Next Morning
Location -Guild Hall
Aki was browsing the mission board in the guild hall to look for a suitable mission for himself. After looking through the available missions, he chose the mission about investigating missing people.
Aki took note of the mission details and headed to the guild hall reception desk to accept the task.
The receptionist then handed Aki a folder containing all the information he needed to complete the mission, including the names and last known locations of the missing individuals, as well as any known connections they may have had to each other. The folder also contained a map of the area where the disappearances had taken place.
He packed his bags and set off to the village, which was a few hours' journey away from the guild.
As he walked, he studied the map and thought about the task ahead.
Aki had arrived in the village to investigate the disappearances, as he walked down the main street, he noticed a group of villagers gathered around a man who was trying to sell them some sort of potion.
"Hey there, friend!" the man called out as he spotted Aki. "Are you interested in buying a love potion? Guaranteed to make any girl fall head over heels for you!"
Aki shook his head. "No thanks, I'm just here to investigate the disappearances."
The man's smile faltered. "Disappearances? Oh... well, you're no fun. Nobody's disappeared in this village since old Mrs. Johnson wandered off to the next town over looking for a sale on knitting needles."
Aki raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because the guild received a request from the mayor about the disappearances."
The man shrugged. "Well, I ain't heard nothing about it. But if you're looking for some laughs, you should go talk to old man Jenkins over there. He's been telling everyone that the reason folks are disappearing is because they've been eaten by giant chickens!"
Aki frowned. "Giant chickens?"
The man nodded. "Yep! Says they come out at night and gobble up anyone who's out after dark. Crazy old coot if you ask me, but you might find it amusing."
Aki thanked the man and headed over to where the old man was sitting on a bench, muttering to himself.
"Excuse me, sir," Aki said politely. "I heard you've been talking about giant chickens?"
The old man looked up, his eyes bright with excitement. "Yes, yes! The chickens, they're everywhere, I tell you! Big as houses, with teeth like razor blades and eyes that glow in the dark!"
Aki tried to hide a smile. "And you think these giant chickens are responsible for the disappearances?"
"Of course!" the old man exclaimed. "Why else would people vanish without a trace? The chickens, I tell you!"
Aki nodded slowly. "I see. Well, thank you for your help, sir. I'll be sure to keep an eye out for those chickens."
The old man grinned, his face lighting up with delight. "Oh, you'll see them, boy. You'll see them!"
As Aki turned to leave, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself. Giant chickens? This investigation was getting stranger by the minute.
As he continued his investigation, Aki began to notice some strange things happening in the village. The villagers seemed to be hiding something from him, and he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off. He decided to do some more digging and eventually stumbled upon a clue that led him to forest.
He followed the trail deep into the forest where he stumbled upon the dark mages gathered in a clearing.
Aki stood hidden behind a tree, observing the mages' conversation. They spoke of a dark ritual, a sacrifice that would unleash unspeakable power upon the world. A chill ran down Aki's spine as he realized the magnitude of the danger.
Suddenly, one of the mages noticed Aki's presence. "Who goes there?" he bellowed.