Vili leaned against a large tree, chewing on a piece of white bread Lanni had given him. He watched Vincent and his three companions searching for something in the tall grass.
Vincent hadn’t told Vili what they were looking for, so Vili was tactful enough not to ask. It was, after all, related to the details of the team’s contract, and prying into others’ secrets was a bad habit. ’Still, this isn’t so bad,’ Vili thought. ’At least I have time to fill my stomach.’
In truth, Vili had misunderstood the situation.
Vincent had initially considered asking Vili to help search for the Sweet Star Grass, but he quickly dismissed the idea.
Sweet Star Grass was an uncommon medicinal herb; aside from a few specific groups, almost no one knew of it. The herb merchant who had given them the job had hired a Pharmacist to spend a full week teaching the four of them how to identify it. Even so, Vincent and his team weren’t confident they could pick it out from amidst the ordinary plants.
Vili was just a young villager; there was no way he would know what Sweet Star Grass was. Asking him to help would mean taking the time to teach him how to identify it. It was better to save that time and search themselves.
Vili swallowed the last piece of white bread, took a gulp of water from his waterskin, and let out a soft burp.
’If only I could eat white bread like this every day at home. That would be true happiness.’
Vili was already racking his brain for ways to make money quickly. He wasn’t aiming to become rich and powerful, just to improve the food on his family’s table.
"This stuff is too hard to find!"
Lanni straightened up, placing her hands on her hips. Her back felt like it was about to break from bending over for so long to search for the Sweet Star Grass.
"If I’d known it would be this much trouble, we’d have been better off taking a more dangerous hunting quest."
Vilin rubbed her lower back in agreement.
Kariel kept his head down and continued to work, seemingly tireless.
As for their leader, Vincent, he also found the task grueling. But the thought of the one hundred Gold Rums they would earn upon completion gave him the motivation to carry on.
"It’ll be dark soon," Vincent said. "Let’s keep at it for a little while longer. If we still can’t find it, we’ll make camp for the night."
Vili watched them toil away, feeling rather bored.
He casually plucked a blade of grass and twirled it between his fingers.
"Hm?"
All of a sudden, a wave of oppressive unease washed over Vili.
He frowned and looked around.
Nothing stirred in the dimming light.
Vili’s brow furrowed. The feeling of dread intensified, his heart starting to pound uncomfortably.
’Something’s wrong.’
After gaining the Junior Hunter title, Vili had not only acquired the knowledge and skills of a hunter, but also a Hunter’s instinct. It warned him of imminent danger.
"Everyone, hold up."
Vili stood up, his voice serious as he addressed Vincent and the others.
"What’s wrong?"
Vincent gave Vili a questioning look.
Vili looked strangely different. The young man who had been so calm and composed until now suddenly seemed tense.
"Something about this place makes me really uneasy," Vili said gravely. "There might be danger ahead. We should find another spot."
Vilin and Lanni exchanged a look, then scanned their surroundings.
Everything seemed normal. There was no sign of any hidden danger.
"Really? I don’t see anything..." Lanni muttered.
"I hope I’m wrong, but I’m still recommending we leave this area," Vili insisted.
"Let’s listen to Vili."
While Lanni and Vilin were still skeptical, Vincent, the team’s leader, made a swift decision.
They had known Vili for less than a day, but Vincent had already seen how sharp the young man was. Thanks to Vili, they had already avoided several dangerous spots. This time, he would trust Vili’s judgment again.
If Vili was wrong, it wouldn’t matter; they would only have wasted a little time. But if he was right, they would have averted a disaster. Nipping any potential danger in the bud was a lesson learned from Vincent’s decades of experience as a mercenary. It was a key principle that had kept him alive this long.
"Mount up. We’re leaving."
Vincent gave the order.
Since their captain had made the final call, the others had no choice but to obey.
Vilin, Lanni, Kariel, and Vili quickly mounted their horses.
Kariel took the lead, guiding them through the dim forest.
The muffled thud of hooves echoed through the trees.
’I hope there’s no danger,’ Vili thought, taking a deep breath.
All at once, Kariel, who was at the front, abruptly pulled on his reins and came to a stop.
"What is it, Kariel?"
A sense of foreboding tightened in Vincent’s chest.
He urged his horse forward a couple of paces, and when he saw the scene before them, he froze completely.
"This..."
Before them, pairs of eyes, glowing an eerie green, were staring straight at them.
They were fierce, cruel, cold, and bloodthirsty.
A wolf pack! A pack of more than twenty black wolves!
"Oh my god!"
Lanni and Vilin saw the horrifying sight, and both felt a chill run down their spines.
Vili had been right.
The wolves’ bodies had been hidden by the crisscrossing trees and dense undergrowth. Furthermore, it was twilight, that moment between dusk and true night when the Human eye struggles to adjust to the low light. That was why none of them had seen the pack as it silently closed in.
By the time they spotted them, they were already face to face.
Seated on his horse, Vili felt his own heart begin to race.
Even with his Junior Hunter Ability, he had no real-world experience to back it up. As a Human seeing so many black wolves in the wild for the first time, he felt a primal fear.
"Don’t panic. We’ll back away slowly."
As a battle-hardened veteran, Vincent quickly composed himself. "Slowly, now. Don’t provoke them."
At Vincent’s command, their mounts began to back away, step by step.
Seeing this, the black wolves advanced in kind, maintaining a constant distance from the group.
"This is bad!"
As they continued to back away, Vili glanced over his shoulder. That single look ratcheted his terror up another notch.
They weren’t just in front of them. At some unknown point, they had been surrounded from behind as well. There were another twenty or so black wolves.
Vincent, Kariel, Vilin, and Lanni quickly noticed the blood-chilling scene as well.
Every single one of them felt their heart clench.
They were well and truly trapped.