Sorry that it took a while, I'm just having a writer block and hope to return to writing again.
I haven't written yet, this is simply one of my stockpiles.
I'm busy with my job and haven't adapted yet.
But I'll try to continue this.
If you have a world suggestion and goal for him to do while also giving him a reward then tell me.
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As they cruised toward the Haltina Woods, Caelum glanced at Yue, who seemed far more eager to reach the lush forest than to endure the relentless heat of the canyon.
"Mn. Let's go." Yue nodded, already picturing the cool shade and vibrant scenery.
Caelum smirked.
"Not a fan of this oven?"
"Too hot." She fanned herself lightly.
"Rather be somewhere cozy... like your arms."
Caelum chuckled.
"Can't argue with that logic."
Just as they picked up speed, a distant scream pierced the air.
Caelum's gaze snapped forward, eyes narrowing. Yue tilted her head, watching as a small figure frantically sprinted across the terrain, dodging swipes from an enormous two-headed T-Rex.
Hajime, riding alongside them, raised a brow.
"Is that... a rabbit?"
Yue muttered.
"A Rabbitman?"
Caelum studied her for a moment—light blue hair, bright blue eyes, and unmistakable rabbit ears. He gave a nod.
"Yeah. No doubt about it."
Hajime snorted.
"Aren't Rabbitmen supposed to be, like... total cowards?"
Caelum shrugged. Caelum recalled the info of the Rabbitmen from the series, by strength standards they were to be considered the weakest of the beastman. Not to mention their docile personalities that only made them look lower in the eyes of others.
If anything their popularity came from their cuteness, as such it was quite common for them to be hunted as slaves. Which asked another question, even if they helped out this Rabbitman odds are they'll refuse to cooperate in fear of it being some trap to enslave them.
But if they were going to make a decision then it would be now, the female Rabbitman was only inches away from the two-headed T-Rex after all.
"From what I read, yeah. They're the weakest beastmen tribe."
Hajime watched the girl trip and roll across the ground before scrambling back up with a terrified shriek.
"Tch. Yeah, I see it."
Yue, still watching the rabbit girl, turned to Caelum.
"Should we help?"
Hajime scoffed.
"I mean, we could... or we could let natural selection do its thing."
Caelum shot him a look.
"Damn, dude. Remind me never to ask you for help if I'm ever in trouble."
Hajime smirked.
"You wouldn't need help. You'd just flex on the enemy and make them cry."
Yue ignored Hajime's sarcasm, still watching the struggling Rabbitman.
"If we're looking for the labyrinth, we'll need a guide."
Caelum exhaled.
"True... Beastmen are the only ones who can navigate the Haltina fog."
Hajime sighed, cracking his knuckles.
"Fine. Let's save the bunny. But if she turns out to be useless, I'm selling her to a pet store."
Caelum smirked.
"Hajime, we are NOT starting a side business in beastman trafficking."
Hajime shrugged.
"Missed opportunity."
Caelum rolled his eyes before revving his bike.
"Alright then—let's go play exterminator."
Yue nodded over at Caelum as he made a signal with his eyes, then without another moment of hesitation she aimed her arm down at the two-headed T-Rex.
"Crimson Javelin."
As those words came out of her mouth a spear made of flames projected itself into the air immediately and flew at startling speeds towards the monster. The Rabbitman on the other hand laid on the floor helplessly as she accepted her impending doom.
"The Diheadoar….. It's dead." She whispered aloud, as if not being able to accept the situation.
THUMP!
That's when a loud bang erupted from behind her. The moment she turned to look at the source she had to cover her eyes from the collective dust that threatened to go in her eyes from whatever fell from the sky.
And as the dust settled, the sight finally became apparent to her. She saw Caelum, Yue and Hajime before her.
But rather than being afraid of the three that had mysteriously appeared, she jumped in joy as she made a lunge at them. To her these figures were the precise reason she dared to enter this ridge anyways.
She risked her own life just to meet them, the people from her 'dream.' There was no way she wasn't going to celebrate the fact that her sacrifices had bore fruit.
Caelum only watched on in a daze as the scantily clothed bunny girl wrapped herself against his foot as she murmured things like 'I've finally met you guys' or 'I knew my vision wouldn't be wrong.' All the while tears fell from her eyes.
His actions faltered as he looked at this rather pathetic sight. At first he had intended on making some grand entrance to gain her trust but now he couldn't help feeling guilty.
Yue seemed annoyed but didn't say anything feeling that Caelum won't simply abandon her because of this. The rabbit girl pulled back and introduced herself.
"I am Shea, the eldest daughter of the Haulia beast tribe." The two stood in silence as they egged her on to continue.
Seeing this, Shea smiled brightly before stating her intentions.
"Mhm! I'd like to enlist the two of you to save my family before they are eaten alive or sold off as slaves! Please, I'm begging you!" She finished off her statement with a bow as she began to prostrate herself onto the floor.
The group looked at each other for a moment. The guide they were looking for seems to come with strings attached. Not only that, but judging by the urgency she's showing there seemed to be some baggage as well. However, Caelum knew this but simply pretended not to avoid getting asked.
"We will hear your story. However, I know that we hold the final decision. And of course should we help you out we ask that you owe us a favor in return. Think of it as a way of making up for my partner's slip up."
Yue pouted off to the side as Caelum spoke conditions with Shea. What they lacked currently was funds.
Interestingly enough though the lair to the Orcus Labyrinth held tools and materials far more valuable than any treasure, the two saw it too dangerous to reveal them. Doing so would be the same as painting a target on their backs.
So seeing the opportunity to gain something using their strength, they went ahead and decided to listen.
"Well, the truth is...." She went on to explain her circumstances.
Usually a beastmen would possess no mana, that's what made them hated by the Holy Church that believed them to be godless beasts. As their religion found mana as a gift from Lord Ehit. The beastmen on the other hand despised those with mana, seeing those with it akin to the monsters that terrorized their forest.
Now it's probably easy to assume what would happen to a beastmen should they be born with mana. As in they would suffer the discrimination from both sides, odds were they would be ostracized from the forest and sent out to die in the hands of some slave trader or warrior with strong belief.
However that's precisely the case for the Rabbitman that stood before them. Like a monster Shea was 'gifted' with the ability to manipulate the mana running through her body. Not only that but she even had a specialized magic like most monsters.
If not for the Haulia tribe that treated its own as family, she would have been discovered and persecuted.
Instead the clan took it upon themselves to hide her existence for sixteen years. Raising her with utmost care. That was until a few days ago when someone from the outside heard of her.
To escape persecution she fled the forest which had its own country in it, Verbergen. And alongside her family they just headed toward the direction of the mountains in the north.
There they intended to live off the land. Sure it would be harsh but better that than executed by Verbergen or sold off as slaves in the Hoelscher Empire.
Unfortunately the moment they stepped foot out of the forest they ran into imperial soldiers, a battalion-sized army at that.
Over half of the Rabbitmen were captured in their escape, the rest ran towards Reisen Gorge in hopes of deterring the ensuing soldiers.
Their plan was half successful as the soldiers didn't dare go in, however everything went wrong when they left a battalion to guard the exit to the gorge.
Meaning either the Rabbitmen stayed in until their inevitable death at the hands of a monster or turn themselves in to the Hoelscher Empire to become slaves.
".....Before we knew it, our group of sixty had been whittled down to forty. At this rate we'll all be killed. Please, please, you have to save us! I'm begging you!"
When they inquired the specifics of her specialized ability they got a curt answer in response. Caelum mulled to himself as he weighed the benefits.
'Shea will be a great asset for us especially with her ability of divination.' He looked at Yue before receiving a nod from her in return.
[ Sub-Mission Ongoing ]
Mission: "Aid Shea and the Haulia Tribe"
Objective: Assist Shea in rescuing her tribe and securing that they are safe.
Status: ⏳ In Progress
Rewards:
- Essence of Home (Restricted)
- Increased Favorability with the Haulia Tribe. ]
Caelum's gaze lingered on the mission details, weighing the benefits.
Hajime crossed his arms.
"You sure about this? We just got out of one mess, and you're diving into another."
Caelum smirked.
"We need a guide, and this is a chance to handle problems before they come knocking."
Yue simply nodded, standing beside him without hesitation.
Hajime sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Fine. But if this turns into a nightmare, I will say 'I told you so.'"
Caelum chuckled.
"Looking forward to it." With that, the decision was made.
Hajime groaned as he followed behind.
"This always happens…"
Caelum hopped back onto his ride, adjusting the controls as Yue gracefully took her place—right on his lap. She wrapped her arms around him possessively, resting her chin on his shoulder with a satisfied hum.
Shea, standing awkwardly beside them, pouted.
"I-I'll just ride with you!"
Yue's crimson eyes narrowed slightly.
"Ride with Hajime."
Shea flinched but quickly shook her head.
"N-No way! I feel safer with him!"
Yue considered freezing her on the spot but ultimately smirked, tightening her hold on Caelum.
"Mn. Too bad. Mine."
Shea groaned but hesitantly climbed behind Hajime instead, fidgeting as she grabbed onto his waist. Hajime sighed, muttering.
"Great. Now he's getting a harem too."
Caelum smirked.
"Jealous?" Hajime scoffed.
"Please. One girl is already enough of a headache." Caelum smirked.
"Sounds like coping to me." Hajime clicked his tongue.
"Keep talking, lover boy. Let's just get moving."
With engines roaring, the group sped forward, the wind whipping past them. As they rode, Shea clung tightly to Caelum, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Um… so, what are your names?" she asked, her voice laced with excitement.
Caelum glanced back briefly before answering.
"Tenya Shindo."
"I'm Yue." Yue added simply, her arms still wrapped possessively around Caelum's waist.
Hajime, who had been keeping pace beside them, sighed.
"Hajime Nagumo."
Shea's ears perked up as she committed their names to memory.
"Shindo-san, Yue-san, Hajime-san… got it!" She beamed.
Before they could continue, the distant sound of howling monsters echoed through the canyon.
Shea's ears twitched.
"That howl…!" Her eyes widened in realization.
"That means they're close! Father and the others are very close!"
Without hesitation, she launched herself forward, sprinting at full speed.
Caelum whistled, watching her disappear into the distance.
"Damn, she's fast."
"As expected of a Haulia," Yue remarked.
"Weak in combat, but their speed and senses are impressive."
Caelum exchanged a look with Yue, receiving a small nod in return.
Without another word, Yue leaped onto his back.
"Alright, let's do this!" Caelum grinned before propelling himself forward, racing after Shea.
"H-Hyverias…" It wasn't until he caught up to her that he heard her mutter a name.
"Oh, so that's what those flying rats are called." What appeared before the group was a pack of those flying wyvern things Caelum and Yue met above the gorge. According to Shea the Hyveria was a species that is supposed to be a rare sight even in this hell.
However they moved their gaze away from the monsters as they had found their goal. A group of Rabbitmen hid behind boulders or ran around in an attempt to get away from the six Hyverias that threatened them.
"CRAAAAW!"
One of the Hyverias screeched into the air right before diving towards its prey, a young Rabbitman child that had tripped while running and struggled to get back up. An adult ran up to the child before extending his body to take the child's place.
"Yue! Hajime!" Caelum's voice rang out as he launched himself forward, eyes locked on the descending Hyveria.
Without hesitation, he summoned his Moonlight Greatsword, its luminous blade radiating an ethereal glow.
With a powerful swing, he unleashed a crescent-shaped arc of energy that soared through the air, cleaving straight through the wyvern's torso. The Hyveria screeched as its body split in two, its lifeless remains crashing into the canyon floor in a cloud of dust.
Yue, floating beside him, calmly raised her hand.
"Crimson Javelin."
A blazing spear of fire materialized above her before rocketing toward two Hyverias mid-flight. One attempted to evade, but the spell curved unnaturally, piercing through its chest before erupting in a fiery explosion.
The second beast flailed as flames engulfed its body, its agonized cries echoing through the gorge before it plummeted to the ground.
Meanwhile, Hajime skidded to a halt, raising Donner, his modified revolver.
"Guess it's my turn."
With deadly precision, he fired a round, the bullet tearing straight through the skull of a swooping Hyveria. The creature's momentum carried its lifeless body forward, crashing into the ground with a sickening crunch.
A second one dove toward him, jaws wide open, but Hajime smirked.
"Too slow."
He fired another shot, this time aimed at the beast's wing joint. The bullet pierced clean through, sending the Hyveria spiraling out of control before it slammed into a boulder, breaking its spine on impact.
Only two remained. One, now enraged, spread its wings wide and let out a deafening screech before lunging toward the Rabbitmen once more.
But Caelum was already moving.
Kicking off the ground, he soared toward it, his Moonlight Greatsword shimmering as he twisted his body midair.
With a single, precise slash, a wave of radiant energy bisected the Hyveria from head to tail. The creature didn't even have time to react before it fell apart, blood spraying into the sky.
The final Hyveria, now realizing its impending doom, turned tail to flee—only for Yue to extend a single finger.
"Frozen Lance."
A spear of ice materialized in an instant and speared through the creature's skull, freezing it solid before it crashed unceremoniously into the ground.
Silence followed.
Then, the stunned Rabbitmen slowly emerged from their hiding places, eyes wide with disbelief.
Shea's breath hitched as she turned to Caelum, Yue, and Hajime, her body trembling with relief and awe.
With the final Hyveria slain, the battlefield fell into an eerie silence. The Rabbitmen cautiously emerged from their hiding spots, their expressions a mix of awe and disbelief.
Caelum exhaled, dismissing his Moonlight Greatsword, when suddenly—a familiar panel materialized before his eyes.
[ Sub-Mission: Ongoing ]
Mission: "Aid Shea and the Haulia Tribe"
Objective: Assist Shea in rescuing her tribe and securing that they are safe.
Status: ✅ Stage One Completed
Rewards:
- Essence of Home (Restricted)
- Increased Reputation with the Haulia Tribe. ]
Caelum's eyes flicked over the notification before he smirked.
"Looks like we're on the right track."