AzureRing

Gore warning.

Navigating through the forest was second nature to Alice. She moved swiftly and quietly, her senses attuned to the sounds and movements of the wildlife around her. Occasionally, she would use Wind Probe to scout ahead, ensuring she didn't stumble into any dangerous situations.

Consulting the bounty sheet within her memories, Alice's attention flickered over the small map inscribed upon it. With a soft hum, she activated her unambitiously named 'magic map' that she received as a present. The parchment unfolded and revealed intricate lines and symbols that danced across its surface. With a practised eye, she traced the path to the Spiked Direwolf's last known location, committing the route to memory before stowing the map away once more.

She had chosen her current bounty target because it fit many of her requirements. The Spiked Direwolf gave a handsome reward of twenty-five majors, its last known location was very close and its strength was well within her consideration. Paradise Forest was huge, spanning hundreds and hundreds of kilometres. Fortunately, Alice had long since been residing in the southwestern parts of the forest and only had to walk a few more kilometres to reach its last known location. 

With her destination firmly in mind, Alice pressed onward, her senses on high alert for any sign of danger that may lie ahead. The forest seemed to come alive around her, the whispering of the trees and the rustling of leaves serving as a constant reminder of the untamed beauty of the natural world.

When she finally arrived after an hour, Alice cautiously took in her surroundings. It was a clearing surrounded by trees with the sun shining brightly. Wind Probe became her best friend, allowing her to know if there were any dangers awaiting her. The Direwolf was last sighted here three days ago by an E-Class Adventurer who retreated and reported it to the Guild.  That didn't necessarily mean that the beast had left this area, it might even be resting here.

After a round of probing, she gained the confidence to walk into the clearing, looking around. She was no hunter or experienced adventurer so Alice didn't expect to gain many clues from examining this site but there was no harm in doing so. The Immortal began to methodically search the area for any signs of the elusive Spiked Direwolf. She scanned the ground for tracks or disturbances in the vegetation, her keen eyes roving over every inch of the clearing in search of clues.

Suddenly, she caught sight of something glinting in the sunlight - a tuft of fur caught on a low-hanging branch. Moving closer, she inspected the fur carefully, noting the distinctive markings and texture. She didn't know if this was from the Spiked Direwolf or not but it was highly probable. If she found nothing else, Alice had no choice but to follow this track.

She searched for a bit more but found nothing else. Hence, she began following the trail that the fur started, using her Wind Probe to observe in closer detail. Anything from paw tracks, broken twigs and more identical tufts of fur; this was all made easier by using Wind Probe at a small scale.

Her senses honed to razor-sharp precision as she followed the trail deeper into the forest. Hours passed as Alice pursued her quarry, the sun slowly sinking towards the horizon as she pressed onward. The forest grew denser, the underbrush becoming thicker and more tangled with each passing step.

Picking a low-hanging fruit from a tree, Alice satiated her hunger with a few juicy bites. It was extremely sweet with a hint of tanginess, making her close her eyes in bliss. The texture resembled something like...

'...what was it called again, mango? Yes, but the taste is a bit different.'

It was at times like this that her inherited memories kept appearing. She wasn't consciously aware of them; any time she tried to recall something, the inherited memory would pop up as if it had been there from the very beginning. For example, Alice never knew about the coinage used by the continent. As soon as she thought about it, words such as minors, majors, ultras and so on took their places in her brain. The process was so natural and seamless that sometimes it gave her whiplash. Alice could only chalk it up to Immortal shenanigans.

flitted through her mind as she continued her journey, the rhythmic crunch of leaves beneath her boots providing a soothing backdrop to her thoughts. With each step, she felt herself drawing closer to her quarry. 

Wind Probe caught the first signs of its presence. She had been sending them out in circles periodically at a radius of a hundred metres in order to ensure that she didn't use too much mana before the actual fight. After many hours of searching, it all finally paid off. 

The forest around her grew eerily quiet. It would have unnerved her if she didn't have absolute situational awareness thanks to her probe. The dying rays of sunlight etched themselves across the horizon, spilling like blood over the ground. It was just dark enough that she managed to catch a pair of glowing eyes gleaming in the shadows. With a surge of adrenaline, she knew that she had found what she was looking for - the Spiked Direwolf lurked just ahead, its formidable presence sending a shiver down her spine.

Carefully, she walked in its direction while maintaining a facade of cluelessness. She wanted to lure it into an attack borne of a false sense of security. The moment it sprung, she would mount her counterattack.

As Alice approached, her heart pounded in her chest. She felt the tension in the air crackling around her, the sense of anticipation building to a fever pitch. The Spiked Direwolf watched her with a wary gaze, its muscles tensed and ready to spring into action at a moment's notice. Alice could feel its predatory instincts assessing her, weighing her as a potential threat or prey.

Then, without warning, the beast lunged forward with a deafening roar, its massive form hurtling towards her with terrifying speed. With lightning-fast reflexes, she dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding the creature's snapping jaws as she countered with a powerful Wind Blade. The air crackled with energy as her spell collided with the beast, sending it reeling backwards with a pained howl. The spell had penetrated its fur, though not very deeply. She spotted a splotchy red stain on its side as it stood back up.

She gripped her staff hard, looking down at her hands.

'They're shaking...'

In that moment of distraction, the Direwolf growled and lowered into a lunging pose. However, instead of jumping, its fur took a metallic shine as they flexed in her direction. Although it looked strange, she didn't ignore the danger bells ringing in her mind. In the next second, the forest was filled with the sounds of blades whizzing through the air. The tufts of fur on the Direwolf's body had hardened into blades and ejected themselves at her, flying at speeds she could barely catch.

With a wave of her staff, the core on the end glowed verdant. The entire area was illuminated as gusts of wind rushed outwards and deflected the incoming projectiles. 

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The dirt was impaled by dozens of sharp knife-like objects, a few just inches away from Alice's position. Beads of sweat flowed from her forehead as she swallowed. In the past few weeks, while practising magic, she had come face to face with more than a few vicious wild beasts in Paradise Forest. Due to her relative ease in defeating them, she'd come under the false belief that the Spiked Direwolf was the same. However, there was a reason why the Adventurer's Guild had put a high bounty on the beast. It was aggressive and highly dangerous due to its special projectile attacks. D-Class Adventurers who were unprepared could be killed at the drop of a hat.

Summoning her magic once more, Alice prepared to launch another offensive. This time, she decided to take a more strategic approach. Instead of charging headlong into battle, she focused on creating a barrier of swirling winds around herself, using it to deflect any incoming projectiles and create a buffer between her and the ferocious beast.

The Spiked Direwolf launched another barrage of blades in her direction. Alice stood her ground, her concentration unwavering as she manipulated the air around her with precision and skill. The blades clattered harmlessly against her barrier, their deadly momentum nullified by her Concept Manipulation. The Spiked Direwolf growled in frustration, its attacks becoming more frenzied as it struggled to break through her defences.

It lunged once more, claws and jaws thirsting for her flesh. Just like last time, she leapt to the side with an explosion of wind at her feet. That was her mistake; the Direwolf was prepared and sent a barrage of blades flying towards her as she was still in midair. 

'Bad!'

Off-balance and caught off guard, she was unable to erect a strong barrier. While some of the blades were deflected off course or stopped in their tracks, a few cut through without obstruction. Perhaps due to the rushed attack, the blades weren't very accurate. Out of the five that made it through her barrier, only one hit their mark.

"Ugh!" Alice cried, a blade sticking in her shoulder. Tears appeared at the corner of her eyes as she desperately unleashed a powerful gale in the Direwolf's general direction. 

Pain.

Hot, burning pain.

Alice's breaths came in short, quick gasps as she summoned another great gale to send the Direwolf flying away. There was an incessant buzzing in her ears so she didn't hear the panicked yelps of her opponent. All she knew was that she wanted it to go away.

The young girl blinked a few times. She blinked again, trying to shake off the disorientation that clouded her mind. The pain in her shoulder throbbed with every heartbeat. With trembling hands, she reached for the blade embedded in her flesh, gritting her teeth against the searing pain as she pulled it free.

Blood welled up from the wound, staining her clothes crimson as she struggled to stem the flow. Despite the agony coursing through her body, Alice forced herself to remain focused, her mind clear and sharp as she assessed the situation. The Spiked Direwolf lay sprawled on the ground several meters away, its fur bristling with fear and confusion. It was injured, but not fatally so - a fact that filled Alice with a sense of grim determination. She knew she couldn't afford to let her guard down, not when her opponent still posed a threat.

Summoning her remaining strength, Alice rose to her feet, her eyes locked on the wounded beast before her. With a deep breath, she steadied herself, drawing upon the reservoir of mana within her to conjure a powerful Wind Blade. The air whipped with energy as Alice unleashed her attack, a torrent of wind and force hurtling towards the Spiked Direwolf with unstoppable momentum. The creature tried to scramble to its feet, but it was too late. The spell struck true, rending the beast clean in two. Its guts and viscera flew in the air, painting the scene red.

As the echoes of battle faded into the stillness of the forest, Alice stood amidst the aftermath, her chest heaving with exertion and adrenaline coursing through her veins. Blood dripped from her wound, mixing with the dirt and leaves beneath her feet, but she paid it little heed. Her focus remained fixed on the fallen creature before her, its lifeless eyes staring blankly into the distance.

For a moment, there was silence - a heavy, oppressive silence that seemed to weigh upon her like a tangible force. Then, slowly, the sounds of the forest began to return - the chirping of birds, the rustling of leaves, the gentle whisper of the wind through the trees. It was a stark contrast to the chaos and violence that had unfolded mere moments before.

With a weary sigh, Alice sank to her knees, her body trembling with exhaustion and pain. She felt drained, both physically and emotionally, as the adrenaline rush of battle began to ebb away, leaving only a sense of weariness in its wake.

'I was overconfident.'

A sense of relief and dread filled her at that thought. She had been so close to death. If something had gone catastrophically wrong, she could've died all because she didn't bother preparing beforehand. She didn't bother researching deeper into her target, formulating a strategy for her fight, or even consulting Henry about it. On all counts, it was an utter failure. Alice had only won the gamble due to her abilities as an Immortal.

It was a mistake she couldn't afford to make again, especially in a profession as perilous as this.

Alice spent almost a full minute just kneeling, panting hard. A quick use of her Wind Probe informed her that all of the local life had fled from the sounds of battle. 

She looked down at her injured shoulder and grimaced. 

'I shouldn't have taken it out. I wasn't thinking straight.' Blood continued to flow from her wound. The only good thing about it was that it kept her awake; the sharp, throbbing stabs of pain refused to let her close her eyes.

She prayed that Jeanne's magic was good enough. Ripping a piece of her dress hem, she used it as a bandage around her shoulder to stop the bleeding as much as possible. Standing back up, Alice walked over to the bisected corpse of her target. She stood there in silence for a minute, paying respects to it.

She then used a quick Wind Blade to cut off its ear and snapped off one of its teeth, both of which were required to confirm her bounty. It was now time to go back to Hugh to submit the proof to the Guild. At least, that was the plan. However, right now, she felt so exhausted that she wanted to fall asleep on the spot. The sun was setting and it would be getting dark very soon. Alice was extremely close to calling it quits and going back to Hugh tomorrow. A throbbing from her shoulder woke her up again.

She needed to get her injury treated. With a heavy heart, she began her walk back to the town of Hugh.

Along the way, she was assaulted with thoughts of sardonicism. She recounted her mistakes over and over again, absolutely ensuring that she wouldn't make them again. There were still so many things to learn, places to explore, people to meet and memories to make.