The young woman stood motionless in the bushes, shoulders slightly raised, eyes locked on the scope. A small bird perched on a branch, completely unaware it was in someone's crosshairs. The chat room fell utterly silent, everyone holding their breath.
A gunshot rang out—bang!
The bullet struck the branch right beneath the bird, startling it into a frantic flight skyward as if it had just seen a ghost.
[That bird nearly had a heart attack LOL 😂😂😂]
[How many times is this now?]
[One bird, one skunk, one squirrel, and now this one—missed all four, and each by just a hair.]
[Another brilliant cultural exchange with nature.]
[Current record: hit absolutely nothing but branches!]
[I swear she's just out here to warn wildlife to evacuate.]
[Honestly, her wildlife preservation efforts are immaculate!]
[If this were a competition for perfect shooting posture, she'd get a solid 10. 😏]
[This isn't "shooting birds," it's "spooking birds"! 😂]
The young woman had no idea how badly the chat was roasting her as she turned around and started walking back toward camp. Viewers kept shouting out animal names whenever they spotted something on screen, pointing out potential targets for her—but she didn't seem interested in raising her rifle again.
[I think she's given up.]
[Finally realized hunting isn't as easy as solving equations, huh?]
[Solving equations is easy?!]
[LOL @above made me laugh way too hard.]
Just as viewers were about to switch channels, thinking nothing exciting would happen anymore, her expression lit up. She froze mid-step, her eyes glinting with a strange awareness. Then, without warning, she dropped into shooting stance—swift, clean, precise. Her new target: a flock of quails pecking under a nearby bush.
[Quail: Seriously, lady, what's your beef with me?]
[I bet those quails insulted her in a past life. 🙏]
[Quail: I'm innocent!!!]
[Hahahaha.]
[Come on, the poor little quails are just minding their own business :(.]
[If she wants to shoot something so badly, go shoot monsters, not defenseless birds!]
[Y'all acting like she's actually gonna hit anything LOL.]
A flurry of gunshots tore through the forest. The quails scattered in panic—but this time, several dropped dead on the spot, their bodies collapsing into the underbrush.
[Nani?!😱]
[Okay wait... that was just dumb luck, right?]
[I mean, if you shoot into a flock, some are bound to fall.]
[Not that simple—quails are fast. You don't get it till you've hunted.]
[Bet those quails had families waiting at home… RIP.]
[Lucky shot or not, she nailed it!]
[I feel kinda bad for the quails.]
[Nature's rough. But hey, that's the circle of life.]
[If she thinks she's hot stuff now, why not go shoot some monsters instead?]
[Yeah, others are risking their lives out there while she's out here taking down poultry.]
The young woman carried the quails she had just hunted back to the campground. She took water from the stream nearby and boiled it over the campfire. Once the water was hot, she dipped the quails into it briefly and gently removed the feathers.
[I think I know why she didn't shoot the other targets, they taste bad, LOL.]
[Errmm… What's the name of this show again?]
[Definitely not A Day as a Cook.]
[Why am I watching this in a superhero show?]
[You can join the other livestreams if you want action; don't bother me while I'm enjoying this peacefulness.]
[Is there anything interesting going on in the other streams?]
[Still them punching weak monsters, I guess.]
[There are Evermoss's curves.]
[Lilith is beautiful.]
[Lilith's face is not that special compared to Mai's.]
[How dare you compare this bitch with Lilith!!!]
The young woman shook her hand, and a dagger appeared. Then, she used it to make a small cut at the base of the quails to clean out the insides.
[!!!]
[She did the dagger magic again!]
[Who was it, who said she threw it offscreen?]
Kneeling by the stream, the young woman carefully took out the insides of the quail, washing them in the clear water to keep the meat clean and free of anything unwanted. Then, she washed the quails thoroughly to get rid of any leftover feathers or dirt.
[Ewww]
[Yuck, couldn't they censor this?]
[That's gross, I'm out.]
[Ugg bye.]
[Seriously? You guys are fine watching monsters get their brains blown out but can't handle the sight of meat being prepared?.]
Shadow picked some clean leaves from nearby trees, washed them in the stream, and placed the quail pieces on top. Then, she took out the wild thyme, feral sage, and forest garlic she had collected on the way back to camp. Naturally, such herbs didn't grow just anywhere—Herbalist had taught her what could be found and where to look in the forest. So she knew which places were worth checking, and had found them growing beneath some oak trees.
She ground the herbs into a fine mash, then tore open a packet of instant noodles, took out the seasoning powder, and mixed it in with the herbs. After that, she coated the quail meat with the mixture. After making sure each piece was well-coated, she wrapped the seasoned quail pieces in the clean leaves and set them aside.
Shadow was satisfied with this training session. She had intentionally missed her shots at the earlier targets. She had no desire to hunt creatures she had no intention of consuming—they tasted bad, or at least she didn't know how to cook them. Instead, she wanted to test her skills with the new gun. And as she confirmed that her marksmanship skills seamlessly transferred to the weapon, she saw no need to expend any more bullets. The quails were a surprising extra feast; it was her favorite cooking ingredient.
Just as Shadow quietly thought it was almost noon, and the redhead man and the others should return soon, she spotted their figures rushing toward the campsite—three men and two women. They seemed to be struggling.
Leading the way was a handsome young man carrying a beautiful young woman in his arms. Right behind them was an extremely graceful lady sitting on a hovering broomstick, with a hammock woven from vines beneath her, where a pale-faced young man lay unconscious. Directly behind them was the redhead man, also showing signs of weariness and injury.
Shadow stood at the edge of the camp, watching as the team returned from their mission. The beautiful young woman who was being carried didn't seem to be injured—or maybe she was, but Shadow couldn't tell. She called out "sis" as she met Shadow's gaze, her voice trembling nervously.
The handsome man merely glanced briefly at Shadow, let out a dismissive snort as he walked towards their tent, holding the beautiful young woman tightly.
Shadow frowned as she watched them leave. It was clear the man held some disdain for her. But it was the woman's behavior that intrigued her the most. Despite her polite greeting, the way she crouched and clutched the man's shirt, as if she were scared of Shadow, was… interesting.
Others might not realize it, but Shadow had observed and analyzed people all her life; an act like this wasn't enough to fool her. Beneath the woman's facade of fear, Shadow caught a glimmer of mischief in her eyes. A sister who harbored something against her… the situation was even more complex than Shadow had expected.
Shadow's gaze lingered on the woman sitting on the flying broomstick. The elegant woman reminded her of her old companion, Witch, although Witch was quite slender, whereas this woman was shapely—petite where it counted and plump in all the right places—exuding a much more sensual and alluring aura.
Perhaps it was because of the broomstick; Witch also had a fondness for using brooms to travel. Shadow couldn't help but wonder how this woman made the broom fly, as she couldn't sense any mana emanating from her.
"Do you need any help?" Shadow asked, glancing toward the injured man in the hammock hanging below and the white artifact with red cross marks affixed to his side. Shadow assumed it was a Cure Kit, as the red-haired man had mentioned.
"Thank you, but he just needs some rest," the graceful woman replied gently, her voice as soft and sweet as her appearance. "Let me lower him down first." With that, she nodded and smiled at Shadow before guiding the broom back towards their tent.
"Did you feel better?" the red-haired man's rough voice stumbled as he asked, attempting to soften his tone.
Shadow slightly nodded. "More important, your wounds…"
"They're just scratches, no need to worry," the red-haired man gruffly interjected, his shoulders tensing as he spoke, making Shadow worry that the wounds might get worse.
"Can't we use the Cure Kit?"
The man's eyes widened as he glared at Shadow, but quickly realized his rudeness and blinked, attempting to hide it.
"We can't waste medicine on such minor injuries," he replied, his tone slightly softer.
Shadow realized she had made a mistake. She shouldn't have asked such a seemingly fundamental question—it might expose her hazy awareness of the surroundings. She quickly said, "Let me bandage you up then."
She took out the necessary supplies from the red healing bag, knowing exactly which vial contained the antiseptic solution for sterilizing the wound and which one held the saline solution for cleansing, thanks to her prior reading of the labels' instructions.
Shadow was confident in her healing skills, honed through learning from Herbalist, Healer, and Priest. Despite their ability to use mana for healing, these mentors had also taught Shadow the importance of traditional healing methods, and she had mastered them to an exceptional degree.
As the young lady carefully applied the antiseptic solution and then dressed the wound with sterile bandages, Inferno Knuckle—unused to close contact with women—blushed as he felt the gentle touch of her soft hand on his arm and caught a faint whiff of her subtle fragrance. He quickly shook his head, trying to hide his embarrassment.
The young lady asked, "What's wrong?"
He stumbled, replying, "N-nothing. I didn't expect you to be so skilled at bandaging," as he glanced at the neatly wrapped dressings on his body.
She chuckled but didn't respond to his compliment. Instead, she asked, "How was the mission?"
Inferno Knuckle's expression darkened as he recalled what had happened.
"The monsters suddenly got stronger," he explained. "We suspected it meant the boss of the Gate was about to appear, so we pressed forward, hoping to close it before that happened."
As the sun rose higher, casting golden rays through the dense forest, Inferno Knuckle and his comrades ventured deeper into the woods.
Inferno Knuckle roared, flames bursting from his fists as he charged ahead, smashing through monsters with sheer brute force. Each of his fiery punches tore through the enemy line, leaving nothing but scorched earth and smoke in his wake.
Evermoss's eyes glowed emerald green as she summoned vines and roots from the forest floor. They burst out of the earth, coiling around their enemies and rendering them helpless. At her side, Kai slashed his way through the fray, his blade dancing with precision and speed, each swing carving a path through the horde.
Solstice moved like a dancer amid the chaos, his radiant sword slicing arcs of light that flashed between the trees. Shadows and monsters alike fell before him, while Lilith, his sidekick, launched bursts of energy to cover his flanks, each one exploding on contact and driving their foes back.
As the team approached the Gate, Evermoss's instincts flared with danger. Without hesitation, she flicked her wrist and summoned a spiral of thorny vines that wrapped around everyone like a protective cocoon.
Three sharp sounds echoed—shhk! shhk! shhk!—as something cut through the vines from all directions.
When the vines retracted, three massive figures came into view, each radiating primal aggression. Their eyes gleamed with bloodlust.
A Long Fang Tiger.
A Wind Fox.
A Horn Wolf.
All were classified as Class-F Elites.
The three superheroes exchanged a quick glance, silently choosing their targets, then leapt into action.
Inferno Knuckle faced the Long Fang Tiger head-on. It bared its fangs and charged, saliva flying from its snarling jaws. Inferno met it with a flaming punch, his fist colliding with the beast's skull in a fiery explosion. Claws slashed across his arms, cutting deep, but he gritted his teeth and retaliated with another burning blow.
Evermoss was locked in a deadly dance with the Wind Fox. The creature darted between trees, its lean body twisting and turning with impossible agility. Evermoss tried to snare it with vines, but each attempt was narrowly avoided. Her brow furrowed as she adjusted her rhythm, trying to predict the fox's next move.
Solstice circled the Horn Wolf. The beast's low growl vibrated through the ground as it stalked him, razor-sharp teeth bared. Solstice's sword flashed, his strikes fast and deliberate. Each time the wolf lunged, he met it with a parry or sidestep, his movements fluid and calculated. But the wolf showed no signs of tiring.
In the dim forest, the sounds of battle echoed—flames roaring, vines whipping, steel clashing with claw and fang. The forest lit up with bursts of magic and the gleam of radiant swordplay. The thuds, howls, and explosions filled the air like a chaotic symphony.
Then—
A scream tore through the air.
It came from behind, where the sidekicks were supposed to be.
It was Lilith's.