Rana trekked south. The shattered moon faded into a sea of grey as clouds cleared and gave way to the dawn. The sun slowly rose and its light was obscured by the distance. Still, it was blinding. To a creature that roamed the night, the light was something the undead instinctively detested. Rana thought that was why she was so irritated at the light above but somehow she knew it was not just her undead body as her mind also preferred the masquerade of the night.

Rana wanted to slink into the darkness because she was ashamed of what she became. Secrets could be kept in the darkness but never the light. However, time was of the essence. She would not waste any time wallowing in her own misfortune. Despair could be fought but death could not be. Whatever her concerns were they would be meaningless if she failed to address her time limit.

Rana knew she was near the kingdom border. Humanity never managed to expand their territory for hundreds of years as settlements past the Red River were always in a state of ruin and time ensured their destruction. It was an area in a constant state of turmoil and death. The settlement she had just left was all too common past the border. Throughout the ages, no one knew why humanity was unable to hold onto their territory past the river but some say it was because past the river was where the moon left the most shards.

Those however were lofty songs and poems written by dreaming minstrels. The truth was that the war with monsters continued to rage on and a stalemate was held at the Red River. The monsters were unable to march past the High Tower, the impenetrable fortress and safeguard of humanity, and its elite forces lead by the Church’s Paladin General. On the other hand, past the Red River was a vast and hostile land where monsters roamed and legendary fiends held dominion.

There was once a large scale offensive many centuries ago lead by a descendant of the One Hero. He was a Champion of the One Deity and beloved by many. His heart was always with the people. It was unfortunate he did not have the mind for war. With his captivating charisma and an unchecked ardor to end the threat of the monsters, the Champion rallied his army and his people marched past the river. He failed. The river was dyed red by the blood of monsters and humans and their dying breaths cursed the Champion. Monsters cursed their killer and humans cursed the fool who lead them to their demise. It was thanks to the Church’s Paladin General at the time, who cautioned vigilance but was ignored, managed to hold onto High Tower and repel the invaders.

Ever since then the territory past the Red River has been in a constant state of war. Territories were gained but equally as many were lost. It was only recently under the leadership of the Church did humanity began to slowly expand past the river. Still, it was dangerous and the signs of war could visit any time.

Rana needed to move fast and orientate herself soon. That was why she needed to reach the Red River. Once she crossed the river then the High Tower would soon be in sight. Unlike the territories beyond the river, lands within the border were properly maintained with roads and trade posts. She simply needed to find one between the High Tower and Shield City, the largest commerce hub that supports the frontline effort and settlements. She would get her information there.

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Still, she had walked for some time and the grey sky was already darkened by the appearance of the moon. Did humanity expand further than she remembered? If so, how long did Rana sleep?

Her answer appeared over the horizon.

Ashen forests stretched in the distance.

Something was wrong. She shouldn’t be near the woods.

The kingdom was surrounded by vast woodlands where monsters lurked and dangers remained hidden. Legends told of an ever expanding demonic forest that consumed the land and left it on the brink of destruction. The One Deity descended from the heavens above and beaten back the ancient disaster, halting its march. The One Deity then tasked humanity to root out what was left of the dead evil and returned to his throne.

That was the creation myth of the land. There was no method to verify the truth to it but the Church declared it so therefore those who spoke otherwise were branded heretics. However, it was true that humanity expanded their territory by deforesting the ashen woods around them. They cleared the trees and fought off the monsters within all in the name of exploration and spoils. The history of humanity before the war with the monsters could almost be summed up by what they found within those woods.

However, the Forest Boundary did not extend past the Red River. Rana was already past the kingdom borders. It was impossible. Even if she were past the border she shouldn’t be able to see the trees if she was heading south before hitting roads or trade posts.

No. Rana couldn’t deny the truth. There was only one explanation and it meant the world was not the same as she remembered. A world-changing event happened while Rana was asleep.

Howling in the distance pulled her attention away from her thoughts of confusion and into one of alertness. The primal cry sounded familiar and she recognized it being from a wolf-kin monster. They were a monster type that hounded lone traveling groups and mercenary detachments scattered from expedition parties. They were scavengers that looted when no one paid attention. They were vultures that swooped down to claim the unnoticed. They would never announce their presence until their attack began.

There was only one unarmed wanderer alone in the night near Rana and that was herself.

The most common wolf-kind monster was the Grey Fang. The monster had a threat-level of D which meant that even a group of rookie marked ones would have difficulty. However, its stats are rather weak and the reason it required a group to fight was of its agility-stat and more mature ones developed Innate Traits that boosted them even further. Lower level marked ones did not have access to Talents that could aid them and they were rather unskilled in increasing Focus.

Rana readied her mana core and began unraveling the mana within. She was confident. She didn’t have the stats of a higher level Class but her experience was one of many years.

In the distance were twin red eyes flashing under the night sky. They were bright within the shadows of the forest and an air of menace began to emerge. It was not a Grey Fang. It was something larger. Something far more dangerous. The hulking beast gave its battle cry and charged. Its sprint reverberated the air and the edge of its fangs reflected the moonlight.

Rana’s eyes widened.

The wolf-kind was not a Grey Fang. It was a Fenris.