The night was dark and ominous, a crisp wind howling through the air.
Along a cobblestone road, a young knight with a torch rode his horse, patrolling the outskirts.
The flickering torchlight illuminated his tired face, and he muttered in frustration as he rode through the empty wilderness.
"Lord said we must eliminate the Firestorm Antelope, but we've been here for days, and I haven't seen a trace of it."
"What's the point of setting the forest on fire anyway? The land belongs to him, and I don't see a copper in taxes for myself..."
Suddenly, a spark appeared on the horizon, and the flames spread quickly, soon becoming a raging inferno.
The knight froze, cold sweat running down his face as he muttered, "My Holy Light, I only said it casually! This fire has nothing to do with me!"
He squinted at the distant glow, realizing that the source of the fire was none other than the very creature he had been hunting—the Firestorm Antelope.
For days, the Antelope had been eluding him, and now, in its hunger, it had set off this fire while hunting a Vined Creature.
However, the Firestorm Antelope was a high-ranking first-ring monster, and the knight had no confidence in taking it down alone. He decided to retreat and call for backup.
Just then, his eyes caught sight of a white warhorse galloping toward the battlefield, pulling a black carriage.
"A Roland warhorse?" The knight exclaimed in disbelief.
A Roland warhorse was the dream of every knight. Though his own steed was fine, it could never compare to the power and prestige of a Roland.
The carriage appeared to belong to a group of adventurers. As the cart reached the battlefield, an elderly man untied the reins and pulled out his sword, leaping onto the snow-white warhorse.
The man spurred the horse forward, charging directly toward the Firestorm Antelope. The beast fired three blazing missiles from its mouth, but the knight deftly dodged them, sending the missiles harmlessly into the air.
At the same time, a leather-clad young woman leapt from the back of the carriage, hurling a spear with precision. The spear struck the Antelope, drawing blood before the fiery creature incinerated it.
The Firestorm Antelope roared in anger and unleashed a fireball to completely incinerate the struggling Vined Creature, then charged toward the wagon!
As it charged, the scorching wind from the flames blazed a trail through the wilderness.
The knight's expression darkened, but to his surprise, a white owl flew out from the cart. It flapped its wings, casting a chilling breeze that slowed the Firestorm Antelope's advance.
"A magic pet?" The knight stared in astonishment.
"Not only did this small group have a Roland warhorse, but they also had a magic pet!"
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Meanwhile, Yeats had left the carriage and was now in the midst of the battle.
He saw the snowy owl play a crucial role and praised, "Well done!"
"Hoo!" The owl closed its eyes in contentment, only to be suddenly struck by a fireball from the Antelope's attack.
The Firestorm Antelope's flames were largely ineffective against the group due to the Snow Rabbit Stew's fire resistance boost, and this only fueled the owl's anger.
The snowy owl flapped its wings, conjuring a blast of icy wind that collided with the Antelope's flames, creating a hiss and rising mist as the ice fought the fire.
The warhorse, "Radish," charged from the flank.
Radish, the legendary Roland warhorse, collided with the Firestorm Antelope with all the strength of a battering ram. The knight swung his sword, cutting through the flames and leaving a gash on the Antelope's body.
"Hmm? It doesn't hurt at all when the flames hit me!" The knight said with a surprised expression, his suspicions slowly forming.
Could it be... thanks to Yeats's culinary talent?
"Yeats, I have no weapon!" Gray sighed, gesturing helplessly. "I told you to buy me a new one. According to our employment contract, the lord should be providing the gear!"
"Who said you don't have a weapon?"
Yeats smirked and pulled a massive slab of Petrified Goat Iron Teppanyaki from the wagon.
"There's one right here!"
Gray's eyes went wide.
"I know you've maxed your fire resistance, so this Petrified Goat Iron Teppanyaki should be fine!" Yeats commanded. "Quick, grab it and help me take down the Antelope!"
Gray stood frozen for a moment before shrugging and grabbing the large iron slab, "Fine. But I'll make sure I get a proper weapon after this!"
With a battle cry, Gray sprinted forward, leaping high and smashing the iron slab onto the Firestorm Antelope's head.
The knight watched in awe, mouth agape.
That adventurer's weapon was truly unique.
It was both a shield and a blunt weapon, offensive and defensive in one, and it even withstood the Antelope's fiery onslaught!
"What an incredible team," the knight thought, impressed. "They seem like a group of first-ring adventurers, but together, they can defeat a high-ranking first-ring monster!"
Gray's attack caused the Firestorm Antelope to stagger, and Radish, the warhorse, rammed into it, knocking it to the ground.
The knight's sword slashed through the Antelope's neck, and blood sprayed in all directions.
The Antelope struggled for a moment before collapsing into silence.
With the death of the Firestorm Antelope, the flames that had been consuming the forest began to wane.
Yeats ordered the snowy owl to use its Ice Wind to extinguish the remaining flames, and then he rejoined his team.
"Well, that was tough, but we did it!" Gray wiped the sweat from her brow.
The knight, who was a former knight but now quite elderly, was panting heavily after riding Radish. "Yeats, I didn't feel any pain when I touched the fire. You must have known this would happen, which is why you had me engage up close!"
"Quick thinking, as always, Frakas." Yeats chuckled.
"Yeats…" Frakas said with gratitude, "Your father would surely be proud of you!"
Gray raised an eyebrow. "What are you two talking about? I'm not getting it."
Yeats cleared his throat.
Gray, being a Dragonkin, wouldn't feel the benefit of the fire resistance from the Snow Rabbit Stew.
But for Snowy Owl and Frakas, that was the key to facing the Firestorm Antelope.
As for me, my combat ability still leaves much to be desired.
The focus was on nurturing the magic pet and finding ways to improve later...
"The Firestorm Antelope is quite the treasure," Yeats remarked. "Its head, meat, hide, and even the organs inside it—all of it can be sold. Let's stash it in the cart, and we'll sell it to a traveling merchant when we find one."
"Then you'll buy me a new weapon, right?" Gray asked, hopeful.
"We'll see if we can find one that suits you." Yeats nodded.
"Deal!" Gray grinned widely.
Frakas cut open the Firestorm Antelope's carcass, and to his surprise, he found a small red crystal inside.
"Yeats, there's a magic crystal here!" Frakas exclaimed.
"Lucky you," Gray said in astonishment. "Only rare minerals or powerful monsters have magic crystals like this. This could fetch a good price."
"This must be the gods' way of telling us our territory's too poor," Yeats said, looking skyward. "They've sent us some seed money to get us started."
Gray patted Yeats on the shoulder and grinned. "No matter what, we've earned a lot today. We should treat ourselves to a nice meal."
"Of course," Yeats smiled. "Tonight, we feast on Firestorm Antelope!"
Gray: (╬≖_≖)
And so, after all the hunting and fighting, it was time for a feast on a majestic beast.
Yeats checked their spoils. They had the entire Firestorm Antelope, a small magic crystal, and some excellent cooking materials from the dead monster.
The Petrified Goat Iron Teppanyaki had been burned to a slight curve by the fire, making it unusable, but Gray had gathered quite a few dried limbs from the Vined Creatures, which would make great firewood.
With enough of those dried limbs planted back at the territory, a few days of growth would yield new Vined Creatures—perfect for disposing of, and replacing costly wood with dried twigs.
Yeats was lost in thought, when suddenly, a torch-bearing knight approached from the distance, claiming to be a member of the local lord's retinue.
"The lord has been troubled by the Firestorm Antelope, and we're so grateful that you've helped us hunt it down!" the young knight said.
"Hey, hey, you're not trying to take our spoils, are you?" Gray said, eyeing the knight with suspicion. "According to the kingdom's law, we've hunted the monster and helped solve the local problem. This beast is ours!"
The knight seemed surprised but nodded. "You're absolutely right. I'll report this to my lord. But I'm here to invite you to the lord's residence. I'm sure he'd love to meet you."
"No need," Yeats replied. "We're just passing through on our way to Morning Frost Ridge. The lord should have already received the letter from the Baron of the Brante family."
"Just report it to your lord as I said. He'll understand."
The young knight's eyes widened.
So, it was the younger son of the Brante family! No wonder they were able to hunt the Firestorm Antelope!
Morning Frost Ridge was a dangerous place, and the young baron's courage impressed the knight.
"Actually, the lord has set up a reward for the adventurers who help with the Firestorm Antelope," the knight added. "I'll have the payment sent to Morning Frost Ridge in a few days."
Yeats nodded and asked, "Are there any traveling merchant groups passing by or staying around here?"
"Yes, there are. Let me mark the location on the map for you…"
After a brief conversation, the knight departed, and the group took a moment to rest.
Night was deep, and Gray, too tired to speak, glanced to her side and noticed the snowy owl, scratching at something on the ground.
"Hoo!" the owl chirped, pecking at a strap from a backpack.
"Yeats," Gray called softly, "I think Snowy Owl found something."
Not far from the Firestorm Antelope's body, a skeleton had been partially buried in the dirt. Its clothing had rotted away, and one corner of a backpack was barely visible above the earth.
Yeats froze, his heart racing.
It was there—the Necromancer's Legacy!