(Lina's POV)
The hustle and bustle of the Adventurer's Guild was as chaotic as ever. I sat quietly at a table, nursing a cup of tea, my bow resting against the chair. The past few days had been tough. After our close encounter with that snake—well, at least I thought it saved me—we had barely been able to talk about it without tension flaring up between us.
It wasn't just that, though. The forest… it felt different. Rumors of a powerful new beast were spreading like wildfire, and that didn't sit right with me.
"Another party lost," a voice said nearby, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I glanced up to see two adventurers hunched over a map at the next table, their faces grim. One of them, a E-rank swordsman, was tracing a finger along the Duskwind Forest, specifically marking out areas in the outer region.
"You're talking about that mutant, right?" his companion, a mage, asked, her face pale. "They say it's E-rank, but way stronger than any normal E-rank monster."
My heart skipped a beat.
'Mutant? E-rank?'
"Yeah," the swordsman continued. "It's supposed to be some kind of freak—a mutant beast that left the middle region of the forest and made its nest in the outer ring. Normally, a beast like that wouldn't bother coming out here."
"Whatever it is, it's killing adventurers left and right," the mage said, her voice dropping. "A lot of F-rank parties and even some E-rank adventurers took the quest to slay it. None of them came back."
The words hung in the air like a weight. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.
'If E-rankers can't handle it... what are we supposed to do?'
Derrick, sitting across from me, glanced up. He must have noticed the tension in my face. "Everything alright?"
I nodded, though my stomach churned. "They're saying there's a mutant beast in the outer ring. Strong enough to give E-rank adventurers a hard time."
"Great," Marie muttered from beside me. "Just what we need. Something to make our lives harder."
Before we could continue, Leon finally appeared, striding into the guild with his usual confidence. He took a seat next to me, giving us all a casual grin.
"What's up? You all look like you've seen a ghost."
I shot him a glare. "There's a mutant beast in the outer forest. Apparently, it's strong enough to take down E-rankers."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "A mutant? I heard about that. They're already planning a raid to take it down."
My heart skipped a beat. "A raid?"
Leon nodded, leaning in like he was about to drop some big news. "The Adventurer's Guild is organizing a party to deal with it. They're bringing in a few E-rank adventurers, and they need some F-rank teams to help with logistics—setting up camp, carrying gear, that sort of thing."
Derrick frowned. "So, what? We're just supposed to carry bags while the others fight?"
"Exactly," Leon said with a grin. "But it's a good opportunity. We get to watch the higher-ranked adventurers in action, and it's a safe way to gain experience."
Marie leaned forward, intrigued. "Do we know who's leading the raid?"
"A D-rank adventurer and two E-rank parties," Leon said. "It's not confirmed yet, but that's the plan. If we can get in as support, it'll be easy gold and maybe some valuable connections."
I wasn't so sure. "But what if something goes wrong? Mutants are unpredictable."
Leon shrugged. "We're not going to be fighting, Lina. We'll just be there to help. And besides, we'll have D-rank adventurers handling the heavy lifting."
I glanced at Derrick and Marie, who seemed more interested now. Maybe Leon was right—maybe it wouldn't be so bad to be part of the raid, even if we weren't on the front lines.
(Third-Person POV)
The Adventurer's Guild was already abuzz with preparations for the raid. The mutant beast, an E-rank creature that had been driven out of the middle forest, was causing chaos in the outer ring. Several E-rank parties had already tried to confront it, but none had succeeded.
To handle the threat, the guild was organizing a raid consisting of two E-rank parties and one D-rank adventurer. The F-rankers who joined would be tasked with support—carrying gear, setting up camp, and helping where needed. It was a dangerous mission, but for the lower-ranked adventurers, it was a chance to gain experience and earn some easy gold.
(Lina's POV)
As we discussed the plan, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in my gut. Sure, we wouldn't be fighting, but the idea of getting anywhere near a mutant beast made me nervous. But then again, we needed the experience, and Leon was right—this could be a good opportunity.
"Alright," I said, finally giving in. "But if something feels off, we're pulling out. No heroics."
Leon grinned. "Deal."
(Third-Person POV)
The raid quest was set to be officially posted in a week, and the raid itself would take place two weeks later. Adventurers all across the guild were preparing, eager for the chance to prove themselves. It wasn't often that mutant beasts appeared in the outer forest, and for many, this was the perfect opportunity to show their worth.
But not everyone was confident. Some adventurers whispered about the strange circumstances surrounding the beast—about what might have driven it out of the middle forest in the first place. And if something stronger was lurking deeper in the woods… well, the mutant might not be the worst of their problems.
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Author's Note: AI Character Images & Evolution Suggestions
I've created AI images of Sam and the side characters he's encountered so far. If you haven't seen them yet, feel free to check them out in the Auxiliary Chapter!
Also, I'd love to hear your suggestions for Sam's upcoming evolution! If there's anything you want to add, remove, or any ideas for what you'd like Sam to evolve into, let me know in the comments. I'm open to all your creative thoughts!