Bones contemplated the idea, wondering if being a member of the Adventurer Guild was truly worth it. The accompanying sense of duty wasn't something he particularly desired. However, the question weighing on his mind wasn’t something he could answer on the spot. Ultimately, he agreed to Solin's proposal and together, after breakfast, they made their way to the Adventurer Guild. While Solin usually handled his contracts solo, he made an exception this time, suggesting they take on a monster hunter quest together.
Bones had taken subjugation and collection quests before, but the term "monster hunter" was new to him. He turned to Solin and asked if monster hunting wasn’t essentially what they already did by killing monsters. Solin shook his head and explained that subjugation quests and monster hunter contracts were not the same. For example, while a subjugation quest might involve clearing out an entire goblin tribe, a monster hunter contract might specifically target the tribe’s chief.
Bones questioned if a subjugation quest might be a better option, considering it involved both a chieftain and the tribe. Solin agreed, acknowledging that while it was feasible for lower-level adventurers to handle subjugation quests solo, it became increasingly challenging at higher levels. He gestured towards a poster on the board, depicting a Forest Troll, explaining that these were the types of monsters targeted by Monster Hunters—large, formidable creatures that required specialized hunting skills.
As they discussed, Solin elaborated on the various specializations offered by the guild, mentioning occupations like Vampire Hunter, Demon Slayer, Treasure Hunter, and Dungeon Explorer, among others. The possibilities seemed endless.
Adventurers at higher levels often chose specializations and formed teams to tackle specialized contracts, as the dangers were significant and few were willing to risk their lives solo. Vern, the defender from their dungeon run, exemplified this approach. Despite being of middle age and only at level thirty-four, he was content with his current strength and focused on tanking lower dungeon floors up to the third level, for a fee, of course.
Bones understood the reasoning behind this cautious approach. Many adventurers preferred to find a comfortable level and stick to it, avoiding unnecessary risks. In the kingdom, the average level of adventurers hovered around twenty-five, with only a handful reaching ascendant status. Third-tier gold rankers were rare, numbering barely a dozen, while gold rankers totaled around a hundred, and silver rankers around a thousand.
Below them were bronze rankers and adventurers of lower ranks. Not every magician or warrior was an adventurer; guards, soldiers, and village hunters often boasted higher levels, albeit below level twenty on average.
Turning to Solin, Bones asked, “What about you? What do you plan on specializing in?” Solin replied straightforwardly, stating that his core focus was on assassinations, but he wouldn't shy away from monster hunting contracts. Group fights didn’t suit him; his skills were better suited for one-on-one combat, allowing him to focus on a single target.
Bones, however, couldn’t decide on a single specialization, expressing that he didn’t feel a strong inclination toward any particular path. Solin shrugged, motioning toward the Forest Troll contract.
“What do you think? Wanna take this one together?” He suggested.
Bones agreed, lacking a strong preference. “I've fought trolls before. We just faced them in the dungeon,” he remarked. Solin chuckled, anticipating Bones’ line of thought. “This troll won’t be like the ones we encountered in the dungeon. While they may have had an elite tag, they were still weakened versions of the trolls outside a dungeon. Trust me, this Forest Troll is the real deal. The picture doesn't do it justice.”
As Solin went inside the guild to register them as a party taking on a monster hunter quest, Bones remained outside, observing a pair of adventurers approaching on lizard-like mounts. The duo, one male and the other female, appeared to be of high levels judging by their well-equipped gear. Other adventurers respectfully made way for them as they dismounted in front of the guild gates, not far from where Bones stood. A guard promptly approached and, with the efficiency of a seasoned stablehand, led their mounts away behind the building.
"Don't stare so much. You'll attract unwanted attention," Solin cautioned while descending the stairs to the guild. Bones complied without question, following Solin as they walked away.
"What kind of adventurers are they?" Bones inquired once they were a safe distance away.
Solin offered a brief explanation, "They're the type with strong backing and inflated egos. Both of them are gold rankers and members of the major guild, Radiant Hawks."
"I suppose I should know about the Radiant Hawks?" Bones pondered aloud.
Solin sighed, realizing he might need to provide more context for Bones. "They have quite a reputation. The Hawks are considered one of the top guilds in the kingdom, even though they lack an ascendant leading them."
"Oh? How come?" Bones asked, genuinely intrigued.
"The prince Tristan is the guild leader of the Radiant Hawks. He is the Radiant Hawk. You know he isn't an ascendant yet, right?" Bones shrugged, and Solin grinned knowingly. "Come on, let's head back to the tavern. I'll fill you in on the way." The two turned back, leaving the thought of browsing shops behind.
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"Tristan wasn't the king's first child. He had many during his reign, but Tristan was the only one in the last hundred and fifty years or so. Despite the king's notorious strictness, he spoiled the little brat – I mean, the prince, or so I've heard."
"Anyway, the prince had the best mentors, best education, best training, and… best of everything he needed. Like King Wezar's, his class is classified…" Solin snickered at the pun and continued, "it is known that the prince was capped at least in one class. A lot of people disliked him because everything was handed to him since birth, but there was no mistaking his talent and the strength he possesses. I've heard he could even go toe to toe against an ascendant! Can you believe it?"
"Okay, fanboy, we're here," Bones interrupted. Solin looked up and realized they were already in front of the tavern. He frowned and followed Bones inside. "I'm not a fanboy…"
Bones had nothing to pack, as everything was already stored in his inventory. While waiting for Solin in the courtyard, he took out a set of bones from his Bone Collector tab and started working on the already missed, spooky-looking cat.
An hour later, Solin found him and handed him a small set of vials filled with mana potion. Bones looked up in surprise and gladly took them off his hands, appreciating the gesture. “What are you working on? Is that a cat?” Solin asked. Bones nodded and explained that it helped him practice Bone Shaping and Bone Manipulation.
He had made progress in practicing Bone Shaping, but he still couldn't freely shape his own bones. While he could manipulate small bones effectively, shaping larger structures like his arm remained beyond his current capability. There was a time when he entertained the idea of transforming his arm into a spear or a massive spike during combat, but now that he had a golem, such thoughts seemed unnecessary. In reality, it was a far-fetched idea that was unlikely to come to fruition. Instead, his focus shifted to making the Bone Armor a permanent solution, perhaps by integrating it with his skeleton if such a feat was possible. With only two more levels until his Bone Armor advanced, he was eager to see what he could achieve.
"So, what's next once you finish with your...cat?" Solin asked, his curiosity piqued as he glanced at Bones.
“No idea, to be honest. I might put it up for sale, or perhaps in the future, I'll use the mana core to create a golem or an automaton out of it,” Bones replied, putting the finishing touches on the small, cartoonish-looking bone cat. For now, he would infuse the nucleus into the cat as he usually did, along with a set of simple instructions and behavior rules to follow.
"We ready to leave?" he asked, and Solin confirmed. Their journey would take them outside the city gates and northeast around the lake, leading into a vast stretch of forest close to the border with the Aphiton Kingdom. Further northeast, a part of the forest would lead them in and out of the Aphiton Kingdom, and into one of the smaller elven kingdoms known for dense rainforest, small hills, and sparsely populated areas.
Elves eschewed grand cities, preferring to live harmoniously with nature alongside other forest inhabitants, such as Forest Trolls. They didn't need to venture deep into the forest to find them, as the Forest Trolls had encroached into Wezar Kingdom territory, prompting the contract to eliminate the threat. Collecting the troll's heart would serve as both a quest item and proof of completion.
The party traveled on rented horses, which they would leave at the stable in the last village before entering the forest. The concept of renting was foreign to Bones, but he adapted to the idea without much fuss.
After leaving the city through the eastern gates, they headed northeast along the lake's shore. Many fishermen's houses dotted the shoreline, with people tending to their boats or working on their catch. These lakeside dwellers appeared less affluent than those within the city walls. Solin noticed Bones’ gaze lingering on the fishermen and understood why. These people were exposed outside the city walls, and while guards patrolled the area, there was no guarantee of safety from the lurking dangers of the waters.
Stalking Drowners were the aquatic equivalent of ghouls and a common menace near any body of water. They were known to stalk and harass individuals on boats, dragging them into the depths to drown and feast on their flesh. They were not hesitant to venture near the shore either. Any passerby along the shoreline was a potential target, often falling victim to these flesh-eating monsters.
The lake wasn't an exception, and the fishermen were easy targets for the flesh-eating Drowners. A problem left for lower-level adventurers to deal with. The two continued along the river bend, and after a few hours of riding, they drifted away from the lake.
Open plains spread far and wide, with people tending to their fields. From the outskirts of the forest in the distance, Solin spotted a pair of goblins dragging an unfortunate villager. With a determined resolve, Solin steered his horse in their direction, with Bones following closely behind, struggling to keep pace.
The goblin pair turned sharply as Solin approached, raising their weapons in defense. Without missing a beat, Solin leapt off his horse, soaring over the goblins with grace. Landing swiftly, he dispatched the goblin holding the villager with precise strikes before swiftly dealing with the other assailant. The villager, though heavily wounded, wasted no time in fleeing.
"You're welcome..." Solin muttered quietly as he turned towards the forest.
"You can't expect a common man to remain calm in such a situation," Bones remarked. "The man fled without even realizing he was safe."
Solin understood but couldn't help feeling a twinge of disappointment at the lack of gratitude. "Do you want to follow the goblins' trail and see where it leads?" Bones suggested.
"Yeah, you don't mind, do you? It'll only take a couple of hours of our time," Solin replied.
"None at all, lead the way."
The two ventured into the forest, and with Solin's unexpectedly proficient tracking skills, they followed the goblins' trail. While they were adept at ambush tactics, they lacked the knowledge to conceal their tracks. Within half an hour, the duo stumbled upon what appeared to be a makeshift campsite. Gurgling sounds emanated from the goblins gathered there, while several villagers were bound and in poor condition.
"Strange," Bones remarked. "I would have expected adventurers or patrols to handle goblin kidnappings like this."
"And you would have guessed right," Solin growled. "They were supposed to deal with this kind of stuff and make bloody sure it doesn't happen in the first place! We'll deal with the goblins and escort the villagers back."
Bones nodded, and without bothering to hide their presence, both rushed the goblins, catching them off guard.