Ch: 112.2

The veil of darkness cast over the forest was slowly lifting.

One by one, I watch as the glow of the dragonflies drifting through the trees slowly putter out and disappear completely. In a few minutes, the forest would return to how I knew it, meaning it was time to wake Tabitha up, which was arguably the most dangerous part of my job.

With the light increasing, I could better see Tabitha asleep on my tarp, and I didn’t miss how her hand was resting on the pommel of her sword. Even with her eyes closed, she looked ready to leap into action at the slightest hint of danger.

“How should I go about this?” I mumble to myself. I had the first watch last night, meaning I’ve already woken her up once, but that was before we entered the magic-dense region. She wasn’t nearly as tense as back then. In fact, according to her, the creepy remnants ensured we could get a peaceful night’s rest before we entered the magic-dense region without worrying we would be ambushed.

Of course, even though she said that her guard wasn't fully lowered, and when I tried to rouse her from her sleep, she still drew her blade halfway from its sheath before recognizing it was me doing the waking. Unwilling to get within stabbing distance again, I did the only thing I could and started to call out to her.

“Tabitha. Hey, Tabitha.” Though I was calling her name, I wasn't exactly being loud about it. Instead, I sounded like I was trying to get someone’s attention in a library.

“Tabitha!” I switch to my normal voice, still not wanting to get any louder. After all, who knew if any of those mysterious beasts were still hanging around?

As if to prove my point, I heard a roar outside, and it sounded like it originated from the base of the tree.

Oh yeah, if the sun was rising, I might be able to see whatever beasts are still nearby! Of course, I might only see one or two new species, but even then, it might give me an idea of what we might encounter going forward.

So, for a moment, I choose to do the same as Tabitha and let her sleep a bit longer. Using my left hand, I grip the edge of the hollow with all my strength before leaning out. First, I quickly scan our surroundings. Before looking down, I had to make sure there wasn’t anything hiding in the nearby tree branches.

I spot a few birds stretching their wings and one decently sized snake slithering in the distance, but neither looks like the giant murderous varieties. I mean, come on, the snake didn't even look to be twenty feet long for heavens snake. Compared to the oversized creatures I saw yesterday, the snake looked tiny in comparison.

When I don’t spot anything particularly hazardous close by and directing Sense Mana outwards doesn’t reveal any hidden enemies, I was free to turn my attention below me, were the actual monsters resided.

Sadly, I didn’t see much on my initial scan. While we were getting a lot of sunlight up here near the top of the tree, it had yet to filter down to the forest floor below completely. Instead, the light struck the large tree trunks, casting a maze of deep shadows across the forest floor. It was one such shadow that obscured the base of our tree.

I could still see creatures shifting in the darkness, so I knew they weren’t all gone yet, but I still couldn't get a clear view.

All I could do was wait and hope that the creatures don’t flee before the sun eventually revealed them.

“I thought I told you to wake me when the sun rises.”

“Ahhh!” I yelp and reflexively let go of the tree after Tabitha successfully sneaks up behind me.

Thankfully, she keeps me from falling out of the hollow by grabbing the back of my gambeson. If I had fallen, I could’ve used Air Walk, but that would’ve forced me to tap more into my mana than I currently wanted to.

“You let your guard down again,” Tabitha pulls me back into the hollow with a look of disappointment.

Shit, I only stopped watching her a second ago! “You just got lucky,” I wheeze, holding my hand to my pounding chest. “I was focusing on outside the tree.”

“Ah-huh,” Tabitha rolls her eyes, clearly not impressed by my excuse.

I grit my teeth in frustration, not because Tabitha scared me; I was fine with that; I was frustrated because I messed up again. Even if it was only for a second, I was focusing all my senses outward, and because of that, I overlooked Tabitha not only waking up but also sneaking up on me.

“Not all threats are external,” Tabitha warns me.

“I understand,” I hang my head in defeat.

Tabitha steps forward and places her gauntleted hand on my shoulder. "You're young; you'll learn. That's the point of this little trip of ours."

“I’m pretty sure this trip is about me seeing the world,” I sarcastically remind Tabitha. “A certain armored woman turned it into field practice.” Again, I joke to try and hide my negative feelings, but it doesn't take away from the disgrace of messing up again.

“Then you should thank her,” Tabitha grins at me with a predatory smile. “I’d say you’re learning a lot.” She nudges me to stop moping.

I was learning a lot, but I wasn’t going to give Tabitha the satisfaction of admitting that. “Maybe my teacher isn’t doing enough.” I regret my comment as soon as it leaves my mouth.

“Is that so,” Tabitha’s eyes narrow, and she stops talking in the third person. “Maybe you’re right; maybe I haven’t been pushing you as much as I should. But don’t worry,” Tabitha steps in close to me. “That will all change going forward. I'll teach you everything you need to know, so you'll never have trouble with enemies at the same level as you again."

Once again, I’ve successfully managed to shove my foot into my mouth.

“Now, what were you looking at?” Tabitha steps next to me and peers over the edge of the hollow.

“I was trying to see the beasts below us,” I grumble, following her example.

“Oh, they haven’t left yet?” Tabitha asks curiously.

"I don't think so; I was waiting for it to get brighter out,” I point out.

And it was getting brighter. Most of the shadows had receded, and for the first time since yesterday, I could see the forest floor below us. My eyes scan for and zero in on the spot we briefly camped yesterday evening, and I catch my first glimpse of what remained of the bird I defeated.

Once in my past life, I saw my father accidentally run over a dead bird with our lawnmower; the scene below us was eerily similar. Feathers were scattered all over the place, some still connected to chunks of bird flesh. Many of the bones looked picked clean, minus the head, which was missing. If I didn’t know what the bird initially looked like, I wouldn’t even be able to distinguish it from the remains. I could hardly believe the bird’s corpse had been reduced to such a state in only one night.

The only significant part of the meat left looked to be part of one of the bird's wings. And it was that wing that was causing the commotion I heard earlier.

Standing over its feathered prize stood a lion; not a tiger or a bear, but a lion. The large cat put its Earth variants to shame, standing as tall as me at around six feet and was at least double that from head to tail. Instead of sporting a golden mane around its head, the fur around its neck was a brilliant silver, while the rest of its coat was a more washed-out grey. It was baring its teeth, trying to scare off its challengers.

Seven ginormous beetles surrounded the oversized cat and were clicking their mandibles, obviously wanting what the lion had. The beetles were half the size of the tiger and were varying shades of green and brown, almost entirely blending into the forest floor. I could hear their angry hisses from up here.

One of the beetles charges the grey lion but is quickly sent flying by one swipe of the cat’s paw. The beetle hits the ground hard and flips a few times before landing on its back; its legs claw at the air. It struggles to right itself, but one of its buddies comes to its rescue. The nearest beetle rams its overturned ally, flipping it upright.

I could see scratch marks on the beetle’s carapace from where the lion hit it, but other than that, the bug looked utterly unharmed by the attack.

Sense Soul gives me a better idea of what I was seeing. All of the beetles were between the levels of 50 and 60. While the grey lion was….

“Level 96!” I couldn’t help but exclaim. “Tabitha, it’s around your….” I turn to gauge Tabitha’s reaction to the beast, only to pause when I see her staring at the lion with hungry eyes.

Tabitha’s hand trembles with what I suspect is excitement as she places it on her sword’s hilt.

“You aren’t going to try and fight it, are you?” I nervously ask. I still wasn’t back up to 100% yet, and if Tabitha wasn’t absolutely sure she could handle it by herself, I might need to step in if things get dicey. And unlike the beetles who seemed willing to push their luck due to their numbers, I had no desire to fight the cat who had 22 levels on me.

I start to get worried when Tabitha doesn’t answer me. “Tabitha!” I lean in, speaking directly in her ear.

Tabitha jots at my voice, and she realizes what she was about to do. Her hand slides off the handle of her sword, and she lets out a small sigh. “No, you’re right,” she reluctantly agrees with me. “It just looked like it would make a good opponent," she remarks as the lion sends another beetle soaring through the air.

Those beetles have to be defense-oriented to survive such powerful strikes, meaning it would only take a single hit for the lion to knock someone like me out. A part of me wanted to see Tabitha go all out for the first time, but my rational side far outweighed those thoughts.

Just as well, the grey lion seems to have decided it was overstaying its welcome. Before any other beetles could charge it, it bends over and grabs the bird's wing in its razor-like jaws. The bugs let out a screeching noise like nails on a chalkboard and rush the cat as one. But made for speed, the beetles were not.

With food in hand, or mouth, in this case, the grey lion leaps over the angry bugs and rushes deeper into the magic-dense region. The bugs didn't even come close to stopping it.

The beetles hiss in dismay before Tabitha and I watch as the disappointed bugs scour the area for any scraps left behind. A few of them do find a bit of food, and it's funny because as soon as one of them did, it would immediately try and flee before any of the others realized it.

A few fights over scraps break out, and the beetles settle their disputes by ramming straight into each other. The largest one is almost always the winner, but it was fascinating to watch them jowst.

It didn't take long before the bugs scrubbed the area clean of anything they considered food, and the last of them scuttled out of sight.

"We'll have to be extra careful from here on out," Tabitha tells me.

Tabitha couldn't be more right; that grey lion was proof that higher-level beasts could show up anywhere. Of course, it could just be a scavenger, but that was just me being optimistic.

"How about it, we could always turn back?" Tabitha may be offing for us to turn around and go home, but we both knew that wasn't really an option.

Despite my tough battle yesterday and seeing the grey lion's level, I had no intention of going home now. And I knew Tabitha didn't either; she was just making sure I still had my resolve. And I did.

I couldn't wait to see what lay deeper in the forest. Things were only going to get more exciting from here on out.

**********

2,100 words.

It took longer than I wanted to, but here's another chapter for you.

Tomorrow is my dad's birthday, so I'll be spending the day at his house. The next chapter will be out Monday; come hell or high water.

Let me know what you think of the expanding ecosystem. I originally planned for the altercation to be between a giant wolf and a group of carnivorous deer but ended up changing it, considering I already had the farkas in my story. Am I doing a good enough job painting a picture of the environment and the diverse life located in it?

Tell me your suggestions below, and as always, stay safe.