Chapter 222: The Vazrun Island Test Begins
The instant their feet met the earth, the phantom wind that had borne them through the air vanished abruptly and coldly, leaving behind only the echo of its chill in their bones.
’So, we already landed.’
For a time, Ruvian didn’t move, the silence clinging tightly to his forms, broken only by the quiet rustle of leaves blown by a distant breeze. The wilderness around him was far less forgiving than the manicured ground below him.
Beneath his boots, the terrain was uneven — damp soil mixed with scattered stone, wild grass threading between cracks.
Then, suddenly, the blindfolds came undone — released, as if the air itself had plucked the fabric from their eyes. The cloth drifted upward, carried by the wind and disappeared into the sky.
Ruvian blinked; the shadow and sudden dimmed light pressed into his pupils. His vision gradually returned — he stood there, slowly adjusting to the murky palette of the world.
Ruvian scanned his surroundings.
A wide grassland stretched out before him beneath a sky heavy with dark storm clouds. Waist-high grass swayed with the wind, while scattered gray boulders broke up the open field. The land rose and fell on gentle slopes. It was uneven enough for someone to crouch behind, but not enough to stay hidden for long.
To his right, a line of rocky hills stretched from north to south, forming a natural barrier across the land. Their steep slopes and narrow paths were the closest thing to good cover, while everything beyond them remained hidden from view.
Looking west, Ruvian could see the coastline in the distance. The sound of waves crashing against the shore echoed across the open plains, and the cool wind carried the faint smell of salt from the sea. From the look of it, the sea was close enough to reach within an hour, perhaps less if nothing blocked his path.
Farther south, however, the green plains gradually surrendered to a sea of pale sand. Even from this distance, he could make out barren dunes and jagged rock formations rising from the desert’s edge, where little life seemed willing to endure.
’At least, we are not at the dessert. That would be much more horrible.’
Above them was a dome of muted light. Its rays filtered weakly through the dense cloud that pirouetted in the sky, painting the world below in a dim, colorless pall, not quite day, and not quite night.
There was no true warmth to the light, no true shade either. Ruvian stood still beneath it all, eyes lifted and absorbed everything.
Then, as if cutting through that heavy silence, Yerin’s voice came sharp.
"Alright, everyone. We don’t have time to waste." She rolled her shoulders to loosen up. "Just as we discussed before — our priority for the first day is to hunt as many Voidspawns as possible while searching for flags and dungeons."
"Shima, Arlok — check the perimeter. Horren, Ruvian, with me."
The command was immediate, and without hesitation, the group began to move.
Yerin took the lead.
She moved carefully, her eyes constantly drifting across the plains instead of staying fixed on the path ahead.
Every few steps, her gaze shifted toward the distant hills, then the patches of taller grass, before briefly lingering on the ground beneath her feet. It almost looked absentminded, yet there was a quiet purpose behind every glance.
Ruvian silently followed a few steps behind.
’Not bad. Looks like she has plenty of field experience.’
After nearly fifteen minutes of walking, Yerin suddenly raised a hand.
The entire group stopped at once.
Without turning around, she quietly spoke.
"There’s a good chance a Voidspawn is nearby."
Horren frowned.
Yerin crouched and pointed toward the ground.
"Look carefully."
The others lowered their eyes.
Pressed into the damp soil was a series of enormous footprints. Each print had two thick toes ending in deep claw marks. They were far larger than those of any ordinary bird, with several smaller cracks spreading through the earth where the creature’s weight had sunk into the ground.
"The tracks are still sharp," Yerin explained. "The edges haven’t collapsed yet, and the soil hasn’t dried. I think these were made recently."
She shifted her finger toward several broken stalks of grass nearby.
Ruvian narrowed his eyes.
She was right.
And from that alone, Ruvian had already narrowed the possibilities down to only a handful of Voidspawn.
’This... it’s definitely—’
"Crestbreak Fowl." Yerin calmly said.
"I think. No, I’m sure of it."
Then, she continued.
"They’re Voidspawns with the similar features of an ostrich. Their bodies are large, and they’re heavy enough to leave tracks like these. They rarely stay in one place for long, but they tend to keep following the same direction while searching for food."
She looked toward the northwest where the flattened grass continued.
"If we follow this trail carefully, we’ll find it before it notices us."
Ruvian kept his eyes on the trail for another moment before looking back at the others.
"Alright, let’s tell the others."
He gestured toward the line of flattened grass stretching into the distance.
"If it’s really a Crestbreak Fowl, then we’re in luck. They’re harmless unless provoked, and they’re one of the easiest Voidspawns to hunt. More importantly, their meat is among the best you can find on this island. If we can bring one down, we’ve already secured tonight’s meal." (+50PP)
Yerin gave a small nod.
"I was thinking the same thing."
Horren smiled.
"Now that’s the kind of good news I was hoping to hear."
Without wasting any more time, the three turned back and headed toward the others.
It didn’t take long before Shima and Arlok emerged from the tall grass after finishing their sweep of the surrounding area. Judging from their relaxed expressions, neither of them had encountered any immediate danger.
Yerin looked at them.
"Anything?"
Shima nodded first.
"We should avoid going south."
She pointed toward the distant stretch of pale sand that lay beyond the grasslands.
"It’s nothing but desert over there."
After a brief pause, she added with complete seriousness,
"And I don’t like deserts."
For a moment, nobody said anything.
Then Arlok let out a loud chuckle.
"I’ve gotta agree with her this time. I can handle the blazing heat all day if I have to, but walking through sand? Forget it. I’d rather wrestle a Voidspawn than spend half a day trudging through that damn sand!"
Yerin lightly chuckled.
"Alright. Alright. Then we’ll avoid the southern route."
With that in mind they moved towards the North, at the same time, Ruvian activated [Omniscient Review], just to make sure his knowledge about Crestbeak Fowl was still correct. (-500PP)
’Yeah, seems like I’m still able to recall it perfectly.’
He thought, slightly proud of himself.
Crestbeak Fowl was a large, land-bound avian marked by sharp beaks, a hunched gait with darker feathers. They were among the more tolerable faces of the Voidspawn, classified as Lesser-rank. They lacked danger and intent as they were rarely aggressive.
Though not aggressive, they were far from defenseless — startled too quickly, and they would scatter in a burst of speed and shrieking feathers.
Their powerful legs can propel them into dense brush before a blade could find its mark. However, when taken down, their value was immediate and valuable.
Unlike most creatures touched by the Void, whose bodies were fouled by poison, warped by instability, or simply too grotesque to stomach. Crestbeak Fowl, meanwhile, were strangely untouched by such corruption, their meat firm, clean, and startlingly rich in protein, and nourishing.
Yerin’s voice broke the momentary silence, firm and assured.
"According to the data and studies that I have reviewed, they’re one of the island’s most common fauna — adapted to this environment, drawn to open terrain with sparse cover and shallow soil. So, if the pattern holds, we should find them around this area soon."
Just ahead, the wind blew a few scattered feathers — long, coarse, and grey-brown — caught in the grass.
Yerin realised that and immediately questioned it.
"They passed through here, not long ago — minutes, maybe less, but why... why were they moving so fast?"
After Yerin had said that, the whole group went silent.
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[Chapter 222: The Vazrun Island Test Begins]
Plot Points= 12,205
