Chapter 4: Bounty Hunter

As soon as Rayan stepped out of the Ravenstorm Inn, he felt like he was being watched as prey. He quietly concentrated the fourth-order Battle Qi within his body to scout and discovered two third-order Bandit mercenaries following him.

These two shifty-looking fellows were soaked through by the rain, apparently having waited at the inn's entrance for Rayan to come out and track him. Once they figured out Rayan's movements, they would go back to report.

With the Twilight Blade in hand, Rayan could easily kill them, but this place was Shadowcrest Ridge, the territory of the Bandit mercenaries. Carelessly revealing the Twilight Blade would only attract more robbers and put himself in trouble.

Rayan continued to move forward without showing any sign of noticing the trackers.

An hour later, a rope-and-wood bridge spanning a river appeared in front of Rayan. The bridge, made entirely of wooden planks strung together, had been weather-beaten and dilapidated over decades. The river below was turbulent, with a drop of ten meters, and just looking at it from a distance was enough to make one's heart race.

By now, the sky had completely darkened, and the rain had grown heavier. The smell of pine and moss mingled with the biting cold wind, rocking the Rope Bridge with the breeze. In such adverse weather conditions, even walking on the road was difficult, let alone crossing the Rope Bridge.

A barely noticeable smile appeared on Rayan's lips as he casually stepped onto the swaying Rope Bridge.

The two mercenaries behind him were completely dumbfounded. Even if the Rope Bridge could bear their weight, they didn't have the courage to attempt it. They could only stop in their tracks, watching helplessly as Rayan gradually disappeared from their sight.

The roaring river below sounded like the low growl of countless fierce dogs about to howl. Rayan walked steadily on the Rope Bridge, indifferent to the sway of the bridge.

Rain fell from the iron-black sky, like thousands of swords piercing into the deep green rapids. Broken branches blown off by the wind fell into the river, their ends sticking out of the swirling water like the arms of drowning victims blindly reaching for the sky. Upstream in the distance, some pale, swollen objects quickly floated downstream—perhaps deer, horses, or the bodies of some unknown animals.

He didn't stop but continued along the riverbank. The further upstream he went, the more animal carcasses he found in the river. It seemed the situation was far more serious than what was described on the bounty token. Feral Beasts kill only to satisfy their hunger or to fight over mates, but the increasing number of animal carcasses indicated that something delighting in slaughter was hiding in the forest.

After several miles, Rayan finally saw the Windwood Village mentioned on the bounty token. From a distance, the village was marked by sporadic lights forming a serpentine trail of light, occasionally interrupted by a few warning shouts. The village seemed on high alert. The outskirts of the village were deserted, with animal carcasses, scattered ruins, overturned millstones, and collapsed animal pens everywhere.

This dire situation seemed to have persisted for some time and had yet to be resolved; otherwise, the village chief of Windwood Village wouldn't have risked placing the bounty token in the thief-ridden Ravenstorm Inn.

Rayan stopped by the corpse of a sheep, crouching to examine the wound. The sheep's abdomen was swollen, its intestines spilled out, and flesh-colored maggots crawled inside the viscera, feasting heartily. From the sheep's eyes, nose, and mouth, a black-green liquid seeped out, its putrid smell underlaid with a distinct sulfur odor.

" Magical Beasts…"

The word slipped from his mouth, and Rayan felt as if the Twilight Blade on his back was ablaze.

"Who's there!"

With a shout, Rayan heard the sound of a bowstring tightening. He looked up to see a sharp arrowhead, glowing with a faint cyan light, poking out from a high fence gap, aiming at him. The arrow had wind attributes, known for increasing attack speed. Judging by the Battle Qi enveloping the archer, he was a fourth-order Fighter. Clearly, this archer was also a bounty hunter hired from elsewhere by Windwood Village.

"I'm here on a mission," Rayan stood up, his hood pulled down, his cloak flapping in the fierce wind.

The archer paused for a moment, "Good heavens, you're just a kid…" he relaxed the bowstring and lowered the longbow to his thigh, "Go on, kid, this is not your playground."

Rayan slowly walked to the fence, "I said, I'm here on a mission." He took out the diamond-shaped bounty token and showed it to the archer.

Seeing the Ravenstorm Inn's emblem on the bounty token, the archer became uneasy and adjusted his leather armor, "Are you a mercenary from Shadowcrest Ridge?"

"No."

Rayan replied, "My name is Rayan."

The archer sighed in relief, "Alright, Rayan, wait here. I'll go get the village chief."

Shortly after, a haggard old man followed the archer back, panting. He was round and bald, with only a patch of dark gray hair left at the back of his head, rain-soaked and hanging in strands over his forehead, looking somewhat comical.

"Where's the bounty hunter from Shadowcrest Ridge? Where is he?"

He looked around with hope and wariness, his gaze sweeping over Rayan without stopping.

The archer scratched his face and pointed at Rayan, "He says he's the one—"

The village chief's eyes widened like a startled horse, "...You must be joking?!"

Rayan, unfazed by the village chief's tone, raised the bounty token, "I've accepted your mission."

The village chief took the bounty token, wiping away the blurred raindrops. "Indeed, this is my posting. But I wanted mercenaries from Shadowcrest Ridge, a group of brutal, fierce men, not a frail child. Holy Light, looking at that ridiculous sword of yours, I doubt you can even lift it! Duke must have been insane to hand my bounty token to you."

"I killed Thorn," Rayan said casually.

The village chief paused, "Which Thorn? The Thorn who kills without batting an eye?"

"Yes."

Rayan said, "He indeed didn't blink when he died."

"This can't be, this can't be..."

The village chief frowned, calculating silently for a moment, then turned to Rayan, "Kid, I don't believe you, but since Windwood Village is in danger, one more person won't make a difference. Come in, join the other bounty hunters for tonight's patrol…"

The archer's eyes flashed with hostility; another bounty hunter meant less money to share. If it was a stronger hunter, he wouldn't mind, but sharing with a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old kid was hard to swallow. He barely opened a small gap in the fence, gruffly saying, "Aren't you coming in?"

Rayan didn't move, standing in the rain like a statue. "I'm here to complete a mission, not to help you guard the night."

The village chief, who had already turned to leave, turned back at this and said mockingly, "What, you think you can complete this mission alone? Do you know how terrifying those Feral Beasts are?"

Rayan shook his head, "Sulfur is the breath of hell. What you're facing are not Feral Beasts, but Magical Beasts."

The archer's face showed surprise, turning to look at the village chief.

The village chief pursed his lips, "The Holy Light of Auroria Continent shines upon us; there are no such things as Magical Beasts here. You're just trying to scare us. I'm offering you a night's watch, and if there's no danger tonight, you'll get a good meal and ten copper coins—"

"No."

Rayan cut him off, "I'll kill whatever's in the forest for you, and you'll give me sixty silver coins. That's the bounty mission agreement."

The village chief snorted, "Seems like you're good at bargaining. How about one silver coin, then? That's already the adult rate for a night's watch."

The archer nodded in agreement, reluctantly opening the gate a bit wider.

Rayan still didn't move. "Sixty silver coins, not one less."

The village chief glared at him angrily, "This is your last chance, take the silver coin, or leave my village. I must remind you, it's nighttime, and the rain is getting heavier. It won't stop before dawn, and that's when those vicious Feral Beasts like to roam the most."

"Come back when you're willing to pay sixty silver coins. Until then, whatever happens is your own doing, and it has nothing to do with me." Rayan turned and sat cross-legged on an overturned millstone, closing his eyes to meditate.

The village chief was thoroughly provoked and shouted sharply, "Dream on! Guard, close the gate! Keep an eye on the darkness, and if those monsters appear, don't forget to tell me how he was eaten! What a waste of my time!" With that, he turned and disappeared into the rain.

"A silver coin a day and you won't earn it, you deserve to freeze to death in the rain." The archer, with obvious mockery on his face, swiftly closed the gate, his sharp eyes looking towards the forest, hands back on his bow and arrow.

Rain dripped down from Rayan's hood, gathering in his lap, as the wind battered his black cloak against his cold skin. But he sat unmoved, quietly waiting...

Hours later, the rain stopped, and dawn was approaching. The village lights gradually went out, and the bounty hunters responsible for the night watch began to doze off.

Something moved through the woods, the ground trembling slightly. Rayan slowly opened his eyes, alertly looking into the darkness.

These creatures clung close to the ground, silently crawling, their black bodies, and many legs, each as large as a wheel. One of the fastest charged into the range of the firelight without hesitation, emitting a high-pitched, piercing howl. A foul stench of sulfur spewed from its mouthpiece, forming a thick green fog—

The Magical Beasts had arrived.