’Come on, come on... Don't let me down right now.’

[*Ding: You have successfully enchanted...

[*Ding: Your {Aprentice Enchanter} skill has risen to level 4!]

” Yes, I did it... After so much work and failed attempts... At least it was not for nothing. ”

I had used three whole silver coins on it to make sure that the enchantment would work. It was also my first attempt with silver so it could not be helped. But I could not afford to spend more than that. Silver was still silver after all. 

’After all... ehh, all that's left is just 2 bronze, 11 silvers, and 2 gold... I think. I should check again after this...’ I had kept 2 bronze coins in case of something unexpected too... To at least own some from all types.

’Hehehe... And the moment of truth. Let's see how this beauty shine... Appraisal!’

[Common Iron Spear]

• [Spear type weapon of common quality. The grade was raised from the enchanting process.]
• [Mana conductivity +7%.]
• [Dexterity +2.]
• [Low-Uncommon grade]

The dexterity was there. To manage it was so much harder than simply enchanting in the normal way. The three silver coins weren't spent for nothing. 

After praising myself for some time, I checked my full status as well... There had been some advancement in the last two weeks.

• Name: Elizabeth 
• Level: 23
• Race: Elven
• Sex: Female
• Age:  17
• ----------
• Vitality:  99
• Power:  65
• Dexterity:  38
• Spirit:  78
• Mana: 252
• ----------

• <Skills>

• Racial skills:

1. [Child of the Forest]
2. [Elemental Magic Affinity]
3. [Enchanted Senses]
4. [Superior Bow Technique]

•   Normal skills:

1. [Appraisal 5] 
2. [Apprentice Enchanter 4] 
3. [Apprentice Blacksmith 2]
4. [Mana Manipulation 4]
5. [Fire Manipulation 2]
6. [Apprentice Spear Technique 2]
7. [Apprentice Bow Technique 3]

• Passive skills:

1. [Amissi Common Language]
2. [Elven Language]
3. [Odder’s Black Ring: Bond of Blood]

With the new spear equipped, my dexterity status would get updated to 40. There were also differences between the difficulties of enchanting different statuses.

For example, the dexterity status was simply harder than the power one. If I was to enchant power and not dexterity on the spear, it would have been around 3 or 4.

The piece of equipment you wanted to enchant it was important too. If I would have chosen vitality for the spear, the status would have been even lower than the dexterity one. On the other hand, if I would have enchanted a breastplate with it, the status would have been around 4 or 5.

As I suspected earlier, one of the unreadable statuses of my ring was related to the spirit status. With the ring on my hand, the spirit status was up to 78. But if I were to take it down, the status would drop to 63.

Even so, 63 in spirit was quite high. And much like my spirit status, which increased way easier than the others, my skill with the bow was growing way faster than the one with the spear. I suspected that the cause was closely tied with my new race.

” Goddamn weird world and goddamn weird grass... ” I could not help but mutter to myself. It was a habit I was developing the more I lived alone in that forest. 

As for what was wrong with the grass— even wronger than everything else around there— was something I wished to forget completely. It was better to say that the living plant had sticky... Very, very sticky little tentacles to catch prey. 

*shudder*

The only good part was that the little tentacles ranged from extremely thin to quite thick and the thin ones were a very good material to be used as strings for my bow; after thoroughly washing them. The tentacles had a very good elasticity too, so I used them to create new and improvised clubs that wouldn't break apart after the first use. I named them clubs v2.

Thanks to them, I was able to hunt monsters easier. Ambushing them with arrows from the distance was way easier and safer. It got to the point that I designed an easy to climb tree around the temple as a watchtower to spot lonely preys. 

” Haaa... Damn forest. At this point, I'm almost like a caveman... ugh... c-cavewoman... ”

It was no use. Even after half a month worth of time, I was still awkward when thinking about that change.

” I should go to the river and get some water... I almost run out of it... ” I spoke again toward nobody else than myself as to shake my thoughts from the change and left the temple. 

” To the river! ”

If I were to meet a lonely monster on the way, that would be even better. Two birds with one stone as the saying was saying.

Nothing really special had happened in the last two days and I started to feel a little bored. I was entertaining the thought of leaving the temple to explore the rest of the world more and more.

It was not like I wanted to meet new monstrosities, but not having diversity was bad too. 

’It was like—

My thought was not even finished when I saw a wolf corpse. 

That was nothing special. Some monsters would fight each other all the time around these parts. It was normal to spot a corpse— usually half eaten— from time to time.

’What the hell?’ But this one was different. The wolf corpse had blade wounds on it. I was not certain about it but that was a pretty good guess. 

” Now... that's something that will not often happen around here... ” I felt like I just jinxed myself.

On the other hand, that was an opportunity to meet other people. Assuming that the one who left the body there wasn't some kind of blade monster. I was quite sure that I wouldn't be able to get buddy-buddy with a giant-mantis-monster or something. 

With anxiety in my little heart, I decided that a small peek wouldn't hurt anyone. If the situation was bad... 

’Well, in that case... I'll just run, I suppose...’

I took stored the wolf corpse in the ring and followed the traces. Judging by the wolf corpse that was still hot, I guessed that whoever killed it had to be close. I just had to follow the traces and see where it was going. 

.

.

.

Following the traces, I got three more wolves but that was not the problem here. 

’I can't believe it... To think that I would actually see something like that here is... No, no, no... stop staring and go help. ”

The almost collapsed person that was surrounded by wolves had something that every cosplay lover dreamed about. 

’If those things are the real deal...’

The ears... fluffy ones... And a freaking fluffy tail as well... I wasn't sure of the color with all the red blood that was mixed with her hair, but if I had to guess; a mixture of gray with occasional black stains. 

A beast person. And if I save her... maybe I'll get some information as well... And for the fluff... no, no, no... Focus, focus!’

To save her was a must!

’You greedy wolves. Do not touch the fluff... I mean, the girl.’

And so, my retarded heroic-self with a tint of false righteousness was awakened; and as such, my brain cells temporarily got to sleep. 

But I was in the right there. A little wolf girl was bullied by the other wolves.

’Unacceptable!’

 I had no choice but to be the hero and save the girl. For the fluff... No, no, not that one... the justice... that one, yeah. That was definitely not my fluff obsession.

And she must have been from some kind of settlement near the forest. At the very least, to know the way back to the nearest settlement. Or even better, a city. 

Not to mention that my habit of speaking alone was getting worse by the day. I severely lacked human interaction. Or would it be more accurately elf-beast person interaction?

The situation was getting worse by the second so I decided to take out my bow and arrows for the time being. 

Aiming at the one who seemed like he was readying himself to attack the girl, I let go of the arrow.

 

----------------------------------

 -A certain runaway slave’s POV-

’That retard... He must have been hit in the head a loot to be that stupid.’

I was barely able to escape. And I did not want to do ut in this way. I already had the collar to worry about; I did not want additional problems...

’I can't lose my time on these damn wolves.’

That idiot had to bring the orcs on us... I barely escaped, but the noise attracted the stupid wolves. After a long chase through the forest, my legs started to give up, and the single route to escape was to bet on the river. 

’Trow myself and hope for the better. Maybe the wolves will give up.’

I started to take small steps backward toward the river while facing the wolves to guard against surprise attacks. When I approached the small cliff, one of them had lost his patience and jumped at me. 

But that was too late. Mustering the last strength my feet could bring, I jumped back-first in the cold water. 

’Sorry... No food for you today, doggy...’

Even at the death door, my dry humor seemed to be as bad as ever. ’That is the reason I never joked around’ I remembered... But even so, it was not too bad.

My consciousness started to fade away and I felt my body making contact with the water surface. The last thing that I saw was the wolf was preparing to jump after me.

’Goddammit... I don't want to die here...’

My consciousness went blank just as I heard the wolf’s howling as in pain...