Mika hopped out of a car and stood before the entrance to the Ethereal Flatlands, carrying a backpack, a double-edged short sword, and a knife.

“Send me a message when you’ve completed your missions, Ms. Zoller, and I’ll come to pick you up.” Bernard rolled down the driver’s side window of the car and said.

Mika turned around and nodded, “Sounds good. I’ll see you later.”

“Good luck, Ms. Zoller, and stay safe out there. Danger Zones are called that for a reason. Even if everything seems calm on the surface, you don’t know what could be hiding in the depths of the place.”

Mika nodded and waved her hand dismissively. Bernard had already said something similar to that several times on the way here.

‘Doesn’t he remember I lived in the Noxious Jungle for over a year? There’s no way I will underestimate this place, even though it’s a Danger Zone meant for beginners.’ Mika thought.

Bernard thought that she didn’t take his words seriously and shook his head with a sigh. 

“Try not to get hurt, Ms. Zoller. Lady Emporvas would be sad if something happened to you. I’m sure Miss Aurelia wouldn’t want to see you injured either.” 

After saying that, Bernard rolled up the window, drove the car up into the sky, and flew off.

The sun stood high in the sky, casting a magical glow over the expansive landscape. Even from a distance, the air shimmered with a palpable energy that gave the whole place an… ethereal feeling, almost like it existed outside the bounds of reality. 

However, that was just an illusion. It didn’t actually exist outside of reality, but it wasn’t wrong to say that, just like other Danger Zones, there was something unique about it.

The Ethereal Flatlands stretched out before her like a dream, a vast expanse of seemingly infinite, featureless terrain. Some people theorized that the Ethereal Flatlands held secrets that were unknown even with today’s technology and magical advancements.

However, whether or not that was true was left up for debate. Either way, the higher-ups of the Kingdom didn’t bother to put too many resources into investigating it.

What benefits could the secrets of an E-rank Danger Zone bring besides helping the poor, weak, and inexperienced?

As Mika gazed upon the Flatlands, she noticed a subtle iridescence that seemed to undulate across the surface as if the land itself were alive. The terrain appeared to be a mixture of matte and glossy, creating an optical illusion that made it difficult to judge distance or depth accurately. 

The air was dense with mana, and Mika could sense there wasn’t just one type of mana here. There was every type of elemental mana! Or, at least, every type that she could sense!

It was very faint, and the neutral mana made up most of it, but Mika could still sense everything.

“Th-This place is amazing!” Mika muttered as she stepped forward, her feet crunching the crisp, iridescent grass below.

She allowed the mana to flow through her Mana Circuit, which almost caused her to moan! 

‘It feels so good!’ She muttered inwardly as the mana rushed through her veins like a free and flowing river.

‘I’ll have to come back here whenever I start cultivating my mana!’

Mika walked forward a bit more, the weight of her body crushing the grass beneath her like glass, leaving footprints on the ground. 

As she walked, the grass slowly got taller, and she stopped moving when it reached her shins. 

Glancing around to ensure there wasn’t anybody around, she crouched on the ground and took out her sword, Chigatana, from the System Space, along with her own backpack.

She moved the double-edged sword from the right side of her waist to the left and replaced it with her katana. Then, she took out all the stuff that Katherine had prepared for her, which included a first-aid kit, an emergency beacon, some rations, water, healing serums, a tent, and a small handheld gun, which she called a Mana Pistol.

Mika’s never heard of something like that before, but apparently, to use it, she just has to press the trigger, and it’ll release all the mana that’s stored inside it.

Katherine left a note on it that said: [Save it in case of emergencies! Be safe out there! :)]

Mika collapsed the backpack Katherine gave her before putting it inside her own and standing up. 

Putting her hand on the hilt of her katana, Mika nodded with a bright smile.

“Finally!” She breathed in fresh, rejuvenating, mana-filled air and exclaimed, “I’m finally free!”

No more hiding things, no more limiting her training sessions, no more sitting around the house training! 

And most importantly of all… No more people constantly watching, observing her every movement!

She could finally do whatever she wanted out here in the wilderness!

Mika came down from her freedom high and refocused on her three missions.

“I’m not in too much of a hurry, so, for now, I think I’ll just start with finding the 50 stalks of Prism Grass.” Mika thought aloud and walked further into the Danger Zone, her hand on the hilt of her katana, ready to face whatever danger might appear.

As she walked, she thought about all the information she found on Prism Grass.

The System rated it at [F+] Rank, as it was mainly used by those in the later stages of the Black Core Realm. 

The plant itself isn’t all that special. At first glance, it looks just like any other grass, green and mundane. 

However, it’s technically not even grass–each blade is composed of translucent, crystalline structures imbued with mana. 

Usually, it bent light in such a way that it looked green to the naked eye, but under certain circumstances, it changed colors.

Although Prism Grass wasn’t that rare, they tended to grow in places where the mana was denser and the elemental mana in the air had reached an equilibrium. 

Mika strode deeper into the Ethereal Flatlands, feeling the surge of magical energy in the atmosphere. The landscape around her appeared serene, but she knew that the beauty of this place was deceptive. The air buzzed with the sounds of unseen creatures, and a faint rustling hinted at the presence of life hidden within the tall grass. 

Most of the animals and beasts in the Ethereal Flatlands were rather peaceful and would only attack when provoked, but that didn’t mean Mika dropped her guard. 

If the Noxious Jungle taught her anything, it was not to underestimate this world and its inhabitants. Everything can and will kill her under the right circumstances.

As she ventured further, Mika noticed that the density of the elemental mana in the air began to change, and she grew excited. 

‘It seems I’m on the right track!’ A smile appeared on her face, but she kept moving at a steady pace, not wanting to risk anything.

It wasn’t just a few minutes later that Mika encountered her first beast! 

Though, calling it a beast was a bit of a stretch.

“An Etherling!” Mika exclaimed and relaxed the grip on her sword. This was the first unique animal she had encountered in this new world, and she couldn’t help but grow excited.

Etherlings were technically a type of beast, but they looked more like a cross between a jellyfish and a will-o’-the-wisp.

It had a translucent, gelatinous body with a bulbous bell-shaped head that pulsed with an array of soft, bioluminescent colors. From the head, numerous tendrils trailed down, each tipped with small, sparkling orbs. These tendrils surged with mana, giving the creature a sense of weightlessness and allowing it to float in the air.

While most people mistake them for regular animals, they are actually magical creatures, as they all have a mana core inside their heads. 

However, unlike most magical beasts and other creatures, they are completely harmless. They have no defensive or offensive capabilities, but most beings choose not to mess with them for the simple fact that their bodies self-destruct upon death.

Mika carefully walked up to one of them and gently gave it a few pats on the head. 

Feeling the soft, gelatinous texture conform to the shape of her hand, Mika suddenly wanted to hug it, knowing that it would be incredibly satisfying but ended up shaking her head and backing away.

“I don’t want to pop it and end up killing myself accidently. Wouldn’t that be too embarrassing?” She thought wryly.

‘Still, seeing an Etherling is a good sign. It means I’m getting close to a batch of Prism Grass!’

Mika left the Etherling alone and continued moving in the direction where she felt the mana getting denser. She remained vigilant, her hand resting on the hilt of her katana, ready to react to any potential threat.

Etherlings might be harmless, but that doesn’t mean the places they hung out around were. Just like humans, beasts tended to reside in areas where the mana was the densest. 

Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately for Mika, she didn’t run into anything dangerous before she came across her first stalk of Prism Grass. 

As she crested a small hill, she spotted a patch of seemingly ordinary grass. But as she approached, she could see the unmistakable iridescence of the Prism Grass, its crystalline structure catching the light and revealing its true nature.

“I finally found you!”

Excitedly, she crouched down and began to carefully harvest the stalks, taking care not to damage the delicate crystalline blades. As she collected them, she couldn't help but marvel at their beauty and the unique way they interacted with the magical energies in the air.

It was like each blade of grass was a small mana crystal, even though she knew it wasn’t. 

After spending a few minutes harvesting them, Mika ended up putting 25 stalks of Prism Grass in her backpack.

‘Just one more of these, and I will have finished my first mission!’ Mika’s eyes shined, not expecting this kind of efficiency. 

At this rate, she would complete her three missions in just a few days! 

‘What are those mercenaries doing?? How can they not complete a mission like this in under a week? Aren’t they a little too incompetent?’ Mika wondered

However, as Mika trekked further into the flatlands and the sun began to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows that stretched across the landscape, she felt like maybe it was just beginner's luck that she had found a patch of Prism Grass so quickly.

It did look like regular grass, after all, unless you caught it at just the right angle. However, that didn’t help much either, as even the regular grass here reflected light oddly.

Soon, the day neared its end as the reddish hue of the setting sun reflected off the unique landscape she was in.

“I guess I’ll set up camp here and resume my search tomorrow,” Mika said as she took out the tent Katherine had prepared for her and began setting it up. 

With her campsite prepared, Mika decided to make the most of her remaining daylight by practicing her sword techniques and honing her magical abilities. 

As she swung her sword, the air around her shimmered with magical energy. She could feel the dense mana of the Ethereal Flatlands being channeled into her Mana Circuit, amplifying the speed at which her mana flowed through her body. The sensation was both invigorating and addictive, as Mika felt like Mother Nature had given her an existential massage.

After several hours of training, Mika decided to call it a night. The sun had disappeared below the horizon, and the temperature had begun to drop. Though serene during the day, the Ethereal Flatlands took on a mysterious and otherworldly aspect under the moonlight.

As Mika stoked the fire she had built, she noticed the flickering shadows dancing around her campsite. She knew that she was far from the only creature out here in the darkness and couldn't afford to let her guard down, even while resting.

But just as she was settling in for the night, her instincts screamed at her, and Mika quickly grabbed her sword. She scanned her surroundings, searching for any sign of danger.

That's when she noticed them: a group of Starhounds, their fur shimmering like the night sky, had silently approached her camp.