22 The 1st encounter

I stood up brushing myself before finally turning back to where the wolf was

What I didnt expect was to be greeted by a curious pair of eyes which instantly froze me on the spot

"aaak..." I can't open my mouth, what is this awkward silent!?, I didn't expect to stumble upon this unexpected event... I can't speak, I feel like a big chunk of log at one spot... 'be one with the wind' I wanna escape right here and right now... In addition to that was me falling into a blunder

"Umm..."

Probbably because of the silent that was built up, the silhouette person began to talk

"That thing earli- no... I mean thanks" the figure were above taller than mine, but with the feminine voice I can tell that it was a female

"Err, sure I guess..." I don't know what to say actually, and I'm sweating propulsery inside but I didn't let it show in my face, I Gotta keep the poker face or I'll lose the conversation

But somehow her next action took me by a surprise as I didn't expect her to crouch down suddenly and from the sound of it, she burst out crying

"eh" I somehow felt bad for the girl as I only gave her a half hearted appreciation "Umm miss, are you okay?"

"No, no Im okay. Im just fine. Its just that I felt like giving up just a moment ago if it wasn't for you showing up to help me" she muttered under her hiccups while still trying to keep up on talking

"Umm well, its okay now, I can assure you that. So there's no reason to feel sad alright?" Seing her on the ground make me wanna at least pat her to calm down, but I just shook off the idea as I dont want to enter her personal space. I just let her have her time to be alone

It wasnt that this place were deserted in the first place and its actually filled with monster here and there, however for my first human encounter to be like this, I didn't expect this to happen at all

Seeing her finally calming down, as evident to her calming breathing, I muttered a few words "Umm... Say... Miss... did you lose your companion on the way here?" there's seems to be no presence around that I could detect as I look at every corner around me, probbably they were still far away

Turning back and seing her wipe her tears, she slowly replied to me "I was alone..."

"I-I see..."

"...I was abandoned here"

Seing her say those next words shocked me for a while, eh? abandoned?, but if I hadn't came here on time, I was sure that she was going to die. Not to mention there are posibility of other hostile creatures being around. Her being alone was okay enough as she might have wandered abit and got lost but to suddenly tell that she was abandoned

"Well... sorry for that"

"Its okay, you don't have to apologize"

For a few seconds, a silence primates around us as I didn't expect her to stay quiet. Looking back at the monster on the ground and into the woman, it seemed that it truly is about to eat her for itself as it wasn't with the usual pack, well thats how it was, as I ambushed a small one before when it left its pack. Well its a completely different creature than this one, so I cant tell

"Well, Have you found a place to stay?. Judging by this monster, there should be a pack nearby, I doubt they would follow their missing member so Its dangerous to stay here any longer" I lowered my guard on her, as the latter were not cautious of me. Well considering what happened to her, even I would feel bad

"I shouldn't bother you anymore than this... Its okay, I'm okay already so I should be going now" I tried offering my hand for her to stand, but she just left it there and stand herself

"Hmm? No no, I think you are not okay judging by how you are avoiding me, is there a probl-, err I mean... I see, well its okay for me if you just accept. Plus it wasn't okay to wander around this place any longer if you don't wanna meet more of this" after pointing out on the corpse on the ground, I have probbably been assertive for a bit there, so I change the way I talk, after all aside from the rock golems that went past before around here, I can tell that this is a no good place, much more after seing that there is another creature here that I haven't seen before

"I... well... sorry...just for a while" seing that she somehow understood my intention, it gave a little smile on my face, little did I know the the girl was actually worried about the time that it was almost sunset

"Its fine... its fine..., just follow me and dont get lost okay? just wait for a bit and I'll take what I can use from this creature, you know I lived close to here" well I just skipped a few words about how I was alone as to not be suspected or taken advantage of

Fangs and nails, I even thought of the fur but I have zero knowledge on how to preserve it yet, so I just let it be. The meat is also on my 'Nuh uh' list so I just let it slid off on my priority, the material this time is from a larger one so I truly made my outmost effort to take them off

The light also took shape above it and shot itself towards me, but I already gotten used to it. But well still I looked at the girl sitting just around me, and it seemed that she didn't mind it at all, or that she's just wasn't looking when that happens

"Status"

●

[Status]

[Name] Xylene

[Gender] Female

[Race] Sovereign Dragon : New birth

[Status] Human form

[Weakness: Auditory]

[Stats]

▪[Str]   19 (38)(×2)

▪[Def]  28 (56)

▪[Int]   56 (112)

▪[Dex] 18 (36)

▪[Agi]  25.5 (51)

[Title] Sovereign of Envy, Lost Memories V, Rebirth, Stealth Specialist, Assassination Specialist, Sleeping Calamity, One who Conceals Power, Throwing Arts Master, Elemental Master {Unavailable}

[Skill]

Cooking II

Appraisal V

Swimming II

Shapeshift <Unique: Sovereign Dragon>

Swordsmanship III

Spearmanship III

Dagger Arts II

Throwing Arts V

Smithing IV

Alchemy I

Tinkering V

Tailoring I

Strengthening  <Large>

Mana Capacity <Large>

Magic Resistant <Medium>

Physical Resistant <Large>

Combat Arts :

▪Metronome X <Unique>

▪Grappling I

Assassination Arts :

▪Fatal Strike III

▪Stealth V

   ▪Obsfication Stealth

   ▪Essence Stealth

▪Silent Steps V

   ▪Shadow Steps

▪Presence Meld III

Senses :

▪Vision V

   ▪Night Vision

▪Smell II

▪Hearing V

    ▪Sound Detection

▪Touch II

▪Taste I

▪Mana IV

▪Life II

Magic system :

▪Non-Elemental V

   ▪Strengthening magic

   ▪Recovery magic

   ▪Essence magic

▪Fire V

   ▪Hellfire Magic

   ▪Ethereal Fire magic

   ▪Infernal Fire magic

▪Wind V

   ▪Lightning magic

   ▪Advanced Wind magic

   ▪Pure Wind magic

▪Earth V

   ▪Advanced Earth magic

   ▪Nature magic

   ▪Total Earth magic

▪Water V

   ▪Advanced Water magic

   ▪Ice magic

   ▪Pure Water magic

▪Dark V

   ▪Shadow magic

   ▪Pure Dark magic

   ▪Illusion magic

▪Light V

   ▪Advance Light magic

   ▪Pure Light magic

   ▪Holy magic

Advance Magic System:

▪Space magic (Unique)

▪Creation magic (Unique)

{Unavailable}

●

"Plus seven huh?" It was a bigger one but I didn't expect it to be like this. Well I disregarded the stats anyway since they don't indicate damage but well. I just hid the stats like I did before

"Done" strapping it on, and packing it into my backpack that took at least a couple of minutes, I took a heave-ho and carried it on the way I'm used to. Waving at the woman that finally looked into me, it seemed that she was still crying at the corner when I left her

Come to think of it, I didn't see most of her face but how come I felt that she was crying? wasn't it just the sound of it or the Gestures? but I feel something more to that, I feel something odd within the woman and it also seems to attract my attention

Walking my way back until I reached into the stone formations, I finally took a breather and took a glance at the woman beside me, she wasn't particularly dangerous even now, and from what I have heard, she was abandoned so I believe that she wont do anything bad or like it wasnt a set up to take advantage of me. There's seems to be no belongings with her and she simply had what she wore, this just support the idea that she doesn't actually have a place to stay and the fact that she was abandoned here alone

This woman, blatantly refusing an offer of goodwill while she doesn't actually have anything on her own. But well I can't judge her as it was only natural to be suspicious of the person that you havent met before, much more if they were offering a help. Actually I was also at the wrong... I should also be careful when offering help to others, the world truly is dangerous afterall... to even abandon someone, actually my assumption was that she got her stuff stolen and was left alone here. Since shes all by herself means that even her money were taken

Hah... from the looks of it, she was at best near the height of my old female classmates back when I was 18, Ah... I remembered they weren't that actually tall and only reached 5 feet and above but its sad that they are now even taller than me

Well I can't really tell her age, and I also doesn't understand this world's custom. Just from my preference I think that she was too young for the job of adventuring but then in the end I didn't know anything about her

"Hmm ... By the way I forgot to ask what is your name?... ah wait, It should be me first to introduce" It was common courtesy even amongst the novels that I have read and even a trend amongst other world genre

"My name is Xylene, what about yours?" I can see her fidgeting by the corner of my eyes since earlier, I tried to avoid looking as I might possibly shook her off, but it just feel weird for me to let it be like that

"Umm well... it was Iris"

"Hmm? Hey... it was a good name you know..." With my remark it seems that it served its purpose on helping her calmdown. I somehow felt it myself that she suddenly got tense at one moment but then for the least... the air around her seems to lightened abit later on, and I can see her no longer fidgeting

Actually I'm bad of a talker, but seing someone infront of me in the same situation, makes me feel weird myself. So atleast I try to make some effort as to not turn the mood even worst

Guiding her into the forest, she didn't seem to be that used to it, I can see it as she was cautious of the surroundings. Its not like I had a bad intention of inviting her in, but I can only smile abit as I should've been like that before when I first came here. But then strangely I wasn't, My own death should've took a blow on me at that time... and I seem to get riddled as to what actually happen on me after that, completely forgetting the dangers of a foreign place

A few minutes later... by the time we reached the place, it was already dark. It was also when she approached me and asked if we are there already. I can see that she is nervous, which then made me think for a bit of what would happen if I actually let her in the wild

"Ah... well, we have finally reached my place"