HOP HOP HOP
The rabbit ran across the forest, jumping over the rocks, hiding along the bushes, and passing under the roots of the massive trees. It traversed the verdant forest, sniffing the air from time to time as it indulged in the peaceful scenery.
It was a peaceful forest, the bugs and critters living their lives as they usually would, the flowers in bloom as they greeted the sun above, the creeks flowing ever so quietly, and the mountains standing proud under the blue sky.
FWOOOOSSSHHHHHHHH BOOM BOOM BOOM
Thunder resounded throughout the forest, a single arrow darting like a lightning bolt and piercing the clouds as it passed through. Shockwaves echoed in the air, a number of sonic booms echoing on after another.
The arrow rushed towards the barren cliff sides of the mountains, cruising away as if there was no tomorrow. A single bird flew up without much thought, flapping its wings as it tried to head higher in the mountain, but before it could even reach halfway...
BOOM GASHAK KHIEEEEEKKKKKKK
The rampaging arrow struck its heart, boring a hole through its chest and ending its life almost immediately. Without much strength left, it spiraled down the ground and crashed with a couple booms, falling down from extreme heights.
The remaining birds saw it fall and were quickly alarmed by such a sight. Their hearts were struck with panic and they quickly flapped their wings. There was vigilance in their eyes, watching out for everything heading their way.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
Unfortunately for them, they didn't even have the chance to escape. As soon as they started flapping their wings, a volley of arrows came towards them and hit them one by one, all of them going down like flies as they lost their lives
The volley of arrows continued and many more of them were killed by the sudden assault. Some tried to flee, rushing away with the fear of death engulfing their hearts, whilst the more courageous ones searched for where the arrows came from.
It was more than 3 kilometers away from them, arrows shot out in rapid succession by a young man. His eyes were sparkling as the deepest shade of amethyst, scenes and sceneries playing out as they reflected on his eyes.
"Waah～! That's amazing, Grey! You shot them all down!" ［Yuna］
"There's still a lot of them left, you know?" ［Grey］
"Still! You already hunted more than a dozen of them! That's impressive!" ［Yuna］
Of course, the one responsible for hunting down the large birds was none other than Grey. He had decided to use his archery skills for once and shot his prey from more than 3 kilometers away, not missing them even a single time.
After all, with Grey's eyes, everything was clear as day to him. All they needed to do was stand atop the peak of one of the mountains and start shooting. What followed was a bloodbath, several large birds dropping like flies.
They are now in a quest to subjugate or drive away a flock of D-rank Skull Vultures which has been disrupting the cliffside route towards the west. It was a C-rank quest of much importance, trading heavily affected by it.
Skull Vultures are D-rank beasts which possess the dark-attribute. They often wear the skulls of the prey they've hunted on their heads, thus giving them their names. They are also powerful enough to crush trees and boulders with their talons alone.
"Yuna, do you want to try shooting too?" ［Grey］
"Hmm... Is that okay? I'm not as good as you with the bow, you know?" ［Yuna］
"It's fine. With this distance, I'm sure you can hit them without much trouble... What was your longest shot with an arrow again?" ［Grey］
"That was a few months ago already... I think it was 2 kilometers?" ［Yuna］
"Then that's more than enough isn't it? You're already Calamity-Class right now so I'm sure it's improved again. You can test it out now." ［Grey］
Not just physical strength, but the senses and acuity of the mind is also improved as one advances through the ranks. The moment one becomes a High-Ranker, they can definitely hit enemies very far away as if it is nothing.
Like she said, Yuna could hit an enemy 2 kilometers away with extreme accuracy, but now that she has reached Calamity-Class, she can hit anything within an 8 kilometer distance. Hitting the Skull Vultures is not a problem.
As for Grey, there is no need to argue. With his eyes as it is, he can see an object even smaller than an inch more than 60 kilometers away and hit a target more than 300 kilometers as if it was just in front of him. He was a monster.
"Then... Which one should I..." ［Yuna］
Yuna pulled the string and locked her eyes to one of the Skill Vultures. She breathed in calmly, gathering mana from her body and the air, soon condensing them into an arrow or mana, glowing ever so dimly.
BOOOOM FWOOOOOSSSHHHH BOOM BOOM BOOM
Without much hesitation, Yuna then released the string and the mana arrow, firing it towards the unsuspecting Skull Vulture and hitting it straight at its skull. A hole was bored through its head and it crashed soon after.
"Ohh～! I really hit it! That's a new record, right?!" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, it is... Though, it seems like they've found us now..." ［Grey］
But it was also because of that shot that the Skull Vultures identified where Grey and Yuna were. They quickly turned their heads towards the two's direction, rushing out without any hesitation, hostility burning in their eyes.
They flew at incredible speed, the sound of lightning accompanying every single flap of their wings. They shrieked and screeched, ready to hunt down Grey and Yuna, and avenge their fallen brethren. A trail of darkness followed them.
"Yuna, just keep on shooting, I'll keep them at bay." ［Grey］
"Un! Leave it to me!" ［Yuna］
There was no need to think too much. Yuna quickly pulled the bowstring and created 4 mana arrows from thin air. She pulled back some more and released soon after, a strong gust of wind blowing the forest with gusto.
The arrows flew without any disturbance, rushing out towards the Skull Vultures. All of them hit and 4 more vultures met their doom. They crashed towards the ground and some were caught in the canopy of the forest.
Yuna continued to shoot and more vultures met their ends. Some tried to dodge, but all they did was delay their suffering, getting several wounds and crashing down as their wings were broken. Blood spilled across the forest.
KAWWWKKKKKKK KHIEEEEKKKKKK
Of course, some of the Skull Vultures managed to survive the deadly volley, readying their talons, beaks, and wings as they rushed towards the young lady, ready to rip her to shreds. Unfortunately for them, she wasn't their only opponent.
"Hey, up here." ［Grey］
Before they even noticed, Grey suddenly appeared above them, his shadow gracing their sight. He pulled back on of his arms and clenched his fits tightly, a loud boom thundering through the place as he released his punch.
The strike connected and the Skull Vulture's skull was shattered, blood gushing out of its beak. It lost its life in an instant, crashing down towards the trees. The vultures all witnessed the downfall of one of their kin, enraged even more.
KAAWWKKK KAWWWWKKKK KHIEEEKKKK
They all rushed out towards Grey, and bore their talons as if there was no tomorrow. Whips of darkness lashed out from their wings, all rushing towards Grey, their sharp and piercing cries echoing in the air.
Unfortunately for them, their opponent was several leagues higher than. All he did was wave his hand and all the whips dispersed into nothingness. He followed with another punch, another one of the vultures taken down.
"Haah... How persistent..." ［Grey］
Yet despite the number of Skull Vultures they have already defeated, they have yet to lose their will to fight. They continued to rush towards Grey, still launching several whips of darkness and bolting towards Grey with their talons wide open.
"Grey, dodge!" ［Yuna］
"Roger!" ［Grey］
However, they were all so focused on Grey, they had forgotten once again that he wasn't their only enemy. Yuna had prepared the next volley of mana arrows, the bow shining a subtle gleam as the mana arrows were packed with power.
Yuna released the bowstring and shot out over a dozen arrows. They all flew towards the vultures, taking them down as if there was no tomorrow. From more than a dozen Skull Vultures, only a couple remained after the massacre.
And such a couple of vultures were quickly ended by Grey. He used wind magic to boost his mobility and rushed towards them, appearing before them before they could even notice. Life flashed before their eyes.
A quick few punches later and every single Skull Vulture disappeared from sight. The ones who've run away before have gotten quite some distance away, and some were even hiding. There were still a couple dozen of them.
"Hmm... Should we chase them down, Grey?" ［Yuna］
"No need... They already surrendered so just leave them be," ［Grey］
"I see... You can have the bow back then. It was fun!" ［Yuna］
However, there was no need to chase them down. It might have been cowardly for the Skull Vultures to run away, but it was because of it that they survived. Fleeing is also a skill to behold, the law of nature rewarding them for their right decisions.
Well, even if they let them be, there should be no more problems with the cliffside route. The merchants and travelers should now be able to pass through in peace and not worry about getting attacked. Their quest was done.
Now, there's only one thing left to do, and that is to collect the corpses of the Skull Vultures they defeated and store them in the Inventory. They defeated quite a lot so finding and storing them should take quite some time.
"Hmm... I wonder... Do you think their meat tastes good?" ［Yuna］
"I don't know... Maybe we can try it later." ［Grey］
"Un! Sounds good! Grey's cooking is delicious, after all!" ［Yuna］
There was no time to waste. As soon as they defeated all the Skull Vultures, Grey and Yuna soon retrieved their corpses and stored them in the Inventory. Afterwards, they then headed to their next quest area, excited as can be.
It has been almost a week since Grey and Yuna fiddled with the new camera, and while they don't do quests as fervently as before, they have no other choice now but to do so as Kris and Aria are staying at Malus Village right now.
As it seems, Valka's due date is coming and she is about to give birth sooner or later. Aria headed there to assist her mother, and Kris tagged along as well. They arrived quickly with Grey's help, and will be staying there for quite some time.
But with them staying there, it also meant that only Grey and Yuna can handle High-rank quests. B-rank and above are now their responsibility, taking C-rank quests from time to time wherever they are available.
"Grey, what do you think? Will Miss Aria's new sibling be a girl or a boy?" ［Yuna］
"I haven't checked it with my appraisal yet... But doesn't Miss Aria feel weird getting a new sibling? She's already married, after all." ［Grey］
"I don't know... I'm an only child, after all." ［Yuna］
It certainly was weird. After all, it was also about time for Aria to have a child herself. But with her mother now bearing a new child, she stopped thinking of having one for the time being and focused on her mother first.
"Hm? What about me then? You do know I considered you my little sister ever since we met, right? You were so cute back then." ［Grey］
"It's exactly because of that that you were so dense! Do you know how painful it was to be considered a little sister by someone you love?!" ［Yuna］
"Eh... Did you hate it that much...?" ［Grey］
"I-It's not that I hate it! It was just frustrating! And depressing!" ［Yuna］
Of course, what day would be complete with a little bit of flirting. With the atmosphere sweet and sappy as can be, Grey and Yuna continued heading towards their next destination, arriving after flying for several dozen kilometers with Sirius.
A few minutes later, they soon arrived at their destination, a rocky and cliffy scenery greeting them. They needed to descend down the mountains and into the mines to gather some materials... Ores and minerals to be exact.
They are out on an investigation quest ro see if there really is something left to be mined in the abandoned mines and see what kind of dangers lurks within. They have never been to a mine before so it was quite exciting for them.
"Waah～! It really is dark, huh... I wonder how deep we are already,.." ［Yuna］
"Well, it's a cave, after all... I heard it's been over 30 years since people stopped mining here. It used to be a good source of materials." ［Grey］
"Oh? What happened?" ［Yuna］
"Nothing too serious. All the ores were just extracted, so there was nothing more to mine. It dealt quite a huge blow to the territory, actually. Now, adventurers are just using it as a hunting ground for beasts and monsters." ［Grey］
The mine was out of ores, or so what people thought. But recently, a passing party of adventurers managed to uncover a large deposit of ores in the deeper section of the mines, containing many Middle and Low Grade ores.
It seems like a part of the mines collapsed and revealed a section of the mine which people didn't know of, and as it seems, the mine was still far from being depleted of resources, and there might even be more to see.
Unfortunately, with rewards comes risks. The party also encountered some beasts inhabiting the mines while they were exploring. They couldn't make out what it was, but they didn't proceed to go any further. All they knew was that it was powerful.
However, if such what the adventurers said was true, it could revitalize the territory of the Baron who made the request. His territory has been struggling quite much since the closing of the mines, but with the hope the adventurers brought, he quickly moved and posted a quest, a C-rank one at that.
"Well... Looks like the Baron is lucky..." ［Grey］
It cost him a couple hundred thousand kiels to post the request, but it was all worth it. In front of Grey and Yuna was a large deposit of metals and minerals. There weren't just Low and Middle grade ones, but High-grade as well. It was a jackpot!
"Ohh～! Look, Grey, there's a lot of ores! Can we take them?" ［Yuna］
"Yuna... This is the Baron's property, you know... We can't just take the territory's property. A lot of people depend on it." ［Grey］
"Even just a little bit? Just a tiny bit?" ［Yuna］
"No, and no. We already have a lot of ores, you know? I can even give you some Superior-Grade ores later. So give up on this one, alright?" ［Grey］
Yuna's hoarder blood was about to run wild again, but thankfully, Grey managed to stop her. Being a blacksmith, not like he couldn't understand her feelings, but unlike his beloved, he just knew how to control himself.
It was his first time seeing a mine, and now, he was in front of a treasure trove of ores and minerals. He couldn't help but feel excited, curiosity brimming inside him as he watched the ores sparkle from the orb of light he made with magic.
"Yuna, I told you not to take them, didn't I? Don't make me repeat myself." ［Grey］
"But I haven't done anything yet! I was just looking!" ［Yuna］
"I know, but before you say that, you should see the look in your eyes. I know you love collecting materials, but please calm yourself down for now, alright?" ［Grey］
Yuna was conflicted, but in the end, there was nothing she could do but give up. She loves collecting things and hoarding them, but she doesn't want to be scolded by Grey again. She could only rein in her desires and snap away from the temptations.
Instead of the ores, she simply focused her attention on the glowing moss growing by the sides of the mines. They aren't magic plants, but they are still excellent materials for alchemy. They can be used to make Middle-Grade concoctions.
"Grey, I can collect these, right?" ［Yuna］
"Hmm... That moss grows quickly, doesn't it? Just a little bit should be fine." ［Grey］
"Yaay～! Then, I'll be collecting these then! I'll also collect the other plants while we're at itー Ah! And don't worry, I won't touch the ores! I promise!" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. Alright. Just make sure you don't go too over the top." ［Grey］
Well, it only took a bit of talking and Yuna was now in high spirits. She may not be allowed to mine ores, but she can still collect plants and other alchemy materials around, her eyes now sparkling brightly. She was really enthusiastic.
"Oh, right! Yuna, I also saw some C-rank and a couple of B-rank beasts with my eyes just now. I'll tell you their locations, so you hunt them while I do some work here? You can keep the materials later, so you can hunt them as much as you want." ［Grey］
"Really?! No takesy-backsies, okay?! I'll hunt them all down!" ［Yuna］
And now, with Grey's later words, her spirit flared up even more. Now, not only can she get more materials, she can also warm up her body with a bit of fighting. Since there are B-rank beasts, it should be quite fun.
The young lady didn't waste any more time and quickly rushed out towards wherever her feet took her. She collected moss and plants, and defeated some monsters and beast whilst she ran around excitedly, happy as can be,
"The mines won't collapse, right...?" ［Grey］
Grey asked himself as he watched how excited Yuna was running around the place. If by chance, she accidentally strikes the walls of the mines too hard, the whole place might just collapse. It would be a terrible disaster.
Thankfully, despite how excited and enthusiastic she was, Yuna is actually quite the responsible young lady. She was making sure to tread carefully and not cause the mines any unnecessary stress. Everything would be alright... Probably...
CLICK CLICK FLASH FLASH
Not dwelling on such thoughts anymore, flashes of light shone all throughout the mines, accompanied by the sounds of clicks and clacks as Grey pressed the camera. He was taking photos to document the whole experience.
He walked and he clicked, capturing several photos in a single minute. He made sure to document all the important things to be found, and also capture just what kinds of danger lurks inside the caves, eliminating the dangers afterwards.
RUMMBBLLEEEEEEE THUD THUD THUD
And just as he was exploring the mines, a subtle rumble shook the ground, dust and pebbles falling off from the ceiling. It seems like there was a large fight happening somewhere in the mines, and there was no need to guess who was involved.
『Grey, listen! I caught a weird lizard! It has gills!』 ［Yuna］
The cause was none other than the silver-haired elf who just went on an exploration just a few minutes ago. It seems like she has already engaged in battle with one of the B-rank beasts in the mines and defeated it with ease.
Grey used his "Heaven's Eye" to look into it, and surely enough, she defeated a high ranking beast. It was a Geolotl, an axolotl-like creature which is of the Earth-attribute. And as Yuna said, it really does look weird at a glance.
『Grey, can we eat this?』 ［Yuna］
『Haah... Yuna, why do you always ask that...』 ［Grey］
Shenanigans aside, Grey and Yuna continued on their quest and after exploring the caves and mines for about an hour, they finally gathered a substantial amount of evidence to prove the adventurers' words.
While they were at it, they also defeated all the Middle and High ranked beasts in the mines. They have caught 2 B-rank beasts, over a dozen C-rank ones, and over a few hundred D-rank and E-rank beasts. It was quite a huge haul.
"Then, let's go to our next destination, shall we?" ［Grey］
After the caves and mines, Grey and Yuan then headed to the next destination. It was yet another forest in another noble's territory. It was an urgent B-rank quest posted nor long ago, and amongst the highest ranking ones they had taken.
Apparently, a monster nest had formed in the middle of the massive forest just a few days ago, and there have been some reports of adventurers getting injured. It is said that it was a nest of Treants led by a C-rank High Treant.
Surely enough, as soon as they arrived, they were greeted by a very green scenery, the trees standing proud and mighty as they reached for the sun. It seemed like a peaceful forest with nothing to be afraid of.
"How many treants are there, Grey? A hundred?" ［Yuna］
"No, there's just a couple dozen... Though, the amount of trentlings sure is amazing. There's several hundred of them." ［Grey］
"Oohhh～! That's a lot～!" ［Yuna］
It wasn't just a lot, it was too much. Though trentlings are just H-rank, such a number was very serious. If the nest keeps on expanding, they might become Treants and wreak havoc to those who pass by. It was going to be a problem.
Well, not that it matters to Grey and Yuna anyway. The treants may be outstanding at camouflaging, but they are no match for Grey and Yuna's sharp senses. They are nothing more than weeds they have to uproot. Plain and simple.
"Yuna, let's have a little competition, shall we?" ［Grey］
"Un! You're on!" ［Yuna］
"Then... Ready... Set... Go!" ［Grey］
A pair of booms resounded in the air, and two figures vanished like a blur. The very next moment, the sound of shrieks and bellows reverberated in the air, thuds echoing one after another as the treants fell one by one.
That day, the whole forest was cleared of impurities. Not just the treants, but all the monsters as well. They were all wiped out before they could even realize that death was already upon them. It was an utter and complete massacre.
CHAPTER 399 END