The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 99 - They Hunt in Silence

Tave was now standing, still hidden behind the thick trunk of a tree, eyes narrowed as he tracked the surroundings. Panpan had already slipped away, and he no longer had any idea where she was.

Until... The monster let out a guttural roar, deeper and louder than before.

Then came the faint, sharp sound of arrows striking the air, quiet, expertly muted, but just enough to pull at the monster’s attention like bait on a hook.

Tave peeked out from behind the tree, and for the first time, he got a proper look at the creature.

Its body alone stood nearly a head and a half taller than him. But with its long, serpent-like neck, it towered over him at three times his height.

The beast whipped its neck toward the source of the sound, jaws parting as it searched for the threat.

And then, through the wavering shadows, Tave spotted her. Panpan.

She darted between trees like a ghost, loosing arrows without breaking her stride. Not physical arrows, no. These were elemental shots, sleek and fast, zipping around the monster’s head and vanishing the instant they passed their mark, flickering like lights on the edge of perception.

The monster snarled and sniffed, its steps growing impatient and erratic. It spun in place, swaying its great neck, trying to trace the movement, its breath ragged and loud as it chased the ghost trails of the arrows.

And watching all of it unfold, Tave couldn’t help but feel it.

A deep, wordless admiration.

Panpan was agile, and lethal. Her movements were smooth and calculated, each motion refined with precision and elegance. Every shot she fired was measured and exact, her rhythm impeccable. She used her surroundings with expert fluidity, maximizing every bit of cover and shadow.

This was her first Rift expedition. And yet, she moved like a seasoned hunter.

And Tave, watching it all unfold before his eyes, could only marvel silently.

Tave gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his entire body coiled in a perfect stance, blade raised and ready to strike. He just had to wait, just a breath more. Until the creature’s long neck drifted fully into his range. Then he’d only need one, precise motion to slice through it.

The real challenge was clear: as long as the noise stayed minimal. Nothing too loud from either him or Panpan, the other monsters wouldn’t be drawn to their location.

So he waited. Perfectly still. Perfectly silent.

Even when the massive wings of the creature swung close, so close they nearly clipped him. Tave ducked just in time, muscles tight and controlled.

Panpan’s arrows continued to fly, swift and subtle. Occasionally, Tave could feel the pressure of the wind they created, brushing his face like a whispered warning.

He silently hoped none of them would vanish too late and accidentally strike him. No, Panpan wouldn’t make a mistake like that. Would she?

And then. The moment he’d been waiting for snapped into existence.

The monster, enraged and frenzied, dipped its head low, and its long, scaled neck arched right into his striking zone.

Now!

Tave launched forward, his sword slashing through the air with blinding speed, so fast, so precise. He knew it would land clean.

But just before impact, the monster jerked back.

Still, it was too late to stop.

Tave’s blade ignited in a roaring flame, lighting up the entire clearing in a burst of searing orange.

SLASH!

The strike landed with full force. Clean, hard, and deep into the creature’s neck!

At the exact same instant, a powerful arrow whistled through the darkness from Panpan’s position and slammed into the very same wound.

The combined impact sent a tremor through the monster’s massive frame, a brutal jolt that echoed in the air like the crack of thunder. The flesh around the wound rippled, torn open wider by the dual assault.

Tave yanked his blade free and dropped into a low crouch, melting into the shadows once more as the beast faltered. Its huge body staggered, muscles spasming, claws scraping at the ground in a desperate attempt to stay upright.

But Tave wasn’t done yet.

With a surge of power, his left hand shot out. Flames was spiraling at his fingertips, and he thrust his fingers directly into the monster’s bleeding wound.

A burst of fire erupted, searing deep into exposed flesh.

Another volley of arrows slammed into the beast, every one aimed precisely, raining down from Panpan’s position like a perfect storm.

Suddenly, a flurry of magical energy surged in front of Tave, a shimmering shield of force catching him just in time as the collapsing beast came crashing down with a thunderous roar.

The shield flared, absorbing the impact and launching Tave backward. He hit the ground hard, skidding across the forest floor, earth and leaves tearing beneath him as the monster’s massive body finally crashed into the earth.

A crushing silence followed. Then. Only the sound of Tave’s breathing.

Alive. Still burning with adrenaline.

They waited in tense silence as the monster writhed, the Soul Fire burning deep within its open wound. Tave could feel it, feel the agony radiating from the creature’s core, mirrored by the searing pulse in his own chest.

The fire was doing its work. Quick. Merciless. Especially with a wound that opened, and aimed right at the creature’s weakest point: its neck.

Then, at last, the familiar notification flickered before his eyes.

[ You have successfully slain a Common Longneck Sky Serpent Lv. 43 ]

Yes.

They’d done it.

Tave didn’t waste a second. He bolted forward.

Panpan, sharp as ever, understood immediately. No words were needed.

They rushed to the fallen beast’s body and rolled it slightly, shifting its bulk just enough to access the chest, right where the monster core should be buried.

Tave drew his dagger and drove it down with force. Panpan gripped his hand, adding her strength to his.

Together, they struck again. And again. Brutal, fast, relentless.

Finally, a crack formed. An opening.

Without hesitation, Tave plunged his hand inside, feeling through the sinew and heat and torn tissue until.

Yes! There.

His fingers closed around it. The core. Burning hot, pulsing with residual energy.

Jackpot.

He yanked it free and immediately reached for Panpan’s wrist.

No time to admire the prize. They had to move. Now!

Because. Fang felt it.

Just seconds before Tave’s hand closed around the monster core, a pulse of warning shot through their link.

Enemies approaching.

More monsters.

"That way!" Tave hissed, pulling Panpan with him as they sprinted toward a possible escape route.

But he stopped. Suddenly, abruptly.

Then spun around.

There. No!

Again, he halted.

Every path they turned to was blocked.

Now, he stood still, tense, back straight, with Panpan beside him. Both breathing hard, both ready to react. But it was too late.

They were surrounded.

From the shadows between the trees, the monsters began to reveal themselves, lurking shapes slithering forward on four limbs. Their massive, scaled bodies slid with unnerving silence over roots and earth.

Large reptilian beasts, each about the size of a full-grown human, creeping with predatory intent.

Let’s just call them Charging Lizards for now. Though nothing about them felt remotely simple.

Heads stretched out from behind trunks, tongues flicking, tasting the air.

One. Two. Three.

Then five. Then ten.

Dozens of them.

They emerged from the underbrush, from tree trunks, from the earth itself.

Each one radiated hunger.

Each one a Tier 5 threat.

These weren’t mindless brutes either. These were patient killers. Monsters with camouflage abilities so refined that they only struck once their prey had nowhere left to run.

And now, Tave and Panpan were right in the center of their ring.