Today was the day before my departure and marked the very last hunt I would undertake with this group. I woke up with a mixture of anticipation and a slight sense of melancholy, knowing that the familiar routine of the village would soon be behind me. I met with Othrik and his party at our usual gathering spot in the village center.

  “Hi, good morning,” I said, nodding to the gathered men.

  “Good morning, Han. It is your last hunt with us, huh?” Othrik replied, his voice carrying a hint of the same bittersweet sentiment I felt.

  “Yes, it is. Let’s make it as good as possible,” I encouraged, checking the straps on my shield.

  “Okay. Let’s go,” Othrik ordered, flashing a quick, bitter smile before turning toward the village gates.

  With that final command, we departed for our last hunt together. There was no one late today; it seemed everyone was either eager to get started or perhaps I was simply the one they had been waiting for that morning. We moved into the woods with a purposeful stride, the morning air crisp and cool against our skin.

  The hunt proceeded smoothly until noon. Thanks to the cumulative assistance of my three equipped jobs, I was performing better than ever. I managed to secure the last hit on several beasts, and as a result, my job levels increased slightly throughout the morning. After taking a break to rest and fill our stomachs, we continued our trek deeper into the forest.

  However, as the afternoon wore on, things started to become troublesome—really troublesome. For hours, we struggled to find any suitable targets. The forest seemed unusually quiet, as if the beasts had all retreated into the deeper shadows. I felt a growing sense of disappointment, but the rest of the party didn't seem particularly bothered.

  Come to think of it, after our first hunt, they said it was worth three times their average hunt, I recalled. I realized that this current drought was likely the norm for them.

  “I know it is still early, but let’s return to the village if we can’t find a target for half an hour,” Othrik decided, his gaze scanning the dense foliage.

  But the forest had other plans. We didn't have to wait long before we spotted a group of two grey wolves. We moved in quickly and hunted them, but as we bent down to begin the dissection and collect our loot, a series of ominous sounds echoed from the surrounding brush. It wasn't just a few stragglers; there were multiple groups of wolves nearby, and they were approaching us from more than one direction.

  “Shit, I think we encountered a pack!” Othrik shouted, his voice sharp with alarm. “We should leave before they surround all of our escape paths. Take what is most important from the corpses and leave the other parts behind!”

  The group, usually so calm and coordinated, began to panic. They were used to things going exactly as expected, and this sudden escalation was something they hadn't prepared for. Their anxiety was contagious, and I felt a knot of unease tightening in my own chest.

  We began a hurried retreat, but the herd continued to chase us with relentless persistence. Occasionally, groups of grey wolves caught up, forcing us to stand our ground and fight just to clear a path forward.

  “They are moving very coordinated. It seems like there is a leader nearby,” Othrik observed, urging us to continue moving.

  I didn't understand why they were following us so doggedly; they were like a pack of wolves hungry for revenge. Every time we killed one of them, the rest seemed to only become more determined. While the inability to collect loot was frustrating, I took what comfort I could in the fact that I was at least accumulating experience points.

  We tried to move through the gaps in their formation where the numbers seemed thinner, but the clever mind leading the pack had anticipated our movements. Our hurried pace had tired the group out, and at the moment we were most vulnerable, the leader finally made his appearance.

  Perched majestically upon a large rock directly in our path was a wolf with jet-black fur and a stature far larger than any grey wolf we had encountered. It looked down at us with a cold, predatory intelligence.

  ***

  Race: Black Howl

  Sex: Male

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Status: Normal

  Level 20

  ***

  “F*ck! It is a monster, not a beast,” Othrik yelled as the black wolf stepped into our path. “It—it is a Black Howl! We should defeat it before the other beasts attack us all together!”

  Othrik had warned me before that monsters were significantly fiercer than normal beasts. Looking at its level—which was higher than anything else I had encountered since arriving in this world—I knew his assessment was correct. The party could still fight, but we needed to end this quickly; they were already exhausted, and if the battle dragged on, we would be in serious danger even if we managed to win.

  Because I possessed more than one job, I wasn't nearly as tired as the others. I realized that I would have to be the main piece for this fight.

  Prompted by Othrik’s shout, all of us charged at the Black Howl. It blocked our initial attacks with ease, likely believing that we were too tired to pose a real threat. I held back, refraining from attacking seriously while I constantly looked for an opening as we surrounded it.

  When the moment finally came, I activated my Swordsman skills and targeted its neck. The wolf noticed the move and tried to fall back, but my job bonuses and skills had already increased my dexterity enough that I could adjust my sword’s trajectory mid-swing to match its escape route. I didn't deal the lethal blow I had intended, but the strike made the creature stumble, leaving it visibly perplexed.

  The others didn't miss the opportunity, attacking its legs to pin it down. The Black Howl cried out at the assault, but that was its final mistake. I was ready. When it opened its mouth to let out a howl, I plunged my sword deep into its red flesh. It let out a muffled squeak as the blade pierced its throat, but it managed to wrench itself away, though it was now seriously wounded and unable to fight at full strength.

  The sounds of the other wolves were getting closer; we had to finish this. I positioned myself to intercept another wolf that was rushing from a nearby bush to help its leader. I was waiting for it, so it couldn't take me by surprise, though it still managed to hold me up for a few swings. I finally stabbed my sword into its neck, and it collapsed, bleeding out onto the forest floor.

  I turned and dashed back toward the Black Howl, which was desperately trying to buy time while waiting for reinforcements. It was paying the price for its earlier arrogance. It tried to slash at me with its claws as I approached from behind, but the others kept it occupied with their own attacks.

  I activated my ‘Sword Dance’ skill, leaped onto its back, and stabbed my sword in as deep as I could. The wolf howled in agony and tried to buck me off, but I held on tight. In the struggle, I found a moment of balance, withdrew my sword, and drove it again into the back of its head. The blade shattered bone as it delved into the meat. The Black Howl fell to the ground, twitching, until it was finally dead.

  As I drew back my sword, something strange happened. The wolf's body began to turn translucent and then vanished entirely. In its place, several objects that resembled coins dropped to the ground.

  “Phew! I am beat,” Othrik said, sounding breathless. “You were great, Han. How did you control your sword like that? If you were not with us today, we would have ended up seriously injured. Actually, there were moments when I thought we would all be dead today”.

  He looked at me admiringly, but he had no idea that my performance was all thanks to my new job.

  “I just fought with all I had. I didn't want to die, in the end,” I replied, trying to divert the topic. “But what did it drop?”

  “Oh, it was a dungeon monster, not a beast,” Othrik explained. “When a dungeon monster dies, it drops Obscuras. It is a coin currency that can be used in any kingdom. They are even more valuable than normal coins, though not by much. Considering how much it dropped, it must have been from the mid-floors. It was really a strong monster for us to deal with”.

  The coins were one silver and ten copper, but their engraving was different from the ones I had received from Copez. They were the exact same currency the system had given me. Othrik called them Obscura, just as it was written in the system.

  So they can be acquired from dungeon monsters, I noted. It was the first dungeon monster I killed. I will be visiting a dungeon soon, so I should learn more about them. This encounter had only inflamed my curiosity.

  “It is getting late, and there are still monsters in the vicinity,” Othrik said, including himself in the group's exhaustion. “I know you are tired, but we should move now”.

  It was better to move than to die, so we returned to the village as quickly as possible. After giving our loot and the Obscuras to Copez, we each earned close to five silver coins. We could have gained much more if we had been able to dissect the other wolves, but it couldn't be helped.

  Combined with my lone hunting over the last two days, I now had 20 Targonia silver coins and 20 Targonia copper coins. We were all exhausted, and I expected Grandpa would have dinner ready by now.

  “Hey, Han! We were thinking of celebrating today’s hunt and giving you a farewell party as well. What do you say?” Othrik asked just before I left for home. The entire party watched me with eyes full of expectation.

  “It is okay for me. But are you fine with it? You all look tired,” I said. I was a bit weary myself, despite my high endurance, so they had to be completely spent.

  “We are fine. A celebration should be for relaxing, anyway,” Othrik suggested. “How about we meet in an hour? We can have our dinner by then”.

  “We will just be drinking, then? Okay. I will also call for Grandpa,” I agreed.

  “Of course, there will be other villagers too. Bye then. Let’s meet at the village center,” Othrik said, and we parted ways.

  [Edited]