Mori's heart ached with worry as she and Neres tended to Boreas, their mentor who had yet to awaken. The brave hunter had fought valiantly against the Pyro Sabertooth Tiger, but his injuries had taken their toll. Despite their efforts, he remained unconscious, his breathing shallow.
As they attended to him, the notifications flooded their vision, signaling the rewards for their victory. Both Mori and Neres had gained two levels. Boreas had gained a single level, and his Hunter class, just like their Apprentice Hunter class, automatically assigned points to agility, strength, and perception, neglecting vitality, which might have aided in his recovery.
"I worry for him," Mori remarked, her brow furrowing. "He is a tough old man, but he is burning up. I fear that an infection has set in."
Neres nodded in agreement; his eyes filled with concern. "We did our best to build him a temporary shelter. He's always been our rock, and seeing him like this..."
As night descended upon the forest, casting an eerie darkness, the weight of their predicament settled upon them. Being so deep in the endless forest with Boreas incapacitated, they felt vulnerable and exposed. The forest seemed to grow darker, reminding them of the perils that lurked in the shadows.
They felt a cold tendril of fear, as if something was stalking them. Mori wondered if it was just their fears, or whether the higher ambient mana in the forest was playing tricks with them.
Their fears manifested as if on cue when a monstrous figure emerged from the darkness.
Mori recognized it immediately. She had read about it in the Bestiary during her classes at the local hunter academy. It was the dreaded Shadow Reaver, a beast with a chilling affinity for darkness. The mere sight of it sent shivers down their spines, the darkness seeming to swallow their courage.
Trebling with fear, Mori identified the beast.
Shadow Reaver - Level 16. A creature of darkness, this powerful beast strikes fear into the hearts of all who face it. Its shadowy form conceals immense strength and relentless determination. Approach with caution.
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A cold fist of fear gripped Mori and Neres, but they couldn't abandon the fight. Drawing upon every ounce of bravery, they readied themselves to face the overwhelming foe. The creature's presence exuded an overwhelming aura of darkness, its eyes gleaming with an unholy light. The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, anticipating the clash between the hunters and the beast.
Their weapons trembled in their hands as they launched their attacks, but their strikes barely made a dent in the creature's defenses.
With a primal roar, the Shadow Reaver lunged at Mori, its claws slashing through the air with deadly precision. She dodged and weaved, her movements fluid and agile, narrowly avoiding the beast's relentless onslaught. Each swipe of its claws sent tremors through the ground, leaving deep gouges in the earth.
Neres gathered his courage and, unleashed a barrage of arrows, their tips glowing with a faint ethereal light marking his Piercing Arrow skill. The arrows pierced through the darkness, finding their mark on the Shadow Reaver's hide, but the wounds seemed to heal almost instantaneously, leaving no lasting damage.
Mori's mind raced as she assessed the situation. Their attacks were barely scratching the surface of the creature's formidable defenses. The Shadow Reaver retaliated with devastating force, unleashing waves of dark energy that crackled through the air. Mori deflected the attacks with her hunter’s dagger, each clash sending sparks flying in all directions.
The battle seemed to stretch on endlessly, both hunters exerting every ounce of strength and skill. Mori could feel her muscles burning with fatigue, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She glanced over at Neres, who fought on, his eyes reflecting a mix of fear and resolve.
Time seemed to slow as the Shadow Reaver launched its most ferocious attack yet. It summoned tendrils of darkness from the ground, ensnaring Neres in their inky grip. He struggled against the suffocating darkness, his cries of pain echoing through the night.
Mori's heart pounded in her chest as she made a split-second decision. Ignoring her own safety, she lunged forward, dropping her bow and slashing through the tendrils with all her strength. The darkness recoiled, releasing Neres from its clutches. Blood trickled from her wounds, but she paid it no mind, her sole focus on protecting her companion. Neres lay on the ground, unmoving.
Mori, her body battered and her spirit wavering, desperately clinging to the hope that somehow, against all odds, they would emerge victorious and find a way to save Boreas.