannot analyze complex enemy movements, but quickly notices fixed or repeating behaviors

Ability works automatically; but requires attention

Boran suddenly felt a new door opening in his mind. As if his vision had become clearer, every movement of the wyverns before him began to make more sense. This sudden change surprised him — he had never experienced anything like this before. He blinked, trying to process the strange sensation of this new perception.

"Did I gain this ability just by observing the wyverns for a while? How easy it is to gain some abilities..."

Boran carefully observed the wyverns' behavior. Two appeared younger — their movements more hasty, more irregular. The third, likely the leader of the pack and a larger Venomwing, was systematically circling around the crystals, occasionally stopping to probe them with its sharp claws.

The two young Wyverns must have been the same level as Boran. From the wyverns' posture, wing movements, and especially their reactions when faced with threats, he had reached a conclusion: Their first reflex when detecting a threat would be to quickly take flight and scan the area in a wide arc. He couldn't predict what the third wyvern would do, its level must have been higher than his.

The leader Venomwing suddenly stopped. Its long, snake-like neck tensed as it began to smell the air. As its thin, forked tongue flicked in and out, the other two slowed their movements. The Venomwings' eyes glowed with a phosphorescent green — this glow was a sign they had entered hunting mode.

"They've noticed us," whispered Boran, his voice barely audible. "They've caught our scent..."

One of the young Venomwings suddenly let out a shrill cry — the sound was somewhere between breaking glass and metal scraping. The poison cloud suspended over the crystals began to vibrate with this sound wave. The poison in the air was condensing, becoming visible.

All three wyverns were now fully alert, in hunting position. Their tails were taut like drawn bows, their claws spread ready to attack. A green liquid was dripping from the edges of their wings — this was their poison in its most concentrated form.

Boran turned to Noemi. "In a moment, at least two of them will take to the air. Try to hit them while they're airborne, let's make the first strike."

As Boran predicted, the two young Venomwings suddenly spread their wings and took off with a sharp movement. Clouds of poisonous mist trailed behind them. Noemi raised her staff, and Boney took aim at the same time.

Just then, something unexpected happened. A whizzing sound from among the rocks transformed into a metallic whistle. Three arrows cut through the air so fast and accurately that Boran's eyes could only see blurry shadows.

The arrows struck the Venomwings one after another. The first arrow pierced through the leading young wyvern's neck. The second arrow struck the other young Venomwing in the chest. The third arrow shattered the leader Venomwing's wing. All three creatures fell to the ground with cries of pain.

Boran, Noemi, and Boney looked at each other in astonishment. The arrows hadn't come from them. Boran quickly scanned the area, trying to find the source of the arrows.

A movement emerged from the shadows of the rocks. A figure in a long, dark cloak silently appeared. The bow in their hand had the most complex design Boran had ever seen—covered in glowing runic inscriptions and metal ornaments.

"Sorry, kids," said the figure, throwing back their hood. "But we have quests to complete."