I arrived at a steep hill and decided to walk around it, as there was no way I could climb it. All this time, I was vigilant and ready to react to any sudden movement in the bushes. The deeper into the woods I went, the more anxious I was. By now, I was further out than I ever was before.

This is not counting that one time when I went too far and encountered that hulking bear-like monster. I still feel haunted by that memory. I would love to stay at the not-so-dangerous edges, but given what's at stake, I'm ready to accept more risks with the promise of a bountiful reward.

It's not like I'm not prepared for this; all this time, I've dutifully trained and mentally prepared for any eventuality. Now that I'm older and more formidable, I'm more inclined to venture deeper into the Forest.

Also, with my much-improved mana control and experience, I reached a level of control where I don't even need my old trusty gun. I can now both control and accelerate my pebbles without it. This means I can shoot them directly from my palm in every direction at a moment's notice.

All this makes me extremely deadly to any monster who is unfortunate enough to cross my path. Of course, there is a slight drawback in that the shot is about half as strong as it was previously. However, that can be mitigated by expending more mana, which I now have plenty of.

I walked and walked, but my goal was nowhere in sight. It is now midday, so I will need to turn around soon if I want to make it back before dusk. It was still early spring, so the days tended to be short and rainy. This was not ideal for long exploration trips, but it had to do.

I decided to take a slightly different path back home. Although there was a chance I would encounter some unexpected obstacles along the way, it would allow me to cover more ground, so I decided to take the risk.

After a few more hours of the same uneventful walking, I was now getting closer to the area where I battled the monster a few years ago. I'm hoping it doesn't have any relatives who would want to exact revenge on me. But luckily, the chances of that were slim. What I learned during our lessons with Old Sven was that most monsters tend to be territorial and solitary, except those who hunt in packs or are part of a monster's nest.

I came down the hill onto flat ground, which was both good and bad. It was easier to navigate than the hill slope, but it was also more overgrown with bushes, which made it more difficult to traverse. But it didn't stop me; I walked and walked. The sun started to slowly lower itself to the horizon, and I made haste to return in time. But as usual with my luck, I fell flat on my face after tripping over a hidden root.

"Crap!" I exclaimed as I slowly gathered myself up from the ground.

But as I was halfway up, I suddenly froze. I could see a glint reflecting between the trees not too far away. Among all the things in the forest, there is only one thing that can give such a reflection: water.

I quickly stood up and went in the opposite direction, where I saw the glint. Soon I discovered a clearing with a still lake sitting under ancient trees. I got out of my stupor and decided to quickly search for the place since I didn't have much time left.

As I circled the lake, I saw it. Several beautiful plants gently rested atop the lake surface in the shade of two majestic trees towering above. I checked the illustration, which I had safely hidden under my clothes. And there it was. It looked exactly like Moonlight Aster, minus the flower. I was overjoyed with my happiness. I found not just one, but three at once!

But my happiness was quickly diminished. This place was far away from home—at least four hours walking distance. No matter how I look at it, there is no way to get here and back in one night. Not to mention, I must be here before midnight to catch the full moon.

There is no other option but to come here during the day and spend the night here. I shuddered at the thought of it, but I had no other option. I released a heavy sigh and made my way back home while wondering what kind of monsters came out here at night.

***

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Ugh, it's so boring!" I exclaimed.

Sitting at the shore of a hidden lake deep within the Forest, I tossed pebbles into the water to pass the time. Today is the day of the spring equinox, and I spent the last few weeks preparing for this exact day, or more accurately, for the night, which was still several hours away.

Firstly, I scouted the way to the lake so that I would remember it perfectly and wouldn't get lost even in the dark of the night. I also prepared some food and other supplies so that I had everything I needed during the trip.

All in all, it didn't take me much time to prepare everything. So in the meantime, I also collected 67 umbrifila in the Forest and hunted 4 more rabbits to pass the time since I had nothing else to do.

This morning I was so excited that I headed out very early to not miss anything, which leads me to this moment. Everything is set up, and I'm sitting here bored as hell. All I want is for the night to finally come so that I can harvest this stupid flower and be done with it.

I can't even pass the time by training my magic since I have to stay vigilant in case some monster decides to come here to drink from the lake. But I have already been here for many hours, and it's strangely peaceful and quiet.

For some reason, it makes me even more nervous than if something happened. It makes me paranoid, and I jump at every sound. This lack of action gets on my nerves. I looked up, and the sun was directly above me.

So it is midday. It will still take at least six hours before the sun sets and a few more for the full moon to come out. Hopefully, there will be no clouds, and I will be able to finish my task before midnight and then hurry back home.

The idea of spending a whole night here is not something I want to experience, so I would rather not sleep at all. I'm sure my parents will be livid and worried about me. However, they shouldn't find out what I'm doing out here for their own good.

I'm still not sure what the treatment of mages is in this kingdom, but magic appears to be a taboo subject; nobody seems to talk about it ever. That is why I will try to keep my abilities a secret for as long as possible.

Maybe Isadora can give me some more information about it since she seems more informed about these topics than most people. She seems like an honest person, but I'm still not sure if I can trust her. That is why I will first become her apprentice and observe her for a bit before deciding what to do.

Time passed slowly but surely, and after a few hours of waiting, which felt like an eternity to me, it was finally night. The Forest at this time is a very different place than during the day. The trees' shadows twist and turn in the moonlight like beasts ready to pounce on me.

The darkness is almost palpable. There is a total, almost unnatural silence. This makes every sound even louder and makes me jump in fright. The full moon shines brightly upon the lake's surface, creating a mysterious, otherworldly ambiance.

Soon enough, the Moonlight Aster opened her petals to reveal a beautiful flower.

It was mesmerizing, with shimmering purple light dancing around the edges. I had never seen anything like this before. For a few minutes, I stood there looking at the flowers like I was in a trance. But then I remembered why I am here, and it isn't time to be idle.

I circled the lake to get to the plants and carefully harvested them one after another. My task is to bring one, but if I'm already here, why not gather them all?

I'm sure they will fetch a hefty price. I was grinning all this time, imagining the pile of coins I would be able to get for this. After harvesting the last one, I carefully looked around.

'It is about time, isn't it?' I thought somberly.

From how things usually unfold in books and stories, this is the time when some big, scary Guardian of the Lake is supposed to jump at me for stealing his flowers, right?

But surprisingly, nothing happened. Nothing disturbed the lake's peace and tranquility. I was almost disappointed that nothing had happened.

In order to avoid attempting fate, I fled the scene as quickly as possible. I gathered all my stuff and turned back under the shade of the ancient trees toward home.

But my brief happiness at completing my task did not last long. About half an hour later, when I was still deep inside the Forest, I heard the sound I was dreading.

A lone howl.

But it was not your typical wolf howl. No, this was the piercing and menacing type of howl that makes you shudder in fear and makes your hair stand out.

The type of howl only a monster can produce, and what was most annoying was that it was coming from right ahead in the direction I was heading.

Soon, several other howls joined the first. 'Oh, crap...!'

This is bad. I was confident about fighting a lone monster, but a whole pack of them? No thanks. I looked around, wondering in what direction I should go. Should I return to the lake? Or should I try to go around the monsters, hoping they will not notice me?

'Wait, is it just me, or are the howls getting closer?' I thought as I nervously looked around.