The Anomaly

"I thought you'd never ask." Turai replied with a small smirk.

"Alright, Turai," Hubert said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You've shown admirable restraint. Go for it."

Turai's eyes lit up, a mix of excitement and determination flashing across his face. He was about to dash off when Hubert's hand clasped his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"But remember," the older man cautioned, "these beasts are crafty. Don't let your eagerness blind you to the dangers."

Nodding solemnly, Turai took a deep breath, centering himself. Just as he was about to move, Hubert did something unexpected. With a deliberate motion, he snapped a twig underfoot, the sharp crack echoing through the quiet forest.

Turai's head whipped around, a frown creasing his brow. "Why did you do that?" he hissed, frustration evident in his voice.

Hubert's only response was a cryptic smile and a nod towards the trees ahead. The sound had alerted their quarry, and in the distance, they caught a glimpse of a Vanishing Felican darting between the trees.

Despite his annoyance at Hubert's interference, Turai's instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, he sprinted after the creature, his feet barely seeming to touch the ground as he weaved through the underbrush.

The Felican, aware of its pursuer, reacted as expected. It spat out a dark orb that exploded into a cloud of inky blackness. The creature leapt into the dissipating darkness, vanishing from sight.

But Turai didn't falter. In a move that surprised both Hubert and Marin, he suddenly changed direction, veering sharply to the left. His eyes were closed, his face a mask of intense concentration.

As he ran, Turai's hand moved to the short sword at his hip. In one fluid motion, he drew the weapon and leapt into the air. The blade flashed in a downward arc, and a dull sound followed.

Thud!

Hubert and Marin exchanged glances of confusion, then shock as they heard something heavy hit the forest floor. They rushed forward, pushing through the dense foliage to reach Turai.

What they saw left them speechless. Turai stood, barely breathing hard, his sword dripping with dark blood. At his feet lay the Vanishing Felican, its head cleanly severed from its body.

"By the gods," Marin breathed, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Hubert, his gruff exterior momentarily shaken, stared at Turai with a mixture of pride and awe. "How... how did you know where to find it, kid? How did you make that kill?"

Turai turned to them, his expression calm but his eyes shining with an inner fire. "I stopped relying on my eyes," he explained, his voice steady. "Instead, I focused on sensing the creature's magical energy. Even when it vanishes, that energy remains."

The two adults exchanged another glance, this time of amazement tinged with a hint of unease. They knew all too well how difficult it was to perceive the magical signature of a Vanishing Felican, especially after it had used its disappearing trick. Many experienced Wanderers had tried and failed to develop this skill.

Yet here stood Turai, a boy barely on the cusp of manhood, demonstrating an ability that seasoned veterans struggled to master. Hubert felt a chill run down his spine as he realized the true extent of Turai's potential. If he could give the young boy a nickname, Hubert would gladly refer to the child as the Anomaly.

Pushing aside his wonderment, Hubert moved towards the fallen Dweller. With practiced efficiency, he knelt beside the corpse and made an incision near its chest. Plunging his hand into the opening, he extracted the creature's heart.

Turai watched with fascination as Hubert skillfully cut open the heart, revealing a small black orb nestled within. "This, here," Hubert explained, holding up the orb, "is what we call the Dweller's Origin Core. It's a concentration of the creature's total energy, about the size of a baby's fist. This little beauty will fetch a handsome price in the market."

After carefully cleaning the orb, Hubert placed it in a small bag at his waist. Then, he reached for another pouch, this one different from the others he carried. As he opened it, Turai's eyes widened in surprise. The Felican's corpse began to shrink and twist, being sucked into the seemingly tiny pouch.

Noticing Turai's amazement, Marin explained, "That's a Wanderer's Storage. It's enchanted to be much larger on the inside than it appears. Quite useful for carrying large items... or in this case, Dweller corpses."

With their first kill secured, the trio pressed deeper into the forest. Hubert, recognizing Turai's unique ability, decided to let the boy take the lead in tracking their next target.

As they moved silently through the undergrowth, Turai's senses were on high alert. He could feel the subtle pulses of magical energy around him, distinguishing between the ambient magic of the forest and the more concentrated signatures of living creatures.

Suddenly, Turai froze, his hand raised to signal the others to stop. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed in concentration. Without a word, he pointed to a dense thicket about twenty meters to their right.

Hubert and Marin tensed, readying their weapons. They expected Turai to approach cautiously, perhaps flush out the creature so they could all engage it together.

What happened next, however, took them completely by surprise.

Turai's eyes snapped open, a fierce determination blazing in them. In a blur of motion, he sprinted towards the thicket, his short sword already in hand. Just as he reached the edge of the dense growth, a Vanishing Felican burst out, clearly startled by the direct approach.

The creature spat its dark orb, but Turai was ready. Instead of slowing down or changing direction, he increased his speed. As the orb exploded into darkness, Turai leapt forward, disappearing into the inky cloud along with the Felican.

Hubert and Marin held their breath, weapons at the ready, unsure of what was happening within the dissipating darkness. Seconds stretched into what felt like minutes.

Then, as the last wisps of magical darkness faded away, they saw Turai standing tall, his sword plunged deep into the Felican's chest. The creature let out a final, gurgling growl before collapsing to the ground.

As Hubert and Marin approached, still in shock at what they had witnessed, Turai calmly withdrew his blade from the Dweller's body. He turned to his companions, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips.

"I thought," he said, his voice barely betraying the exertion of the fight, "why let them use their trick against us? If they can disappear into the darkness, so can I."

Hubert let out a booming laugh, clapping Turai on the shoulder. "By the gods, kid, you're full of surprises! I've never seen anyone take on a Vanishing Felican like that."

Marin, her usual composure slipping, shook her head in amazement. "You truly are something else, Turai. I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like you."

"I don't think you'll ever do." Hubert turned to the corpse.

As Hubert began the now-familiar process of extracting the Origin Core and storing the corpse, Turai's mind was already racing ahead to the next challenge. He had proven he could hunt these Dwellers, but he knew there were far more dangerous creatures out there.