Chapter 10 : Jackal the Hunter
The lack of mana in battle could always be compensated with the right items.
Some granted a small increase in mana capacity, while others replenished the lost energy.
Unfortunately, at this early stage of the game, there were no items that gave players a meaningful mana boost as a passive perk.
Potions, however, were another matter.
They could be bought in shops scattered throughout New Eden.
Even the low-grade ones were lifesavers, and Axton knew he would be foolish not to stock up, at least for now.
Luckily, he had money to spend.
Thanks to his outrageous luck with the hundredfold critical hit bonus, a meager reward of one copper coin had multiplied into a hundred, instantly converting into the equivalent of a silver coin.
The currency system was straightforward:
[100 copper coins = 1 silver coin]
[100 silver coins = 1 gold coin]
A small fortune was now resting in his pouch.
Without wasting time, Axton made his way to the village's potion shop, a small building tucked between a bakery and a cloth merchant.
The scent of dried herbs and faint smoke greeted him as he stepped inside.
Shelves were stacked with vials of different colors—reds, blues, greens—all of which gave off a faint glow under the light of hanging lanterns.
He walked directly to the counter.
With a hundred copper coins, he could buy one hundred low-grade mana potions, each priced at a rate of one copper coin per potion.
The shopkeeper, an NPC with round eyeglasses and sleepy eyes, barely blinked as Axton placed his order.
Soon enough, a neatly packed set of glass vials filled with thick liquid was pushed across the counter toward him.
…
[Mana Replenishment Potion (Low Grade)]
Effect : Restores 1 mana per second for a duration of 10 seconds.
…
Axton inspected one vial carefully, reading its description before nodding to himself.
"Not bad," he muttered. "These will do."
He tucked the entire batch into his inventory without hesitation.
'You never know how much you'll need for this hunter guy,' Axton thought, his mind drifting back to the blacksmith's serious expression when he had mentioned the man.
The mystery surrounding this quest unsettled him, but it also raised his curiosity.
After finishing his preparations, he departed the shop and headed toward the location written down on the piece of paper Iron Buck had given him.
******
The journey was longer than expected.
The eastern outskirts of the village were eerily quiet, with overgrown paths and fewer villagers moving about.
Birds cried from the trees, and the occasional gust of wind rattled the loose shutters of abandoned houses.
Eventually, Axton arrived at what looked like a beat-up shack standing alone near the edge of a field.
He raised an eyebrow.
"This is the place?" he whispered to himself.
The building looked so neglected it was a wonder it hadn't collapsed already.
The roof sagged at one end, and the wooden door seemed as though it hadn't been opened in a while.
Yet, according to the blacksmith, this was exactly where he needed to be.
Axton sighed. "He can't be wrong. After all, he's an NPC."
He stepped up to the door and recalled the exact instructions Iron Buck had given him.
"One knock…"
*Knock*
"…then two knocks."
*Knock* *Knock*
"…and finally three knocks. Then step back."
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Obeying the instructions to the letter, Axton quickly backed away from the door.
*Thud*
A sharp arrow suddenly pierced through the wooden door, embedding itself where his forehead would have been if he hadn't stepped back.
Axton froze, his heart skipping several beats.
"That crazy blacksmith wasn't joking," he muttered, realizing that Iron Buck had given him those instructions for a reason.
The door creaked open, and out stepped a grumpy old man with a scruffy beard and sharp, piercing eyes.
He cleared his throat noisily, spitting saliva to the side before barking out, "Who the hell is disturbing me?!"
His voice was harsh and impatient.
When his eyes landed on Axton, he squinted and scanned him up and down with suspicion.
"You're not from around here, are you?"
Axton shook his head respectfully. "No, sir."
"Then what business do you have in these parts?"
Without answering, Axton pulled out the folded paper Iron Buck had given him.
He stepped closer and held it out.
"Iron Buck sent me," Axton explained. "He said you needed help with something."
The old man took the paper with a grunt, adjusting his squinted gaze as he read through its contents.
Meanwhile, Axton discreetly activated his basic appraisal skill, curious about what kind of person this was.
…
[Jackal]
Profession : Hunter
Level : ???
Attack : ???
Defense : ???
HP : ???
…
That was all the system revealed.
Everything beyond the man's name and profession was hidden, leaving Axton with nothing but questions.
'This guy must be strong,' Axton thought. 'If he wasn't, why would his stats be concealed from me? And if he's so strong, then why would he need my help at all?'
"Hmph," Jackal finally looked up from the paper, rubbing his bearded chin thoughtfully.
"So, the blacksmith sent you, eh?"
Axton nodded, blinking a few times as he studied the man.
Everything about Jackal felt off.
Then, without warning, Jackal smirked.
"Interesting. I can tell you're wearing not one, not two, but three pieces of Grade 3 equipment."
Axton's eyes widened. 'How does he know?!'
Even Iron Buck, who had given him the items originally, hadn't realized the true grade after the hundredfold critical upgrade.
Yet this old man could see it at a glance.
Jackal turned, waving for Axton to follow him inside the shack.
The interior was surprisingly neat, lined with hunting tools, bows, arrows, and animal pelts covering the walls.
"You see, lad," Jackal began as he lowered himself into a creaky chair, "I need help killing a certain creature that wounded my horse."
His eyes dimmed slightly, as though recalling an unpleasant memory.
"If I were a few years younger, I wouldn't need anyone's help. But time takes its toll. These days, I'm not the man I once was. That's why I stay here, away from the others."
"What creature was it, sir?" Axton asked, cutting straight to the point.
Jackal's gaze sharpened. "A Great Wolf. During one of my hunts, I stumbled across it. My horse was killed in the fight, and I barely managed to escape. The beast is cunning and dangerous… unlike any wolf I've ever faced."
His voice dropped lower, his tone filled with restrained anger. "Kill the Great Wolf for me, boy… and I'll reward you handsomely."
*Ding*
[New Quest Alert!]
[Quest : Eliminate the Great Wolf]
[Reward : Ownership of a Grade 4 beast of your own. Additionally, half of the beast's attributes will be bestowed upon you.]
[Do you accept Jackal's request?]
[Yes / No]
Axton's eyes widened.
His heart pounded with excitement.
Owning a beast was something players wouldn't normally unlock until much later, at least from level 40.
Yet here he was, being offered the chance at level 3.
Not only that, but he would also gain 50% of the beast's attributes.
It was insane!
Jackal leaned back and gave a dismissive shrug. "If you can't take the job, I won't blame you. You're still young, and the Great Wolf is no ordinary monster. There's also a pack of wild wolves nearby, you can use them to train if you'd rather back out."
Axton closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.
The offer was too good to pass up.
His path forward was already clear.
He opened his eyes and smiled. "Yes… I accept."
Jackal tilted his head, studying him carefully. "You sure? You can think it through, lad. No one will fault you for refusing."
But Axton's decision was firm.
His smile deepened. "My mind is already made up."