You have to hunt down this monster. However, you need to rest. Tomorrow you can resume hunting.

The enthusiasm of the local residents who gathered at the inn is a positive fact. You were able to instill hope in them and you contributed to the fact that they began to overcome the decadent mood of their own doom.

However, you are aware that the upcoming hunt will be the most dangerous activity you have participated in since you began the life of a traveling mercenary.

So, from your own experience, you are convinced that the problem is much more complex than previously thought. Everything is very bad. This is not just some strong and cunning wolf. This is a werewolf. A rare, dangerous and extremely powerful monster that has exceptional speed and endurance. Conventional weapons are clearly an ineffective means of fighting such a disgusting monster.

The sensations in your body indicate that the powerful blows of the werewolf's claws almost pierced your scale-mail coat. If the monster had managed to strike two or three more times, your body would have been pierced by its long and sharp claws. The chain mail protected your flesh from terrible wounds. But you feel pain due to bruises and abrasions. The edges of your scale-mail coat (near the wrists) have been severely damaged by the werewolf's claws. The claws tore the edges of the sleeves of your wool jacket. Fortunately, you escaped with only bruises, abrasions and scratches. The fact that the monster did not chop off your palm with its claws is simply an extremely fortunate coincidence.

All these thoughts rush through your mind as you sit at one of the tables in the inn and as you continue to eat and drink. The maidservants and the innkeeper himself bring you one dish of food after another within half an hour. You also do not experience a shortage of drinks.

You hear the frightened and bewildered exclamation of Durlen Gruy: “This is incredible... I myself saw this monster from afar... It was just a very large wolf with completely white fur... And several other people saw the same thing as me... And now it turns out that this monster was a werewolf !

In response, irritated exclamations of some peasants from the distant tables are heard: “We told you so, you empty-headed asshole! We saw this vile creature! This creature did not look like an ordinary animal! A huge wolf-like monster that walks on its hind legs like a human on its feet! A monster that is covered with disgusting black fur and that cannot be seriously injured by ordinary weapons made of iron or even steel!”

What you hear fills you with unpleasant suspicions.

Why is there such a significant difference in the observations of different witnesses?

Why did Durlen and some other villagers see an ordinary big wolf with white fur, but some other villagers saw a werewolf covered with black fur?

What is behind these inconsistencies in the evidence? Someone's lie or something else?

Meanwhile, the verbal spat between the villagers is becoming more and more violent. More and more offensive insults are used. The Innkeeper, whose face is red with outrage, shouts something equally offensive in response to the insults directed at him. A little more and a fight will begin.

You slam your fist on the table and you stand up.

You scream loudly.

Your scream interrupts the flow of mutual insults: “You all shut up now! Enough swearing! Your quarrel now benefits only the monster, who will happily eat each of you one by one! To defeat the monster you need to act as a united team! I order you all to stop this crap!”

The peasants are looking at you. The swearing subsides. Only a few of the villagers quietly mutter something and glance disapprovingly sideways towards the headman of village.

Durlen Gruy says in an apologetic tone: “Please forgive us, dear Raul... You probably need to rest before continuing the hunt tomorrow. I will show you to your room."

So, you follow Durlen to the second floor of this inn. The irritating creaking of floorboards and staircase steps indicate that this building is quite old and that this building has long been in need of quality repairs. The Innkeeper leads you to a large room at the end of the corridor.

Inside this room is quite spacious. A wide double bed, a wardrobe, a small table (it is located next to the bed) and a couple of stools.

Durlen helped you remove your armor. You put your scale-mail coat in the closet. You leave your weapon on the table next to the bed.

A couple of minutes later, an old peasant woman in a worn woolen dress enters the room and examines your bruises and abrasions. Luckily nothing serious. She gives you a healing decoction that dulls the pain from bruises and abrasions and helps you recover faster.

Soon, Durlen Gruy and the peasant woman-healer leave your room.

You are going to sleep.

You fall asleep quite quickly - your physical and nervous tension due to the events that have occurred is taking its toll.

You are in a deep sleep. No dreams.

Waking up occurs early in the morning. You wake up to rays of sunlight shining from the window straight into your face.

You yawn protractedly. Too lazy to get out of bed. But you remember that you have an extremely difficult process of tracking down werewolf. It will be very difficult to defeat this strong monster. You may have to recruit some of the locals as helpers.

One more thing: perhaps you should find out more information about the monster from the locals. The difference in testimony regarding the monster's appearance gives you a negative feeling.

You get out of bed and you start getting dressed. You put on your scale-mail coat, you put your bag on a sling, which contains small supplies, on your shoulder. You take your weapon. A powerful combat bow. Steel sword. Small steel axe. Quiver with arrows.

You are vaguely aware that something is missing.

A sudden thought arises in your mind: “My silver dagger! Where is he?! What the fuck!?”

After five minutes of careful searching, you search the entire room, but you cannot find your silver dagger.

The only weapon with which you managed to inflict at least some damage on this terrible werewolf!

This thing is missing!

The dagger is nowhere in the room!

Although you clearly remember that last evening you put this dagger on the table next to the rest of the weapons.

Your situation is becoming seriously complicated. How do you hunt werewolf now? Steel weapons do almost no damage to this monster.

You think: “The disappearance of my silver dagger is an extremely alarming sign. The dagger was probably stolen by someone. Someone is harming me."