“When Hunger Become A Power”

Months passed, and the Dilhaze party's strength grew with every quest. Shekiah, who once struggled to fit in, now fought alongside them like a sister. She had grown comfortable—almost too comfortable—as her feelings for Raizo deepened, especially after the day he saved her from a deadly ambush during a high-ranking mission.

Their ranks had risen quickly, and now they stood on the brink of B-rank—one more successful quest and they'd officially reach it.

---

Current Stats:

Raizo:

Atk: 670

Def: 630

Sta: 600

Mana: 720

Fenra:

Atk: 550

Def: 520

Sta: 517

Mana: 660

Silvia:

Atk: 530

Def: 500

Sta: 580

Mana: 590

Shekiah:

Atk: 540

Def: 590

Sta: 500

Mana: 560

---

The Adventurer's Guild in Asteria was bustling that morning. Adventurers shouted over tankards of ale, merchants haggled at nearby stalls, and the scent of fresh bread wafted in from the bakery next door.

Dilhaze stood before the quest board, scanning the sheets of parchment for something worthy.

"One more," Raizo muttered, crimson eyes narrowing as he read each request. "Just one more quest, and we'll hit B-rank."

Fenra grinned, her tail swishing behind her. "Yeah! We're closer than ever."

Silvia tilted her head. "So, what kind of quest are we picking this time? Something tough?"

"Hopefully not too tough," Shekiah added with a small smile, her hands resting on the hilt of her massive sword.

Raizo's gaze stopped on one paper. His hand reached for it, and he slowly peeled it from the board. "This one. Giant Python."

The three girls froze.

Their smiles vanished, replaced by pale, wide-eyed stares.

"Raizo… you're kidding, right?" Fenra asked, her ears flattening.

"Why?" Raizo tilted his head.

"Uh, because—" Silvia swallowed. "Snakes. We're… kind of terrified of them. Especially the giant ones."

Shekiah, usually unshaken, nodded. "Even me. Those things can swallow a demi-human whole. One bite, and you're gone."

Raizo sighed, his expression calm. "You three can take down monsters ten times your size, but you're scared of a snake?"

"It's different!" Fenra's fur bristled. "Snakes are slimy… and slithery… and—"

Raizo chuckled. "Fenra, your claws are are made of one of them ."

Fenra flinched but held her ground. "It's still different! At least my claws don't move like that."

Raizo stared at them for a moment, then smirked. "Fine. Let's settle this another way."

The girls tilted their heads, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Do you know the game rock, paper, scissors?"

"Rock what?" Silvia frowned.

Raizo sighed. "It's simple. Rock beats scissors. Scissors beat paper. Paper beats rock. We all throw one shape at the same time. If I win, we take this quest. If one of you wins, we'll pick something else."

The three girls glanced at each other, murmuring.

"Seems fair," Shekiah said.

"Alright, but don't cry when you lose," Fenra added, crossing her arms.

"Like you're going to win," Silvia shot back.

Raizo smirked and held out his hand. "Let's go."

---

The four of them stood in the middle of the Guild, hands ready. Other adventurers turned to watch, sensing the tension.

"Rock… paper… scissors—shoot!"

Hands flew out.

Raizo: Scissors.

Fenra: Paper.

Silvia: Paper.

Shekiah: Paper.

Raizo grinned. "Scissors beat paper. I win."

The three girls froze, staring at their hands like they'd been betrayed by fate itself.

Fenra's tail drooped. "Oh no…"

"You can say that again," Silvia muttered.

Shekiah sighed, placing a hand over her face. "I'm not excited about this quest."

"Too bad," Raizo said with a grin. He walked to the counter and placed the quest paper in front of the receptionist.

The receptionist, a young woman with curly brown hair, frowned as she read the request. "Uh… Raizo, are you sure about this? A giant python isn't exactly a casual B-rank quest. Most parties avoid these."

"I'm sure," Raizo replied calmly.

The receptionist glanced at the three girls. "And what about them?"

Fenra sighed dramatically. "We lost, so we're stuck with this quest…"

The receptionist blinked, clearly confused. "You lost?"

"Rock, paper, scissors," Silvia muttered.

The woman chuckled nervously. "Well… alright. Your paperwork's signed. Just… be careful, okay?"

She handed Raizo the stamped quest sheet.

"Thanks," Raizo said, pocketing it. He turned to his party, smiling. "Let's get ready."

The three girls groaned in unison but followed him toward the exit.

The Dilhaze party left Asteria with determination etched into their faces. The quest they accepted was not just any ordinary hunt—it was for a Giant Python lurking in the Forest of Alscort, a region infamous for its C-rank and above monsters. The details of the mission were clear:

> "Defeat the Giant Python, a venomous predator of Alscort, and retrieve the crimson gem embedded in its forehead to complete the quest."

Raizo, they walk with the reins in his hands, read the quest notice again and tucked it safely into his coat.

Behind him, Fenra let out an exaggerated groan.

"Ugh… this is the worst quest ever. I hate snakes!" Her tail puffed up just thinking about it.

Raizo glanced back with a grin. "Come on, Fenra. Don't be like that. We'll be fine."

"'Fine,' he says…" Fenra crossed her arms. "You do remember this is a C-rank quest, right? Where stronger monsters live? This thing isn't going to just curl up and die because you tell it to."

Silvia, polishing her bowstring, smirked. "For once, I agree with the mutt."

"Stop calling me that, pointy ears!" Fenra's fur bristled.

"I don't want to," Silvia replied with a smug tilt of her head.

Shekiah, sitting between them, chuckled softly.

Fenra snapped her attention to her. "And what are you laughing at, horn girl?"

"I—" Shekiah began, but Raizo interrupted before another argument could start.

"Okay, enough. You three, calm down. We've been through worse. Trust me, this will be fine." The three women sighed in unison, though they didn't argue further.

It took them three long days of walking to finally reach the edge of the Forest of Alscort. The closer they got, the more tense the air became. The trees were massive, towering like ancient sentinels, and the sound of unseen creatures echoed through the misty woods.

Fenra's ears flattened as they stepped beneath the forest canopy. "Ugh… I hate this place. It feels like something's watching us."

"You're just nervous," Silvia said, though even her voice carried a hint of unease.

"Stay sharp," Raizo said, his crimson eyes scanning the area.

Suddenly, a wild boar, its tusks sharp and coated with mud, charged out from the underbrush.

"Raizo," Shekiah said calmly, "i take this one."Raizo nod

With a powerful swing of her massive sword, she met the boar's charge head-on. The clash of horn against steel sent leaves spiraling into the air. Shekiah dug her heels into the ground, sparks flying as she locked weapons with the beast.

"Wow," Fenra muttered, watching the fight. "That's the power of our tank, huh?"

Silvia nodded. "Terrifying… but impressive."

Shekiah roared and smashed her sword into the ground, sending chunks of debris flying. With a sweeping motion, she hurled the debris toward the boar like a storm of jagged stones. The boar staggered, stunned, and Shekiah finished it with a crushing downward strike.

Raizo stepped forward, patting her shoulder. "You've gotten stronger. Remember when you first fought a boar? You barely managed to win."

Shekiah chuckled, wiping sweat from her brow. "Yeah… I've come a long way."

They continued deeper into the forest. Suddenly, Silvia spotted a clearing. She pushed aside tall grass, her eyes widening at the breathtaking view of the forest stretching endlessly beneath the golden sun.

"Whoa… it's beautiful," Silvia whispered.

Raizo, Fenra, and Shekiah joined her, mesmerized by the sight. But then, Raizo's instincts screamed. He and Fenra felt a dark presence behind them.

"Jump!" Raizo shouted.

They leapt aside as a massive tail slammed into the ground, shaking the earth.

Out from the dense foliage slithered the Giant Python—its scales black and emerald, its golden eyes burning with malice.

"Shhhhhh…" it hissed, its body coiling like a deadly spring.

Fenra, Shekiah, and Silvia froze, fear creeping into their veins.

Raizo's voice cut through the tension. "Stay calm. Be careful, you three."

They nodded, snapping out of their fear.

The python struck with its tail again. The four split, dodging in different directions.

"Silvia," Raizo commanded, "get to higher ground! Use your arrows to distract it!"

"Got it!" Silvia cloaked herself with Camouflage, vanishing into the foliage. But the python sensed her movement, its head turning sharply toward her.

"Attack!" Fenra roared, casting:

"Inner forge, burn bright and bold, fortify soul, unyielding gold! Fighting Magic: Strengthening!"

She lunged, her claws gleaming like steel, but her strikes barely scratched the snake's thick scales.

Raizo's sword crackled with lightning.

"Electric edge, cut through the air, thunder's slice, swift despair! Lightning Magic: Lightning Blade!"

He slashed, sending sparks flying as his blade bit into the python's side. The beast hissed in anger, its massive body coiling defensively.

Shekiah charged with a roar, swinging her sword at the serpent's head—but the python whipped its body, deflecting her strike and knocking her back.

From a tree branch, Silvia aimed, her eyes glowing with Eagle Eye.

"Take this…" she whispered, chanting:

"Double barrel, twin rise, mirrored blast, dual surprise! Wind Magic: Twin Shot!"

Two enchanted arrows flew, cutting through the air with deadly precision. They struck the python's soft underbelly, making it roar in pain.

But the enraged creature lashed its tail, smashing trees and sending debris flying.

A toxic mist gathered in its throat, and it spat a poison blast directly at Silvia.

"Shekiah!" Raizo shouted.

"I'm on it!" Shekiah blocked with her sword, repelling the poison, which hissed and melted a nearby tree.

Fenra seized the opening, darting behind the python.

"Durus forma, fortis shell, harden and shield, strength to compel! Fighting Magic: Hardening!"

Her claws glowed, and this time they pierced the beast's hide. "How do you like that?!"

Shekiah followed, slashing its belly, while Raizo's Voidbringer shifted shape, becoming heavier as he struck.

The python let out a deafening roar and collapsed, but Raizo didn't lower his guard.

"Don't relax yet," he warned.