Adventure Time

Before leaving the knights on a good note, he learned of a very interesting and creepy news. The village to the south of Droves, was 'devoured' by the Abyssal forests. Charles did not understand what they meant. But they confessed that they too didn't know what it meant. They told that a few B rank soldiers were seen sending the overly curious flying and informing everyone that the area has been cordoned off and marked forbidden by the mages.

Charles walked back to Ava's home as various thoughts fired off in his head.

'Didn't Beth pickup Ava from the south of Droves? Is there a relation between this and the Abyssal forests? This might just me over-thinking!'

...

"Sparky! Please don't!" A pleading voice that seemed to belong to a girl child was heard.

What followed was a sigh from a teenage boy.

"Give me a break, Ava!" He groaned.

Charles had set out to loot all the treasure points on the map and kill all goblins. But, Ava would not stop following him. In the end he was unable to shake her off and had to set off with her. The truly troubling thing was not her strength, but her compassion for the beasts that came on their path. Some provoked them into battle while others ignored them. Some even came running to them to play with them, which he attributed to Ava, the little druid.

Charles dodged the magical beast that came charging at him and went behind it and touched its back and then used [Static Shock], it paralysed the beast and dealt sufficient damage, which could be recovered in time. The beast was a [Lv32 Silver tusked Boar]. It was a very aggressive beast and the boss of this region. But, Ava touched its forehead and changed into her druid form and seemed to be spiritually communicating with it.

After a few minutes, Charles saw the boar relax and seemed to be expressing its affection for Ava. This was the scene that Charles had seen throughout their journey. Ava had mentioned that not all beasts are bad like in the case of humans.

Ava spent a long time with the beast after which they continued their journey. The boar along with a variety of beasts of different levels followed close to Ava like a bodyguard unit. The beasts looked towards Ava in affection while they frequently took glances at the yellow haired demon, walking in the front, in fear. These were the good beasts that Ava told Charles to leave alone.

They reached the goblin cave nearest to the village before noon. It was the last home of the goblins he killed. Charles opened the Map and had a look at the terrain inside the cave, the traps and the scouts. While doing so, he saw a room close to their treasury where naked women were kept for breeding. Their eyes devoid of tears and the tortured state, made him grind his teeth.

In his anger, a small web of electricity started forming around his body, as the lightning in the yellow rings of his eyes started rotating fast, rising in intensity and slowly forming an embryonic shape of a tall and slender being.

Ava was worried on seeing Charles's change as she called him out in concern:

"Are you okay, Sparky?"

Charles snapped out of his thoughts and said with a warm smile:

"I am fine. Its nothing! Ava, stay here! I am going to purge some monsters!"

All the beasts shivered in fear, when they sensed the anger of the demon. Ava was not a normal human. She too could sense Charles's anger. But she didn't say anything. She had only one thought in her mind.

'I need to become powerful to help Sparky.'

Just as the beasts relaxed when they saw the demon was about to enter the cave, he looked back at them as he said with a normal tone:

"I hope Ava does not get a scratch. Otherwise..." He smiled and submerged himself in the darkness of the cave.

Meanwhile, all the beasts were paralysed, while Ava could not help but shake her head in frustration.

As time passed, the sound of lightning strikes and painful screams of goblins accompanied the yellow flashes of lights radiating out of the entrance. In less than half an hour, Charles walked out with a row of ladies, covered by crude and torn clothes, in tow. Charles signalled Ava to keep them company, as they returned to the village before sunset, leaving all the beasts behind in the woods.

The villagers were happy to see some of their loved one's return, while sad at the same time for the traumatic experiences these ladies had.

After returning to Ava's home, he told her to take a bath, while he would come back with dinner.

...

After returning home, Charles drank a vital potion and took a long bath. He tried to wash off the sadness from not coming early to save those ladies. While he meditated, he found his vital energy recovered back to his peak. He stopped practicing the cultivation technique and decided to restart after the trial by fire.

Receiving the dinner for two in is inventory, he went back to Ava.

...

It was a sad night with even the moon waning. As they slept on the bed with their eyes open, Charles asked a question he had long thought of in his mind.

"Ava! How do you differentiate between a good and bad beast? Do I have to die rather than killing the beast that comes for my life then?"

Ava felt tears forming in the corner of her eyes hearing his heartfelt question. She hugged him and said in breaking voice:

" Its as difficult as how you tell apart a bad and good human. I can only say that, if you know that you have done no wrong and lived a life without losing basic morals, then kill all those who want you dead. So when beasts come for your life, they either die or get their food. This is the law of the jungle. You should not feel sad over that. What's wrong is hunting beasts for game and benefits, instead of survival."

"My parents always told me to remember the law of this world in my heart – Survival!"

"Then, Ava you can remember this law too – Without having a good sleep, you can never dream of surviving!" The child was irritated by his stupid remark and started beating him.

Charles felt happy in being able to break the somber atmosphere that the world tried to impose on him and Ava.

...

The days passed with Charles shifting between him and Sparky. Mostly, going on adventures or more accurately plundering with Ava, as Sparky. He didn't check out the loot he got, just stuffed them into [Inventory] and left it for later. In order to save time, he planned his journey with the active goblin hideouts in the order of closeness to the Droves village, in mind. He also looted the abandoned caves and other treasure sites along the way. He was carrying a thorough clean up around the village and the radius of his activity kept on increasing with each day.

And with every new goblin killed, he got new and updated information and locations on the [Map].

He also saw that Ava had drastic changes, she levelled up and was now Lv5. When asked, Ava told him how she gained power, it was by harmonising with the forests and all the beasts. The more time she spent communicating with the beasts, the faster her skill and level rose. Charles understood that even Ava had only a vague idea about this. She also learned a new healing spell called [Druid's Blessing]. Learning from Charles, the use of this skill, Ava was ecstatic.

Charles concluded that Ava's power was due to her bloodline as a Druid. Wanting to not waste her potential, Charles made up a special training routine for her and even made her fight low levelled goblins, under his watch. Ava was on board with it. Both of them started a life of training and battles in the forests.

A week was soon over, and the trial by fire for Charles was the next day. Charles informed Ava beforehand that he will be back after a day. Although she was reluctant, under Charles's persuasion, she accepted it. He left her with enough money and informed the two knights of the village to take care of her.

Charles thought of the rapid improvement that Ava had in less than a week. He could not help but shake his head at the incredulity. Ava had reached level 14 in such a short time and learned another move called [Constrict]. Using this move, she could control plants like vines, grass etc. to trap the opponent and constrict him, like a python constricts its prey. Apart from this, her [Druid's Blessing] skill, was now able to heal very small external wounds easily. Even though it was not effective on him or that much on an adult human, the more time she exerts the spell, the more the effects accumulated allowing it to heal minor wounds. But this left her drained.