Kayn was pleasantly surprised as he got closer to the wolf. His system sent him a message with something quite interesting.
[You have a new mission to choose from]
He checked it right away, and the mission that popped up was pretty straightforward: hunt a blue-furred wolf.
It was exactly what he was already trying to do, which meant the mission came at the perfect time. At that moment, Kayn was certain that his system was well aware of the things he did, and that it created missions based on his actions and current situation.
Anyway, the reward for this mission was 10 Cryptos. That was a decent amount considering he only had to kill one wolf.
"Magical creatures must really be worth more," he thought.
That gave him even more motivation to complete the hunt. He became much more focused now that he had a mission tied to it.
Things had changed. Before, he was just trying to prove to Rahka that he had the skills needed to hunt that wolf, and even if he failed, it wouldn't be a big deal.
But now there were 10 Crypto coins on the line, and that meant a lot to him. Kayn started circling around as quietly as he could. His steps made almost no noise!
Rahka noticed that too, but didn't say a word.
Kayn could feel the effects of the meditation he had done the night before. His steps were lighter, and even his breathing made less noise than usual!
These were key traits for any assassin. But would it be enough to get behind that wolf? The only way to find out was to try.
He took a long path around so he wouldn't get too close from the front, and once he was positioned behind the wolf, he started closing the distance.
The closer he got, the more anxious he became. Anyone would feel fear trying to sneak up on a creature like that.
If he was already in the First Core, Kayn would feel much more at ease in case the sneak failed and he had to fight. But he wasn't.
"I need to make this work," he thought. "I have no idea if the mission will count if Rahka helps me kill this wolf..."
His system was made specifically for him. Kayn was almost certain that if he got external help, the mission wouldn't be completed — and he really needed those coins.
His heart started racing as he got closer to the wolf. Each step made him more tense, and sweat began forming on his forehead.
He could hear the sound of his own heartbeat. Despite all of that, his breathing remained controlled, and his steps were silent. The wolf was still looking the other way, even after Kayn got much closer.
That was a good sign. He was confident the creature hadn't noticed his presence.
Eventually, after a few minutes that felt more like an eternity, Kayn got close enough to attack with the bow Rahka had given him.
He didn't feel confident using his daggers just yet. That would mean getting even closer, and that wasn't ideal right now.
"I need to land this shot..."
Kayn was tense. It was his first time using a bow like that — primitive and simple — and also his first time hunting something with a bow!
He had hunted before, but with a firearm, which made things way easier. And he'd only hunted regular creatures — not a magical blue-furred wolf, fierce and wild. This was new to him.
But even with all those insecurities, Kayn tried to push everything aside and focus on the mission in front of him.
He moved slightly to the side to position himself diagonally to the wolf. The reason was simple: he wanted a good angle to shoot at the creature's neck.
A shot to the neck would be enough to kill the wolf — at least that's what Rahka had told him.
While Kayn was preparing, Rahka and his son Len were standing nearby, watching.
"Do you think he's gonna pull it off?" Len asked.
The boy had grown close to Kayn in this short time, probably because they were around the same age. He was worried something might happen to him.
Rahka, on the other hand, looked relaxed. "I'm not sure, since he's not used to a bow, but if he pulls it off, that'll be a nice surprise. And don't worry, if anything goes wrong, I'll get him out of there in no time."
Hearing that from his own father made Len feel a bit calmer.
Kayn had the bow in hand. He reached for the quiver, grabbed an arrow, and got ready to shoot. His movements were slow but precise. He nocked the arrow, pulled back, and held his aim.
The first thing he did was take a deep breath and try to relax his body. That was really important to make sure the shot landed properly.
He was about to shoot when he heard something. A voice inside his head.
"Hey kid, want some help with that shot? I can tell you're about to mess it up big time."
Kayn eased off the draw. He was really confused by that voice. Who was talking?
He tried to answer mentally, but it didn't work. The voice came again.
"You probably just tried to reply with your mind... dumbass. Only I can talk to you telepathically. You gotta answer out loud."
That's when he realized the one talking was his summon — the Void Slime!
He whispered, trying not to alert the wolf, "How can you help me? And since when do you talk?"
"I can help you land that arrow with a 99.9% success rate. I just won't say 100% because, well, we're using your hands, and you're kind of limited, y'know? And I could always talk, I just didn't feel like it."
"…"
Kayn had already figured out his Void Slime was the playful and rude type, but he didn't say anything. He accepted the slime's help.
The slime, which had taken the form of a necklace, slid down and moved to Kayn's hands. It started controlling them!
It was a weird feeling not being in control, but he went with it and let the slime do its thing. The slime made him aim at the exact right angle for the arrow to hit the wolf's neck!
Not only that, but it also pulled the arrow with just the right amount of force. All of this happened in an instant, and Kayn fired the bow with perfect form.
Rahka stood up when he saw the shot. He couldn't believe it.
"He made that shot… with no experience?"
He was stunned.
And Kayn? He was happy. He had just earned 10 Crypto coins — and found out that his summon could talk.