Daric, newly crowned as an apex predator, stood proudly atop the mountain...and promptly slipped on a loose pebble. Arms windmilling like a deranged windmill, he stumbled back to safety, heart hammering in his chest.
"Apex predator, huh?" he muttered to himself, dusting off his pride along with the dirt.
Descending the mountain turned out to be less a majestic journey and more a chaotic tumble peppered with awkward slides, startled mountain goats, and one unfortunate encounter involving a very territorial marmot. Daric swore the little beast had glowing eyes.
Upon reaching the forest floor, Daric decided it was time to test his newfound strength. He flexed dramatically, muscles rippling under his armor. Birds scattered from nearby trees, not from admiration but sheer terror.
"Time for a real hunt," he declared, pulling out his bow with all the grandeur of a seasoned hero.
His target? A fearsome beast known only by whispers: The Great Feathered Terror.
Or, as the villagers called it, "that one really big chicken that keeps stealing crops."
Undeterred, Daric tracked the monster through muddy fields and suspiciously well-maintained chicken coops. At last, he found it: a gargantuan rooster, easily the size of a small horse, strutting proudly through a garden and pecking smugly at cabbages.
Daric drew his blade, facing his mightiest foe yet.
The rooster turned.
They locked eyes.
Somewhere, dramatic music played (probably just in Daric's head).
The rooster let out a screech so loud Daric stumbled backward. Before he could react, it charged, wings flapping like the sails of an unhinged warship.
"This is fine," Daric lied to himself as he dodged the furious ball of feathers and rage.
It became a battle of epic proportions: Daric rolling and weaving, the rooster launching dive-bombing attacks with pinpoint accuracy. At one point, Daric was convinced it had learned martial arts.
Mid-fight, a new system notification appeared:
[Emergency Quest: Defeat the Legendary Rooster. Reward: 500 Essence + Fried Chicken Recipe.]
Daric wasn't sure if he should be excited or insulted.
Summoning every ounce of courage, he waited for the rooster's next lunge and, with a well-timed sidestep, grabbed it by the legs. Man and beast tumbled in a flurry of feathers, curses, and confused clucks.
Finally pinning it down, Daric pressed the Hunter's Blade to its side, hesitating.
Could he slay such a magnificent (and slightly ridiculous) creature?
The rooster pecked him square on the forehead.
Decision made.
Moments later, Daric stood victorious, covered in feathers and mild shame, holding up his prize like a conquering hero.
System notifications flooded in:
[Legendary Rooster Defeated!]
[Essence Gained: 500.]
[New Skill Unlocked: Poultry Mastery.]
[Poultry Mastery (Passive): Gain +5% evasion against flying enemies.]
Wiping sweat and rooster fluff from his brow, Daric let out a triumphant laugh. Sure, it wasn't a dragon or ancient demon, but a win was a win.
Returning to the village, he was met with stunned silence.
"Is... is that our rooster?" one farmer asked weakly.
Daric puffed out his chest. "No need to thank me, citizen. Just doing my duty."
The farmer nodded slowly. "...We were trying to catch it alive. It was our champion racer."
Daric blinked.
"Champion...racer?"
Another villager sighed. "Yeah. Tomorrow was the big inter-village race. You just cost us the trophy."
Daric stared at the dead rooster in his arms, then back at the villagers.
"Maybe we can glue it back together?" he offered.
They were not amused.
And so, Daric, mighty apex predator and slayer of racing poultry, found himself doing hard labor to "pay off the damages"—which mostly involved shoveling what the remaining chickens left behind.
Such was the life of an aspiring legend.
But deep down, Daric knew one thing for certain: next time, he was asking more questions before stabbing the local wildlife.