Chapter 57: The C Rank Mission

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: The C Rank Mission

They ate breakfast quickly.

The dining hall was busy. Adventurers filled the long tables. The smell of porridge and bread filled the air. Daniel ate three bowls of porridge. Lyra ate two. Fluffy ate an entire plate of meat.

Paul watched them. He was nursing a cup of tea.

"You three eat like you’ve never seen food before," he said.

Daniel shrugged. "We’ve been through a lot."

Paul nodded. He took a sip of his tea. "So. What’s the plan for today?"

Daniel leaned back in his chair. "Missions. We need contribution points."

Paul nodded. "F rank missions?"

Daniel shook his head. "No. We need something bigger. Something that pays more."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "You’re F rank. You can only take F rank missions."

Daniel looked at him. "That’s why we need you."

Paul blinked. "Me?"

"You’re C rank. You can take C rank missions. And you can bring us along as helpers."

Paul stared at him. Then he laughed.

"You want to use me for my rank," he said.

Daniel nodded. "Yes."

"That’s... actually smart." Paul set down his tea. "Fine. I’ll help you. But you have to pull your weight."

Daniel grinned. "We will."

---

They walked to the mission board.

It was busier now. Adventurers crowded around it. They were grabbing papers. Reading them. Arguing over the best ones.

Paul pushed through the crowd. He scanned the board. His eyes moved over the F rank missions. The E rank missions. Then the C rank missions.

His hand shot out. He grabbed a paper. He pulled it down.

"This one," he said.

Daniel read it over his shoulder.

[Mission: Clear the Wolf Pack]

[Rank: C]

[Location: Darkwood Forest, 2 hours northeast of the guild]

[Description: A pack of wolves has been terrorizing travelers on the northern road. They have killed three merchants in the past week. The pack is led by a Dire Wolf. Estimated threat level: C.]

[Objective: Eliminate the wolf pack. Bring proof of kill.]

[Reward: 150 Contribution Points]

[Party Size: 4 recommended]

Daniel read it twice. "150 points. That’s a lot."

Paul nodded. "It’s a C rank mission. The Dire Wolf is dangerous. But with me there, it should be manageable."

Daniel looked at Lyra. She nodded.

"Let’s do it," she said.

Fluffy nodded. "Fluffy will help."

Paul looked at her. "You’re coming?"

Fluffy nodded again. "Fluffy is shadow. Fluffy is sneaky."

Paul looked at Daniel. Daniel shrugged.

"She’s stronger than she looks," he said.

Paul sighed. "Fine. Let’s go."

---

They left the guild an hour later.

The northern road was quiet. The trees were tall. The shadows were deep. The sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground.

Daniel walked in front. Lyra walked beside him. Fluffy walked behind them, her ears twitching, her nose working. Paul walked at the back, his eyes scanning the trees.

"Tell me about the Dire Wolf," Daniel said.

Paul nodded. "It’s bigger than a normal wolf. Faster. Stronger. It has a thick hide that’s resistant to most weapons. Its claws are sharp enough to cut through armor. Its bite can crush bone."

Daniel winced. "Sounds fun."

"It’s not." Paul’s voice was serious. "A Dire Wolf is a C rank threat. That means it’s dangerous. Even for me."

Daniel nodded. "What’s the plan?"

Paul thought about it. "We find the pack. We thin out the smaller wolves first. Then we focus on the Dire Wolf. I’ll use my wind magic to keep it off balance. You and Lyra attack from range. Fluffy can scout ahead and warn us of ambushes."

Daniel nodded. "Sounds solid."

They walked for another hour. The forest grew darker. Thicker. The trees pressed in on either side. The road narrowed.

Fluffy stopped. Her ears shot up. Her nose twitched.

"Fluffy smells something," she whispered. "Wolves. Many wolves. Ahead."

Daniel held up a hand. They stopped.

"How many?" Paul asked.

Fluffy closed her eyes. She focused. "Fluffy counts... ten. No. Twelve. They are spread out. Surrounding something."

Daniel’s eyes narrowed. "Surrounding what?"

Fluffy opened her eyes. "Fluffy doesn’t know. But it’s big."

Paul drew his staff. A simple wooden rod with a crystal at the tip. He held it ready.

"Let’s go," he said. "Quietly."

They moved forward. Slowly. Carefully. Fluffy led the way, her feet silent on the forest floor. Daniel and Lyra followed. Paul brought up the rear.

They reached a clearing. Daniel peered through the bushes.

The clearing was large. Maybe fifty feet across. In the center was a small caravan. Overturned. Broken. Three bodies lay on the ground. Merchants. Dead.

And surrounding the caravan were wolves. Twelve of them. Gray. Sleek. Their eyes glowed yellow in the dim light. They were growling. Snapping. Fighting over something.

Daniel’s stomach turned. He had seen dead bodies before. In movies. In games. But this was real. This was different.

Then he saw it.

A shape moved in the shadows. Larger than the others. Much larger. It stepped into the clearing.

The Dire Wolf.

It was massive. The size of a horse. Its fur was black. Its eyes were red. Its teeth were long and sharp. It walked with a predator’s grace. It was not afraid. It was not nervous. It was in charge.

The other wolves parted. They lowered their heads. They submitted.

The Dire Wolf walked to the center of the clearing. It sniffed the bodies. It growled. Then it looked up.

Its red eyes locked onto Daniel.

Daniel froze.

The Dire Wolf took a step forward. Then another. It was coming toward them.

"Shit," Daniel whispered.

Paul gripped his staff. "Get ready."

Lyra summoned her guns. Fluffy drew her daggers.

The Dire Wolf opened its mouth. It let out a howl. Loud. Piercing. Terrifying.

The other wolves turned. They saw Daniel and the others. They growled. They started running.

Daniel raised his gun.

"Here we go," he said.