Chapter 206: A Hunter’s Day
The light faded, and the forest opened around them.
Unlike the dungeons they’d been entering recently, this one didn’t feel like it wanted to kill them on sight.
Sunlight filtered down through enormous trees, broken into soft gold pieces on the forest floor. The air was humid, thick with the smell of wet bark and green things growing. Somewhere overhead, bird-like monsters called to each other, their cries echoing between the branches.
No enemies rushed them.
Sera stretched, arms over her head, spear still slung across her back. "This is nice."
Kai nodded. "Most B-Rank hunters probably said that."
She laughed. "Before getting eaten?"
"Probably."
They started walking.
...
No monsters yet. Just the two of them, boots pressing into soft earth, the forest closing gently around the path.
Sera glanced over.
"It’s been quiet."
Kai glanced back.
"The city?"
"No."
"You."
Kai raised an eyebrow.
"I thought solving disputes would drive you crazy."
He smiled.
"I actually enjoyed it."
She looked surprised.
"You did?"
"It felt..."
He searched for the word.
"...meaningful."
Sera smiled.
"You’ve changed."
Kai laughed.
"So have you."
She bumped his shoulder with hers.
"I’m still better looking."
Kai nodded seriously.
"I wasn’t going to argue."
She blinked.
"...That wasn’t the response I expected."
...
The bushes exploded.
Six Verdant Wolves rushed out, teeth bared, low growls rolling through the underbrush.
[Verdant Wolf – Level 54]
[Verdant Wolf – Level 55]
Sera drew her spear.
"No plan?"
Kai looked amused.
"When have we ever needed one?"
The wolves fanned out, surrounding them in a loose ring.
One leaped.
Kai sidestepped, unhurried.
One slash.
Dead.
Sera spun, spear trailing gold light. Three wolves launched backward, tumbling through the grass.
Kai whistled.
"You’ve gotten faster."
"You’ve gotten lazy."
Another wolf lunged at him. Kai didn’t even fully draw his sword. A quick partial draw, barely more than a flick of his wrist.
The monster fell apart.
Sera sighed.
"Show off."
Kai shrugged.
"They’re a little slow."
Within seconds, the entire pack was dead.
...
The monsters dissolved into faint motes of light. The familiar blue windows appeared, one after another.
[Distortion Applied.]
[Environmental Analysis Complete.]
[Dungeon Difficulty: Optimal.]
[Reward Quality: Improved.]
[Drop Optimization: Active.]
Kai smiled.
He hadn’t seen those notifications in weeks.
Another message followed.
[Current Risk Level: Acceptable.]
[Distortion Efficiency: Stable.]
Sera walked over, peering past his shoulder.
"Good drops?"
Kai looked down.
Much better than expected. High-quality monster cores. Rare herbs, still faintly glowing. Several monster materials, clean and unmarked. An unusually pure mana crystal sitting at the center of the pile like it had been placed there on purpose.
She whistled.
"...Lucky again."
Kai smiled.
"Looks like it."
She shook her head.
"I should start letting you choose every dungeon."
He didn’t answer.
Only the reader knew why.
...
Rather than rushing forward, they let the dungeon unfold at its own pace.
Kai pointed out strange plants growing along the path, their leaves shaped like open hands. Sera found an unusual flower tucked beside a root, its petals a deep, glassy blue, and tucked it carefully into her pack. They found abandoned ruins further in, old stone pillars wrapped in vines, half swallowed by the forest floor. Monster nests sat hidden inside the hollows of giant tree roots, quiet for now.
They compared it, without meaning to, to their first dungeons together.
Sera laughed.
"Remember when we used to stop after every fight?"
Kai nodded.
"We were exhausted."
"And terrified."
"You were terrified."
"I was."
Kai smiled.
"I noticed."
She looked offended.
"You never said anything."
"I didn’t think it would help."
"It wouldn’t have."
Both of them laughed, the sound settling easily into the quiet of the forest, the kind of laugh that only happens between two people who’ve already been through the hard part together.
...
The ground shook.
A massive creature crashed through the trees ahead of them, bark splintering, branches snapping under its weight.
Emerald Fang Bear
Level 57
Much stronger than the wolves. Its claws alone were longer than Sera’s forearm.
Sera grinned.
"Now that’s more like it."
Kai cracked his neck.
"You take the front."
"You sure?"
"I’ll support."
She smiled.
"You trusting me?"
"I always have."
The bear charged.
Unlike before, Kai let her lead. He stayed just behind her shoulder, sword low, watching.
Sera blocked the first swipe, spear braced against her forearm, boots skidding back through the dirt. She countered before the bear could recover, spinning inside its reach, gold light trailing behind her spear. She pinned it in place with a ring of light spears, driven into the ground around its paws, forcing it to fight from a standstill.
Kai only stepped in when it mattered.
One perfect strike, timed to the half second the bear’s guard dropped.
The fight ended.
...
Another notification.
[Distortion Applied.]
[Drop Quality: Optimized.]
[Partner Synchronization: Excellent.]
A much larger pile appeared this time. Epic crafting materials, layered with faint runic light. High-grade cores, larger than anything from the wolf pack. A rare accessory sat at the center, a thin silver band humming faintly with stored mana.
Sera knelt beside it.
"...Kai."
He walked over.
She pointed.
"I think we’re actually lucky."
Kai looked at the drops.
"...Maybe."
She laughed.
"No."
"This isn’t maybe anymore."
He smiled without answering.
...
Night began falling inside the dungeon, the canopy overhead dimming from gold to deep blue.
Rather than continuing on, Kai started preparing camp.
Sera looked surprised.
"We’re stopping?"
"We’re in no hurry. And I kind of wanted to try this before."
"Hahaha, I never expected it."
"Me either but I want to enjoy things like these." Kai said with a faint smile.
A small fire caught quickly, crackling low against the dark. They cooked strips of monster meat over it, the smell mixing with the damp green smell of the forest. They ate quietly, listening to the sounds settling in around them, insects, wind through leaves, something distant moving through the underbrush.
After a while, Sera asked quietly,
"Do you ever miss when it was just us?"
Kai looked into the fire.
"It still is."
She smiled.
"No meetings."
"No reports."
"No city."
"No responsibilities."
Kai nodded.
"...I missed this."
Sera leaned back against a tree, firelight catching the side of her face.
"So did I."
...
The fire slowly burned lower.
Far deeper inside the forest, something enormous opened its eyes.
A roar echoed through the trees, low enough to feel in the ground. Birds scattered into the night sky in a sudden dark wave.
Kai opened one eye.
Sera smiled.
"Boss?"
Kai nodded.
"Probably."
She stood, brushing dirt from her knees.
"Good."
She twirled her spear once, the motion easy, practiced.
"I was starting to think this dungeon was relaxing."
Kai stood beside her.
"Let’s fix that."