Chương 5: The Adventurers’ Guild Bestiary

The party stamped out the campfire and packed up camp. Over the course of the commission, they'd killed a total of thirty-six wild wolves and recovered ten pristine pelts —a respectable haul. Any hides with noticeable tears or burn marks were simply discarded. Blackstone Town had no shortage of wolf pelts. Damaged ones weren't worth enough to bother carrying back. Marcus cleared his throat.

"According to the Adventurers' Association, the bounty is three silver coins per wolf." He glanced around the group before continuing.

"I killed thirteen."

"Grey, twelve."

"Vaelis, nine."

"Zelier, two."

"Any objections?" Everyone shook their heads. There was nothing to argue about. Beast-hunting commissions were almost always paid by individual kills. Only large-scale monster subjugation missions divided rewards according to overall contribution.

"On top of that, everyone receives a base participation fee of five silver coins."

"We'll settle everything at the Adventurers' Association once we turn in the commission." Grey's eyes lit up. Looks like I'll be living at the tavern again. Meanwhile, Zelier silently did the math. Two wolf bounties— Six silver. Plus the five-silver participation fee. Eleven silver coins in total. The wolf he'd finished off with Fireball had its pelt burned beyond saving, so there was nothing extra to earn from selling the hide. Eleven silver... That should keep me afloat for a while.

Candia's currency system was refreshingly simple. 1 Gold Coin = 100 Silver Coins 1 Silver Coin = 100 Copper Coins... Which also made adventuring feel a little depressing. They'd spent nearly a week risking their lives in the forest...... and none of them had even earned a single gold coin. After gathering their packs, the party began making their way toward the edge of the Ashwood Forest. Marcus took the lead. Having hunted here for nearly a year, he knew the surrounding terrain better than anyone.

As they walked, Zelier looked around. The forest truly deserved its name. Every tree bore pale gray bark resembling weathered bones. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Combined with the lingering morning mist drifting between the trunks, the entire forest felt damp, cold, and unnaturally heavy. The group traveled mostly in silence. Only the crunch of dead leaves beneath their boots broke the stillness. About an hour later... Marcus suddenly stopped.

His broad back stiffened.

"Something's wrong."

"We're lost?" Zelier blinked. To him, every direction looked exactly the same. Gray-white trees. Rolling mist. He would've believed they'd been walking in circles the whole time.

"No." Marcus looked up at the sky.

"At this hour, the sun should already be well above the horizon."

"The morning fog should've burned away by now."

"Instead..."

"It's getting thicker." The four of them stood barely a meter apart, close enough to make out one another's faces. Beyond that... Visibility dropped off sharply. The forest was disappearing into a wall of white.

"An unusually heavy fog?" Vaelis suggested. Marcus slowly shook his head.

"Doesn't fit."

"It didn't rain yesterday."

"The forest floor is dry."

"And the temperature never dropped enough overnight."

"There shouldn't be any conditions for fog this dense." As if to prove his point... The mist suddenly churned. Cold wind swept through the trees. Visibility shrank from roughly ten meters...... to barely half that. A powerful sense of unease gripped Zelier's chest. He instinctively sniffed the air. The fresh scent of leaves and damp earth had vanished. In its place... A pungent odor. Not wolves. Wolf musk was far sharper. This smell... Carried much more blood.

"Stay sharp." Vaelis's expression turned grim. He had caught the scent as well. His longbow was already in his hands. An arrow rested against the string.

"There's something moving inside the fog."

"And I don't think it's anything we'd want to meet." Grey's usual carefree smile disappeared. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword, muscles tensing beneath his forearm as his eyes scanned the mist.

"A bear?" The words had barely left his mouth— A deep, guttural roar rolled through the forest. The fog exploded into motion like boiling water. Then... A gigantic black silhouette flashed across the mist ahead. Gone in an instant. But all four of them had seen it. A chill raced through the party.

"Damn it!" Grey instinctively stepped backward.

"What the hell was that?!" Vaelis inhaled sharply. Even someone as composed as he was couldn't completely hide the tremor in his voice.

"... A Mistwraith." The Adventurers' Association Universal Bestiary Sequence 61 — Mistwraith Threat Rating: [Challenge] Appearance A Mistwraith's form is highly unstable and may resemble almost anything. Its true body is a grotesque mass of flesh and bones fused together from countless different creatures. Its defining characteristic is the flowing, liquid-like energy barrier covering its entire body. Behavior Mistwraiths are highly aggressive ambush predators.

They are most commonly found in forests, swamps, and other terrain suited for concealment. Their appearance is always accompanied by dense supernatural fog covering a wide area. This fog persists unnaturally and cannot be explained by normal weather conditions. Special Abilities Mistwraiths possess tremendous physical strength, far surpassing ordinary beasts. Even bears are no match for them. However, their true danger lies in the energy barrier surrounding their bodies.

This barrier disperses nearly all forms of purely physical kinetic force. In practical terms... Swords. Spears. Arrows. Warhammers. Almost all conventional physical attacks are incapable of damaging the creature's true body. Core Weakness The barrier reacts violently to attacks infused with Aura or mana. A full-powered strike from a Mid-Tier Warrior using Aura can shatter the barrier. Pure magical attacks remain the most effective means of destroying it. Association Advisory WARNING! WARNING!

A Mistwraith's [Challenge] rating does not stem from overwhelming destructive power. It is assigned because of its nearly insurmountable defensive capabilities. If your party lacks either: A Mid-Tier Warrior capable of wielding Aura, or A Mage capable of consistently casting offensive spells, then a Mistwraith will become your party's worst nightmare. Based on the limited number of survivor reports, the Association has confirmed the following: 1. Trust neither your eyes nor your instincts.

If the morning fog remains after sunrise... Retreat immediately along the path you entered. Report the incident to the nearest Adventurers' Association without delay. A dedicated subjugation team will be dispatched. 2. If your party lacks an Aura user or a combat-capable mage... Run. Do not attempt to fight a Mistwraith.

"... We're seriously screwed." Grey's face had turned pale.

"Mistwraith?" Zelier frowned.

"I've never heard of one."

"A true monster," Vaelis replied without taking his eyes off the surrounding fog.

"It has an energy barrier that blocks almost every form of physical attack."

"The only things capable of breaking it..."

"... are Aura and magic." According to the Adventurers' Association's assessments, the Ashwood Forest wasn't considered especially dangerous. The outer forest was home only to ordinary beasts. True monsters were normally confined to the deep interior. And until today... There had never been a single recorded sighting of a Mistwraith here.