The next day, the group sat around a small wooden table in the cheapest inn they could find, the dim light of the single candle flickering between them. Camila placed the pouch of coins in the center, the metallic jingle much quieter than they had hoped.
"Well, it's not great, but it'll get us through another week," she said with a resigned sigh, shaking the pouch to let the meager sum settle on the table.
Anita stared at the few coins, feeling a mix of frustration and determination well up inside her. "We need more than this," she said, her fingers tracing the edges of one of the coins. "We're facing beasts out there that could kill us any second, and for what? We're barely surviving."
Tough-Breaker leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "The problem is, these jobs aren't paying what they should. But what choice do we have? It's either that or starve."
Barry, always the pragmatist, chimed in. "At least we're earning something. And if we keep improving, we'll be able to hunt stronger beasts, sell rarer materials. It's just a matter of time."
Anita nodded but deep down, she knew she had to become stronger herself. She couldn't rely on them forever. She had to learn how to fight better, think smarter, and be more independent.
Their bond continued to grow, especially as they tackled more dangerous beasts. One day, they were hired to hunt a **shadow beast**, a terrifying creature that could possess anyone in its vicinity, turning allies into enemies. The battle had been fierce, and at one point, Anita nearly lost herself to the creature's power.
Anita remembered the moment clearly. The darkness had crept into her mind like a poison, twisting her thoughts, making her see her friends as threats. She had felt her sword rising against Mumu, and just before she struck, Mumu had knocked her out of the creature's grip, saving her from doing something she'd regret.
"Guess I paid off my debt from two months ago," Mumu had said with a sly grin afterward, his voice light, but his eyes betraying a deeper concern for her well-being.
Another time, they were sent to face the **Mountain Beast of Elghar Peaks**, a towering creature covered in thick, impenetrable stone-like scales. Tough-Breaker, as usual, charged in with brute strength, but even he struggled against the beast's raw power. It had taken all of them working together—Barry concocting a special explosive that cracked the beast's scales, Camila using her illusions to confuse it, and Anita delivering the final blow through its exposed weak point.
Tough-Breaker had slumped to the ground after the fight, panting heavily. "That…wasn't easy," he grumbled, wiping the sweat from his brow.
"No kidding," Camila had laughed, offering him a hand up. "You looked like you were about to become part of the mountain yourself."
Despite the difficulty of each fight, they were becoming more efficient as a team. Every battle honed their skills and made them more confident in each other's abilities.
One day, while fighting a **Frost Drake**—a serpent-like beast that spat icy shards from its mouth—Anita saw something that left her speechless. During the battle, Barry, the smallest and least physically intimidating of them all, suddenly soared into the sky, avoiding a deadly frost breath attack.
"Barry, you can fly?!" Anita exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock as she watched him gracefully evade the drake's icy assault.
The others laughed, clearly used to this strange sight.
"He's not flying," Camila corrected with a chuckle. "He's using his special technique. It's like a super jump."
"It's a little embarrassing, really," Barry admitted sheepishly once he landed, brushing off the dust. "But hey, it gets the job done."
They eventually took down the Frost Drake, and as always, divided the spoils equally. Though the money they made wasn't as much as they hoped, it was enough to keep them going, and with each new beast they defeated, their reputation grew. They sold the beast materials in town and used the money to restock on supplies and occasionally treat themselves to a real meal.
One evening, as they sat around the fire in their cramped room, Anita looked around at her team—her friends. Despite the constant struggle, the hunger, the danger, they had become a family. And though the journey was far from over, she knew she had found something invaluable.
"Here's to more beast hunts and better pay," Mumu said, raising his flask.
"And to staying alive," Barry added with a grin.
Anita smiled as she raised her own makeshift cup. "And to becoming stronger together."
They clinked their cups together, their resolve as solid as ever, ready to face whatever the beast world threw at them next.
For nearly a year, Anita and her newfound family had fought tooth and nail, clawing their way through the ranks of beast hunters. Every battle, every wound, every victory had sharpened their skills, their teamwork growing more seamless. But as the months passed, the beasts they faced became stronger, more dangerous. Their simple hunting jobs had evolved into full-scale battles against creatures that seemed impossible to defeat.
Their latest contract was to hunt down a **Void Serpent**, a massive, shadowy beast that roamed the sky. The creature had been terrorizing villages, its presence bending reality, causing cracks in the air as if space itself was being torn apart.
"We've never faced anything like this," Camila murmured as they crouched in a hidden cave overlooking a shattered landscape. Her two furry tails twitched nervously behind her, reflecting her unease. "It can warp reality—if it touches you, you're done."
Tough-Breaker, ever the optimist, cracked his knuckles. "Good. Finally, a real challenge."
Barry was already working on a series of potions, his small hands moving quickly as he mixed and measured. "From what I've heard, its hide is impenetrable. Normal weapons won't work. We'll need something extra. I've been working on this new explosive—it disrupts energy fields. Could give us the edge we need."
Anita's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of her sword. The Void Serpent was stronger than anything they'd faced, and yet, there was a strange calm in her. She had grown stronger over the past year. Her reflexes had sharpened, her stamina increased, and her bond with her team made her feel invincible.
"So, what's the plan?" Anita asked, her voice steady, though the weight of the task pressed on her shoulders.
Mumu, their de facto leader when it came to combat strategy, stepped forward, gazing at the horizon where the serpent's dark form writhed in the sky. "We split its attention. Camila, you use your illusions to keep it confused. Barry, you hit it with the explosives. We'll need to time it right, so its energy is disrupted at the exact moment we strike. Tough-Breaker, you and I will handle the brute force."
"And me?" Anita asked.
Mumu smiled, though there was a seriousness in his eyes. "You wait for the opening. When Barry's explosives disrupt its energy field, that's your chance. One strike, clean and deep. You're the only one with a blade sharp enough to pierce its core."
Anita nodded, gripping her sword tighter. "I won't miss."
The battle with the Void Serpent was unlike anything they had faced. The moment they engaged, the world around them warped—trees twisted, the sky fractured like shattered glass, and even the ground seemed to ripple beneath their feet. Camila's illusions filled the battlefield, creating phantom versions of the team that danced in and out of reality, distracting the serpent.
The beast hissed and lashed out, its massive tail snapping through the air, creating cracks in the sky that pulsed with dark energy. Tough-Breaker and Mumu charged head-on, their combined strength barely enough to withstand the force of its blows.
"Come on, you overgrown snake!" Tough-Breaker yelled, slamming his massive fists into the serpent's hide. "Fight me!"
Mumu danced around the beast's attacks with his usual agility, landing quick, precise strikes, though none of them seemed to penetrate the creature's shadowy form.
"Now, Barry!" Mumu shouted as the serpent reared back, preparing to unleash its energy.
Barry hurled his explosives at the creature's side. The moment they made contact, there was a deafening explosion, and for a brief second, the air shimmered, the serpent's protective aura flickering.
"Anita, now!" Mumu called out, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Without hesitation, Anita charged forward, her sword gleaming in the fractured light. She could feel the weight of the moment—the entire battle had been building up to this strike. With a single, fluid motion, she drove her sword deep into the serpent's core, piercing the dark energy that pulsed within it.
There was a moment of silence—a stillness that hung in the air like a held breath—before the serpent let out a deafening roar. Its massive body convulsed, and then, slowly, it began to dissolve into shadow, melting into the cracks in reality that it had created.
Panting, Anita pulled her sword free and stepped back as the serpent disintegrated into nothingness. The battlefield began to return to normal, the fractures in the sky sealing themselves, the ground solidifying once more.
"We… we did it," Camila said, her voice barely a whisper, her illusions fading as she dropped to her knees, exhausted.
Tough-Breaker, grinning despite the bruises and cuts covering his body, gave Anita a hearty slap on the back. "You're a beast yourself now, Anita."
Barry wiped sweat from his brow, his small frame visibly trembling from the exertion. "That was… too close for comfort."
Mumu, ever calm, looked around at his team, then at Anita. "Good work, everyone. We've earned ourselves a break."
The Void Serpent wasn't the only powerful beast they had fought in recent months. There had been the **Storm Leviathan**, a colossal sea monster with the power to summon thunderstorms. It had taken everything they had to bring it down—Camila had nearly drowned when the beast pulled her under the waves, and Barry had barely managed to concoct a potion to counteract the Leviathan's poisonous scales. It was Tough-Breaker who had delivered the final blow, plunging a harpoon deep into the beast's heart while Mumu distracted it from the front.
Then there was the **Infernal Wyrm**, a dragon-like creature that breathed molten lava, scorching the earth wherever it went. They had fought it in the volcanic plains, the heat almost unbearable. Barry had developed heat-resistant armor for them, but even that had barely been enough. The fight had lasted for hours, with Mumu and Tough-Breaker taking the brunt of the beast's attacks while Anita and Camila focused on finding its weak spot. It was only when Anita managed to cut through its molten hide, exposing its fiery core, that they were able to bring the Wyrm down.
Each battle was harder than the last, pushing them to their limits, but each victory brought them closer as a team. Their bond, already strong, had become unbreakable. And with each beast they defeated, they grew more confident, more capable of facing whatever came next.
As they sat around the fire that night, sharing stories of their latest victory, Anita looked at each of her teammates and felt a deep sense of pride. They had come so far, from barely surviving on scraps to becoming some of the most feared and respected beast hunters in the land.
"Here's to the next hunt," Mumu said, raising his cup with a grin.
"And to us," Anita added, clinking her cup with the rest.
The group wandered through the bustling market streets of the town, the sounds of merchants calling out their wares and the chatter of townspeople filling the air. It had been a long time since Anita had felt comfortable in a crowded place like this, and even now, she felt a slight unease.
Camila had brought up the idea earlier that morning: "We need a magician. Someone who can make us healing charms. We've been getting by with potions, but something more long-lasting would be helpful."
Everyone had agreed. They'd had close calls in recent fights, and having extra healing on hand could be the difference between life and death.
As they walked, Barry's sharp eyes scanned the stores for any sign of a magical shop. Tough-Breaker, as always, had his arms folded, his large frame intimidating anyone who came too close. "It shouldn't be this hard to find a magician in a town this size," he muttered.
"That's because most of them work for the nobles," Mumu said, keeping his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Magicians don't just sell their services to anyone."
Anita's gaze wandered over the market stalls, but then something caught her eye. A small, dark shop nestled between two larger buildings. It had a sign hanging above it, worn and faded, but the words were clear enough: *Slave Shop*.
She stopped in her tracks, staring at the shop, her stomach twisting. "A… slave shop?" she asked, almost not believing her eyes.
Camila noticed her hesitation and glanced at the shop. "Oh, that. Yeah, it's common around here. People sell slaves for all kinds of reasons. Some end up as workers, others as fighters in the arenas."
Anita looked horrified. "That's… awful."
Tough-Breaker shrugged. "They were weak. Weakness gets punished. That's how it is in this world."
Anita clenched her fists. The thought of people being sold like that, treated like objects because they were considered 'weak,' made her blood boil. She wasn't from this world, but she had learned how brutal it could be.
"Why don't you take a look?" Camila suggested casually, noticing Anita's discomfort. "It's… enlightening, in a way. You can see the types of people who couldn't survive out there. It might make you appreciate your strength more."
For a moment, Anita struggled. Everything in her told her to walk away. But something deeper inside her, perhaps her growing sense of curiosity about this strange world, urged her forward. She swallowed her hesitation and nodded. "Alright. Let's take a look."
The interior of the shop was dark and damp, the smell of old wood and metal chains filling the air. Rows of cages lined the walls, each holding a different species, their eyes dull, resigned to their fate. Some were humanoid, others more beast-like, all of them bound in heavy chains.
Anita's heart sank as she looked at the faces of those inside the cages. They were tired, beaten down. How long had they been here? How many had lost hope of ever being free?
"This is horrible," she muttered under her breath.
Camila moved beside her, her furry tails twitching. "It's just how it is. Survival of the fittest. They weren't strong enough, so they ended up here."
Anita glanced at Camila, feeling a mixture of frustration and sadness. She knew that her teammates had lived in this harsh world far longer than she had, but she couldn't accept this. She couldn't see these people as mere victims of weakness.
Suddenly, something caught her eye—a flash of movement in the back of the shop. In the farthest cage, behind layers of rusted metal bars, she saw a figure huddled in the shadows. Unlike the others, this figure was chained with extra locks and bindings, as if the shopkeeper was terrified of letting this prisoner out.
"What's back there?" Anita asked, stepping closer.
The shopkeeper, a wiry old man with a long beard, appeared from behind the counter. He gave Anita a sly smile. "Ah, interested in the special one, eh? That's no ordinary slave. That's a *Wraithborn*."
"A Wraithborn?" Mumu repeated, his eyes narrowing. "I thought they were just legends."
The shopkeeper chuckled. "Oh, they're real, alright. Powerful magic runs through their blood. This one here—dangerous, but worth a fortune to the right buyer. Problem is, no one can control them. Too volatile."
Anita moved closer to the cage, her heart pounding. She could barely see the figure inside, but there was something… different. A presence that sent a chill down her spine.
The figure stirred, as if sensing her gaze. Slowly, it lifted its head, and Anita saw piercing, glowing eyes staring back at her. They weren't human—no, they were filled with an ethereal light, the kind that seemed to come from another world.
"Are you… alright?" Anita asked, her voice soft.
The Wraithborn didn't respond. It just stared at her, unblinking, the chains around its wrists and ankles rattling as it shifted slightly.
Camila moved up beside Anita. "That's not something you want to get involved with. Wraithborn are dangerous. They've got magic in their veins, but it's the kind that eats away at them."
Tough-Breaker nodded. "Yeah, and if it gets loose, it'll probably destroy half the town."
Anita couldn't tear her eyes away. Something about this person—this creature—called to her. She didn't know why, but she felt an overwhelming urge to help them.
"How much?" she asked suddenly, turning to the shopkeeper.
The old man blinked in surprise. "For the Wraithborn? You can't be serious. No one's ever bought them. It's too risky."
"I'll take the risk. How much?"
The shopkeeper scratched his chin, clearly amused by her determination. "Well, considering it's practically unmanageable… I'd say 500 silver."
Anita hesitated. 500 silver was far more than they had, even after their recent hunts. But she couldn't just walk away.
Camila put a hand on her shoulder. "Anita, don't. We don't have that kind of money. And even if we did, what would you do with them?"
Anita didn't know the answer to that. But what she did know was that she couldn't leave this person here, trapped and alone.
"We'll find a way," she said, her voice firm. "I won't let them stay here."
Mumu crossed his arms, studying her. "You're really serious about this?"
"I am."
The team exchanged glances, clearly unsure of what to do. Finally, Tough-Breaker sighed and shook his head. "Well, if you're dead set on this, I guess we'll figure something out. But don't come crying to me when this thing tries to kill you."
Anita nodded, her heart set on freeing the Wraithborn. She didn't know why, but something deep inside her told her that this was the right thing to do. And so, she would do whatever it took to make it happen.
When she was about to pay for the old man suddenly she spotted something which gave a tear in her eyes.