What she discovered was something poking out from among the fallen leaves covering the tree roots.

However, if her guess was correct, that something was truly of great value.

Jade immediately ran to the tree with the white trunk, knelt down, and carefully brushed aside the leaves. What was fully revealed then was:

“A yellow deer mushroom!”

The name of this intensely yellow mushroom, which looked poisonous to anyone, was given because its shape resembled a deer’s antlers. Both its growing location and season were unclear.

Yet, it was in high demand because magicians used it as an ingredient in recovery potions when they had excessively depleted their magical power.

Though it couldn’t be refined immediately, it was something that could be used well later if taken out. It was especially valuable for Jade, who maintained her attack power by recklessly pouring out magic without forming a pair with a knight.

Jade, her eyes alight, gently dug around with her hands. As if acknowledging her effort, fortunately, the mushroom came out intact without a single root damaged.

Excited, Jade carefully placed the mushroom in her basket. As she lifted her head, she thought she saw another deep yellow color in the distance. A very vibrant yellow, distinct even in the sunset light.

Rushing over clumsily, it really was another yellow deer mushroom. And beside it, there was yet another stem peeking out.

In the end, in less than ten minutes, Jade was able to obtain three large yellow deer mushrooms.

“Wow, I bought one just the size of a fingernail for several gold coins! Oh my! I’m so happy!”

Jade rubbed her cheeks, flushed with excitement, and stamped her feet.

But her luck wasn’t over yet.

As she followed the trail of mushrooms, Jade found herself in a space densely packed with large trees. There were also many trees covered in dark green moss around, making the area look particularly deep in color. So anything with a vibrant color stood out very well.

Under the largest tree, amidst the green moss, there was a mushroom with long antlers and very elaborate bends. It was so beautiful that she could hardly remember the previous three.

Jade inwardly cheered before immediately rushing over.

It was a tree with an enormous trunk. Someone as small as Jade could probably hide two people behind it without being noticed.

This is really the last one. I’ll just gather this and come back tomorrow to search again!

Looking around, light still lingered, spreading in the surroundings. The sun hadn’t completely set yet, so there was plenty of time.

Most large beasts are nocturnal, and according to Axel, dangerous large beasts don’t even come near his house. Maybe because they know he hunts.

Jade was finally able to fully embrace the largest chunk of mushroom.

“Hehe.”

Having obtained four mushrooms with intact roots that are hard to find even with money, today’s gains were truly remarkable.

“Maybe I’ll share a little with Blake. I should tell that Rigel guy not to even dream about it.”

Imagining a happy future, Jade lifted her head.

And then, she discovered long, pointed fingers stretching out, wrapping around the tree trunk.

“Huh…?”

Very slowly, large eyes with almost no eyelids, exposing completely round eyeballs, peered out from behind the tree, staring at her.

Their eyes met.

The irises on the white, sparsely bloodshot sclera were a terribly red color. Reflected in them was clear hunger.

Between the long, split lips stood rows of pointed teeth that could never be considered human.

A human-like appearance, carnivorous teeth, sharp claw-like fingernails, and characteristic red eyes.

It was a monster.

The moment she realized this fact, Jade chanted a spell as if by instinct ingrained over years. And she felt a chill as if frozen from head to toe.

You fool, this is the Athanase Forest.

No flames appeared, and Jade was a delicious but powerless prey. The monster seemed to know this too, as its mouth stretched even longer.

The sight of the creature’s hand extending like a vine seemed to move very slowly. She acutely perceived each brief moment. It gave her goosebumps.

Just before the sharp claws touched her eyes, Jade drew a dagger from her bosom and swung it. It was something she had been carrying since falling into this place.

But of course, it was of little use. It only left a deep gash on one of the fingers reaching for her.

Kyaak!

Well, it seemed to succeed in making it angry.

Jade tried to run towards the house, but the monster was clever. As it tilted its body to pounce, its hollow eyes glinting, Jade had no choice but to leap in the opposite direction.

Fortunately, it wasn’t an extremely fast type of monster. The problem was that Jade, being a magician, wasn’t fast either.

“Damn it, why now when the sun hasn’t even set yet…!”

There was only one criterion for distinguishing monsters from ordinary animals. Do they crave only humans as food?

If the answer was ‘yes’, then it was classified as a monster.

But the reason a nocturnal monster had appeared while the edge of the sunset was still dyeing the surroundings red was probably because of Jade. These creatures preferred to eat magicians with magical power or knights who could use that power.

The monster was gradually driving her into a darker place. To a place where trees were so thick that even twilight couldn’t penetrate.

So that human vision would narrow, and the monster’s vision would dominate, finally allowing it to claim her as prey.

But Jade had little intention of following that plan.

Finally, a tree with a branch bent in the middle that looked climbable came into view. Jade quickly ran and jumped up. The experience of coveting the gardener’s treehouse since childhood came in handy here.

She felt the monster’s claw tips barely graze the tip of her shoe as she leapt.

Kyaak, kyaak!

Even with her lacking arm strength, she could hang on if there was a place for her legs to support.

“Haah….”

Jade caught her breath, panting. Looking down, she saw the creature gnashing its teeth, craving its prey against the backdrop of the increasingly dark forest. Its large eyes rolled around, busy focusing.

Wiping the sweat that had run down the back of her neck, she muttered.

“You, you found quite a stupid prey, didn’t you?”

She had only thought about wild animals, not considering monsters at all.

Those things eat people. So she didn’t think they would be in a place like the Athanase Forest where prey was scarce.

But people often got lost and died here, she had heard, and there were probably plenty of missing persons too, so it must have been a forest where monsters could live quite well.

She should have been more careful. She had completely lost her senses in the new environment. Despite years of experience in extermination squads.

Jade gazed longingly at the edge of the sun barely visible through the branches.

Soon the sun would set completely and the moon would rise. Then complete darkness and uncertainty would envelop the forest, and large beasts and monsters would run rampant.

‘Can I hold out here all night?’

The conclusion was that it was impossible. Not only was the cold a problem, but the part where she was standing wasn’t very sturdy.

So, she had to shake off this monster right now and rush to Axel’s house. While there was still some light left.

The monster kept scratching the tree bark with its long, sharp claws. Thanks to its desperate attempts to climb up, disregarding falling, the scratched area was getting higher and higher. Eventually, it would reach the vicinity of where she was hanging.

Jade, closely observing the monster below, narrowed her eyes.

What if I step on its head as I fall?

Monsters often had shapes similar to human forms. The monster below was a relatively small individual, with a thin neck compared to its head size.

If she fell with her full weight, it should cause some damage. It would be best if she could break its neck. Then she would have a chance to escape.

Having made up her mind, Jade opened her mouth.

“Hey, your prey is right here.”

The monster reacted greatly to her voice, which was trying to sound calm. Its eyes, fervently gazing at her, were almost pitiful.

Yes, keep looking up. That’s the easiest way to stomp on its head and damage its neck.

“Look here. Yes… like that.”

She decided to fall after counting to ten in her mind. Jade slowly began counting.

Seven, eight, nine, nine and a half, nine and three-quarters, nine and seven-eighths…!

The monster was still fiercely staring only at Jade.

And just as she had truly resolved to jump down and smash that ugly monster’s nose, she heard something cutting through the air.

No, she thought she heard it. It happened so quickly that everything seemed like mere conjecture on her part.

Between the tangled, overgrown branches, a white light flooded through the gaps.

That light closed the distance in the blink of an eye, slicing through the monster’s flesh and embedding itself in the tree. The monster died without even a chance to scream, with that light stuck in its back. Something moist spattered in dots on her leg.

Startled, Jade exhaled a panting breath.

Eventually, the darkness disgorged a large figure.