Chapter 59

Ariel decided to ride Ghost to the dungeon. Originally, she had planned to fly on Rakia, but since Rakia went to visit her mother, there was no other choice. As Ariel raced through the forest on Ghost, she stopped by a lakeside. It was time to eat. Having left Goldcastle without rest, her stomach was starting to growl. Ariel sat on a nearby rock and opened her Inventory. Inside were many items: corpses of various monsters, the recently defeated Succubus, and various foods… Though it seemed like a messy storage, space was never an issue. The Inventory seemed to be influenced by her stamina stat, making it effectively limitless for Ariel. She pulled out some raw meat for Ghost. Items in the Inventory maintained their state, so cooked food stayed hot, and cold food stayed cold—a very convenient feature. Of course, Ghost preferred raw, bloody meat over cooked. Rakia was the same, but since she wasn’t here, Ariel only took out Ghost’s portion. After feeding Ghost, she took out food for Roo: potato stew. Roo loved this stew along with fruit wine, which Ariel had bought in bulk from a restaurant in Goldcastle. Handing over a steaming bowl of stew and a bottle of wine, Roo beamed with gratitude. “Thank you, sister!” After taking care of Ghost and Roo, Ariel took out her own meal. She loved desserts but didn’t always eat them. Sometimes, she craved spicy and salty food, like ramen—though it wasn’t available here. Instead, she had a stir-fried dish of meat and vegetables, also bought from Goldcastle, with a rich, savory flavor. The peaceful lakeside, clear skies, fluffy clouds, warm sunlight, birds chirping, and rustling leaves—everything was serene. “I wonder if Rakia arrived safely,” Roo mused. Ariel squinted at the distant mountains. Though she didn’t know where Rakia’s mother was, she was sure Rakia had arrived. As a dragon, Rakia could fly anywhere on the continent in no time. She was probably meeting her mother by now. “Hmm, it’s definitely quieter without Rakia,” Roo said, finishing her wine. She already seemed to miss Rakia. Ariel felt the same. Sleeping while hugging Rakia, who wore a rabbit doll mask, had been a great joy. Now, she was gone. Rustle. A sound of leaves being stepped on came from behind. Turning her head, Ariel saw a large beast with black fur standing by the bushes. It wasn’t a monster—likely a wolf. “Grrr…” Ghost lowered its stance, and the black wolf did the same. As the two stared each other down, Roo muttered, “That black wolf seems like a spirit beast. It’s too big to be a normal wolf—bigger than Ghost, though it looks younger.” Ariel quietly observed the black wolf. It was indeed larger than Ghost, but its age was unclear. To Ariel, it was just a wolf—an enormous one. Both Ghost and the black wolf growled but didn’t seem intent on fighting. Ariel didn’t intervene either. Unless the black wolf attacked Ghost, there was no need to step in. After a while, Ghost stood up, took the raw meat Ariel had given it, and placed it in front of the black wolf before returning to Ariel. It had shared its food. The black wolf eagerly devoured the meat, clearly starving. Ariel smiled and patted Ghost’s chin. “Good job.” Sharing food with a hungry kin was commendable. Ariel’s Inventory had plenty of raw meat to spare, so she took out more for Ghost, ensuring it was well-fed. * After the meal, they headed back to the dungeon. Feeling bad about making Ghost carry her the whole way, Ariel decided to walk slowly. There was no rush. Going to the dungeon was just part of the adventure, not an urgent mission. She just wanted to explore and gather treasures for Rakia. As they walked through the forest, Ghost occasionally glanced back, seemingly aware of the black wolf following at a distance. It reminded Ariel of how Ghost had followed her after she helped it. Maybe the black wolf could join their group too. Ariel felt a bit excited. Though she hadn’t touched it yet, the wolf’s fur looked soft and fluffy from afar. Imagining sleeping buried between Ghost and the black wolf made Ariel feel drowsy. It hadn’t been long since they ate, and the food coma was setting in. Half-closing her eyes, Ariel stumbled and eventually plopped down, falling asleep. Roo, drunk on fruit wine, had already crawled into Ariel’s hat to sleep, leaving only Ghost awake. Ghost gently nudged Ariel to lie down on the ground and sat beside her, keeping watch. * “Sister, sister! Ghost is fighting a monster!” A frantic voice woke Ariel. Roo was poking her cheek. “A monster attacked while we were sleeping!” Ariel shot up. Ghost was indeed fighting something—a massive, owl-like monster with a bear-like body. An Owlbear, a top predator of the forest. Even as a spirit beast, Ghost was no match for it. The Owlbear’s claws could split thick trees in one strike, and it was ferocious enough to attack anything. The only reason Ghost was holding its own was because the black wolf was helping. The wolf threw itself in front of Ghost whenever the Owlbear attacked, and Ghost fiercely bit at the Owlbear’s legs and neck. Ghost was unharmed, but the black wolf had deep wounds on its side and back. Still, it fought relentlessly to protect Ghost. Ariel raised her hand toward the Owlbear, about to cast Magic Missile, when a massive fireball flew from the forest. “Fire Lance!” A youthful voice accompanied the fireball, which struck the Owlbear’s head. “Kieeek!” The Owlbear screamed and fell. Then, a blue lightning bolt shot from the forest. “Call Lightning!” The lightning struck the Owlbear’s body. Zzzzt! The Owlbear trembled and collapsed, dead. Ariel looked toward the forest where the spells had come from. A girl with purple hair tied in twin tails and holding a large staff walked out. She wore a mage’s robe and had clearly cast the spells. “Hi?” The girl smiled brightly at Ariel. “You’re an elf, right? Are you hurt?” Ariel nodded. The girl glanced at Ghost, the black wolf, and Roo sitting on Ariel’s lap. “Are the wolf and fairy your friends?” “Yes.” “I see. You almost had a big problem. Owlbears are dangerous monsters. Good thing I was passing by, or you’d have been eaten. So, in a way, I’m your lifesaver.” The girl grinned proudly, clearly expecting gratitude. Ariel obliged. “Thank you.” “Hahaha, no problem. I didn’t help you just to hear that. But if it weren’t for me, you’d have been Owlbear food. So, you’re pretty lucky.” The girl, clearly in high spirits, tapped her staff on the ground. “I’m the top student at the Magic Tower, by the way. Everyone calls me a genius. So, meeting me is a huge stroke of luck for you.”