Chapter Twenty-Two
Daniel finished reading, then closed the book slowly and said, "The most important thing about this creature… are its eyes. They're said to be used in crafting a Level-One Fire Orb Nira."
Lucas and Sanjay were a little surprised, but Daniel continued before they could ask anything. "And the reason big mercenaries avoid this contract is simple… first: the law governing the drop rate of False Hearts of Orne. Second: the distance. And third: the official reward is small."
He smiled faintly, then added confidently, "But we don't play by the same rules — this job is one of the best for beginners and weaklings like us."
He took another book from his bag. "This one lists many ways to catch a Nobu. One of them is very effective… but it's expensive."
He paused for a moment and went on, "What I spent on it is more than the reward we'll get. Still, thanks to the law about dropping False Hearts of Orne… it's a calculated risk."
Sanjay stared at him. "The Tower's law?"
Daniel nodded. "Every monster kill carries a chance of dropping a False Heart of Orne. There are factors that raise or lower that chance." He lifted a small pouch and opened it to reveal a fine, purple-tinged dust. "This is why it costs so much—sleep dust, extracted from a herb called the Sleep Fringe. It's very hard to obtain."
Then Daniel pulled a small distinctive flower from his bag. Its petals were soft, pinkish-purple, curling at the edges as if breathing. It gave off a faint glow in the shadowy desert air, shimmering like droplets of light.
"This is the Limora flower," Daniel said, examining it carefully. "It seems simple… but it isn't ordinary."
He spoke low as he explained, "It emits a faint scent, a mix of berry and fresh grass. Humans barely notice it, but it's a natural magnet for Nobu."
Sanjay leaned in to look. "You mean its smell alone draws them?"
Daniel shook his head. "Not just the smell. The flower secretes a substance called Liralin that acts directly on the Nobu's safety center in the brain. It feels safe the moment it approaches."
He placed the flower in a small clay pot, tamped a little sand around it, and began preparing the crucial layer: sand mixed with the sleep dust.
"The trick," Daniel continued as he sprinkled the dust around the bait, "is to use sleep dust around the lure itself. When a Nobu comes and begins to sniff, it falls into drowsiness… then sleeps completely."
"And here comes the important part: the False Heart drop law."
He explained, "The law says the chance of a False Heart of Orne dropping after killing a monster isn't entirely random; it depends on the difference in strength between the killer and the beast, and on the condition of each at the time of combat. If the monster is stronger than the person, the drop rate is high. If the monster is sick or weakened by previous fights, the rate drops. Also, if many people cooperate to kill the monster, the chance decreases a lot. The Tower knows all this. It's very hard to trick… except in very rare cases."
(So…) Daniel looked at the two of them and said, "…we'll try that trick now: sedate the beast first, then make Sanjay be the one to kill it when it wakes. That way the chance of getting a Heart of Orne is very high. But as we read, this method only works on certain monsters that can't detect the sedative effect… like the Nobu."
"I—what?!" Sanjay flared at hearing his name paired with the word kill.
Lucas cut in, "Aren't you the weakest among us?"
Sanjay understood then and tried to object. "But it could drop a Heart for you or me—there's a difference between us—"
Daniel and Lucas interrupted him in unison, "No, you will do the killing."
---
In that quiet desert plain known as the Nobu Flats, the sand was fine and compact, dotted with short, dry shrubs. Circular pits, mostly ten meters deep, spread across the landscape, connected beneath the surface. Some pits were partially covered with sand, as if something had just emerged. There were no clear footprints, but the arrangement of the holes suggested regular movement by creatures familiar with these paths.
The three began to execute their plan. They spread out and kept distance from one another; Nobu are famously skittish. They set the traps, planted the flowers at several points, and buried themselves beneath the sand to wait patiently.
After two hours, the scene began to move.
Daniel saw three Nobu approaching the trap. Their fur shimmered with the light; their long ears trembled; their wide eyes shone with curiosity. Daniel glanced at the monster detail screen:
[Name: Nobu]
[Age: 4]
[Rank: F]
[Stage: Adult]
[Health: 28]
[Strength: 3]
[Speed: 17]
[Endurance: 10]
[Physical Defense: 2]
[More details 巛]
(Even though I know how cowardly they are… I still feel some fear) Daniel thought, his heart pounding.
He steadied himself and did not move. The Nobu drew near the flower, sniffed cautiously, then began to nibble. Within minutes, their heads wavered… one by one they dropped over on their sides.
Asleep.
Daniel waited in silence, then drew a black cloth from his small bag and covered himself with it on the sand. That was the agreed signal that the trap had succeeded.
He stayed still, watching patiently. Half an hour passed, and Daniel spotted Sanjay rising in the distance. He raised a hand and called softly.
When Sanjay reached the spot, Daniel found him tying four Nobu with ropes he had prepared earlier, his hands trembling and sweat matted on his brow.
"They're asleep," Daniel said with a calming smile. "They won't wake… don't worry."
Lucas arrived moments later, glancing around uneasily.
Daniel asked, "How long have your beasts been asleep? How many did you get?"
Lucas replied, "Two, for about ten minutes… they fell asleep quickly."
Daniel smiled. "Then I'm first. Let's go."
The three moved to Daniel's pile. Sanjay tied Daniel's beasts, then dragged them next to Sanjay's, and then moved on to Lucas's. It took another half hour to secure all the animals and gather them in one place. Then they sat and waited for the sedative to wear off.
Sanjay held a small knife, while Daniel and Lucas offered him encouraging words to make it seem like he had done everything alone; the traces of their help faded into the background.
---
One by one the beasts woke. Sanjay hesitated for a moment… then, after shouted encouragement from Daniel and Lucas, he lunged out screaming like a madman and began to kill.
There were nine beasts in total: three for Daniel, four for Sanjay, and two for Lucas.
The first kill… nothing.
The second… nothing.
The third… nothing.
Fourth, fifth, sixth… nothing.
Disappointment began to show on their faces. (Just one Heart, just one… don't fail us!)
Seventh… nothing.
When the eighth fell, its corpse glowed faintly and then vanished. Their faces brightened. (We made it…)
Daniel and Lucas rushed to gut the creature, braving the foul smell, searching among the entrails… until they finally found it: a False Heart of Orne with one circle.
(Note: from now on I will use the name "Heart of Orne" to refer to a false one, and "living" or "original" heart to refer to a true one.)
They waited for the ninth—Sanjay killed it, but nothing appeared.
The three returned to the kingdom five days after setting out, exhausted but inwardly satisfied. They had hoped for two or three hearts… but that had been only a dream.
Still, the first mission had been a complete success.
When they arrived back at the Noble Mercenaries' headquarters, they received fifty silver coins after handing over the nine bodies, having gutted them as they had done with the eighth to hide the fact they possessed a Heart of Orne. They had read this trick in a mercenary handbook: a clever move everyone uses to throw off suspicion, even when they find nothing.
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Monsters
[Name: Nobu]
[Age: 4]
[Rank: F]
[Rank scale: F to SSS]
(This denotes the monster's power classification compared to other monsters.)
The higher the rank, the greater the monster's danger and combat strength. Ranks from weakest to strongest:
F → E → D → C → B → A → S → SS → SSS.
An F-rank monster is very weak and not a major threat. An SSS-rank monster is among the most dangerous beings, typically faced only by elite fighters or dealt with using high-level magic.
[Life Stage: Adult]
[Age stage: Infant → Juvenile → Adult]
(The stage represents the creature's development and maturity; it does not directly set strength relative to other species, but shows how close the animal is to its full form.)
Infant: early development, relatively weak.
Adult: has reached its full size and the peak of its innate mana capacity and power.
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