The next day, Ash woke up early.
After finishing her morning routine and repeatedly checking her backpack to ensure she hadn't forgotten anything, she slung her fully packed backpack over her shoulders and headed out the door.
Azure Bay Mountain was a towering peak located behind Solvale Town.
It was named after its historical association with the rare Spirit Beast known as the Lycanazure.
Legend had it that the mountain was once home to hundreds of Lycanazure, including a massive Lycanazorath whose strength rivaled that of a regional overlord.
However, this tale had never been substantiated.
Over two thousand years ago, the Lycanazure of Azure Bay Mountain were wiped out in a disaster with no detailed records, leaving behind only legend stories that were passed down in Solvale Town.
Ash had only come across this legend while researching the terrain of Azure Bay Mountain.
She couldn't help but feel relieved that the Lycanazure was long extinct.
Given their pack behavior and intensely territorial instincts, she would never have dared to venture into Azure Bay Mountain alone if they were still around.
That said, Ash did not treat her journey to Azure Bay Mountain with any sort of carelessness.
On the contrary, the moment she confirmed she had entered the mountain's territory, she became incredibly focused and cautious.
The wilderness of Gaia wasn't just home to Spirit Beasts.
With ordinary animals outnumbering Spirit Beasts by a ratio of 2:1, it was the various poisonous insects and ferocious predators that Ash needed to guard against most vigilantly.
After all, unlike those Beast Masters, Ash didn't have a Spirit Beast to protect her.
If she let her guard down and was targeted by the ferocious predators or venomous insects that lived in Azure Bay Mountain, it would be a true disaster.
Fortunately, Ash had encountered no dangers along the way.
However, she did notice something peculiar: despite having been in Azure Bay Mountain for quite some time, she hadn't seen even a single creature.
"Could it be that the proximity to Solvale Town caused the Beast Master or the patrol team to clean this area out?" Ash speculated to herself but quickly dismissed the thought.
Although the outskirts of Azure Bay Mountain weren't very expansive and bordered Solvale Town, it was still highly unlikely for the area to be devoid of even a single creature.
"Could there be something hidden in Azure Bay Mountain that I didn't uncover during my research?" Ash frowned, silently mulling over the possibilities.
Before coming here, she had done extensive research, combing through every piece of publicly available information about Azure Bay Mountain.
After all, this was a matter of her own survival, and she had to prepare thoroughly.
Yet this unexpected discovery planted a seed of doubt in her mind, making her wonder if she truly understood everything about this mountain.
"Never mind, I'll just stick to the plan and keep moving forward for now!"
In the end, Ash couldn't resist the allure of the Ripple Fruits and decided to press on.