"So beautiful."

Watching the sun rising from the horizon makes me utter those words.

A month already passed since we begin our journey, but we still inside the forest.

Are we at the end of this world! We even used our full power to make our travel faster, but we still inside of this damn forest!

"Do you think we're going to get out of here today?"

「Maybe...? I don't know Master.」

Xena responded with a doubtful tone.

There's no guarantee if this direction can take us in human Inhabitants of this world.

!? both of us suddenly stops walking. It seems there is a strong monster 500 meters towards us.

But we're not weaklings to be afraid of that monster.

Moving forward we saw the monster appearance.

I immediately used my Appraisal to check its status.

[Name: Silver Serpent

Age: 200

Level: 117

Race: Giant Serpent]

"A giant serpent huh"

The giant serpent is currently sleeping. It has a silver scale the same color as Xena's fur.

Estimating its size, it is over 50 meters long and almost 5 meters wide.

「What a big snake. Can I eat it, Master?」

A loud rumbling sound resounded in the forest.

The snake suddenly raises its head and surveys its surroundings. It quickly spotted us and get in a defensive stance.

"Xena your stomach is too loud that's why that big snake got awaken.

「S-sorry Master...」

Killing it while it sleeping is much easier.

Well, with our experience in fighting and our level, we can easily defeat it.

"No, you don't need to apologize, I'm not mad."

「Really Master! Thank goodness...!」

Her dejected face is now beaming with joy.

"You're hungry, right? Let's make that big snake as our breakfast."

Xena's eyes are sparkling in excitement.

Before she steps forward I grab her fur to stop her. She confusedly glanced at me.

「What it is, Master?」

I move forward. When she's a few steps behind me I responded.

"I'll fight this monster alone, I want to test my fighting prowess."

She quickly nodded and stand in her position quietly while watching my back.

"Appraisal."

Using my Appraisal in the second time I check its status. Earlier I saw an interesting title in this snake's status, that's why I want to fight it to know if I truly become stronger than before.

[Title: Great Serpent, Ruler of the Disposable Forest (Northern Part)]

So what I saw earlier is correct, that this big snake is one of the rulers of this forest.

Being called a ruler means you're strong.

"Let see if I've improved after my fight in that lizard."

To test my ability to fight I'll not use my teleportation magic this time.

That skill is too great to use in public. It will easily arouse the attention of the people when they see it.

So from now on, I will fight without using my teleport as long as I can.

Well, I'll still use it when there are no people around though.

Kicking the ground I charged at the snake in a zigzag.

The snake swiftly attacks using its tail horizontally. Because it has a massive body its pointless to move in whether left or right, so I jump to dodge it.

Seeing me in the air, it opens its mouth widely and rapidly move to swallow me.

Jumping mid-air makes me an easy target for it but-

"Too bad, that won't work on me!"

More than eleven months already passed, within those months I got more skills and tempered my ability.

One of those skills is-

"Air Walk!"

I dodge its attack by jumping in mid-air.

Air Walk skill makes me move in mid-air like I stepping on a foothold made of air.

The snake turns around and pounced at me again.

"Instantaneous movements!"

Using my other new skill, I nimbly dodged its reckless attacks. I got below it and smoothly slashed its neck. A fountain of blood burst out.

I continue using my other new skills in the giant serpent.

An hour passed when I successfully got accustomed to most of my new skills.

The giant serpent can’t move anymore. Its body is so tattered and the silver color of its scale became crimson because of its blood all over its body.

“Divine Heal.”

I touch its head and heal it. It looks at me confusedly, but that confusion immediately changes to terrified. That’s because it can’t move its body even an inch. After all, I used my last new skill called [Intimidation].

Intimidation skills can paralyze or froze the movement of its body because of the intimidation aura that linking out of my body or in short, bloodlust.

“Do you think I heal you because I feel pity for you?”

I wickedly smiled at it and continue.

“Too bad! You’re my enemy!”

Infusing my holy magic to my sword I stab its head. It instantly died because of the fatal blow.

I’m fairly confident now because I won swiftly with my own.

“Xena! We got our ingredients in our breakfast!”

I shouted in her direction. She quickly runs towards me.

「Yehey! It seems delicious Master!」

She cheerfully jumps and down with joy. But suddenly she stops and turns around at me.

「Master, I have a question?」

“What it is?”

Xena tilted her head.

「Why did you healed the giant snake before killing it. I thought you took a liking into it and wants it to become a familiar too.」

So that’s why she’s confused.

“I healed it to restored its body to normal.”

Its body is too tattered, healing magic does not affect the dead body.

She tilted her head again. I can see an imaginary question mark symbol above her head.

Tapping the snake's scale I explain her in detail.

“This giant snake race called Giant Serpent. Giant serpents materials are very rare and valuable. The body without and single scratch like this scale means it has a very high price.”

I glanced at her with excitement.

“It only means I planning to sell some of its parts. We’re going to get rich! Haha..”

Money is power! Even here, if you have money and power you can do anything.

I’m going to have a life with luxury this time. My family always has a financial problem that’s why I always spend money frugally every day.

But this time I’m going to spend my money and buy whatever I want!

“And also with money, We can many buy delicious food!”

Hearing what I said Xena’s eyes beaming in anticipation.

“That’s why We need to get in the human territory!”

「Yes! Master!」

◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉◉

We continued our journey after eating some breakfast and storing the snake's body.

We’re now running so fast to quickly get out of this forest.

“Xena, you improved your agility, right?”

「Yes, Master.」

She also got some new skills and improved her battle prowess. She’s now a legitimate Fenrir like her mother.

“You can also change your size, right?”

「Yes, Master. It called Metamorphosis skill.」

Xena is a Fenrir but she looks like a common silver wolf monster. Even so, we need to be more vigilant inside the human territory. So I'm planning to make her a little bit smaller to not cause a big commotion.

“Hero of Light...”

I quietly muttered those words. The Hero of Light killed Xena’s mother just to level up. I don’t know if he’s still going after Xena that’s why we need to be more careful.

I don’t know how strong that hero is, so hiding is the best way for now.

And while we’re hiding, collecting information about the hero is a must.

!? both of us detect multiple presences in the north-west direction.

We glanced at each other and run beaming with a smile.

After a few seconds, we saw the place we want to see.

A human village!

“We did it!”

I shouted while clenching my fist like I won a lottery.

Xena is also jumping up and down beside me.

But there’s something wrong.

“Is that smoke?”

It's not like smoke of cooking.

We’re a few kilometers away in the village. So I'm not sure what I'm seeing.

Oh! Something is moving around inside the village. Is that a villager?

“Farsight.”

Farsight is a skill that makes me see far places. It’s like a telescope.

After using my skill I saw what’s happening in the village.

“A monster attack huh”

Xena glanced at me and talk using her telepathy.

「Are we going to help them, Master?」

Helping them is not bad. If we killed and drive out the monsters inside their village, the villagers will look at us as their savior.

“It’s a good idea to help them. ”

My mother taught me to help someone in need if it is within your capability. With my current power right now, killing those monsters is a piece of cake.

“Alright! Let’s go and help them!”

「Yes! Master!」

I touch Xena and teleported nearby the village. There are no people around me to see my skill so it’s safe to use it.

The moment we got inside the village we start disposing of the monsters. They’re just common monsters like goblins and forest wolves.

“H-help me!! Someone help me!!”

I turn around and see a forest wolf pinning down a man. The man is defending himself using his sword but the wolf’s biting it and trying to throw it off.

I quickly kick the ground and slashed the wolf. Seeing the dead body of the wolf the man sigh in relief *Fuu...*

“Are you alright?”

“Y-yes thank you very much for saving my life.”

“Go to your comrade and form a group. It’s much easier to fight in a group than yourself.”

I left him and move forward to continue my slaughter.

After a few minutes, We easily defeated the monsters and cleared the place.

The villagers who are defending the village make dumbfounded faces. Well, we easily defeated almost a hundred monsters in just a few minutes.

One of the brave villagers who defends the village snapped out and run towards me.

“S-sir, thank you very much for helping us defending our village!”

He thanked me and bowed, seeing what the man did, the other villagers do the same.

It’s time for me to respond to them. The first impression is very important.

I smiled at them.

“You don’t need to thank me so much, I just do the right thing so please lift your head.”

The villagers do what I say and happily celebrated the success of defending the village.

One after another they approach me and sing praises at me.

"You're so strong! Can I become your apprentice!"

"That high level of sword skill! you must be a Master!"

"I have a cute daughter, you know."

They're mesmerized in my fighting skills. But the last one seems not.

What! are you referring to that little girl hugging your knee! Do you want a punch!

Cursing the man who tries to offer her daughter, suddenly someones tap my shoulder.

“Sir, are you an adventurer?”

The man I save earlier throws that question.

“No, I’m not, but I’m planning to become one.”

He thinks momentarily and nodded. What is this guy thinking?

"So it means you're are traveling to Dungeon City Zecca, right?"

Oh! dungeon, you say! That dungeon is near here!

Dungeon City Zecca is one of the abundant cities because of its dungeon.

Magic ore can be mined inside that dungeon. You can also obtain some magic books and treasures when you ventured deep inside it. But the most valuable items that can be found there are Magical Items.

It's a very powerful item that only can be found in the dungeon. Just getting one makes you instantly rich. If you offer it in the royal family they will surely bestow you a title as a noble.

That's why adventurers are making it as their base of operation.

"You guess it right, I want to go to that City."

Dungeon huh. Just hearing it makes my blood boiled in excitement.

"Kyaaaaaa... There's a monster!"

A girl suddenly cries out in fright. There's still a monster? but I couldn't sense anything around us.

When I turned around what I saw is Xena hiding behind the trees.

Ah! I forgot about her. I quickly run towards her and help her show herself.

"Sorry everyone, this wolf is not bad. It's my familiar so it would not attack anyone without my command."

Hearing what I said all of them sigh in relief.

"Its fur seems soft..."

I turned around in the direction of the speaker. What I saw is a little girl hiding behind her mother.

"Do you want to touch it?"

The child slowly nodded with flushed cheeks.

So cute! I want to pinch those fluffy cheeks too!

We approach her. I told Xena too lower her body so the girl can pet her head and body.

"So soft! and it is also warm!"

The girl happily played in Xena's fur. Some kids also got interested and also played with Xena.

Making friends with the villagers is a bad idea.

Having a good relationship with them would help me in the future.

Now that we successfully got out of the forest. I already have a new goal.

"Xena, We have a new goal."

She glanced at me while playing with the kids.

「What it is, Master?」

"We're going to the Dungeon City, Zecca!"