Ch. 44 Ahead, wood (Part 1)

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The dirt path under their feet extended all the way to the Gatefront Ruins.

As night fell, little sparks of fire rose up from the Gatefront Ruins.

There were people there.

But the edge of the forest where they were was still more than a kilometer away from there.

Therefore, the Soldier in the Gatefront Ruins hadn’t discovered them.

Mia looked around.

Suddenly, she discovered a golden glow behind a rocky hill at the edge of the forest.

It was a grace.

She urged Amia to walk over there.

This donkey had almost become hers now.

The grace was located in a good spot for camping, with a V-shaped clearing beneath a stone hill composed of several rocks.

The clearing was situated in the middle of the V-shaped gap, just enough to block the line of sight from the ruins before the Stormgate and the road.

The golden grace floated right there.

“What do you think of this place?” Mia asked, turning her head.

The Soldier replied, “It should be safe enough.”

This was the place.

Most importantly, the grace that only Mia could see was here.

Just as well, after being delayed for a while upon leaving the forest, the sky had already darkened.

Mia lay on the grassy hill, gazing at the ruins before the Stormgate in the distance.

They didn’t seem as dilapidated as they appeared in the game.

Some firelight flickered within the ruins.

For the sake of safety, Kalé and Wilden did not start a fire.

Spirit Wolf Red had climbed up that stone hill at some point, looking out into the distance like a sentry.

The young girl slid down from the grassy hill.

Leave the guard duty to the Spirit Wolf.

Squatting beside the grace, Mia was somewhat absent-minded.

If there was no grace before the Stormgate.

Then was the grace at the place they were currently in replacing the grace before the Stormgate?

Then where was Melina?

Where was my Little Wood?

I had saved up so many golden runes, waiting to level up.

The young girl’s gaze drifted restlessly.

But wearing an eyepatch, others couldn’t tell exactly where she was looking.

After waiting for a while, the sky had completely darkened; according to her past life’s experience, it was probably around seven or eight o’clock.

Mia was waiting for the Soldier who was bound to appear.

Perhaps she would, like Ranni, meet her alone in the dead of night.

“Wilden,” Mia called out, “Shall we practice swordsmanship again?”

“Sure.”

The Soldier just nodded as usual, then stood up.

The two of them set their stances again.

Wilden saw that the sword Mia was holding was sheathed.

The young girl tied the leather bag used for hanging the scabbard onto the crossguard, tightly securing the scabbard to the guard.

“?”

“After all, it’s just practice…” Mia said, not very confidently.

There didn’t seem to be a water source nearby.

So she had to be careful tonight and not let herself get injured.

Although the recovery Prayer could heal wounds, the blood that had already flowed out wouldn’t flow back in.

“Alright.” Wilden also mimicked Mia’s method, sheathing his sword before raising it.

This way, even if he struck someone, it would just be the scabbard hitting them.

“Here I come!” Mia initiated the attack first.

The two exchanged moves several times, the collision of scabbards making a crisp sound.

Just at this moment.

A howl from a Spirit Wolf suddenly reached her ears, and Red, who was sitting on the stone hill keeping watch, suddenly stood up.

Clearly, it had discovered something.

Mia and Wilden stopped, and Texas and Lappland also walked over, scanning their surroundings vigilantly with their eyes, the two Spirit Wolves guarding the two sides of the campsite.

“Ah—”

From the air came the soft murmur of a young girl.

“Please, do not be nervous.”

Hearing the voice but seeing no one, Kalé jumped up at the first instance and shrank into the corner of the stone hill.

Who could blame him, as he was the weakest combatant among them?

Wilden also narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning the empty surroundings, and reached out to undo the knot securing his scabbard.

As for the three Spirit Wolves, Red remained crouched on the high ground, staring at Melina with eyes like a hawk. Lappland lay on the ground after Melina appeared, seemingly listless because the newcomer was benign.

Wagging its tail spiritlessly and panting,

Texas stood horizontally in front of Mia, vigilantly watching the suddenly appearing Melina.

And Mia, upon hearing this voice, instead broke into a genuine smile.

Right in front of the three people, three wolves, and one donkey, a Soldier wearing a black cloak condensed into form amidst a patch of suddenly appearing magic dust.

“Oh, traveler from beyond the fog, please ask your companions to lower their guard; my arrival carries not a shred of malice.”

The Soldier in black bowed slightly, and she lifted her hood.

This was a beautiful young girl with chestnut-colored shoulder-length hair.

She gently knelt down halfway: “My name is Melina.”

Mia looked at Melina’s tightly closed left eye, which had a strange tattoo on it.

Now everything was complete.

Mia, Ranni, Melina.

The three of them couldn’t even make up three eyes between them.

“Who are you?” Kalé asked loudly.

“Do you all know of the Finger Maiden?” Melina replied in a clear voice: “They are those who serve the Two Fingers, helping and guiding the Tarnished.”

Melina’s voice was charmingly magnetic and slightly raspy, giving people a sense of tranquility and peace.

Mia nodded and said to Melina: “But currently, I do not have a Finger Maiden by my side.”

Saying this sentence was enough to express her attitude.

In the eyes of Wilden and Kalé, Mia also held no hostility toward Melina.

Thus, the two of them also lowered their guard slightly.

Wilden stepped back, leaving space for the two to talk, placing Mia in the position closest to Melina.

Melina knelt halfway on the ground, gazing at Mia, and after she spoke, Melina nodded.

“I can take over their duties and follow by your side.”

“May I ask you to step aside for a moment?”

Melina asked.

Step aside to talk?

Mia turned to look at her companions.

Kalé and Wilden were also looking at her; clearly, the mysterious young girl before them had come for Mia.

They did not have the right to make decisions for Mia, and this was even more important when everyone knew nothing about Melina.

Both of them knew this well.

Regardless of whether Mia refused or not, they wouldn’t say anything.

Mia nodded: “Alright, I will go with you.”

Although she didn’t know the significance of Melina wanting to talk to her alone… but Mia happened to have a whole bunch of questions that had arisen since Ranni appeared, which she hoped to get answered.

Melina stood up and walked into the nearby forest.

Mia stroked the wolf head of Texas, who had been blocking her, and then followed behind Melina.