Sighing deeply as he entered the Drokka Advanced Adventurer Zone, Shye swiftly scanned the surroundings, looking for the adventurer party that had just left.
'The left path huh? Haaah...so they're not going near the blood eucalypt forest...' Shye lamented.
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!'
===
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...'
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.