The mission hall bustled with activity as I scanned the sprawling boards packed with missions. Li Shen and I spent the better part of an hour combing through the listings.
Most tasks were too trivial—gathering herbs, delivering messages—or too dangerous, like escorting caravans through known beast territories where even seasoned cultivators often perished.
But then, one mission caught our eyes.
Target: Ironspine Lizard
Realm: Fifth Minor Stage of Body Tempering
Reward: Fifteen Spirit Stones
Li Shen squinted at the scroll. "This beast… it's not simple, Chen Yu. It's aggressive, and its scales are hard to pierce."
I crossed my arms. "But it's within our reach. You're in the fourth minor stage. I just broke through to the fourth myself."
Li Shen hesitated, then nodded. "If we work together, we can do it."
It was decided.
We registered for the mission, and the elder at the counter handed us a crude map showing the beast's last known location in the forest several kilometers south of the sect.
As we walked out of the hall, Li Shen glanced at me. "Are you sure about this? Most people would gather a larger team for something like this."
I smiled. "Most people aren't us."
---
The next morning, we left the sect at dawn. The woods we entered were thick with the scent of pine and damp earth. Mist clung low to the ground, making the air feel heavy.
Li Shen gripped his blade tightly. "Remember, we need to target its underbelly. That's the weakest spot."
I nodded, eyes sharp. "We strike fast. If we draw this out, we lose."
Hours of careful tracking finally brought us to a clearing where the Ironspine Lizard basked, its mottled gray scales gleaming in the sunlight.
It was huge—nearly twice our size—with a ridge of jagged spikes running down its back.
The moment we stepped into the clearing, its yellow eyes snapped toward us.
It charged.
Li Shen and I split apart, surrounding it from opposite sides.
His blade clashed against its thick scales, leaving shallow marks, while I darted in from behind, driving my fist toward its underbelly.
But it wasn't easy.
The beast's tail lashed out like a whip, slamming into my ribs and sending me sprawling into the dirt. Pain flared in my side, but I forced myself back up.
Li Shen took a grazing blow to his shoulder, his arm briefly going numb.
Gritting our teeth, we pressed the assault. Again and again, weaving between snapping jaws and swinging tail, until we finally broke through its defenses.
After a decisive strike to its exposed chest, the Ironspine Lizard collapsed, blood pooling beneath its body.
Both of us fell to our knees, panting heavily, our bodies aching from bruises and shallow cuts.
But we had won.
Li Shen grinned through his exhaustion, holding his wounded shoulder. "Not bad for our first real hunt. Though, maybe we overestimated ourselves a little."
I clutched my sore ribs and gave a small laugh. "Just a little."
We carefully harvested the beast's valuable materials—its hide, claws, and core—working through the pain. With the job done, we made our slow, limping journey back to the sect to claim our reward.