Day ~73~Part Two~

Rea looked on with indifference to her current unbelievable predicament. The sudden blinding light and bizarre sense of vertigo had brought her to a stop. Standing here gazing across the horizon she could see the eastern sun rising over mountain ranges... mountain ranges that should be to her west... are to her east...

Ignoring the fact that she was obviously in the western region that she'd once likened to something straight out of a Billy Bonka movie, Rea decided it was probably best to stop giving the rising sun a dirty look and examine her surroundings. As soon as her gaze dropped slightly she'd realized that this, her current position, is nowhere near the ground. Bouncing up and down a bit she tested the bounciness of her foothold, a giant mushroom. Taking in the fact that she was in fact on a giant mushroom, in a massive mushroom forest, meant that there was no mistake. Rea had been transported to the western region that Corn told her was a bad idea to visit.

The first thing Rea did was use her garb apparatus to equip the spearman set, her happy mood from the previous night's merriment had been spoiled. Falling into a survivalist mindset she peered at the ground beneath. Ignoring the putrid smell of sulfur rising past her, Rea carefully examined everything. [Psychometry] wasn't picking up any monsters, but the ground was covered in mist. Rea really didn't want to find out what that mist is, or what could be hiding in that mist.

Gazing eastward Rea resolved herself to hop along the mushroom tops to freedom. Properly gauging the distance she took a single step forward and bounded through the open sky towards a nearby mushroom, however, Rea had forgotten to test out her new boot's [Jump Boost]... Panicking audibly as she completely overshot her mark Rea was flying at head level towards the next mushroom, as she made contact with it Rea barely managed to hang on. If she wasn't so scared she'd probably have made a joke about dangling there, but, circumstances being what they were she quickly pulled herself up. As Rea began to gauge the distance to her next target she mentally prepared herself, this time with [Jump Boost] in mind. Taking a single step forward... *fwoosh*

*ahhhhhhhhh*

The mushroom top's center had torn beneath Rea and she was sliding down its inner shaft feet first. The walls were so slick she couldn't dig her hands in to slow the momentum. Nearly twenty seconds later she made contact with net like roots that dug painfully into her lower regions. A few violent snapping noises and some impressive twirling later Rea was falling again, for all of half a second.

*splat*

Laying on her back against something rather squishy she vacantly gazed at the shaft she'd just violated. Bioluminescent light made it possible to make out the underground area she'd fallen into. Flipping over she quickly found out that the squishy she had fallen on was a level 37 [Gree]. The little squishy thing was rather cute, covered entirely in a fleshy jellyroll-like layer of skin... until it opened its razor maw and extended some impressive claws. NOT CUTE, NOT CUTE!!! Rea quickly used [Choke] on it while looking left and right, she was surrounded by countless sleeping [Gree]. As the little thing let out its last breath she looked back up... ignoring the need to make a joke about lots of squishy little guys at the bottom of a slimy shaft, Rea reached up and took hold of the roots she'd torn through. Using her upper body strength to hoist herself back up Rea began to climb. A resounding screech sounded as one of the creatures awoke, moments later the entire cavernous area was shaking as countless gree began to pile up beneath her. Rea quickly continued to climb, wrapping her left arm in roots as she entered the slimy shaft, Rea quickly looked back down and sealed herself in with an ice wall. The pattering against her shaft's protection was unnerving.

*Crack crack*

Realizing that she couldn't stay her Rea repaired her ice wall and tried to climb, the darn walls were still as slimy as before. Forming two spikes of ice on her hands she began to climb out by piercing the shaft repeatedly. Ten seconds later her hand ice melted in the slimy liquid and she fell. Her back hitting the ice nearly shattered it beneath her. Repairing the ice wall again Rea tried once more to climb, this time as her ice was melting she clung desperately to a hole she'd made before. The slime that lined this mushroom's shaft must have some sort of natural ability to melt the ice because she looked down to see that the ice wall had fallen loose and now [Gree] were pouring in beneath her. Dropping more ice on their heads Rea looked back up and started to conjure another ice spike, before she could though a blade nearly took her head off...

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A male and female pair of elves had been out on patrol in the nearby forest, after hearing the commotion coming from inside a mushroom shaft, they moved closer. Assuming that the village troublemaker had somehow fallen in like an idiot, the male scout pulled out his blade and with two fluid motions opened a wide hole in the mushroom tree. As he reached his hand in the elf felt something he hadn't expected...

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Rea laughed like mad when a rather impressive hand reached into the tree and firmly groped her chest, before the hand could retreat she glomped on. Both elves gaped as the man yanked Rea right out of the tree. Behind her she could hear the [Gree] crying out painfully, likely from the sunlight. Rea was at the elves feet thoroughly exhausted, before she could offer thanks a blade was being swung down at her pretty face. Finally using [Barrel Roll] to its full effect Rea barely dodged the blade while slapping the elf's hand with a glob of poison. The elf dropped his blade as Rea cried out to his partner, "Put the bow down or he dies."

The elven woman looked at him fearfully as he crouched down and grasped the paralyzed hand, "What have you done to me creature?"

Rea pursed her lips angrily, "First of all, human... ish. Secondly, I put some of my poison on your hand, it's lethal if left untreated."

The elven woman withdrew her bow and threw it at Rea's feet.

Rea has obtained [Weapon-Bow] Masterwork Elven Longbow.

Masterwork Elven LongbowClassificationWeaponRankUncommonEffects-

-[Minor Accuracy]

-[Minor Nightvision]

-[Increased Draw Strength]Description-

A masterwork bow crafted from almost ancient ironwood bark. The time and effort of a master craftsman went into making this bow.

As Rea smiled at the bow she explained, "Treatment is simple, just relieve his symptoms and he will survive. However, if he relieves his symptoms by himself he will go blind."

The elven woman scoffed as the man curled up slightly, "What symptoms?"

Rea began to walk away giggling, "Ask him, he's already feeling it."

Ability [Coercion Rank Up].

Before the pair could have a chance to doubt her Rea fled in the sun's direction once more, this time doing her best to avoid the dense mist while dodging trees and watching for sinkholes. Obviously the world is seriously dangerous.

One hour, three dodged patrols, and fifteen frozen bugs later...

Rea had made her way to the mushroom forest's edge, the ground had become more solid and the mist was gone. The faint smell of sulfur behind her was finally fading, Rea scanned the horizon again. Between her and the mountain range was barely a mile of flat grassy land, there were no obvious threats. As the wind bellowed and grass fell she decided that times a wasting and began to jog across the field towards her destination.

Moments later she was making a mad dash for the mountain as a few dozen large muscular green guys had started to chase her. Rea was pretty sure they were orcs, no she knew they were orcs when a few started yelling about, pretty female this, and, breeding rights that, Rea really didn't wanna get caught now. In an effort to slow her pursuers down she tried to cause a phenomenon that she'd seen trip people before. Summoning a massive cloudburst ahead, then dispelling it moments later caused them to make a slight pause before laughing at her and resuming the chase. As Rea dashed through the wet area she let out an aura of ambient cold, the grass was beginning to freeze within a three meter radius as she continued her mad dash.

Ability [Freezing Aura Lv.1] learned.

Rea let out a slight chuckle as she heard tumbling and fumbling pursuers curse the witch. At that point there was no more talk of breeding, instead there were flying halberds and axes whizzing by. Rea slightly regretted using magic by now, she'd much rather be the other kind of fucked. By now she had nearly made it, as Rea began to cross into rocky terrain her pursuers stopped... and turned around. Rea was a little unsure of going into the mountains when they did that, but the thought of getting back to Vestlei was still at the front of her mind. Without worrying too much Rea began to ascend rocky terrain. Stale air and the occasional harmless bunny critter provided Rea with happiness and provisions. She'd take stale air over sulfur any day. Realizing that the higher she goes the less likely she is to find prey, Rea decided to make camp here for the day and hunt a surplus of tasty little critters.

Ability [Roasting Lv. 1] learned.

[Job-Cook] Level 9!

Ability [Spice Mastery Lv. 1] learned.

Ability [Boiling Lv. 1] learned.

Ability [Awareness Rank Up].

Ability [Roasting Rank Up].

Ability [Tracking Rank Up].

Ability [Roasting Rank Up].

[Job-Cook] Level 18!

Ability [Spice Mastery Lv. 2] learned.

Ability [Roasting Rank Up].

Rea had quickly gained roasting when she started using spices, she had been right about just skewering and shoving stuff on a fire not being enough. At one point she was curious about how the mountain bunnies would taste boiled in some of the Ainsworth family's signature broth, it was damn delicious. It had only taken Rea all of ten seconds to figure out that her conjured water was indeed fresh water. The relatively narrow little spot she'd set up camp at had been home to a nasty, [Tsuchinoko]... Rea and the little viper became quick friends once she showed off her fangs. She was glad this isn't the sort of snake that eats other snakes, and it seemed like it wouldn't bother her as long as she fed it a few bunnies.

Day ~74~

Rea woke up this morning with her level 89 cold-blooded tsuchinoko pal using her breasts like heating rocks. She wasn't entirely pleased with the cold little bastard but chose to remain civil, so as not to get bitten. Looking up at the mountain, and remembering how clambering up just a half mile had really taken it out of her, Rea decided to spend another day hunting. Before she could leave the tsuchinoko ascended and wrapped itself around her neck, it seemed to wanna come along. Rea tried desperately to pretend that she hadn't just seen the short, two foot, fat snake extend itself to a slender, nearly eight foot long snake. She hadn't known much about snakes, but if the same rules applied here, the bugger with his flat head was obviously venomous. Amending that last statement, the same rules obviously do not apply... she was pretty sure snakes in her world couldn't grow like that. Not bothering to leave the tsuchinoko behind Rea waltzed out to begin hunting again. Rea was curious about the small mana pulse she was seeing within the snake whenever she had psychometry active, but she didn't want to provoke him by forcing a bond.

Less than ten minutes later Rea had found her first mountain bunny, she could only gape in shock when the bunny was hit by fire... her pal then unwrapped himself and went about swallowing it whole. Rea decided to leave the little kill stealer behind as she moved on. Before she could impale the second one it was hit by fire... the same thing happened a third time before it stood up to its full height and gazed at Rea. Our heroine was a bit pissed off at the snake and glared back. The snake seemed to want something from her but she really couldn't figure it out... until it spoke with her mind...

Rea was insanely shocked when it happened, seriously she had no clue a monster could do that. The next few minutes were more, pretty woman this, breed that, bend over... Needless to say Rea refused, moments later a shiver went down her spine and she once again used [Barrel Roll]. The uneven rocky terrain hurt, but much less than the fire would have. The tsuchinoko didn't give her a break as it continued to hurl fire magic, Rea countered by launching a decoy spear throw that was easily dodged. She tried and failed not to laugh as the tsuchinoko swallowed its own tail and began to roll around while casting spells. Thanks to her freezing aura the cold blooded creature was rapidly losing mobility despite its ability to heat with fire, within a minute of Rea hopping back and forth trying not to get burnt it fell limp and shriveled back to its original two foot size. Rea wasn't one for forgiveness at the moment, so she walked up while pulling out her new elven bow, readied a frozen arrow, and slayed the tsuchinoko.

The little bastard was flayed by Rea as she remembered how it groped her innocently, then tried to cook her with fire. Rea made a point to set a hunter garb so she could store the bow within her garb apparatus, and quickly retrieve it. Taking back her tsuchinoko skin and meat Rea ignored bunnies for now, she was curious how the meat would taste compared to tree moccasin. What happened next got her hopes way up. Before she skewered him Rea activated psychometry to check the camp's surroundings one more time, tsuchinoko was being identified now as a legendary ingredient. Needless to say, she was very careful when roasting her legendary pal.

*Om nom nom* "Tasty!!!"

Ability [Demigod of Flame's Divine Protection] learned.

Ability [Fire Affinity] learned.

Ability [Telepathy] learned.

...Damn it! The first thing Rea did was look in a clear pot of water, sure enough her steel blue highlights now had scarlet tips almost matching the red fur of her armor. More than that her solid aquamarine blue eyes had changed, her inner iris almost looked like it was on fire. Rea calmed down and paid it no further mind... A few minutes later she offered Airi a silent prayer, please don't let me turn into a rainbow.

Ignoring the cosmetic alterations Rea held up one hand in a gun pose and lit a fire, she then blew it out and rolled on the ground embarased... ended up knocking herself unconscious on a rock in the process. About half an hour later Rea woke up completely fine. Testing the capability of her fire she re-lit her burned out pile of wood, that really didn't take much effort.

Ability [Conjure Fire Lv. 1] learned.

She then imitated what the tsuchinoko had been firing at her.

Ability [Fireball Lv. 1] learned.

[Job-Mage] Level 42!

Ability [Elemental Power Rank Up].

Deciding not to draw attention to herself she did not try to bring out her full potential before going back to hunting. Rea wanted to get used to hunting with a bow, and she was still knocking off the rust. It had utterly shocked Rea when she activated [Double Nock] and saw two ice arrows fly, one after the other.

Ability [Tracking Rank Up].

[Job-Archer] Level 33!

Ability [Long Shot] learned.

Ability [Roasting Rank Up].

Ability [Boiling Rank Up].

[Job-Cook] Level 27!

Ability [Spice Mastery Lv. 3] learned.

Satisfied with her food stores for the time being she drifted off to sleep in the tsuchinoko's nest while pondering [Telepathy] applications.

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