"Good hunting!" Old Willem called out from his usual spot outside the tavern. He raised his mug in salute.
I nodded back. Thank you.
"Stay safe out there," Sarah Goodmak said as I passed her store. Her words carried genuine concern, though she still kept a careful distance.
More villagers joined in with well-wishes as I made my way east. Even Farmer Tull, who'd been one of my strongest critics, gave me a respectful nod from his fields. Word had spread quickly about the monster threat and my mission to deal with it.
My four arms carried an arsenal: a deadly longsword in my right hand, a shorter curved cutlass in my left flesh hand, a spear in my upper right hand, and a heavy mace in my upper left. The weapons clinked softly against my metal frame as I walked.
Children playing near the village edge stopped to watch me pass. Derek waved enthusiastically while the others hung back. I waved back with one of my upper arms, the gesture somewhat mechanical but friendly.
"Are you going to fight the monster, No Eyes?" Derek called out.
Yes. To keep the village safe.
"Like you did with the raiders?"
Just so.
The boy beamed with pride, as if he'd personally vouched for my monster-hunting abilities.
"Bring us back it's head!" Shouted an excited little girl.
I smiled at her enthusiasm.
I'll see what I can do.
As I approached the eastern woods, more villagers called out "good hunting" or nodded in acknowledgment. Their acceptance felt strange yet warming. These were the same people who'd once feared and distrusted me. Now they looked to me for protection.
I reached the tree line where the monster's tracks had been found. Behind me, Weath carried on with its daily routines, the sounds of commerce and conversation drifting on the breeze. My metal frame gleamed in the morning sun, and to those who saw me, they saw a guardian standing between the village and whatever threat lurked within those woods.
I heard footsteps pounding against dirt and turned to see Mallie racing toward me, her blonde hair bouncing with each step. She wore a leather vest that looked recently oiled, with a quiver strapped to her back and her prized bow in hand. A cloth bag hung from her shoulder, bulging with what appeared to be supplies.
What are you doing here? I projected the thought to her.
"Coming with you, of course!" She adjusted the strap of her bag. "Heard you were going monster hunting."
Did Antos send you?
"No." She shook her head. "But I want to help. I'm a combat class now, remember? Can't get stronger just sitting in the village all day."
This could be dangerous.
"I've been going out with the Hunters already." She patted her bow. "I know these woods better than you do. Plus, how else am I supposed to gain experience points? Can't level up without fighting."
I considered her words. She had proven herself capable during our escape from Qordos, and her archery skills were exceptional. Still...
Did you at least get permission. From your parents?
"Yeah." She kicked at the dirt. "Ma wasn't happy about it, but Pa said I could go. Said I needed to learn how to protect myself and others."
I sighed internally, my mechanical body remaining still. Her logic was sound, and having a skilled archer as backup could prove useful. Plus, her knowledge of the local terrain would help track whatever was killing the deer.
Very well. You can come.
"Yes!" She bounced on her toes, grinning wide enough to show her gap-toothed smile. "This is going to be great! We'll be like real adventurers, hunting monsters together!"
If you say so.
Together, the two of us entered the woods.
The forest grew thicker as we ventured deeper, branches interweaving above to block out most of the sunlight. My metal feet crunched against dead leaves and twigs while Mallie moved with practiced silence beside me.
"Look here," she whispered, crouching near a broken sapling. "Something big passed through. See how the wood's splintered? Whatever did this is heavy."
I examined the damage. The young tree had been snapped clean through, its pale inner wood exposed. How recent?
"Fresh sap's still sticky." She touched the break carefully. "Day old, maybe less."
We found more signs as we pressed on: deep gouges in tree bark, patches of disturbed earth, and most telling, the remains of deer. Not clean kills like hunters would make, but savage tears through flesh and bone.
"These aren't normal predator marks," Mallie said, studying a partially devoured carcass. "Too messy. Even wolves are cleaner than this."
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Mallie proved invaluable as we tracked the creature. She noticed details I would have missed such as subtle changes in the undergrowth, displaced stones, broken spider webs indicating recent passage. Her experience with the hunting party showed in every observation.
"The tracks are getting bigger," she noted as the day wore on. "Whatever it is, it's growing. Probably from eating all these deer."
The sun began to set, painting what little sky we could see through the canopy in deep orange. Mallie found us a defensible spot to camp - a small clearing backed by a steep rock face.
"This way nothing can sneak up behind us," she explained, gathering dry wood for a fire.
I stood watch while she worked, my four weapons ready. The forest had grown quiet; too quiet. Even the birds had gone silent.
Mallie got the fire going quickly, the flames casting dancing shadows on the rock wall behind us. She pulled bread and dried meat from her pack, along with a water skin.
"Want some?" she offered out of habit, then caught herself. "Oh right, sorry. Sometimes I forget you don't eat."
It's fine. I positioned myself between her and the darker parts of the forest. Eat. Keep up your strength.
She tore into the bread, chewing thoughtfully while staring into the flames. "You know what's weird? I should be scared out here, hunting some unknown monster. But with you around, I'm not scared at all."
Is that so?
"Mm-hmm." She smiled as she swallowed her bite. "You're scarier than anything we might find in these woods."
I turned to look at her, and she grinned.
"That's a compliment," she added. "Means I know we're safe."
I stood watch during the night as my young partner slept. Dawn hadn't even broken when Mallie stirred from her bedroll. She packed away her camping gear with practiced efficiency, moving in the pre-dawn darkness like she'd done this countless times before.
"Early start means fresh tracks," she whispered, shouldering her pack.
I nodded, standing guard while she worked. The fire had burned down to embers hours ago, leaving only the faintest glow. The forest remained eerily silent.
We set off as the first hints of light filtered through the canopy. Mallie took point, her keen eyes picking up signs I would have missed. The creature's trail led deeper into the ancient woods where the trees grew massive and gnarled.
As we walked, I reached into my Depository and retrieved the elven arrowheads we'd collected from the archer at Qordos. The enchanted metal caught what little light penetrated the forest, gleaming with an inner radiance.
Here, I said through Mind Speech, holding them out to Mallie. You should take these.
She stopped tracking and turned, her eyes widening at the sight of the arrowheads. "But... those are enchanted. Shouldn't you keep them?"
I can't break them down or use them effectively. Besides, you're the one who killed the archer. By rights, they're your spoils.
Her freckled face lit up as she carefully took the arrowheads, examining their perfect edges and subtle magical markings. "These are amazing. I've never held enchanted weapons before."
They'll serve you better than they would me.
"Thank you." She clutched them close to her chest. "I'll put them on my arrows tonight when we make camp. Don't want to rush the fletching in the dark."
Two days passed the same way, with Mallie tracking the beast while I kept watch over her. She refilled her waterskin at a creek we passed, and she hunted whatever small game she could to resupply her food.
I watched Mallie clean her hunting knife after gutting another squirrel. Her movements were precise, efficient. She was nothing like the scared little girl I'd first met at Qordos. She'd grown stronger these past days, more confident in her abilities.
The tracks are different here, I noted, examining deep gouges in the earth. Each print was larger than my mechanical hand, with clear claw marks that tore through roots and stone.
"They're fresher too." Mallie wrapped the cleaned meat in leaves, tucking it into her pack. "Whatever made these passed through less than half a day ago."
We pressed on through the ancient forest. The trees here were giants, their trunks wider than village houses. Their massive roots created natural barriers we had to navigate around.
The stench hit us first, one of rotting meat and something else, something wrong that made Mallie cover her nose with a cloth. We found the bear's remains scattered across a small clearing.
Stay back, I warned, moving forward to examine the carnage.
The bear had been massive, its black fur matted with dried blood. Its body was torn apart, ribcage split open, limbs scattered. What struck me most was the precision of the kills. These were not random savage attacks, but deliberate strikes to vital areas.
"Look at the claw marks," Mallie whispered, pointing to deep gouges in the bear's skull. Despite my warning, she'd crept closer to study the scene. "They're bigger than before. The monster's still growing."
I picked up a section of the bear's leg, noting how cleanly it had been severed. This wasn't just strength. Whatever did this knew exactly where to strike.
"Like it's learning?" Mallie's voice carried an edge of worry. "That's not normal for monsters, is it?"
No. I set the limb down. Most monsters are purely instinctual. This one's different.
"Like you're different?"
I turned to look at her. The question hung in the air between us.
Perhaps, I finally answered. But that only makes it more dangerous.
Mallie nodded, her hand unconsciously touching the enchanted arrows in her quiver. "We should keep moving. The sooner we find it, the better."
She was right. With each kill, the creature grew stronger, smarter. The bear proved it wasn't just hunting for food anymore; it was testing itself, improving its killing techniques.
We followed the trail deeper into the woods. The monster's path was clearer now, more purposeful. It no longer tried to hide its presence, leaving obvious signs of its passage. Everywhere there were signs: broken trees, scattered bones, deep claw marks in the earth.
How are your supplies? I asked as we walked.
"Good. Got enough dried meat for three more days, plenty of water." Mallie adjusted her pack straps. "Those squirrels were fat. Good eating."
We should turn back if we don't find it by then.
"Won't need three days." Mallie pointed to fresh tracks ahead. "We're getting close. Really close."
We found it the next afternoon.
The creature crouched over its latest kills, muzzle buried in the bloody remains of what had been a wolfpack. Black fur matted with gore covered its massive frame, twice the size of any warhorse I'd seen. Its body stretched long and sinewy, supported by six powerful legs that ended in curved, dagger-like claws.
Stay back, I warned Mallie through Mind Speech. Get up in that oak tree. Good sight lines.
She moved silently away as I studied our quarry. The beast's head was elongated, reminiscent of a jungle cat but with distinctly reptilian features. When it raised its head to tear another chunk of meat, I saw rows of pointed teeth designed for gripping and shredding. Yellow eyes with vertical slits scanned the area as it fed, suggesting keen predatory vision.
I activated Analyze, focusing on the creature:
-
Snapper Dragon
Level 13
The high level explained the intelligence we'd seen in its kills. This was no mindless beast; it had been systematically hunting larger and more dangerous prey to grow stronger.
The Snapper Dragon suddenly went still, its serpentine eyes narrowing. It had sensed something. I gripped my weapons tighter, the mechanisms in my four arms whirring softly as I prepared for combat.
Mallie was safely positioned in the oak's branches, bow ready with an enchanted arrow nocked. I could hear her controlled breathing; she was nervous but focused.
The monster's head snapped toward me, yellow eyes locking onto my position. A low growl rumbled from its throat, deeper than any natural creature should produce. It rose from its kills, blood dripping from its jaws as it assessed this new potential prey.
I stepped fully into view, letting it see my combat frame in all its threatening glory. Four arms bristling with weapons, reinforced plating gleaming dully in the afternoon light. The Snapper Dragon's eyes tracked my movement, its muscles tensing as it prepared to strike.
This would be nothing like fighting the dog-creatures in the wastelands. This monster had been honing itself, becoming more lethal with each kill. And now it had found worthy prey.
At the moment, looking up at the massive beast, I didn't feel like much of a hunter anymore.