In the heart of a verdant forest where tall coniferous trees stood tall as silent guardians, a magnificent waterfall cascaded from the top of a rocky cliff and into a small pond.
Magical beasts, big and small, gathered around this tranquil pond. This pond, after all, could be considered the lifeline of all those who dwelled in this lush forest.
The scene of the waterfall, the tall trees, as well as different kinds of magical beasts around the pond came together and weaved a beautiful scenery that could leave one feeling mesmerized.
The smell of the damp earth as well as the chirping of birds further added to the beauty of this mystical place.
A white deer suddenly appeared from the depths of the forest and elegantly walked toward the edge of the pond. It lowered its head and started to drink the water from it.
This doe stood at a height of 1.5 meters and had a pair of antlers on her head. However, unlike normal deer, her antlers seemed to be made of thick tree branches and even had green leaves and blue flowers growing on them.
These creatures belonged to the dire species of the deer family known as the Megalodeer. They were magical creatures with a very high affinity for wood magic.
For a creature such as this Megalodeer to even exist in this secret plane was a great surprise. After all, this species was rare even in the outside world.
In the distance, atop one of the topmost branches of a coniferous tree, a teenager with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail, and emerald eyes that seemed to be glowing with shock and wonder, gazed at the Megalodeer peacefully drinking water from the pond.
This person was none other than Lisa.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})I can't believe I'm seeing this! Disbelief was etched all over her beautiful face as her eyes were glued to the white doe.
It had been a couple of months since she entered the Soaring River Secret Plane. Since then she had fought magical beasts and Magi alike to get to where she was, leaving behind a trail of blood, sweat, and tears.
Although she had come across a few fortuitous encounters, none of them could compare to the one in front of her eyes.
The blood, heart, and core of a Megalodeer not only contained purification and strengthening properties, but it could also boost a Magus' affinity for wood magic.
Lisa, who had always had an interest in plant and wood magic, was filled with exhilaration upon encountering this heaven-sent opportunity.
It was only through a stroke of luck that she decided to venture into this peaceful coniferous forest. At the time, she had thought that this forest seemed interesting. But never in her wildest dreams did she expect to come across a Megalodeer here.
Excited as she was, she quickly calmed herself down and thought with a rational mind. She warily surveyed the area around the pond.
She even went so far as to use a spell to heighten her vision and inspect the area further away from the pond, looking for someone. There was a valid reason for this of course.
Megalodeers were always said to be moving in pairs. If the doe was here, it was only natural to assume that the stag was also somewhere nearby.
However, even after surveying the area for a long time, Lisa still couldn't find a trace of the stag. She couldn't help but clench her fists as hesitation streaked across her eyes.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Time was of the essence.
The doe was alone now and was very easy to deal with. However, if Lisa were to let go of this opportunity and allow the doe to reunite with its masculine counterpart, she would never be able to get what she wanted.
She was a Muscle Stage Magus, and unlike Adam who could fight above ranks like it was child's play, she couldn't. If by chance the stag turned out to be a rank above her—Organ Stage—she would be deader than dead.
The blonde teenager finally came to a decision and her eyes narrowed. The next moment, she silently got down from the tree and approached the white doe from behind.
She needed to deal with the beast quickly and efficiently. If not, there was the possibility of the stag appearing. However, despite facing such pressure, she was cold as a cucumber.
Lisa hid herself behind a bush, a few meters away from the doe who was still drinking water leisurely. She took out a small piece of thorny vine from her space-type storage ring and kept it ready for use.
First, she silently made some hand gestures. Following that, she sacrificed the small vine which magically dissipated into green particles. Now, before completing the final component, she first threw a stone in a certain direction.
Hearing the sudden sound of the stone falling, the white doe's ears perked up and she instantly became alert. She hurriedly looked in the direction where the sound came from.
Right at that moment, a bright, green magic circle lit up under the magical beast. Following that, a dozen thorny wines sprouted from underneath the doe, aiming to bind her in place.
Rank 1 Spell: Thorn Vine!
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})However, the doe was extremely agile. Sensing the imminent danger, she swiftly jumped backward, just narrowly avoiding the vines.
But little did she know, the magical vines were also a feint. The moment the doe's hooves landed on the ground, they immediately sunk under.
Rank 1 Spell: Shape Earth!
The ground turned muddy, causing the doe to sink deeper and deeper. When the doe was buried up to her knees, the ground suddenly solidified, instantly trapping the beast.
Fear and panic flashed across the white doe's aquamarine eyes. Suddenly, she heard hurried footsteps coming from behind her. When she turned her head to look back, she saw a young human approaching her.
The doe bellowed in anger and hatred, for she knew that her end was near. So as a last-ditch attempt, she screamed as loud as she could, hoping to catch her partner's attention.
Lisa quickly climbed on top of the helpless Megalodeer and stabbed a curved dagger straight through the latter's head, instantly killing her.
As the light in the doe's eyes slowly dimmed, Lisa muttered softly, "Forgive me."
After the doe had died, she placed a hand on the corpse and the next moment it vanished, teleporting straight inside her storage ring.
Just a second after the corpse of the doe vanished, the ground started to tremble and a deep, anger-filled roar was heard from the depths of the forest.
Lisa didn't need to think twice before confirming who this voice belonged to. Without waiting a moment longer, she dashed in the opposite direction of the sound.
Nervousness flashed in her eyes as she hastily ran into the forest.
