Mary immediately threw the bottle at the giant bear, the monster staggered as the strange liquid spilled on its face. ARGAAAAAAAA! The monster growled in pain as its eyes teared up, his nose felt as if it was set on flames and a severe rash ate away at its skin.
Mary quickly turned around and kept jogging, “Let’s move away, he will never get close to us again.” She said as if she just sent an annoying guest away.
“Wait, what was that?” Alice asked as she stared at the bear wallowing in pain.
“Bear repellent, the guild’s alchemists have created multiple concoctions like this to deal with monsters.” Mary looked back as the bear turned tail and started going for the forest. ‘It’s strange, how could she let them alone like this?’ Mary thought remembered that Zaleria was supposed to protect them.
…
Inside the forest, Zaleria was gorging herself on a massive elk. “They seem to have dealt with it, there seems to be no need for my interference.” She said lifting her massive head up. The girls should have known better since they saw Zaleria in action before, her perception range was mind-boggling. All that time they were under her surveillance.
…
“look, there’s one there!” Cain said pointing at what looked like a two-headed ape monster, “That baboon there seems like a good target for you.” He looked at Selena who was standing behind him.
“I don’t know-nya, I hate fur.” Selena frowned as the monster’s fur was drenched in filth, Cain gave her a doubting look as he remembered how she usually fight.
“I meant to punch, you don’t have to bite everything you know?” Cain said giving her a slight tap on the back. “Fine-nya!”
Unlike how she was used to fighting before, this time she charged head-on. The baboon immediately noticed her presence and howled his horrendous voice resembled the cries of a human mixed with that of a wolf.
AAA WOAA, AAA WOAA! He jumped violently, brandishing his canine teeth to intimidate the aggressor. Seeing that Selena wasn’t intending to back down the ape grabbed a stone and used its long arms to jump and climb a tree.
Selena ignored the stone flying toward her and increased her speed, her claws extended as she reached the tree. AAA WOAA! The baboon mocked her feeble attempt, his feeling of safety only grew looking at her from the treetop.
Using her right arm, Selena pulled her body up with one Swipe. The monster gasped loudly as he saw her climb behind him faster than his peers. The girl’s claws acted as anchors and her immense strength pulled her relatively light body up easily.
“GAW!” Selena swung her claws at the baboon with her full might, the monster immediately jumped from the tree in fear. The thick branch where he was standing snapped like toothpicks in her Selena claws, her eyes were still locked on him.
Shivering in fear, his two faces tensed and he grabbed two stones, throwing them blindly at her. Selena quickly jumped behind him taking the stones head first. That powerful pounce was faster than the baboon expected, making him an easily targeted.
Selena’s left claws grabbed into the monster’s should and she pulled out. The sharp claws sliced through his flesh like blades, finally wedging into his collar bone. The baboon wailed in pain as his body was flung around like a ragdoll, Finally dying by a straight punch to the chest which broke his ribs and forced his heart to stop.
As the fight ended Cain emerged from the bushes clapping, “Well done, see, you could do it easily.” He did know beforehand that the baboon had no chance against Selena, he was smart but not enough to match her speed and strength.
“I took longer than you to kill a monster weaker than what you hunted-nya, I can’t call this a good display-nya.” Selena’s said swinging her claws around to clean them from the blood.
After that, the two kept running through the forest looking for anything to hunt. They kept taking turns killing any monster they ran across. For Selena, it was a dear come true, a peaceful hunt with her mate was of most romantic experience she could as for.
…
On the other side the girls have started hunting again, Sofia found it extremely useful to be able to regenerate MP with her rings. Alice was on the other hand absorbing her MP from Cain when she needs to. Gracie didn’t need MP, just short rests.
“AH! You’re warm aren’t you!” Alice said hugging Sofia with a happy face. “It’s cold in the snow, is keeping warm a part of your magic?” Gracie asked as she stood close to them warming her hands.
Sofia sighed as she held the flame burning in her hand, “Zaleria said it’s due to how much Mana is passing by my body. Also since I keep using fire I’m always heated up.” She replied watching the fire burning in her hand.
“You’re not using your staff?” Mary asked and Sofia gave her a sharp look, “It’s none of your business, I do use it with my rings.” Sofia was getting more and more agitated by Mary, just the fact she argued yesterday with Cain, endangered them by not telling them about the bear. Sofia was already holding back the urge to punch her in the face.
“I’m going to find another monster, you two better find one as well!” Sofia stood up and Alice followed. “Yeah, we don’t want to disappoint Cain with hunting just a few slimes,” Alice added, giving a sharp glare to Mary who started following them.
Seeing Alice’s sharp look, Gracie misunderstood her intention and sprung into action. Mary smiled and was about to try and talk felt a sharp thing on her neck. “Try another funny thing like earlier and I will slit your throat, all of this is going to be reported back to the lord so you better behave.”
“Gracie, I didn’t mean it like that. Leave her.” Gracie immediately left the paled Mary, the girl was shivering at the sudden attempt at her life.
The look Alice gave was something Lisa thought Gracie about extensively, the stare name was -On it- Lisa used it as a signal for which people William want her to take off. When William was discussing a trade deal with a cocky noble, he gave Lisa that look. At that time Gracie was there serving them tea. After the discussion ended Lisa told Gracie that that look meant that William wanted her to eliminate him as fast as possible.
The next day that noble was found dead in his house. He had hanged himself after writing a will to transfer all of his property to his son. Gracie knows that the incident wasn’t suicide, it was Lisa carrying her orders.
“What do you…” Mary gasped for air as she landed on her knees, “Well, I didn’t mean it to reach this far but. I have a feeling you’re looking for something in us, I don’t know what or why but if you don’t stop, I will make sure you live behind bars!” Alice’s 18 wisdom was giving her a weird feeling, she felt that Mary was up to something and she wasn’t going to sit it off.
“Don’t report what happened today, It will just bring us more problems than benefits!” Alice added, saving Mary from William’s wrath.
Sofia didn’t quite understand the strange way the conversation went on, “If you finished, let’s move!” They quickly trailed off.
Deep in the forest, Zaleria was leaving a trail of blood after her. Using her charisma to draw monsters and then feed on them, she managed to silently hunt a lot. That continued until she felt something strange enter the forest.
“It’s those hermits?” She immediately surveyed the whole forest. Cain and Selena were together, the girls were also safe. “It will be problematic if they saw me as a dragon so…” She turned back to her human, barfing from her filled stomach, this was a nice meal. BOOM! She flew in a flash of flame toward the hermits at fast speed.
On the other side of the forest, Alaric the druid was leading his injured people to take refuge in the forest. There were children, women, the elderly, and even other druids. His full-circle looked as if they were just attacked by wild beasts.
“I told you we should have never followed that thing, she is an enemy to the forest!” An old man shouted in Alaric’s back, “He is right, she is crazy!”
“Can you stay silent for a moment? This forest should be far enough, I doubt she will bother chasing us here!” Another old man said.
“But it’s strange, that witch is relentless. The fact she let us run here is suspicious. We have to move on to the mountains!” Alaric said.
“I smell my sister’s filth on you, care to explain?” Alaric’s body froze as he heard the scary voice coming from where the women were marching. Between them stood a single woman that left his face pale. “Zaleria?”
“You have grown a lot, kid!” She grinned standing close to the man’s wife.