Before them lay the endless forest, a maze of tall trees, twisting roots, and thick underbrush. Where the sunlight found its way through the leafy upper layers of the canopy, it was shining light on shifting patterns on the ground. The air was heavy with the smell of wet earth and new growth. Ethan and Kael marched down this passable dirt path armed with crude weapons.
Ethan flicked a glance at the quest notification fluttering very faintly in his corner of vision.
F-Rank Quest: Collect Healing Herbs
Task: Collect 10 bundles of Redleaf Herbs from the forest nearby.
Progress: 0/10.
"Because we're broke, hungry, and need to start somewhere," Kael said without looking back. Her sharp gaze scanned the surroundings, her bow ready in her hands. "It's a basic quest. Easy coin."
"Sure thing. No biggie," Ethan said, snorting. "Because entering a forest full of monsters is so safe."
Kael quirked a small smile. "You're doing okay so far. Don't go and fall over your own feet again."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, but spoke nothing. In fact, he didn't mind the notion of a safe quest one whit. Slogging through those wolves had brought him more than sharply aware of just how woefully unprepared they were.
"What do these herbs look like?" he asked after a minute.
Kael pulled out a folded section of parchment from her belt and passed it to him. There was a crude sketch of a plant with jagged red leaves.
"They grow in shaded places," she said. "Keep an eye out near tree roots or large rocks."
Ethan nodded and put the parchment into his inventory. They walked in silence for a time, only sounds of crunching fallen leaves, as well as, every now and again, a bird's call.
"I think I see some," Kael said suddenly, nodding toward a cluster of plants near a boulder covered in moss.
Ethan peered. The leaves were, unmistakably red, their jagged edges matching the sketch to perfection. "Good eye."
They crept forward hesitantly to the clumps of plants that Kael knelt down to examine. "Yep, these are the ones." She began pulling loose herbs then tied them into bundles with twine she pulled out of her pack.
Ethan kept watch, spear poised and ready, when suddenly everything seemed very still. He couldn't shake the feeling that eyes were watching them from the dark woods around them.
"How many do we need?" he asked.
"Ten bundles," Kael said, lashing off the first one. "This's taking longer than I thought if we don't find another patch soon."
Ethan made a disappointed noise and looked around. "I'll check over there," he said, pointing to a small group of bushes nearby.
Kael nodded. "Stay within shouting distance.
Ethan crept through the undergrowth slowly. He was scanning for red leaves, but he could not help sneaking glimpses at the forest's unnervingly stillness. There were no sounds to report from animals, no crunching or snapping of leaves—silence covered everything.
He spied another clump of Redleaf Herbs under another log, sat down on his haunches, scooped them up. Just as he did that, he caught a faint rustling noise. Ethan instinctively froze, his spear very tight.
"Kael?" he whispered softly.
No answer.
The rustling noises grew louder, closer. Ethan rose up to his feet, his heart thumping wildly as he peered across the forest. Bushes in front of him were shaking and then suddenly something leaped out.
A boar.
But not a normal one. Its eyes were faintly red and its tusks were awful sharp. The creature snorted, pawed at the ground as it eyed him up.
Forest Boar (Level 2)
HP: 80/80
"Oh, come on!" Ethan whispered, brandishing his spear.
The boar charged.
Ethan barely dodged in time, thrusting his spear at the beast's side. The point only scraped along its tough hide, and the boar skidded to a stop, turning back at him.
"Ha! Not so easy, huh?" Ethan whispered, readjusting his grip.
The boar came again, this time with a speed unprecedented. Ethan stood his ground, digging his heels firmly into the ground and launching the spear forward with all the might he had. The spear hurtled into the chest of the boar, pushing through the flesh and rib cage. The animal shrieked and let out a howl filled with agony, yet refused to stop, charging into Ethan and sending him crashing to the ground.
Ethan gasped as the wind was knocked from his body. He scrambles to his feet, seizing his spear just as the boar turns for another attack. Blood dripped from the wound, but it seemed undeterred.
"Stubborn little—"
Ethan didn't finish. The boar lunged again, and this time he sidestepped at the last moment, driving the spear into its neck. The beast collapsed with a final squeal, its body dissolving into light.
—
Victory!
Gained 30 XP.
Loot: Boar Meat (x2), Boar Hide (x1).
No No No; just kidding. It was really boring.
---
Ethan crumpled onto his knees, unable to get air.
"I hate this dump," he whispered.
"Ethabn!" Kael's voice called out from across the ledge.
He brought his head up to see her running towards him, bow in hand. "What is going on? Are you good?"
"Yeah," he said, standing up and smoothing out his pants. "Encountered an overgrown pig. No biggy."
Kael narrowed her eyes. "You should've called for help."
"And I took care of it," Ethan said, holding up the loot notification. "Besides, got us some meat. Dinner's on me.". Kael groaned, but a hint of a grin pulled at her lips. "Fine. But next time, don't play hero."
"Noted," Ethan said. "Find any more herbs?"
"A few," Kael said, holding up two bundles. "That makes five. We're halfway there."
Let's get out of here. I don't think I want to hang around for anything else that might live in this forest," Ethan said.
The rest of the meeting was unexpectedly easy. Another clump of Redleaf Herbs grew near a stream, and Kael located the final bundle, clustered at the trunk of a massive tree.
When they secured the final bundle, a notification flashed.
"Agreed," Kael said, slinging her pack over her shoulder.
It was a long dull ride back to Graymere, although the weight of all that boar meat did seem to make his pack heavier than it had been before. It was when they came to the gates of the village that the sun started to set.
They carried their bunch of herbs into the apothecary in town. An old, toothless woman took it from them with a smile and paid them back.
"Not bad for our first quest," Ethan said, departing the shop, jingling a small pouch full of silver coins.
"It's a start," Kael nodded. "But we'll need better gear if we're going to take on anything tougher."
"Yeah, guess that's our next step," Ethan said.He looked over at the quest board out front of the Adventurer's Hub, where the new quests were already posted. "Think we're ready for something tougher?"
He didn't care. "Ready or not, we don't really have much of a choice, anyway," Kael quipped.
Standing there, arguing with himself over what to do, Ethan saw glimmers of hope. They made it through another day in this strange, desperate world. Maybe, just maybe, they'd be able to survive here.
For now, though, he was interested in only one thing: a hot meal and a few hours' sleep.