MTLNOVEL Chapter 58: Ruthless
Of course, that wasn't the real reason I was asking her to hunt me.
I just needed to complete the fourth task on daily quest list:
[Daily Quest Progress:]
• Sprint for 3 kilometers – (Complete)
• Scale a steep hill or tall tree – (Incomplete)
• Carry 25–40kg of rocks or logs for 10 minutes – (Complete)
• Evade 20 thrown projectiles – (Incomplete)
But Zarah didn't know that. Which explained the confused look on her face.
"Don't worry about it," I said calmly. "It's just a test. I'm taking the others who didn't go yesterday on a hunt tomorrow, so I need to be sure you've fully recovered."
"Is that so?" she said slowly, her voice cautious.
"Yes. So, pick up the bow... and use it."
Zarah stayed quiet for a moment. I could see the uncertainty in her eyes—uncertainty about my request, about whether this was really necessary.
But then something changed.
Her expression hardened with focus.
Without another word, she raised her bow.
I nodded—And then I felt it.
Danger.
"In that case," Zarah said, her tone suddenly sharper, "I'll give it everything I've got."
"Okay, but make sure to go ea—"
WHOOSH!
I jerked my head to the side just in time as an arrow zipped past, so close I could feel the breeze on my cheek.
What the hell!?
Before I could fully process it, Zarah had already drawn another arrow and loosed it. This one aimed directly for my face.
But with the number of points I had in Agility—and the added help from [Danger Sense]—I slipped out of its path like it was nothing.
She wasn't holding back. Not even a little.
WHOOSH!
The arrows kept coming, one after another. Her reloading speed was surprisingly fast for her level.
I felt a sharp tingle at the base of my skull and dove to the side. An arrow slammed into the ground where I'd just been standing.
My eyes widened. Are you serious, Zarah!?
She wasn't aiming for center mass. She kept going for my head.As if she actually wanted to kill me.
I stopped and turned toward her, raising a hand.
"Wait, Zarah—"
TWANG!
She fired again before I could finish.
I barely managed to lunge sideways, the arrow whizzing past my ribs. But before I could catch my breath, another one came flying. I had no choice—I rolled, sprang to my feet, and ducked behind a tree for cover.
THONK!
The arrow buried itself in the trunk of the tree I'd just ducked behind.
She was tracking me. Relentlessly. Her focus was razor sharp, like a predator locked onto prey.
Okay… maybe this wasn't such a great idea after all.
There's no talking Zarah down.
This wasn't a spar to her.
This was a trial by fire.
Using [Warp] was out of the question. It didn't count toward the daily quest. I'd learned that the hard way during the "Run 3km" task—teleporting didn't move the progress bar even an inch. I had to earn it manually. No shortcuts. No system loopholes.
Luckily, [Danger Sense] didn't count as cheating—probably because it was passive.
TWIP!
THONK!
Another arrow slammed into the tree, just inches from my face.
That was close.
I really need to start taking Zarah more seriously.
I had completely underestimated how committed she'd be. I figured, since I was her Chief, she'd hold back a little—maybe aim wide, show some restraint.
Nope.
She was 100% trying to bury an arrow in me.
I didn't take it personally, though. I knew what this was. She wasn't trying to hurt me out of spite—she was trying to prove she was useful. That she was ready.
But still...
TWIP.
TWIP.
TWIP.
TWIP.
TWIP.
Five arrows flew in rapid succession, fanning out and trailing my movement like she'd predicted where I'd go before I did.
One of them grazed the side of my shirt, cutting clean through the fabric.
Tch.
But…
It was getting hard not to hold a grudge.
She was getting scarily close to actually hitting me.
Just then, I heard a faint rustle above—the whisper of a branch shifting under weight.
I glanced up.Zarah.
She was leaping through the trees, stalking me from above like some kind of forest wraith.
"Hm… Zarah, you don't have to be so aggressive," I muttered.
FWIP.
An arrow sliced past my ear.
A very clear message: shut up and keep moving.
Right. So much for reasoning.
I exhaled sharply and popped open the daily quest screen mid-sprint:
[Daily Quest]
• Evade 20 thrown projectiles – (Incomplete: 12/20 projectiles dodged)
Almost there.
just eight more to go.
Another arrow whipped by—so close it brushed past my head. The breeze it left in its wake gave me chills.
Then another followed, whizzing by my shoulder.
I sighed.
I really should've just told her to throw a rock instead.
After several more minutes of sprinting through underbrush, ducking behind trees, and narrowly dodging arrows, I was finally down to the last one.
Only one more projectile to dodge, and the quest would be complete.
I slowed my pace and came to a stop, chest rising and falling with steady breaths.
Then I turned around.
Scanning the trees, I narrowed my eyes.
"Zarah…" I muttered. "Where'd you go?"
I looked around for Zarah, scanning the treetops and underbrush.
But there was no sign of her.
She must've realized attacking head-on wasn't working, I thought. Now she's trying to sneak up on me.
I turned slowly, eyes narrowing as I searched for any sign of movement—anything that looked out of place.
Then I heard a sharp sound behind me.
THONK!
I spun around, muscles tensed—
Only to see a rock bounce harmlessly across the forest floor.
A decoy?
TWIP!
Behind me, I heard the sharp twang of a bowstring.
Without even looking back, I dropped low, bending sharply at the waist, one leg raised to steady myself. The arrow whistled past, grazing the air just above my back.
I twisted around to face her—And froze.
She was mid-air.
Zarah loosed a flurry of arrows while descending, clearly aiming to pin me down.
How merciless can you be?
But just as the first arrow touched the edge of my perception, a soft chime echoed in my head:
• Evade 20 thrown projectiles – (Complete)
Without hesitation, I activated [Warp].
And in a flash, I vanished, reappearing several meters behind her.
The arrows slammed into the spot where I'd just stood.
But Zarah wasn't finished.
As soon as she landed, she...