Barely had Li Mei clambered onto Bao's back did another threat alert popped up. Bao whipped around and made an alarmed noise but his warning came too late - something the size of a basketball slammed into Li Mei's face with enough force to knock her off the fera's back and send her rolling along the branch, wrapping long prehensile tendrils around her head.

She flailed desperately for a hand-hold, entangling her right arm in a vine just moments before her body rolled into empty air. Li Mei's small body dropped four meters before the vine tightened, nearly yanking her arm out of its socket in the process of halting her fall. The thing that hit her face screeched horribly and skittered up the vine, where Bao's sharp claws were waiting.

Li Mei dangled hundreds of meters in the air supported only by a vine around her arm, too shocked and horrified to actually care about the information she Scanned about her assailant. Gritting her teeth and ignoring the pain in her right arm, she swung her left arm up to grip the vine, and dragged herself up one centimeter at a time. Bao whimpered and chirped, dancing nervously in place until she pulled herself back onto the bough.

Li Mei wiped cold sweat off her face, her entire body shaking as the terror of the situation finally caught up to her. The labyrinth of tree branches seemed safer than the ground but it came with its own unique dangers! She glanced at the corpse of the creature that attacked with a feeling of dread squirming in her belly.

It had a mouth on its stomach, tendril-like legs, and way too many eyes decorating a small body that seemed to be compiled of mottled leaves and flowers. The darn thing was torn open by a very upset fera, who was butting his head against Li Mei's shoulder in obvious concern.

-----

[Sense]

Hostile detected!

Threat level: High

-----

She dismissed the redundant threat warning and glanced instead at the Scan result.

-----

[Vine Crawler]

Rank 0 (9%)

Like many creatures lurking in the forest canopy, the vine crawler's real danger lies not in its base combat ability but in its skilled ambush of prey. It launches itself at its prey's head, blocking its vision and knocking it from the tree tops. The vine crawler itself has a light body highly resistant to fall damage, so it rides the ambushed prey all the way to the forest floor. When the prey is crushed by the fall, the vine crawler consumes its flesh and makes its way back into the canopy.

If the ambush fails the vine crawler will immediately try to escape rather than engage in combat. It is very fast and exceptionally quiet, making it difficult to detect until the moment of ambush.

-----

"I think I hate this place, Bao." Li Mei inhaled deeply, clenching her hands into fists. She rolled her right shoulder until it popped oddly and stopped aching as much. Everything was so dangerous, yet it was all the low end of Rank 0! How scary was Rank 1? Rank 2? How many Ranks were there and how terrifying were the creatures holding those Ranks?

So many notifications and Quests kept insisting Elysium was dangerous. She only understood on a superficial level until the moment she dangled hundreds of meters above the ground with her arm caught in a vine. If she wanted to survive another day, or even another second...

She had to get stronger! Much, much stronger!

"We have to get strong, Bao. So strong that nothing will scare us again! How about it?"

The fera's eyes sparkled, and he made a noise similar to a bark while his long fluffy tail wagged furiously. He was a Cerynitis fera, a breed predisposed toward combat. Of course he'd want to get stronger! She guessed it was probably why he agreed to come with her into the forest in the first place.

Li Mei climbed onto Bao's back, both of them on high alert for any more vine crawlers. When nothing took the opportunity to attack, Bao charged off once more along the road of branches.

They agreed during one of their breaks to find a place both comfortable and defensible. Settling for some random hole in a tree wouldn't be a good idea if it turned out to be the den of something nasty! If they found a nice place to occupy they'd have to spend a day or two analyzing the surroundings and keeping watch for anything scary. Only then would they move in and start making a den a home.

With that in mind, the pair focused instead on expanding Li Mei's map. At night they'd descend to the forest floor, tunnel into some tree roots, crush up some pest-repelling herbs, and sleep for a few hours. Then they'd resume exploration. After four days of such routine, Li Mei drew one conclusion:

The forest was HUGE!

Gargantuan huge! For three days they moved in basically a straight line from their starting point, with very little deviation. She kept checking the map just to make sure. Trees only got bigger and bigger, root networks more expansive and deep. There were countless meadows, areas with only bushes and grass and ferns and flowers, often with a pond or stream running through them. There were hills, cliffs, waterfalls, rivers.

On the fourth day they found some mountains. Not very big ones, only about twice the height of the trees themselves. Li Mei clung to Bao's back with practiced determination - after so much time as a passenger on the fera's back she was adjusting well to the nuances of natural riding. The pair ascended the mountain with little difficulty, even when Bao had to use his claws to traverse sheer cliff faces one meter at a time.

Of course, the strong vines she used to tie their waists together certainly helped her peace of mind. If they could prevent her falling to her doom from a tree top, they could keep her secure on a fera's back!

Standing atop the flat mountain peak, the air felt thin and clear. Clusters of glowing crystals spotted the area, ranging in size from just a few centimeters wide to several meters high, giving off light in every color of the rainbow that seemed to sparkle in the faint mist permeating the air.

The forest stretched endlessly in all directions, disappearing into a haze on the horizon. There were more mountains spread out here and there, but they were just a few stone peaks clustered together and nothing resembling an impressive mountain range.

Li Mei somehow felt invigorated even if it was a bit more difficult to breathe and her ears were popping from the change in pressure. Energy seemed to thrum in her veins, filling her with a desire to run, to fight, to exercise until she collapsed! Her fingertips tingled, and she had to repress the urge to do some boxing exercises.

There were no signs of any creatures living on the peaks, aside from small flying herbivores feeding on sturdy plants clinging to cracks between the rocks. Bao and Li Mei searched the entire peak and found no bones, feces, nests, or any other signs of animal habitation.

The closest thing to a cave was a little alcove below the edge of the peak, accessible only by a narrow path hugging the rock face. Li Mei glanced at Bao, who anchored himself with his claws sunk deep into the stone, and grinned.

"Hey, Bao ol' buddy. What do you think about staying here? Isn't this a nice place?"

Bao glanced around, sniffed the air, and nodded.

"It's such a good location, with a great view, and the air is so refreshing!"

Bao nodded again.

"And there's plenty of room for us to train, too!"

Bao nodded a third time, his tail starting to wag.

"Then you'll volunteer to dig into and widen that alcove with your sharp claws so we have a safe shelter to sleep in up here, right?"

The fera gave her a look like he'd somehow been tricked in a way he couldn't quite figure out, but nodded reluctantly all the same.

"Okay, we'll keep watch on this place for a few days to make sure nothing big stops by. But if we're in the clear... I think we've found a new home!" Li Mei rubbed her hands together and grinned, a training schedule already formulating in her mind.

Inside a private office behind his main research lab, Adalrich Agilo accepted a crystal tablet from his personal assistant Zoe, elegant eyebrows drawn together in concentration. Data graphs, video clips, and various notes scrolled past on the display surface at a rapid speed.

"She really is quite fascinating, Master Agilo!" Zoe's quiet voice brimmed with enthusiasm, her mismatched blue and green eyes sparkling. "From being a malnourished and abused slave six months ago, 44's progress since the time of her attempted murder has been absolutely remarkable. Traces of her aura were found in the kitchens, study, storage rooms, various hallways and passages, indicating she somehow went undetected for two whole months!"

Considering how many people worked in the manor, that really was impressive. Adalrich nodded. "And the other slaves?"

"Four were killed with the dagger found in Vigen's cottage, the fifth died in the manor fire. The guards have absolutely no idea how those heavy statue plinths got on all their bodies. And the fire that burnt the manor was confirmed to be from a dust explosion that started in the slave's quarters. Along with traces of 44's aura found in the room, it can be assumed she was the responsible party."

Though she was discussing the murder of five different people, Zoe's tone didn't take on a somber quality. Rather, she looked more excited than before. From her reaction Adalrich was amused to conclude that 44 had an adamant fan watching over her. "Do you have a hypothesis as to how she moved the plinths?"

"After further observation during the past four months I've come to the conclusion she's obtained someone's storage artifact. Several of the farmers have low-quality storage artifacts for transporting heavy goods - that's not something the farmers would be eager to report as the value of the missing artifacts would be docked from their pay and annual bonuses." Zoe tucked a lock of curly blonde hair behind her pointed ear, a grin on her deceptively cute face. "I wouldn't be surprised if she figured out how to use it all on her own."

Adalrich held up a finger, signaling Zoe for silence. Then he turned his attention back to the tablet, scrolling through the assistant's 160 days worth of surveillance notes.

The first week was nothing outstanding, 44 and the teal fera mostly traveled in a straight line along the canopy for some reason. Once they settled down, however, things got entertaining.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.11]

The fera continues widening the alcove with his claws. It's starting to resemble a proper cave.

Despite the rainy weather, 44 proceeded to the peak and trained her body with strengthening exercises for the entire day until she collapsed with a fever in the evening. Once she regained her senses, she crawled back to the alcove to sleep.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.12]

The alcove is now a cave. The fera descended the mountain for some reason. 44 once again strength trained in the rain until she collapsed. What is she doing?

The fera returned that night and seemed alarmed to find her unconscious. She woke up with his prodding and returned to the cave.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.13]

She tried to train again, but the fera refused to let her leave the cave, presumably because it was still raining. 44 seemed angry, but the fera wouldn't budge.

She was forced to stay inside all day, except when the fera escorted her down the mountain so she could relieve herself. Watching her riding the fera without a saddle is truly fascinating.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.24]

44 has established a routine. She strength trains for several hours on the peak in the morning. Then she and the fera descend to the forest to hunt food and creatures until night falls. Once it is dark, they return to the peak to spar for a few hours before they sleep.

Her fighting technique is clumsy. She uses a digging bar, sometimes swinging it wide like a staff, other times jabbing with it like a spear. Video attached of her attempting combat.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.28]

44 and the fera stumbled across a pack of worgs. They managed to escape, but both sustained serious injuries. 44 once again comes down with a fever.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.30]

44 finally emerges from the cave after sleeping for two days in a fever. She trains harder than ever, incorporating small rocks into her strength training routine.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.33]

44 and the fera have noticed many creatures in the forest possess surprising dexterity. They started training by jumping between tree roots and spending their spars trying to dodge each other's blows rather than purely focusing on the techniques behind their attacks.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.45]

44 killed a giant crimson porcupine, and harvested all the needles off its body. She has started trying to use them to sew, experimenting with various plant fibers as threads to fix her torn clothing. She seems to have only two or three shirts and nothing else. The cave has blankets, but she seems reluctant to use those as material.

Watching her make different expressions of concentration and frustration is very amusing. Pictures attached.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.52]

44 and the fera came across a Rank 1 silver-backed bear! It was already injured, and they managed to take it down with spectacular teamwork and usage of the terrain. Video attached.

44 has realized the fera gains strength depending on what it eats, as she let her companion eat his fill before she touched the corpse. Storage artifact theory confirmed - the bear's entire body disappeared under her hands.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.53]

44 spent an entire day dismantling the silver-backed bear corpse. Her technique is... Even more clumsy than her fighting, and I can tell by her face she's not used to dismantling corpses.

The smell seems to overwhelm her frequently, and she takes a lot of breaks.

But she seems to instinctively detect what parts of the animal are most useful! She found the mana core in its ribcage with only a little digging, like she already knew where it was. Did she sense it, perhaps?

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.60]

With the aid of the fera's sharp claws, 44 turned the silver-backed bear's strong bones into weapons and tools. She spent several days to practice throwing homemade daggers. Her aim is actually very good. She's now incorporated throwing weapons into her combat style.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.75]

44's condition wasn't very good today. She awoke with a cough, and instead of strength training she rested on the peak watching the sunrise.

And then something strange happened.

She held out her hands, confused, and... Started interacting with the mana particles in the air! She actually saw them, all on her own, without a proper Mana Baptism! Absolutely remarkable!

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.91]

44's established daily routine:

- Meditate for 2 hours after waking, interacting with mana particles.

- Consume breakfast with the fera.

- Strength train until noon.

- Descend the mountain with the fera (she has started descending the mountain on her own sometimes instead of always riding the fera).

- Ten minutes allotted daily for a bath in the pool at the mountain summit except in rainy weather.

- Train their dexterity in the forest for a few hours while foraging for food and refilling water containers.

- Hunt monsters afterwards to practice combat and teamwork until nightfall.

- Ascend the mountain, consume supper.

- Spar with the fera until they're both ready to collapse.

- Meditate together for another 2 hours.

- Sleep until the next day.

The only deviations occur if 44 is sick, either of them is injured, or other tasks require attention such as making new tools or dismantling corpses.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.98]

44 and the fera have begun hunting Rank 1 monsters! Successfully, I might add. The end result is always a successful kill, or a fine escape. Attached videos of combat versus silver-backed bears, red spotted lizards, and one very unfortunate solitary worg as points of particular interest.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.122]

44 approaches the fera's level of dexterity in the forest now! Her progress has been astounding. The pair bounce around like rabbits during their hunting sessions, at times separate, at times combining their strengths. She's as comfortable fighting while sitting on the fera's back as she is by herself - though that's not saying much, her style is still...

Nonexistent. Clumsy. Awkward, even.

But it's improving, and she has a natural knack for finding the weak spots on creatures she's fought before, implying she's very intelligent and has high observational skills in addition to talent in combat.

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.145]

44 meditates twice a day, but without guidance she has no idea how to handle the mana she perceives. She's able to touch it, influence the particles into moving, and even seems to subconsciously absorb some of it, but manipulation is beyond her ability for the moment. It's such a shame, she's trying so hard...

.....

SUBJECT 44 OBSERVATIONAL LOG [D.158]

44 was severely injured after she and the fera were ambushed by a Rank 2 verasus. Perhaps the same one they ran into when they first entered the forest? They're known to be tenacious hunters.

They killed it in the end, but not without taking serious damage. Countless broken bones and deep injuries will keep them from training for a few weeks, at least. But still... They killed a Rank 2 beast!

Video attached, naturally. 44 used paralytic venom obtained from a phyton to incapacitate the beast, it was really resourceful and clever!

.....

Adalrich's lips twitched in a small smile that lit up his handsome, scholarly face. Zoe's analysis was completely biased, but not unreasonably so. Seeing a 12 year old child survive so well on her own in that brutal forest was truly interesting. "And your final conclusion?"

Zoe clapped her hands together and rocked back on her heels, the very picture of an enthusiastic child discussing a new toy. "Immediate recruitment and training! This kid's a diamond in the rough!"