The fire crackled with a sharp noise as a piece of twig was thrown into it. The flame grasped the branches of the tree and turned it into ash gray.

On top of it was a metal pot hung from a stick above. It let out a boiling sound as the blaze below heat it up.

“It's ready,” Darwyn muttered as he took off the lid of the pot. The aroma and the steam inside it exploded into the air and some of them wafted through the starving Liliana.

“F-finally...” Her voice was stuttering due to the cold. Growl...

She blushed when her stomach grumbled, then she avoided her eyes and said “I wonder who is that?” innocently.

Darwyn looked at her, “It was you,” then turned back to the fire camp.

“You have no delicacy at all!” Her staggering gaze wasn't affecting Darwyn as he continued to stir the soup.

He didn't know how to treat a lady at all! Oh, but I couldn't imagine him doing that either.

The image of Darwyn being courteous and gentle made her chuckle. “Is there something funny?” Darwyn, still looking at the pot asked her.

“Nothing,” Liliana replied as she moved her head sideways while her hair followed after. “Hhmm...” Darwyn took a wooden bowl from his right. Taking a scoop from the boiling pot, he placed it inside the bowl and handed it to Liliana.

“Take this,” Darwyn said. She received it with both of her hands while grinning as always. She huffed and puffed, then drunk the soup while being careful not to burn her tongue.

With her slender finger, she tore a piece of hard bread and soaked it in the soup. She was sitting beside Darwyn who was eating the food with only his visor raised slightly.

Darwyn's shadow was enough to cover a big chunk of trees surrounding them. The crickets of the insect along with the sound of the cacophony of firewoods made the vast forest seems comfortable.

Darwyn gulped all of his soup, then slowly looked into the starry night. It's been two days since they had left the village. The two were caught up inside the forest they didn't know.

I have to stay vigilant. He thought. Forest was the home of terrifying trolls, the home of the tree dragons, and as well the home of the wild wolves.

Shrug shrug.

The two heard a rustle behind the trees, it was Liliana who moved quickly and readied her staff, her lips ready to fire a spell. Darwyn gestured at her to put her weapons down while saying “It's alright.” She had grown accustomed to traveling faster than a normal adventurer.

Closer and closer, the racket behind the dark became louder, and then, a woman appeared. She was wearing a monk's garb. The sight of her made Liliana shudder in fear.

M-monster... Liliana, with wide-open eyes, stared at her bounty chest, then shifted to her hourglass waist, and finally, she checked her round bottom. Liliana looked at herself with a horrified expression, her grip to her staff loosen as it fell into the ground.

Monster...

She has a beautiful raven slant eyes, long and wavy black hair. She was taller than Liliana. The woman had a faint smile on her face as she looked at the two of them.

“Hello?” Her airy voice reached out to them, she has this mysterious aura surrounding her. While Liliana was busy inspecting her body, Darwyn was looking at her face, specifically, her ears.

It was long and was twitching slightly. “Greetings elf,” Darwyn said. The elf nodded in delight, then laughed gracefully.

She was not from this continent. He has a feeling that she came from where that Keizo was. From the orient... An elf from the orient. Darwyn conformed to himself.

The word, elf, registered late to Liliana as she was occupied with her own silly thoughts. “A-an elf! She looks like an asian...”

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As always, Liliana muttered something incomprehensible not only to him but to the elf too. “Aye scion? What is that?” The elf said tilting her head.

“Don't mind her, how can we help you... A traveling monk I presume?” His almost roaring voice surprised the elf, but then she returned to her poker face quickly.

The elf bobbled her head up and down, her ears twitching back and forth. “Yes, my name is Shen,” she said as she gave a small bow with her fist covered within her palm.

“As you can see, I am a traveling monk from the far east. I'm also an elf.” As expected from an elf, she introduced herself elegantly.

“My name is Darwyn, I'm a paladin serving Aversia,” Darwyn replied with a dispassionate tone. Hearing that, Shen placed her willowy hand on her generous breast and sighed in relief.

Liliana finally snapped back into reality and followed the action of Darwyn. “M-my name is Liliana! I'm a wizard.” She returned the bow of Shen earlier like she knew what it meant.

“He-he-he, there's no need to copy me isn't?” Even just from her simple action made her seductive. Shen wrapped her arms around her while fidgeting slightly.

“This might be embarrassing but... Can I have some of the food? I will exchange it with my tea.” Yes, even that was seductive, but no matter how much appeal she has, her desperateness still loomed over her bewitching words.

“...Take a sit...No, I need to ask my party member first.”

“Just let her eat already! Goosh Darwyn she's dying of hunger...” Liliana grasped her head. This man is perfect if not for his poor social skills.

“Thank you...” Shen strode towards them and sat at the vacant wooden log. She muttered “Thank you,” again when Darwyn gave her own portion. A piece of bread and a soup might not be much but for the hungry monk, it was a matter of life and death.

Even the blandest food will taste like heaven if hunger was added as a spice. Shen learned it the hard way. Not long after that, she prepared her tea.

A green liquid came pouring to their cups as white smoke rose from it. “This is called Matcha, something popular from my continent,” Shen informed the two.

Darwyn was interested while Liliana muttered something like “So this world have this too huh?” as she tasted the tea. It was bitter, yet somehow, it tasted good.

“How about it? I don't have anything to offer than my tea, sorry.”

“It's fine. The tea was delicious.” Darwyn said. Shen obviously became happy and switched her attention to Liliana with expectant gaze, her ears twitching.

“Y-yeah, it tastes good.” She said while taking dainty sips. “I see I see, I am glad.” Her anxiety about someone disliking her culture was now gone.

“Are the two of you heading to the city of the merchant?” Shen asked.

“City of the merchant?” Liliana said in confusion.

The city of the merchant, once home of the ancient people, a ruin turned into a city of profits. They say that each day, hundreds of merchants are visiting the city just to sell their goods.

“Aren't you? The direction that you're going is heading to the city though.” Then there was no mistaking it. The two of them were heading to the city of merchants without even knowing about it.

Shen held her cup tightly before proceeding to speak yet, they heard a howl. Darwyn, who was already finished with his tea stood up and brandished his trusty sword and shield. The dull metal reflected the orange flare.

“They are coming.” He said coldly. Liliana clumsily placed her cup on the ground, causing the leftover tea to jumped out of her cup.

Shen gulped her tea in one swig before standing up. “Can you fight?” Darwyn said, still looking behind the towering tree.

“It's one of the few things that I am proud of.” She replied with confidence.

Darwyn nodded in acknowledgment. “Good, you and Liliana work together, make sure to stick to each other.” His commanding voice forced Shen to obey without even realizing it. She unconsciously viewed Darwyn as the leader of this ragtag party.

Then the wolves finally came. A Blood Wolves with red fur and razor fangs. They surrounded them as they walked around growling.

The last one that showed up was as tall as Liliana, it was the alpha. Just how many are they? They do not know, not with the trees obstructing their view.

With the roar of the Alpha, the pack finally attacked the party.

The first one to enter the range of Darwyn was cut in half, spewing innards and blood to the grass, to the trees, and to its comrade.

Then came the other one, aiming at his feet. Darwyn raised his foot and stomped on its head and squishing its brains out.

One look and Shen could tell that Darwyn was master of his arts, he knew how to use his body, armor, and weapon.

Formidable indeed. Shen guarded the nervous Liliana who was clinging to her wooden staff. “Just save your spell and use it when the chance permit.” She said calming the girl, to which she nodded.

One wolf dashed, not to Darwyn, but to the two of them. It sensed that attacking the bigger one would be impossible so it decided to target the weaker one.

The wolf jumped with its jaw open. A palm strike came from Shen, then followed by a roundhouse kick sending the already dead wolf back to the darkness.

It happened so fast that Liliana didn't quite sure if she followed. “Amazing...!” Shen is like one of those anime characters!

Though there was the truth to that, no one but her could get the meaning of her thoughts. Then tree wolves threatened the girls.

“Acere...Plasio... Acid Bubble!” From Liliana's staff emerged green bubbles wafting through the wolves. With every burst, acid splashed on them, melting their fur and causing them to be blind for a moment.

“Thanks!” Without wasting the chance, Shen dashed to the wolves. The first wolf received an ax kick, burying its skull to the soil, then she spun around and launched a twisting kick to the other one, her momentum didn't stop until another kick was landed on the last one.

Liliana quickly recognized. Shen has one thing that Darwyn didn't have, it was the lightning speed. Well, it's not like he needed that.

She looked at Darwyn and saw him making a blood bath as if painting a grotesque picture with gore and blood of the wolves as materials.

When she returned her eyes to Shen, she saw a wolf, flying in the air as it bared its fang on her. She saw her image reflecting on the white fang then—

“Ha!”

—Shen instantly appeared from the left and hit the wolf with her agile fist. The saliva of the wolf came out, but still, she didn't cease at that. She pounded the wolf three more times before kicking it upward, then chopped it with her barehand. The wolf snapped sidewards as it arced through the air.

Finally, the alpha had enough. It stepped out of its territory and was heading to Darwyn. Sure, Darwyn was taller, but when one compared their mass, the alpha will win by a big margin.

Its walking turned into running, approaching towards Darwyn who was waiting patiently with his shield. The strike of Darwyn was blocked by the sturdy fangs of the alpha.

“Hhhmm!” Darwyn grunted when he forcefully pushed back the alpha with his strength alone. The alpha noticed that it was losing its terms of raw power so it jumped down drastically, then leaped from side to side as it approached once again.

Darwyn knew that speed was his greatest weakness, that somehow he will encounter an enemy that relied on agility. But he has something to counter that.

He twisted his dominant foot, then the momentum continued to his hips, then to his arms. With great power, he threw his heavy metal shield right in the face of the unsuspecting alpha.

Sound of crushed bone and ripped flesh resonated through the battlefield. Darwyn jumped and dealt with the finishing stroke. Holding the broadsword with two of his hand, he sliced the alpha in half, then picked up his shield quickly as he could.

Seeing their leader got killed, the remaining wolves let out a cry as it returned back into the dark forest. The odor of blood and flesh was thick, almost like a miasma.

The three glanced at each other. “Let's change the place.” Darwyn said.