I wasn't too far from my nook, that reluctant little corner of the forest I'd begrudgingly started to call "home." Close enough to the line of havoc the Behemoth’s rampage had carved through the forest, I'd been quietly combing the air for a creature to bring down for dinner. And that’s when I felt it—that faint, offbeat cadence of breath drifting into my senses like an unwelcome memory. Elves. That frustratingly irregular, soft rhythm was unmistakable, hitting me with the subtlety of a thunderclap. Hard to forget how elves breathed. Not after last time.

Swallowing the urge to bolt, I scanned for any nearby nasties. All clear. Slipping into stealth, I crept up into the boughs of a sturdy tree, tucked myself into the shadows, and settled in to watch.

It didn’t take long. Three of them glided into view with their irritating, calculated elegance. They stopped by a clearing where bioluminescent vines cast a greenish-blue glow over the forest floor, lighting up the loamy ground and sending shadows slanting across the leaves. One elf, a slender one with hunched shoulders, knelt, pressing her fingers into the soil. She murmured to the others, eyes darting up as they stood guard.

Humans came in all shapes, but elves—they were unsettlingly uniform. Each one wiry and gaunt, ears long and sharp as their faces. Their leather armour was streaked with mud and smeared green to blend in, and one of them, the shortest, held a short staff that pulsed with an eerie, cold light, marked with symbols that were again… not-Vel’ Tan script. Looked like it was enchanted with a spell, probably ice-based. Not that I had any plans to test it.

Their eyes swept the scene, scouring the roots, nooks, and lower branches, as though hunting for something small and very much hidden.

Just as the System pinged in with another of its murderous little quests, dangling skill points for kills, I glanced at it and dismissed the prompt. Not quite ready for that yet. But if chance showed up on my doorstep? I might just entertain it. Could always use a few more skill points.

For now, I stayed put, finely attuned to their hushed voices. The forest’s quiet only sharpened their murmurs.

One of them, clearly frustrated, clicked his tongue. The lone guy the the group muttered, irritation in his voice, “C’est peine perdue, Soril. We’ve searched everywhere, even an extra mile. There’s not a trace.”

Soril, kneeling on the ground, let out a short, dry laugh. “If patience isn’t your strength, maybe you should head back to camp. The weaker hunters won’t mind your company.”

The third member, the tallest one, a female elf with a thin scar running from her temple to her chin, gave the grumbler a nudge. “I’m with Soril. You were the one who insisted on taking this mission, swearing it would be easy to track the creature.” She smirked. “Starting to doubt yourself, Carel?”

He sighed, rolling his eyes. “It should have been easy! A creature that kind would leave traces everywhere. The mana trails should still be visible.”

Soril rose to her feet, dusting off her hands. “Mana trails fade if they’re too old. We need something fresh. So, Carel, if you’re so sure, tell me—where do you think it went?”

Carel gestured with a nod toward a dense tangle of roots nearby. “It’s likely hiding in those burrows. But if that’s the case, we’ll be at it all night to get it out.”

The female elf scoffed. “And whose fault is that?” She shook her head, clearly irritated. “Maybe if you’d tracked it properly...”

Carel’s grip tightened on his staff. “I’d love to see you do better, Lira.”

Lira ignored his jab, turning to Soril instead. “So? Anything?”

Soril studied the ground, her eyes narrowing. “Faint traces. It’s either very good at hiding, or smarter than we gave it credit for.”

“Smart creatures seem to be the trend these days,” Lira muttered. “Solfis’s team nearly got wiped yesterday. Mira barely escaped a tricky one.”

Wouldn’t it be rich if Mira were the very elf I skewered yesterday? I watched them edge out of my range, and after some thought, climbed down. I needed to know what in the blazes they were still doing here if they knew what was coming.

The hues in the air were intensifying, and I could hardly believe anyone in Lithrindel would be fool enough to operate a dungeon without a divinator to sound the alarm on such disasters. Or were these elves truly oblivious to the impending catastrophe about to hit their precious land?

As they exchanged jibes, I drifted closer, staying to the shadows, testing each step. Bit by bit, I edged near enough to tail them, gleaning their chatter without giving myself away.

Soril crouched down, inspecting a spot just a few feet away. “According to the mission details, this creature wouldn’t risk showing itself out in the open. It knows how to hide.” She pointed to faint scratches in the dirt, nearly covered by fallen leaves. “These claw marks look fresh. If we’re lucky, we can follow them east, past the clearing.”

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Carel glanced at the marks with a skeptical look, then gave a brief nod. “Alright, but if we don’t find it soon, I’m turning back.”

Lira’s lips curled into a dry smile. “Wouldn’t want your pride to suffer, now, would we?”

“Not just pride, mon ami. There’s also coin on the line. Have you even seen how much they’re offering for this?” Carel scoffed, clearly unfazed by Lira’s jab. “And as much as I want that payout, you’ve all heard the news. It’s about to get tricky in these woods.”

Umm, were they talking about the wave?

“Well, the way I heard it, if those people succeed, we won’t have to worry about the wave at all,” Soril said, though her tone betrayed doubt.

“They’re shady. I don’t trust them,” Lira muttered under his breath.

“Then why are you even working for them?” Carel raised an eyebrow.

“For the same reason you are. For the money, genius,” Lira shot back.

With that, the trio headed eastward, still grumbling as they slipped into the thicket, looking far more begrudging than bold. Their complaints, though, had been most informative. So, it was indeed the Wave they were on about—oh, and it seemed there was some organization involved, gathering rare creatures in exchange for hefty rewards. If these elves were chancing their necks despite the looming threat, their backer must have some serious cash. And, by the looks of it, an agenda.

Hmm…

A chill ran down my spine. This was beginning to feel unpleasantly familiar. I’d already squared off against one of these shadowy groups, and most of their lot were now neatly digested in Barn’s belly. Problem was, I couldn’t rely on Barn this time around.

Steady on, I thought. Could be entirely unrelated, just some wealthy newcomers with a penchant for rare finds. And that nagging little voice in the back of my head, wondering if their prize was intended for some dark sacrifice? I shoved that thought right out. No need to go crying cult just yet.

Meanwhile, the oblivious elves pressed on, utterly unaware they were being followed by a dragon.

It wasn’t long before things got interesting. The elves moved cautiously through the dense underbrush, senses on high alert. Soril must have spotted something, judging by the way she signalled them to hush. They advanced slowly, Soril leading, her hand tracing glowing runes in the air. I could only make out the Arc and Oblivion symbols among them. Three others formed a circular pattern—clearly, a continuous matrix of some sort.

Then, just when I almost missed it, something darted from the shadows—a quick, sleek figure covered in dark scales. A stag-like creature with elongated limbs tipped with clawed hooves, a sinuous tail ending in a tuft of fur, and piercing red eyes with a gemstone nestled between them. It moved with alarming speed.

Soril muttered, flicking her wrist with a flourish.

“ICE LANCE!”

Five shimmering ice lances materialized and launched, cutting through the air not toward the creature but surrounding it, blocking its escape paths. Each time it tried to dodge, a lance descended, herding it into an ever-tightening circle. Clever. Soril had it all mapped out, driving the creature right toward Lira and Carel, who sprang into position, setting up their own spells.

Lira’s feet glowed as a dark, twisting rune coiled beneath her, casting shadowy fog underneath her boots. Carel stretched his hands wide, conjuring a gleaming, intricate net between his fingers, glowing with faint, blue mana.

It was all happening so quickly I barely had a moment to catch my breath, let alone analyse the scene in detail.

The creature was no pushover, that much was clear. Slipping right through the gaps in the ice lances, it leapt onto a nearby tree with a predator’s grace, scrabbling up the trunk with its clawed hooves as if it were born to do so. Soril gritted her teeth, muttering a new incantation. A spectral tether wisped from his fingertips, and Lira murmured her own spell, layering it with a shimmering sheen.

The plan was nearly working—nearly. The creature gave a sharp jolt as the tether snagged its tail, and a fine mist spread around it, hampering its frantic struggles. Clearly something to keep the beast’s darting about in check. Ever opportunistic, Carel muttered something sharp under his breath—missed the exact words, but his netting flared bright in his hands, shooting forward and unfurling mid-air like it had a mind of its own, seeking to entrap the creature entirely.

It all unfolded in barely a minute, and impressive as it was to watch three mages so perfectly in sync, I had my own little ace up my sleeve. If they could form a team, well, what’s to stop a few monsters from doing the same? I had a clear shot, no obstructions. Flamethrower was a bit far out, but just right for my brand-new spell. Last time, I’d only had flamethrower; lightning, however, was supposed to pack a bit more piercing power.

[Charge.]

A twisted grin crossed my face as I funneled six points of mana into the spell, feeling it crackle to life at my claws, vibrating with fierce intensity. My claws began to ache, but I was only just getting started.

[Discharge.]

I winced as I fed another six mana into the spell. My claws throbbed, but the rune seared brighter, crackling with raw energy.

[Arc.]

Three more mana flowed into the final rune. The matrix had taken everything I could put into it, and my claws trembled, searing with power. I locked eyes on Carel, claws aching as I muttered the trigger with gritted teeth.

“LIGHTNING BOLT!”

A searing bolt of lightning exploded forward, roaring through the air as it shattered through anything in its path. Carel barely had time to turn, eyes widening in horror. A barrier shimmered before him, but it was nothing to my spell’s fury. Lightning tore through it, slamming into him between the shoulder blades.

Carel’s scream ripped through the air as he was thrown forward with brutal force, his net disintegrating instantly. Lira and Soril spun, shock flashing in their eyes before their training kicked in. Lira bolted toward Carel, who lay gasping and writhing, while Soril’s gaze darkened, darting around to locate the source.

The creature seized its chance. With a shrill cry, it tore free from Soril’s spell, diving into the dense undergrowth.

“WHO THE HELL IS THERE?!” Soril thundered, her voice carrying through the trees, but I, being the sly dragon I was, had already slithered away, grinning like some half-mad fiend. Every step rattled my brain. Every pulse throbbed in my claws from the strain. But oh, it was satisfying to snatch victory from those elves’ greedy fingers.

The stag darted in my direction as well, its crystal-tipped head swiveling toward my moving blur. Even with my stealth on, the gleaming stone in its forehead caught my presence, and—oddly enough—it lowered its head in my direction before slipping into the underbrush. Was it… thanking me?

Monsters. Heh. Clearly, I still had a thing or two to learn about them.