A few hours later, she arrived at the portion of a road where a path strays further north-eastwards, leading her toward Presling Grove.
So far, she hasn't encountered any monsters on her path, and her enchantments have made it easier to move around, even with all of the equipment she carries.
She stopped and checked her equipment.
Her warding talismans, vials, and monster-repellent, all of which cost a fortune, are all accounted for. Of all the things that she learned during her time in the academy, it was to first, always have a plan for everything.
Second, and most importantly, to never underestimate the Northern Province.
Third is that danger is always looking for an opportunity to manifest itself, so one should always keep their guard up.
And lastly, more like a personal note to herself, is to never ignore your instincts.
It's high noon but the sun's heat is bearable, so she decided to push further before taking a break.
The path doesn't have any sort of road, so she decided to follow what looks like a communal animal trail. Shrubs riddled the path, while the taller trees maintained a set distance from one another, creating a mosaic of shadows on the ground.
Although faint, the chirps of birds could be heard, while the occasional critter could be seen catching a glimpse of the strange creature walking in their woods.
It isn't farfetched if this is their first time seeing a human being, given that the area was ways off the established road and was only occasionally visited by adventurers.
Still, she enjoyed the feeling of having the place exclusive for herself, a world apart from the hustle and bustle within the city walls.
"Kriiiiieeeeeh!".
A loud screech reverberated within the forest.
As soon as she heard it, Fei equipped her Curse Creep cloak. Her outline seamlessly blended with the forest background.
"[Silento]".
For assurance, she cast another spell, one meant to erase any audible noise made by the target. Better safe than sorry. Following the source of the sound, she found herself hiding behind one of the larger trees.
There, a few meters away from her position, is the source of the sound she heard, or what it used to be. What she saw was a half-eaten Ozrax, a bovine-type monster that she used to see around Ancdam.
Its thick hide allows it to withstand an attack-type spell at close range. It's been said that blunt-type attacks prove to be the most effective against this beast.
As she analyzes the situation, she sees a slight movement behind the monster carcass.
Blood-shot eyes, reptilian scales, razor-sharp teeth, and claws. There are four, or five of them. Tradileks, an agile beast the size of a large dog, is known for its aggressive nature that stands out from the other monsters in the area.
Despite their small size, these monsters are classified individually as E-rank monsters, but a group of three to four is considered to be a D-rank.
It's not their rank, their appetite, or even the fact that they hunt in packs that make them extremely dangerous. Their saliva is coated with necro toxins, capable of destroying even the toughest monsters from within their body.
Knowing the inherent threat of being close to this creature, Fei slowly distanced herself from the scene. Lucky for her, she was well-equipped for stealthy movement and the Tradileks were too busy feeding on the Ozrax that she managed to slip away undetected.
Regaining her bearings, she resumed her hike. Perhaps due to the increased luck effect of her enchantment earlier, there hasn't been any incident like the one before.
Still, the incident made her take extra caution and chipped away her time. With the night slowly approaching, Fei decided to set up camp for the night. It would be too dangerous to move at night.
Besides, after checking her current location, she estimated that she'd reach her destination tomorrow before noon.
Exhausted, she took out her warding talismans and placed them around her makeshift campsite. Careful not to draw any attention, she refrained from lighting a fire.
Good thing that she bought a couple of sandwiches just before heading out. This time, she was careful not to eat them all at once, so she set aside a piece for later.
Having finished her meal, she proceeds to prepare her makeshift bedding for the night. A few twigs, branches, and leaves, would make for a decent place to sleep.
She set out to gather the materials she needed. It wasn't exactly hard to look for materials when you're in a forest, and soon enough, she had gathered all that she needed.
"This'll do", she exclaimed, clutching the several leaves and branches that she collected.
Looking for them took her quite a distance away from her camp. Still, the thought of having a nice place to rest eased her mind, so she didn't actually care if she went quite a distance away.
"Time to head back".
As she was about to retrace her way back to the camp, her eye caught a faint glow some distance away. Adventurers? she thought. But the last time she checked, the adventurers capable of venturing to these parts were preoccupied with other quests.
Strangely, she found herself moving toward the light. She has to know. As she walked, she thought that perhaps she could ask whoever it was to accompany her.
She still has enough coins to compensate for the escort reward, so money isn't the problem. Only a few meters away from the light, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Call it a sixth sense or a premonition, but something makes her feel that she has to stop or something bad will happen.
As soon as she stepped, she stared directly toward the source of the illumination.
An adventurer? No.
A fire? No. Perhaps fireflies? Glowing mushrooms?
No.
What she was staring at was staring back at her.
The light (eyes) slowly blinked, revealing a monster bigger than anything she had ever seen.
She felt a cold sweat run down her spine.
Her primal instincts are constantly sending alarm bells, instigating her fight or flight response.
But all of this is for naught, for nothing else comes to her mind but a single word.
Run.