Chapter Twenty-Three
Five more days passed.
During those days most of the mercenaries were talking about a big contract—to hunt a D-rank beast. The three of them heard the chatter and ignored it automatically. (We're still far too weak for that level…) Daniel thought.
Each of them still had about one hundred silver coins left—enough for food and water for three months, even more. Everything could be bought at a decent price except for body upgrades and skill training… those costs were always astronomical.
Sanjay said one afternoon, "One gold coin would keep us for years… if we don't take that path."
They had left the False Heart of Orne with Lucas, and he had managed to devour it during those five days. The agreement was simple: once he had used it and gotten stronger, they'd take a slightly harder job—still within F-rank, but a step up.
So they decided to head back to headquarters to pick their next contract.
While they were searching the board, two men approached. One was thin, the other nondescript—their appearance unremarkable.
"You look like beginners, from your sigils," one of them said. "How about joining us on a D-rank job? You'll help, and we'll give you a better cut than these small tasks."
Lucas replied politely, "Sorry, but we're weak right now. We wouldn't be much help."
The man smiled. "Don't worry. We've got a guaranteed fighting plan; you'll be safe. All you need to do is kill a few monsters to raise the chance of a Heart dropping. We promise you half of what drops, and if nothing drops, a third of the reward."
Daniel answered calmly but firmly, "We're sorry… we're not ready yet. Maybe in a month or two we can team up. But even then our strength won't have changed that much, will it?"
The man chuckled. "A shame—we could've been a great group. But no matter. If you change your mind, come by around five o'clock. We're usually here most days."
Daniel smiled. "Yes, of course… we'll do that."
As the two men walked away, Daniel glanced back cautiously and murmured, "I think we just dodged death."
Lucas said in a low voice, "Yes… their offer was far too tempting for beginners. Lucky we read all the books you brought. If we hadn't… we might be with them now."
"I would have known even without the books," Daniel replied with quiet confidence. "It was obvious to me."
Sanjay stood between them, nodding after each sentence, adding nothing.
Lucas then moved to the mission board, tore a sheet from it, waved it in the air, and handed it to his comrades. "What do you think of this one?"
Daniel and Sanjay took the paper and began to read. The moment Sanjay saw the monster's name he grabbed one of Daniel's books to read the monster details. As soon as he finished, he looked up sharply and said, "No—this one's dangerous. That beast is strong… hard to kill."
Daniel answered with measured tone, "That's true, but it lives alone and is slower than an average human. So we'll have the freedom to decide—attack or retreat."
Sanjay thought for a few seconds and then exhaled. "Alright…"
Name: Desert Dry Lizard
▫️ Rank: F
▫️ Habitat: Arid deserts, around buried rocks or near abandoned oases.
▫️ Description:
Adults reach about two meters long and forty centimeters wide. Their skin is cracked, like dried clay, and their eyes are extremely narrow. Their feet are flattened, allowing them to walk on sand without leaving noticeable tracks. Their movement is slow and steady, but they are precise when crawling and hiding.
▫️ Abilities:
1. Drying Dust:
Their skin carries an invisible fine dust that clings to human skin on contact and causes moisture to evaporate gradually. After minutes of exposure the victim feels a sting and the affected area begins to crack.
2. Numbing Bite:
Although its bite is weak, it injects a mild anesthetic that slows muscle movement, especially in the limbs. The victim feels heaviness and sluggishness as if the limbs refuse to respond.
3. Irritating Breath:
When it exhales, the lizard emits a light irritant suited to dry air that causes a dry cough and slight breathing disruption.
▫️ Weaknesses:
— They do not attack in packs.
— They are solitary.
— Their movement is slow.
▫️ Rewards after the hunt:
1. Hide: Flexible and durable, used to craft sweat-absorbing gloves ideal for desert soldiers.
2. Salivary glands: Source of a mild sedative used in making tranquilizer arrows.
3. Skin dust: Mixed into ointments for drying inflamed skin or used offensively to annoy enemies.
4. Its Heart: Used in crafting a Level-One Earth Wave Nira.
That same day the three packed their gear, bid Amadou the guard farewell—who watched the gate carefully—and set off.
After an hour of travel Daniel rode at the front, map in hand, checking constantly that they followed the safe route. (He always avoided regions where other monsters might dwell. If they strayed into unknown land or met a stronger beast, it would mean doom.)
Sanjay suddenly cut into his concentration and pointed to the right. "Wait… there's a shadow!" he called out.
The three stopped and stared in the direction Sanjay indicated, tension rising.
Moments later it became clear there were not one but two shadows: two riders on horseback, advancing slowly, one of them waving and shouting at them from a distance.
Daniel recognized them in an instant and shouted, his voice trembling, "Damn it! It's the same two men who talked to us earlier… run!"
No one added anything. The three turned and bolted in the opposite direction, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the riders.
Unfortunately the path they took didn't lead back to the kingdom nor toward the lizards' hunting grounds—it led them into unfamiliar terrain, a place they did not know at all.
"Those bastards look smart," one of the two riders complained as he tightened his grip.
The other snapped, "That's not important now. If they keep going, they'll reach the main road and might meet someone. We can't allow that—we need to hurry!"
"Fine." The first man urged his horse on, muttering, "Why won't they let us rent a slippery beast? It would make this much easier."
After two hours of relentless chase the horses were exhausted, breathing hard, almost staggering from fatigue. Sanjay was the worst off; if his life hadn't depended on it, he would have given up long ago.
Lucas glanced back, worry written on his face, and saw the two riders closing the distance—already only half a mile behind, rapidly closing. In a low, anxious voice he asked, "What now?"
Daniel looked ahead and replied quickly, "Just wait… we've been on a main road for a while. There's a good chance we'll meet someone who can help."
"And what if the person we meet is like those pursuing us?" Lucas asked, eyes full of doubt and fear.
Daniel, despite the worry inside him, spoke calmly: "I don't know… we'll leave it to fate."
(We've run out of options. All that's left now is hope.)