First Quest (9)

Vivian examined the bite mark on her left forearm and she could feel it throbbing from pain.

 

"Dammit…!"

 

She took out her remaining Healing Potion that she received yesterday from Rolando and opened it.

 

I was planning to sell this potion once I got back to the city in case I lacked funds…!

 

I also forgot to ask if the foxes in this forest have rabies and if Healing Potions can cure it…!

 

Fucking hell...!

 

She pressed the lid of the bottle against her lips and raised it up.

 

Gulp.

 

Gulp.

 

Just like the first time she drank a Healing Potion, the moment its fluid entered her throat, a refreshing feeling coursed all over her body.

 

As for the throbbing pain, unlike from yesterday where the was still a trace of it, this time around, it was completely gone.

 

She glanced at her left forearm.

 

The punctured wounds were completely gone, leaving only blood, sweat and saliva.

 

Vivian’s brows knitted together.

 

Hmm… 

 

Does this mean the potion that that man gave me was higher…?

 

Her eyes moved to her left bicep where she got whipped by the trunk monster earlier.

 

She dropped the bottle and smudged the thin red line with her thumb.

 

The wound was also completely gone and the only thing left was the dried-up blood on top of the surface.

 

I also don't see any scars…

 

She pressed her fingers on her right cheek where she also sustained an injury from the trunk monster that whipped her.

 

I can't feel any bumps or uneven surfaces…

 

Her eyes landed on the empty bottle on the ground.

 

"Well, no point in crying over spilled milk..."

 

"It is what it is..."

 

She raised her head and looked around the trees.

 

"I'm also gonna need another stick…"

 

She saw an ideal-looking branch on one of the trees so she approached it.

 

When she got closer, she noticed something.

 

Within the roots, there was a small hole underneath and a baby fox came out.

 

It looked so adorable with its long ears almost half as large as its body pointing to the sides and its yellow-colored fur.

 

Grrr…

 

When the baby fox saw her, it growled and barred its tiny fangs.

 

Vivian tilted her head to the side, wondering what to do.

 

She then decided to take a step, wanting to pet it, but it ran back inside the hole.

 

"Well, I've never been a dog person to begin with…" Vivian said and scratched her nose.

 

Come to think of it, I wonder what a baby trunk monster looks like…

 

So far, all I encountered were those adults -- assuming they were adults…

 

The same goes for those sunflower monsters…

 

As for those mushrooms, I think I'm gonna pass…

 

Vivian remembered watching a documentary about poisonous snakes. And according to the host, the younger the snake, the more potent its venom.

 

***

 

Woooh!

 

Woooh!

 

"Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~ Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~3 blind mice~~"

 

Vivian was humming and swinging one of her sticks aimlessly while strolling down the forest.

 

Beak!

 

Beak!

 

She stopped humming and immediately turned to where the sound was coming from.

 

Once she spotted the Bukaroo, she dropped the stick on her left hand and got into a batting position

 

Whaaack!

 

Beeeaaak!

 

Thud.

 

She whacked the bird away with her stick the moment it entered her attack range and then rushed to where the bird landed.

 

Bam!

 

She drove a fist down.

 

Ding!

 

'Unlocked [Fist Mastery] - Level 1!'

 

"Now I need to unlock its [Body Art Mastery]~!"

 

She turned around to search and pick up her other stick.

 

"Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~ Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~"

 

But after a few steps, she stopped and went back to the Bukaroo's corpse.

 

"Shit, I forgot to extract the tail!"

 

After she extracted the tail, she picked up her other stick and then resumed roaming around the forest.

 

"Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~ Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~ 3 blind mice~~ 3 blind mice~~ See how they run~~ See how they run~~ Nanan~~ Nanan~~ Nanananan~~ Nanan~~ Nanan~~ Nanananan~~ 3 blind mice~~"

 

She couldn't remember all of the lyrics so she settled with "nanan".

 

***

 

Beak!

 

Beak!

 

Vivian stood in a fighting stance and a serious expression was plastered on her face.

 

The reason behind that was because there were 2 monsters charging toward her -- a Bukaroo and a trunk monster.

 

Vivian started to slowly take a few steps backward in order for the Bukaroo bird to reach her first.

 

Whaaack!

 

Beeeaaak!

 

Thud.

 

She whacked away the bird with her stick but didn't immediately rush to where it landed in order to finish it off.

 

Instead, she dropped one of her sticks and charged at the trunk monster.

 

When she got close, the monster immediately whipped its branch arms at her and missed because Vivian suddenly leaped over it and landed behind.

 

The monster was about to turn around but Vivian's attack was already way ahead.

 

[Power Fist].

 

Bam!

 

A chunk of the monster's body about the size of an adult's head was shredded into pieces and Vivian's fist went through.

 

After confirming that the trunk monster was dead, Vivian immediately rushed to the Bukaroo bird which was still incapacitated from the blow it suffered.

 

Bam!

 

She drove a fist to the ground.

 

She knelt down and began extracting the tail.

 

Once she was done, she picked up her other stick and resumed roaming the forest.

 

“I didn't expect I would be able to pull that off…”

 

A smile suddenly appeared on her face and she shook her head.

 

"I never thought that I would be able to dunk with this body...."

 

The length of the trunk monster's body was 4ft tall and its legs were about a foot tall.

 

"Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~ Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~ 3 blind mice~~ 3 blind mice~~ See how they run~~ See how they run~~"

 

***

 

Tch!

 

Vivian clicked her tongue and she walked casually at a charging sunflower monster.

 

Whaaack!

 

She swung her stick once the monster got within her attack range and it died right away.

 

Vivian didn't even bother to stop and look at it, she just continued walking.

 

"At least give me a bird or the fox so that I can finally get the [Body Art Mastery] of my [Fist Mastery]!"

 

"Like seriously, is it too much to ask to give me useful enemies?!"

 

She let out a sigh.

 

"Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~ Hm~~ Hm~~ HHmm~~ 3 blind mice~~ 3 blind mice~~ See how they run~~ See how they run~~"

 

***

 

Tap.

 

Tap.

 

Tap.

 

Vivian was tapping one of her sticks on the side of her leg.

 

"Ugh…!"

 

She hung her head and cast her gaze to the ground.

 

"Of course…"

 

"Why not, right…?"

 

She wiped the sweat on her forehead and nose with the back of her hand before raising her head and staring at the charging enemies.

 

"I mean, why do I even expect things to go my way…?"

 

In front of her was a group of tiny jumping mushrooms.

 

I wonder where are their eyes, ears and mouths because I don't see any…

 

I also wonder what they eat…

 

And do they even poop…?

 

The mushrooms finally entered her attack range and she began swinging her sticks.

 

Whaaack!

 

Whaaack!

 

Whaaack!

 

Whaaack!

 

Poink!

 

Whaaack!

 

Poink!

 

Poink!

 

Braaak!

 

One of her sticks snapped into two, causing Vivian to stop and lose focus for a moment.

 

Poink!

 

Poink!

 

"Fuck!" she cursed once she snapped out of the trance.

 

Pah!

 

She kicked one away that was already jumping mid-air.

 

Whaaack!

 

Whaaack!

 

Ba-squish!

 

After killing the last one with a stomp with her left shoe because her other foot was bare, she surveyed her surroundings to look for a new stick.

 

"Oh, that looks good."

 

She immediately headed for the tree where the branch was and climbed it.

 

Chapter end