NOVEL NEXT Chapter 84: Ashenbane Forest
When Emilia opened her eyes again, she found herself standing on damp earth, Mimi still nestled in her arms.
Above them, the sky was wrapped in an eternal twilight, dim and eerie, while the forest stretched endlessly around them. The towering trees had trunks and branches as black as charcoal, their leaves ghostly pale, ranging from faded ivory to bone-white. Every time the wind stirred, thousands of white leaves drifted down like falling ash, carpeting the ground in a haunting veil.
From deeper within the woods came strange cries, neither human nor beast, but something disturbingly in between.
"Woahhh… so this is Duskwald…" Emilia whispered, tightening her grip on Mimi. She raised a hand and murmured a basic incantation. A small orb of light bloomed in her palm, casting a faint glow that pushed back the shadows.
In her arms, Mimi was just as silent, her fur bristling, wide eyes darting left and right.
Dang… this looked exactly like the game!
Except now, instead of watching it in third-person on a screen, she was here in the flesh—living it in first person. And truth be told, it was much, much scarier than she had imagined.
Apparently, they had been teleported to a forest not far from Duskwald itself, a place with a name that suited its cursed scenery all too well: Ashenbane Forest.
And needless to say, it stirred more than a little nostalgia in Mimi. She still remembered the very first time her character had stepped into Ashenbane. Back then, the gloomy scenery had given her chills, and the background music was haunting as heck. But here… there was no background music—only the whisper of wind and those eerie cries. And somehow, that made it ten times scarier.
True. As Emilia stood there, her senses sharpened to a frightening degree. She could hear everything, even the rapid pounding of her own heartbeat. The wind slipped between the trees, carrying with it a low moan that sounded disturbingly like a ghost's whisper. Goosebumps prickled across her skin.
And then—
Rustle…
Rustle…
Something was moving, approaching.
Schweeng!
Emilia reacted at once, drawing her sword in a flash of steel.
"Mimi, don't worry. I'll protect you!" she muttered, though her voice quivered despite her resolve.
The sound crept closer, and closer, and closer.
Now, mixed in with the rustling came an awful series of clicks and guttural grumbles, noises so twisted and unnatural they clawed at the ear.
What? Already?!
Mimi's ears shot upright, her body stiff with alarm. She knew that noise too well.
Yes… it was the cry of one of Ashenbane's native monsters.
Logically, with Emilia's stats, Mimi was certain her master could deal with anything in this forest. But still…
Urghhh…
Her fur bristled as a shiver ran down her spine.
I really don't want to see those ugly things at all!
Back in the game, their design alone had given her chills. And now? Here, in real life, facing them not through a screen but with her own eyes, it was bound to be horrifying!
Well, I have to prepare my mentally now!
And as Mimi did that, the branches cracked.
And then, from the pale fog of Ashenbane emerged a hulking shape.
At first, it looked like the shadow of a massive beast, but then the light from Emilia's spell revealed the truth.
It was an undead monster… a Lesser Death Bear!
It's like a gray bear in real life, except it's in half zombie half skeleton form and rotting!
As it crawled forward and stood up on its legs, its body turned massive, easy twice Emilia's height. Jagged ribs jutted outward like a cage of knives, and pale ghostfire flickered faintly within its hollow chest. Its skull still bore scraps of rotting fur, stretched tight across cracked bone, and its jaw hung loose, clattering with every step.
[Monster: Lesser Death Bear]
Level: 18
Crrrkkhh…
The sound was like dry branches snapping as the creature lumbered forward, its claws—longer than daggers—scraping against the soil.
Its cloudy, white eyes locked onto Emilia and Mimi, blazing with a white flame. And then…
"ROAAAAAAARRRHH!!"
It roared!
Not a normal roar though, but a skill!
[ !! NEGATIVE STATUS INFLICTED !! ]
[ You have been affected by Fear!]
[Speed - 5%, damage output - 5%, damage received + 5%!]
Mimi froze for a second, the wave of fear creeping into her chest, making her fur bristle.
However… as someone who had already endured something far more terrifying—the Demonic Fear skill from that Archdemon—this was nothing in comparison!
[RESISTED!]
She quickly glanced up at Emilia. Her master's face, though slightly tense, showed no trace of fear. In fact, it was the complete opposite.
Mimi's eyes widened in surprise. Emilia was grinning—an eager, fiery grin.
And through the bond that linked them, Mimi could feel it too—a surge of raw emotion blazing inside her chest, like a fire roaring to life, hot and unyielding.
Ohhh! Master's excited now!
NICE!
With that, Mimi leapt down from Emilia's arms, landing lightly on the damp earth. She didn't want to get in the way of her master's fight. Her tail swished anxiously as she stood watch.
Emilia shifted into position, adjusting her stance. Her sword caught the faint glow of her light spell, its blade gleaming cold and sharp like a shard of moonlight. She stood firm, waiting for the monster to act first.
And in the very next instant, the Death Bear unleashed a deafening roar and charged, its skeletal frame rattling with every thunderous step!
***
Vital rule of fighting any enemy: never underestimate your foe. Never drop your guard. Even if you're certain of victory.
And it looked like Emilia had taken that rule to heart.
The Death Bear lunged with startling speed, one massive claw raised high.
SWIPEEE!
A swipe attack! Fast, brutal, and deadly.
But too predictable. Emilia sidestepped smoothly, her boots grinding against the damp soil, the air shuddering as the claw carved through empty space.
The beast whirled with surprising agility for its hulking frame and swung again.
Emilia ducked, the rancid wind of the strike brushing past her hair, the claws hissing just inches above her head.
"I see…" she muttered under her breath. "Your speed must be around… twenty, maybe twenty-five."
The monster bellowed furiously, its hollow chest rattling, then raised both arms for a devastating vertical strike, aiming to tear her in two.
But this time, Emilia did not dodge. She braced herself. Both hands gripped the hilt of her sword, muscles tightening as her feet dug into the earth—
CLANGGGG!
Steel clashed with bone. Sparks burst as her blade caught the strike, the force of it rippling through her arms.
Her grin widened. "Oh my… your strength is quite something. Around forty, maybe?"
Her voice dropped, fierce and eager.
"Alright! Let's test your defense!"
With a roar of effort, Emilia shoved upward, throwing the bear's arm aside and forcing the beast to stagger back, claws digging trenches into the dirt.
That gave her a good opening!
Her sword flashed.
SLASHHH!
Light trailed her blade as it ripped across the Death Bear's belly. Rotten flesh split open, and pale, half-decayed organs spilled out with a wet squelch, filling the air with a vile stench.
"Tch… one hit isn't enough?" Emilia exclaimed, clicking her tongue.
She twisted, pivoted on her heel, and swung again with a brutal horizontal cut.
SHWIIING!
Bone cracked. Flesh tore.
The Death Bear's body split apart, collapsing with a thunderous crash that shook the ground beneath her boots.
THUD!
Dark blood gushed out, soaking into the damp earth, its rancid stench spreading like a foul mist through the Ashenbane Forest.
And in the bear's chest, the pale ghostly fire flickered once… then disappeared.
***
Emilia exhaled, lowering her blade.
The monster was dead. Too quick, too easy.
Watching from the sidelines, Mimi was blown away.
Dangggg!
I know Master is strong, but still—this is awesome!
At first, she thought Emilia might struggle a little. After all, even if she had better stats and skills, she should still be lacking in real combat experience, right? Especially against a monster she'd never faced before.
But the result told a completely different story.
Not only had Emilia calmly measured the monster's strength and stats, she also fought with cold efficiency, almost to the degree of ruthless. It was like watching a war veteran who had survived hundreds of battles. Every move was sharp, every strike calculated.
And since Mimi knew the monster's stats so well—having fought it countless times in the game—she could confirm it: Emilia's estimations had been dead spot on.
How did she do that?
Mimi had absolutely no clue…
But with that performance, no wonder she was deemed the Silvervein genius child. This girl… she's a force to be reckon with already!
Anyways, Mimi also noticed something else.
Master… she's actually a combat junkie, isn't she?
Yeah… even though she was a kind master to Mimi, treating everyone with warmth and care… when she fought, Mimi saw it. The fire blazing in her eyes. The sharp grin on her lips. That pulse of excitement running through her every move.
It was like… she was enjoying herself.
Is this… really… the same person?
"Eugh!!! The smell! It reeks!!!"
Emilia's sudden outburst snapped Mimi out of her thoughts.
And then—
"EUGHHH!!"
Mimi nearly vomited too!
The Death Bear's corpse oozed rot and gore, its stench so heavy it clung to the back of her throat.
Emilia hurried back to Mimi and scooped her into her arms.
"I don't want to loot this monster at all, so let's get out of here!"
"Meow!"
Mimi agreed at once.