237 - The Hunters of Red Valley

Subin's group left the Ironfang supply post shortly after sunrise. The eastern road crossed a stretch of uneven highland before descending into Red Valley, a region known for its mineral deposits, scattered settlements, and dangerous monster territories. According to Ara's map, a trading settlement called Redhaven stood near the valley's southern entrance. It was the nearest place where they could obtain reliable information about the surrounding wilderness.

The road was quiet for the first few hours. Subin walked ahead, occasionally glancing toward the ridges, while Yerin and Ara discussed the mineral deposit they had found beneath Ironfang Ravine. Jae-hyun and Liu Wei had resumed their argument about combat technique, this time debating whether a sword user should prioritize cutting power or precision when fighting armoured monsters.

“Precision is meaningless if your strike cannot penetrate the target,” Jae-hyun insisted.

“Power is meaningless if you cannot reach a vulnerable point,” Liu Wei countered.

“Both are meaningless if you miss,” Subin said without turning around.

They fell silent for several seconds.

Yerin laughed. “You could at least pretend to consider their arguments.”

“I did. They both need more practice.”

The road descended between two hills, revealing a broad valley dotted with rocky outcrops. Farther away, a thin column of smoke rose above a cluster of buildings. Redhaven was built around a natural spring, with a stone wall protecting its central market and several workshops arranged along the main road.

They arrived shortly before noon.

Unlike the smaller settlements around Ironfang, Redhaven was busy. Wagons stood outside the market, merchants unloaded sacks of ore, and several armed Awakeners occupied a shaded courtyard near the local Association branch. The settlement appeared prosperous, although the damaged equipment stacked beside one workshop suggested that not every expedition returned safely.

Subin's group headed to the Association branch.

A woman wearing a dark green uniform greeted them from behind the reception desk. Her badge identified her as Mara Ellison, the settlement's field coordinator.

“Welcome to Redhaven. Are you here for a contract, equipment appraisal, or regional information?”

“Regional information,” Ara replied. “We have just come from Ironfang Ravine and intend to explore the eastern hills. We heard there have been problems along the old trade road.”

Mara's expression became serious.

“Problems is putting it mildly. Three expeditions have abandoned their routes in the last two weeks. One lost two pack animals, another suffered several injuries, and the third returned with only half its equipment.”

“What attacked them?” Yerin asked.

“Different creatures, according to the survivors. The first group encountered a pack of Razorbacks. The second reported a large winged predator, and the third claimed something had followed them through the hills for nearly an hour without ever coming close enough to identify.”

Jae-hyun raised an eyebrow. “That last report sounds unreliable.”

“It might be,” Mara agreed. “The survivors were exhausted, and visibility was poor. But the first two incidents were confirmed. The eastern road is still open, though most commercial caravans now travel with armed escorts.”

Subin studied the regional map displayed on the wall. The old road passed through a narrow stretch between two rocky slopes before reaching a plateau where several smaller trails branched toward abandoned mines.

“How many monsters are involved?” he asked.

“We don't know. That's part of the problem. The attacks happened in separate places, and the survivors couldn't agree on whether the creatures were moving toward Redhaven or away from it.”

“Have any patrols checked the route?”

“Two patrols. They found tracks and signs of recent fighting, but no monsters. One team encountered a Razorback near the western ridge and killed it. The other withdrew after discovering fresh damage to the road.”

Subin looked at Yerin. She returned his glance with a small smile.

Mara noticed. “You're considering taking the route.”

“We want to explore the region anyway,” Subin said. “If the road is dangerous, we'll find out why.”

“I can offer a reward for confirmed kills and a bonus for recovering abandoned supplies. But I won't ask you to escort ordinary merchants through an area we haven't assessed.”

“That's reasonable,” Ara replied.

Mara arranged a simple contract covering the eastern road and the surrounding hills. It did not require them to clear the entire region, only to identify immediate threats, recover what they could safely retrieve, and report any danger that might affect Redhaven's trade.

The group departed after collecting basic supplies.

The old road began as a broad track through dry grassland, but its condition deteriorated as they approached the rocky hills. Deep grooves crossed the surface, and several sections had been damaged by impacts strong enough to break the packed earth. Near a bend, they found a broken wagon axle lying beside the remains of a wooden crate.

Yerin examined the ground. “This happened recently.”

Ara crouched beside a set of tracks. “Several large animals passed through here. These narrow impressions belong to something with clawed feet, while the deeper marks suggest a heavier creature crossed afterward.”

Liu Wei looked toward the ridge. “Then let's find out what it was.”

They continued along the road, moving cautiously between the rocks. A few minutes later, a sharp squeal echoed from the slope above them.

Three creatures burst from the grass.

They resembled wild boars, but their bodies were covered in thick reddish plates, and their tusks curved outward like hooked blades. The first was nearly as large as a small horse, while the other two were somewhat smaller. They charged downhill, kicking stones into the air.

Ara's display identified them.

Red Valley Razorback — Levels 246, 251, and 258 — A-rank.

Yerin stepped forward and lowered her spear. The leading Razorback charged directly at her, its tusks aimed at her torso. She shifted aside and drove the spear into the side of its neck, then used the shaft to redirect its momentum.

The creature crashed into a boulder.

Jae-hyun intercepted the second with a cut across its foreleg. It stumbled but continued forward, forcing him to retreat before he could strike again. Liu Wei attacked from the flank, cutting behind the shoulder where the plates were thinner.

The third Razorback ignored the others and charged toward Ara.

Subin moved across its path.

He waited until the creature lowered its head, then stepped beyond the line of its tusks and cut through the exposed section behind its jaw. The Razorback staggered, its charge collapsing into a clumsy slide across the road. Subin finished it before it could rise.

The remaining two fought harder. One shook off Jae-hyun's next attack and nearly caught him with a tusk, but he twisted away and delivered a stronger cut as it turned. Yerin's opponent attempted to retreat uphill after suffering a deep wound. She followed long enough to block its escape, then ended the fight with a precise thrust.

Liu Wei's Razorback was the last to fall.

He stood over the carcass, breathing steadily. “Three A-rank monsters before lunch. Not bad.”

“You nearly let one of them throw you into a rock,” Jae-hyun said.

“Nearly isn't the same as actually.”

Subin examined the tracks beyond the bodies. The Razorbacks had come from the eastern slope, but their marks overlapped with a different set of prints that crossed the road at an angle.

“These three weren't travelling together with whatever made those tracks,” he said. “They were fleeing something or moving toward the same area.”

Ara compared the impressions. “The heavier tracks continue toward the plateau. They're much larger than the Razorbacks' prints.”

They followed the trail.

Beyond the next bend, the road widened into a shallow basin surrounded by broken stone. A pair of abandoned carts stood near the centre, one overturned and the other missing its wheels. Scattered crates lay across the ground, and several had been torn open.

Yerin approached the nearest cart. “This must be one of the expeditions Mara mentioned.”

Ara found a damaged pack near the overturned vehicle. Its contents had been scattered, but a metal badge remained attached to the strap. The emblem belonged to Redhaven's licensed transport guild.

“They were carrying tools and mining equipment,” Ara said. “Most of it is still here.”

“Then why abandon the carts?” Jae-hyun asked.

A heavy shadow passed over the basin.

Subin looked up.

A large winged creature circled above the plateau. Its body resembled an eagle crossed with a reptile, with a broad chest, powerful hind legs, and dark feathers along its wings. Its hooked beak was reinforced by a ridge of bone, and its talons were long enough to grip the broken stone below.

It folded its wings and dived.

“Move!” Subin shouted.

The creature struck the ground where the group had been standing, scattering dust and stone fragments. Its wings beat hard enough to push the lighter debris across the basin. Before anyone could attack, it launched itself upward again.

Ara's display caught its identification as it climbed.

Cragwing Predator — Level 319 — A-rank.

The creature circled once, then dived toward Liu Wei.

He moved aside and slashed at its wing as it passed. His sword caught several feathers and left a shallow cut along the outer edge, but the predator maintained its flight. It climbed above the plateau and turned sharply, preparing another attack.

“It's using the height advantage,” Yerin said.

“And the carts limit our movement,” Ara added. “We should draw it away from the basin.”

Subin stepped into the open ground and raised his sword.

The Cragwing responded immediately, banking toward him. At the last moment, Subin moved to the side. The creature swept past, close enough for him to strike its lower leg, but its talons were withdrawn before his blade could land cleanly.

The predator climbed again.

Jae-hyun watched its flight. “It doesn't commit until it sees an opening. That makes it more intelligent than the Razorbacks.”

“It doesn't need to be intelligent,” Subin replied. “It only needs to learn that we can't reach it.”

He looked at the broken rock formations around the basin. The plateau was not flat; several narrow ledges rose above the surrounding ground, and one stood close enough to the predator's usual flight path to offer an opportunity.

“Yerin, draw it toward the western ledge. Jae-hyun and Liu Wei, stay clear of its landing path. Ara, watch its movement and call out when it drops.”

Yerin moved toward the ledge, making herself the most visible target. The Cragwing circled once before committing to its dive.

She waited until the last moment, then rolled aside.

The creature's talons struck the stone ledge. Its claws scraped against the rock, and its forward momentum carried it several metres before it could spread its wings.

Subin was already moving.

He reached the ledge as the predator tried to launch itself into the air. His first strike cut across the base of its wing. The creature screamed and struck at him with its beak, forcing him to duck beneath the blow.

Jae-hyun attacked the opposite side, preventing the predator from turning its stronger wing toward Subin. Liu Wei struck its leg, and Yerin drove her spear into the wounded wing joint.

The Cragwing thrashed violently, tearing free of the ledge and dragging itself into the air despite its injuries.

For a moment, it seemed ready to escape.

Then its damaged wing failed to generate enough lift. The creature crashed onto the slope below, rolling across loose stones before coming to rest against a rock outcrop.

Subin descended after it.

The Cragwing snapped at him, but its movements were slower now. He avoided the beak and cut through the weakened joint at the base of the neck. The creature collapsed, its wings spreading across the slope.

Yerin reached him a moment later. “That was close.”

“Only because it kept flying.”

“You make that sound like a personal insult.”

“It wasted everyone's time.”

She shook her head, smiling despite herself.

Ara examined the carcass and recovered the dense mana core from its chest. The feathers and talons were also valuable, though removing them would take time. The group gathered the most useful materials and returned to the abandoned carts.

They found no survivors, but there were signs that the expedition members had escaped on foot. Several sets of tracks led away from the basin toward the western road, and none showed evidence of a struggle continuing beyond the initial attack.

Subin looked toward the plateau. The Cragwing had used the basin as a hunting ground, while the Razorbacks had moved along the lower slopes. Both could explain the attacks on travellers, but neither explained the heavier tracks leading farther east.

They followed those tracks until the road narrowed between two cliffs.

The prints belonged to a creature much larger than the Cragwing. Deep gouges marked the stone where its claws had scraped the ground, and several boulders had been pushed aside. Yet there was no clear trail of destruction beyond that point. The marks continued into the rocky hills, where the terrain became too broken to follow safely without a proper survey.

Ara studied the route. “We can establish that something powerful is using the eastern hills, but we don't know whether it has attacked the caravans. Continuing now would take us away from the road and into unfamiliar terrain.”

Subin considered the tracks. He wanted to follow them, but there was no reason to risk the group for a trail that might lead nowhere. They had already eliminated two immediate threats and found the remains of a missing expedition.

“We'll return to Redhaven,” he decided. “We'll report the Cragwing and the Razorbacks. Then we'll see whether the Association has any information about the larger creature.”

Jae-hyun looked disappointed. “I was hoping we'd find another one today.”

“You can hope while walking.”

The return journey was uneventful. By late afternoon, they were back in Redhaven, where Mara listened to their report and confirmed that the abandoned carts belonged to the missing transport expedition. The surviving workers had reached a nearby village several days earlier, but no one had recovered the equipment.

Mara arranged for a recovery party to collect the supplies under guard. She also sent a patrol toward the eastern cliffs to establish a safe boundary around the unexplored terrain.

“You've made the road safer already,” she told Subin. “The Cragwing was the main reason our escorts refused to use the basin.”

“The eastern hills may still contain something more dangerous,” Subin replied. “The tracks were too large to belong to the creatures we fought.”

“We'll investigate, but not without a proper team.”

That evening, Subin's group sold the damaged materials they had recovered and kept the Cragwing's core for appraisal. Their reward was good, and Redhaven's merchants were relieved to learn that the main road could be used again under reasonable precautions.

Later, Subin stood outside the Association building with Yerin. The sun was setting behind the western hills, and the market had begun to quiet.

“You're thinking about those tracks again,” she said.

“I want to know what made them.”

“Then we'll find out when the patrol has surveyed the area.”

Subin looked toward the eastern ridge. “If it is strong, I want to fight it.”

“I know.”

She rested her hand briefly against his arm before stepping away to join Ara and the others.

Subin remained for another moment, watching the last light fade from the rocky slopes. Redhaven had its road back, and the immediate danger had been dealt with. The eastern hills would have to wait until they had better information.

For now, he had gained two useful battles, a new region to explore, and the promise of an opponent whose strength remained unknown.

He sheathed his sword and returned inside.