“Kuhahahahaha!”

I couldn’t help but laugh at my luck. Truly, my luck was just too much. Getting tricked by some random adventurers, and now to be trapped in such a situation because I was deceived so easily.

I can feel Mili trembling on my back. She’s already burrowed her head into my back. Well, it must be scary. Since even I can feel something run down my spine , looking at what lay before me.

The adventurer’s trick revealed itself, just a while ago, when—

“Haaah.. Mili, we have been walking for quite a while…. Are we even getting close to the red spring?”

Mili had already made my back her base, and was comfortably riding on it. My body was well toned. I was slim, but not too much, with an adequate amount of muscle and a minimum amount of fat. Even after becoming a Slayer, my muscles were only improved, my physique didn’t change much. I never preferred too many muscles, since it’d just make me look like a muscle freak. A muscle fanatic? Although it’s not realistic, I’ll just avoid it.

If I was ripped with muscles, Mili wouldn’t even come near me now. Right. A bit above average is best after all! That said, I do become quite ripped when I release the Monster slayer energy, but that’s a special case.

We’ve been walking- well I have been walking in this damn forest for atleast an hour, following the adventurer’s advice. I had half decided that they’d tricked me, but still I kept pushing on, thinking that maybe, just maybe they might have told the truth? As I think that, their laughter once again surfaces onto my mind.

Then suddenly, I could hear a lot more sounds. The forest rustling, the branches whishing around. I suddenly felt a lot more cautious, and raised my guard.

My hunch was right. Because suddenly, from the forest, jumped out a lot of them. A lot of monsters. About 4m high, they were covered in dark yellow scales that overlapped all over their body. A long tail swished behind them, and their big heads with sharp canines glared at us. Their heads were like a T-Rex’s, only smaller. Their little eyes squinted at us. Beneath their abnormally long and ripped hands, some webbing like skin connected their underarm and their chests.

A Curas, if I’m right. Just to make sure, I take out the request sheet and check out the back. There was a sketch of the monster’s characteristics that the onee san had written for me. And it matched perfectly.

A herd of 23 Curas. Quite a huge group. And right now, any Bronze ranked adventurer would be filled with despair. Because a herd of Curas were something from which a gold ranked adventurer would run away from. Even a platinum ranked would hesitate to attack them. That’s right. Any normal Bronze ranked would have already forfeit their lives right now.

I couldn’t help laughing at my luck. Yup. My luck was just too good to be true. Because for me, a herd of Curas were nothing but a fountain of cash. And an ambush by the same would be nothing more than a sea full of cash.

I vaguely remember what the shopkeeper san muttered after looking at the Sarol meat. That some Curas meat would cost…. 5 silvers each. Yup. 5 silvers.

I should really beat up those adventurers for tricking me. But they did help me out, so I’ll leave some money? No. I could just leave a get well card.Yup. Even that was too much.

My eyes could no longer see the intimidating Curas. Because all I could see was 115 silver piled up in front of me, just waiting to be taken.

Truly, this was just the jackpot. Because the arrival of the Curas was just too good for me. And three facts made it extremely good.

First, the income a Curas would bring me was monumental. And if it were a herd of them, it was just raining cash. I could easily earn my loss back with these piggy banks.

Second, one of Arcus san’s tips. If a monster ambushes you, it always has a hideout nearby, where it could run away to immediately if the situation got bad. Meaning, if I leave one alone and chase them, I could get even more income!

Third, Gillareal san’s tip. The luck if you could find a dragon related species’ den. Because a species, even remotely related to a dragon, like the Curas, would have the dragon’s basic instinct. Collecting shiny things. Meaning, a den of Curas could give me enough money to live lavishly and still have enough.

The feeling that runs down my spine, was not a shiver of fear, but the excitement of a challenge. Because I’m not a 100% sure that I could successively take them all down. Even if I went all out, my time limit might become my weakness. Because surely, a large group of monsters would have the advantage of strategies too.

I had already put away the dummy sword, and pulled out my Rebellion. I could feel it tingling, from the prospects of this fight.

I rush in, forgetting everything around me. The ecstasy of battle has already taken root into my mind….

I couldn’t help but yawn. These caterpillars are way too weak. We could defeat it in just half an hour. I mean, seriously. It’s a silver ranked quest. It should at least be life threatening.

But no. This quest is seriously too easy. In two, no one week, we could finish it.

Our party, the Wolf Dragons, is a silver ranked party pretty well known in the guild. Because, we could easily finish some of the toughest Silver ranked quests, most of us were in the top 20 silver ranked in our guild’s leaderboard. I’m sure, there’s no one in Ravenblack who doesn’t know our names.

“Oraa, Lux, don’t you think we’re pretty close to the springs now? Check the map”

My buddy, the pikeman Cricks calls out to me. I take out the map from the little backpack I have. Our party was relaxing, since for now, there don’t seem to be any monsters nearby.

I spread out the map, and ascertain our location. A bit more to the east. An hour’s walk at most I think.

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“We’ll get there in an hour, tops, tha’ a way.”

“Allright! Let’s prep up as soon as we can. Oi ladies, we’re leaving. Mark, pack up the stuff. We’re gonna get that spring water today.”

I check my sword for any chips or nicks. After cleaning it off caterpillar goo, I sheathe it and prepare to head out. The two magicians also pick up their staves and dust off their clothes. Alright, we’re ready.

“Good thing we have a map huh? Otherwise, we would be roaming this forest forever, and still not find it”

Yup. Everyone agrees. The forest of the lost, which was the name of this forest, was very easy to get lost in. Even with a map, we had sidetracked a few times, but somehow, we could reach this point. It was pure luck that we got the map. We ignored the request on the board, and went onto directly meet the requestor, since he was an acquaintance. My hunch was right. He did have a map. He gave it to us for 2 silvers, but that was a loss we were willing to take. Even taking into account the travel expenses, we would get a net profit of 20 silvers at least. And with the five of us, that’s 4 silvers. A great payday.

“Haha. I wonder how that idiot of a rookie died” (Mark)

“Yup! He was so naïve. Asking random adventurers for directions, not even considering that even we may have come for the quest.” (Cricks)

“He’s a rookie, so he might have thought that quests that were on the board would have been untaken.” (Magician 1)

“Yah. He was so weak lookin’. How did he eve’ get this fa’?” (Lux)

“Maybe the lil elf girl who was with him?” (Mark)

“Uooo! There was an elf?! Why didn’t you tell me? If we called her, I’m sure she would easily come over!” (Cricks)

I could totally agree with Cricks. Because elves were undoubtedly beautiful. If I could get one as my girl…. I wipe off my drool, and turn serious again. Right. It’s a shame but, that elf would have died by now.

The death claw. That was the area I had directed them off to. A popular site of Curas ambushes, which was just overkill. Even stepping in there would already decide your fates. It’s quite far, but they would head there, since adventurers are desperate for money. Even if it could be a trap, that rookie would head there, believing in my words. What a pitiful end.

“Hahahahaha!!!”

I couldn’t hold my laughter in. The Curas herd that attacked me were already in my ring, all 22 of them. The last one did its job, leading me to its hideout. I stand at the entrance, unable to hold in my laughter.

After all, this was a Curas den. And it should be quite easy. Most of the members go out for ambushes, and now, only some people should be home.

I walk in, checking the amount of time I can use Monster Slayer energy for. Half a minute left. Too less. The ambush was successful, if I do say so myself. Their team play was so great, that after killing just two of them, I was already forced to use my Monster slayer energy. Truly, team battles are fearsome.

Even then, it wasn’t easy. The Curas judged that my power boost should only be temporary, and they kept attacking sparsely, trying to tire me out.

3 minutes. That’s how long it took for me to take them out. The last one already started retreating, and I reverted back and chased after the stupid pseudo dragon.

And now, I’m here. I advise Mili to hide somewhere near here, since it could become danger in such a place where visibility was low. Thankfully she agreed, and hid herself. Amazing. I couldn’t even sense a hint of her presence.

I enter the cave, ready to get the shiny stuff.

“DERYAAAH!”

I parry the Curas’s claws, and sliced off its arm with an upward slash. The Curas screamed in pain and retreated. Another replaced it, immediately using a new attack pattern.

29

“Killer Stab!”

I use the Monster Slayer’s sword specific skill, and pierce through the gaps of the Curas’s thick scales, killing it.

28

Three more attack, and I go on the defensive, trying to find an opening.

Right now, I was in a huge cave, within the Curas den, where another horde of a shocking 34 Curas attacked me. I killed off 4, and then was forced to use Monster Slayer energy. A monster house, with a 30 second time limit.

By the time I use Flame and kill two of them, the other brings his claws down onto my back. The claws get deflected away, by a metallic clang. The steel like skin of a slayer won’t be cut by something like that! I twist around and throw a knife I just brought from my ring right into the Curas’s head. Another kill.

8.

Only 12 Curas are left, and 8 seconds for me to stay OP. I can’t stop Monster slayer energy now, since the strain won’t be a breeze to recover from, and my overpowering defense would fall considerably.

Rebellion relishes as it cuts through the neck of the Curas, cutting through it like butter.

1.

I collapse, and start gasping. Haaaah haaah… This wa… was… tiring…. I struggle onto my feet, and the rebound was huge. Finally, finally done. I couldn’t help smiling, since the battle was just too exciting. I learnt quite a lot of stuff from this, and even more moonneeey!!! I need to call Mili—

I lean against the wall of the dark cave, gasping. Damn. My luck ran out this time. I used it up too much with the Curas, since I’m getting the repercussions now. The dummy cloak I wore was now torn, and a huge gash spread across the front. The white shirt I had gotten was now red, drenched with blood. My blood. I never expected it to appear in such a moment though.