Bennett woke up as usual. After freshening up, he grabbed a quick breakfast. Soon after, he made his way to the mission building and spotted a quest labeled for Rank 1 Apprentices, unlike most missions, which were usually unranked chores.

  He snatched the paper before anyone else could notice. Most of the older students were at least Rank 1 Apprentices, so competition for higher-level missions was fierce.

  He scanned the document:

  "There have been recent sightings of a Rank 2 beast near the wall. The beast's name is Weaver."

  "Reward: 500 credits, or an item of equivalent value upon request."

  Oh, this is pretty good. I should see if I can accept it, he thought.

  "Hello, sir. I'd like to take this quest. Also, would it be possible to receive the standard gear? It'll be my first time exiting the wall."

  The clerk glanced at him. "Ah, you must be new. This mission requires at least a Rank 1 Apprentice. Considering your status, I doubt you can handle it."

  "Oh, right. I forgot." Bennett quickly pulled out his ID, showing his Rank 1 Apprentice certification.

  "My bad. I should've shown this first."

  "I see." The clerk gave a nod. "In that case, you're eligible. I'll stamp it for you. You have one week to locate and hunt the beast."

  He handed over a standard-issue bag. "Inside, you'll find five nutrition pills, five satiety pills, and five mana regeneration pills. Purity ranges from 60% to 70%, so you don't need to worry about side effects. Good luck, young man."

  Bennett took the bag. "Thank you, sir. I'll be sure to return with proof once I'm back."

  After leaving, he stopped by a nearby store to buy some basic carving tools, stashed them in his bag, and returned to his room. He grabbed his beast book and flipped to the section on the creature he would be hunting.

  Rank 2: Weaver

  A large spider-like beast, roughly the size of a motorcycle.

  Its fangs carry a potent venom strong enough to kill most Rank 1 Apprentices. Avoid the fangs at all costs.

  Its legs are razor-sharp, capable of piercing stone with ease, another major threat.

  While most beasts have their core in varying locations, the Weaver's is consistently in its abdomen due to its spider-like structure.

  Like all beasts, unless the core is destroyed, it can regenerate or even form a new body, regardless of damage taken.

  Hmm... the fangs should be doable to avoid, as long as I stick to its sides or stay behind it. Since it's spider-like, it probably won't rotate quickly.

  It likely has powerful jumping capabilities, so I'll need to avoid taking to the air.

  The legs will be a real hassle-eight in total, four on each side. I'll have to track them all. This is definitely harder than the Rhyhound.

  After memorizing the details, Bennett went out to find the instructor who taught beast carving. It took him over two hours to track him down.

  The instructor looked up as he approached. "Oh, you again. Here for another lesson? That'll cost you."

  "No, no, instructor. I just want to ask a question about the Weaver. I need to know which parts are worth keeping and which can be discarded."

  "Hoh? So this brat's going hunting?" The old man grinned. "Alright, 5 credits for the info."

  "Of course." Bennett handed over the credits without hesitation.

  "The parts you want to harvest from a Weaver are its fangs, poison, legs, and web. The rest, even the meat, is useless. You can leave it."

  "Wait, why is the meat useless? Wouldn't it be valuable?"

  The instructor gave him a look. "It's because the meat is full of unhealthy compounds. It can cause addiction kinda like a drug. Highly dangerous."

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  "Oh... got it."

  "Anyway," the instructor continued, "the fangs are good for dagger-type weapons. The poison's valuable for assassination."

  "What about the legs, sir?"

  "I was getting to that." He smirked. "The legs can be used to enhance existing weapons or forge new ones spears, staves, quarterstaffs, even swords."

  "And the web?"

  "It's used to make sticky traps."

  "Is that all it's good for?"

  "For now, yeah. Just sticky traps."

  "Is there any other information I should know, instructor?"

  "Nope. That's it. Anything else, brat?"

  "No, that's all I needed. Thank you, instructor. This helps a lot."

  Bennett headed back to his room, checking each of his quarterstaffs to make sure they were fully charged. After confirming everything was in order, he packed the necessary supplies into his bag, slung it over his shoulder, and set out.

  He made his way to his instructor’s office to inform her of the mission.

  “Instructor, I’m here to let you know I’ll be heading outside the wall for a quest.”

  She looked up, raising an eyebrow.

  “Oh? You think you're ready for that?”

  “I don’t know if I’m ready,” Bennett replied honestly. “But I know I’ll have to go out there eventually. I figured I’d take this one it’s a Rank 1 Apprentice quest to hunt a Weaver.”

  “A Weaver, huh…” She crossed her arms, thoughtful. “I’d recommend waiting until you’re Rank 2 before going after one of those, but I won’t stop you. Just make sure you come back alive, alright?”

  “Of course, Instructor. I’ll be careful.”

  “Good. And remember, if there’s another soul within 500 meters of you, your life pulses will resonate. That’ll attract more beasts. Keep your distance from others out there.”

  “Understood. Thank you for the warning I’ll keep it in mind.”

  Bennett gave a salute, then made his way to the gate. He presented his student ID and the quest documentation to the guard on duty.

  The guard glanced at it, then looked up with a smirk.

  “Ah, you must be that famous cripple who managed to join the elites.”

  “Y-Yeah… I guess that’s me. I doubt anyone else has my condition.”

  The guard chuckled.

  “Relax, kid I’m just messing with you. I don’t care what illness you’ve got. If you can handle the job, that’s all that matters to me.”

  “Thanks… I thought you were going to judge me.”

  “If I did, I’d be a failure at my job. Like I said if you can fight, you’ve got my respect. Especially here at the city’s edge we’re the first line of defense if a beast horde shows up.”

  “Fair enough. Thanks for being fair about it.”

  “No worries, kid. Everyone who chooses to study or work here earns my respect. Unlike certain other schools…”

  He spat on the ground in disgust at the thought.

  “Alright, I’d better get going. The quest has a one-week time limit I can’t afford to waste time.”

  “Good instincts. Here you go and keep your guard up out there.”

  “Will do, sir. Thank you.”

  With that, Bennett passed through the gates.

  The first thing he noticed was how overgrown everything was. Vines and brush covered the landscape, and scattered ruins poked through the greenery some towering above the trees, others almost completely hidden. If it weren’t for his keen observation, he might have missed them entirely.

  Without a set direction, he picked a random path forward.

  What he did know was that the beast had been spotted near the wall, so his best bet was to sweep the area along the outer perimeter and follow the wall’s edge.

  As Bennett traveled along the outer perimeter, he kept his staff in hand, tense, as the silence around him felt unnervingly unsettling.

  He couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching him, constantly lurking, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. It was uncomfortable, eerie.

  Eventually, he reached an area filled with ruins and began to search. As he moved through the rubble, he noticed a strange plant its bright color the only sign of life in an otherwise barren, desolate area. There was no other vegetation around it; everything else was dead.

  He picked up a piece of rock and tossed it next to the plant. Suddenly, a large mouth appeared on the ground, chomping down before lowering itself back beneath the surface, camouflaging once again.

  Oh, god, it’s a good thing I tested it. If I’d gone near it... I’d be the one getting digested. He shuddered, staring at the spot where it had just been.

  Bennett could feel the plant radiating a significant amount of mana. He needed it now. He had no way of tracking the Weaver, and since it was still his first day out here, he might as well secure this herb while he had the chance.

  If I remember right, herbs are sometimes used to trap or kill us... Bennett thought, eyeing the plant warily. But how can I claim it safely?

  His gaze shifted around, then a thought struck him. He turned toward a nearby ruin, noticing cracks along the side. Taking a chance, he swung his staff and used Cinderfall.

  The shockwave caused the wall to shatter, collapsing toward the herb. The plant’s defense mechanism was triggered immediately it tried to chomp down on the falling concrete, but instead, the concrete got stuck in its mouth, leaving it open.

  The herb was now ripe for the taking.

  Bennett didn’t hesitate. He poured as much mana as he could into his legs and dashed forward, snatching the herb just as the plant’s mouth clamped shut, narrowly missing his legs.

  Breathing heavily, he quickly took out a container and placed the herb inside, activating its sealing mechanism to preserve its purity and mana.

  Satisfied with his success, Bennett left the ruined area and continued his exploration. Eventually, he found a particularly tall building and set up camp there. He gathered some vines and tested their sturdiness, then fashioned a zip line as a potential escape route in case he was attacked by beasts.

  With his camp set up, Bennett left again, carefully scanning his surroundings as he searched.

  After an entire day of searching, he found nothing. He returned to his camp and began drawing a map in his notebook, marking the areas he’d explored each one labeled "empty."

  He made sure to include his route from the city’s exit all the way to his current location, noting where he found the herb and marking it with a “Pinwheel-type herb, usage unknown.”

  Ugh, I really should look up herbs when I get back from this mission, he thought. At least then I’ll know what’s useful and what’s just a trap.

  The next day came with the rise of the sun. Bennett groaned as he awoke he hadn’t slept much, the silence of the surroundings and the feeling of being watched had kept him awake all night.

  After a brief moment of lying still, he took a nutrient pill and a satiety pill, then began breaking down his temporary camp. He packed up quickly, heading off in search of a new location.

  During his search, he came across a large, ruined building. Curiosity overtook him, and he cautiously approached it.

  The ruin appeared to be a stadium, at least 200 meters long. From where he stood, it seemed to be almost 200 meters wide, though slightly shorter in width than length.

  He entered slowly, his eyes scanning the area. The sheer number of seats inside overwhelmed him, especially since the stadium at his school and the tournament arena were only around 100 meters long and 80 meters wide.

  This place reeks of history, he thought, though a sense of unease continued to grow within him. But why do I feel so unsettled? It’s gotten worse.

  As he explored the stadium, he noticed traces of webs scattered across the ruins, making him even more cautious. He avoided the webs as best as he could, keeping his staff tightly gripped in his hands.

  But despite all his vigilance, there were no signs of any beasts just eerie silence. The place felt empty, almost too quiet. Bennett couldn’t help but shudder as he gazed at the overgrown field.

  He understood that he was on the right track. The webs were clear evidence that a beast had been here, but he wasn’t experienced enough to determine how old they were.

  Soon, he made his way to the VIP box and set up his camp there. He carefully broke the glass and tied some vines left over from his previous camp to it, ensuring he had an emergency escape route. While he had two ways to enter and exit the stadium, he figured it was better to be safe than sorry.

  After patrolling the area once more, Bennett pulled out his notebook and resumed sketching the map. He marked the spots he’d searched, noting the webs as potential clues that could lead him closer to the Weaver.

  He tried to sleep, though the unsettling atmosphere kept him on edge. His guard remained up, his senses alert to any sound or movement in the silence of the ruins.

  Chapter 9 End