Jayden gasped, sensing the aura of the beast. "What the hell..." he breathed, quickly cloaking himself with his invisibility.
Then he moved swiftly behind one of the trees and checked the beast’s stat.
______
*Na: Sabertoothed Flare
*Rank: C
*Ability: Pyrokinesis
*Hp: 650/650
______
Jayden swallowed. The beast was just as powerful as the Winter wolf... if not more. And it’s aura was very intimidating. Hot and suffocating.
The lion walked forward with pride. It moved without hesitation. Its fiery paw clamped over the Earth-Ape’s corpse and dragged it like a sack of leaves. The sll of burning fur filled the air.
Jayden’s jaw tightened. "That’s mine." he gritted. He didn’t even care that the beast could pulverised him with a single blow.
He instinctively stepped forward... but Luna’s voice burst in his head.
[No! Jayden, don’t engage. That’s a C-Rank elental. You’re not ready. You’ll die]
Jayden clenched his fists. "I took down the Winter wolf on my own. How’s this one any different?"
[It’s on the verge of reaching B-Rank.. which ans any attempt to fight it could be all the push that it needs] Luna replied. [Just like with that Wolverine Stalker]
Jayden exhaled. He wasn’t stupid enough not to consider the odds. If the beast were to evolve into B-Rank during their fight, he would be dead for sure. But he also didn’t want to let go of the Geogrim’s ability. It was too good... and according to his findings, very rare.
Before Jayden could think of making a move, the system screen suddenly appeared in his eyes.
[The leader of the forest has appeared]
[Quest Reminder:
Defeat the true leader of Jade city’s forest
*Reward: 1000,000 shop points]
Jayden blinked at the screen. "That’s the leader, huh? Which ans I’ll have to fight it eventually." he muttered.
Then he sighed. "But not today." he concluded, staring at the beast as it disappeared into the trees.
The Sabertooth Flare never looked back.
It didn’t have to.
Jayden beca visible again, fury pulsing through his veins.
But Luna was right. This wasn’t the ti.
He exhaled hard, roaming through the forest, gathering the rest of the beast corpses into his inventory. He had decided to take them for future purposes.
Then he turned and made his way out of the forest, back to Erald city. He had gotten what he ca for. And now, it was ti to get what he truly desired.
....
Later That Evening...
The streets were buzzing with life, but Jayden felt numb.
He pushed through the heavy doors of Black Claw Restaurant, the familiar scent of sizzling at and exotic spices washing over him. The receptionist.. a sharp-eyed woman with a sleek bun, glanced up from her terminal, her brows lifting in recognition.
"Hello, welco back." she greeted politely. "How can I help you this ti?"
Jayden offered a tired nod. "Is Chef Moreau in?"
She nodded. "Yes. He’s at the Inspection kitchen. Sa as last ti."
"Thanks." Jayden said before walking towards the inner corridor.
The restaurant humd around him.. soft chatter, clinking silverware, the occasional burst of laughter. But Jayden’s focus was singular. He navigated the back halls with ease, his feet muffled against the polished floors.
When he reached the inspection kitchen, he didn’t hesitate. He pushed the door open.
The scene inside was quieter than before. Only a handful of chefs remained, likely wrapping up for the night. And there, in the center of it all, was Chef Moreau, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, cleaver flashing as he dismantled what looked like the carcass of a Wolverine Stalker. Sweat glead on his forehead, his muscles straining with each precise cut.
Jayden couldn’t help but smirk. "Does this man ever rest?" he wondered in awe, and a slight admiration.
Moreau’s head snapped up, his sharp eyes locking onto Jayden. A grin split his bearded face.
"Ah! It’s you!" He wiped his hands on his apron, leaving streaks of crimson. "Tell you have what I asked."
Jayden strode forward, stopping beside a clean, steel-topped platform. With a flick of his wrist, he accessed his Inventory, and dumped the requested fifty E-Rank and ten D-Rank beast corpses onto the surface with a heavy, aty thud.
Moreau’s eyes widened.
He was on them in an instant, hands hovering over the pile like a kid in a candy store. His fingers danced over fur, scales, and exposed muscle, inspecting each kill with a practiced eye. Then—
He froze.
His gaze landed on the D-Rank Earth Smasher, its massive, armored bulk unmistakable even in death. Slowly, he reached for his scanner, running it over the corpse once. Twice.
The results didn’t change.
Moreau turned, his expression caught between awe and disbelief.
"How did you kill a D-Rank Earth Smasher?"
Jayden chuckled, crossing his arms. "A hunter never shares his secrets."
The chef barked out a laugh, loud and booming. "Fair enough, kid! Fair enough!" He clapped Jayden on the shoulder, his grip like iron. "However you did it, I’m just glad you brought these in now." He jerked his thumb toward the Wolverine Stalker on his table. "That was the last edible corpse we had in stock. You just saved my ass."
Jayden smirked. "Glad to be of service."
Moreau gestured toward his office. "Co. Let’s get you paid." he muttered, taking off his apron and gesturing for Jayden to follow him.
Jayden followed behind him as they entered the small room at the end of the kitchen.
The office was cramped but organized... stacks of invoices, holoscreens displaying inventory lists, and a faint, lingering scent of smoked at. Moreau dropped into his chair, tapped a few commands into his terminal, and...
Cha-ching.
Jayden’s mobile device vibrated. A notification flashed:
[ 1,000,000 CREDITS]
His breath caught.
A million. Just like that.
He had indeed worked hard for it, but... Damn! That was a lot of money.
Moreau leaned back, grinning. "Pleasure doing business with you, kid. Now—" He pulled up a contact form. "Give your info. I’ll call you next ti we’re running low."
Jayden hesitated. "I’m not a full-ti hunter. Can’t promise I’ll always be available."
Moreau waved a dismissive hand. "Doesn’t matter. Quality like this?" He nodded toward the inspection kitchen. "I’ll wait."
Jayden relented, inputting his contact details.
...
The night air was cool against Jayden’s skin as he stepped outside, but his blood was singing in excitent.
One million credits.
His fingers twitched at his sides. He could finally buy that hoverbike he wanted—the sleek, black Astral Rider EX with the holographic storage technology. No more taking cabs. No more wasted ti or economized trips to the forest.
A grin split his face.
Today had been a good day. Even though he’d lost a valuable beast energy to the Saber-tooth Flare, the joy of receiving a large amount of money had lighten up his mood completely.
He turned toward ho, his steps lighter than they’d been in weeks. He planned to take a nice bath in the tub and sleep peacefully. Because tomorrow he wasn’t just going shopping... he was also going to begin his epic hunt.
The hunt for greatness.
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