A Big Bonus

This type of wyvern had no horns on its head, only wide and long fins—like the blade of a large ax on its head. The same thing is also found on the tip of the tail.

Even though it was night, the color of the wyvern's body could still be seen. Dark brown mixed with orange in some parts of the body, especially on the wings.

The rider cradled the bundle of money in his hand, the packet of money that was even bigger than the one the Young Master had previously given him at the tavern this afternoon.

"It's easy to make money from Shamans," he said and chuckled softly. "Just for a few sticks of mushrooms, this is a very promising down payment. Hmm, looks like there will be a lot of fun after this."

The rider laughed, completely unaware that down there, to the west, someone was waiting for him in the dark, waiting with a giant crossbow to end his journey.

Vir grinned. He could estimate the wyvern's flight speed just from the sound of the wind being torn by the creature's wings. He aimed his crossbow well, aiming his harpoon's very pointy and sharp end at the black shadow moving fast from the east.

Thud!

A large harpoon-like arrow released. The Wyvern was flying low and quickly noticed something was targeting it, but it was too late to react.

Thump!

The rider gasped. He was thrown from the back of his mount which had jerked from the impact of the harpoon on the dragon, his sword was slipped off, and was thrown far away from him. So did the bag of money in his hand. While his mount squealed loudly, then crashed hard to the ground, and rolled before coming to a stop.

The creature still had time to squeal by raising its head before it finally fell to the ground, convulsed for a moment, and then died.

A moment after releasing his large arrow, Vir drew his unique black dagger from its scabbard, strapped to his right thigh. Then he ran fast to approach the rider who crashed into the earth.

The rider was thrown hard to the ground and rolled quite a distance. He writhed in great pain, then tried to get up.

However, he felt something about to come out from within his stomach, it forced him to fall to his knees, and then vomited out blood.

He frowned as he surveyed his surroundings. At least, he was lucky enough to fall on a thick expanse of grass so that only one or two of his ribs were broken due to the crash. In the worst-case scenario, he could have died with a broken neck.

One thing he was sure of, someone or something was after him. Someone or something has been the cause of the disappearance of hundreds of riders and their dragon mounts.

He looked at the position where his wyvern had been knocked down, then saw the image of something running towards him. The rider stared. It's a man, he thought.

Because he didn't have any weapons anymore, he tried to get up, then ran away.

But in his injured condition and still feeling pain all over his body, someone who was Vir, easily caught up with him.

Vir jumped and raised his black dagger high, he was about to stab it into the rider's back.

The rider is quite agile even though he is injured. He turned around, then forced to catch Vir's lunge. He managed to catch Vir's hand and twisted his body in such a way that both of them fell to the ground.

Vir lost his dagger as it slipped away, and unfortunately, it was near the rider crash.

The rider quickly grabbed the dagger. Vir did not remain silent, he immediately got up and lunged at the rider.

"Who are you?!" shouted the rider while pointing the black dagger in his hand at Vir.

Vir dodged the rider's stab by jumping to the right, he got up again and grinned.

"You!" said the rider furiously and endured the pain because two of his ribs were broken. "You must be someone of the rumors! Someone who is hunting us, the riders!"

Vir laughed lightly. He did not interrupt the rider's words but instead attacked him again.

The rider slashed the dagger flatly intending to aim at Vir's stomach.

Vir dropped his body, knelt, and shifted away while arching his body backward.

Swing!

The black dagger passed an inch over Vir's face. He got up again quickly while holding the grass, and pulled out a handful of grass without the rider realizing it.

When they attacked each other again, Vir threw a handful of the grass, and it hit the rider in the face, interrupting his vision.

The rider made stabbing motions up and down in his confusion, Vir quickly dodged to his left side and spun backward. Then quickly, Vir caught and twisted the rider's left hand.

Cracks!

The rider screamed. He slashed the dagger in his right hand backward.

Vir held the rider's elbow with his right hand, until the dagger slipped from the rider's hand, and fell. Using his right foot, Vir kicked the dagger right in the hilt before it hit the ground.

The dagger flew up again and Vir caught it with his right hand.

And then…

Slash!

The rider gave a short and stifled groan, then his body shook with blood gushing profusely from the wide wound in his neck. Vir held the rider's body until he stopped twitching, then slumped limply and died.

During that time, Vir didn't show any expression of disgust or fear, not at all. He grinned with a sharp gaze while holding the rider's back.

And after that, Vir dragged the rider's body closer to the wyvern body on the other end.

Vir dropped the body of the rider just like that to the ground. With that very sharp black dagger, he tore open the wyvern's chest, drew his harpoon, and took out the heart of the creature the size of an adult horse.

After depositing the bloodstained heart in a cloth pouch at his waist, Vir dragged the winged creature's corpse into the sea, letting it drown, and become food for the sea creatures. Likewise with the body of the rider.

The man smiled widely looking at the corpse of the rider who was sinking slowly.

"Die and become a curious spirit," he said coldly. "Blame your character and attitude that exceeds the devil. And I, you are unlucky, I am the Angel of Death for you!"

He turned around and returned to the previous location.

Vir took a deep breath while looking at the expanse of the prairie at the point where he had killed the rider, as well as the point where the wyvern had crashed. He seemed to be able to see the blood splattered at the two points.

But Vir couldn't do anything with it. The blood will remain there until it dries, turns black, and disappears for the next few days.

But it doesn't matter, he thought. After all, just based on the scattered blood, those people wouldn't necessarily know whose blood it was. Except, if there is a shaman with the power of the gods.

"Unfortunately, that is just a myth!"

Vir grinned as he rocked a bag of money. The money belonging to the rider that he found near the fall of the rider's sword earlier.

"Not bad," he said again, looking at the bag of money in his hand. "Big bonus this time."

Vir packed his equipment before finally leaving the meadow location.

***