Zyrha stepped out of the cave like it owed her money.
The sun was already climbing, casting long beams of light through the jagged edges of the Obsidian Blight. The wind was dry and scratchy, carrying the familiar scent of sand, sun-baked rock, and emotional damage.
She squinted at the brightness.
"Ugh. It's so day out here."
[Observation: Your outdoor charisma is at critical levels of failure.]
She adjusted the too-long sleeves of her beginner's shirt, which now had a dirt smudge shaped like a regrettable decision across the shoulder. The iron sword bumped against her hip as she trudged forward.
"I can't believe I'm actually about to kill a bird for XP. A bird. My ancestors are probably rolling in their cursed tombs."
[Correction: Your ancestors were likely devoured by tax collectors. But carry on.]
She sighed, scanning the horizon.
The world around her was quiet eerily so. Sharp cliffs and black stone dotted the landscape like the bones of dead titans. In the distance, the remnants of a ruined tower loomed like a crooked finger. Somewhere, a lizard screamed.
Probably at its own reflection.
[Initiating local scan…]
Zyrha blinked as a new window appeared before her, overlaying her field of vision like a HUD in a low-budget game.
MONSTER SCAN ACTIVATED
Scanning nearby creatures…Filtering based on Host level…Excluding potential death traps…
Detected Lifeforms:
Sootback Lizard – Level 6 – [Caution: Moderate]
Bonefin Vulture – Level 8 – [Insufficient Data]
Duskshell Beetle – Level 3 – [Non-aggressive]
Shriek-Wing Finch – Level 2 – [Viable Target]
Zyrha pointed dramatically at the last entry. "That one. Give me the stupid bird."
[Highlighting target: Shriek-Wing Finch.]
A faint, glowing outline shimmered in the air ahead. It marked the approximate location of her prey perched somewhere on a boulder near the old well. She crept forward.
"Okay, just gotta stay quiet…"
[You're currently narrating your stealth out loud.]
"Right. Sorry."
The outline sharpened as she got closer. And then she saw it.
There, proudly pecking at the remnants of what looked like a burned mushroom, was the Shriek-Wing Finch. It was roughly the size of a watermelon with feathers plump, smug, and covered in fluffy charcoal-gray plumage. Its eyes were small and round, and its head bobbed with every step like it was listening to a beat only it could hear.
"Look at it," she whispered. "Completely unaware of its incoming doom."
The bird paused then it looked directly at her , they locked eyes Zyrha didn't move.
The bird blinked. Then, with all the grace of a paper plane in a hurricane, it squawked and took off.
"NO COME BACK HERE YOU SKY COWARD!"
She launched herself forward, nearly tripping over a rock, and swung her sword like a dramatic idiot with a vendetta. It missed by a solid meter.
The bird flapped into the air with a screech like a squeaky boot being stepped on by fate.
"Ugh! It flies! Of course it flies!"
[Reminder: Birds, traditionally, do fly.]
Zyrha turned her furious eyes toward the fading feathered dot in the sky. "That wasn't in the quest notes!"
[It was. Under "Species: Bird."]
"Semantics!"
She huffed and paced in small, useless circles.
"Okay. Think, Zyrha. It's fast, airborne, and mocking you with every flap. You are on the ground, angry, and mildly hungry again. This is a strategic disadvantage."
[Insight achieved. Good job.]
"Shut up."
She tapped her temple. "I need to trap it. Pin it down. Ground it somehow. But how?"
Zyrha scanned the terrain around her. Loose rocks. Cracked shrubs. A patch of thorns that looked like it hated everything. No nets. No traps. No conveniently placed ballistas.
The bird was circling lazily now, high above her, doing little swoops as if to taunt her with its aerodynamic superiority.
She picked up a rock and threw it.
It missed by a cosmic margin and landed in a puddle with a sad plop.
[Strong arm. Weak aim. Impressive failure.]
"Okay okay okay." She began muttering to herself, pacing back and forth. "Can't reach it with my sword. Can't throw. I don't have magic projectiles yet. What do I have?"
Then it hit her.
"Echo Thread," she whispered.
[Correct. Would you like to tether to the bird? Warning: Skill may have limited effect at this range.]
Zyrha nodded. "Let's try."
She focused more difficult this time, with the target flapping around like a caffeinated ghost. She stretched her will again, tried to reach. The thread shimmered into being, pulsing with faint silvery energy as it extended , and latched.
"Oh!" she gasped. "Got it!"
Suddenly, she felt it again that strange emotional hum. It wasn't complex. Just a burst of pride. Confidence. And then...
Arrogance , the bird was smug.
Zyrha clenched her fists. "Oh, it thinks it's better than me."
[Accurate. Additional observation: It also assumes you're edible.]
She grinned.
"Perfect. Let's use that."
Ten minutes later, Zyrha crouched behind a jagged boulder, face flushed, hair tousled by the wind. In front of her was a trap, if one could call it that.
She'd arranged some crumbs from her rations beneath a propped-up rock slab. It was held in place by a stick and a single string of Echo Thread stretched tight across it linked to her will, ready to snap when triggered.
It was a disaster. It was also the best plan she had.
"Alright, birdie. Time to bring you down to my level."
The Shriek-Wing Finch, still circling above, began to descend, curiosity piqued by the scent of food and the delicious confidence of being unthreatened.
[Bird is lowering altitude. Emotional state: smug hunger.]
"Come on... just a little lower…"
The bird swooped. Its wings fluttered. It landed near the bait and pecked once. Twice. Then hopped forward.
Zyrha's fingers twitched.
"Now—!"
She yanked the thread with her will the stick popped , the rock slab dropped , there was a loud, offended squawk.
A single feather floated up.
Silence.
Zyrha stood, blinking then she ran to the trap.
Under the slab, the Shriek-Wing Finch was alive furious, indignant, but definitely not flying. One wing pinned, one foot squished, and its dignity shattered into chirping fragments.
Zyrha stared at it, panting.
Then raised her sword.
"Sorry," she whispered. "Blame the tutorial."
She swung.
One clean slice.
A puff of light. A digital chime.
QUEST COMPLETE!
Target eliminated.Reward: 50 EXP, 1 Healing Salve, and the quiet judgment of nature.New EXP: 50 / 250
She collapsed onto the grass, arms spread wide, panting like she'd just conquered a kingdom.
"I… hate birds."
[Well done, Bird Slayer.]
She rolled onto her side and laughed wheezing, triumphant, disbelieving.
She'd done it , one bird down a thousand ridiculous steps to go.