ã€ŠMoonlight wolfã€‹


 Chapter 1 Forest of the End and the Beginning

    The full moon illuminated the night, slightly covered by the tree canvases and the smog from torch lights covering the opening that the moonlight rain down on the soil. Hurried breaths continues to be heard throughout the plethora of trees with a few flashes of light in-between shouts before explosions slowly drowned out the surrounding sound before the sound of wild beast would plague the surrounding with angry roars that would blanket the forest.

    A little while later men covered in light armor were seen converging outside the forest. They were a mix-and-mash of people from different heights and races. Some people armor set were more uniformed than others but it seems that they all met up for a common goal. There was a big fellow close to two meters in height covered in gaudy armor that seemed out of place. Huge amount of gold plated ornaments covered his helm and chest plate that made it look impractical in true combat. It gave the feeling that he was using ceremonial wear in a practical setting. He raised his unnecessarily heavy sword while his voice bellowed for all to hear.

    ¡°That pointed ear thief escaped in the forest with the city mana crystal. We gathered all the mercenaries and adventurers here to help track down the tree dweller that we could on short noti-. ¡°He yelled.

    A male, a bit over half the size of an adult human interrupts the giant¡¯s speech who seemed to be the leader with a few of his doubts.

    ¡°The people of the forest are not seized by greed for riches such as gold and gems nor for conventional power like most humans. If this woman that we seek is truly someone who was born from nature, she might be falsely accu-¡°

    The short man looked down and was wide eyed in shock as his bleeding hands gripped the sword that plunged through his stomach. He looked up at the tall human in disbelief, confusion still rippled across his face; wondering what he did to deserve death. The crowd took a step back from the giant and became vigilant. The giant man pulled out a piece of official looking parchment that had a seal which were of clouds in the night sky printed at the bottom from his attire.

    ¡°I am under the orders from the ¡°The samurai of the night¡± to bring back the town magic crystal from that pointy eared thief dead or alive.¡± He proceeded to slowly look at the crowd with his face showing anger but his eyes gleamed with a playful arrogance.

    ¡°Those who dare to oppose the lord and halt this mission will be dealt with. I pledge I will fulfill these orders on the boartain family name.¡± The leader of group finished up pointing at the emblem on his chest looking a bit smug.

    A rough looking man approached him from behind not hiding his footsteps so he wouldn¡¯t cause any reason for alarm.

    ¡°Would you happen to be hihi?¡± The rough looking mercenary behind the giant ask him.

    The giant turned around, using the motion from his turn to backhand the speaker into a tree, causing him to crash head first before he slowly fell to the ground. No one knew if he was dead or was out cold. One thing was guaranteed, he wouldn¡¯t be able to finish this mission. He was either dead or the cost of this trip would impact him severely. Healing his injuries and addition to the time off he would have to take before he would be able to accept new missions made this trip very costly in more ways than one. Hopefully he would go to a cleric or doctor that knew their craft.

    Clearly angered by the way he was addressed, he looked over the crowd with a face full of raged before he began to speak.

    ¡°I am to be referred to as ¡°The mountain.¡±¡± The leader roared.

    ¡°I will not guarantee the life of the next one who misspeaks.¡±

    The crowd looked at each other in shock. Some were surprised at the strength and others at the name and the weight his surnamed carried. A hush descended upon the crowd before hushed whispers ran throughout it.

    ¡°Is he from one of the noble families¡± an adventurer whispered?

    Those who had a last name and family crest usually came from nobility. To see nobility on this type of mission was surprising.

    ¡°This mission not as simple as it seems.¡± A woman in a ragtag piece of equipment whispered.

    ¡°The nobility only stick their noses in things that affect their interest. The woman is either brave for offending nobility or she¡¯s pitiful for being caught in their schemes.¡±

    Hushed murmurs began to travel across the meeting site. The surrounding was finally quiet except the crackling fire from the torches and the people who were outside the forest. The beast long ago fled their homes in the wake of such a large gathering of people.

    _________________________________________

    There was a woman whom was running deeper into the forest gasping for breath while continuously looking over her shoulder. Running at a speed that seemed impossible in a cluster of trees, she continued to go deeper in the forest while jumping from one branch to another. Her steps were graceful, which appeared to be floating through the air like a hummingbird with each step like it was her normal gait.

    With a closer look at her appearance, you would see holes and burn marks throughout her attire; her hair was disheveled and she was covered in mud, sooth and vegetation. At her side was a pouch that she clinched like her life depended on it. On her back was a beautifully crafted bow with a quiver full of arrows. On the opposite side of the pouch was a simplistic looking dagger will no embodiment but was well made. Her eyes had a steely like determination but her ragged body that would continuously shake defied her willed. Her skin was the color of moonlight which seemed unnaturally pale but beautiful. Her veins were a dark purple, almost black; she had small lips but they seem to endlessly produce blood. She would continue to throw up blood during this night time excursion. Her body would slightly shake, while her eyes would lose and regain focus in a cycle. She knew she had to do something soon or she wouldn¡¯t have a chance in the future.

    ¡°I cannot allow myself to die here. If I would die in the land of the humans, I would be the sinner of my race.¡± she said in a voice that was so quiet, even she could barely make it out.

    She continued to hike throughout the steep hills. She could see the red glow throughout the forest behind her. She quickly examined herself. Scratches marring her body while blood leaking from her sides as she went up and down the trail.

    ¡°The more experience hunters will find my tracks soon.¡± She thought. She was too weak from the blood lost and she began to move a bit more sluggishly. She was too tired to try and cover up her tracks. She began to look around her; pair of eyes was seen in the darkness.

    ¡°The beast that inhabit this forest are starting to get agitated by the smell of blood.¡± She looked around at the giant vines covering the ground and all the grooves and caves that were covered in darkness. The place that she would normally feel at home caused her to feel like she was surrounded by enemies lurking in the dark.

    She finally reaches a high vantage point in the surrounding area and could see a clearing with a lake coming up. The lake spanned for a few acres and was surrounded with vegetation. The trees and flowers grew uninhibited and the lake flourished with life. In a few seconds, she decides that the clearing before the lake would be where she¡¯ll gamble it all. She set herself on-route for the lake and prayed.

    ________________________

    The mountain and a well-trained group were examining the ground. The vines and uneven terrain made it difficult to transverse the forest and the darkness only amplified the difficulty. On the ground, the vegetation had marks of being trampled on. Blood drops were seen on some of the leaves. The mountain smiled.

    ¡°The bitch truly knows how to run but it won¡¯t be long till I have her head.¡± He turned to the side and ordered the group.

    ¡°It time to start tracking in earnest, hurry up and start tracking.¡± The mountain barked.

    The leader turned his head and looked at him with disdain.

    ¡°Did you let those filthy peasants¡¯ gossip get to your head? Do you truly think you¡¯re a noble and have the rank to order the night guard around? We only here because of the lord¡¯s orders. If you continue to fantasize Hihi, I will bring your head back to the lord with our target.¡± The man uttered in a monotone voice.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    The mountain was incense. He bit down in annoyance but he finally spit to the side reluctantly and walked forward.

    The man sneered, walked away from the group and kneeled down. He started to release an aura before the aura seemed to compress and go to his hand. He released the aura on the ground and it began to pull in pieces of the environment around it. It began as a ball of soil, vegetation and branches but it began to take shape. After a few seconds, it began to take the shape of a dog. It walked to the vegetation with the blood on it and began to sniff.

    The mountain was still irate but he couldn¡¯t help but be impressed. To be able to use magic to create a creature that resembled a hunter dog in so many ways that quickly was impressive. To summon or call for a contracted beast or creature was extremely fast but he was able to create one just as fast. Of course, its combat and durability was up for debate. The earthly creature that looks like a nature infused dog golem began to growl as it looked in a certain direction.

    ¡°I have a lead.¡± The man who initiated the magic stated.

    He gave it a mental command and the golem shot off while he followed it. The rest of the night guards followed right behind him while the mountain watch them takeoff.

    ¡°This place will not only be that stuck up bitch burial.¡± He clenches his fist and said through his gritted teeth, before he quickly caught up.

    __________________________________

    The pale woman arrived in front of the lake wheezing deeply. She was drained and couldn¡¯t do much. She continued to walk until she was close to the biggest tree by the lake. It canvas looked like it touched the sky while it roots seemed to grab the ground. The tree gave the illusion that it was holding the terrain and the sky together. She walked up to it and placed her hand and forehead on the bark and apologized.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for this transgression¡± She whispered.

    She proceeded to glow green with a tint of a sickly purple. After a while, the tree seemed to resonate with her and glow the same color. As she continues to glow, her wounds slowly started to heal and the cuts around her body began to close. Her body began to regain a more natural tint and the purple tinted aura around her began to become fainter but it never disappeared. Simultaneously the tree began to wither and release a slightly purple tint. She then coughed up black blood before she smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m still infected by that demonic poison but with enough time and medicine, I should be able to completely recover. Sadly I don¡¯t have that luxury.¡± She shook her head ruefully looking at the red glow surrounding her in the distant.

    She looked at the tree and saw that it was still withering because of the infestation and knew that it would destroy a sizable amount of the trees in the area if she let it continued. She proceeded to open the pouch and take out an opaque crystal the size of a stone that was 12 inches in circumference. It has a mysterious glow that emitted an aura that seemed endless.

    ¡°The mana in this crystal feels as vast as the ocean.¡± She smiled at it and looked in wonder.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I cannot allow it to fall in their hands.¡± She looked across the land with a determine look.

    She then began to pull a vast amount of mana from the crystal and injected it into the tree. The mana turned a tint of green before it began to flow causing the tree to shine with vitality. The withering began to fall off and be replaced with new bark and new leaves. It still had a tint of a purple aura glowing around it but the natural recovery of the tree that was back at its peak was stronger than the bit of poison that travels through the tree.

    After seeing the results, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled. Trying to control that much foreign mana was draining and it exhausted her even more but her body recovery was stable at least. She checked and now had access to her own mana pool. She could tell that the inside of her body hasn¡¯t completely recovered but she could use her mana to stave off the rest of the poison she couldn¡¯t get rid of. She saw the land in front of the lake and smiled.

    ¡°This will become my domain. Those whom are ready to take a life shalt be prepared to have their life stolen from them.¡± She thought.

    Her smile remained but her eyes had a malicious glint in them. She walked out and started to trace her fingers across the land. If you look closely, you would see the aura of mana seep along the soil where her fingers touched and disappeared. Some places she stopped at and inserted more mana than others. They were the nodes that connected other lines together. Some of the lines resembled a familiar shape or animal but others looked like scribble. She had to stop multiple times to meditate for a few minutes and recover her strength before pushing herself to continue.

    Her eyes were bright as she looked over her handy work. She could only form a certain amount of formations. There was multiple different diagrams but they all convene together to make a bigger picture while simultaneously could be viewed separate. These formations definitely were not done by an amateur. She began to dust her hands off smiling.

    ¡°I could only make a few attack and defense formations and a few that are utilities but I¡¯m running out of time. This will have to be enough.¡± She said proud of what she could do in less than an hour time.

    She walked to the lake and sat on top of the water. The earlier skill only allowed her to share her vitality with the tree allowing the tree to aid in her recovery while allowing the poison in her to pass through the tree as well, effectively diluted it from her body. It didn¡¯t allow her to fully fix all her problems. She planned on try to recover as much stamina and pushing out as much exhaustion from her body as possible. She was also mentally fatigued as well. Having to use the mana crystal and create that many formations in that time frame caused her to reach her limit. She closed her eyes and began to meditate.

    _______________________________________

    The six man group traveled throughout the forest for what seemed like hours. They were still in the outer forest but they began to see more and more beast looking at them from the shadows. The aura that the group released quickly discouraged them back into hiding. The night guard stayed in formation, a foot apart from each other. The mountain was running through this convoluted forest. The vines, trees and uneven terrain made it a hassle to transverse. He began to feel exhausted from running through the forest for this long at this pace with his armor set. He looked at the guard in the lead and had to ask him.

    ¡°Is she really this far in? How can someone that injured while infected with poison travel this far this fast?¡±

    The man scoffed.

    ¡°She probably was traveling the forest at twice the speed we currently are and that¡¯s when she in such a weaken state. If she wasn¡¯t effect by the black nether lily poison that not only stopped the user from having access to their own mana; attacks the vitality and the soul, she would have completely recovered by now. Not only would we would not be able to catch up to her if she truly wanted to escape, she could kill us by herself instead.¡±

    The man continued.

    ¡°Not only is she better equipped for this type of environment by the equipment she wears, she been living and moving through forests for centuries. She able to move throughout the wilderness like it is a well-kept road. Her unique race ability allows her to communicate with the forest and it is rumored that the elders are even able to use the forest as an endless source of vitality to recover.¡± His tone having a hint of respect and awe.

    The mountain displayed shock which quickly turn into fear.

    ¡°I heard of their ability to hunt in the wilderness was top notch. After all this time, she should have recovered by now. Do we even have a chance to capture her?¡± the mountain said as he began to slow down.

    Another man in the group sneered.

    ¡°Donovan, explaining to this brute is a waste of breath. He truly doesn¡¯t use his head.¡±

    The man who in control of the hunter dog golem look back and shook his head.

    ¡°Even though he is clinging on the lord legs to try to push his family clan into a noble position, he was still accepted by the lord as one of his many dogs. If he speaks ignorantly in public, it reflects on our lord and might bring shame to the lord name. That¡¯s why I¡¯m wasting my voice trying to teach him Cayden.¡±

    The mountain clenched his hand so hard, it began to bleed. Donovan saw this but continued his explanation as if he was a teacher and Hihi was a student.

    ¡°The poison that infected her body is not so easy to get rid of. A normal tree or vegetation mana and vitality she steal would not put a dent in it. It might even aggravate the poison even more. She would have to find a great tree that bathed in mana for years probably decades. That compound poison was made by a magic poison user who mixed many poisons together before it could affect a being at her level. The end result is called the black nether lily. It is a famous poison known in the underworld to be deadly and causes a terrible death in seconds.¡±

    Hihi continue to listen to Donovan like a studious student almost forgetting his anger.

    ¡°Such a poison needs a specific medication to cure but usually too late to administer because most victims die instantly. The reason this poison is so vicious is that it¡¯s like a virus that not only affect the victim body and organs; it also attacks the vitality and the soul. It continues to spread after the victim dies and they blood effect the land turning it black. Truly vicious¡± He just shook his lamenting the viciousness of the poison.

    The mountain shuttered thinking about the viciousness of the poison but also began to appreciate her ability to continue to struggle till now.

    ¡°We must hurry.¡± Donovan said. ¡°She will not be able to recover quickly but it is estimated that she will recover enough strength in 12 hours to be able to escape. They began to push themselves and increase their pace.

    ¡°Someone of your strength is worthy of respect even though you a bitch.¡± The mountain though.

    ¡°I shall give you a quick death and allow you to be accompanied by a few of your trackers in death¡± the mountain smirked.

    _______________________________

    She continued to sit on the lake and felt the water under her. She felt her organs patched up albeit not optimal and her vitality was mostly recovered from sharing her vitality with the tree. Her biggest problem was that her body and mind was completely exhausted. This would make it impossible for her to move freely and her exhausted mental would make it almost impossible for her to cast and control magic. Her body and mind feeling like they were suddenly hit by a hammer sporadically didn¡¯t help but that happened when your soul was injured. The damage soul was the biggest problem. If a soul is damaged enough, a person very personality can change and worst case would be their body completely collapses and their soul would disappear. Thankfully she contained the initial damaged and stopped it from spreading but she needed to attend to it ASAP.

    As she had that thought, a ringing in her head caused her to slowly open her eyes. The formation had picked up on intruders. She slowly stood up and got in position. Her hand began to reach toward her back to draw her bow.

    ¡°You cannot delay what meant to be. Lady Fauna, give me strength¡± She uttered.

 Chapter 2 - Dispute by the lake

    As the six man group reached the top of the hill, they could see far into the distance. Rivers flowed throughout the forest like snakes stalking their prey. Some of the trees reach dozen of feet tall with branches a few meters thick. Some hills were as tall as mountains and some valley sunk to the abyss. The golem face pointed in the distance to a small lake; well relatively small compared to the forbidden wildlands. It looked like it stretched a few acres across.  It was in a clearing surrounded by vegetation, the moonlight reflected off it surface.

    ¡°It seems the elf stopped at the lake. Rest here and be ready to head out in 30 minutes. You must be prepared for battle.¡± Donovan instructed to the rest of the group. The golem dog fell down and turned into dust. He took a few steps away from them, set down and calmed his breathing before going into meditation. The other four found their own separate spots and followed his example. The mountain looked over them and started to make separate plans.

    ¡°If she is as strong as they say she is, I will only be a hindrance besides being a meat shield. They probably plan on sacrificing me to reserve as much strength as they can to take that bitch down. I¡¯ll find an excuse to leave the fight and kill the five night guards and the tree dweller.¡± He smiled

    ¡°The night guards, ptooey, more like the five night walkers. Probably work in the red light district after midnight.¡± The mountain thoughts began to spin as he took his seat by himself. His body seemed to be the most exhausted out of the six.

    After a while, the five night guards open their eyes and stood up at the same time. They started readying themselves. Two held swords to their sides while another two checked over the equipment on them such as their bracers and rings. The leader, Donovan, checked his rings and the beautifully crafted dagger at his side. He proceeded to give a quick briefing on the target.

    ¡°What we know about this woman is that she carries a bow. Expect that she is a reliable shot and is able to hit us from at least 25 meters maybe 35 meters since she not fully recovered. ¡°

    The rest of the group including the mountain was nodding their head. More knowledge meant less surprises in the combat. This could save their lives.

    ¡°She was brought in originally to set-up a formation for the Yokai school. We have almost no information on her formation skills. We do not know the scale of her formations, the formations she proficient in or how long it takes for her to create one. That will be the biggest unknown.¡±

    The mountain gulped starting to feel a bit anxious.

    ¡°The biggest danger is to willingly walk into any formation master domain. A formation that been set up can be anything from 2 ¨C 3 times stronger than a spell at a similar level. I cannot promise that everyone will make it back alive but if we all focus, we can minimize casualties and guarantee the mission success.¡±

    He looked over the group not caring if the mountain heard his words or not.

    ¡°Even if we are of lower rank, we are still considered the lord¡¯s retainers. Death before disgrace.¡± He shouted, placing his fist over his heart.

    The rest of the group followed his hand gesture then moved out. The mountain followed to their side.

    __________________________

    As the woman walked towards the formations she placed, she had her bow in hand. She saw a 6 man group come from the clearing. There were 5 of them with the same set of equipment while the giant of the group armor looked heavy and full of embellishments. They were all in a group but the giant looked out of place. Not only his size compared to the normal humans but he didn¡¯t seem to fit into their formation either. They were more than 50 meters away from her. They all walked a certain length apart and stayed in formation while he just seems to walk to the side. This might be something she could use to her advantage.

    ¡°Leave now. I have no conflict with your people or kind. If you continue down this path, your life shall be forfeit.¡± She was still not in optimal condition but she recovered a fair bit.  50 meters was the furthest she could hit a moving target and also would be relatively out of range from basic attacks.

    A man took two steps forward from the group of five and began to speak.

    ¡°We mean no hard or wish ill feelings towards you and your people but you left us in a difficult position.¡± He started.

    ¡°I am called Donovan and I lead this small platoon of night guards to bring back the magic crystal on the lord request. It is imperative to power many of the facilities back in the city. We have a few but every one of them is used for the citizen and their wellbeing. If you return it to us now, we should still be able to negotiate peacefully and put this all behind us.¡± He spoke elegantly.

    She felt a small flow of mana being used by one of the guards in the back once they came out from the trees. It powered some device in his pocket. His words were eloquent but his words didn¡¯t contain the full truth.

    ¡°The magic crystal was never originally yours or your lord. This was brought back with me from my homeland to your city to help build and power a few formations and barriers at a local school by the principal there.  It was never meant to be used at the discretion of the lord or power his war machines to the north.¡±

    Donovan quickly intervened.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t so easily believe the rumors of some of the more disgruntled populace. Our records show that we are indeed missing one such mana crystal but if this is a mistake on our part we will surely apologize and compensate you handsomely. All we ask is that you come back with us and be on house arrest while we figure things out. In the meantime let us be in charge over th-¡°

    The woman interjected.

    ¡°This crystal shall stay in my hands. Please leave at once.¡± Her voice carrying a bit more force.

    That atmosphere changed. The six people unconsciously brought their hands to their weapons and began to allow the mana in their body to flow more freely. She notices the change and nocked an arrow in her bow but had it aim towards the floor.

    Donovan walked up away from the group and kept his hands in visible sight while laughing a bit.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not get hasty now. I think we got off on the wrong foot.¡±

    He started walking until he was 40 meters away from her and she called out to him.

    ¡°Take another step and I will be force to attack. This is my last warning to you guys. Leave now. I will visit your lord in the future.¡±

    He continues to smile but his eyes had turned serious. He slowly lowered his hands to they were at his waist. A ball dropped from his sleeve and lit up. Once it touched the ground, smoke began to rise.

    ¡°Attack.¡± He yelled

    A huge smoke screen began to clog her vision. She saw flashes of lights in the back. She began to backpedal while looking for any signs of movement. Out of the shadows appeared wind arrows and fireball that came crashing at her from the front. She began to place mana in her foot and tap down on the ground. The area around her lit up and a wall of wind formed around her.

    ¡°Wind Wall!¡± she yelled.

    The magic were thrown away as if they were struck by a mini typhoon. This was clearly a distraction because two of the people from the group and The Mountain began charging at her. They were running side by side and their own aura lit up increasing their speed. The Mountain continue to move at a jog while making sure he protected himself.

    ¡°There are two magic users and three swordsmen. The leader seems to be knowledgeable in both.¡± She thought.

    She deactivated the formation and began to fire at the approaching enemies while she continued to circle around the land. Arrows begin to fill the air and rain down on the group like precipitation. She would continue to fire but it seemed that her quiver never had a single arrow less. These halted the advance of the two night guard but the mountain slowly but surely approach her while protecting his vitals.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    She reached for an arrow in her quiver that looked slightly unique. The arrowhead is slightly rounder and bigger than the shaft of the arrow. It was also double the size of a normal arrow head. She inserted mana into the arrow and nocked it. She aimed at the mountain and sent it flying. He proceeded to block it like usual but the impact sent him flying over a dozen meters. He fell an equal distance between the night guard warriors and magic users. The arrow was not only meant for blunt force but to vibrate the insides causing a drop of blood to ooze from his mouth. An arrow in her quiver decreased by one.

    ¡°That should buy me a minute or so to deal with the other two. The real pressing issue is that the leader disappeared after the smoke cleared and the two magic-users in the back been preparing something big.¡± She began focusing around her.

    She saw the two guards were dodging the majority of the arrows and knock down the remaining few. Their physique would allow them to keep this up for hours but this stalemate wasn¡¯t a bad thing for her.  This pace of fighting was fine but they would be taken out one at a time at this rate. She then felt a pressure from behind them and frowned. She knew she had to make a decision.

    A flaming pheasant and a gryphon surrounded by wind appeared. They began to fly forward accompanied by several more rounds of fireballs and wind arrows from the magic-users. They looked slightly haggard after the spell.

    ¡°They are not just normal wizards but also conjurers. ¡° She hesitated but then steeled her resolve.

    She began to run towards while firing arrows. Her body didn¡¯t feel as natural and light as usual but she knew she couldn¡¯t prolong this fight after those two creatures appeared. They would be a hassle and would feed off the environment¡¯s mana as long as they were linked to the castors.

    She withdrew 3 arrows from her quiver that was unique. As the two creatures approached they tried to dodge as many of the arrows while batting the rest away with their wings. The skin was tougher than many metals and this level of arrows wouldn¡¯t affect them. They could feel the mana coming from the quiver and was warry of the arrows.  So they opt to dodge and reflect them as they approached her.

    During the flurry of normal arrows, she released two unique arrows at an opening the beasts had. They were able to pierce through their skin and Taser their insides. This caused both of them to temporary freeze falling on top of each other. They would be able to recover from this damage easy but the magic-users had a premonition that this wouldn¡¯t end with only that.

    Once they realize that things weren¡¯t looking good; they released another flurry of spells from fireballs, mini-explosions and wind spears.

    This didn¡¯t dissuade her approach and she released her third arrow with an arrow head that resembled a ball of vines. This arrow took flight and came in contact with the flaming pheasant. The vine like arrow unraveled and wrapped up the two beasts in vines that resembled chains. This caused the flaming body of the pheasants to burn the gryphon. The beast continued to struggle in the vines to no avail. The magic-users looked over in shock.

    ¡°That vine cut off whoever wrapped in it from accessing their mana or the environment mana. The vines are harder than steel and would be a problem to destroy. The problem is that it will become a constant drain on my mana. A small amount but I¡¯m not in the best condition for any constant drain. ¡°She quickly calculated the time it would take for them to break free while finally arriving at a specific spot.

    ¡°The mages are too exhausted from calling the beast to this side to do any real damage but they can probably help ware down the chains durability. I still do not see the leader. It¡¯s time to bait him out. ¡°

    She smile and allowed the mana to go along her feet to the ground. A formation appeared under her and mana began to be drawn from the environment around her. An opening came from the bottom of her quiver using her will. A few seeds dropped out falling to the ground.

    She began to take the mana conversing around her and her own mana pool and implanted it into the seeds. They began to bloom into trees, flowers and even nature golems.

    ¡°This headache is too painful and I feel myself losing control. I probably can only keep this up for a few minutes. It¡¯s too early for this body to be controlling this much mana.¡± She thought.

    __________________________

    The two night guard swordsmen in front started to realize how strong she truly was. It was one thing to hear about it but another to truly experience it. They continue to dodge and look for an opening to attack.

    ¡°She likes a one woman archery brigade. Arrows continue to appear on her bow but none ever disappeared from her quiver unless they are special like the one that hit that idiot.¡± One of the swordsmen thought.

    ¡°We must find a way to break through quickly or allow an opening for the boss to assassinate her. Her guard is up and we do not know what other formations she has.¡± One night guard mentally sent to the other.

    ¡°Just guard us and we will take care of the rest.¡± The swordsman felt a flame and a wind pressure from behind them. The wind knocked away many of the arrows and they smiled. They saw the pheasant and gryphon appeared and stepped over the mountain to get directly in front of the mages. They decided to protect them and allow the creatures to attack. The woman looked up a bit worried at the beast to their relief.

    ¡°At least she not able to deal with every situation¡± one of them thought as the beast rushed forward.

    She began to focus her arrows down on the creatures who continue to blow them away. Just as quickly as they got an advantage, they notice her bring out three of those arrows. After a few seconds of her normal flurry, she released them in the mix stunning then trapping the beast in an instant.

    ¡°She¡¯s this strong on her last leg?¡± one of them shook with a bit of fear.

    ¡°We have to make an opening now before she whittle us down¡± the other one said about to spring forward noticing Hihi still on the ground shook.

    ¡°Useless¡± he said but as he looked up he felt the mana converging from the outside and saw seeds falling to the floor. Seconds later, they began to spring up into mushroom, flowers, trees, medical plants and even a few into some golems. Four of the golems sprung forward and four stayed by her side. Two dogs and two swordsman¡¯s golem sprung forward to meet night guard while two spear-users golems an archer and a dog stayed by her side acting as guards.

    ¡°Will we die here without accomplishing anything of any worth?¡± one of the swordsman whispered while staring at the woman who started to seem like some type of monster of the forest.

    ______________________________

    The woman looked at the charging and golems and the ones by her side.

    ¡°They are not as strong or skilled as the night guard but the guards will die if they do not receive any help soon. I believe they will only last a minute at most.¡± She looked down at the flowers and mushrooms spreading pollen and spores and smile.

    ¡°Finally this will end soon¡± she commented. She placed her back on the tree which was sucking up the nutrients from the ground before it start turning green.

    ¡°This will allow my base recovery to improve and the ability to control the golems better but it leaves me as an easy target because I¡¯m immobile. I always feel safer with my control post. ¡°She thought while closing her eyes and seeing the world through the terrain and its energy like the tree.

    She suddenly saw a drop in the vitality of both magic-users but their power increased exponentially. The swordsman body lit up and with a drop in their vitality also. The swordsman blew past the golem with pure strength and speed. In the next moment the fire magic-user and wind-user compressed a flaming sword with temperatures so high, even the flaming pheasant was visibly shock. It slashed down on the two creatures, releasing the vine like chains on them. They quickly got up and began to charge at her. The flaming sword appeared before her but was diverted by vines causing it to hit the pouch with the crystal, causing visible damage. The wind magic-user vitally disappeared completely and he fell over. This was after he cast he last spell which made them seem to teleport towards her. She was impressed and surprised but calm. She didn¡¯t understand why they were willing to go this far for the crystal but she didn¡¯t have time to think about it.

    The vines spread out completely touching multiple spots in the area activating multiple formations. The wind wall appeared around her again but was easily broken through by the brute force of the creatures after a few seconds. The swordsmen knocked away her golem guards and proceeded to aim for her life. That¡¯s all she needed when the earthen spikes suddenly sprung up impaling the slowly disappearing creatures and the swordsmen while the flowers and mushrooms swayed in the wind. The swordsmen looked shocked before one smiled.  In her vision, she saw the spores attached to an unknown entity a few meters behind her who was invisible to the naked eye.

    Before she had a chance to completely turn around a knife was impelled slightly under her collarbone. The man suddenly became visible and smiled. She grabbed the dagger and pushed it deeper into her body not allowing him to let go while a tree vine ran through him and stopped before it touched her. His smile stiffened before he laughed.

    ¡°No one shall leave this place¡­including you. That dagger¡­ is laced with the same poison that put you in the state you are in now.¡± He had a bit of melancholy in his eyes. He turned his head when he heard laughing in the distant.

    ¡°Speak for yourself.¡± The mountain roared with laughter as he got up. He kicked the wind-magic user body before he approached the group.

    ¡°It seems I will get sole credit for bringing back the magic crystal and even killing the formation master ¡°Autumn¡±. I can already see my legend spread. ¡°He laughed with obvious contentment.

    If someone were to walk by, it would truly be a weird picture. A woman surrounded by ground spikes that had ran through bodies but she was impaled herself and was slowly turning black. The man who impaled her was also impaled by a tree and who was glaring at a man that was laughing at their situation.

    ¡°You guys will only be a stepping stone in my legend.¡±

    He stared at the woman with obvious lust before he shook his head.

    ¡°You probably don¡¯t remember me at the castle. I still remember you looking past me like I didn¡¯t exist. I¡¯m a kind man, I will end you suffering quickly and bring your head back for all to see. ¡°The mountain was laughing so loud that spit flew everywhere.

    The leader glared but finally spoke.

    ¡°We left tracks, so a secondary team should be here in half a day. You¡¯re unnecessary.¡± He finally let another ball drop that exploded and a toxic mist expanded.

    Before the mountain could run, a vine swept his feet and temporary held him there. He saw the woman looking down on him just like before he fell asleep for the last time.

    ______________________

    She felt the poison spreading inside her. She knew that a decision had to be made quickly. Her life was draining from her body. After a bit of struggling she came to a decision and finished a formation over her head, heart and slightly above her navel using mana and her own blood. She hesitated once more before she drummed up the courage for what she was about to do.

    ¡°Lady Fauna, forgive me for breaking the natural order.¡±

    She activated the three formations simultaneously with all the mana gathered from the earlier formation and her remaining mana. A spirit that had the same form of ¡°Autumn¡± became attached to the crystal before the crystal rolled into the lake.

 Chapter 3 - A fateful meeting

    In the outer area of the wildlands, a young wolf cub was seen trekking through the forest. It original fur color was a light grey almost white but it fur was matted together; covered by grime, blood and soil. It hasn¡¯t cleaned itself in weeks touring from one side of the forest to the other. It barely was able to survive and make it out from the middle of the wildlands.  From its snout to its cheekbones had a define sharpness to them like the edge of a knife. It eyes had a hint of desperation but were full of determination. They possess a hint of intelligence that many creatures didn¡¯t have. This was most likely a magical beast.

    It continues to trek through the woods seemingly looking for something. It was a cub but it seemed extremely small for it size. Upon closer inspection, some of the blood on it was actually its own. Its ribs was visible from a distant, looking like it lacked meals for a while. It had an injury over it belly that wasn¡¯t shallow but wasn¡¯t too deep that was slowly closing up. It had an injury covering it hind legs from a man-eating trees from the journey.

    It was 3<sup>1/2</sup> feet from the nose to it tails but it was extremely small at its age. The injured cub weighed about 25 lbs. with it feet pressing into the soil leaving almost no depth.  It continued to follow a clear path to a certain destination. Fearful of the vegetation in these woods it carefully continued it journey. The trees were carnivorous; the flowers released pollen that put creatures to sleep or even poisoned them while the mushrooms released spores that used the body of beasts as host to feed off of. It wanted to not only survive but roam free.

    An hour later, it arrived outside of a cave. The cave had a wide mouth that expanded horizontally for a few meters. The top had a rugged rocky surface that gave the appearance of sharp teeth. The cave was pitched black looking from the front, making it impossible to see from the inside. The wolf started to howl every couple of seconds but it continued to sit outside the cave. After a few moments, howls descended from the cave before you heard the sounds of steps coming forth.

    What assembled was a pack of wolves. It was a group of 11 and the head wolf lead out front was the biggest and most feral. It fur was clean and sharp. It had a size of over 8 feet from head to tail. It fur was a dark ash grey and it release an intimidating aura. It eyes contain a bit of disgust at such a feeble and dirty looking wolf. Surprisingly this wolf could speak.

    ¡°Why have you intruded on my domain little one?¡± He roared.

    The small grayish wolf began to howl. This was the fourth wolf pack it went to visit in the last month. The wolves in the middle layer of the woods where much stronger and vicious. They threaten to kill it if it stayed in their territory. They felt such a weak wolf was useless and brought no benefits to their pack. They didn¡¯t deem it a threat so the wolves allowed it to leave. The last tribe it visited injured it. They were much more primal. They pack territory was on the border between the middle and outer layer of these wildlands. Their leader couldn¡¯t even speak, completely following it feral instincts.

    It wasn¡¯t even allowed to hunt in the territory of some of the beast which took that as a sign of aggression. This caused it to wander throughout the woods, drinking from the rivers to fill up it stomach and scavenging already dead carcasses. It finally was able to find the scent of this wolf pact in the outer layer. Hopefully it nomad adventures would end here.

    They were not as strong as the creatures in the middle layer neither seemed as intelligent but it only longed for a pack and family to safely hunt with. This wolf could speak the world native tongue. He didn¡¯t know what that meant but his mom said that meant that it was a magical beast and could be reasoned with. This was a good sign. The other wolf pack he visited with wolves that could speak was a lot stronger. The aura they gave off was much more intimidating and he felt weak and useless compared to them. He felt he would be able to contribute a great amount to this wolf pack if given a chance. He began to tell it his story. Sometimes he howled but other times he would whimper. This went on for 10 minutes before the leader of the group spoke up.

    ¡°Enough. You been going around searching for a wolf family to hunt with but none took you in? Why would someone take in a stray? We should accept you just because your mom died a month ago and you been out hunting by yourself? You heard stories about wolf packs since birth and came looking for some. I think I remember her. She denied coming into our pack when I told her she can join if she left you. You resemble her a bit.¡± He said a bit disgusted.

    The young wolf cub started to growl threatening at the alpha wolf as he continued speaking.

    ¡°You actually have some spirit. At least she didn¡¯t die for a completely useless son. She probably went off to the middle layer hunt for food even though it¡¯s very dangerous. I would be a fool to accept another wolf son as my own. She was strong, which meant your father was most likely an alpha also. This also means you should be strong yourself. I will give you a chance. Beat the youngling from the pack and you can join. We watch each other¡¯s back but no one eat for free.¡±

    The injured cub was completely incest but it knew it couldn¡¯t beat the leader. It felt that the way it spoke about its mother was disrespectful. It began to turn around and walk away. This wasn¡¯t the pack for it. Even though it would have a hard time surviving without a pack, it still would rather roam on its own then be under such a tyrant. The alpha wolf howl from behind him and the other wolves began to surround him.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say you could leave. You WILL fight the other younglings and be practice. If you do poorly, you will die for being useless. If you do well, you might survive. The weak do not get to choose where or how they die. The strong will always have control over the weak.¡± The wolf growled looking down on it.

    A few smaller wolves walked out from the cave. They were young, robust and full of energy.

    ¡°They should be around your age of 3 months and will be going on their first hunt soon. You already been hunting for a bit and should have some experience. Fight for your life or die.¡± He roared.

    The young injured cub looked up at the three with feral eyes. It body was completely in filth and stuck together which gave it a more savage look. It howled at the wolves threatening. It didn¡¯t have a choice in the fight. The injured wolf began to pace itself around the forest trying to keep all the wolves in eyesight at once. The three younglings continued to walk forward and circle around him. He was of the same age but a size smaller. Even though he looked savage, he appeared to be on his last legs.

    The alpha wolf seemed especially attentive of one of the youngling. Two of them were male while the last was female. The alpha wolf showed some anticipation towards the biggest of the three. It looked fully grown compared to the other two with a dry ash gray color fur and almost two sizes bigger than the injured cub. The other wolf looked domineering and fur was the color of sooth. It wanted to compete with the biggest youngling while the last was a female wolf. It was affectionate with biggest wolf. Their coordination was best while circling the injured wolf cub. They obviously spent a good amount of time together. The injured cub began to move throughout the forest while the whole wolf pack followed from a distance behind to watch. The three younglings circled the injured wolf from both sides.

    They would continue to travel throughout the woods and other creatures would go into hiding. Even the stronger beast didn¡¯t think taking on a whole wolf pack was worth it. This showed the strength of the wolf pack and the other creatures¡¯ acknowledgement of their claim over the territory. One of the youngling became impatient and went to attack the injured cub on their own, clearly aiming for its neck. The alpha wolf did not look pleased.

    The injured cub saw the domineering youngling attacked it head on. It saw the wolf go in for a direct attack trying to kill it at once. It was tired and injured. It quickly decided it couldn¡¯t escape so it moved slightly to the side and let the bite hit it shoulder, tackling it to the ground which left it neck open. The injured wolf bit down with all it might aiming at the wolf cub neck.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    When the teeth made contact, the taste of fur, meat and blood entered it mouth. It was already in a ravenous and feral state which made it even more savage. The injure wolf use all the strength it could muster to clench tighter while turning it neck. It ended up pulling off a chunk of meat and flesh from the wolf cub. The injure wolf proceeded to stand up quickly but was shaking. It body hobbled but the wolf that neck was bitten stayed down. The alpha wolf looked down at the wolf with some anger but didn¡¯t intervene. These wolves would have to start hunting soon and if they died to an injured beast that clearly was starving, they wouldn¡¯t last long outside the cave anyway. They would be a waste of resources.

    The injured wolf cub now had an injury on its belly and one on it shoulder but it finally got its first taste of food in a while. It felt a burst of energy and hunger. To finally get a meal after a while but not be able to dine made it feel more incense. It body was damage but felt lighter. It injury on its belly and shoulder began to hurt less. It did not notice but it had a glow around it. It wounds was beginning to heal at a visible rate, albeit slowly. It began to focus on the two wolves circling it now.

    They did not show anger at him killing the other wolf, just wariness. The two wolves were always on the exact opposite of each other while they circled him. He continued to move throughout the forest trying to get both of them in his sights but he couldn¡¯t. The alpha and the pack were content with watching from the back. His eyes showed approval. A wolf was vicious and would aim to kill but more importantly they were patient. Wolves should be willing to slowly whittle their prey down allowing for a higher chance at a success. This also helps to minimize risk of injuries of it fellow pack members.

    Finally both wolves attacked the injured cub at once. They did not aim for the throat but it sides successfully causing a scratch on it hide before they both backed off. They then continue to circle it while it ran through the forest trying to keep both of them in front of it eyes. It ran under huge tree roots, jumped across snaking rives and along steep hills to no avail.

    Once the injured cub seemed a little winded and exhausted, they would attack it again and run away before it retaliated. This continued to happened but the injured cub body was slowly recovering for half an hour before it recovery stopped. It body exhaustion was starting to kick in. When it tried to stave off the attack of both wolves, it would hurt neither but receive shallow claw marks itself. This caused it to slowly begin to bleed out. It began to become thirsty for blood.

    When the injured cub finally stop running through the trees and took a small breather, the youngling attacked him again. Instead of trying to stave of both of their advances, he waited to the last moment and allowed his left side open, allowing a huge injury on its left side. This allowed it to lunge at the female wolf on it right; successfully knocking her on her back. It brought it claws and left a huge tear across her stomach. It then proceeded to bite down to finish it off before the other wolf responded, knocking the injured cub away.

    The biggest youngling looked down at the wolf and it insides was coming out. It once clean fur was a bloody mess. The female wolf body would not listen to it.  It couldn¡¯t get up and she knew she wouldn¡¯t survive. Both of the wolves knew. She gave a whimper and the remaining wolf howled in the air before it stared viciously at the injured cub. The alpha wolf looked down in disappointment. It should of went all in for the kill and checked on the female wolf later. That was the biggest opening yet but it wasn¡¯t over. It was definitely on its last legs now. It had a huge gash on its side and various cut marks throughout it body. It was certainly shocking that it had an ability it could use this young to recover but it was only self-preservation, nothing threatening. This whole hunt been a huge disappointment in it eyes. Hopefully his son could bring back the kill.

    The injured wolf hobbled up at its on paced. It saw the condition of the wolf and knew she wouldn¡¯t make it. It only wished that it had some blood to satisfy this burning thirst in it throat. It always felt more energize when it completed a successful hunt and had a bite. It attempts was thwarted this time. His body felt like it was carrying around boulders. It felt the heat coming off each of it cuts. It legs was starting to go numb. It eyesight would lose focus but it felt the anger coming from the beast ahead.

    It looked at the alpha in the back and saw some semblance of warmth in its very cold eyes. It knew that this one was it son. It pride and feral nature ignited once more. Even if it died, it would take the son of that prideful wolf with it. The injured cub finally found the strength to begin to pace around the wolf. It was the one to circle the youngling at a brisk pace. To slow to be seen as a jog but was faster than a walk. This was it prey. The injured cub lunged in.

    The alpha¡¯s cub jumped to the side and then went for it slightly injured side. The injured cub couldn¡¯t dodge in time and decided to go for his neck. It missed but was able to trade blow for blow. Not only did it left side have a gash across it; the right side had a huge cut from earlier. The huge wolfing lost it cool a while ago and was content at trading blow for blow. It anger cause it to want to cut the injured into many pieces. The alpha didn¡¯t look happy with it methods but was pleased with it ruthlessness. It would find another mate but it need to learn how to hunt first.

    They continued to trade blows before they reached the top of a hill. The injured wolf was running on fumes at this point. It was a steep hill behind it with whiff of poison that reached uphill. The creature that lived at the lake also released a powerful aura. It would rather deal with the whole pack than to trespass on such a monster. The said wolf pack was in front. It knew it was cornered and it had no escape route. It was about to make it last stand when it notice an interesting tree. It noticed it being the same type of man-eating tree that injured it before. It began to pace around to the side until it was in front but slightly out of range of the man-eating tree. It eyed the alpha wolf¡¯s cub with defiance its eyes with it head held high, portraying that it looked down on it. The alpha son was already seeing blood and lunged for it.

    The injured cub jumped to the side rolling on the ground. Turning around, it saw the alpha¡¯s son already in position to attack again while it was still gathering itself. Before the alpha son could lunge again, roots came from the ground and grabbed it new meal by the legs. Eyes appeared on the face of the tree as if it was awakening from it slumber. The alpha wolf cub finally showed some trace of fear. The injured cub saw that this was his chance and lunged for its throat.

    The injured cub was in mid-jump before a claw appeared from thin air hitting it side causing it to crash to the side before it fell down the steep hill. It life being intact was not guaranteed. It was the alpha wolf who appeared to save his disappointing son. It hit the scheming little cub a bit too hard causing it to fall downhill. It gave up on the chase because there was a noxious poison that it could smell coming from around the lake downhill and an aura of power that it didn¡¯t want to offend. The injured wolf cub was either dead or soon to die. Either the poison would kill it or whatever powerful creature that lived in that area would for trespassing. No peaceful creature would live in that type of poison. It would rather focus on saving his son from this carnivorous tree.

    The injured wolf rolled down hill and hit a few rocks on its way down. It had broken ribs, a few bruises and all the injuries from the earlier fight. It knew it probably wasn¡¯t going to survive. It began to limp towards the lake. The injured wolf decided that if it would die, it would die by a powerful creature after it at least quenched it thirst. It continued to move at almost a crawl before it finally arrived at the land slightly before the lake. There were burn marks everywhere and a few earthen spikes that impaled a few weird creatures. The impaled bodies of these creatures even had the smell of poison on them. The injured cub started having second thoughts. To die in such a way seem horrifying but a quick death wasn¡¯t a bad thing. It slowly hobbles to the lake before drinking out of it. The water seemed to be special before his body felt heavy and his eyes closed. It fell asleep in front of the lake fully expecting to never wake up again but was content with being able to quench it thirst.

    _____________

    Inside of the lake appeared to be a woman. She appeared to be transparent as she looked up through the lake. She didn¡¯t have a solid body and was made of water. Her form was of a water nymph but this was Autumn the formation master.

    ¡°No creature appeared over the lake since I woke up a month ago and I¡¯m running out of time. ¡°She thought. She didn¡¯t know how long she slept but was concerned about what was happening back in the city and the consequences of her disappearance.

    ¡°I went and bind my soul to that magic crystal allowing me to live for a bit longer but the crystal itself was damaged. The damage crystal caused the mana to leak out and dissolved throughout the lake. Once the magic crystal completely disappears, I will soon follow it. I won¡¯t be long for this world for more than a few more days but I cannot leave this lake.¡± She said.

    She began to look at this wolf with hope in her eyes.

    ¡°This wolf is young and has some intelligence but near death. I can heal it but I need it to make a pact and be my host. How should I convince it to sign a soul contract to help me rebuild my body and adventure to the land of humans¡± she began to scheme then her eyes lit up.

    ¡°Lady Fauna still hasn¡¯t given up on me.¡± She smiled

 Chapter 4 - The wolf and the water spirit

    The young wolf woke up in a haze. It memory was a bit foggy but his body condition felt abnormal. This was not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it was very good. This was the best he felt in a while. He began to stand up slowly and walk to the lake. He looked at himself in the reflection of the lake; his appearance greatly differed from what he perceived as normal.

    His body been covered in dirt and grime ever since he left his cave. His fur was matted and knotted together. This turned his shade of fur to look a bit dustier, maybe rustic. This combined with his own blood and beast blood from him scavenging for food gave him a ferocious look. He also had wounds and scars that covered his body from running through thorny and vicious vegetation. Not to mention his fights from wandering caused him to give off a bloody and savage vibe.

    He currently was fully healed. That was the first thing he noticed. His body felt brand new. The best thing was that certain parts of his body did not hurt when he moved. ¡°This is the best I felt, ever.¡± He chuckled while licking his fur to clean himself. He did it almost unconsciously. This cleanliness gave him respite from her current situation. He looked up at the moon and stars shining down softly illuminating the land. The midnight sky was beautifully reflected off the surface of the lake.

    The second thing he noticed was that his fur returned to the shade of when he still lived in that small cave with his mother. He remembered smell like a mix of jasmine and spring water. Her pure white fur was also something he inherited from her. She was so strong and majestic but always looked at him with the softest of eyes. Her eyes always gave him peace. She seemed to know everything. She would tell him random stories about how strong and smart his father was. She would speak about the world and some of the wonders while cleaning his fur.

    The thing he remembered most was about was how passionate she would talk about wolf packs and their pack specifically. How they would roamed throughout the land unhindered and free. She would reminisce on when she would team up with his dad to take down stronger beast than themselves. Her expression would have a look of pride and sadness about his father who was the pack leader. He began to smile remembering the time he spent with his mother but it quickly disappeared.

    He remembered all the times she left to go out for food and would not return for days. She always warned him to never leave the cave because it was dangerous. He remembered waiting for her to return. He was scared one of the dangers she spoke on would cause her not to return. The sun setting was one of his biggest fears. The darkness would envelop the surrounding hindering his vision which caused him to focus on the howls from the beast outside. The whistling of the wind combined with the unknown caused his fear to skyrocket. It would only settle when the sun would peak it head over the horizon and vanquish the darkness.

    The worst was when his mom did not return home. She was gone longer than usual. That was the first time he ignored his mother orders and ventured outside. The first time he saw the vast sky was magical. The moon illuminated the forest and it wonders. He began to believe that his mom always left him to go out and have fun by herself.

    While walking around, a few meters from the cave, he caught a familiar scent. He began to run to it. He wanted to hear more stories about the forest and the beautiful moon in the sky. As he got through a clearing of trees and bushes that scraped his fur, on the ground laid his mother eyes open with no color. In her mouth was the tasty boar he always loved but on top of her was vultures picking at her insides. Her lifeless eyes caused him to freeze before the vultures turned towards him and attacked.

    Those colorless eyes and the helpless of when he ran away might be the biggest regret in his life. His first venture from the cave was both horrifying and magical. He been on the run ever since. The wolf snapped back to reality. He could smell the rotten flesh as he looked behind him.  As he started to look around, he saw the tree with a few strange carcasses some meters behind and the lake in front. The ground on the lake shore was uneven and had craters over the surface.

    He began to slowly sort together his hazy memories. He remembered the talk with that imposing and selfish alpha male. How he was hunted down like prey. This all happened while the main pack watched the process like it was entertainment. This caused him to seethe with rage. This was not all directed at the alpha wolf but also himself. If he was stronger; this would not have happened.

    He then began to recall his determination to die as long as he quenched his thirst. How the water was the best thing he ever tasted before he drifted off in slumber. Something was off though. His wounds healed, his scars were gone, and his fur has not been this clean since the cave. Even if that water was so magical that it healed him from all his ailments, the monster that resides here should have killed him while he was sleep for stealing such a precious treasure. He was awoken from his thoughts when he saw a ripple across the lake. He took a few steps back and went on guard. Even if he cosigned himself to death, he would fight it to his dying breath.

    He first saw a head pop up from the water, followed by a body. This was his first time seeing such a unique creature. It body looked like it was completely made up of water. It stood¡­rather floated on two legs above the lake instead of four. It did not appear to have fur to protect it from the elements or the environment. That was except for the long fur that came from what appeared to be the creature¡¯s head. The furs that cascade directly from it head down it waist seem to differ from the pelts of animals and the feathers of bird. It was made of water but appeared to have a silky smooth appearance?

    It appeared to be useless and would get in the way of combat he thought. It skin was completely exposed like a newborn. Its mouth was small and it teeth seem to be dull. A strange looking nose that greatly different than most beast he knew. At least it lay between its eyes and mouth like normal. The creature eyes were gentle and beautiful to stare at. The ears were on the side of it head and not the top. Strangely enough, he believed he saw this figure somewhere before. Before he awaken from his examination when the creature began to speak.

    ¡°You have finally awoken young one. My name is Autumn and I am the master of this lake. What reason have you visited my humble abode?¡± Autumn stated sweetly with a smile.

    The wolf took a few steps back towards the huge tree behind him while staring at her. It appearance was strange and body parts seemed harmless and useless. But this being was a lot stronger than the wolf packs and the random creatures he encountered. He has not seen much of the world but the feeling in his gut told him to be afraid. That this creature was a monster that embodied strength he never felt before.

    Autumn saw his reaction and smirked but she pressed on.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name little one?¡± she asked.

    The wolf began to howl but she couldn¡¯t understand it. She knew a trick for this. She needed to get closer for this to work.

    ¡°You can understand the worlds tongue but cannot speak it. You truly are young or just transformed into a magical beast.¡± She smiled.

    Autumn full body began to slowly come out the lake before she appeared in front of the wolf. She moved so fast in his eyes, she appeared to have teleported. She pressed her head to his before a thin thread like link formed before them that only Autumn could see. He was frozen in shock before jumping back and growled.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± The wolf growled out of reflex. He prepared himself to do a quick attack, then to run away with his life.

    ¡°I want to know your name. Is it that you do not have one little one?¡± she responded to his answer.

    The wolf looked confused for a moment. He began to wonder why she would ask such an arbitrary question. Then he froze again. Why could she suddenly understand him? He stared up at her floating body in amazement. Only other wolves understood when he spoke before. He was now even more confuse, surprised but most importantly¡­.afraid. What was this creature? He slowly began to answer while looking around.

    ¡°My mother named me Nanna. ¡° The wolf stated.

    The woman chuckled hearing the name.

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful name but seems a bit soft. Almost feminine.¡± She tilted her head and continued. ¡°This was the complete opposite of your appearance a few hours ago.¡±

    Nanna began to growl at her. He had a soft spot for things concerning his mother. She was the strongest and smartest person in his mind. He hated those who ridiculed anything about her. This was as small as her naming sense.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean any disrespect. I actually love the name because it matches your pretty appearance. Your personality doesn¡¯t seem like the pretty type though.¡± She laughed.

    Nanna calm down a bit but still had his guard up. She was at least a lot more reasonable than that damn wolf. She began to ask another random question.

    ¡°Did you know that many names have meaning? They are very important in this world. That goes for your name as well. Do you know what the name Nanna means?¡± She asked.

    Nanna looked at her curiously. He really wanted to know what it meant. His mother must have given him an awesome name, He thought.

    ¡°This baby wolf is so malnourished but so cute. It¡¯s a male but it fur is almost white like snow.¡± She thought but didn¡¯t voice her thoughts out loud.

    ¡°Nanna means beautiful moon in the world¡¯s language. Your mother probably gave you that name after viewing your appearance. I believe you are a moonlight wolf also. It¡¯s very fitting. I just wonder where she heard it from. Names are very important in this world.¡± She continued.

    Nanna began to stick his chest out with some pride. Nanna didn¡¯t know names had any meaning but he didn¡¯t doubt her for a  moment. He just felt that he and his mom were being praised. That unstable movement caused him to fall over however. He was tired so he just lay down comfortable on the floor while looking up.

    Autumn just smiled. She then began to transition the conversation to his circumstances.  She wanted to know more about the young wolf.

    ¡°When you originally came to the lake, you were injured. What happen?¡± Autumn asked. She knew he had to have some history. He was a lone wolf cub and injured. To be this malnourished meant he have not have a pack or they were all in a similar situation. He was alone now. He could have been deemed useless and abandoned.

    Nanna quickly got up and then fell back down exhausted. His body hasn¡¯t completely recovered. Even though he has healed, the blood lost and the lack of nutrition caused him to not be able to move that well. He began to slowly stand albeit shakily. He turned to the direction he ¡°descended¡± from before. He then turned back around and began to recount his experience.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    He began his story with him arriving at the wolf den asking them to join their pack and ending with him fighting the alpha. He spoke about the experience almost as if it wasn¡¯t his story. He only seemed a part of it when he showed anger when the alpha and his son appearance were recounted. It concluded with him figuring out he would die, he would at least want to die after his thirst was quenched. At least his life was not taken by the pack he disdained but by something that was truly strong. He turned and looked at her when he said that last part.

    As autumn heard the story, the first thing she loved is his soft voice. Hearing the voice tell a story which was high pitch and extremely cute. Sounded much better than when he was growling. Even though he was monotone telling most of the story; his body language and tail told a different story. You can see the anger, fear and despair with the slight movement in his body language and his eyes while he recounted his tale. It was only natural. However, his sheer anger against that alpha was projected completely. Nanna did not try to disguise his irritation. This also made Autumn wary. He might start walking down the road of vengeance and this path could be dark and deadly. So she had to ask.

    ¡°If you could have anything in this world, what you wish to attain?¡± she probed.

    The wolf looked confused at the random question before he began to ponder. Then he remembers the alpha wolf words. ¡°The weak do not get to choose where or how they die. The strong will always have control over the weak.¡± This caused him to shutter. He finally began to speak. ¡°If I could have anything in the world, it would be strength.¡± He said.

    Autumn looked at his present condition and thought it was reasonable. Not yet a bad sign but she had to inquire about his motives for strength. ¡°I understand what happen to you earlier by the wolf pack but you do not necessarily need strength.¡± She continued to test the water. ¡°Why not wish for a home that is protected by all threats? This could be a place where you can eat and drink infinitely without worry.¡±

    Nanna thought about the questions for a few minutes. If he could guarantee his safety, it wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing. He did not need to be strong himself. That¡¯s the originally reason he would go out and seek a pack. This would allow them to put their strength together and overcome many obstacles like his parents. Even some of the stronger animals moved out the way of the wolf pact once they invaded their land when he was being hunted earlier. But something felt different now. He thought about being weak in a fix area of paradise and it felt off; almost wrong.

    ¡°I need strength.¡± He said with firm conviction. He thought about his inability to wander the wildlands in constant danger. The memories of being chased and having to hide at every shadow and escape haunted him. ¡°I desire the ability to roam free.¡± he roared.

    He remembered his upset stomach starving every night but afraid to hunt because he didn¡¯t want to offend any of the lords in their territories. ¡°I want to eat when and where I want unhindered. The thought of being under someone protection begging them for food is not the future I want.¡±

    He thought about running in a pack. This had it on set of problems though. If they were too weak, they would eventually die. If they were too strong, they might not need him. He thought about his life being in the alpha wolf hands and all he could do was run for his life. ¡°I want to be strong enough to take revenge for those who wrong me.¡± He growl with some bloodlust.

    But last but not least, he thought about his mother. How she would go out many nights and sometimes not return for days. That helpless feeling of not being able to help while she came back wounded with food. How she would always smile and help clean his fur while feeding him. And the biggest regret was not being able to see those gentle eyes while he ate. Those lifeless eyes staring at him before the vultures attacked gnawed at his mental psyche. His actions of running away because of weakness and fear are what hunted him till this day.

    That feeling of being weak ate at him. He does not want to experience that feeling again. ¡°I need the strength to protect myself and my family. I do not know if I will have a pack in the future but I want the strength to protect them and my young.¡± He said with the conviction of someone that wasn¡¯t his age. He did not think he would join a pack but he might create one someday. His body was still weak so he began to sit back down. He had very little nutrition which made him extremely small for his age.

    The more autumn heard his answer, the more intrigued with his reasoning. That was until he showed that much bloodlust for a youngling. Beast naturally hunted but they rarely held grudges. That bloodlust was fueled by anger and grief, not the necessity to survive. This caused her to hesitate. She would rather die than raise a natural calamity. The thought of her healing a vengeful beast left a sour taste in her mouth before he continued with his last statement.

    Seeing that nanna still thought about protecting others caused her to reevaluate him again. Then she remembered that he was a highly impressionable young wolf cub. She did not know how old he was but she knew he still have not fully developed mentally nor physically. She could help direct him on the right path.

    ¡°Do you know your age Nanna?¡± Autumn ask rather sweetly.

    Nanna thought about what the alpha wolf said and replied.

    ¡°The alpha said I was around 3 -4 months old.¡± He looked up curiously. Wondering why such a thing was necessary. He continued.

    ¡°I spent about a third to a fourth of my life wondering the wildlands looking for a pack. The rest of the time I was waiting back in the cave waiting for my mother to return home.¡±

    Autumn was inwardly shocked. A wolf this young shouldn¡¯t be out exploring the wilds by himself. He¡¯s lucky to be alive right now. She wondered what happened to his pack but that could wait another day. She believed that he was young enough to still be taught right from wrong. She would teach him enough to not only survive but thrive in the wild. She would not take him in as a disciple though. She began to speak on the main topic.

    ¡°I am willing to help you acquire strength. I will give you enough strength to hunt for food by yourself. This will allow you to roam in the outer layers unhindered by any beast there. You will be able to comfortably live in the middle layer of this forest with a few exceptions.¡± She stated as a matter of fact.

    Nanna instantly stood up but fell back down. He then proceeded to stand back up with his tail at attention. He was on high alert. He did not believe that he would gain strength for free. He already being healed was more than he could ask for. He now felt suspicious of her again. He took several steps back instinctually. So he just stared at her for several moments.

    ¡°What do I have to do for this strength?¡± He could not stop his curiosity. He knew he would be strong if he was able to stay alive long enough but he had his doubts. His mom died and she was way stronger than him currently. Even if he was able to survive long enough and gain strength, he doubts he could get revenge on that wolf pack even in the future. He did not believe even his mother could take on a pack on her own. Not even thinking about the future, he needed the strength to survive now. He was not going to look for a pack to join in the future.

    Autumn liked his cautious nature. There was no free meal in the world. She decided to be straight with him.

    ¡°I want you to sign a magic contract with me. This contract is a contract sign by two individuals and will automatically disappear when the contract has been either completed or broken.¡± Autumn stated in a monotone fashion.

    Nanna took a step forward but his tail stood straight up. He was interested in this magic contract but did not let down his guard. He needed to find out more.

    ¡°How is a magic contract made and what happens if you break one?¡± he asked timidly.

    Autumn was a bit nervous at this point. She did not have much more time to live and it all determined on if she could convince this young cub into signing the soul contract. She decided that she would be completely honest with him. That still did not mean that she did not have some tricks up her sleeves to ensure his cooperation and allow her to get the better end of the bargain.

    ¡°A magic contract can be made in several ways but that is not important. What¡¯s important is what happens if you break one.¡± She said in a serious tone while she stared at him. She took a few moments to recollect her thoughts and continued.

    ¡°There are multiple levels of magic contracts from basic magic contracts to soul contracts. If you were to break one of the simpler ones, it would just end in a magic or vitality back lash. Simply put, you would not be able to fight or use magic ranging for a few hours to a few months.¡± She stated as calm as possible and continued.

    ¡°More complex magic contracts could permanently leave tattoos on your skin marking your failure or in some cases, also used for slave contracts. They could also cause damage to your organs which can lead to a loss of strength or even death. The conditions and penalties are all set down by the two people who are signing the contract. ¡± She stated.

    Her statement cause Nanna to jump back and attempt to escape. He stumbled a bit before he squeezes out all his energy to break out into a sprint. He did not know what a slave was but death was something he would fight against to his last breath. He felt vines come from the ground and held his feet in place.

    ¡°You should not make any decision before you hear everything out. Think for a moment, if I wanted to harm you, my best chance was when you were injured and asleep.¡± She made her voice as soothing as possible.

    He took a moment to think it through but what she said made sense. He was still afraid though. The vines around his feet held him in place but they did not seem to have any nefarious action. They also did not appear to release him any time soon. Autumn continue speaking.

    ¡°A magic contract must be signed by two people. The terms and conditions must be stated clearly before both parties sign. Once it¡¯s been signed, the contract cannot be changed. The penalty of breaking the contract rest on BOTH PARTIES.¡± She emphasized. ¡± That means, if I break the contract and the penalty was death, I would be the one to die.¡± She slowly explained.

    Nanna stopped struggling but was still on high alert with the water spirit. He didn¡¯t know what to expect from her. He was afraid of this magic contract that could end his life but he was also excited about it. If what she stated was the truth, this would guarantee a better future overall. She would bestow power down to him in some form or another. This would allow him to protect himself and enact vengeance in the future.

    Most importantly, this would allow him to survive. He was apprehensive, hopeful and full of expectation. His eyes were shining and tail was wagging but his face maintained a snarl. Autumn laughed on the inside but kept a serious look.

    ¡°How would we go about setting the conditions on a magic contract? How would you make this magic contract?¡± Nanna said, fully excited with the thought of becoming strong soon.

    ¡°We would have to set down the terms and conditions for the contract. What do you require from this soul contract? I will tell you my terms afterwards. It is nothing overbearing that shall cause you worry.¡± Autumn spoke gently.

    Nanna thought for a moment before he came up with a dire scenario. He inquired with some strength in his voice. This water spirit continued to float over the lake shore staring down at him. At least her eyes did not show disdain towards him.

    ¡°I cannot read and only speak. How does this work with beast that does not have intelligence? How would I know what you writing down is what we originally agreed on?¡± Nanna spoke with some apprehension.

    She did not plan on tricking the young wolf cub but she was surprised he thought about this at such a young age. Too bad he already fell for trap. She had many more plans but the lure of strength seemed to be enough. She truly did like this young wolf cautiousness and intelligence though.

    ¡°We will have to fix your inability to read and write in the future. My kind has their separate language but you need to at least know the world language. It is used by everyone on this continent and only not spoken by the demon across the abyssal sea.¡± With a small amount of hatred in her voice that leaked out. She continued.

    ¡°Most magic contracts you need to be able to read before what you are signing with a few exceptions. But a soul contract contents are directly spoken to your soul. You will instinctually know what it is before you have to sign. To sign the contract, you need to use your essence. In my current situation, it would be what I am bound too. For you, it would be your blood and your mana through the contract. This is only if you agree to it. Only the being themselves can sign a soul contract. They must willing sign it themselves or it will not work. Does this give you the answers you seek?¡± She took her time to explain everything he was getting into.

    ¡°Last but not least I will tell you this; I never signed a soul contract with anyone before. I also never heard of a being of my level signing a contract with someone who so young and not yet developed. Someone soul as strong as my own residing in a young body is not something I am familiar with but probably been done throughout the eons. I do not know if these things can have a detrimental effect to your body as you develop but I give you my word that I mean no harm to you. All I am is a soul at this point and my form should not be able to harm you.¡± Autumn spoke gently to Nanna.

    Nanna instinct told him that something was not right but she meant what she said. She did not mean any danger to his well-being. He should be dead already without her and have a high chance of dying from wandering in the future on his own. He decided to believe in his instinct more than her words. He had a feeling that following her would change his life forever. The thoughts of change and strength propelled him forward with his decision.

    ¡°I will agree to the soul contract, just tell me how to begin with the conditions.¡± Nanna shouted before he regained his composure.

    ¡°Let us begin then.¡± Autumn stated with a wide smile.

 Chapter 5 - Soul Pact

    ¡°I want you to make me strong. As strong or stronger than you if possible. I want to be able to eat without worry, drink without worry and to fight those who wronged me. I want you to teach me how you became as strong as you are now.¡± He continued to ramble before he was cut off by her.

    ¡°Strength is not something that can be passed on by normal means. When strength is bestowed, a certain price must be paid. ¡°She continued. ¡°I cannot just hand you an orb of power. You gaining strength under my tutelage is a process that will happen over time.¡± She stated sternly.

    She made sure she gave him a small warning now on power in general. This was also on the training that was to come in the future. ¡°I will be able to make you stronger than normal by training you myself. I will teach you how to control mana to use magic. I will show you ways to strengthen your body to a degree that you never believe possible. If I deem you worthy, I will help you acquire and train a soul weapon. But most importantly, what I will teach you is knowledge.¡± She concluded.

    ¡°What I need is strength to survive. I do not have time for training. I need immediate strength. I do not need knowledge. I would rather use my time gaining power. ¡°Nanna thought about it before answering her firmly.

    Autumn continued to look down on him with the same demeanor but the look in her eyes intensified. They lost their gentleness and held the resolution to kill if necessary. The vines crawled passed his legs and wrapped around his body. He was not in pain but his body felt the constraint. Only his face was seen from the deadly vines. They brought him up to her eye level and she asserted with a monotone voice.

    ¡°Watch what you say young one. With that mindset, you would be going down the path of a calamity beast. If I had to choose between death and raising one, I would surely kill it and myself if I felt I could not bring back its intelligence.¡± She said in an informative but cold tone. Her monotone voice made it sound like a simple statement but her eyes made it known that it was a declaration made of conviction.

    Nanna was shivering in pure fear. He felt a deep pressure just by staring into her eyes. He knew if he truly angered her, he would die instantly. He felt that his next statement could determine his fate. He decided to make a careful inquiry.

    ¡°I apologize if I said something to upset you.¡± He started off saying. ¡°What is a calamity beast and how should I avoid becoming one.¡± He said in an apologetic tone with trepidation. His eyes began to look down and his tail followed. He was taught to apologize when he was wrong. It seems he said something that truly upset her and might even cause his death. His experience in conversation was too small to discern what went wrong.

    Autumn saw that she might have gone overboard. She slowly changed her tone. He was young and only wanted to change his current circumstances. That mindset he had over strength would have to change. Even if she had to beat it out of him herself.

    ¡°I will explain in detail later. The gist is that calamity beast is a magical beast that reaches the next echelon. They transcended their race but at a cost of their sanity and intelligence. They wreak havoc on the local populace of beast and sapient creature alike." Autumn tried to adjust her voice to sound less stern while lowering the young wolf cub to the ground. The vines disappeared underneath the land. He was free from the vine wretches but not the creature.

    "I suggest you reevaluate why you must gather strength and hold that idea close. Take this next statement to heart. Power is a means to an end. It is something that should be used to accomplish a goal. If you lose track of why you seek power, you will be consumed and be used by it instead. If that day ever comes, I will end you myself. Now tell me again, why do you seek strength?¡± Her tone sounding more majestic. It was a question, but it subtle implications in tone made it feel like an order. She decided to wait for his reply. She would have to give up on him if his reply was not satisfactory or were filled with lies.

    The wolf shuttered but took her words to heart. He thought about it for a quarter of an hour. He then gave a simple reply.

    "I am currently extremely weak. I have to run and hide away from every shadow. I can die at any moment or force to become the entertainment of other intelligent beings. My stomach feels like it is constantly gnawing at itself from the inside. The constant hunger almost drives me into a frenzy. I need strength to survive. That¡¯s the main reason I seek strength." He inhaled a deep breath and stared into Autumn¡¯s eyes.

    "The second reason is not to repeat my past mistakes and accomplish my dreams. My first memories outside the caved I lived were the vastness of the forest and the beauty of the moon. I knew then that I wanted to explore the land unhindered. Right after I found something I believed I could dedicate my life to; I saw my mother lifeless remains on the ground. Her eyes were wide open while vultures picked at her innards." Nanna began to shake after he recounted his tale.

    Autumn just stared at the wolf. She showed no emotions. She was trying to figure out if he was shaking from fear or anger. She waited for him to continue.

    "Since I first open my eyes, it was just me and my mother. Since I was born, she was the only one who ever showed me kindness and expected nothing in return. She always looked at me gently and never became angry with me. The only time I ever felt excitement at that time was when she told me stories about the world." He continued.

    "Seeing her eyes wide-open with a lack of color caused my body to still. When vultures turned towards me; I ran as desperately as I could without looking back. I was seeking any place that appeared to be safe. I needed shelter. When I finally found a shelter under a series of trees; I collapsed." He remarked sadly.

    "I had nightmares ever since. My mother''s lifeless eyes would stare at me in dreams. I still regret not doing anything. Those eyes seem to tell me that her death was caused by my hands. That untimely death was caused by searching for food for me. Those eyes still haunt me. I could not protect her from the dangers of the wild nor did I have the courage to face the vultures that scavenged her corpse. That helplessness and fear came out of weakness. "Nanna''s voice continued to gain a sense of heaviness as he continued his statement.

    "I refuse to consign myself to being prey. I refuse to have to live in the shadows in the future. And I would rather die than to continue to scavenge corpses like those despicable vultures." He stared in Autumn''s eyes with the resolution to die. He would not go back on these values.

    Autumn stared back at him for a full minute. His gaze never wavered. The look in his eyes showed his resolution in his previous statement. She smiled. "Remember those words young cub. That is the reason you seek strength. Do not let the pursuit of strength or power pollute your vision. This will cause you to wander off the right path. ¡°She replied tenderly.

    "I also have many things I wish to protect. I cannot die yet. That''s why my soul is bound to the magic crystal that resides in the lake." she stated.

    Nanna smiled back at her. He then remembered one of the stories he heard from his mother about the soul. The soul is what embodied a being. When a person died, their soul would vanish from the world. That what he was told. Nanna''s body spasm as if it was hit by lightning. He turned around and ran to the tree a few meters back. There laid a preserved corpse. The body was pale from a loss of blood but its features were preserved. Nanna continued to look back and forth between it and the being made of water. Their features were a direct match. He knew he recognizes her from somewhere. "You are already dead." He could not help but mutter.

    "That is my body that lay there that smell of poison young one. If we go by your definition of "death", then yes; I already died." Autumn declared calmly and with ease. Her demeanor was as if she was not speaking about her death.

    "There are too many regrets I would have in this life if I simply died. That¡¯s why I had to abandon my body to live in this wretched state. My misfortune is your blessing however. This opportunity allows you to change your destiny. You will no longer walk the simple road of a magical beast. This road might be a dead-end or cursed. But I will promise you that you will no longer need to scavenge for survival. That is only if you want to continue with the soul contract." Her voice boomed.

    Nanna continues to look at this being made of water. This was the first being he met that transcended death itself. He knew if he went through with this soul contract, their fates would be intertwined. His instincts told him that he would gain power that surpassed his imagination but at what cost? She might have been the strongest creature he ever met, but in the end; her body still laid there as a corpse. Her enemies would become his. That idea caused him fear. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "If you allow me to acquire the necessary strength, I am willing to sign a contract with you." He said with courage he did not know he had. Her enemies and the thought of death scared him. But his mother''s lifeless eyes and helplessness propelled him forward. Autumn simply smiled.

    ¡°A contract is not something so vague. It must list exactly what your terms. Let me help you out with your list. Feel free to add or subtract anything you want.¡± Autumn stated.

    They began to go back and forth before they reached an agreement. What nanna wanted was simple but complex at the same time. ¡°Let me repeat it out for you. Make sure this is everything you desire from me. The contract cannot be changed after it has taken effect.¡± She stressed.

    <ul>

    <li>I want to be able to run free in the outer layer unhindered. Autumn must ensure that I¡¯m strong enough to run free throughout the outer layer of the wildland and its inhabitants.</li>

    <li>I must become strong enough to be able to enact revenge on the wolves that led me to my current condition.</li>

    <li>I must become strong enough to protect those I love against those in the outer layer of the wildlands.</li>

    <li>That Autumn would not try to kill me while she used me as a catalyst or afterward.</li>

    </ul>

    Autumn conditions were different and more concrete. This was her list on the contract.

    <ul>

    <li>Nanna must become a catalyst to hold her soul in. He would not do anything to harm or kill her while she used him as a catalyst in any shape.</li>

    <li>He would help her find the necessary material to create a body to put her soul back in. This will allow her to FULLY resurrect.</li>

    <li>He would not inform anyone or anything about her in any way shape or form without her direct consent.</li>

    <li>When the time is right, he must go find her family member in the city she left to inform them of her being alive.</li>

    <li>To not use anything she taught him in a way she would perceive as evil to the general public. (Massacres of innocents, etc.)  </li>

    </ul>

    ______________________________________________________

    Once those things were iron out after a few hours, they began to make a contract. A normal contract usually has some type of catalyst itself like a paper, words etched in stone or wood. A soul contract is written on the recipient themselves. It would use their very body blood and soul as the catalyst. She walked up to Nanna.

    ¡°I need to form the contract with your blood.¡± She said while in reaching distance. ¡°You will feel a slight pinch.¡± She said. The tip of her watery fingers turned to solid ice with a pointed tip. After look for a while, she found a vein she could cut safely with minimum risk. Blood started to slowly leak out. It began to float and rotate in mid-air. She took a deep breath and began to concentrate.

    ¡°This contract formation is hard to create. Please do not move as much as possible. You do not want any abnormalities to happen because of a misaligned line.¡± Nanna excited tail froze and his body stiffen. He made sure not to move an inch, afraid of his demise.

    Autumn laughed on the inside. She has not been this relaxed in a while. She had to focus though. She did not lie but she would have time to review it before she activated the formation. His freezing up allowed her to apply the formation easier. This was her first experience drawing a soul formation contract.

    After what felt like hours, she finished his formation and proceeded with her own. She brought up the remains of the magic crystal from the lake. Placing the remains in her liquid body, she started etching a liquid formation on top of it. After finishing the soul formation on herself, she wrote the list in mid-air with magic lines. She then began to speak to nanna.

    ¡°You need to guide your mana through your body and activate the three formations over your head, heart, and navel. This will resonant with my soul contract after I activated mine. ¡± She stated.

    Nanna turned his head to the side and gave her a puzzled look. His eyes began had a gleam and his tail started to wag back and forth. He then asked the simple questions that caused her to freeze.

    ¡°I have mana? How do you use mana? What can I use mana for?¡± he asked the questions in a rapid-fire fashion.

    She was perplexed at this situation. He clearly could use mana to restore his health at a faster rate. Did he use it unconsciously? This would be a bit tricky but she believed she could make it work.

    ¡°All magical beasts can use an ability or magic. This means that they have mana. You also can use your own ability for recovery. I sense that you used mana to activate it. I believe I can help you slowly develop your ability in the future but let us focus on this now. Relax your body and try to sense the change in you.¡± She said before she put her hand over his head.

    She began to glow and push a bit of aura into him. She began to push the aura inside of him starting at his head to his tail. She continues to maneuver the mana around him and rotate it inside his body. This continued for a while before he began to sense something that he felt similar to it. It felt the same but different. He began to try and move some throughout his body.

    It was difficult at first but he began to move it from his chest and tried to push it towards his feet. It was a lot harder than he thought. He did not realize that Autumn defused the mana she sent in him and began to help, giving him a guiding push. This went on for a quarter-hour before the mana inside him was emptied. His head was pounding and he felt mentally exhausted. He fell down and took a nap.

    Autumn caused him to float by the pool before water floated around him wrapping him in a cocoon. Strangely enough, he was still able to breathe. He stayed in this cocoon of water for an hour before she brought him back to the shore of the lake. She looked a bit more exhausted than before. She receded into the lake and disappeared.

    A quarter-hour later, she saw Nanna begin to wake up and appeared before him. She looked to be in better shape. When Nanna woke up, he felt better than before. Still physically exhausted and starving but his headache was gone. He also felt a slight chill throughout his body. He remembers what happened before and was excited. He did not know what this slight chill did but he felt like this was the beginning of his journey of strength. He was about to manipulate it again but autumn began to speak.

    ¡°This is not the time to learn about mana. Let first began using the soul contract. Direct the mana towards the three formations. This will cause them to light up. Light them up one at a time and I will do the same.¡± Nanna quickly calms down before he began to focus again.

    He slowly began to concentrate and mana began to trickle out. He began to concentrate on his head first. He tried to push it out. Once it entered the formation, it began to glow. He began to activate the following formations. This caused the other formation to have a fiendish glow. After all three formations were lit up, they began to buzz.

    He looked across and saw the formation on Autumn lit up also. Nanna and Autumn''s eyes began to lose focus before they were in a totally dark space. Their consciousness felt as if they entered another domain. It was darkness all the way into the horizon. An ancient voice began to speak.

    ¡°You two are signing an ancient rite. This binding will hold you, two souls, as collateral. If the contract is ever broken, your soul will be destroyed in the future. Will you continue down this path?¡±

    The voice sounded almost lifeless but full of power. Nanna and Autumn were shocked but this was under Autumn expectation. She recovered herself and began to speak. I, Autumn Artemas of the Noble Forest tribe wish to carry out a soul contract with Nanna-¡°she froze for a moment because he didn¡¯t have a full name. At least, he did not tell her that he has a last name. She hesitated for a moment before she continued. ¡°Nanna Artemas of the moonlight race. Here are the conditions that are set.¡±

    Before she could go down the list, the voice began to speak. ¡°That is not his name.¡± it exclaimed.

    Nanna has been stunned into fear at this series of events before he felt a pressure on himself. It did not feel intentional. It felt like this pressure seeped through the presence and could not be completely controlled. He felt that he would die with just a thought. That terrified him even more. While going through his thoughts, he was awakened by the voice. It became to speak.

    ¡°Young one, you do not have-¡°The voice suddenly stops before another voice began to speak. ¡°This is somewhat interesting. A flickering soul signing a pact with an immature soul with mutual consent has not happened in a while. There even some compatibility. This meeting might have been fate.¡± It simply stated in a whimsical voice. If the two could view what was happening at the lake, they would be shocked. There were visible images of them and their interactions over the past few hours being played forward. This happened as if time was being replayed at this specific location. It then went back further and replayed Autumn situation.

    ¡°For you to separate your soul from your body is considered a sin by your species. This was proclaimed by your goddess herself. You even prepared to bind your soul to an undeveloped cub. This will change both of your fates. Your timeline has already expired and you would be living off his. This will have consequences in the future.¡± The whimsical voice stated.

    Nanna continued to stay quiet from fear. Autumn became distressed. Her voice hurried, thick with worry. ¡°My death could cause a war between my people and humans. Thousands could die. Children could die. Others raised without parents or siblings. This is one of the more favorable outcomes by winning. A loss could be mean extinction. They do not deserve such a fate. I want to-¡° before she finished she was interrupted.

    ¡°Do not talk about fate to me foolish child. Species go extinct yearly. Yours would just be another one to disappear throughout the eons of time. I do not care either way. I am not your god and have no plans on changing your decisions. On the contrary, this will give me a small break from the routine boredom. My instinct tells me that your lives will be vibrant and unpredictable for now on. You even planned on giving him your last name. That is considered taboo. That what makes things interesting. He does not have a True Last Name. I will grant him yours if he agrees. It will make the adjustment simpler when using him as a catalyst.¡± His voice descended on Nanna.

    ¡°The last name is unnecessary for this but you can be granted the last name of Artemas. This last name would allow certain parts of the contract to proceed smoothly. But be warned, there is power in a True name.¡± It declared.

    Nanna felt fear but it felt like he needed to answer. He tried to speak but could not. He just nodded his head back in forth assenting to his last name. Autumn looked conflicted from the side. She then clenched her fist and had a determined gleam in her eye.

    ¡°I will turn all these negatives into positives. I shall right all my wrongs and return to my homeland knowing that my sacrifices were not in vain.¡± She whispers so low that she could barely hear it. She turned to Nanna and thought. ¡°I will train you into someone worthy of that name. You shall be whipped in shape accordingly. Our fate is still to be determined. My death is fine but my people shall survive and this wolf cub life will not be endangered.¡± She thought as she began to arrange a training program directly for him. She had to reevaluate her plan.

    ¡°Very well. You are now Nanna Artemas. This choice I hope you do not regret and please, defy my expectations.¡± The voice slowly faded away and the monotone voice appeared once more.

    ¡°What is the condition for this rite?¡± the monotone voice stated, snapping Autumn back to reality.

    A pressure fell on Autumn and she remembered she has not told of the conditions for both sides. She proceeds to read off the list of the already agreed on conditions. The voice began to speak.

    ¡°Are these conditions for this rite agreed upon by both parties, Autumn Artemas and Nanna Artemas?¡± The monotone voice declared in an even tone?

    ¡°I do.¡± Autumn declared in a booming voice, almost as if she was trying to convince herself. Nanna just simply nodded, terrified at the whole process. The voice continued. ¡° Then the rite of the soul is binding starting now for all eternity. This rite will disappear if both parties fulfill their end or both agree to annul.¡± The voice seems to hover over both parties.

    Once the voice ended, Autumn began to fly at nanna and went through her. Once she blinked, she began to see things at a different height than usual. She was lower to the ground but she felt like she was just spectating through a window. She realizes she was seeing things through Nanna''s point of view. Nanna then began to roll around on the ground screaming while everything faded away. The last thing she heard was the voice ending with ¡°the rite is complete¡± before she saw she was back at the lake.

 Chapter 6 - Black mark at the start

    Autumn continues to hear Nanna howl of pure agony. She could see from his perspective. He continued to roll across the ground while screaming at the top of his lungs. She has to access the situation. She tried to make her form solidify again. It was much harder than when she was attached to the magic crystal. Slowly but sure, she was able to form an avatar outside his body.

    By the time she solidified, he passed out from the pain. She began to expand her senses around her. One of the first things she noticed was that her body felt extremely weak. She was only the manifestation of her soul but she felt stronger before the soul contract. She felt that she had a minute amount of mana stored in her soul. Her having so little available made her feel weak. The second thing she noticed was that her mana pool was tied to Nanna now. She could only access a portion of his mana pool. The mana stored in her soul was for her soul to continue functioning without dissipating and the mana that she could control for other things was linked to Nanna.

    ¡°His amount of mana that he carried is abysmally low¡± she murmured. She knew that he was a young developing cub. He might have potential but that was far off in the future. She began to float further away from his body. She wants to see if any changes in the environment could cause adverse effects to the cub. After moving further away from the cub, she noticed another change. She could only move approximately 10 meters away from Nanna before it felt like she hit a wall. She tried to force her way through before she felt an acute pain that ran across her ethereal body. She circled the cub and realizes it was around 10 meters away in all directions. He was at the epicenter of this range.

    ¡°That never happened when I was tied to the lake, but I never actually try to roam too far away either.¡± She thought. She knew bad things would happen if a soul left it catalyst alone. It could be destroyed. Even if she took it with her, most of the mana would have been left in the lake. Her leaving would have just sped up her disappearance.

    ¡°There should not be any damage to me using his body as a host. I am nothing more than an extra bag in the back of a carriage. There probably been a change since we completed the ritual.¡± She thought.

    As she circled the passed out wolf ling, she did not discover anything different from his physical appearance. He was still malnourished but he did not have any discolorations or any external wounds. She decided she had to dive deeper to find the root of the problem. Even when he first came to the lake with deep gashes, broken bones, and lacerations; the wolf still refuses to as much as a whimper. For him to be in this much pain meant that it was something serious. She decided to look at his inside. She kneaded mana to her fingertips. She slowly put her hand on his head and ran it across the rest of his body.

    ¡°His brain seems normal. His heart rate is up but he been tumbling in agony. His organs seem fine. His muscles are struggling though. He is malnourished. These basic results are to be expected. Did I do something to damage his soul? ¡°She said out loud. She went into doctor mode.

    She did not know much about the soul but she knew enough. She was using his body as a catalyst. This was just a fancy way of saying that she was being a bit of a leech if put bluntly. Her soul would be attached to his body and would be granted access to his perspective and a percentage of his mana reserve. She in return offered nothing physical in return. She would carry her weight. She would be his teacher and guide until they eventually parted ways.

    She knew this had some demerits for both of them. The soul would always shape the body, while the body would also shape the soul. The problem is that if her soul was affecting his soul. That meant that his soul was affecting hers. In some cases, this was a positive symbiosis. He howls in pain meant that she was more of a parasite than anything.

    ¡°Having a soul attached to another being should only be a problem if the soul was rejected by the body. I already attached myself. I would not even be able to use his mana or see from his perspective if I was not accepted by his body. Maybe there was a delayed backlash that causing this situation now?¡± she questioned.

    She knew that things already progress past the point of no return. If there were minor problems to the catalyst, it would be slight muscle spasms. If there were major rejection issues; there could be vein ruptures or organ failures.

    ¡°I already inspected all things about the body including internal and external. If something physical was not the problem, it could only be the soul.¡± She declared with a heavy breath.

    She began to tense up. The soul is what made a person. The brain might contain the memories of the mind but it is said that the soul contains the memories of the body. When healing magic is used, the soul is what determines the normal form. The body reverts to whatever information the soul releases.

    ¡°If I permanently damaged the soul, He might not ever be the same. We might be on a crash course against destiny¡± She thought out loud. ¡°The soul contract I made was perfect in theory. I made sure his mind body and soul stayed connected. That way it would minimize my influence on him which in turn minimizes his influence on me.¡± She said, her voice rising with each word, reaching a shout by the end.

    ¡°I need to go into his soul space. He is extremely young; he probably does not have a soul room. I should not be rejected.¡± She said before concentrating.

    Her soul should be held inside his soul space. She decided to go back inside and have a look. She slowly floated over his body and sunk into Nanna. Once her mana avatar returned to his body, she decided to dive in deeper. She needed to reach his soul space where his soul was held. This is also a space where a soul weapon was held.

    ¡°This is a bit more difficult than I originally thought. She had to search for her connection to her soul before she located the space. It rejected her mind for a moment before the resonance with her soul came in. Her vision switched from the darkness of Nanna''s closed eyes to a white space. This space was mostly white with spots of crimson everywhere. The white and red mix to make varying shades of red to floral pink. This place was left almost untouched. He just began to explore the world and have not even found out much about himself. ¡°I lead him to the right path.¡± Autumn smiled as she mentally celebrated.

    The soul space of a being was the reflection of them as a whole. It contains everything about them; from likes and dislikes, personality, and even what combat/magic techniques they practice. This space would eventually solidify into a room as he gets stronger. It would slowly expand until it was no longer any room for growth. It would transform from a simple room to a house; from a house to a courtyard.

    She continued to look around until she saw what seem like a white flame in the middle. It was about a 1/3 of a meter all around in circumference. She began to closely inspect the white flame before standing there in awe. It was like a small flame at a campfire. There was no cackle but the sparks would hit the outside space. These sparks would then combine with the flame again.

    She inspected the flame and saw miniatures formations interwoven with each spark of the soul. The formations lines were miniature but complex. This was not only on the flames but the individual sparks. These sparks formations had individual lines that were unique but also complemented the whole. They would release into space and then united with the bigger flame. Each time they gathered again they would change slightly. Something was added from the environment before it was absorbed again. This way she could not find one spark that was identical to another.

    This continued every second. The soul expanded by a centimeter or two before condensing. As she continued to inspect the soul in awe, the soul space suddenly shook. Things began to dim before going back to normal. This woke her up from her trance. She knew that something went wrong here. She continues to examine his soul as closely as possible until she caught a glimpse of a small purple dot inside his soul. This was for only a moment before it was surrounded by white sparks again.

    She began to focus on the same spot before the black dot was seen again. The reason she was so focused on this dot was that she felt this aura before. She felt a negative emotion spring up from staring at it. This emotion causes a cold shiver to go up to her spine. To cause a natural reaction as if she was in her body while living as a soul caused her to focus even harder. This meant that it was an important memory of the soul. This caused her even more confusion.

    This was her first time seeing his soul. After getting as close as possible she noticed that the purple dot was slowly expanding. When it got a bit bigger, the soul space would shutter for a few seconds then go dim for a moment. Then things would return to how it was originally. As it got bigger, it aura got stronger. She finally recognizes where she knew this aura from. It was the black nether lily poison!!!

    ¡°When did he come in contact with the poison? He was able to drink from the lake and was fine. Is it because he absorbed my soul? Were there still remnants of it that got carried here?¡± She spoke quickly while inspecting his soul for confirmation. ¡°This is the poison. Thank Fauna that the poison been diluted to an extreme degree and the dosage is minuscule.

    The nether lily poison no longer had that deadly ink-black appearance that plagued her soul. Its color was beautiful lavender. It seems that this could no longer be called nether lily poison. It was still a poison that is dangerous. This held especially true for a young undeveloped wolf cub such as himself.

    She needed to do something quickly. The dosage was minuscule and diluted. This was the only reason he was not a corpse. It would eat at his soul while slowly causes his death. She needed to remedy the situation fast! She began to try to bring mana into the soul space.

    He did not have the mana reserve to cleanse himself. She quickly left his soul space and moved him into the center of her mana gathering formation. She began to activate the formation that was still on the ground. The light of the formation illuminated the ground as the mana from the environment began to gather over Nanna.

    The mana that she converted the best she could begin to flow into his soul. This was a difficult procedure. She had to isolate the poison as best she could, cut it out of his soul and then try to use the extraneous amount of mana to repair the soul. The soul would naturally heal by itself if it was not too damage but she could speed up the recovery with mana.

    She began to use mana to grab various herbs and plants from the surrounding area. She saw a medium size rock and carved it to a makeshift mortar and pestle. She began to fuse a variety of plants and infused it with water. She continued after making several quick medical products. She brought the lake water out and makes two quick drinks.

    ¡°This will numb the pain as much as possible and this should increase your natural mana and vitality recovery,¡± she said out loud. ¡°A damaged soul cannot be fixed by repairing the body but just as the soul affects the condition of the mind and the body, the reverse is true also.¡± She continued to say. She knew every little thing helped. She needed to fix the soul as possible. A damaged soul could lead to permanent problems such as extreme emotions, brain damage, loss of bodily function and most common, death.

    She then brought the abundant mana that hovered over him through his body. She circulated it through his body but she could not bring it to his soul space. She then thought of mana signatures. She tried to direct some of his mana and found success. It appears that she could bring mana into his soul space. It was only accepted if the mana was related to him though. The neutral mana from the environment could circulate through his body but would be allowed into his soul space. She began trying to convert the outside mana to his.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    She began to push the mana towards his soul. The soul did not reject it. Even with her controlling it. His soul was completely defenseless. ¡°This soul space would have to increase its defense in general.¡± She thought as she continued.

    She wrapped the mana around the purple dot. She began to tug at it. She wanted to get rid of this poison as quickly as possible. This might cause some minute damage, but she believed that she could patch him up quickly.

    The poison began to devour the mana once it was in contact with the poison. She had to detach the mana before it attacked her soul also. ¡°This is going to be a problem. I do not have many options. I guess I will have to brute force my way this time. ¡°She said out loud.

    ¡°This would be a lot easier if I was the owner of this body. My body could absorb neutral mana a lot easier. I also had better control and more force when I expend my mana. Using this mana avatar is a big hassle.¡± She sighed but never stopped working.

    Using mana in an avatar state was a lot harder than having a physical body. It caused more mental exhaustion and the amount of power went down also. The ability to naturally regen mana was almost non-existent. To combat this, she had to use foreign means for mana regeneration like a formation. A mana avatar did not have a container to store mana in. She continued to laminate her problems as neutral mana flowed into Nanna.

    If someone saw what was happening from the outside, it would look like the young wolf cub was placed on a formation as a sacrificed. A large amount of ambivalent mana was made visible hovering over him. It slowly was siphoned into his body and converted. She tried to help his body converted this into usable mana as quickly as possible.

    ¡°This will only cause him to wake up with some muscle fatigue. Better than not waking up at all¡± She thought as she pushes his body to the brink to absorb mana as quickly as possible.

    The young wolf body would spasm every so often. This happened when too much mana was circulating through his body at once. Once Autumn felt she could bring about a suitable amount of mana into his soul space; she once again appeared on the inside. There were slight and major changes.

    ¡°The white, red, and pink soul space now have purple in it. His soul is being contaminated extremely quickly.¡± She said as she brought in more mana running his stored mana capacity dry. She had complete control over his body at this moment. She could even influence his soul. This thought was a bit intimidating to her.

    ¡°It never a bad thing to influence someone¡¯s life for the better; teachers, parents, kings, friends, lovers do it all the time. The list goes on. Directly changing it is another matter. I rather not become a Majin¡± She said with some helplessness.

    Once she gathered all the mana she could; she shaped it into a glove. She continues to condense the mana making the glove thicker. The glove maintained its thinness as if it was a second skin. She proceeded over to the flame. After standing directly in front of it, she realizes the poison already reached more than 7 cm in size.

    ¡°This will be a problem.¡± She said with some tension. ¡°I do not know if this is enough mana. This will cause damage to his soul. There¡¯s a chance for permanent damage that could only be fixed with expensive medicines and pills. I have to finish this quickly.¡± She said as she reached into his soul.

    The soul space began to shake in contact. She made sure she grabs the chunk of poison. She allowed some of the condense mana from the glove to completely wrap around the poison. This would allow for a better pull.

    The purple poison began to perk up as if it was exciting. It began more active and attacked the mana that surrounded it. The purple dot was now a blob and continued to grow. She did not want to continue to feed this blob that would lead to her and Nanna''s death.

    ¡°First and last try.¡± She thought as she pulled.

    She continued to pull as quickly as possible. She pulled with strength she did not know she had. The blob continued to eat the outer membrane of the mana as it was getting torn out. With one last pull, it finally was yanked from the soul. Simultaneously, the soul space shook as if an earthquake was present. Cracks began to appear in space. This was not a good sign.

    She took the poison and expelled it from his soul space directly to the outside world. It landed a few meters offshore and just hissed as it splatted on the ground. She looked back towards his soul and her face turned sour. There was a huge hole around the center of his soul. About 25% of his soul was taken out with that poison blob. That was not the worst part. Before the blob was fully pulled out, a few dots splash to other parts of his soul. She had to rip them all out quickly.

    She continued to take out the infected part of the soul. This felt as if she was doing surgery. If soul, this would be her first surgery. This continued for a few minutes before she was able to expel the remaining toxin from his soul. This caused his soul to look like a holy sieve. His soul space had cracked in a 360 view as afar as the eye could see. She felt that her soul would be sliced into pieces if she were to run into them. This gave the feeling that his soul would collapse. She just hoped that she could help it recover in time.

    Autumn did not have a body but she felt physically tired. Her mental state was a bit exhausted. ¡°Laying down and reading a good book does not sound bad.¡± She had that thought. ¡°It¡¯s probably a lot easier to read a book while relaxing without having a body.¡± Another random thought popped into her head.

    As she continued to think these random thoughts, the formation was running autonomously as she continued to help replenish his mana. She planned on using his mana to help speed up his soul regen. This would not fix the missing parts. The damage parts would remain damaged but this would at least stabilize the soul again. The missing soul parts would begin blank like a white canvas. It will then be painted again with his experiences.

    As neutral mana slowly flowed into him, he continued to recover his mana at a much quicker rate. He was using and recovering mana in such a limited amount of time. His body could only handle so much.

    ¡°There should not be any big problems.¡± She paused for a moment then continued. ¡°I feel like there only been big problems that have been cropping up.¡± She exhaled.

    Once he recovered half of his mana pool, she entered into his soul space again in an instant. ¡°This becoming a lot easier with practice,¡± she thought. Once she collected her bearing, she froze in shock as she looked around. There were more cracks in space than ever. She felt like it would be an obstacle course to reach the soul.

    As she had that thought, another cracked appear by her soul. It nicked her causing her severe pain. She just felt a small part of her soul get destroyed.

    ¡°If this is what it feels to have a small piece carved away from your soul, I am glad Nanna was sleep and numb.¡± She declared as she ran over to his soul as quickly as possible.

    The soul was no longer whole. It was much smaller than before. It ripped into two pieces. 2/3 of the remaining soul was on the left while the remaining 1/3 was on the right. They both were withering away. She needed to do something fast.

    ¡°The right side is weaker and withering away faster. Whatever kept the soul functioning has been weakened or destroyed. It still healing on it¡¯s by itself luckily. It is just deteriorating faster than it is healing.¡± She said as she brought all the mana she could into his soul space. She slowly wrapped the right side with it. The soul only stops withering away after all the accumulated mana wrapped around the soul like an eggshell.

    ¡°I do not have nearly enough mana for recovery. I do not think I have enough time to gather more even with the boosted recovery.¡± She said in a panic. ¡°The left side is still deteriorating. It needs to start healing up as soon as possible. If I only I could bring my mana in here.¡± She thought.

    As she saw all the cracks in the soul space she came up with a crazy idea. ¡°I could not bring my mana in here earlier because the soul rejected it earlier. All the cracks in the soul space show the condition it in. Maybe it¡¯s possible to bring it in now.¡± She said as the idea popped in her head.

    She looked to the outside. The lake that contained the magic crystal and her essence laid there. It was essentially her body before his. She should be able to use the mana as her own. She began to pull the water from the lake. She began to wrap the water around him as if he was in a cocoon.

    ¡°His body is slowly absorbing the water and mana is washing over him. Let me try to direct the mana into his soul space.¡± She said while directing the mana. This continued for half an hour before she checked Nanna¡¯s mana reserve.

    ¡°He is suffering from mana saturation. His mana recovery will be cut in half for a while. He will not be any help with mana for the right side of his soul. His recovery was already abysmal. This will make his mana reserves a non-factor. This would not have been a problem if his soul never ripped in half.¡± She thought.

    His soul was a white flame but began to have hints of blue throughout it. This eventually turned into a cerulean color. It was just parts of his soul but by the time it recovered to 70% of its original size, the soul as a whole was a light cerulean.

    ¡°This is about the time I should move them close and try to solder them together. I can finally rest soon¡± she said.

    She began to move them together. She hoped that the two pieces would stick together before it slowly regenerates together. When the soul was complete before, the sparks would detach then reattach itself together. She planned on bringing them together to allow that to happen.

    The two sides of the soul were side by side. They began to intermingle for a few minutes before a sudden change. The almost complete left side of the soul began to attack the right side! It seems that it did not recognize it as a part of the soul. Once this happened, the soul space began to shake and tried to push it out. The left side of the soul wanted to devour it, while the soul space itself wanted to banish it. It saw the right soul as a foreign threat!

    ¡°This is unbelievable. I never heard of this happening before. What should I do? I know!!!¡± As she separated them from each other. The left side was slowly recovering without mana and the right side was being attacked. She decided it would be best if she allowed her mana to flow through the right side also. This would change it also, but at least he would have all the pieces of his soul available. Once she stops using the remnants of his mana to hold his soul in space, she started using her mana to help recover the bits of his soul.

    Her mana began to wrap around the right side. Once this happened, the soul stopped attacking. The soul space stops trying to banish it also. The right side continued to squirm against the mana for a while before it went into a stasis also. This continued for a quarter-hour before it began to reject the mana completely. Now Autumn was completely befuddled. ¡°This worked last time. Not it not only rejecting the mana, but the soul seems to be deteriorating also?¡± she exclaimed! She thought for a moment about the change then came to a simple realization.

    ¡°The right side see this mana as dangerous. It just attacked it earlier. There¡¯s no way it would accept it now. Damn it!¡± she cursed for the first time in a while. She did not know things would go so awry. ¡°This is why mortals should not meddle with souls. That¡¯s the domain of the gods. What should I do now?¡± She said afraid of the results.

    ¡°At this rate, half of the wolf cub would have been destroyed for my actions. There will be permanent damage because of me. The wolf cub soul being damage would cause irreparable damages to its personality and body. I would be just like those Majin who play with creatures'' souls for their enjoyment!¡± She said with anger.

    ¡°There has to be a way somehow. My mana does not work. That means I need another source of mana that is not mined but is compatible with mine if I ever hope to fuse them. The mana might not even be able to get into the soul space now that the cracks been repaired.¡± She said while looking around.

    Then an idea hit her. ¡°I still have my soul weapon. A soul weapon usually sits in the soul domain. Its compatible with me and its mana signature are different than the lakes. It should be useable. ¡° she said while returning her consciousness to the surface.

    She located her body and summoned her soul weapon towards Nanna using her mana. She tried to bring it into the soul space but it was rejected repeatedly. She began to lose hope but then had a thought. ¡°The soul has changed a bit, maybe if I used some of the scarce mana he recovered, it will allow it in. The mana might not be enough to save his soul, but maybe it¡¯s enough to bring in the soul weapon. That is only if my weapon recognizes him.¡± She said as she tried to slowly move his mana.

    As she began to use the wisp of his mana to grab the weapon, she had to physically pull it to his body. She needed to summon it into his soul space. His mana enveloped the weapon but it did not budge. She added some of her mana in a strange mix. The weapon finally was summoned into the soul space.

    ¡°It¡¯s so much I do not understand about the soul or the soul space.¡± She thought as she moved her soul weapon to the right-side soul. They made contact and they stayed next to each for a bit before the right side soul then entered into the soul weapon. This was a soul weapon that was a set; the bow and quiver.

    As they hovered around each other, the right-side of the soul finally began to fuse with the bow and quiver. It slowly began to sink in as Autumn watched. ¡°This should hold it for a while until I figure out how to sync the two back together.¡± She thought. She looked to the side and saw that the soul seems to be almost at its original size. The soul space seems to be a bit bigger but all the cracks where gone.

    ¡°Finally this can all end.¡± She thought. She looked back and saw an opaque Nanna figure hover over her soul weapon. Nanna''s eyes were yearning for strength. The look of absolute hunger scared her. She felt a tremble in the soul space before everything settled down. Things finally returned to a somewhat normality. The light blue cerulean soul was at the center of the soul space while the bow and quiver circled it like the moon in the sky.

    ¡°I need to take a mental break. Thank Fauna everything settled. I should let the wolf recover and wake up naturally. I¡¯ll check the damage then.¡± She thought as watched her soul weapon and the wolf soul interacts with each other, confused on how to feel. She closed off her senses and took the time to recover her mental energy.

    ¡°The days ahead will be long and arduous.¡± She said as she allowed her mind to wonder.

 Chapter 7 - Transformation

    Autumn finally awoke from her long sleep and gave a mental yawn. She felt a bit better after all the events. This would be the true start of their journey. The wolf was a bit young but she felt that she could turn it into something powerful. She cast an avatar over the wolf body and began to look into her surroundings. She saw that there was not much of a difference since her sleep. The lake was the same, the shore was the same but then surveys the rest. The tree that stood tall was gone and a few bodies including hers were missing. The others looked like they were bit and chewed by a wild animal. Some even seemed as if they were drained of all their life force. This startled her as she hovered over the wolf. She woke up from her daze and looked down at the wolfling.

    His body lay there peacefully as if it was a corpse. Its head was sunken in as if there were no meat or bone. It had the appearance of a wolf mask if anything. There was a bulge in the middle of where the wolf body laid. She wondered how this was possible. The cub was dead but she lived. Her and his lives are intertwined. If he was dead, that means she should have quickly followed. She began to look at the wolf body in great detail. She saw that the middle of the body continued to move up and down as if it was breathing.

    ¡°Is this the last dredge of life of this wolf?¡± She asked in defeat. She felt horrible that she caused his death for a chance to live. The worst part was not killing him. It was causing such a deformity. It looked as if a huge ball was breathing under the wolf dried out corpse. ¡°Did all it inside come together as a heart beating ball.¡± Autumn covered her mouth as if her mana body could throw up. ¡°Did he end up like a necromancer failed experiment?¡± It was as if she was experimenting with his body and life. This went against everything Lady Fauna stood for. If the deformity is horrendous, she prepared herself to end both of their lives.

    ¡°Better to die now than live your life as a deformity of a bad experiment.¡± She said with determination. ¡° It¡¯s only right that I follow you to your death since I caused such a mishap.¡± She spoke gravely. She touched the moving part in the middle of the body and saw that it seemed to uncurl. Its body mass sank a bit but grow wider and longer. She looked down saw what seemed to be a smooth arm that stuck out.

    She jumped back in shock. She looked with a steely gaze at the arm and prepared to fight. The wolf carapace was partially turned over when a young head popped up from under the corpse. It was a young sapient being with white hair, big round eyes and a small nose. His eyes were a light shade of lavender that did not reflect any life. His mouth was medium with two small fangs that showed when he quietly yawned from the apparent nap he has taken.

    He had sharp ears as if he was an elf. She was able to tell that it was a boy because as she continued to observe him, he had male parts. His face was more of a cute girl with his snow-white hair that draped down to below his ear though. The most peculiar thing was that he also had a long white puffy tail that began to wag back and forth. He had the ears of an elf, the tail of a wolf but the typical body of a human. He looked like a cute elf child but with white hair and lavender eyes which was not normal. He also had the trademark ears. He would have been seen as a peculiar elf looking wolf if it was not for his fluffy pure white wolf tail.

    ¡°What in the hell happened while I slept to recover my mental. How long was I out?¡± she screamed. It felt like something was always happening. ¡°Why is there something that is always happening since that soul-pact. ¡° She wanted to scream again. She noticed that the young boy was just staring at her. That is false; he was just staring in her direction. He did not have any focus. He continued to open and close his eyelids as if he could not believe what was happening. He tried to stand on all fours as if he was a wolf before falling back down. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to speak but nothing came out. He continued to suck in air as if it was water and he had nothing to drink in days. The whole time his face stayed deadpan to hide his emotions. He tried to take a step while on all fours before he fell again. Autumn just stood there in a daze. Her brain was lagging a bit behind. She did not know how to respond to this situation before everything clicked. ¡°His soul¡± she exclaimed.

    She went back into his soul space to examine everything. His soul was the same but her soul weapon was different. The bow and quiver were the same shape but has been transformed into a lavender color. Over the soul weapon was a wolf that hovered it as if it was its guardian spirit. She observes her weapon for a brief moment before almost crying. She felt a wavering connection to it. She felt that the wolf spirit and Nanna could control the weapon at will. She saw the connection to the souls. She felt that she had secondary rights to her soul weapon.

    She shook her head and walk over to the young wolf soul. ¡°Can you reach inside this soul space¡± she spoke. She did not get a reply before her avatar materializes outside. He stood there frozen in a daze. She spoke out loud hoping he could hear and understand her. ¡°Try to focus inside your body. Close your eyes and drown out all your surroundings. This might take a while, but you needed to learn this now¡± she said in a demanding voice.

    The young boy closed his eyes as if he understood. He just set there as if he was meditating. She thought he nodded off before she heard a small voice reach her. She quickly returned to the soul space. The soul shuttered for a moment before an avatar of his physical body appeared in his soul space. It looked at her befuddled. It wanted to speak but could not.

    ¡°You do not need to speak while in here. This is called a soul space. It¡¯s where the soul lies. This space will allow us to express our emotions and thoughts without speaking. You just have to try and convey it to my soul directly.¡± She said slowly while staring in confusion.

    ¡°How did this happen? It appears that Nanna is the soul of a wolf in a chimera body. The soul contract should influence him minimally. Did it look to my soul as a reference when huge chunks were ripped off as it was healing? Was it because I gave him my clan name? My essence also could influence him when I was speeding up his recovery.¡± Autumn thoughts were running in circles before she heard a voice and felt a ton of emotions.

    ¡°What¡­.happened¡­.to me? I¡­.opened¡­..eyes.....can not see.¡± Nanna became to ramble off. Autumn proceeded to cut him off. ¡°Your words are cutting out. Slow down and become accustomed to conveying your soul.¡± This was the best advice she could give. This could only be accomplished on one own. She also needed time to think and figure where to go from here.

    This would make things easier to get into the city since he is humanoid with intelligence she thought. He would just have to pay a fine without identification. The hard part would be transforming him back to how he was. His very soul changed and she does not know how it happened.  How would she proceed from here?

    ¡°I do not know enough about the soul to change him back but there are minds that greater than me in that regard. The national library might be able to provide a clue if I could gain access.¡±

    ¡°My body feels weird.¡± Nanna interrupted her from her thoughts again. ¡°I cannot see no matter how much I blink my eyes. I can see everything here. What happened after the soul contract?¡± He was speaking slowly but in complete sentences. Autumn thought she would lay everything out with him.

    ¡°The soul contract was successful but the same poison that killed me was transferred to your body. I had to do impromptu surgery on your soul. This caused a large part of your soul to be damaged. I used a lot of my mana and yours to help you recover and went to sleep afterward. When I became aware of everything, it seems you transformed into a half-elf half-wolf hybrid. You might not have noticed but you are no longer a wolf. These changes also seem to damage your voice and vision. I had no idea these results would have happened from the soul pact.¡± She said sadly.

    The wolf looked in disbelief before he saw the pool water come into the soul space. It made a huge oval in front of him showing his reflection. This form appeared to be a hybrid of the strange carapaces and the spirit. The only thing that remained of him was his wolf tail. His soul began to shake violently and his emotions began to spill out.

    ¡°What is this? What am I? Change me¡­.back. Change me back. CHANGE ME BACK NOW!!!!!!!¡± Nanna began to scream. ¡°I am a proud wolf. I AM A MOONLIGHT WOLF. I AM NANNA. I am not this¡­.this THING.¡± He pointed at his reflection. Autumn just shook her head. She created the sin of a monster. She wanted to alleviate some of his pain and confusion with words of comfort but none came to mind. She could only tell him the truth.

    ¡°I do not know enough about the soul to revert your soul to that of a wolf. What we can-¡± ¡°You did this though¡± Nanna interrupted her with his unchanging face but anger and grief were transmitted through his soul. ¡°You change me into this FREAK. My body is weaker than ever. I have no fur for the weather. I am now pathetically weak. I also cannot see anything. How will I spot prey for food or escape the beast in the meantime? I cannot roar because I have no voice to scare off a potential beast. I also feel like I am easier to kill now. This was not part of the deal. Why did you do this? Is this your way or torturing your prey before you kill them. I should have believed in my gut. That poisonous aura of yours was a clear warning to your nature. Just kill me and get it over with. ¡°

    Nanna projected emotions were grief, despair, and indignant of his current situation. She knew she has wronged him. She continued to be quiet as he wails in mental agony. She felt all his negative emotions continue to pile up. He suddenly went quiet before she realizes he left the soul space. There was a tense silence between the two.

    She left the soul space and allowed the silence to continue. She felt that as she observed the boy, his aura slightly changed. He continued to look out towards the lake. As she looked at him in his eyes, it felt like he lost something. An unchanging expression of a child lost in grief stared over the lake. The moonlight barely breaching the canvases to illuminates the water surface that reflected the face he could not see. The peaceful stillness felt like the calm before a storm.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    A pounding echo suddenly broke out. She saw the wolf slowly but firmly hit the ground with his right fist. His facial expression never changed but his tail and action exposed his emotional turmoil. He did it again but a tad faster causing his pale skin to turn a shade of pink. He continued doing this faster and stronger each time before she felt mana pour out of him.

    Autumn just continued to observe. She could not stand to look at him directly in his deadpan eyes. She just stood behind him and looked at the lake in front of her. This place was her home, her prison and also her second chance at life. It was beautiful and heart-wrenching looking over it knowing she would leave this location soon. She just looked at the lake reflecting on her past action as the steady pounding continued in the background. She needed to reflect on herself, her actions and her plan for the future. She was not the only one.

    Nanna been through so much in the last few weeks and never had time to lash out. This trauma ranged from seeing his mother died to him fighting for his life. This was normal for a magical beast, but he was a young cub who has been ostracized from wolf packs. He did not even get the chance to socialize with other wolves. He never had time to sit down and think about his situation and how he felt about it.

    Then after everything that happened to him, he ended up changing into an unknown form. He was physically weaker with a disability. He could not speak and was also blind. It would be stranger if he was not indignant about his situation. To Autumn, Nanna showing anger and sorrow was a good thing. He still felt emotions and that meant he cared. His anger showed that he has not fallen completely to grief and despair.  It would be a problem if he inflicted too much self-harm.

    As she thought about these things, she saw her soul-weapon summoned by him. A bow and quiver appeared on his back. She saw him grab ahold of the bow. It was slightly smaller than it originally was. The color changed from forest green to a mix of light purple and jade. This lilac purple ran throughout the bow and quiver as if they were giant veins. From the quiver, a seed dropped with Nanna mana signature on it.

    Autumn looked in awe at the young boy. He began to use some of the functions of her soul-weapon without any training. This was probably all a coincidence. By this time, she saw him begin to stand; his aura was extremely different. It was the same in many ways but extremely different in others. He slowly turned around and she was shocked. His eyes showed complete hostility. His mana was rapidly being used up. The seeds began to grow from the floor that slowly wrapped his foot before covering him from the ground up.

    He fell on all fours and looked at Autumn hovering mana avatar. She looked back at him in shock. His eyes now contained light but lacked intelligence. It seemed like he reverted into a beast. This was not the most shocking thing though. The bow and quiver had an opaque wolf spirit hovering over it. The soul-weapon proceeded to meld with the vines that wrapped around him. As he stood on all fours, the vines gave the appearance of a wolf made of vines. It was in a position to lunge at any time. Nanna howled before he proceeded to pounce.

    Autumn mana avatar dispersed before reappearing out of his sight. She just continued to hover above his position. Nanna in this new form seemed to lack intelligence but boosted physical attributes. It looked around the landscapes before it encountered the corpses laying there. It lunged to the corpses before devouring the corpse of the man with vicious maw. The vines began to reach out and stab into the other corpses. The bodies slowly began to deflate as if the insides were getting absorbed.

    ¡°Is the wolf using its bloodline ability to devour these corpses through the vines? You can combine bloodline abilities with soul weapon functions?¡± she said in shock. They continued to deflate at a moderate pace. ¡°He¡¯s not just devouring them in a physical sense. He devouring their mana and vitality also. There will not even be a spec left of the corpse once he is done.¡± She said appalled.

    She saw the lilac color slowly expand across the body as the size of the creature began to grow in size. ¡°He will become a demonic beast. I have to stop him now.¡± Autumn began to rush back into the soul space. As she returned to his soul space, she saw a bloodthirsty wolf hovering over his soul made of vines. The eyes of the beast were dyed red with a gleam of hunger. Its action and impulsiveness from the outside showed he was acting on instinct and not premeditated thoughts.

    She saw her old bow and quiver covered in vines in the shape of a wolf made of vines. The quiver appeared to be embedded in the belly of the beast while the bow was inside the beast as if it was the spine. The wolf shaped weapon was orbiting around the soul as if it was a moon orbiting the planet. She began trying to call it back with her soul connection. She felt a resistance before it started walking towards her. It began to walk away from the soul. Then a malicious howl was heard from the wolf. The lilac veins began to pulse and expand. She saw the wolf''s eyes went dull again before it went from a sprint to a jump. It ended up landing inside Nanna¡¯s soul.

    The soul space began to shake. ¡°My life used to be a routine. Why has my life have this much action back to back¡± Autumn avatar was seen sighing. ¡°Every moment feels like a life or death situation with the wolf. I should say boy now. A peaceful life is more my style than something full of exhilaration.¡± She was starting to feel a bit more apathetic to these situations.

    The soul began to pulse blue and green before cyan. The image of a wolf was standing inside the middle of Nanna''s soul. It howls as is if it was the announcement to a battle. The soul then began to fluctuate. It was being sucked into the wolf as if it wanted to devour the soul from the inside out. If that happened, Nanna would just be a walking weapon. Autumn ran towards the soul and tried to pull the wolf from the soul by hand. If she could not recall the weapon remotely, maybe she could do it by touching it directly with her soul avatar.

    She began to grab the wolf weapon but it resisted. While she was holding the wolf, the soul stopped slowly shrinking but she realizes she could not recall the weapon no matter how hard she tried. Nanna would have to expel the weapon from his soul himself. She decided to try to talk directly to his soul. Hopefully, this would bring back his consciousness.

    ¡°The soul weapon is taking control of your body. You have to fight it.¡± She yelled to his soul to no avail. She would not give up. ¡°Do you seek strength this badly? This shows the opposite. You being taken over show a lack of willpower.¡± She continued to speak.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­..a¡­.wolf.¡± Nanna was able to barely able to speak.

    ¡°He¡¯s still there somewhere. It just started the process. I just have to stop the weapon from taking over. I do not feel much stress or tension this time around. This is a lot less scary than soul surgery.¡± She chuckled. ¡°I need to focus,¡± she thought as she kept the soul-weapon at bay.

    ¡°Just because your physical appearance is not a wolf is not something to be afraid of. Once magical beast becomes strong enough, they transform. Sometimes into a more bi-pedal form.¡± She continued to console the wolf into listening.

    ¡°I have not¡­.became stronger. I¡­..am weaker than before.¡± Nanna countered. He was speaking a bit more and less choppy. This was a good thing. He continued.

    ¡°Not only will I become stronger, but I will also become a wolf again.¡± He said with some conviction.

    ¡°You will no longer be you. You will be a husk of yourself with no intellect. The soul weapon will cover you and the wolf form that will descend upon your soul will not be a moonlight wolf. It will be a weapon disguised as a wolf made of vines. Its only goal will be hunger and destruction. A weapon is merely a tool to be used. If you are being used by the weapon, you become a tool yourself. Reduce from something with sentience to an object to be used. This not the way to go about strength.¡±

    The vines were deadly still outside. The bodies outside the place were mostly dried husk. One even had a giant chunk bit out of it. A bunch of random clothes was laying by the wayside.

    ¡°I need strength. I wanted to have the strength to potentially start a pack. To protect my family. To enact vengeance on them wolves. I cannot even show them that I''m superior. To show them that my mom''s life was not wasted on a wolf-like me. My mother would not even recognize¡­¡­¡­me.¡± Nanna said the last sentence in almost a hush voice. His feeling being conveyed through their souls. Bitterness, anger, grief, and despair.

    ¡°If you allow this weapon to take you over, you will lose the slim hope of you ever becoming a wolf.¡± Autumn voice was a level deeper with a grave undertone.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that I do not know how to transform you back but this is not my area of expertise. There many people in this big world who know many things. Some are scholars who specialize in the subject. Others are stronger than me and know more from experience. If you lose yourself to this soul-weapon and become a husk, you will never be allowed that chance. You will be seen as a demonic beast and hunted down. That¡¯s if I do not kill you myself.¡± She said with slight killing intent. Her voice then became softer.

    ¡°These results are honestly unexpected. I never meant for this to happen. You are weaker now but you still have much potential. You are a bit weaker than before but in all honesty, you now and before is not much of a difference to people at my level. I will still fulfill my side of the bargain. We will also add looking for ways to turn you back into your wolf form. Worst come to worst, you will train under me till you become a divine beast and transform your blood, body, and soul the natural way.¡± She concluded.

    The wolf from the bow and arrow soul weapon was slowly pushed out until it began to orbit around the soul like before. It laid dormant but was more menacing than before. Nanna''s voice came out in a hushed whisper.

    ¡°Will I become a wolf again?¡±

    She did not want to sugar coat anything. She decided to reply honestly. ¡°I honestly do not know. There is a higher chance that you will not revert than us pulling it off.¡± She did not say anything for a moment. A deep sadness came off from Nanna. There was a quiet moment of tension between them before she continued.

    ¡°I will guarantee you strength. You will become stronger and more knowledgeable than you ever dream. And as long as you live, hope is still alive. I do not know much about souls but the fairies and thousand-year-old treants might know. They live deeper in this forest. Even if they do not have a solution, they should be able to point us in the right direction.¡±

    The wolf perked up a bit before being coming back down. ¡°Are they stronger than you?¡± he asked with some trepidation.

    ¡°Not necessarily. Some are peaceful creatures that live their life out stretching their roots. All manners of creatures are attracted to them from fairies to sprites. Sprites are said to be the wandering spirits of the dead. Even observing them could give us a clue. What you need to transform back is not the necessary strength but knowledge. You need to find a solution to your soul problem. The older creatures who have experience with soul creatures might be able to point you in the right direction. That¡¯s also why we should go to the town I talked about before.¡±

    Nanna just remained silent soaking in everything she said. He needed to make sure he did not miss anything. ¡°Are there older creatures in the town that you spoke about?¡±

    ¡°Few would be older than me in that town but there is a good chance that there is someone more knowledgeable than me about the soul. There is a library we can use that has books that might have answers to the questions we seek. ¡±

    Nanna began to perk up before looking at her confused.

    ¡°I will teach you about books and libraries later. First, you must learn how to move your new body. Second, you must become stronger than you are now. That¡¯s where I come in and teach you. These are our first steps into the world together, so listen up. We will discuss soul-weapons, magic and the established systems, and magic beast. These are the bare minimum we must go over. This will help us plan the path you will be taking to gaining strength and how you can transform again if all else fell.¡± Autumn said while looking at the wolf soul. She had to be strict and informative. This way he would not go out of control again.

    She left his soul space before she looked over the boy one more time. ¡°Let¡¯s make you some clothes first.¡±

 Chapter 8 - Mana, Magic and Magical beast

    Autumn watched the boy getting up to and taking a few steps before falling back down. This has been going on for the last 5 minutes with small improvements throughout this time. She just continued to look over him with a gentle smile. She was feeling a bit anxious about the situation as a whole. Her plans have gone awry. The wolf not only took her clan last name; he has transformed into something resembling a wolf-elf hybrid. Her soul-weapon has been a sacrifice to save his life and taken over by a demonic wolf beast soul whose shape was created by vines. If that was not enough, it was trying to devour this poor boy¡¯s soul.

    Now she had to train the young boy into something that did not bring dishonor on her clan noble name. She would need to make him her disciple and teach him not only how to become strong, but on how to live properly. Before she could even start this process, he would have to learn how to speak and read the world language. This would already be a challenge, but the wolf was young and impulsive with little interest in common knowledge.

    The biggest heartache for her was her role in all of this. She gave him the last name because of her authority. Once the pact ended, the remaining poison in her soul that went undisturbed invaded his soul causing him to be unbearable pain. She ended up saving but at what cost. Her mana ended up causing his form to permanently change. He now resembled a beautiful child from her village with the addition of a wolf tail and snow-like features. This caused his already childish mind to temporary recede and gave that wolf soul to try to take over. The cherry on top was that his new body has several disabilities. He ended up being blind and unable to speak. They would have to converse in his soul space whenever the need for teaching arises.

    This brought her to her current situation. She believed the thing he needed most right now was not strength. What he needed the most right now is a guide. This usually fell to the parents. They are gone but she could still be his teacher. This occupation was said to be seen as their personal disciple second parents. This situation was the result of her actions. She decided she needed to be the one to take responsibility for this situation. This would be her first personal disciple. She was a bit nervous at this thought but she decided to always try to be gentle. This would apply as long as she was not teaching. So even though he could not see her, she just gently smiled at him as he took his first steps.

    As he was focusing on learning how to control his new body, she was taking some of the clothes from the bodies and washing them in the lake. She was trying to stitch them back together with the makeshift tools she created. She made tiny pins with the bark from some of the trees around her. She also made a threading needle from the bark while making threads from some of the fiber of the leaves around. She began her patchwork in earnest.

    After some time, she was able to make a decent shirt, jacket, and pants. She needed to work on a pair of boots next. She looked up and saw the wolf jogging back and forth. His form was a bit awkward and unsteady but he was becoming more accustomed to running. She sized him up and nodded her head. ¡°The clothes should fit. They might be a little loose. ¡°

    He transformed into a child but he still looked a bit malnourished. She then continued to look down and saw small red marks from small cuts and bruises on his feet. She immediately called out to him. ¡°Come closer to the lake. Let me wash those wounds and make a quick ointment. You should have said something if you were injuring yourself.¡±

    He turned around and gave her a blank look. ¡°I forgot you could not speak. Let¡¯s set up a hand signal for when you need to communicate with me. The basic hand signal is to raise your hand over your head. That means you have a question or need to speak.¡± He tilted his head for a moment before raising his hand. She just shook her head before heading into his soul space. The young boy already began to adapt to this situation He was trying his best to learn and survive. As someone who will become his future teacher, she would not fall behind.

    ¡°How are you feeling? I see you getting used to walking on two legs. You have to eventually learn how to run for safety.¡± Both of their avatars came out to face each other. He began to speak. ¡°I feel tired and my feet hurt easy. Even stepping on a rock hurt. How does someone like this survive?¡± Nanna spoke with much disappointment. He did not like his new body at all.

    ¡°You are cold from not having any clothes on. The garments that human wears help ward off the cold. They are called clothes and helps with surviving most of the elements form the environment. I just finished making you a basic set of clothing for you to wear. It¡¯s is like interchangeable fur. It can customize for the specific environment and give a greater chance at survival. I will make your boots next. This will allow you to run across most landscapes. You will not have to worry about rocks, thorns, etc.¡±

    ¡°This species seems fragile and would easily die. I am already tired and need to take a break. How will I become strong enough? I do not understand.¡± Nanna inquired. He was starting to doubt being able to become stronger with such a weak body.

    ¡°I will help you put your clothes on now but you will have to learn how to put them on for yourself sooner than later. While you are recovering your stamina, let us talk about the ways to get stronger. I will present to you the basic knowledge on mana, will tell you about the different types of mana systems and the difference between a magic beast and demonic beast. I will give you a basic road map on the path I would like for you to take. The actual path you take is up to you. After we figure out the path, we will discuss a training regime on how we will get there.¡±

    Nanna''s feeling began to leak out his tail as it wagged back and forth. His emotions also portrayed his excitement. He will eventually learn how to keep it under control. She just thought it was cute. ¡°Can I use mana? What abilities can I use?¡±

    ¡°I will answer all your questions in time, just settle down. Let me start by teaching the basics.¡± She said as Nanna set down and looked at her with upturned eyes. ¡°First let me show you how to put your clothes on. We will move on from there.¡± They both left the soul space and she began to show him how to wear clothes. He put on some black pants and a black shirt before the jacket. She helps him part his hair from his head and smiled. ¡°You are a cutey. Wash your feet in the lake and I will give you something for the cuts on your feet.¡±

    Nanna went to the lake and began to wash his feet while autumn grabs her makeshift mortar and pestle by the lake. She began to grab some of the remnants of the medicine she made before. It was not only something that could be ingested. She walked up to Nanna and asked him to show his feet. The dirt was rinsed clean from them as she applied some of the medicine directly on his feet. He looked up to her wonder. He could not feel the sting anymore. He then raised his hand.

    ¡°Give me a moment. I am going to grab a few plants from inside the lake. You will heal faster that way.¡± Nanna just stared in her direction with the same deadpan expression. His tail was wagging back and forth. She began to smile and diving slightly into the lake. She found a few moss and plants and brought them out. ¡°You might not be able to see these at this moment, but you can combine a few of these plants and make a medication to enhance yourself. This one allows for a quicker recovery for a while after making reagents out of it. Then you add water to make it into a drink.¡± She started excitingly explaining. After realizing her mistake, she blushed and quickly finished up the mixture and presented it to Nanna.

    She then returned into the soul space and saw an excited Nanna. ¡°Was that magic? You turned a random plant into a strong-smelling mixture that healed my wounds.¡± His avatar tail swinging at full power.

    Ignoring her previous embarrassment, she began to continue with her explanation. ¡°That was herbology. I am a doctor and making medicine out of plants is a basic of the trade. Some might think its old fashion but I believe old ways are the best.¡± She declared in an elder tone. She continued lecturing as if she was teaching a child the way of life.

    ¡°I did use a bit of magic to boost the effects. Magic infused water is better than basic water. That¡¯s a rule of thumb. Everything has exceptions.¡± She looked back down into his eyes. She saw the pure enthusiasm. This was a chance for her to turn him into her official disciple. He would not know the importance of this decision now but will in time.

    ¡°Would you like to become my disciple and learn the art of medicine? Being a doctor is one of the noblest professions.¡± She stated as Nanna shook his head up and down saying yes before she finished her statement.

    ¡°This is one of the most important decisions you will make in your like. Are you sure you will take me on as your teacher? Taking someone in as your disciple is said for a teacher to take on a new child and the disciple taking in a second parent. Will you still take me as your teacher while knowing this?¡± Autumn stated as clearly as possible. After a few moments, Nanna looked confused but stood behind his original answer. He decided to take her on as his teacher.

    ¡°You will be my direct disciple from this moment on. The path will be long and arduous but fulfilling. You have my people''s noble last name. You must uphold the honor of a Gundolf. I shall walk you down the path of medicine and combat. If you so choose, I will teach you the art of formations. Do not shame me or your name. We will share each other glory and shame. Our souls are already connected. If your actions become a grave offense to Lady Fauna''s teachings; We will also share death. Prepare yourself, young Nanna!¡± Autumn spoke in a solemn voice.

    Nanna felt the tension in the air. He did not know the importance of a disciple, but he realizes he agreed to something else that could be troublesome. His very soul was already in her hands, his body was forever changed while being blind and could not speak. There was not any other situation that he felt could be worse than the situation he was in now. He would at least be able to heal quicker after learning from her. He decided to agree and roll with it.

    ¡°The art of medicine is a profession that you master over a lifetime. I believe every disease has a cure, but the knowledge of the doctor is limited. I will help you embark on your path later. We have a lot to cover today. Let us begin.¡± She declared.

    ¡°Our first topic of discussion will be magic and what it is. Simply put, it is whatever the form that mana takes. The next logical question is, ¡°what is mana?¡± Autumn asked Nanna. Nanna continues to stare at her confused before he realized he needed to answer the question.

    ¡°You have not told me. What is mana?¡± Nanna replied. Autumn shook her head before she replied. ¡°If you ever wanted to be a first-class magician, remember this. You must question everything. You must constantly critically think. Think for yourself and question everything. Established ¡°truths¡± are turned on their head every year. Do not worry about being wrong, you felt mana running through you. What do you think mana is?¡± She asks in a stern but gentler manner.

    Nanna thought about it for a while before he answered. ¡°It felt like cold winter breeze I could direct if I focused. It sometimes felt like a liquid. Almost like water or even the blood in my body. Would it be some new type of water?¡± he asked tilting his head.

    Autumn just smiled and continued her explanation. ¡°Scholars have been debating this for years. It has not been proven, but it is universally agreed that mana has no actual form. It is just energy. It¡¯s an energy that is neither a solid, liquid or gas. It is just energy. This energy can mold itself into any form. Raw mana that has not been molded can be used by anyone. This pure energy can be transformed into any of the elements or kinetic and potential energy for physical purposes.¡± She paused for a moment to let it sink in and continued.

    ¡°Someone who uses magic is called the broad name of magic-user. There are different types of magic-users; Magicians, wizards, warlocks, necromancers, etc. These are just the name of a few types of magic-users. They are names that give a quick description of the type of magic that they use. ¡°She believed this was a barebone explanation.

    ¡°How do you fight then Autumn? What type of magic-user are you?¡± Nanna interrupted.

    Autumn felt a small discomfort in him calling her by name. She decided to correct this sooner than later. ¡°You are now my disciple Nanna. Once you accept someone as your teacher, You call them teacher or master as a form of respect. This is how you should address me from now on. You should also try to ask questions at a more appropriate time by raising your hand. This will allow me to take a mental note that you do not completely understand what I previously said. I would then find a good spot for my lecture to pause and address any of your concerns with the lesson. Do you understand?¡± Autumn understood that he was only a cub and she has not explained the rules between teacher and disciple. She still needed to implement some basic rules and regulations.

    ¡°I understand this teacher.¡± Nanna nodded excitedly.

    Autumn smiled and began to answer his question. ¡° I have a dual fighting style that combines magic and physical combat. Non-magic combat users are called martial-art users. Since I was young, I learned to hunt. This is a tradition in my culture. I went down the path of the bow and have a basic understanding of handling a dagger. ¡°She said while pointing at her bow and quiver. ¡°I am what people would call an archer and employ archery in combat. I use my magic as a supplement to my martial arts. The magic I am most proficient in is earthen magic; more specifically nature magic. This allows me to control and create trees, flowers, plants, etc.¡±

    Nanna raised his hand and Autumn just nodded. He began to speak. ¡°Your soul weapon is a bow correct? It doesn¡¯t look like it is dangerous. How does it work? Your magic sounds a bit weak. Most plants besides some of the trees that eat beast only become food for the plant-eating beast. The vines took control over my body but it was my half wolf soul that caused all that to happen. How will nature magic help me to become strong? Is there a different type of magic you can teach?¡± Nanna continued to fire out a barrage of questions before Autumn interrupted him.

    ¡°A student who is inquisitive and shows passion is a great blessing to a teacher. We need to put these questions on hold temporarily. Let us finish up the basics on magic and moved to the magic beast and soul weapons first, okay?¡± She said and Nanna reluctantly nodded. She smiled and continued her lecture.

    ¡°We been sidetracked many times today lets me concluded talks on magic and mana with these last few subjects of interest. First is mana and mana signature. There is mana in all things. Not only is there mana in the environment, but it also resides in many of the living creatures that reside on our planet. This includes not only magical beasts and bi-pedal sapient-beings; this also includes nature, rocks, trees, and plants. These living beings use mana not only to live but create, and even bend the elements under one control.¡± She took an invisible breath and continued.

    ¡°Your magic signature allows you to control your magic or form a link to your mana and magic. Everyone has a unique mana signature. How a magic signature is made or recognize is up for debate but its existence is very much real. When you create a ball of fire and hurl it at your enemy, or control ice arrows through the air; the magic after it been shaped and created as a whole is yours. What stops others from taking control of your magic is your mana signature. What allows you to form a link with the magic you created is a direct link by mana or the resonation of your mana and its.¡± Nanna raised had his hands but Autumn just shook her head and continued.

    ¡°Mana signature is a theoretical knowledge that is learned easier by putting it into practical use. Do not worry too much about the explanation of a mana signature. We can revisit that subject once you start using magic.¡± Nanna shook his head up and down while waiting for her to continue.

    ¡°Mana that has no mana signature is called neutral mana. This neutral mana is not called neutral because of its nature. This mana can be used by anyone once they convert it to their own. If their manipulation level is high, they can create things without converting them. This is riskier because those who have a higher understanding can hijack the mana and turn it against them. This is extremely risky and usually not used in practical combat. ¡± Autumn remembered her last battle and shook her head. She was gambling in her last fight; some things turned out well and others horribly.

    ¡°Some places have a higher mana concentration. These places are usually home to leylines. This is just veins in the earth that releases a concentration of mana consistently. The higher ranked leylines release a high concentration of mana. These places are usually converted into high ranked magical beast¡¯s lairs. Do you know why?¡± Autumn paused her lecture and ask a simple question. Nanna took a moment and thought about it and answered.

    ¡°More mana means more energy. That means less hunger.¡± Nanna answered happily with his chest slightly poked out and his tail wagging. He was extremely confident in her answer. This was a factor but not the main reason magical beast would hold these lands so highly. She was happy he was building up his confidence and answering without fear. He needed to build his confidence up, have faith in his knowledge and critically think more if he wanted to continue far down this path.

    ¡°That is a plus but there¡¯s a bigger reason to occupy those lands.¡± She paused and looked at his reaction. He was fully invested like a child listening to a bedtime story. She smiled and continued. ¡°Higher amount of mana allows magical beast a consistent source of mana. This allows them to store mana into their mana core and evolve safer and sooner.¡±

    ¡°They can evolve and grow stronger quicker?¡± Nanna yelled out with his eyes shining. He saw the look in autumn eyes and apologized. ¡°Sorry teacher. But is that true?¡± Nanna could not help but ask. Autumn just shook her head with a forlorn smile but remembered he was a child at heart. He might have fought for his life for most of the little time he lived but he was still young. She began to realize that he became more childlike when he heard things about strength and things he found foreign and interesting.

    ¡°Yes, this pertains to the second subject we need to discuss. We will talk about the elemental nature of mana and type and forms of magic another time.¡± She realizes she could not keep throwing on new topics on mana and magic. She would teach him things gradually. He would have to learn some things through experience.

    ¡°Let talk about magical beast evolution. What¡¯s important about evolution and why it makes magical beast strong. My first question to you is, How do you tell if someone is strong?¡± she looked back down at Nanna.

    Nanna looked up and thought about it. He has encountered many creatures in the wild both big and small. Some were extremely strange but also very strong. The strong creatures had a common factor.

    ¡°The strong beast that I have seen all had a strong feeling of strength that seemed to leak off of them. The ones that were quicker to attack had a deadly feeling that seems to float around them. The magical beast that seems to keep to themselves had a calming feeling around them. It always felt like something could erupt at any moment. Does that have to do with mana and how to become strong.¡±

    Autumn smiled and nodded her head the more she listened to him. This was not the greatest scientific approach but these observations would be more helpful than not. ¡°Good job! You observe multiple beasts and came up with a hypothesis. Some things need some work but this could be a gauge for a rough estimation of creatures'' strength. What you are talking about is a magical beast aura. This phenomenon happens when the mana leaks out from their body.¡±

    Nanna continues to focus on every one of Autumn¡¯s words. This was the most focus he displayed so far. Magical beasts were something he was extremely interested in. It was who he was at heart¡­A moonlight wolf. ¡°Is this aura what I felt coming from other beasts?¡±

    Autumn slowly nodded her head. ¡°It appears so. Every creature that manipulates mana has a mana signature. This mana signature is theorized to be the combination of their mana element, their very mana itself and their soul. The soul is continuously imprinting more memories and experiences into itself. This combines with your mana and its element allows for a unique signature. The more mana you have, the more that leaks out naturally. This minute leak of mana gives out an invisible aura that wraps around someone. Someone who not just has an abundance of mana but also trained will be able to stop any minute mana leakage. This is why you should not assume someone who does not have an aura is weak. They are the ones who are truly strong¡° she said and looked towards the young boy. ¡°Any questions at this moment?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Nanna looked and began to raise his hand before putting it down. He just gave her a look to continue with his lit eyes and wagging tail that zoomed across the air. She smiled and continued. ¡°The type of aura a creature release generally gives a peek at someone''s soul and strength. Those who always kill ruthlessly and covered in blood would have a strong blood aura that leaks out. These auras can be used in combat. Auras are generally used by those who use martial arts. We will come back to them at a later time. Let us talk about the evolution of magical beast and how mana and leylines play a major role.¡±

    ¡°Excuse my poor teaching abilities. You are the first disciple I had. I only taught my children and my younger sister. This is a new experience for me. We must talk about elements and mana form today after all.¡± She stops for a moment before continuing. ¡°Mana has many forms. It can turn into any form that conceivable. It can be air, liquid or a solid. It is extremely malleable and can take the form of whatever it touches. It also slowly takes the elements most affiliated with its environment.¡± Nanna quickly raised his hands and Autumn nodded.

    ¡°What is an element and what are forms?¡± Nanna asked.

    ¡°The basic elemental forms are arcane, fire, water wind, and earth. Mana is an energy that takes the form of the element it is around after prolonged exposure. This makes the mana from the environment easier to manipulate for certain magic-user. Water magicians would be stronger near rivers and lakes. Wood magicians like myself work well in the forest. Etcetera. Mana found in the forest are subjected to turn into more natural mana. Water mana in lakes, air mana in the clouds, etc. That¡¯s why some scholars and wizards believe there is not any natural arcane mana. Arcane mana is pure that does not have any other element transforming it. That is why you must first convert the mana to arcane by filtering the element and stripping the magic signature out before absorbing it and converting it to yours. If the element is your own, you only have to strip off the mana signature. This one of the few reasons fighting a magician in their elemental nature is harder.¡±

    ¡°Why does this matter with a magical beast evolution? They use bloodline abilities, unlike your magic-users, right?¡± Nanna asks interrupting her.

    ¡°Remember not to interrupt. Raise your hand if you have a question.¡± Autumn berated the wolf for his hastiness. Nanna''s tail begins to limp and his face fell. ¡°Sorry¡± Nanna apologize.

    ¡°These are things that should be remembered in the future. You might be of equal strength normally, but you should always consider the environment. This is of great importance to magical beasts and their evolution.¡± The boy was still looking down but he was paying attention. She reached out her hand and began to pet his avatar. He looked up and she smiled.

    ¡°You are a bit impatient. It is okay. Just remember there are rules that you should try to follow. Just try your best, okay?¡± Autumn said and he looked back at her and shook his head. She smiled and continued with her explanation.

    ¡°We will talk about magic systems later but magical beast generally starts with a stream of magic running through their body. It starts as a flow that runs through their body like air. Some feel that it¡¯s a bit heavy as a liquid but this is false. This flow of mana is what magical beast feels at rank 1. We categorize this magical beast as just awakened or are generally new-born.¡± She looked at him implying that he was one.

    ¡°When they just awaken, they get a bloodline ability that fits their personality. It generally something they need or desire from the bottom of their heart. As they absorb more mana, it begins to crystallize and become a magic crystal. It can be as small as a grain of sand or as big as a moon bead. ¡° She said this as she gathers mana and formed the shapes in front of her. The wolf stared at the shape with longing. ¡±Magic crystals are also called beast cores. The bigger the mana crystal is, the higher the output of mana they can display. They tend to be much more dangerous. This is where my discussion on elements earlier came in.¡± Nanna raised his hand and she nodded.

    ¡°The magical beast absorbs the mana from the environment. The mana in the environment has an element. Does that mean that the magical beast absorbs that element?¡±

    ¡°This is correct. Most of the mana that has the purest of the element is absorbs from those closer to the leylines. They who hold dominion over the key parts to the leylines absorb the elemental mana. This allows them to have an advantage in areas that are dense with that element. Those who would absorb the wood element would be more inclined to transform into a magical beast with the wood element. They would also learn bloodline abilities related to the wood element. Do you have any questions?¡±

    ¡°Does this mean that once my rank reaches high enough, I transform into a strong beast of the nature of mana I been absorbing? What if I was absorbing mana without an element? How much mana should I absorb to evolve?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you have to continuously absorb enough mana to increase your rank and mana crystal before you evolve. Evolution happens once you reach rank 10. Rank 9 is right before a beast goes into evolution. If you absorb only arcane mana throughout your absorption process, you will just evolve into a stronger version of yourself. An important thing to note is that all bloodline abilities evolve along with your evolution. The evolution at rank 10 is when a beast becomes a Divine beast or a Beast of Calamity.¡± Autumn continued to speak before Nanna raised his hand again.

    ¡°I heard you speak of the Beast of Calamity before. What are they and how do they become what they are? Why should I avoid becoming one?¡± Nanna slowly asks this question, afraid of her response.

    ¡°Do not be afraid to ask questions about things you do not understand. You must learn why things are in the state they are in. Then you can fully grasp why this evolution option must be avoided. This goes back to the process of a beast evolution.¡± She began to take a breath and continued.

    ¡°Mana is said to be energy but it causes a strange phenomenon once it is absorbed in great enough quantities. It grants a chance to grant consciousness and intelligence. It evolves thought processes and allows those who gather more mana to do a higher level of mental calculation easier and faster. That is why most magical beasts have some sort of intelligence. They can ignore their basic instinct and think for themselves. The problem is a beast that does not gain intelligence. They are called demonic beasts.¡± She looked at him and said.

    ¡°When you allowed the weapon to take over your consciousness and devolve into using only your instincts; your body was being taken over by a demonic beast. The demonic beast only follows there instincts. If there only thought is for food, they would destroy ecosystems devouring everything in their sights relentlessly. Same thing if they devolved and only instinct was to gain strength. With your ability to devour mana and vitality through the vines, you would have gone on a rampage across the local wildlife absorbing their life force to increase your strength. You would have either been killed for recklessly fighting those around you or quickly evolved in a beast of calamity.¡± She simply stated. Nanna was about to raise his hand but she shook her head.

    ¡°I am not blaming you for what happened but be careful of the other soul in the soul space. It is still a part of you and is the best chance for you to turn back into a wolf. It is the closest thing to your old form also. A magic beast can turn into a demonic beast; a demonic beast can transform into a magic beast. We can grant your wolf soul intelligence in due time. We will speak about that at a later date. ¡°

    There was so much she had to cover and so little time. The poison in this land was slowly receding and creatures of all rank would be exploring this land after the miasma and death aura was gone. She needed to teach him the basics of surviving before they left to explore. Before they would talk about his dreams of turning back, he would need to survive first. These key subjects would be the most important.

    ¡±Let¡¯s talk about the other way demonic beast is created. We say they devolve from a magical beast but they are magical beasts that lack intelligence. This causes them to have more of a destructive nature and go by their instincts forgetting self-preservation. This happens when a magic beast absorbs tainted mana. Remember that I told you that mana signatures are a combination of mana, their element, and their soul? This comes in play with a magic beast and its magic crystal.¡± She spoke slowly.

    ¡°A magic beast without mana is no longer a magic beast, it devolves back into a beast with limited intelligence. Mana to a magical beast is what grants its intelligence. Tainting its mana taints their intelligence. The more tainted magical beast mana, the more it devolves into a beast.¡± Nanna looked at her with an expression to continue. She nodded before continuing. ¡°How can you taint a magic beast mana would be the next logical question, would it not?¡± she ask and Nanna nodded quickly.

    ¡°Magic beast increases their mana mainly in two ways; One is through absorbing the ambient mana in the environment and the other is through hunting. The absorption of the environment is something magic beast do passively and hunting is active. The bodies that the beasts eat had mana running through it. The core that was left is the nexus of their mana that is eaten and absorbed.¡± Autumn then pulled water from the lake into the soul space.

    ¡°Now imagine this ball of water is your mana. This is what happens when you absorb someone else mana.¡± She took control of some of the ambient nature mana from outside and began to pull it inside. There was resistance at first but Nanna allowed it to come through. ¡°This is what happens when foreign mana is added to your mana pool.¡± Nanna began to look at the pool attentively. There were not any noticeable changes at first. Then more and more nature magic was added to the water at a steady pace. The clear glob of water began to turn a shade of green.

    ¡°Your mana pool is the base and the added mana is akin to black ink or mud. A handful of mud will not change or alter a running river or lake. But it can change a small cup size of water; causing it color and consistency to transform. This logic applies to the magical beast mana when they absorb a minute amount of mana from other magical beasts. If the mana they absorb from the magical beast they consumed quantity is relatively big compared to their total mana pool, the mana signature will begin to affect their own. This happens because they are not only absorbing their mana but their mana signature also.¡° Nanna had swung his hand back forth in hectic mana. She took a break and allowed him to ask his question before she continued.

    ¡°Does that mean that I should not try to absorb mana from monsters that are much stronger than me in rank, I believed you called it. This will cause my body to transform or cause my personality to change?¡± Nanna needed to know this. This would determine how he planned to train.

    ¡°Absorbing mana from a higher-ranked beast is not a good idea for various. The higher the rank, the more a soul signature is attached to a magical beast''s mana. The short version is that the mana and the soul become more tangle and intertwine with each other. This allows them to manipulate mana and their abilities faster and easier. This makes it more troublesome to get rid of their signature but there are other benefits if you can do it. ¡°

    The wolf unconsciously took a few steps forward as if he was afraid he would miss anything she was saying. Autumn took a step and began to laugh. ¡°We are in your soul space. I am not even speaking through my mouth, its just a habit. Take a few steps back, I will repeat anything that you miss and answer all your questions. We speak by transmitting our intentions. There no way there will be a mix-up.¡± Nanna began to take a few steps back while looking embarrassed. Autumn would not continue to tease him.

    ¡°The normal limit of a magic beast bloodline is one ability per rank. High ranking magic core from monster holds their personalities and memories. If you are lucky, you can learn one of its abilities or use its bloodline ability to merge with your own creating something new. This could cause a transformation in the output and damage from your bloodline ability. It might change completely.¡± Autumn spoke but a look of greed and hunger appeared on nanna. His tail was high in excitement, his ears perked back up and some drool was coming out from his mouth. A greedy gleam came from his eyes.

    ¡°Before you fantasize and run off and do something foolish, it is not a good thing to attack things higher ranked than you. It is a worse idea to take in mana from a magic core a higher ranked than you. You do not always need to fight to get a mana core. Some things can be acquired through other avenues such as trades and purchases. Let us imagine that you got your hands on a higher ranking core than yourself. What do you think will happen if you begin to absorb it?¡± She decided to ask him to test how much he been listening. He thought about it for a moment before answering.

    ¡°The monster core mana would begin to contaminate my own. This would then turn me into a demonic beast if I do not filter out the mana signature?¡± his voicing taking a spike upward by the end as if it was a question. She nodded impressed at his memory.

    ¡°Correct! Your mana would become tainted and will begin to muddle your intelligence. You will slowly begin to follow your instincts. The higher the magic beast, the higher the sync the mana and their soul is. The worst-case scenario is there memories and personality is still fulling preserved in the mana core. This will cause it to try to take over your body just like my¡­our soul weapon did earlier.¡± She said with some reluctance. ¡°You either be a walking husk of a beast with a tainted corpse that drowns in mana or your body becomes the sacrifice of a higher rank beast.¡± She continued. Nanna''s tail went down but began to stand on end. He had a competitive glint in his eyes. ¡°I will not allow that to happen.¡± He said in almost a whisper. A remnant of fear came out from his voice. This could be from his body transformation or his soul almost getting taking over by the wolf soul weapon.

    Autumn walked up to nanna kneeled to eye level. She hugged him. ¡°I am right by your side and will guide you only the way. I am your teacher now. We will not allow it to happen again. There are easy steps to prevent this. That¡¯s why it is important to absorb then purify your magic crystal after every hunt. This way it¡¯s also important not to try to devour a mana crystal a higher rank than yours. The higher the magic crystal rank, the stronger there soul and personalities is implanted in its magic crystal.¡± She finished up the explanation and Nanna raised his hand before asking her an important question. He did not push her away. Their soul avatars touch physically but what he felt were some of her emotions. There were hints of excitement and pride but he also felt anxiety, nervousness, and regret. This was the first real connection he had with anyone besides his mother. He did not know what to do. He just stood there and ask another question.

    ¡°You said ranks multiple times now. What is a rank? Also, how do you purify your magic crystal? What happens if you absorb an element from mana that is not yours?¡± Nanna questioned. She let go of a bit embarrassed about what happened. She originally hugged him to comfort him but it ended up being a release for herself also. She knew that he felt all of her emotions. It seemed that her control was slacking a bit. She continued the explanation while ignoring the earlier events.

    ¡°Let ignore ranks for now. This will be brought back up with mana systems. Purification of your mana core is something that is instinctive and that I cannot explain. Some things you just know such as moving your limbs. Absorbing different elements, on the other hand, is simple. You can absorb any type of mana. The problem is if there is any backlash from taking in the element that is not suited for you. The mana of different elements can be absorbed as long as it is filtered back into the non-elemental state of arcane. The neutral mana will slowly transform into your element just like it adapts itself towards the environment. Your body must host the mana first. That means if the element directly oppose your element, it will make the mana crystal you devour do more harm than good.¡± Nanna began to raise his hand but she shook her head.

    ¡°We can talk about the relationship between elements later. We must focus on the barebones explanation for now. We will be forced out into the wildlands in due time. We still need to prepare your mana regime. This is just teaching you the basic idea so you understand magical beast evolution. The special attribute it bestows on your mana and body at a later time. Just know that your body has a high talent for water and wood. My influence is thanks to that.¡± Nanna raises his hand and dropped them a few times throughout her explanation. He finally kept it up and got a chance to ask a question. He was sitting down as if he was a cub.

    ¡°Why explain all of this to me now instead of going through the training itself. If time is limited, we need to focus on surviving.¡± He asks curiously. Surviving was implanted in his very soul at this point. He put that first in foremost.

    ¡°What you say is true but this will provide better results and is definitely worth the few hours that will be wasted. If you have a goal you have chosen and going after something you desire from the body of your heart; you will put in 120% of the effort instead of doing something just because I told you to. The training results would be far greater. This also why I am telling you to barebones of knowledge. Some are still theories but some of these theories held up for centuries. They have never been disproven but they cannot be truly proven either. They are accepted by scholars and magicians across the land. She stated quickly before continuing her previous lecture.

    ¡°Last but not least the hypothesis I have on how your soul and body transformed. When I had to dig the poison out of your soul, a lot was destroyed. My mana signature was absorbed into your soul while you absorbed my mana from the lake. Your body began to regen and it looks towards your half-missing soul to find out how to regenerate your body into its ¡°default state.¡± This was the last tangent she would go off of. He was entitled to know why he was in his current situation. She needed to teach him the basics of some of the soul functions were.

    ¡°How long and muscular your limbs are. The bone structure and muscular density of your body; the shape, width, and length of your body is determined by your soul. Your body natural regeneration and recovery magic take what¡¯s your soul think and recovery it that way. This how you transformed from wolf to the being you are now. Your soul was strongly inflicted with my mana signature. I suspect it also has something to do with your true name gaining my race last name. This is also why when you create a soul avatar, it creates an avatar of what your soul ¡°thinks¡± your default state is.¡± Autumn continues to speak out loud. Nanna looks at her and realizes she is in her world.

    ¡°I think I understand how I became this¡­.thing but you never told me how to evolve. I know all of the other lessons were to give me an idea of how evolution works. I think I understand the basics of mana, magic, and magical beasts.¡± Nanna started off speaking before recounting everything he remembered.

    ¡°Mana is energy. Mana adapts and becomes one with the elements transforming and becoming some form of the elements. Mana is everywhere and it''s stronger in some parts of the land. These are the leylines which are across the earth where the concentration of mana run through. Monsters stay on top of these leylines to absorb the mana coming from the leylines. If they continuously absorb a certain mana element over periods, they learn bloodline abilities related to it. The body of magical beast begins to adjust and adapt towards that element eventually evolving. But is that all it is to evolving? You absorb enough mana from absorbing the environment or eating monster cores and you evolve? I understand that mana imitates the environment or even the magical beast. That¡¯s why there are magical signatures and you have to watch the rank and type of mana you absorb but this feels unreal. If that¡¯s all you need to evolve, would there not be a more evolved magical beast running around? Or have I just been oblivious to them at this point? All you need to do is survive and you will eventually evolve. All the older magical beast would have evolved instead of getting older and becoming prey.¡±

    Nanna went on a rant. Autumn snapped out of ramblings once he started and almost reprimanded him for not raising his hand but she was shocked the more she listened. He repeated everything she said so far. She thought he would need a lot more time to soak in this information. After he was done speaking, she nodded with his conclusion. This was a logical conclusion. His thinking is extremely logical for someone his age. But she had to make a minor correction with his conclusion.

    ¡°What you have stated is true if you do not understand ranks. We will discuss ranks another after these lessons and we talk about systems. But to become a divine beast or beast of calamity, you must reach rank 10.¡± She simply stated. She continued before he could speak.

    ¡°I will not go in the difference between ranks and what makes fighting someone of a different rank so difficult another time. Let me give you a simple explanation of how you will level up from one rank to another. You must also attempt to knock down the wall into a higher rank of the magical beast evolution you will eventually evolve into. Some ranks require you to have as much as 1.5 times as much mana to allow it to overflow and crystalize into your mana crystal transforming it. Let¡¯s not go into detail about rank ups but I will tell you specifically about why evolving is dangerous. This is a hurdle you will have to transcend in the future or death will be your only outcome.¡± She stated those words solemnly.

    ¡°As you can feel now, your body has mana running through it. You can circulate it throughout your body but it does not have a dedicated pathway. How your body has a circulatory system and respiratory system, it does not have a dedicated mana system. Every evolved beast does have this, however. They do not create one from scratch, however. To successfully evolve for a magical beast, they must combine their mana crystal with their heart. If they are successful, mana will begin to run throughout their body through their veins. Their bloodlines will evolve and their body and soul will evolve at that moment also. If a regular wolf that consistently absorbed fire elemental mana from rank 1 to 5 and eventually evolves, it will evolve species of Hell wolf. Its fur would be made of flames. Its body would be the transform to host flames.¡± She said while looking into the star-eyed boy. It felt like she was reading a child a story on heroes. He was in the process of imaging himself become one.

    ¡°The benefits of evolution to magical beasts are not small. Mana helps create intelligence. Divine beasts cannot have their mana crystal destroyed and devolve to beasts. It¡¯s almost impossible to taint divine beast mana for multiple reasons. All of their bloodline abilities evolve with them. Their body and soul evolve to a higher state. This rank is a transformative change. The biggest challenge for this to happen is to combine your magic crystal with their heart. They must become one. If you fail, the best-case scenario is that you start over from rank one. The worst-case scenario is death or that you lose all of your intelligence and degenerate into a demonic beast that lacks intelligence. You still revert to level one. Some see their strength as their life and think losing strength is worst and staying alive. Both scenarios are horrible.¡±

    ¡°Preparing to evolve is my goal,¡± Nanna said in a whisper.

    Autumn was happy he had a high goal but she had to bring him back down to earth.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you have a set goal but we need to set up a training regime first. You have not even created your magic crystal yet. Let alone evolving, you have not learned how to survive in your new body. The fastest way to get stronger is through one of the established magic systems of old. I will explain how to get stronger. It¡¯s up to you to decide what road you take. Regardless of the path, the upcoming days will be difficult.

    Nanna was never afraid of the path is difficult. He was afraid that there was not a path for him in the first place. He thought about him having a chance to gain strength and make them arrogant wolves a stepping stone on his path to strength. Nanna gave a toothy smile. This was his first genuine smile of happiness in his new body.

 Chapter 9 - Schemes masked under the moonlight

    In an office in the middle of the city, there sat a woman. The room was covered in a blanket of darkness. There were only two sources of light in the room. One came from the moonlight that lightly cascaded down onto the desk. The other light source was as bright as a firefly. It came from a hand-size orb that contains a wisp of a flame. There was one window that overlooked the courtyard. The room was relatively simple but eloquent. The floor was made up of some type of wood. The colors of the room were teal and dark brown. Once you enter the room, you saw bookshelves lined up across each side of the walls. There was a few painting that covered the wall that was open to interpretation. The desk and chair faced the door with two chairs that set on the other side of the desk. There was a small trimmed tree that lacked any signs of life with a raven sitting on the top branch.

    The chair was currently preoccupied with a woman. She stared at the orb in her hand with an almost fanatic gaze. This woman has been staring at the orb every day for the last few days. ¡°When will you return?¡± she let out a whisper to the orb. As she continued to sit in silence, a knock at the door echoed through the room. She reluctantly put the orb away before she called for them to come in.

    ¡°Sorry for interrupting you at this time of night headmistress.¡± A man walked into the room and said with a bow. He continued shortly after pulling out a crest from his pocket that appeared too made from a dark metallic ore. The crest had a full moon blocked by clouds inscribed. ¡°I am here to give you an official report on what transpired over the last few days.¡±

    The man who spoke was robust. He kept a sword at his waist that seemed to always be at the ready. His clothes were neither flashy nor cheap. His gait was even and his eyes had a sharp gleam but also seemed diluted simultaneously. ¡°Have there been an update from Miss Autumn? I was asked to inquire from my master¡± This caused a flash of irritation on the woman''s face before it returns to its trademark stony look.

    ¡°Your master truly has been bold lately. Not only does he not report to me himself but he does not even send a personal disciple. An errand boy at most!¡± She chastised coldly before she continued. ¡°I do not need to report if she has or has not. Your only value is to tell me all that you know. Your patron might be the strongest in the city, but his words hold no sway here.¡± She sharply replied as if she did not want to be outdone.

    ¡°Forgive my brisk words; I do not hold any ill intent. Our clan of the night just hoped that this event would be settled as soon as possible. Even if the worst befell Lady Autumn, our sole wish is for our relationship between you, our clan and the school to stay friendly. We are praying for Lady Autumn''s good health daily. ¡°The man quickly added.

    This caused the woman''s temper to flare and a deadly aura descended on him. ¡°Words are easily spoken but can never be taken back once said. This had led many to end up not able to see the next sunrise. I advise you to choose your next sentence carefully.¡± She said with a deadpan expression, the undisguised threat clear in her message. This caused the man to get on both knees and give a quick kotow to repent.

    ¡°I am sorry if I offend you, Lady Leyla. I just hoped for an update regarding Lady Autumn because of the current situation is quickly escalating. It is known that the lady has a high ranking magic crystal before-¡°

    The lady silently appeared behind the man and the pressure that she released was gone. He was not able to follow her movement. He was still facing the desk but was afraid to turn around. He knew she was standing behind him but he did not feel her presence at all. This was the complete opposite of the pressure before. This absent form of pressure was much scarier. This implied that he could die without realizing what happened. He turned back once before putting his head back to the floor. Cold sweat started to flow down his back before she began to speak.

    ¡°Continue down that line of thought if you do not value your life,¡± Leyla said without emotion in her voice. ¡°That magic crystal was brought back from my homeland. What we do with it is not any of your concern.¡± She said flatly.

    The man continued to keep his head down but chose his next sentence carefully. ¡°Neither I nor my master doubts your claim. Your word is more precious than gold. The city master just happened to have a break in a few nights before the incident. He had a guest that he could not imagine leaving unattended. This guest reported that a rare magic crystal that they brought with them among other things that were stolen. They asked the city master to recover it with great haste!¡± The man spoke each word carefully.

    ¡°My master title as the lord of the night holds great weight. His reputation and exploits are known throughout the kingdom. The guest heard that my master resides in this town and implored the city master for his help in capturing the thieves. The city master and my master are drinking buddies. That¡¯s why he asked for my master''s service in locating the magic crystal. This would alleviate some of the worries from his guest. That is when a word from the wall sentinel came back that an elf brought in a magic crystal a day after the break-in. This caused the guest to go livid and ask for Lady Autumn arrest.¡±

    ¡°I do not enjoy repeating myself. Did I not inform the city master and your lord that, the magic crystal came from my homeland?¡± Leyla interrupted him by continuing to look down on him with eyes viewing a corpse. The man began to stutter and quickly speak.

    ¡°W-We believe you. That¡¯s why we sent the night guard to escort Lady Autumn back to avoid unforeseen accidents from occurring ¡°He hastily added.

    ¡°Are you implying the events that played out were all planned?¡± a dagger the color of midnight appeared in her hands from out of nowhere. He spoke quickly, afraid that a delay would cost him his life.

    ¡°Not at all, not at all. We did not expect the noble guest to also put out a bounty for the magic crystal and the Misses. He even uses personal connections to apply bounties to the mercenary and adventurer guild bulletin boards. That is why the shadow guard began to mobilize in earnest. It was that idiot from the Bortain family who brought about that destructive atmosphere. It was Hihi and his minions who used poison from the thieves¡¯ guild that affected Lady Autumn. They saw a chance for a new backer an-¡°A cold piece of steel pressed against his throat. He immediately stopped speaking. The top layer of the skin was cut. Blood began to fall slowly. The crimson drops that hit the floor broke the silence.

    ¡°Was it not the shadow guard that tracked her down with him?¡± she asked rhetorically. ¡°I have three questions I need you to answer. If I sense a trace of falsehood¡­¡± she trailed off before she continued.¡± Who were the individuals who went out to ¡°escort¡± Lady Autumn? Where are they now? Why has your lord came out and made an appearance himself?¡± She asks each question slow with an almost monotone voice. The lack of emotions and tone from the voice was replaced with a trace of bloodlust and coldness.

    The man''s hand was shaking at this point. He continued to sweat but looked her in his eyes with confidence before speaking. ¡°They were the ones who tracked her down but no evidence of fighting could be found.¡± The dagger dug a bit deeper before he hurriedly continued. ¡°We been meaning to send out a second squadron but the city been in an uproar since. There has been a backlash from the school and different clans. Many of the mercenaries and adventurers are speaking out about it also. This has not only put the city master in an awkward situation, but the noble guest home has also been targeted. This has led my master to send some of his disciples over to help. This way we were so late in informing you of the situation until now. This is also why my lowly self was sent here to inform you of the ongoing situation.¡± He carefully swallowed before he continued.

    ¡°The squad that was sent was Donovan squad. He is well-known for his tracking capabilities. His second in command was Cayden followed by two Conjurers and Swordsman. They went in but none returned. We see no traces of fights in the outermost forest after paying for a high-ranking tracking squad. Nothing has been left to lead us to the correct path.¡± Leyla took the dagger away and slowly walked back towards her seat.

    ¡°Why have you not sent a second squad to investigate the situation? This might not be common knowledge but I know that the night guard does have a special way to leave tracks for other groups. It is standard for those who accept hunting missions. Are you telling me that you never sent a second group? Or are you telling me that you sent a second group and nothing was found? She asks as she stared out the window with her back towards him.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    The man¡¯s body slowly got up before speaking hesitantly. ¡°There is another reason there been such a delay in reporting back. We did send a second squad almost immediately after the first. They went missing only a few hours after they were dispatched. A third squad was dispatched the following day and had orders to be careful. We have not heard from any of the three squads nor are there any clues. ¡°he said with an even tone while watching her back. She slowly turned around.

    ¡°Are you informing me that the night guard personnel were sent into the forest and all disappeared. Not only have they disappeared without warning, but there was not even a sign of a fight?¡± She locked eyes with him.

    He bowed his head one more time before confirming. ¡°That is correct. That is why this situation is so baffling. To be able to take down the elite night guard and not leave a trace cannot be done by just anyone. Not many people in this city would be able to pull that off.¡± He said as he silently swallowed.

    ¡°Are you implying that I would know what happened?¡± She chuckled. ¡°I can confidently say it was not me. This is the first time learning that you sent three squads. If I was there, I would have also killed them all myself.¡± She said with a playful but confident smirk. Her eyes showed she was serious. ¡°The three squads¡¯ deaths are the only thing you have informed me that holds any significant weight. Did your master only send you here to appease my anger? You never informed me why your lord has not made a public appearance. ¡°

    The man froze before putting on what appeared to be a sincere smile. His sweat and fearful eyes gave away his current state of mind, however. The tension in the air was palpable. His life was not guaranteed ¡°The rumors about my master being sick are true. It seems he has advanced in age rather quickly these past few years. He is also currently recovering from a recent sickness. It¡¯s not anything major. My purpose here was to give an update on the current situation out of respect. ¡° He hesitated before continuing. ¡° My master also wanted to clearly express his feelings on the matter. He wishes for your relationship to continue to be amicable.¡±

    He stopped for a moment before continuing. His voice shook a bit while he continued his message. ¡°If you have any disagreement with his arrangements, feel free to voice them. But respectfully request that you inform him if you wish to take personal action. Communication is best for both parties involved.¡± He finally completed it before he waited for a reply.

    He waited for a reply while she continued to stare at him. After a minute of silence, she just turned back around. ¡°You can leave now,¡± Leyla said in a flat tone. The man bowed before he began to walk towards the door relieved. Leyla turned around to stare at him before speaking once more. ¡°Tell your master that there are many pros and cons in our relationship. But there are benefits to our cooperation. ¡± She paused for a moment before continuing to speak. ¡°We both pay a price for our goals. Tell him not to become short-sighted and give free benefits.¡± She declared and turn back around to stare out the window. The man did a curt bowed and left.

    The woman made sure she was alone before she took out the orb. The crow hopped from the tree unto the desk. ¡°What do you think?¡± she spoke while staring at the orb as if the flame would speak back. It was the crow that responded in a high pitch voice. ¡°Do you believe that nothing was found, caw!?¡± It began to caw. ¡°You know I hate it when you speak through animals.¡± Leyla declared with annoyance.

    ¡°What an irritating fellow. He claims to be low on the totem pole, but he remained calm throughout the whole exchange. His outward opinion showed fear but his heartbeat remains the same throughout the conversation. I believe he was sent to investigate our motives. I was almost fooled in the beginning.¡±

    The crow began to caw as it waddled across the desk. It midnight black feathers and beady eyes were reflected by the moonlight through the window. ¡°It seems that you are suspected. How much do you believe of what was said?¡±

    ¡°I think what he said has some truth to it. Although I do not believe everything.¡± She went silent for a moment before continuing. ¡°If what they said was true, there¡¯s no way they can keep those events secret forever. We need to investigate.¡± Leyla''s eyes finally made contact with the crow. ¡°I do hate that irritating caw. The only thing I despise more than the caw is the form. Start investigating. Keep in touch and relay any information you deem important immediately.¡±

    ¡° What are the means that available to me? You know what the crow symbolizes.¡± The crow stared straight back into her.

    Leyla''s eyes were cold while bloodlust began to roll off her body. ¡°Do not make a commotion. A few missing individuals should not cause too many problems. We do not need to start a war¡­yet. Those who were involved in the incident need to be uncovered. If something happened to my sister, they will follow her on her journey to the underworld.¡±

    The crow shuddered for a moment and then hopped back on the tree. The intelligence in it eyes disappeared as it pecked at the tree. Leyla returned to observing the flame like essence in the ball as she drifts off into her own thoughts.

    ____________________________________________________

    The moonlight seemed magical tonight. As the lights softly embraced the streets of the city, a man was swerving in and out of the darkness. He navigated the back-alleys efficiently. He suddenly came to a stop and looked around in a daze.

    ¡°How did I get out here? ¡° He began to look around confused. He looked down and saw blood on his hands and began to frantically pat himself down. He finally reaches his neck and realizes it had a deep cut. He placed his hand on his sword while looking around vigilantly. After a while, he calmed down as he to walk out of the alley. ¡°Why am I out in the backwoods of the city, eh? I must have drunk too much during the celebration and got lost trying to reach the red-light district. If the captain finds out, she is going to kill me.¡± He burst out into laughter as he began to walk towards his inn. ¡°There¡¯s no one out tonight, eh?¡±

    He saw a black silhouette walking towards him. The silhouette was waving her hand towards him. ¡°What does she want?¡± he thought while he moved his hand towards his sword. As he got closer, he realizes it was a beautiful woman and began to relax a bit.

    ¡°I see I made you wait. You came earlier than expected. ¡°she said to him as he looked confused. They were out in the slums. ¡°Did I make an appointment with a prostitute out here?¡± The lady had a beautiful red and pink dress that hugged tight against her figure. The bright colors contrasted her pale skin. This matched her beautiful crimson eyes that seem to pull you in coquettishly. She was medium height with a beautiful smile that occasionally was hidden by the small feathered fan in her hand. Her other hand was hidden behind her. She had a lot of makeup that did not seem to be applied correctly. That did not take away from her beauty. Her stride was very seductive as she gave him a seductive look.

    ¡°I thought my young wild years were past me. This is a high-class prostitute. Even after the successful mission, can I afford her?¡± He said while licking his lips while laughing. Worst comes to worst, I will give her night of a lifetime before I send her off. ¡°I glad you made it. For me to spend a night with such beauty under the moonlight makes a man blood boil. We are only missing some drinks for such an occasion.¡± He laughs vulgarly.

    The woman giggled. It sounded like chimes in the wind. The heat in the man''s gaze was igniting more and more. ¡°I expect nothing less from someone of your ilk. I am here for a meeting but not with a dead man? You get any interesting information Yami?¡± she smiled and looked at him. The man looked at her confused but went on alert at her words. He observes her closer and saw two heads in her other hand. He was about to unsheathe his sword before he heard a voice come from behind him.

    ¡°It seems everything went as expected. She does not know much now. She is more cautious than we first believed. Even with all the precautions, I believe she still has her suspicions. Her investigation will be her downfall. When she realizes the trap that been set, it will be too late. I see you done with your side of things also.¡± The man began to frantically look around with his sword in his hand but discovered nothing. He heard a voice from behind but did not see anything.

    ¡°Where are you?!!!¡± the man constantly turned while the woman looked in amusement. He turned back around and stared warily at the woman. From behind him, his shadow began to manifest behind him. It whispered in his ear ¡°There¡¯s no point speaking with a dead man.¡± It whispered in a raspy voice. The shadow resembled the man outline. The only difference was that the shadow held two daggers in its hand while the man held a katana.

    The man was jolted by the voice and turned around to find nothing before a wet splash on brushed across his arm. He suddenly stilled and saw blood splatter to the ground. He slowly reaches towards his neck looking at the blood that painted his hand. His mind finally figured out the situation he was in. He quickly clutched his neck before a sword made of shadows came out his chest from his backside. He looked down feeling helpless before the light dim from his eyes and he collapsed.

    The shadow just stood there looking at the woman. She finally reaches towards her hip and threw two heads onto the ground. ¡°These were the two messengers that went towards the dean. My part of the deal is complete. With you completing your side, this completes the contract¡± she let out a lovely laugh while covering her mouth with her fan.

    ¡°The lord of darkness will be incensed when he finds out that Leyla killed his messengers.¡± She began to look at him flirtatiously. ¡°The chaos that will entail throughout the city will be lovely. The murder, schemes, and blood will give the walls a beautiful scarlet hue. You plan on participating in the aftermath?¡± She asked imagining the future demise of the city with yearning eyes and an innocent smile. The shadow man turned his back to her before she asked one final question. Her smile could entrance any man.

    ¡°Are you even interested who starting this chaos and why? He did not even reveal himself when he employed us.¡± The man turned around and looked at this deadly flirtatious woman before he turned back around. ¡°I do not care about the employer or what happens. I do whatever the job is if the price is right. I could care less employer much less his reasons. I only care if he can pay up.¡± The man began to walk away. The shadow fell to the ground before it seems to melt under the moonlight.