[NR] There's Always Magic - Chapter 770

The next morning, everyone gathers around the fire pit for breakfast.

Courtney looks satisfied at something, and so Jason and Rosha purposefully don’t ask.

Their breakfast is soon devoured and still, they’re sitting there until Courtney sighs. “Do you want to hear what I learned?”

The other two smile at each other. Rosha laughs, “Sure! What have you learned?”

Courtney frowns at her before sighing. “Okay, the story we heard yesterday is basically a classic. Not as in a local classic, but an irl classic. This appears to be one of the stories that the System has added into NeoRealm for spice and flavor. A new world mountain ghost story, tall tale, ect.

“What's important is that first bit. Yes, this is a ghost story and so there are non-zero odds of the creature being undead. However, nine-tenths on it being a living creature. I just figured we should keep that in mind.

“However, there are some solid clues I picked up. For one, the beast will be hanging out around that idiot’s house. What was his name?”

Rosha shrugs, “I don’t think we learned it or if we did? We didn’t bother remembering.”

Courtney nods, “Fair enough.

“Now, during the day it will be wandering around. This I mostly gathered by the fact that all the villagers talk about seeing it around, but not bothering them at night.

“Because that is the other M O of the creature. During the day? It might cause trouble, but it is during the night that it causes mental anguish and tries to approach the target. Generally, while wailing about whatever went wrong. Though oddly, they seem prone to losing their tails?

“My amateur take on our irl tall tales is to represent the desperate hunger that comes during the winter. After all, a tail doesn’t have much meat on it and yet the people are desperate for even that little bit of meat. Though in here? Yeah, they just have a stupidly big tail and thus it’s an easy target.”

Jason, “That would do it. I’d guess the System might have even placed a curse in their tail to attract blows. Well, curse or blessing, depending on how you look at it. The man’s story is a little odd on that subject. He basically missed the creature and yet lopped the tail off perfectly? Yeah right.

“Anyway, it sounds like dusk is our best bet at finding the beast. That being the point at which they should be returning to the man’s house. So I guess we probably need to ask which house is his, now that I think about it.”

Rosha, “I would actually say the night is the best time. It sounds like they’re quite vocal and we can use that to find them.”

Jason shakes his head, “The guy didn’t report hearing it.”

Rosha, “Maybe he just sleeps like a log?”

Courtney, “Hold up, let me talk. Jason was right. We’ll be hunting it at dusk. Given the stories of fighting it in the dark, chances are they get some kind of boost. Besides that, this one isn’t all that vocal. Better to catch it while the creature is moving than to hope it speaks up at night. Though chances are it will be moving around at night as well.

“Not that I feel the night would cause any of us much trouble. I’m of the shadows, you're focused on scouting, and if Jason doesn’t have a method of handling the dark, I’ll eat my hat.”

Jason shrugs, “Well, yeah, I do have a way to deal with it. Pretty certain this has come up before.”

Courtney shrugs, “We don’t exactly go out at night much. Despite being adventurers, we’ve actually stuck to brightly lit areas more than not. Which is kind of weird now that I think of it. Exploring dark places is practically the main task adventurers take up. Caves, dungeons, and overgrown forests! Like, even when we were tromping through that undead-infested forest, it was still pretty open and bright. What is up with that?”

Rosha laughs, “It wouldn’t be a challenge! The System sends people to those places because it will challenge them. Just think of us going into a cave. I would hear anything from a mile away. Courtney, you would see everything as if it was brightly lit. And Jason? A cramped cave? Even if he was blind, the tight space would be only a boon for his style of combat.”

Jason, “We are oddly prepared to handle such things. Well, you are a little put out because bows aren’t the best. Even spears suffer if you try to do more than stab. Still, the third form is more than enough.”

Rosha shrugs, “Besides, there’s always magic.”

From there, they plan a bit more, before heading out.

Since they planned to move at night, they split up to do a little more research. Courtney went to ask the ladies for their own versions of the story, just in case they had missed something. Rosha explored the open area across the river. While Jason took a look around the man’s house.

Well, Jason asked Old Liam where the guy lived first. Still didn’t catch the man’s name either, but at least they know where to watch now.

And as the sun begins to dip, they all gather on Jason at Old Liam’s place, before heading over there. Not that the small house is all that far away. Though as a single man, the guy’s place is down the road, near the river with all the other single men.

Once there, they very specifically avoid being noticed by the guy. While it might have been polite to inform him that they’re going to be staking out his home. There was a significant chance that he was being watched by the critter, even if it wasn’t specifically in the area.

So, Jason sets up against a nearby house, blending into the rough wall. Courtney uses the shadows to take up a similar position down the other way. With Rosha taking up the most dangerous position, that of being on the target’s roof. Though that was dangerous more because they didn’t quite trust said roof.