Day 1 — Recovery
The first dawn after the hunt came quietly.
The smell of fire still clung to the air, but the sky above Korvan was finally blue again.
Hunnt, Alder, Kael, and Seren spent most of the day recovering in the longhouse.
Bandages wrapped across bruised arms and blistered skin; armor lay dismantled and cooling near the forge.
No one spoke much — not out of discomfort, but exhaustion.
Alder leaned back against a wooden beam, half-smiling. "You know," he muttered, "for something that big, Vulcarion didn't taste half bad."
Kael shot him a glare. "You ate it?"
"Just a piece." Alder grinned. "Curiosity."
Seren laughed quietly. "You're insane."
Hunnt said nothing, only smirking faintly as he adjusted a bandage over his hand. The gauntlets beside him glowed dimly in the firelight, still carrying scorch marks from the battle.
For the first time in weeks, they all allowed themselves to rest.
---
Day 2 — Experiment
Hunnt spent the morning prowling through Korvan's open market.
The stalls were simple — blacksmithing tools, herbs, small explosives used by miners. He stopped at a vendor selling powder bombs and bought a small one, then rolled a barrel of water from the well toward the outskirts of the village.
"Let's see if this actually works…" he murmured.
At the volcano's edge, the corpse of Vulcarion Basal still radiated faint warmth, a mountain of cooled stone and cracked scales.
Hunnt strapped the small bomb to the water barrel, lit the fuse, and backed away.
BOOM!
The explosion burst not with fire but a shock of icy vapor. A white mist spread across the monster's flank, hissing against the heat.
Hunnt stepped closer. The armor's red glow dimmed — just for a moment — before returning.
He stabbed his knife into the shell and smiled as it slid through.
"It works… but only for a few seconds."
The method wasn't perfect, but it was enough to start.
Hunnt spent the rest of the afternoon carving away cooled plates and scales, learning the timing between bomb and blade.
---
Day 3 — The Guild Arrives
By midday, a caravan of Guild representatives rode into Korvan.
Their banners fluttered against the wind — silver and red, the mark of official authority.
Villagers paused what they were doing and watched with unease as the Guild stepped through the streets.
Chief Maerin met them at the longhouse.
"So," the lead Guild officer said, his tone clipped, "we heard a report of a Vulcarion-class wyvern slain in your territory."
Maerin folded her arms. "You heard right."
"Who were the hunters responsible?"
Maerin glanced at Kael, Seren, and Alder, who were seated nearby. "There were four who went. One didn't make it back. The other three—" she gestured to them, "—struck the final blow."
The officer scribbled on his parchment. "Names?"
"Kael, Alder, and Seren."
Kael said nothing. Alder nodded stiffly. Seren looked ready to speak but stopped herself when Kael gave a small shake of his head.
The officer continued: "Their ranks will be reviewed. Based on the report, Hunter Alder is promoted to A-Rank. Hunter Seren, as an unregistered participant, will be granted provisional C-Rank status for her aid in the slaying. Retired Hunter Kael—" he paused, flipping through notes, "—your record remains archived."
Kael smiled faintly. "Wouldn't want it any other way."
Without further ceremony, the Guild representatives turned and left. No questions, no gratitude. Just protocol.
When they were gone, Seren's voice cracked the silence. "That's it? That's all they say?"
Maerin sighed, her tone heavy. "That's the Guild. Cold as their ledgers. That's why I left them long ago."
Kael adjusted his hat, glancing toward the forge. "Speaking of cold… anyone seen Hunnt?"
---
Day 4 — The Butcher's Method
Hunnt had been out since dawn, standing beside the wyvern's cooling corpse, surrounded by barrels and bomb fragments. He wiped soot from his cheek, muttering through a grin.
"Almost there."
After two days of failed attempts, he'd perfected a new sequence — precise, timed, and brutal.
Hunnt's Butchering Sequence:
1. Place two Water Bombs at the corpse's core.
2. Wait three seconds for the mist to disperse.
3. Move in and carve immediately before the heat rebounds.
4. Drink a Cool Drink after each session to survive the residual heat.
The method worked flawlessly. Steam filled the air each time he struck, cutting through armor that had resisted blades and fire alike.
By sunset, piles of Vulcarion scales, bones, and molten ore fragments surrounded him.
---
Day 5 — Assistance
The next morning, Maerin came to the site with Alder and Seren.
Hunnt stood knee-deep in fragments, stacking crates and noting materials.
Maerin crossed her arms. "You're going to need help moving all this."
Hunnt nodded. "That's why I asked. Can the villagers assist with transport?"
"They can," Maerin said, smiling. "Alder and Seren will escort the carts back."
Alder gave a low whistle. "So this is what you've been doing for days…"
Seren stepped closer, eyes wide. The mountain of butchered parts glowed faintly in the morning sun — scales, bones, fragments of once-molten armor. "You actually carved through all of it?"
Hunnt smirked. "One cut at a time."
Seren shook her head, half in awe. "You're unbelievable."
Alder grinned. "Told you — he's not human."
Hunnt only shrugged. "Just patient."
---
Days 6–8 — Work and Reflection
The days that followed became a rhythm of explosions and hauling.
Water bombs boomed across the ridge every few hours. Villagers pushed carts piled high with Vulcarion fragments while Alder and Seren guarded the convoys.
Kael watched from the shade, arms folded. "You know," he said one afternoon, "the Guild would pay a fortune for these materials."
Hunnt didn't look up from his work. "They won't get them."
Kael smirked. "Didn't think so."
As they watched the molten light fade from the monster's remains, Kael asked, "So… what's all this for?"
Hunnt looked at the fragments, his eyes reflecting the dying glow. "New weapons. New armor. But this still isn't enough."
Kael arched a brow. "What else do you need?"
"Ores. Bones. Monster hides, scales — from beasts that haven't burned yet."
Kael chuckled softly. "I can find ores and bones, but hides and scales?" He shook his head. "That's your department."
Hunnt smiled faintly. "Then I guess we both have work to do."
The wind carried the faint scent of cooled magma as they stood together, watching the remains of the volcano-beast fade into silence. The hunt was over — but for the Eternal Wanderers, their path was only beginning again.