The journey back to Riverwood was much quieter than the hunt.
The group walked along the forest path while the morning sunlight filtered through the tall trees. The tension from the battle had slowly faded, replaced by the heavy exhaustion that always followed a dangerous fight.
Bren walked at the front of the group, the cloth bag containing the ogre's tusk hanging from his belt. It would serve as proof of the monster's death when they returned to the Adventurer Guild.
Behind him, the shield warriors talked quietly with the archer, occasionally laughing as the adrenaline faded.
Alex walked beside Kael near the back of the group.
For the first time since the battle, everything felt calm. But Alex's mind wasn't calm at all.
The system interface still lingered in his thoughts.
The hidden objective.
The new skill.
And the strange feeling that the system had been… watching the battle.
He had no idea why.
"You're thinking too much," Kael said suddenly.
Alex glanced at him.
"What makes you say that?"
Kael smirked slightly.
"You've been staring at the ground for ten minutes."
Alex sighed.
"Just thinking about the fight."
Kael nodded toward the forest ahead.
"You handled yourself well."
"Lucky hit," Alex replied.
"Luck rarely climbs onto an ogre's shoulder."
Alex chuckled quietly.
"Well… let's just say I saw an opportunity."
Kael studied him for a moment, his sharp gray eyes filled with quiet curiosity.
But he didn't push the conversation further.
After nearly an hour of walking, the forest finally began to thin out.
The tall trees slowly gave way to open fields, and the wooden walls of Riverwood appeared in the distance.
One of the shield warriors stretched his arms.
"Never thought I'd be so happy to see those walls."
The archer laughed.
"Same."
Bren glanced back at the group.
"Don't relax yet. We still need to report to the guild."
As the party approached the northern gate, the guards immediately noticed them. One guard stepped forward.
"Back already?"
Bren held up the large tusk.
"That answer your question?"
The guard's eyes widened.
"You killed it?"
The second guard leaned closer to inspect the tusk.
"By the gods… that's definitely an ogre."
The first guard opened the gate quickly.
"Well done. The town will sleep easier tonight."
The group entered Riverwood. News traveled quickly in a small town. By the time they reached the town square, several people were already whispering and pointing.
"Those are the adventurers who went after the ogre…"
"Did they really kill it?"
"I heard the monster destroyed two caravans!"
Bren ignored the attention and led the group straight toward the Adventurer Guild. The large wooden doors swung open as they entered.
Inside, the guild hall was busy as usual. Adventurers filled the tables while the reception desk handled a line of people reporting quests.
The moment Bren walked in with the tusk, the room grew quieter. Several adventurers turned their heads.
"Is that…?"
"An ogre tusk?"
Bren walked directly to the counter.
The red-haired receptionist looked up and immediately froze when she saw the massive tooth.
"You actually did it," she said.
Bren placed the tusk on the counter.
"Ogre eliminated."
The receptionist examined the tusk carefully before nodding.
"That's undeniable proof."
She opened the guild ledger and began writing.
"Emergency quest completed."
Several adventurers nearby began murmuring in surprise. One of them pointed toward Alex.
"Wait… isn't that the same guy who killed the Shadow Wolf Alpha?"
Another added, "And the goblin brute too."
Alex suddenly felt very aware of the eyes watching him. He shifted slightly, uncomfortable with the attention.
The receptionist finished writing and reached under the counter, pulling out a heavy pouch of coins.
"Forty silver coins," she said.
Bren took the pouch and turned toward the group.
"Equal split."
He counted the coins and handed them out.
When Alex received his share, he stared down at the six silver coins in his hand.
It was the most money he had earned since arriving in this world.
"Not bad," Kael said beside him.
Alex smiled slightly.
"Definitely not."
But before the moment could settle, the system flickered again. A new message appeared quietly in Alex's vision.
System Notice
High-Level Combat Recorded
Combat Data Stored
New Event Probability Increased
Alex frowned slightly.
"New event?"
The message vanished almost immediately.
But something about it made him uneasy.
Because if the system was preparing another event…
It probably wouldn't be an easy one.