The days had stretched into one another — long, sunlit mornings of training, the clang of weapons echoing across Korvan's quiet ridges.
Hunnt kept Rogan, Will, and Lyssara under his watch near the old training grounds. The ring of steel and the rhythm of breathing drills filled the air, a steady pulse of discipline and growth.
Meanwhile, beyond the village's edge, in a vast open field ringed by swaying pines, Kael and Seren trained Willa. The grass bent under each of her steps, her shield shimmering faintly in the morning light as she practiced her guard forms. Sweat traced down her face, and her breathing grew steady — measured — like a hunter finding her own rhythm.
When Seren finally called for a rest, Willa slumped onto a boulder, exhaling deeply. Kael leaned against a tree, silent as always, watching the clouds drift lazily across the pale sky. Seren took a seat beside Willa, sharpening her blade with unhurried precision.
For a moment, the world was calm. The chirping of birds echoed through the forest.
Then Seren said quietly, "Do you know this village has a history of standing against monsters far beyond its means?"
Willa blinked, looking at her mentor. "Really? Like what kind of monsters?"
Seren smiled faintly, eyes distant as if seeing something far away. "There's a story — one few in the Guild will ever speak of. Four hunters… who defied the Guild itself."
Willa straightened. "Defied the Guild?"
Kael finally glanced over, his arms crossed. "Without permission. Without reward. Without backup."
Willa's eyes widened. "But that's… that's forbidden! Why would they do that?"
"Because the Guild refused," Seren replied simply, her voice quiet, almost mournful. "They said the hunt was too dangerous. That sending hunters would only lead to slaughter."
She paused, her eyes flicking to the horizon where the mountains rose like jagged teeth. "But danger doesn't wait for permission. So those four went anyway."
Willa swallowed. "What monsters were they?"
Seren's voice lowered, reverent and heavy. "Ignivar Rex. Ravina Seraph. Magmarok."
The names hung in the air like thunder. Even Kael's expression hardened.
"Ignivar Rex…" Willa whispered. "The Crimson Tyrant of the Skies. Ravina Seraph… the Tempest Reaver. And Magmarok, the Mountain Furnace…"
Seren nodded. "All three. The Guild marked them as untouchable. But those hunters didn't hunt for glory or pay — they hunted to protect a village that had no one else."
Willa frowned slightly. "Which village?"
Seren looked at her, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "This one."
Willa's breath caught. "Korvan Village?"
Seren nodded. "Back then, the forest was alive with monsters. The people hid underground, afraid to even light torches at night. The Guild called it a lost cause." She sheathed her blade slowly, her tone softening. "But the four came. They fought for days. The sky burned red, the rivers steamed, and when it ended — silence. Just silence. The monsters were gone."
Willa stared at the earth beneath her feet, her chest rising and falling with awe. "And the Guild… never knew?"
Kael spoke this time, his deep voice calm and even. "They never cared to ask."
Seren's eyes softened. "Those four hunters stayed here for a few days afterward. They didn't boast. Didn't demand gold. One of them said something that still echoes in my memory."
Willa tilted her head. "What did he say?"
Seren looked toward the sky, recalling every word. "'Three apex monsters drawn to one place isn't chance. It's a sign.'"
Kael added quietly, "A warning."
Seren nodded. "And he was right. Because soon after, something worse came."
The air grew still. Even the wind seemed to hesitate.
"The Volcarian Basal," Kael said, his voice heavy.
Willa's eyes widened. "The Elder Dragon of the molten ridges?"
Seren nodded slowly. "It woke from beneath the mountains. The air turned hot enough to melt iron. The entire sky darkened with its wings. I still remember its roar — it felt like the ground itself was screaming."
Kael's gaze grew distant. "The four didn't run. They stood in front of that monster, right here — on these same fields."
Willa could almost picture it — the mountain glowing red, the air trembling, and four figures standing before a storm of fire.
"They fought for the village," Seren said softly. "Not to prove themselves, not for a Guild record, but to keep people alive. They pushed that monster back until the final blow."
Willa's heart pounded. "And… they won?"
"They did," Seren said. "But not all of them returned."
Kael exhaled slowly, his eyes shadowed. "One of them — the youngest — fell during the final strike. He saved the others, shielding them from the Basal's dying blast."
Seren's voice turned quiet, almost a whisper. "They buried him here, at the southern ridge. No grave marker. Just a circle with four slashes — the mark of the wanderer."
"The Eternal Wanderers," Kael added softly.
Willa's lips parted in awe. "So… they were real? Not just stories?"
Seren nodded. "Real enough to bleed. Real enough to vanish without ever taking credit."
Willa looked down at her hands, clutching the hilt of her sword. "They sound… incredible."
"They were," Seren said with a small, wistful smile. "Strong. Compassionate. Mysterious."
"Mysterious?" Willa asked.
"Yes," Seren replied. "Because the morning after they buried their comrade, they were gone. No one saw them leave. The villagers found only their footprints — heading toward the sea."
Silence lingered for a while. The field was bathed in gold light, the wind brushing softly against their faces.
Kael finally broke the stillness. "Enough stories, Seren. You'll have her dreaming instead of training."
Seren chuckled softly. "Dreams make good hunters too, Kael. Sometimes, it's the only thing that keeps them standing."
Willa smiled faintly, lifting her shield again. "I'll dream and train, then."
Kael smirked. "Good answer."
The training resumed. The clang of steel filled the air once more, echoing faintly through the valley.
But inside Willa, something had changed. Every step, every swing, every breath carried a spark — the same spark that once drove those four unknown hunters to protect this village.
As the sun dipped lower, shadows stretched long across the earth. Willa stood in her stance, calm and focused, whispering under her breath — not a prayer, but a promise.
"One day… I'll stand where they stood."
And from a distance, Seren and Kael exchanged a quiet glance — both knowing the same truth.
The path of the Eternal Wanderers had not ended.
It had merely begun again, in the heart of one determined young hunter.