BXBX NOVEL Chapter 242: First Quest: Preparations
He then looked around to search for shrubberies where he could hide and wait for the next gold-platinum adventurer party to enter the zone.
Luckily, there were a lot of random bushes around, allowing him to find a suitable spot in just a few minutes.
Making himself comfortable, Shye waited and opened the system, scanning for epic talents to purchase.
There were a lot and he shouldn\'t decide willy-nilly.
Points are becoming harder and harder to obtain after all.
After around thirty minutes of scrolling, he suddenly remembered something.
\'Crap, that was close…\' Shye thought, navigating through the regular quests section and searching for one which involves hunting Ripper Koalas. \'Gotta get those extra few points!\'
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Hunt: Ripper Koala
Creature Rank: C
Requirements: Slay 1 mature or 2 adolescent Ripper Koala(s)
Rewards: 3500 points
===
\'Oh? Is it just me or did the point reward increase?\' Shye mused as he recalled the 3500 points regular quest reward he got for slaying the blind kobold general which is a (B) ranked creature.
If the rewards for Shye\'s current quest, which involves hunting the C-ranked ripper koala, match those for a B-ranked creature from when the system was only at level two, then there may be a small chance that his speculations were accurate.
\'Well, I can always take my time in confirming this theory…\'
Finally, after waiting for around one more hour, a party of five gold-ranked adventurers entered, heading toward the direction of the blood-eucalypt forest.
Although Shye is unsure if they will head to the forest itself, as long as they hunt near it, then he can at least bet on his plan.
Sneakily navigating through the forest—vigilance raised sky high, Shye followed the party.
He was sure that the party\'s scout would detect his movements if he followed too closely.
Thus, he maintained a significant distance from the adventurer party.
It proved challenging.
Especially since he was alone, he became an ideal target for monstrous creatures.
Fortunately, the creatures that attacked him were mostly of the (C-) rank, allowing him to dispose of them easily, harvest a few important parts, and promptly return to stalking the adventurer party.
Half an hour later, the party finally arrived at an area known as the silver grass savanna—a location fairly close to the blood-eucalypt forest.
Eavesdropping earlier, Shye heard that the party had to hunt ten Zephyr Gazelles, a fairly weak yet absurdly nimble (C-) rank creature.
It was hard to catch even a single one and it would probably take the party a few days before they could accomplish their quest.
This specific party was simply the perfect one for him to stalk.
As the adventurer party established their camp—their base of operations for the coming days, Shye also did the same.
He searched for a suitable area.
Neither too far, nor too close to the adventurer party.
\'Hmm…this is a fairly good area to stay at…\' Shye pondered as he stumbled upon a somewhat concealed spot behind some shrubs, beneath a young acacia tree.
Opting to stay at the said spot, Shye took out a sleeping bag, unhurriedly laying it down on the ground.
He would probably stay here for almost as long as the adventurer party does, hence, there was no need for him to rush.
In his plan, prudence and patience are key.
\'Those guys would probably try to hunt at least one gazelle before the sun goes down…\' Shye thought, observing the party who just finished setting up camp before glancing at the sky which was still fairly bright. \'Well, there\'s nothing for me to do, is there? Better chill then!\'
Searching for a comfortable position as he sat down on his sleeping bag, Shye appreciated the slightly earthy and grassy smell caressing his olfactory senses as a temperate wind blew past him, making the surrounding shrubs and leaves rustle—a peaceful melody tickling his eardrums.
\'Damn, this is cozy as f*ck…\' he mused, deciding to take out another sleeping bag to give himself a bit more room to roll around.
Scanning his eyes over what suddenly became his comfortable secret base, Shye nodded satisfactorily—a serene smile plastered on his face.
Observing him in his present condition, one would never suspect that he was in the middle of a perilous quest.
One that a regular solo adventurer wouldn\'t be expected to pull off successfully.
\'There\'s still quite some time before the sun goes down…I want to take a quick nap…\' pondered Shye, deciding whether it would be wise to use a few of his…strategic…powders…in exchange for a comfy rest.
"Well, why not? I purchased a few extra anyway..."
Deciding that a quick cozy nap was worth it, Shye retrieved two sachets from the system\'s inventory—one of earthen scent powder, and another of lesser camouflage.
Applying both on his skin, it would be impossible for (C) rank creatures and below to spot him…for two hours at least.
\'That should do the trick…\' Shye thought to himself as he nestled into one of the sleeping bags, closing his eyes and relishing in his snug outdoor nap.
What he hadn\'t anticipated was that his nap would extend beyond two hours, gradually heightening the risk as additional minutes passed by.
Luckily, his sixty silver coin nap proved to be worth it.
Waking up to two moons illuminating the dark lands beneath along with the countless stars timelessly watching over the world, Shye felt refreshed.
With a satisfied yawn, he peered out from the nearby shrubbery to observe the resting adventurers, noting how the small fire in the center of their camp served multiple purposes, one of which would directly aid him in completing his quest.
\'Well then, time to work!\'
In anticipation of completing his quest that night, Shye took precautions for his safety by arranging several nylon tripwires, each equipped with small yet loud bells, around the perimeter of his little secret base, serving as rudimentary alarm traps.