Page 68

After a night of good rest and comfort, Erin had expected an awkward mood when morning came but the only one being all bashful of last night’s event was only Erin herself. Further from being embarrassed, Siv was adorned with a prideful and accomplished smile. Nothing much about Siv had changed. She was steadfast and strong with her demeanor like always unlike Erin who had trouble meeting her eyes.

Erin’s shame wasn’t unfounded. She did commit an affair while already having a lover waiting for her return worryingly. Erin had shivers just from the mere thought of Lyra’s response. Worse of all, she did it on her own accord, not because she was forced by Lust Deviant. Guilt set in and ounces of shame followed.

As they were preparing to leave and continue their path, Siv approached Erin with a stalwart expression.

“I understand you feel like you have betrayed your lover, Lady Erin,” said Siv.

Erin was trying to shove her shame into a corner but Siv had wonderfully dragged it back out. Since she knew the Wolf-kin meant well, it was hard to rebuke her.

“Maybe your tradition sees it as a stain but among my race, it’s only natural that a strong and powerful individual had multiple partners.”

Erin blinked. “A man with multiple wives?”

“Not just the male, Lady Erin. Regardless male or female, as long as one proves their strength and might, they are allowed to have as many mates as they wish.”

Erin’s thought immediately shifted to Lyra. She could barely bridle Lyra, much less having other partners. An image of Nivia and Lyra being together in one room crossed her mind. She shuddered at the dreadful likelihood of the two’s attempt at conversation. Without doubts, Erin was sure it would turn into a bout with arms.

“You seemed frightened, Lady Erin.”

“Who wouldn’t?” Erin asked. “Attracting a mate is easy, the challenge lies in maintaining the bond. I’m not adept at love but I have seen men with mistresses in the dozens. This kind of bond never lasts. Some don’t last a decade. Some don’t even last half a year.”

“I would appreciate it if you don’t group my people with the humans, Lady Erin. While there are no laws that dictate us to take a mate for life, losing the interest of your mate is considered a shame among my race. Therefore, even though we are allowed multiple mates, rarely have anyone ever taken more than one mate.”

Hearing that, Erin felt impressed. She even gained a newfound respect for the Beast-kin. She found it ironic that Demi-humans held more consideration towards one another than humans themselves. As a former human, she was naturally ashamed by the fickleness of humans.

“If you’re worried about taking responsibility for ridding me of my virtue, you need not, Lady Erin. I am merely repaying a debt.”

“Isn’t that too… clement?”

“Nonsense, milady. If anything I’m honored to have given my virtue to such a strong and honorable warrior,” Siv declared so with a bow.

Erin could only offer a stare at the exultant Siv with a wry smile. The difference in their perception and culture were too much for her mind to wrap around at the moment. For now, she shifted focus back on their current goal; to find the Caravan by traversing to the nearest town, which was at least half a day away. They set out with sanguine steps as they followed the hills that ran parallel to their path.

They skipped breaking their fast and trod back on their path. Erin wasn’t hungry and neither was Siv. The sun in the morning was generous with its warmth and light. The drenched soil from the rain of yesterday was quickly dried in the face of the glaring dawn. Beasts and animals were slowly returning to their abode but this only gave assurance to Erin that their pursuers had indeed given up.

Although their path ahead was bright, Erin’s mind was bleak. She couldn’t help but think of her promiscuity last night. She barely knew Siv but she didn’t have any problem sharing a heated passion for a single night. She was slowly becoming the people she once berated but obviously at this point, the beratings were merely her expression of jealousy.

It was easy to declare or vow with words but after last night, she realized she had been naive. She remembered vividly of how she was completely enticed by the mood and prospect of pleasure. Her resistance crumbled all too easily and she gave in to the prospect of pleasure at the expense of her fidelity.

“Something on your mind, Lady Erin?” Siv asked.

Before Erin answered, she realized she had actually been dragging behind Siv’s pace. “It’s nothing,” she tried to sound as convincing as possible.

Siv nodded and continued walking. Whether she saw through Erin’s front, the Wolf-kin said nothing of it.

“Not good, I’m letting these trivial affairs affect my mind. Focus, Erin. Focus on the journey ahead. We’re not out of the woods yet. A mere second’s split from focus could cause my demise,” Erin reprimanded herself.

“I’m sure the caravans will be alright,” Siv told her.

Siv misunderstood Erin’s troubles but the Fox-kin accepted the comfort anyway.

Their path took them across terrains of sorts. They followed a river downstream, reaching a wide ravine that could only be crossed by a stone bridge that was built hundreds of years ago by Dwarrows. The stone bridge spanned a length of around fifty meters but even as Siv gave a stomp, the bridge held their weight. Of course, the Wolf-kin received a light knock on her head from the Fox-kin for making a careless move.

As they made their way across the olden bridge, Erin failed to resist the temptation to peer into the depth below the bridge. She saw only darkness but she did hear the faint rush of water down below. The Razor Grizzly appeared in her mind at the sight of the darkness. She distinctly remembered receiving only a meagre five percent worth of experience after the gigantic bear fell into the depth, reasoning that the Grizzly may be very well alive.

“And then there was the stench I smelled...” she then reminded herself of the familiar scent she picked up. It had the awful smell of an undead and at the same time, it bore the unpleasant scent of Kane. She heard the whispers prior leaving the town that Kane had truly left the town the morning after the confrontation with Joshua.

After the bridge, the path led them onto a peaceful flowery trail but with their heightened sense of smell, they could tell the plants were all manners of poisonous. Upon Appraisal, Erin found out these flowers possessed paralyzing agents. Large doses could potentially lead to death, Erin shuddered when she read this line of the description. There were also some small hairless humanoid monsters with protruding jaws lurking nearby and lying in wait. Erin was mildly surprised these monsters didn’t run from her presence. Noticing the descriptions given by Appraisal, she understood why.

Siv was ready to attack but Erin held her back.

“Lady Erin?”

“These monsters won’t attack. These flowers will paralyze anyone who touches them with their bare skin. These monsters will then feed on the unfortunate and foolish victims.”

“Nature working in tandem… grim.”

“Yeah, indeed. Best not to dawdle.”

After the “peaceful” flowery trail, they were introduced to an entrance of a forest basked in shadows and webs. The faint skittering sounds she heard from within was enough of an indication for what they could expect to encounter. Erin even felt her skin crawling from her own imagination of the monsters’ possible manner of appearance. Her tails and ears straightened up at that thought.

“You sure we’re going the right way?” Erin couldn’t help but ask.

“I am,” Siv answered without a stutter. “This is Crawler’s Woods. It’s also the border of Green Scar. Beyond this, we will arrive in Maven’s Pass, which is the foot of the hills we have been following. As the name has suggested, it is a territory of Maven’s Creek.”

“Crawler Woods?”

“Crawler’s. Woods. The sounds you are hearing does make it apparent on why it’s called as such,” Siv said.

“Unfortunately, it does,” Erin reluctantly agreed. “Any other roads?”

“A three to four days road by the river that loops around the hills. That road ain’t exactly safe either.”

“How so?”

“There are monsters in the river and they attack just about any person and creature who trod too close to the river. They’re more troublesome than the bugs we will be facing.”

“Ah, those kinds,” Erin muttered grimly. As skilled she once was with swords, her instincts all became amiss underwater. No matter how good one was, humans were extremely vulnerable in water. She knew how to swim but she was no master. “But I have tails now… I heard some aquatic monsters’ swimming capabilities are largely attributed to their tails. Maybe I can... ”

“Lady Erin?” Siv called out.

“Yes, Siv?” she snapped out.

“Shall we enter?”

Erin sighed. “Not like we have a choice.”

With those words as affirmation and resolution, the pair stepped into Crawler’s Woods. Their presences were welcomed with a deathly silence. The skitterings were suddenly no more.

“None of them are friendly,” Erin remarked.

“And all of them are poisonous, Lady Erin. I heard stories that some of these bugs used other creatures as means to safekeep their eggs and newborn. We must remain vigilant, always.”

Erin scoured the path ahead of her. It was dark but Night Vision granted her full sight of what lay in front of her. The creatures were in hiding but Appraisal spotted some of them out. Erin breathed a sigh of relief when she saw none of the creatures were over level ten. Be that as it may, her eyes widened at a discovery. Bones of humans and creatures lay strewn about, not a strand of meat remained. The bones were picked clean and some were even torn into fragments. However, those weren’t the cause of her surprise. What made her spanned her eyes was a set of footprints. It wasn't too fresh but it was neither too old. Erin quickly beckoned Siv over.

“Tracks...” Siv muttered. “Young, unseasoned. Warrior-in-training.”

“Look at the gait and those dragging marks, whoever it is, their legs are chained. And judging by erratic pathing, they're lost.”

“A prisoner of some sort? I doubt they are still alive given the nature of these woods.”

“Doesn’t matter. We’ll act when and if we come face to face with this person. For now, we have other things to worry about.”

As the pair trod further into the woods, the ground beneath them trembled. Threats were coming from within the ground. With their hundreds of legs, it was nearly impossible to hide their noises from Erin and Siv. Therefore, the two were more than prepared for the ambush. Erin’s Sixth Sense didn’t even sound off due to her constant awareness.

Three gigantic centipedes of human’s size erupted from the ground. They sprang at the two as soon as they made themselves known.

Siv grabbed the one aimed at her with her bare hands. Without much effort, she tore the centipede apart. Erin spun in response to the two centipedes lunging at her. Her sword caught one and her tails barbed with Arcane Armor felled the other.

[Experience gained +3%]

[Experience gained +3% - Level Progression: 101%]

[Erinthea: Level 13 increased to Level 14]

[Ability Point gained +2]

[Skill Point gained +2]

[Level Progression: 1%]

“You sure you should be touching them with your bare hands?” Erin asked as she flung the blade of the centipede’s green blood.

“No,” Siv answered in brief. “But my hands and claws are all I have. And Beast-kin aren’t as susceptible to poison as humans.”

“Wow, humans don’t have a lot of quirks, do they?”

Immediately after the centipedes, spider-like creatures with six legs came from the trees. They were only as big as dogs but nevertheless, gigantic. They were fast and venomous, and besides their terrifying appearance, those were the spider-like creatures’ only notable traits. They came in dozens with Aura Shot and Lightning Bolt, Erin dispatched every last one that came after them.

[Experience gained +24% - Level Progression: 25%]

Erin cast her level increment aside and focused the gigantic bugs that were swarming them. They were no longer silent. They were all coming out in droves after understanding the two intruders’ capabilities.

“Lady Erin, we should run.”

Erin nodded and broke into a sprint with Siv. The creatures pounced at them but the two evaded the foul grasps. In the corner of her eyes, she saw one of the monsters’ fangs reached Siv’s arm but the fangs failed to leave so much as a scratch on her skin. Erin was intrigued but now was not the time for any question.

As they ran, they came to a clogged path, choked full of all manners of creepy crawlers.

Erin drew her sword to make a stand but she paused when the blade caught the glare of the sun.

“Thousands apologies, Lady Erin. it seems I have underestimated the threats of Crawler’s Woods.”

“Worry not, Siv,” Erin said. She held her hand up and cast a spell, Light Drop, and she poured as much Mana as she was able to into the spell without having it explode. The brightness from Light Drop became blinding. The creepy crawlers immediately retreated behind cover. Those which were too slow with their retreat fell prey to Erin’s Lightning Bolt.

[Experience gained +5% - Level Progression: 30%]

“Now’s our chance!” Erin yelled.

They used Fleet Foot and took off into a dash without lingering around for a single second more. The Light Drop wouldn’t last long and not all of the creatures were cowering before the light.

“Astounding, Lady Erin. You don’t cease to meet the rumors. How did you know they fear the light? I thought bugs adore the sun.”

“Not these ones, apparently. Every single one of them congregated in such a small and dark place. And the bones were torn apart and picked clean, which means they were fighting for food. If food is a problem, they wouldn’t have hesitated to leave this forest but they didn’t. Therefore, only one conclusion.”

“As wise as the rumors you are, Lady Erin. I could never make those connections.”

Erin smiled wryly. “It’s just a simple trail of thought, Siv. It comes with experience.”

With the blinding source of light in Erin’s hand, the pair wasted not a step and poured their all into their haste. They knew if the light went out, they would be looking at a fate worse than death.

“There, the way out!” Siv pointed ahead, a gap between all of the densely packed trees.

“Wait.. what is that?” Erin blurted out. Her eyes couldn’t be compared to Lyra but she did have remarkable sights. Just before the gap, there were a bunch of creepy crawlers, gathered at something. As they got closer and closer, the Light Drop forced them into retreat. And the bugs’ interest was revealed. It was a child in ragged attire with his feet chained together. The child had been conscious but as soon as the bugs retreated, he collapsed onto the ground.

Erin appraised the child and the results she got were surprising to say the least, but she scooped up the child into her arms nonetheless as they ran.

“That’s the person who left the footprints at the beginning?” Siv asked.

“There could be no one other than him.”

With the last breath of dash, they finally passed through the gap and plunged into the grace of the sun. The skitterings behind stopped in an instant. The second after, the skitterings all receded back into the shadows. The pair breathed a sigh of relief as they took a seat on the grass plain spreading out before them. Erin could easily see the pass from where she sat.

“Those clothes and chains… The boy’s a slave,” Siv said upon a closer look.

“Not just a boy. He’s an Augur, whatever that is,” Erin said and parted the overgrown hair that covered the boy’s face, revealing two pair of horns, a pair on his forehead and another pair on his temples.

“Ah...” Siv gasped but her voice broke in the middle. “You don’t know about Augurs?”

Erin shrugged. “The name comes up in books I have read but never did specify what they are.”

“A race as prominent as the Faerie-kin and the Dragon-kin, and just as seclusive.”

“Ah...” Erin made a similar sound.

Erinthea - Faerie-kin: Three-Tailed Fox-kin

Level: 14 | Status: Mild Exhaustion

Might: 20 | Arcane: 22 | Finesse: 19

Magic Arts

Spirit Magic Lv. 8 | Arcane Edge Lv. 4 | Arcane Armor Lv. 6 | Lightning Magic Lv. 4

Combat Arts

Sword Art Lv. 7 | Fleet Foot Lv. 5 | Brawler Lv. 4

Innate Skills

Appraisal Lv. Ex | Night Vision Lv. Ex | Sixth Sense Lv. Ex | Toxin Resistance Lv. 1 | Lust Deviant Lv. Ex

Unique Talent

Mystic Blade Lv. Ex | Revenant Lv. Ex

Level Progression: 30%

Remaining Skill Points: 2

Remaining Ability Points: 2