With the dryad’s final words in their minds the group stayed silent until it was finally broken by the hero “In the capitol? What did she mean by that?”

“Nonsense” Athena huffed “Utter and complete nonsense.” She flopped down into her chair and outstretched her arm, her drink swiftly placed into it “Spirits are nothing but cryptic nonsense.”

“But she said it was a warning to me… maybe something is wrong.” John said placing his weapon back into his storage.

Athena shook her head “The only threat to the capitol right now is the Demon Lord, there is nothing wrong within our walls, we make sure of that.” She snapped her fingers towards Rowan.

Taking the hint he nodded “Hero, normally tis wouldn’t come up but the kingdom does take extensive care to keep te capitol safe.”

John frowned “But then why would she show up like that?”

Athena let out a loud groan “I have told you, she was an agent of the Demon Lord. Her trying to kidnap the fox is proof of that already. More importantly, this mission is a failure if what she said is true.”

Now that she mentioned it, the dryad did say she brought the escaped slaves somewhere safe. Mia was glad but she felt like she was forgetting something.

“Parently she left one, said they didn’t want to go?” Rowan said, looking towards the tree line. John following his gaze.

“As so, this mission has changed.” Athena finished off her drink and stood up. She snapped her fingers signaling the butler to put up her chair. “We shall proceed immediately; Rowan have the fox take the lead with the hero between me and you.”

Rowan nodded “Mia, up front!”

Mia nodded, passing by john she noticed he was acting weird. He was staring at the tree the dryad had vanished into. She opened her mouth to ask if he was ok but shut it, remembering his words when the dryad had asked him if he would free her, screw him. She walked past him, not paying him any more attention she arrived at Rowan’s side.

“Good, now we are going to force it a bit but focus on what I said earlier and let’s go… carefully, doubt tere is anymore dryads around.”

“Mhn.” She gave an affirmative grunt before she was lead passed the tree line and into the forest. Passed the line she glanced back, seeing John and meeting the eyes of the princess behind him who scowled at her. Facing forward she rolled her eyes then focused on what Rowan said last time, focusing on the area around her.

Closing her eyes she felt more keenly aware of her other senses, her ears twitched as they caught the small sounds of the forest but besides the foot steps of the three behind her she did not know recognize anything else or know what exactly she should be looking for. She found it kind of frustrating, it was also impossible to tell where she was going.

She opened her eyes and looked around her, they had not walked far as she could still see the tree line where they entered. She looked back at rowan, surprised to see he was looking at her. “What look for?” She asked.

“Anyting out of te ordinary.” He said “Anyting tat looks or sounds out of place.” He then shrugged “Just alert te group if you find anyting… you also don’t have to walk wit your eyes closed.” He said, chuckling at the last bit.

Mia snapped her attention back to the front, not very helpful. She figured it was just one of those things you had to practice… she sighed, focusing again and becoming keenly aware John was grumbling behind them. He does know others can hear him, right? Her ears twitched, not wasting any more time on it she lead the group through the forest.

The group traveled for a bit, not more than ten minutes passed. Mia still trying her best when Rowan spoke up “Monster, one small one by te sounds of it.” He then pointed to the left.

Mia looked back at him, shocked “How?” She asked. She had not heard anything that would sound like a monster.

“Experience. “Rowan simply said.

“He has [Presence Detection] at level 3.” John grumbled “That’s why.” He had his arms crossed and was looking off towards the pointed direction “You didn’t even give her a chance to find it. I can’t even see it.”

Rowan squinted back at him “Right… you have appraisal. Bit of advice for you, hero, It isn’t a good idea to announce people’s skills.” When John huffed in response Rowan shook his head “Anyways, tere is a point in tat.” He knelt down to Mia “It is still far away, but it has noticed us and is coming towards us. You have a bit of time and are aware of it, focus in and learn the signs, feel the presence.”

Mia followed his advice, facing towards the oncoming monster. Like John had said, she didn’t see it so she closed her eyes. Her ears twitched and swayed erratically as she attempted to find the monster. She heard rustling but didn’t know if that was it.

“Getting closer.”

She tried focusing harder, still nothing, what was she supposed to be listening in for? What sounds does it make? She opened her eyes and looked deeper into the forest; she saw the under brush move some distance away… was that it? Another movement confirmed it, while she wasn’t sure this is what he meant she had at least found it. “Over there.” She said, pointing towards it.

“Good, now memorize as much as you can, all the little signs.”

Nodding she focused on the unseen monster moving from underneath the bushes, following its movement her ears locked onto it. She still had some time and as it got closer she started to recognize what Rowan was talking about… at least she thinks she did. As it got closer the sounds seemed obvious, branches breaking, rapid rustling of leaves, the bushing being pushed aside and snapping back into place.

Time was up, the monster revealing itself as it leaped from the bush in front of them. It’s charge attack aimed at Mia who side stepped out of the way and landing behind her, the moment of pause allowing her to properly examine it as it turned and growled at her.

The monster was a head sized ball of grey fur, the fur parted in 3 spots that allowed it’s 2 blue eyes to peer through and the remaining spot for its sharp pointed teeth. Mia thought it looked cute, she also wondered how it walk.

“Hey hero! Tis te time you are supposed to use your appraisal.” Rowan shouted from above. “If you tink Mia can solo it, let her! She needs te experience.”

Above? Mia turned her head, following his voice while also keeping her eye on the monster. She managed to turn it enough to see Rowan, at some point, had taken the princess and retreated to the top of a tree.

John groaned “Fine.” He then focused on the creature while taking out his weapon from within his storage. “Says it’s a ‘Toy Wolf’ Level 10.” He raised his sword up into the air, stabbing it into the ground “Yeah, she can solo it.”

At the sound of the sword hitting the ground, the wolf jumped, revealing four tiny little nubs that were it’s feat. Barking angerly at John it returned it’s gaze towards Mia, appearing to slide backwards against the ground,

Anything else?! Mia complained internally at the lack of information John had given her. She’d like to know more information about it but if John says she can solo it… she unsheathed her dagger from it’s holster on her back, not like she even knew her stats to compare. As long as it doesn’t hit…right?

The toy wolf barked, announcing its charge. It got within a few inches of her before leaping, surpassing Mia’s height and with it’s maw stretched open it came flying down only to end up hitting the ground below. Mia had dodged. Compared to the goblin it was slow, she felt like she had ample time to get out of the way.

Again, the wolf leaped and Mia dodged, it was strange but she shouldn’t linger on it. Now that she was comfortable dodging she felt like she should counter it, yeah, she should. Otherwise the duel would go on for ever with the wolf not being able to hit her. Mia aimed for when the wolf leaped, she readied her dagger and when the wolf leaped, she stepped to the side and swiped towards wolf.

She heard a small yelp and felt resistance on her dagger. She looked at the wolf, blood was dripping from it’s side but it was still alive. She smiled, she had hit it and did some damage, a few more hits like that and she’d win. She waited, watching the wolf but it did not attack, instead it circled her. The wolf was now wary.

This was a new problem; she’d have to take the initiative and attack. She gripped her dagger, she knew she had to do it, she was faster than it… it should be fine if she hit it before it had a chance to react. She bent down, the wolf stopping in place and growling. She took a deep breath then dashed forward, the wolf barked, opening it’s mouth wide but in the next instant a sharp yelp was heard through out the forest.

*Ding*

Mia pulled back her dagger from below the jaw, the small beast falling limp, she had done it. The difference her speed had made since the goblin fight was amazing, the crazy thing being that even though she felt like the wolf was slower than the goblin, looking back on it she was sure that the toy wolf was actually the faster of the two. Her level up and dumping who knows how many points into dex just made that big of a difference.

She remembered hearing the ding, the sound she assumed was the alert for a level up, and opening her status confirmed it, the point section was still there. Feeling confident and liking her newfound speed she wished all of her points would go into dex, happy when the screen shimmered, and the point section was no longer there.

“Good job Mia! I knew you co- wait what did you just do?!” John congratulated Mia but quickly started panicking.

Mia assumed he was peeking at her stats again “Like it this way. Better.” She said, she was thoroughly convinced with that last fight, if it didn’t hit then it didn’t matter and dex made that all the easier.

“What is wrong hero? What did the fox do?” Athena asked, who during the time Mia was inspecting her stats had come down from the tree with the assistance of Rowan.

John’s mouth was agape “She…uh…well how do I say this…She leveled up and already assigned the stat points in a weird way.”

Athena raised an eyebrow “I thought she cannot read? How is she assigning stats.”

“She is apparently aware of te format of te status screen. “Rowan chimed in “While she is, she can assign points like everyone else. Still hero, what did she do?”

Mia didn’t see what the big deal was, it was her points. Though, thinking on it… she didn’t even know how many points she was using. No, that doesn’t matter either, she should still be able to assign them how she wished.

“Well… I think she should have her privacy but…She is doing something that is referred to as min maxing back in my world. She is dumping all her points into dex.”

You think I should have my privacy but the first thing you do after a fight is spy on my stats… Mia felt a headache coming on, he also told them what stat she had been dumping into… she couldn’t help but sigh.

“Into dex? Tat is good for a rouge, how many points is she getting?” Rowan asked.

“For you to have such a reaction…” Athena mumbled, thinking to herself for a moment before her eyes went wide “How many points? John, answer me.” She stomped up to John, getting into his face.

He raised both his arms “Look, didn’t Rowan just say I shouldn’t announce stuff written on people’s status page? Besides, I know and that should be enough.”

Athena glared at him “You… do you have any idea…” She stopped, feeling a hand on her shoulder. She looked back to see the hand belonged to Rowan.

“Forgive me princess but, I tink it is best to give up.” He solemnly said.

Anger flared on Athena’s face, but she conceded, calming herself and stepping away from the hero “Fine, if my hero wants to keep his secrets. I will allow it. Know if any trouble comes from this I take zero responsibility” She then stormed off, leaving John no room to reply.

“Oh, well… she is my companion, don’t expect you to.” He then approached Mia, leaning down over her ear “You should spread your stats more, minmaxing like that is very hard.” He then stood up straight and moved to pat her head, Mia swiftly tilting her head away from his hand. He paused, trying again to pat her head but again she avoided his hand. his shoulders dropped a moment later “…” He sighed, moving away from her.

“…” Mia fidgeted in place, fighting back against the smile that wanted to make itself known on her face. She had seen it. She wanted to giggle but choked it down. That first one he wasn’t trying, but she could tell with his second attempt. He had seriously tried to lay his hand on her, and she had avoided it. Based on her admittedly small experience with stats she knew this could only mean one thing.

Her dex was now higher than his, by a substantial amount.

She could hardly contain her joy, pounding headache be damned. Why she apparently had higher dex then he did she didn’t know, maybe he spread his stats out and she gains enough stats per level to surpass his? Doesn’t matter, what does matter is that as long as she kept dumping stats into dex he couldn’t touch her.

“Mia! Get over here and skin tis toy wolf!”

Hearing the shouts of Rowan, Mia forced herself to calm down. Letting the inhibiting nature of the collar take over then with her emotions subdued she trotted over to Rowan, ready to practice her dismantling.