Chapter 31: The Grand Forest
A new day had arisen. The group had taken on a quest to defeat wolves in a usually beautiful forest.
The forest was a wonderland of towering trees, their trunks so wide that it would take several people holding hands to encircle them. The canopy was so dense that very little sunlight filtered through, casting the forest floor in a dappled, emerald light.
The underbrush was thick with massive ferns and bushes bearing oversized fruits. Giant mushrooms, bigger than a person, dotted the forest floor, their caps adorned with delicate, iridescent spores. Grapes the size of melons hung from the vines, while mangoes as big as beach balls dangled from the trees.
"This is kind of nostalgic guys," Lucy said admiring the plants.
"What is?" Charlotte asked
"Doing a quest together. We just fought at Javlem but we were forced to. So it feels nice to do a quest of our choice."
Ethan walked over to a smaller mushroom and took it. The mushroom was large and plump, with a vibrant pink cap that was smooth and glossy to the touch.
"Blake, do you think if I eat these shrooms I'll get high?" He said chuckling.
"You'll probably die man."
"Hey Charlotte can you see if this is poisonous with your magic?" Ethan said as he gestured towards Charlotte.
"That magic doesn't exist. Even if it did I'd lie to you if it was dangerous." She said rolling her eyes.
Blake cut through the oversized plants with his sword, slicing through the thick stems and leaves with ease. The sword glints in the sunlight filtering through the trees, and bits of plant matter fly in all directions as he moved through the forest.
The others followed him from behind.
The forest had a strong, earthy smell. The plants had a variety of scents, some had a sweet and floral aroma, while others had a pungent and musky smell. The oversized mushrooms had a damp and musty smell, while the oversized fruits had a sweet and fruity aroma.
The group heard the rustling of the grass and plants moving as if something was following them. They paused and looked around, their eyes scanning the dense foliage for any sign of movement. Ethan reached for his new bow, it was made of steel and felt cool to the touch. He quickly strung an arrow and held it at the ready, his eyes scanning the area for any sign of danger.
The group came upon a large wolf in the forest. It had shaggy, dark fur and glowing yellow eyes. It stood tall, with its head held high, and let out a deep growl as it faced the group. At first, the group tensed up, thinking it was a dangerous creature, but as they got a better look, they saw that the wolf was quite cute.
"I thought the big bad wolf would be scarier than this cute dog." Charlotte laughed.
"Lucy if you want to use one of your big magic spells tell us so we can leave the proximity."
"She doesn't need to. I saw her at Javlem hitting enemy demons with smaller spells easily."
"That's because an A-rank healer was giving me a support spell to increase my accuracy."
"They can do that? Why the fuck hasn't Charlotte used that spell by now?"
"Some healers aren't capable of certain spells. Not every healer has the same amount of spells nor does any mage. They may be able to use the same spell but one will be able to use one that the other can't."
"Oh well, that makes sense I guess. But can you give me that support skill to boost me again?"
Charlotte cast the support spell on Ethan again.
Despite the pain, he managed to endure it better than last time, his body responding more positively to the spell. As Charlotte cast the support spell on Ethan, his hair began to change from blonde to brown again. The transformation was slow and gradual as if each strand was being carefully and meticulously tended to. As the spell took effect, his hair began to flow like fire, cascading down his shoulders in a wild and untamed manner.
The wolf began to shimmer and grow, its fur becoming thicker and longer as it expanded in size. Its eyes, which were previously a warm brown, began to glow an eerie green as it completed its transformation.
The wolf was similar in size to the golem they had faced during a raid.
The leaves fell from the trees above slowly, creating a soft rustling sound as they hit the ground. The wolf, now several times its original size, stood tall and imposing, its fur standing on end as it let out a deep, menacing growl.
"Oh shit. Lucy, I think we're going to need one of your spells." Blake said his voice laced with concern.
"Got it." She said charging up her wand.
"Wait on that Lucy. Blake and I will try to kill it and if we fail then you can do your kamikaze spell. I'd rather see what we can do before we endure hell." Ethan said as he put Lucy's wand down.
"Jesus Christ Ethan. One day you're a coward and the next you're a brave man. But you're right so let's see what we can do."
Ethan rushed to the wolf, his bow at the ready. He charged up a magic arrow and let it fly. The arrow pierced the wolf's skin, causing it to let out a loud howl.
Angered by Ethan's attack the wolf attempted to eat him.
Ethan used his steel bow to block the wolf's jaws from closing in on him. He pushed back with all his might, gritting his teeth as the wolf's powerful jaws pressed against the bow. The bow creaked and groaned under the pressure as if it might break at any moment. Ethan's arms trembled with the effort, sweat pouring down his face as he struggled to keep the wolf at bay.
Blake rushed to the wolf and sliced its back.
The wolf's fur became matted with blood as Blake's sword sliced through its flesh. It let out a loud howl of pain, its eyes wide with fury. Ethan quickly pulled his bow out of the wolf's mouth, narrowly avoiding being bitten as he did so. The wolf's jaws snapped shut.
"Ethan is densely much stronger with that spell. If it made him that much stronger then I would be able to solo this wolf."
Lucy aimed her wand at the wolf and shot fireballs, but they flew past the wolf, missing it by a wide margin. The fireballs flew into the distance, hitting the trees and causing them to catch fire.
"That bitch really can't aim. I thought she was joking but I guess not." Blake thought with a smirk.
Ethan grabbed Lucy's hand, he pulled her towards the giant wolf. She stumbled slightly but quickly regained her footing as she followed him.
"Shoot. If I can hit it from this distance you can too." Ethan said with a thumbs up.
Lucy shot a fireball at the wolf but it went straight up instead of hitting the target. The fireball flew high into the sky, leaving a trail of orange and yellow behind it.
Ethan, Blake, and Charlotte looked at Lucy with a condescending stares.
"I'm guessing you're cursed?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah- I'm cursed," Lucy responded with no shame.
"I had a feeling."
Ethan then shot an arrow with a sense of focus. He aimed for the chest and wanted to pierce its heart.
The arrow he had just fired hit the wolf's head instead of its chest. He had aimed for the chest, but the wolf had moved at the last moment, causing his shot to land in a different spot.
The wolf collapsed as the arrow pierced through its large grotesque brain.
"That was intentional guys."
"Yeah, sure man."
"No- no- no I seriously meant to hit it."
Charlotte waved her hands in front of Ethan, and the spell was undone. Ethan's brown hair slowly turned back to his natural blonde hair as he let out a sigh of relief. His pain slowly faded away.
Ethan stood over the wolf's body with a wild and ecstatic expression on his face, his laughter echoed through the forest. Charlotte rolled her eyes.
Lucy couldn't help but laugh at him acting like a fool.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, the light shining through the trees grew stronger, casting a warm glow over the group of adventurers. The light seemed to highlight Ethan in particular as if to emphasize his triumph over the giant wolf. The golden rays of sunlight caught in his blonde hair, making it shine like a halo around his head.
Lucy was further back and was hidden by the dark. It was as if the sunlight couldn't reach her in the depths of the forest. The area around her was dim and the trees were closer together, blocking out most of the light.