The Emerald Wilds trembled.
Not because of monsters 🐉.
Because of people.
Two massive crystal screens hovered above the guild courtyard ✨.
Each nearly ten meters tall.
Runes pulsed along their edges, glowing like living circuits 🔷.
Inside—
One showed Aren.
The other showed Lyris.
This wasn't a duel anymore.
It was a spectacle 🎭.
A storm with an audience.
Hundreds gathered.
Rank Six adventurers pushed to the front ⚔️.Elven archers stood together, arms crossed 🌲🏹.Merchants leaned forward, coins already clinking 💰.Street kids climbed barrels for a better view 🧒.Food vendors lit fires like it was a festival 🍢🔥.
Bets flew faster than arrows.
Noise rose like a living creature 🗣️.
A massive mage floated above the courtyard 🧙♂️✨.
His voice boomed across the city—
"RULES!!"
Silence snapped into place.
"Lyris Vael'Thora must LAND at least ONE HIT within two days!"
"If she fails—she loses!!"
An elf shouted proudly—
"Our princess never misses!!" 😤
A human yelled back—
"She missed a mushroom!!" 😂
Elves hissed 😠.Humans laughed 😆.
And then—
The hunt began.
The Compass of Shame 🧭😏
Lyris stood at the forest's edge.
In her hand—
A beautifully carved green compass 🌿.
Runes shimmered softly.
Elegant.
Deadly.
Precise.
Its purpose?
Simple.
Find Aren.
The duel began—
PING ⚡
The needle snapped east.
Lyris smiled.
Cold.
Confident.
"Hmph. Found you."
She moved.
No—
She glided.
Speed wrapped in elegance 🌬️.
The crowd erupted—
"She's fast!!""He's finished!!""She'll catch him in an hour!!"
Her guild cheered loudly 🔥.
On the second screen—
Aren appeared.
Standing still.
No fear.No rush.No reaction.
Then—
He moved.
The image blurred.
The mage almost lost control midair 😳.
"W–WHAT SPEED IS THAT?!" ⚡
Gasps rippled.
Aren didn't run randomly.
Every step had intent 🎯.
Every turn… planned.
He ran straight toward—
Darkness.
A cave.
Wide enough to swallow a carriage.
Claw marks carved deep into the stone 🪨.Bones scattered like warnings ☠️.
The air itself felt wrong.
The guild elder's expression darkened.
"…The Giant Lizard Den."
Mira froze 😨.
"Why would he go THERE?!"
The elves burst into laughter 😂.
"He's desperate!!""Running into monsters?!""Pathetic!!"
The compass pulsed again—
PING ⚡ PING ⚡ PING ⚡
Lyris followed.
Still confident.Still smiling.Still blind.
Three Hours Later ⏳
The sun shifted ☀️.
Birds rotated shifts 🐦.
People bought second and third rounds of food 🍿.
And Lyris kept moving.
Like a perfect weapon guided by arrogance.
Then—
The screen darkened.
A massive shadow loomed.
The cave entrance.
Huge.
Hungry.
Silent.
The ground trembled 🌍.
A deep, rhythmic breath echoed outward.
Even the crystal screen vibrated.
Lyris slowed.
"…Wait."
The crowd exploded—
"She reached it!!""She actually followed him!!""This is insane!!"
The elves went pale 😰.
"W–wait…""He wouldn't…"
The humans whispered—
"He did."
The Betting Storm 💰🔥
A fat merchant jumped onto a table.
Laughing wildly.
"BETTING TIME!! BETTING TIME!!" 😆
"Will the elf survive?!""Will Aren escape?!""Will the monster eat BOTH?!"
Coins rained like metal rain 💰💰💰.
"Ten silver on the girl!""Two gold on the lizard!""Five gold on Aren!"
Elandor raised his hand.
Cold.
Certain.
"Ten gold on my daughter."
The courtyard froze 😳.
Ten gold.
A house.
The elder smiled faintly.
"Aren…""Don't disappoint me."
A voice whispered—
"What does Aren bet?"
Mira blinked.
"…He doesn't have gold."
The man laughed.
"Then he bets confidence!"
The elder stepped forward.
Silence fell instantly.
"How much?" the merchant asked.
The old man pointed at Lyris's screen.
"I bet…"
A pause.
"…she loses."
The courtyard detonated 💥.
"INSULT!!" 😡"OLD MAN ARE YOU MAD?!""YOU DARE—?!"
Mira quietly placed two silver coins down 😳.
Everything she had.
Before chaos could erupt—
The mage screamed—
"LOOK AT SCREEN TWO!!" ⚡
Lyris Enters the Den 🐉
Every head snapped up.
On the screen—
Lyris stepped inside.
Darkness swallowed her.
Her bow trembled.
For the first time.
Inside—
Shapes moved.
Massive.
Slow.
Ancient.
A deep hiss rolled through the cave 🐉.
The ground cracked.
Dust fell like ash.
The screen zoomed in.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer—
And the hunt…
finally began 🌑🔥.