*Swish*The arrow shot through the air at high speed and embedded itself in the eye of a small fox, killing it on the spot.

  *Fire fox hunted. Points obtained: 1*

  Luke lowered the bow and observed his progress on the hunting mission: 37/100,000

  He sighed“It’s going to be difficult to plete this mission if I ti this rate.”

  A full day had already passed since he had ehe forest, but the number of prey that gave him points when hunting them were very few. He was still in a low-level area, although Lunari trol did end this far, there were not many high-level beasts. He would have to go deeper into the forest, but the danger would increase expoially if he advao the area where the cultivatios were.Ahing that worried him was mission 03, which required him to save a young Lunari. The problem was that he had no information on what Lunari it was, and he obviously wouldn't find it deep in the forest. There were only two days left until the mission time limit. Now he was torweewo options avaible, abandon mission 03 and tinue deeper into the forest, or return to Lunaria with his current loot and try to find clues before the time limit.

  “If I want to get a good mount, I have to go deep into the forest anyway. I 't buy a on horse since if I did, the rewards for pleting that mission would be horrible. Besides, a mount is a lifelong panion, you have to be judicious when choosing.”

  Luke skillfully skihe fox, thehe red pelt in his backpack with the rest of his loot. He took his dagger and cut the animal's head, exposing a tione. He removed the stone, quickly ed it, and put it in a separate bag, where he had a dozen simir stones.

  He looked up at the sky. It was cloudy again, and it looked like it was going to rain at any moment. He remained silent, thinking.

  After a few moments he closed his eyes and rexed his body. He had made a decision.He packed his luggage and began to move at high speed towards the depths of the forest. A young Lunari would die.

  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................................

  Lanti woke up before the sun rose. Her biological clock rogrammed in such a way that she would woke up in time, no matter how tired she was.She washed and put on her work uniform. She had been promoted to captain of group 15 a little over a month ago, and she took her job very seriously, most people admired her responsibility, but there were also others who disdained her for it. As usual, where there are people there are always rivers and kes.She had a light breakfast in the pany of her family. Even though the gover had given her a personal room in the military quarter, she preferred to tinue living with her parents and younger sister. The feeling of warmth she found in her home helped her clear her mind, there she could put aside the stoic personality she carried on a daily basis, and tinue simply being Lanti, the daughter of some farmers, and the sister of a teenager who acted flirtatious every time she saw her and asked her for money.

  “Old Letto, from the store, told me that tely there has been an increase in the number of human meraries lurking in the forest”Lanti's father said, with a worried tone. His daughter did not usually tell them anything about her work, she tried not to worry them, but they worried even more.

  “As usual, there is always some other human looking for death”Lanti tried not to give importao the matter. That way her parents would not worry about the rumors that had been cirg ireets for some time now.

  Her father saw that she did not want to talk about the subject, hesitated for a moment, but finally decided not to tinue asking.

  “The Frond's son asked about you, he is a very handsome boy and works in the mine…”

  Lanti interrupted her mother before she could plete her usual sentence.

  “I am not ied mom. I have already told you that I do not like him, to begin with he is more than ten years older than me, he is not handsome and he is not in shape”

  “But daughter, you are already 19 years old, now that you have got a good job it is time to start a family, he has a great influen the mine and if you get married he surely help you in your career, besides we know his family and we know that they are det people”

  Lanti's parents were farmers without much education, their only wish was that their daughters could live a full life without difficulties. Although some of their precepts did not cide with the ideas that both daughters had regarding how they wao live their lives and develop iure.

  “I'm not ied anyway! If he keeps insisting, tell him to e face to face with me in a duel, if he beat me then I'll accept!”

  Her mhed and did not press the issue any further. How could a man who had not even cultivated spiritual energy defeat her daughter, who was sidered one of the greatest prodigies i years? It artly because of this bel that her parents were worried about Lanti. After all, a beautiful young prodigy was irresistible to some young nobles who sought to make their family roots even strohe problem was that nobles did not have a good reputation. Among all the nobles of Lunaria, there were only a few who could be sidered det by the on people. Although they never dared to say anything about it.

  Lanti finished her breakfast ahe house after warmly greeting her parents. Despite her rebelliousness, at home she was still her parents' little girl.

  As she left her house she looked at the sun shining brightly in the summer sky, ahat this would be a good day.Suddenly someone ed a hug around her neck. Her first rea was to attack, but not feeling any malice, she rexed her posture a herself be hugged.

  “Always so alert Lanti, for a moment I thought you were going to throw me over your shoulder” said the young girl who was hanging on Lanti's neck due to the height difference, smiling.

  “Well you were lucky Sonya, if I wasn't in a good mood today, you would already be with your ba the ground looking at the sky!” Lanti joked with her friend.

  Sonya Bir was a year older than her and they had been friends since childhood. They had ehe military academy together. And now they tio work together since Sonya was in the group captained by Lanti. It could be said without a doubt that they were best friends, almost sisters.

  “Oh, how scary~. That's why you 't get a boyfriend!” Sonya said and ughed.

  “Hmpf, a man worthy of my love hasn't appeared yet!” Lanti tio joke as they walked towards the barracks.

  “How about that human tured the other day? He was quite handsome, he sure falls into your category, pretty face loving dy.”

  “Don't talk nonsense! If I brought a young hybrid home my parents would faint from anger, you know how they are.”

  “Aha! You didn't deny that he's your type! ime I see him I'm going to tell him that you pn to decre your love for him! Ouch!”

  Lanti gently hit her on the head with the edge of his hand, which caused an exaggerated rea from Sonya.

  “Don't keep talking nonsense because I'm going to get angry. What if someone hears you talking nonsense and then rumors start to spread?”

  Sonya stuck out her tongue and didn't tinue pying with her friend.

  The figure of the young man they had found in the forest appeared in Lanti's mind again, and she couldn't deny that he really fell into the category she liked. "What will his fighting power be like?" She thought. And immediately shook her head to get rid of those superfluous thoughts. Now the most important thing was to trate on work!

  "Today we have to patrol the area west of the river, I've heard that there have been disappearances of hunters in that area. We must be alert for the slightest sign of trouble," Lanti said, returning to her usual serious manner, which she used whenever she was w.

  Sonya gave an affirmative answer. But Lanti couldn't see that in the gaze that was now fixed on the ground, her childhood friend had an expression of indecision and .

  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

  In an orphanage in the slums of Lunaria, which is uhe prote of the church of the moon goddess, a group ed children were eating some bread crumbs, after softening them a little by soaking them in water.Their ages ranged from 3 to 12 years old, childrehat age would be sent somewhere else, the optioo go to the military academy to undergo training, or to the house of some o enter servitude, or if they were lucky they could bee an appreo some craftsman.Flynn was one of the oldest children in the orphanage, being eleven years old. In just a few days he would turn twelve and would have to leave. He still did not know where he would go a a mixture of worry and hope for his future.Flynn timistic boy, he was orphaned when his parents who were warriors died in an altercation with the Sinoloa tribe when he was just three years old. Sihen he had lived his life in the orphanage. As one of the oldest in the group he always tried to help his younger siblings, he was much loved and admired by all the children in the orphanage.

  For this very reason his stomach was growling so much right now. For some time now the financial aid they received from the churd the gover had begun to decrease, at first it was only a little, but over the years it had been progressively reduced to the point where the money was not enough to cover food for all the children.Flynn was used to going hungry, as long as his little brothers could eat a little more. Still, all the children were hungry in the orphanage.

  Flynn finished eating with his brothers and hurried out to the street. He had a hard day of work ahead of him. The only way for the children in the orphao survive was for him and other children who were among the older ones io go out and do all kinds of work. The adults did not seem to care about their well-being, the priests in charge of the orphanage did not even listen to them if they decided to pin, and the only time they had asked the authorities for help, it ended in tragedy.Flynn still remembered the smile of his older brother Luca wheold him that he would go ask the gover for help and that iure they could eat without worries. That time was the st time he saw him. Acc to what the priests informed them some time ter, his body had been found in the forest, devoured by wild beasts.Every time he thought about that, Fly a tickle in his nose. But he never allowed himself to show vulnerability, because he was a man! And the pilr of his younger brothers!Flynn turned a er running at high speed and collided head on with someone alking oher side. He fell to the ground sitting down and his butt scraped against the ground.

  Oher side, Sonya, who reparing to insult whoever was running without paying attention, saw that it was a child and immediately her expression softened. She helped him to his feet and said, “Be more careful ime, if you had collided with a noble you would be in trouble.”

  Flynn nodded nervously and apologized to the young girl who was dressed in the royal guard uniform.Sonya waved her hand indig that it was no problem and tinued walking. In the distance she saw her friend Lanti, standing in the middle of the street looking at the sky thoughtfully. She stopped dead for a moment and a desote expression appeared on her face. Theook a breath, returned her dition to normal and crept up to Lanti.

  Flynn watched as the young guard he had just collided with hung on the neck of another royal guard who had a uniform indig her higher rank. There was a certain longing in his eyes. If he could ehe royal guard and rise through the ranks like that beautiful woman, he could certainly help improve the lives of his brothers in the orphanage. He stood there for only a moment, and then immediately ran off towards the tral square. He had to get there before the trading posts opened, he would work as a peddler for one of the merts in the square and earn some s, but he had to get there early because the job offer was much lower than the demand.

  Finally, he mao secure a position as a peddler at a food stand.Armed with a basket full of delicacies, he began to walk through the streets looking for ers.

  Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded behind him.

  “Excuse me, little one, do you know where I could buy a map of the forest?”

  Flynn turned around, and opened his eyes in surprise. “A human?” He thought.

  “There is an adventurer supply store two blocks away,” the young Lunari indicated, not fetting his courtesy, despite his surprise. It was rare to see a human in Lunaria, very rare. Perhaps it was a hybrid, he thought.

  “Thank you very much, boy. Would you spare me two of those stuffed buns you’re selling?”

  Flynn immediately went into sales mode, and skillfully handed him two stuffed buns ed in some leaves. He took the money and reparing to give him the ge when the human said.“The ge is the fee for the information you gave me. See you ter, boy.”And without waiting for an answer, he disappeared without a trace.

  Flynn opened his eyes wide. “It wouldn’t be a ghost, would it? But ghosts do.” He had a little internal dialogue that didn’t st too long. Because ghost or not, a sale was a sale, and he had to keep selling. If he sold the whole basket, he would have enough moo buy dinner.

  Flynn tinued walking around the city. When he was about to reach the slums, he stopped. It was dangerous to go in there with a basket full of food. He khat better than anyone since he had lived there all his life. He was about to turn around and walk back to the tral square. But at that moment, a voice called out to him from a nearby alley.

  it was a familiar voice. A voice he thought he had fotteurned around and saw a familiar, yet somewhat different face.

  “Luca?” he said uainly.

  “Hey! Flynn, how have you been? I see you still remember me,” said the young man who was covered in a bck robe and hooded.If it had been under any other circumstances, Flynn would have run towards the tral square without hesitation, but the familiar face he had seen so many times in his dreams kept him from leaving, anch him to the ground.

  “Luca… You were alive? But-”

  “Hey hey, don’t say such scary things, you’ll attract bad luck!” Luca said smiling before Flynn could finish speaking.

  “Let me guess, they told you he was dead, but you never saw the body, right?”

  Flynn’s mind was w at high speed, trying to make sense of the situation.

  “Don’t worry, look at the worried face you have. To tell the truth, I wao e see you many times, but they just wouldn’t let me. Before you ask, let me tell you. That time I went to ask the gover for help and I almost died. It seems that the orphanage is in the middle of a power struggle between nobles. I don’t have all the details, but that time I almost died at the hands of a noble. Luckily, I was saved by my current master.”

  “Master?” Flynn excimed in surprise.

  “Well, the master found out that I have talent in a certain type of magic, so he recruited me. I’m now serving a noble. I just came back from a mission and heard about the situation at the orphanage, so I came to see you i. I’m here to help.”

  Listening to the words he had hoped someone would tell him tless times and seeing his brother’s familiar face, Fly his guard down imperceptibly.Luca, from the dark alley, smiled, showing his white teeth. The wheels of fate were turning.

  Meanwhile, at the same time, a young man was leaving the city towards the forest, behind him two groups with pletely opposite goals followed him silently.