Draven read the description of the gear to be sure he wasn't missing anything:
–––
[Gear: Hurler Gem]
[Rank: Transient]
[Order: Third Order]
[Type: Accessory]
[Description: A gem that merges with a weapon, enhancing it with the hurling prowess of a tree monkey.
> 〈Instant Burst〉 Upon activation, drastically increases weapon speed for 10 seconds. (Cooldown: 1 hour.)
> ⟨Hurler〉 Augments the velocity of thrown or swung weapons while active.
Note: Enhancement potency decreases with higher weapon Rank and Order.]
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'This gear is truly a weapon enhancement. If I add it to my arrow, what speed will I achieve? A Second Order arrow, combined with this gem's enhancement and Soul Vitalis, is a—'
"Are you coming down, or do I have to drag you down?" Selene's frigid voice jolted him awake.
Draven blinked, refocusing. Below, the two girls had already retracted their helmets—Selene glaring up at him, Vera busy prying open the battered monster's skull.
A silent debate raged in his mind. 'Should I hand it over?'
Greed whispered in his ear to keep it for himself, boosting his chances of survival. Meanwhile, Caution murmured how foolish it would be to make an enemy of Selene over a mere gem.
'From her commanding demeanor, it seems she won't relent…' His eyes narrowed. 'But never mind that. I'm taking this one. This isn't just a gem.'
"Coming," he echoed, muttering through gritted teeth, "Another Soul Vitalis to the drain."
He leapt and plummeted downward, gripping his bow overhead. Just as he was a few meters from the ground, he channeled Soul Vitalis into the weapon, sheathing it in a blue aura and anchoring it mid-air.
He descended gracefully, landing softly like a fallen leaf.
"The gear," Selene demanded, extending her palm.
"I didn't receive any," Draven shrugged.
Selene narrowed her eyes.
Draven tensed as he saw her grip tighten around her sword, keeping his bow ready to strike.
She was about to act when Vera's voice resounded from behind Selene, "Draven, just give her the gear. It's not worth the hassle."
Draven retracted his helmet, revealing his 'innocent' face. "I already said I didn't receive any gear."
Vera chuckled. "You might not know this since you missed classes, but all Third Order ranks drop gear when slain. Just give it to her."
Although Draven kept his expression unchanged, his mind was screaming, 'What the heck! Damn! Now I've embarrassed myself.'
Eyeing Selene from the corner of his eye, he noted her readiness for action, her grip on her sword firm.
He exhaled. "Fine."
Stretching his hand toward Selene, Draven waited for the handshake.
Selene accepted it. Draven transferred the gear with a mental command.
[–1 Gear: Hurler Gem.]
Selene withdrew her hand, throwing Draven a scornful glance before summoning her mount.
Vera smirked at Draven before tossing the monkey onto the back of the mount.
Draven rubbed his chin. 'Embarrassing, but whatever. Back in the slums, embarrassment was the least of his worries.'
"Are you coming?" Selene called out coldly.
Draven hopped on the monster and sat beside them as it galloped through the exit.
The ride was awkwardly silent, but Draven didn't mind; his thoughts were on his next hunt.
'This arrow has better penetrating power. If I had used that stupid First Order arrow, I wouldn't have pierced the monkey's hide without Soul Vitalis.' Lowering his head, he gazed at the battered monkey's corpse. 'The Third Order monsters really do have a strong life.'
"Hey, I have another business deal for you," Vera's voice broke his thoughts.
Draven lazily turned to her, saying nothing.
"I want you to join our team on the Hunt Crusade," Vera invited.
"No," Selene interjected with a chilly tone. "I don't want a vile serpent on my team."
Vera arched an eyebrow. "Vile serpent?"
She shot him a disdainful glance. "Treacherous, deceitful liar, despicable."
Vera burst into wild laughter while Draven massaged his jaw, feeling more embarrassed under her scornful gaze, but he forced his expression to look normal.
Slowly, Vera's laughter subsided.
"You don't need to be so concerned," Vera said to Selene, then glanced at Draven. "Although he's a vile serpent, it shouldn't be a bother since monster crystals, unlike gears, are open for all to see."
Her gaze settled on Selene as she explained firmly, "We need fifty percent of the monster crystals to quickly reach the next rank. This vile serpent's archery possesses precision and power, even with a weak bow. If he gets a better bow, he will become a tiger with wings."
Selene quieted and focused on Draven.
Draven's eyes darted between the girls, his mind scrambling to understand their words.
After a short silence, Selene nodded. "Fine. We will accept this… vile serpent."
Vera's lips curled into a smile.
Draven finally couldn't hold it in. "Hey! I'm right here, you know. Vile serpent? Really?"
"Relax," Vera patted his shoulder, still smiling. "It's a good deal. Do you remember the place we spawned?"
Draven nodded.
"In the depths, there's a dark pit that has a Third Order crab. We haven't seen it, but you heard that roar, right? Followed by the tremor?"
Draven nodded again.
"The crab is rumored to produce Second Order Transient-rank crab minions that swarm when there are plenty of targets."
"Rumored?"
"Well, there's no evidence that it was produced by the crabs. All you need to know is that the benefits are shared between the three teams: Theo's team, Selene's team, and the other Elites who made it to the other side. The team with the highest kill count takes fifty percent of the kill, while the remaining two share the rest with the council association overseeing it to prevent violent disagreements and bloodshed. We need your skillful archery."
Draven turned to face the terrain that quickly slid by, holding back laughter. 'I'm not that skillful. Except when I used Soul Vitalis, my arrows in the battle were a bit off—when I aimed for the head, they struck the back or the leg. Aiming for the head often struck another part. Half of my natural shots never struck the part I intended. Maybe it's because of the distance.'
Draven suddenly thought of something. He turned to Vera. "What if Theo brings a large number of Elites?"
"He wouldn't," Vera answered confidently. "...Unless he's foolish and ready to cut his share. Fewer people, bigger cuts. Everyone tries to get the highest kill with fewer people to receive more monster crystals when distributed."
Draven was just about to nod in understanding when he realized another loophole. "What if only Theo comes and he kills less?"
"Then he gets scraps. The keys in the Haven track the kill count. Only the first gets fifty percent."
Seeing the Haven in the distance, Draven swapped his armor.
"Why are you changing your armor?" Vera asked, but Draven ignored her.
Soon, the mount slowed as it approached the gate.
Vera leaned in. "Jude is waiting at the gate. Will you accept the challenge now, or rest? He wants to be a named team before the Hunting Crusade."
Selene squinted before answering impassively, "Now."
Her blade materialized in her grasp.