The Randle was a forest that was often dubbed the forbidden forest because it was a den of wild monsters and mythical creatures. Despite the fact, many people were still desperate to enter the forest.
Odette walked while stroking the upper arm of her left hand. She felt goosebumps when she saw the trees that were growing so big.
She estimated that the trees were as high as one hundred to two hundred meters with tens of meters of trunk thickness. Many of the roots of these trees were sticking out, restraining other trees in the vicinity. Some of them even wrapped around and strangled their own trunks.
After looking around for a while, Odette looked up at the leaves above. The leaves were spread wide and overlapped each other tightly, that they blocked the path of sunlight, and because of that the atmosphere in the forest became dark, damp, cold, and foggy.
Odette's blue eyes now turned to see the fruits hanging from the branch. The shape of the fruit looked strange and Odette had never seen a fruit like it.
"Anwen, have you been into this forest before?" Now Odette looked at Anwen, who was walking in front of her. Odette asked because Anwen looked so calm that she whistled along the way.
"No. This is my first time," she answered.
"You look very relaxed. Don't you feel goosebumps? Since entering this forest all my hairs are standing," said Odette, looking left and right, worried that there was a beast lurking around them.
Bam!
"Ow." She stepped back as she bumped into Anwen who suddenly stopped.
"What is it?" asked Odette, blinking, but Anwen didn't answer. The girl was silent like a statue and for some reason Odette got goosebumps and suddenly felt bad.
"A-Anwen what's wrong? Don't joke around, this isn't funny," she said timidly but the girl still didn't respond. Even now the girl was giggling.
"Hehehehe."
Hearing that, Odette's legs and hands were shaking, her heart was beating very fast and she started breaking out in cold sweat. She felt like running away but she didn't want to leave Anwen, who seemed to be in a trance.
"A-Anwen."
"Hehehehe..."
Gulp.
Odette gulped, her whole body was shaking now, a chill shot through her bones but even so she mustered up all the courage she had and raised a hand to touch Anwen's shoulder. "A-Anwen y-you…"
"AAARRGH!"
"AAAAH!"
Odette immediately screamed hysterically while protecting her head with her hands when Anwen suddenly turned around and let out a loud roar with both hands raised in the air to scare her.
Odette was still screaming in fear but she stopped when she heard Anwen's laughter.
"Hahaha, Miss Ody is so cute."
Damn!
Odette cursed inwardly when she realized she had become a victim of Anwen's prank.
She looked at Anwen in disgust.
"Not funny, hmph!" she said then looked away but Anwen innocently put her arm around Odette's shoulder and said, "Sorry, Miss Odi. Hehe."
Odette turned to see Anwen who was smiling, showing rows of white teeth. The girl apologized but didn't seem to regret her actions just like her older brother.
It was so irritating.
"Miss Ody, don't worry, as long as we have this, everything will be fine," Anwen said as she showed the three purple balls in her palm.
"That's… a sleeping ball?" Odette remembered that the purple ball is the same ball that Anwen gave to her when they were chased by four soldiers in black uniforms.
Anwen said it is a sleeping ball and told Odette to throw it at the soldiers who were chasing them. Not long after the ball was thrown the four soldiers fell from the horse.
"This… Can this paralyze monsters?" asked Odette doubtfully because the monsters in Odette's mind were huge creatures that could reach tens of feet tall and if they threw the ball then the ball must hit the monster's face so that the monster could inhale the sleeping gas inside the ball.
If they threw it in front of the monster's feet then the gas from the ball probably won't reach the monster's nose and if that was the case they would definitely be finished.
"Don't worry, this used a higher dose. I threw this at my brother Rion and Trishy and they both were presumed dead for two days," Anwen said with a tone full of pride. She didn't notice how strange Odette's expression was when she heard her statement.
'This girl turned out to be more dangerous than a monster,' Odette muttered inwardly.
Meanwhile, without them knowing it, from behind the roots that were sticking out and the bushes behind them, a pair of big red eyes glowed in the darkness and a pair of the same red eyes could be seen from behind the bushes of the left of the two girls.
Grrrr…
Odette, who listened to the low roar, was stunned and the fine hairs on the nape of her neck stood up.
"Anwen did you hear that?" she asked but Anwen looked confused and asked what was wrong.
"I heard a roar," said Odette, looking around and Anwen seemed to be doing the same.
Grrrr…
Odette and Anwen were surprised to see the bushes to their left move.
Anwen immediately stepped forward, pulled out the sword she had been carrying on her back and then stepped forward and stood in front of Odette.
Anwen's brows dipped and her eyes stared intently at the moving bushes in front of her, waiting warily for the owner of the roar she heard to come out of hiding, but the unexpected happened.
ROARR!
"Miss Ody, watch out!"
"Ah!"
Bam!
Slash!
"ANWEN!"
A large creature jumped from behind to attack Odette but Anwen quickly turned to push Odette and made herself a shield to receive the creature's attack.
Odette, who had just gotten up after falling, immediately caught Anwen's body, which looked like she was about to fall.
Grrrr.
Grrrr…
"Huh?" Odette was surprised when two creatures jumped from behind the bushes in front of her and also to her right. Her eyes immediately went wide when she could clearly see the creature's form.
Currently in front of and to Odette's left stood two terrible creatures.
"Chimera," said Anwen. She who was previously leaning on Odette forced herself to get up. The top of her shirt was torn apart and covered in blood.
Odette felt very worried seeing Anwen's condition. "Anwen you are badly injured," she said with a regretful face. Anwen got injured while saving her.
"Miss Ody, take this and get out of here," said Anwen handing her three sleeping balls. "Go see Aathreya. If you meet a monster throw the ball at them. I will hold these two creatures here," said Anwen, which stunned Odette.
Odette looked at Anwen's back with teary eyes while Anwen focused on seeing two lions that had the head of a goat on their back and had a tail in the form of a snake.
Grrr…
The two creatures roared as they slowly approached.
Anwen got into a stance, observing every move the two creatures made but for a moment she looked back as Odette didn't move at all.
"Miss Ody, go away, I will hold-"
"Don't be silly! How can I run and leave you to face them alone!"