Crowne had finished the rank F mission he needed to complete. Now, he was finally able to take on higher-ranked missions. Even though it was only a rank E mission, it didn't matter to him. He didn't mind at all. The best thing about this mission was that there was no limit to how many times it could be done. It would always be available.
Now Crowne, Ronan, Sylvara, and Velrisa were deep inside the forest. The four of them were hunting a beast called the Gorthak.
"So… what exactly is a Gorthak like?" Ronan asked while glancing cautiously from side to side.
"A large beast. Its body is as tall as a grown man, with long tusks, and skin as hard as wood," Sylvara replied calmly, as though she was describing tonight's dinner menu. Her mouth even watered a little.
Crowne glanced at her. "Basically, it's a wild boar, but many times larger."
Ronan immediately understood. When the plan was being discussed, Ronan wasn't there. He only found out about this today. Crowne hadn't bothered to explain it beforehand since he thought it wasn't necessary. In the end, Ronan would learn about it sooner or later.
Not long after, the forest began to shake. Heavy thuds echoed from the east. Instinctively, they all turned in that direction. Sylvara looked the most excited, since Gorthak meat had become her favorite delicacy lately.
However, when the Gorthaks appeared, their size was far larger than expected. They stood almost as tall as half the trees. Crowne and Ronan had to crane their necks just to meet the beasts' eyes. Both swallowed hard; this was going to be a tough battle.
The beast roared, the sound shaking the ground itself. Its heavy stomps caused Ronan and Crowne to lose balance for a moment.
"Let's go!" Crowne shouted.
But before they could react, Sylvara had already leapt forward. She soared high and smashed her fist into the head of one Gorthak. Its body slammed into the ground with a loud crash. Blood spurted from its mouth, its spine broken. The beast died instantly.
Seeing their kin slain, the other Gorthaks let out deafening screeches. Quickly, Crowne, Sylvara, Velrisa, and Ronan pulled out the earplugs they had prepared beforehand. The piercing cry was muffled, though blood still trickled from their ears. At least the pain was manageable.
Crowne, Ronan, and Velrisa exchanged nods. The three of them charged forward together. The battle had begun.
**
Meanwhile, at the Adventurers' Guild, Dorian was in his office. He carefully read through the reports laid out before him. Turning page after page, he frowned, then stood and walked toward the window, gazing up at the sky.
"It's happening again." He scratched his head. "I need to gather all the adventurers and head to the forest south of the city. It seems a Gorthak Wave phenomenon is coming."
The Gorthak Wave was an annual event where hordes of Gorthaks grew abnormally aggressive, attacking anything in sight.
But that wasn't the real problem. The true danger lay in the appearance of several King Gorthaks. These were massive creatures, as tall as full-grown trees. Their hides were nearly impenetrable, and their attacks far surpassed ordinary beasts. A King Gorthak could unleash devastating wind magic blasts.
And not just once, but repeatedly. What was normally a mere rank E beast suddenly turned into a rank B monster—an opponent extremely difficult to defeat.
During a Gorthak Wave, there wouldn't just be one King Gorthak. There could be a dozen, even more. Clearly, this was no good news.
"Last year, two rank C adventurers were killed. I hope this time, everyone comes back alive."
Dorian returned to his desk and sat down. He opened another report and shook his head several times. The last Gorthak Wave had happened just seven months ago. Not even a year had passed. He hadn't expected another one to arrive so soon.
"This is too sudden. I have to move quickly."
He stood up, heading downstairs to find the receptionist so she could make the announcement. Naturally, there was a minimum rank requirement for such a large-scale Gorthak hunt. Only rank D adventurers and above were permitted to participate.
This mission was far too dangerous. Bringing along lower-ranked adventurers wouldn't help at all—instead, they would only become burdens to the others.
"Can you handle this?" Dorian asked.
The receptionist nodded. "Of course."
Dorian trusted her with the task, knowing adventurers were much easier to rally when the face of the guild was a beautiful woman. Since most adventurers were men, every branch of the guild made sure its receptionists were attractive women.
"By tomorrow morning, they all need to be ready. We'll head to the southern forest immediately."
She nodded once more. "Understood."
**
Back in the southern forest, the battle raged on. Crowne stepped back, setting his stance. He drew in a deep breath, sharpening his focus. Once ready, he dashed forward. The Gorthak's attack missed as Crowne slipped past it.
In an instant, Crowne appeared above the beast. With one clean strike—
Slash!
Blood sprayed as the Gorthak's head fell to the ground. Its body collapsed with a heavy thud. Crowne glanced around. More Gorthaks were closing in, though they were smaller than the one he had just slain. In a heartbeat, five surrounded him.
"Isn't this a bit too much?" he muttered.
Crowne's goal had been to hunt about ten Gorthaks in a day—fifteen or twenty at most. But now, there were far more than that. Something wasn't right. The beasts weren't running away; instead, they pressed in closer, attacking from all directions.
He sighed in frustration, clicked his tongue, and charged again. These Gorthaks were large, yes, but not particularly strong.
Boom!
Suddenly, a violent blast of wind magic shot forth at incredible speed. It slammed into Crowne's back, hurling him through the air. His body crashed into a tree, snapping it in half. He felt his bones crack from the impact.
He tried to get up, but another wind blast appeared before him in an instant.
"Damn it. That's too fast!"
[Wind Step Slash Activated!]
Boom!
The powerful attack tore through several trees, but Crowne had already reappeared atop another Gorthak—this one enormous, three to four times the size of the others. Channeling mana into his blade, he slashed down with all his strength.
"Die!" Crowne roared.
Slash!
His sword cut deep into the beast's neck. Crowne leapt away, believing it was over. He turned, ready to help the others.
But before he could move, a massive sphere of wind—large as a house—formed behind him.
Crowne's eyes widened. "Damn it. He's not dead yet."