LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 16
“What… are you doing? Give it back.”“Let’s see here.”Cassian held the scroll high, well out of Elsez’ reach, and pressed her shoulder down with his other arm.Elsez flailed at the air in frustration, the significant difference in height and arm length rendering her efforts futile.Ugh, why is he so annoyingly tall?!Though Elsez was taller than average herself, Cassian was a full head taller.“Hand it over… please, Master?”Before I punch you in the gut.Elsez forced a smile, gritting her teeth as she spoke, but Cassian ignored her, leisurely reading through the quest scroll.His brow furrowed as he read the details.“Which lunatic assigned such a dangerous quest to a rookie?”“I earned that quest through proper procedures and demonstrated skills, thank you very much!”“This quest is confiscated. Rookies should start where they belong—in the Starting Forest.”Cassian took the quest scroll from Elsez and handed her another one, wrapped in a blue ribbon, from his pocket.Elsez accepted the replacement scroll with a scowl.“And this is… what exactly?”“A quest given by the guild master to a rookie.”“Give me my quest back.”“Finish this one first, and we’ll see.”Elsez inhaled sharply, glaring at Cassian. She knew he was doing this out of concern for her, but still…My 50 Lukes!The thought of the lost reward made her seethe with frustration.Unbothered by her anger, Cassian casually patted her on the head and grinned.“Good luck, rookie.”With that, he gave her a smug little wave and strolled back into the guild, leaving her standing there, stunned and fuming.Reti, furious, bounced up and down in her pocket.“That man stole your big candy!”“Sigh…”“Let’s take him down, human. I may be weak right now, but I can handle one guy!”Reti’s seriousness about anything candy-related almost made Elsez consider it. But in the end, she clenched her teeth and turned away.“Forget it. Let’s go.” ***** The “Starting Forest,” a beginner hunting ground, was located not far north of the central capital.Unlike other areas where monsters roamed unchecked, this forest was managed by the mages of the Mage Tower, who controlled the monster population.The reason was simple.Monster byproducts were valuable resources, used in crafting magical artifacts, enhancing materials, and more. The forest was maintained to ensure a steady supply of these goods.However, instead of directly hunting low-level monsters themselves, the mages typically outsourced the tasks to guild members.Spending their time on research or magical training was far more efficient than dealing with weak monsters.The creatures here posed minimal danger, making the forest a popular training ground for new guild recruits and unaffiliated adventurers alike.Because of this, the forest was colloquially known as the “Starting Forest” rather than its original name.Upon arriving at the forest, Elsez heard the occasional shrieks of beginners echoing from various corners.Fine. I’ll clear this as quickly as possible, head back, and make Cassian acknowledge me.Since punching him wasn’t an option.Elsez unrolled the quest scroll she’d been forced to accept.Quest: Eliminate 10 Corpse Crows.
Location: Northern Starting Forest.
Reward: 3 Lukes.
Progress: 0/10.Corpse Crows weren’t particularly dangerous but were flying monsters, which made them tricky for melee fighters to deal with.“It’d be so much easier if I could use magic,” she muttered.While Ruel’s abilities as a Spirit Summoner were well-suited for such tasks, Elsez herself was a melee combatant with no magical skills.Teleportation magic was a universal spell anyone could learn, as it required minimal mana and effort, but other types of magic were different.Only those born with mana affinity or chosen by spirits could wield magic beyond the basics.While there were rare cases of individuals excelling in both magic and swordsmanship—like the legendary magic swordsmen—such cases were extraordinarily uncommon.At that moment, Reti poked its head out of her pocket.“You can use magic,” it declared confidently.“What? Really?”“Of course! I’m skilled in both magic and melee combat,” Reti said, puffing itself up with pride.Now that I think about it, Rashiel could use both wide-area magic and melee attacks, Elsez thought.Since she carried Rashiel’s power, it stood to reason she could use magic too.“Then I’ll just use magic and wipe them all out—”“But not yet. I need to recover more of my power first.”“…You really know how to kill the mood.”Deflated, Elsez glared at Reti, but before she could say anything, an unwelcome voice called out from behind her.“Well, well, if it isn’t the newbie who ran off from the drinking party.”Turning around, Elsez immediately frowned at the sight of a guild member she recognized—one who’d tried to pressure her into drinking two nights ago.“If you’d stayed and enjoyed some drinks with me, I’d have gladly helped you with your quest,” he said, his tone dripping with false generosity.“…….”“Even now, if you come for a drink with me tonight, I might consider giving you a hand.”The guild member spoke as if offering her an incredible favor, his gaze filled with obvious ulterior motives.Breathe… Count to three. They say patience avoids murder.Since they’d likely see each other often, causing a scene wouldn’t be beneficial.Grinding her teeth, Elsez forced herself to respond curtly.“No thanks. I can handle it on my own.”Undeterred by her disinterest, the guild member continued boasting.“This forest? It’s like my backyard. You’d be lucky to have someone like me help you out…”He glanced back to gauge her reaction, only to blink in confusion.“Wait, where’d she go?”By the time he’d looked, Elsez had already disappeared into the forest. ***** In the dim forest where dense trees blocked out most sunlight, Elsez’ cloak brooch caught a stray beam and reflected it brilliantly.She moved the brooch slightly, letting the reflected light dance across the trees like a lure.The dazzling flashes seemed to beckon something from the shadows.Soon, the sound of wings cutting through the air reached her ears, and a dark silhouette shot toward her from the gloom.Watching with sharp eyes, Elsez waited until the creature was close. In a swift motion, she struck downward with her fist.“Squawk!”A crow, roughly the size of a young child, fell to the ground at her feet with a dull thud.At the same time, the numbers on the quest scroll floating in midair updated.Quest: Eliminate 10 Corpse Crows.
Location: Northern Starting Forest.
Reward: 3 Lukes.
Progress: 10/10.Shaking off her arm with ease, Elsez muttered,“Well, I guess I don’t need magic for this.”Instead of relying on magic, she had used her wits.She’d exploited the crows’ well-known attraction to shiny objects to lure them out.In my first life, playing as a Spirit Summoner didn’t suit me at all.Having been an athletic enthusiast in her past life, dabbling in sports like taekwondo, kendo, and swimming, Elsez found the passive, support-heavy role of a Spirit Summoner incredibly stifling.In this life, as a melee combatant, she could move freely and fight actively, which suited her far better.“Now, time to head back…”Just as she turned to retrace her steps, she noticed something odd: her pocket, usually weighed down, felt strangely light.She reached inside, expecting to feel the familiar fluff of her companion, but her hand came up empty.Eyes widening, she frantically patted her pocket and even shook it out.“Where did it go?”It dawned on her that she hadn’t heard Reti’s usual chatter for a while.“Reti!”She called out as she scanned the shaded forest, but only her voice echoed back at her.“That cursed doll, where did it run off to?”Elsez glanced around before deciding to climb a nearby tree. A higher vantage point would help her search the area.Just as she began to move, she froze.Rustle.A sound came from the nearby bushes.