Seventh Quest (2)

A man in his late teens was holding a bow and arrow and moving slowly and quietly through the bushes. He had a silver-colored pendant around his neck engraved with the initials "I".

Creak.

The sound of a branch snapping entered his ears and he immediately turned to look at his back.

Another man in his late teens was carrying a sword and also wearing a silver-colored pendant around his neck engraved with the initials "I". He had his head turned back as well.

They were both looking at a woman who was also in her late teens. She was carrying a short sword and shield with a copper-colored pendant around her neck that had the initials "II".

Her face made an awkward expression and she mouthed the words I'm Sorry to both of them.

The man holding the bow and arrow returned his gaze to the front. He narrowed his eyes as he swept his gaze around the area.

When he finally saw his target, he let out a short sigh of relief.

Up ahead, there was a single Paparu munching grasses. 

Although this animal wasn't aggressive, it was quick and nimble. Even with the slightest hint of danger, it would immediately run away. But just like with every animal, once cornered, it will attack. And in this particular monster's case, it will perform  a charging attack using its long and sharp horn on its forehead.

However, its meat was very tasty, making it one of the Silver Rank quests.

The man quietly drew out his bow before slowly getting up to aim at the animal.

Tsssh!

Thud.

Thud.

On his left from a distance, the sound of bushes rustling and footsteps could be heard.

The man immediately turned his head in that direction.

Meanwhile, his 2 companions, although still hiding, turned their heads to the same direction as well and prepared themselves to engage at any moment.

Unlike the Paparu, some monsters in this part of the forest were aggressive. 

From the noise and footsteps, an image of a Brown Kraine appeared inside their heads.

As for the Paparu, it stopped munching grass and charged towards where the unknown noise was coming from.

The man with the bow and arrow was left confused only for a split moment from the Paparu's reaction before turning his bow and arrow to the direction of the unknown noise and decided to immediately release his arrow the moment he got a glimpse of what monster was coming.

Something blurry came out and the next thing the man and his companions saw was that the Paparu was sliced into 2 pieces.

Due to the unexpected being, the man accidentally let out his arrow.

Wooh!

Thud.

The arrow missed and landed on a tree.

It was then they also saw who the unexpected "monster" was.

Their eyes turned wide. Not only because it was a person, a woman with purple hair and red highlights to be specific, but it was a Priest and adventurer based on the gold necklace with a vertically stretched-out sun pendant and a Copper I pendant around her neck.

"It's her!" said the other man with a sword.

It was none other than Vivian.

Vivian's eyes turned to slits.

"You dare to hit me?!" 

She raised her hand and aimed it at the man holding the bow and arrow.

"W-Wait! It was an accident!" said the man with a bow and arrow.

Vooom.

In the blink of an eye, Vivian appeared right in front of the man.

She was so fast that she appeared blurry in their eyes, causing a cold shiver to run down their spine.

"An accident?"

"Y-Yes--"

"Hold on!" said the man with a sword.

Vivian slowly turned her head to the man.

His companions, the man with a bow and arrow and the woman with a short sword and shield turned to him as well.

"You're the one who came to us and stole our kill!" he said and pointed at the mutilated Paparu.

"Steal, you say?" Vivian asked and her lips slowly curled up into a smile. 

Pah!

Craaack!

Thud!

She suddenly slapped the man with the bow and arrow with her poleaxe and the sound of bones breaking came out of his body as he was blown away to the side.

"Aeeeey!" the woman carrying a short sword and shield, raised her shield and took a step back.

Meanwhile, the man with a sword bit his tongue and activated a skill.

[Intimidate].

Vivian felt an invisible force brush against her, causing her to raise her guard but at the same time confused because she couldn't tell what just happened.

The man charged forward and thrust his sword.

Pah!

Crack!

Thud!

Vivian easily evaded it and slapped him away with her poleaxe.

The man's left arm was completely broken that a bone sticking out of his shoulder and he laid down on the ground.

Vivian turned to the woman.

Her face was as pale as a ghost and her whole body trembled as she stared at Vivian.

Thud.

She fell to the ground on her butt and a wet spot began to appear on her crotch area.

"I-It… w-was --"

Poof.

Vivian suddenly felt something poke her back and she turned her head around.

It was the man with a bow and arrow -- his bow and arrow were far away, he was severely injured and was laying on the ground just like the other man.

However, he had his right hand up and was staring at Vivian in horror.

"A spell?" Vivian asked and then raised her hand. "This is how you use a spell."

[Wind Arrow].

Vivian didn't know what kind of spell the man used but she decided to use her less destructive range spell.

She knew that if she used [Lightning Arrow], there was no doubt he would die. The electrocuting effect alone combined with her high Intelligence points would kill him.

Meanwhile, if she used [Fire Arrow], she was afraid it might burn him.

Woooh!

Thud.

The man gritted his teeth before rolling to the side. The excruciating amount of pain he felt from the left side of his body was enough to almost pass out.

Vivian rolled her eyes.

"Why even evade? What's the point?"

She slowly walked over to the man.

Beads of sweat flowed down on the man's face and he quickly tried to get a healing potion from his pocket.

"You think someone is going to come for you people? Is that it?" Vivian asked and then laughed. "As if anyone in this forest can stop me."

The man finally pulled out the healing potion he was looking for.

Vivian stopped walking.

"Is that healing potion? Go on, heal yourself," she said with an amused smile on her face.

Given his injured body, the man couldn't open the bottle with 2 hands so he bit down the glass and drank the liquid, not caring about the shattered glass inside his mouth.

The refreshing feeling coursed over his body and some of his wounds healed. And although he wasn't completely healed, he could at least now stand up.

Unfortunately, that was just it.

The man looked at his female companion.

"Jessica! Get up and ask for help! There's bound to be other adventurers nearby! Azi and I will distract her!"

"Wayne…" Jessica said and bit her lip before looking at Azi who was still unconscious.

"GO! NOW!"

Startled by Wayne's voice, she quickly tried to get up.

"If you get up, I'll chop your legs and feed you to the monsters in this forest!" said Vivian.

Jessica stopped, her eyes bouncing between Vivian and Wayne.

"I really didn't want to attack you people. But you attacked me first. And when I asked for an apology, your companion aimed his sword at me so I had no choice to but protect myself," Vivian said calmly.

Both Wayne and Jessica almost coughed out blood.

No, Wayne did, just a little bit.

He covered his mouth and a trickle of blood slipped through his hand.