Chapter 242 First find
The massive monster collapsed onto the forest floor, its eyes pierced by Kevin's blade. Who, catching his breath, approached the fallen creature. As he walked towards its head and pulled his knives and also the blood, which splattered on the dark soil and he casually quipped, "Be a good doggy in your next life."
Keith shuddered at his comment. "That was so cringe... It gave me shivers all over my body."
Ignoring her jest, the dark-haired boy, having vanquished the monster, proceeded towards the hollow tree, from which the creature emerged. Just as he stepped closer, a familiar voice resonated in his ears after days of silence.
"[Noxlight flower detected 15 meters away.]"
A smile illuminated his face as the voice continued to call out to him, urging him forward.
[Noxlight flower detected 12 meters away.]
[Noxlight flower detected 10 meters away.]
[Noxlight flower detected 8 meters away.]
[Noxlight flower detected 5 meters away.]
[Noxlight flower detected 2 meters away.]
[Noxlight flower detected 1 meters away.]
Finally entering the hollow, shadowy tree, he discovered a beam of moonlight cascading from above the entrance. Within the glow, a flower imbued with a striking black and silver hue, shimmered like crystal. Its dark coloring from stem to petal made it almost imperceptible, but the only reason Kevin could see it was the radiant moonlight illuminating its delicate form. It was aptly named the Noxlight flower, the light of the night.
"Hey, check this out, guys!" he exclaimed, and both Viana and Keith were already by his side. As their devices picked up the hollow tree within their detection range, both of them smiled, and Keith asked with an excited grin, "Finally found one,"
"If I remember it correctly, this monster's a Shadowcrest Lupine. They tend to hang around rare herbs, guarding them for a meal when they're injured or breaking through," Viana explained, eyeing the creature's body and then glancing at Kevin, who held the flower in a wooden box.
"It probably led it here to snack on later," she added, observing the flower.
As everyone focused on the discovery, Kevin walked over to Keyara, handing her the box. "Thanks," she said, taking it and storing it in her ring.
"If I'm on track, this monster's a Shadowcrest Lupines. They tend to hang around rare herbs, guarding them for a meal when they're injured or breakthrough," Viana explained, eyeing the creature's body and then glancing at Kevin, who held the flower in a wooden box.
"It probably led it here to snack on later," she added, observing the flower.
As everyone focused on the discovery, Kevin walked over to Keyara, handing her the box. "Thanks," she said, taking it and storing it in her ring.
Off they went in search of more of these enchanting blooms. Yet, none among them knew the ultimate purpose; it was all for some merchant's sake. Their interest lay solely in clearing debts and exchanging these finds for other goodies. No questions asked, no concerns raised—they were on a mission, after all.
Unfortunately, luck didn't grace their quest this time. Hours passed, and their pursuit yielded no further blossoms. The moon, slowly fading from the sky, cast an eerie darkness upon the already shadowy forest, making their task even more challenging.
Despite the absence of additional flowers, they stumbled upon other herbs, some even rarer and more valuable than the coveted noxlight flower.
As they continued their hunt for more noxlight flowers, Kevin and Keith were knee-deep in a discussion about their less-than-successful search.
"So, how many of these black flowers have we found?" Keith asked, wiping some sweat off her forehead.
"Let's see... just one," Kevin replied with a chuckle. "But hey, we've stumbled upon a collection of what I'd call 'rare and mysterious foliage'."
Keith smirked. "That's a fancy way of saying 'we haven't found anything yet.'" and continued with a serious face. "There's gotta be an easier way to find them, right?"
"yeah I was also thinking about and what if instead of chasing the flowers, what if we go after that monster?" Kevin suggested, momentarily blanking on its name, despite having hunted it for hours.
Viana, who had been eavesdropping, chimed in, "Shadowcrest Lupine."
"We find this Shadowcrest Lupine, take it down, and nab the herb it's guarding. Even if it's not the noxlight flower, it's probably rare and worth a fortune. Plus, tracking a monster is way simpler than trying to spot a nearly invisible herb in this place," Kevin proposed.
"Don't get too detective-y; it's not as simple as it sounds," Keith remarked, not entirely sold on Kevin's idea.
Kevin smiled hearing it, and with a chuckle he said. "If to go directive-y I would have said, we need to think like flowers. Blend in, be stealthy, and surprise everyone by popping up where no one expects us."
Meanwhile, Viana, lost in thought, spoke up after a minute. "It's a good plan, and we've got some skilled hunters who could easily track them. Let me chat with Keyara."
Viana nodded, heading over to Keyara, who was examining the map. "Keyara," she started, catching her attention.
"Yeah?" Keyara replied, glancing up from the map.
"We were discussing an idea about tracking down the Shadowcrest Lupine to obtain the herb it guards. It might not be the Noxlight flower, but it could be valuable. What do you think?" Viana asked, explaining their conversation.
Keyara pondered for a moment upon hearing the plan and eventually nodded. "That sounds like a plan, but let's discuss it with everyone tomorrow before we dive in."
Viana agreed, emphasizing the importance of everyone's input. Despite Keyara being viewed as the leader, it was crucial for the team to have a say in decisions like this. Keyara scanned the group and addressed them. "Let's wrap it up for today, folks. The moon's on its way down, and it'll be dark soon. Let's set up camp before that happens."
Everyone nodded in agreement. They weren't too keen on hunting in the dark, where visibility would be practically nonexistent, especially for a flower that's nearly invisible in the light.
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