The dagger landed hit after hit, each strike connecting three times in succession.
At that moment, three arrows followed closely behind, whistling through the air before sinking into their target with sickening accuracy.
Aaron's expression of elation froze, his joy turning into disbelief as he looked at the figure that now stood before him—Pyra.
What's going on here?
Phantom Shift?
Impossible! Even if this Beast Summoner somehow had the money to learn such a high-tier skill, Aaron's "Silence Throat" attack should have worked. With Bastion silenced, it was impossible for him to use any abilities!
Wait a second…
Aaron's gaze shifted to Pyra's health bar. He blinked, confused.
Even if Phantom Shift was used, how could this Fire Fox have survived all those hits?
Three dagger strikes from Aaron and three direct arrows from Yannick—yet its health bar had barely moved!
This thing… is this really an eight-level Beast Summoner's companion?
It felt more like facing a high-level boss in the wilderness.
Pyra's eyes glinted with fury. This man had tried to bypass her, aiming to harm her master—unacceptable!
The Innocent Charm aura around her dissipated in an instant. A sudden, overwhelming pressure radiated from Pyra, making Aaron's knees tremble. His body began to quake involuntarily, as if in reverence to a superior force.
A crackling sound erupted from Pyra's tail, as it ignited into brilliant flames. With a single flick, the fiery appendage lashed out at Aaron.
Aaron tried to escape, his instincts screaming for him to move, but his legs refused to obey. His body, overwhelmed by fear, left him utterly defenseless.
CRACK!
The flaming tail connected, and Aaron's health bar dropped to zero in an instant. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Pyra didn't stop there. Her fiery eyes turned toward the direction from which the arrows had come. Her slender, blazing figure blurred as she darted forward like a streak of fire.
Not far away, Yannick had been watching everything unfold. His wide, sweat-drenched face no longer bore even a trace of greed—only sheer terror remained.
"M-murdered in one hit…" Yannick stammered, his lips trembling uncontrollably.
Cold sweat dripped from his brow as he turned to flee. But he had barely managed to take a few steps before Pyra's elegant figure appeared before him.
Moments later, Yannick's battered and bloodied form crawled out from the underbrush. His body was covered in claw marks, his health bar dangerously low, flickering on the edge of death.
Behind him followed Pyra, her tail swaying gently. The oppressive aura she had emitted earlier was completely gone. Now, with her Innocent Charm reactivated, she looked as harmless as a fluffy house pet.
Yet every step Pyra took made Yannick's shoulders quake. He dared not turn around, his eyes filled with paralyzing fear.
Dragging himself forward, Yannick eventually reached Bastion, collapsing at his feet. Gasping for air, he looked up at the youthful face before him, trembling as he begged for mercy.
"I-I'm so sorry… I was blinded by greed! It's all my fault…" Yannick stuttered, his words barely coherent.
Before he could finish, Bastion raised a hand to silence him. Yannick immediately shut his mouth, too terrified to speak further.
After questioning him, Bastion learned the truth—these men had targeted him because they had assumed he was carrying valuables after cashing in his bounty and selling materials.
"You said you have a brother, Kyle, who's a level-13 Warrior?" Bastion asked thoughtfully.
"Yes, yes!" Yannick nodded frantically. "My brother is very protective of me. If he finds out I'm dead, he'll go berserk. Please, just let me go, and I swear I won't tell anyone about this!"
"Oh?" Bastion's eyes glanced over Aaron's corpse. "And what about him?"
Yannick, mistakenly believing he had convinced Bastion, quickly replied, "Aaron… Aaron was killed by a wild boss, of course! People die in the wilderness all the time. No one would suspect you!"
"Just let me live, and there won't be any trouble. You can even take all my money!"
Bastion nodded, as if considering it. "Got it. In that case… you can go die now."
Yannick's eyes widened in horror. "You—!"
Before he could finish, Pyra's claws slashed forward, extinguishing the last sliver of Yannick's health bar.
Bastion stood over the two corpses, his expression calm and emotionless.
"People die in the wilderness all the time, don't they? Two deaths won't make much of a difference."
Leaving nothing to chance, Bastion searched their bodies, collecting all their materials and gear. Then, with a command, Pyra set the corpses ablaze.
Black smoke rose into the sky as Bastion and Pyra continued their journey toward the depths of the Bamboo Sea Mountains.
---
After pushing through another patch of dense forest, faint voices finally reached Bastion's ears.
The gathering point for the Spider Nest Dungeon lay just ahead.
All around, seasoned adventurers were stationed along the path, many of them running makeshift stalls offering various equipment and consumables essential for dungeon exploration.
The crowd, however, was noticeably sparse—likely due to the recent demon wolf uprising. There were more vendors than customers.
Bastion casually picked up a staff from one of the stalls, inspecting its stats.
[Webbed Wand]
- Type: Weapon
- Class Restriction: Beast Summoner
- Level Requirement: 10
- Quality: Iron
- Spirit: +20
Bastion's mouth twitched. What kind of garbage is this?
A level-10 weapon offering only +20 Spirit? This had to be the worst deal he'd ever seen.
"How much for this wand?" he asked out of curiosity.
The vendor raised five fingers.
"Five thousand?" Bastion guessed.
Considering the production cost of crafted weapons, five thousand felt overpriced but not unreasonable.
The vendor shook his head. "Fifty thousand."
Without hesitation, Bastion gently set the wand back down, careful not to leave any marks on it. Who would pay that much for trash like this?
Deciding the stalls had little to offer, Bastion turned toward the swirling portal of the Spider Nest Dungeon.
The dungeon, restricted to levels 8–10, was notorious for its difficulty. Unlike other dungeons, this one wasn't recommended for beginners. Its hazards included venomous spiders and an oppressive environment, making it a death trap for even experienced teams.
Bastion, however, had chosen it for a simple reason: lots of mobs and lots of experience.
As he approached the dungeon, his gaze fell on a stall near the portal. Unlike the others, this vendor wasn't selling anything. Instead, a large white banner caught his attention:
[United Federation Trading Post Offering 200,000 for the Venom Gland of the Toxic Spider King]