Arden didn't stay long though. Once his bowl was empty, he rose and slipped away from the laughter. His steps carried him to where Boro sat a little apart, cup in hand and eyes sharp even behind the easy smile. The merchant chuckled before Arden even spoke.

"I was wondering when you'd come. Sit."

He gestured, and one of the labourers quickly poured another cup, placing it beside Arden.

Arden took it but didn't drink. His gaze stayed steady on Boro. "The herb. What exactly was it?"

Boro swirled the liquid in his own cup before answering. "Viridian Ember Herb. Rare, dangerous to touch if unprepared, which is why I needed men like you. Its essence glows faintly like a flame at night."

"And its use?"

"That depends on who you sell to. Specialized artificers prize it, but it's the healers of the Luminaria Order who pay the highest. They refine it into something called the Vital Ember Elixir. Restores stamina, speeds healing, even enhances fire affinities if you've got them. In the right circles, it's worth a small fortune."

Arden leaned back, lips curving faintly. "So that's why you looked so happy when the wagons were full."

Boro chuckled again, not denying it. "A merchant's joy is measured in profit. But I won't pretend this path is without risk. Information like this doesn't fall into my lap without cost."

Arden tilted his head. "Where did you get it?"

"Contacts," Boro replied smoothly, though his eyes sharpened. "A map traded by a rogue who once wandered these parts. He didn't live long enough to use it, and I made sure it reached my hands. I expected danger, but…" He studied Arden carefully. "Not waves like the ones you cut through. That noise will travel. If you think beasts are the only ones who'll notice, you're mistaken."

Arden's gaze cooled, but his tone remained steady. "You think someone else is coming?"

"I'd bet on it," Boro admitted, lowering his voice. "And the next herb we're after is even rarer. Others will be hunting it too."

There was a pause. The fire behind them crackled, and voices rose in laughter from the circle, but here the night felt heavier.

Arden sipped the drink finally, letting the burn settle before answering. "Then we move faster. We agreed already, you provide the leads, we clear the way. Same deal holds."

Boro's eyes narrowed slightly, then he laughed low. "Confident as ever. Very well. Tomorrow we head deeper, to the second zone. Another herb grows there, but if my fears are right, we won't be alone in seeking it."

Arden set the cup down, his smile thin but certain. "Good. Then it'll be interesting."

From the shadows nearby, Zephyra lifted her head, golden eyes glinting in the firelight. She rumbled a low note in his mind, her words clipped and beastlike. Hunt. More prey. You enjoy this too much.

Arden smirked faintly. "Maybe. Or maybe I just like the challenge."

Boro caught the exchange, though he didn't fully understand it. He only shook his head, muttering, "Boy, you're either my fortune or my ruin."

Arden rose, stretching lazily. "Depends on how well you keep feeding me leads."

He left Boro staring into his cup, half amused, half uneasy, as the night deepened around their camp

The next morning, the wagons rolled out again, wheels crunching over rougher ground as the forest thickened.

The deeper they went, the heavier the air felt, and beasts came at them more often. Some lunged from undergrowth, others swooped from branches, but nothing lasted long under the combined force of guards and Arden's party. The group's confidence grew with every clash, and the reason was simple, Arden had made it clear yesterday that strength was something they could lean on.

By midday, the map in Boro's hands told them they were drawing closer. The merchant's face stayed calm, but Arden noticed his fingers tapping the parchment more than usual.

Soon, the signs appeared, cut-down shrubs, discarded weapon hafts, even bloodstains not yet dried.

"Others have passed through here," Arden muttered, crouching by a cracked spearhead.

Boro gave a single nod. "Then the lotus pond is close. Tomorrow, we'll reach it. But others might have reached it first."

That night, the group prepared differently.

Guards checked their weapons twice, some sat cross-legged cultivating their aether, while Arden's party trained lightly with them.

Rael sparred until sweat drenched his shirt, Nyra drilled her spells against the guard leader, and Zephyra prowled silently at the edge of camp, eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

By morning, the tension only grew heavier. When they reached the clearing ahead, it became clear why. Several groups were already gathered near a wide pond that shimmered faintly with crimson light. Among them, Arden recognized banners and faces tied to bigger names—Ironfang Clan hunters, a pair from the Dawnspire Order, even a squad wearing the crest of Caelum House.

They weren't celebrating their fortune. They were stuck.

Arden's eyes narrowed as he took in the atmosphere. Weapons were drawn but not raised, and whispers circled like vultures. Some looked at Arden's group with thinly veiled disdain, smirks playing across their lips.

"Another band of hopeful peasants," one voice sneered from the Caelum squad. "Best turn back before you embarrass yourselves."

Another laughed. "The pond doesn't need corpses cluttering it. Let the grown hunters work."

Rael bristled instantly, but Arden's smirk was faint, almost lazy. "Relax. Our reward's sitting patiently, waiting for us to claim it."

His words earned him a few scowls and some mocking chuckles, but he didn't push further.

Instead, his group settled at the edge, watching.

Not long after, the uneasy truce between clans broke into action. A dozen hunters surged into the mist-covered pond. For a moment the water was calm, then it erupted.

The beast revealed itself.

From the fog rose coils of silver-grey scales, its form half-hidden yet immense, eyes glowing faintly through the haze. It moved like water itself, bending space with each lunge. One hunter swung too soon and his blade cut nothing but mist, only for the leviathan's tail to strike him from the side, shattering his guard. Screams followed as the fog thickened, distances warping until allies slashed at air or stumbled into each other.

"Guardian beast," Arden murmured, as the system's interface blinked before his eyes.

[Guardian Beast Detected]

[Name: Aetherveil Leviathan]

Rank: B+ (borderline boss-class for the 2nd Zone)

[Affinities: Mist / Illusion Aether / Mild Space Distortion

Secondary Affinity: Water

Traits & Abilities:

Mist Domain: Illusory fog that bends sight, sound, and life signatures. Distances warp within.

Lotus Pact: Draws power from the Crimson Aether Lotus pool, regenerates rapidly while it remains.

Spatial Coil: Can fold space briefly, letting attacks bend around defenses.

Veil Maw: Bite distorts aether, tearing at flesh and life energy.

Guardian's Instinct: Directly linked to the lotus, awakens instantly if disturbed.

Weakness / Exploit: The Lotus is the source of its strength. If the pond's aether flow is disrupted or the mist briefly cleared, regeneration slows and illusions weaken.

Arden let the information settle as cries rang across the pond. Two hunters were already dragged beneath the water, a third screamed as space warped and the leviathan's strike crushed his chest. Blood misted the air before fading into the fog.

Nyra's grip tightened on her blade. "That… thing is beyond them."

Rael cursed under his breath. "And we're supposed to fight that?"

Even Zephyra's tail flicked in agitation. Strong prey. Mist hides it. Dangerous.

Arden didn't deny it. He only let a small smile tug at his lips. "They won't take it down. Not today, not with what they've brought. That lotus won't fall to them. Which means…"

He glanced at his party, calm in the face of their unease. "When the time's right, we'll step in. It won't be easy, but it'll be ours."

The fog ahead boiled again as the leviathan roared, and another squad was swallowed by the mist.

Arden only kept watching, patient, like a predator waiting for his turn.

A/N:

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