Chapter Thirty Seven

That night, after everyone had laid to rest, Sally made her move. The campfire's embers glowed faintly, casting a dim, flickering light that danced across the sleeping faces of her companions. The forest around them was alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures, the rustling leaves and distant hoots creating a symphony of the wild.

Sally waited, her breath shallow and measured, listening intently for any signs of wakefulness from the others. The darkness was her ally, cloaking her in its embrace as she prepared to slip away. Her heart pounded in her chest, a steady drumbeat that echoed her resolve.

Slowly, she rose from her bedroll, every movement deliberate and cautious. The cold night air bit at her skin, but she ignored it, focusing on her task. Her eyes, now adjusted to the low light, scanned the camp one last time to ensure no one stirred.

Dagi sat a distance away from the camp, her spear within arm's reach, maintaining watch just as she had been doing every night. Jurai, still recovering, rested fitfully, her breathing shallow but steady. The others were scattered around the clearing, their forms huddled under blankets and cloaks. Satisfied that they were all deep in slumber, Sally took her first step.

She moved with the silence of a shadow, her footsteps light and barely disturbing the underbrush. The forest loomed around her, its dark canopy a protective shroud as she edged further from the camp.

Sally's mind raced with thoughts of the desperate woman they had encountered earlier. The haunting image of her terror-stricken face drove Sally forward. She knew Dagi was right; staying to help could jeopardize their mission. But she couldn't ignore the possibility that her intervention might make a difference for those left behind.

As she ventured deeper into the forest, the sounds of the camp faded, replaced by the chorus of insects and the occasional rustle of nocturnal animals. The moonlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting eerie patterns on the forest floor. Sally kept to the shadows, her senses on high alert.

After what felt like hours (just a few minutes. She's fast), she reached the riverbank. The sound of rushing water was louder here, a constant, reassuring presence. She paused to drink from the cool, clear stream, the water refreshing against her parched throat. She allowed herself a brief moment of rest, crouching low and scanning the area for any signs of danger.

The forest seemed to breathe around her, its nocturnal rhythm a stark contrast to the tension she felt. Sally knew she had to be swift and silent. Any misstep could lead to disaster, not just for her but for her entire group. She couldn't afford to be caught or to bring danger back to the camp.

Determined, she pushed on, following the river upstream towards the woman's village.

The forest began to thin as she approached the area where the woman had fled. The trees were sparser here, the ground littered with the debris of what had once been a thriving village. Sally's heart ached at the sight of the destruction. Homes were reduced to smoldering ruins, the air thick with the scent of charred wood and something far more sinister.

She crouched low, her eyes scanning the wreckage. Movement caught her attention, and she saw it. Placed together in the middle of the ruins, were the heads of its former inhabitants, each of the resting on the end of an upright pole. The sight of the woman who had cried for help as just a head sent Sally to the pits of despair.

Sally moved closer, keeping to the shadows. She spotted a group of the green skinned creatures patrolling the area, their tall forms silhouetted against the remains of the village. Demons. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her dagger, her mind filled with nothing but hatred and thoughts of slaughter.

Suddenly, a whimper pierces the night, drawing the attention of one of the demons and causing Sally to freeze. She peered through the underbrush, her eyes widening as she saw a young girl, no older than ten, hiding in the remnants of a house behind one of the demons.

Without thinking, Sally sprang into action. She darted forward, using the element of surprise to her advantage. Her blade flashed in the moonlight as she slashed at the demon close to the girl, severing its legs with a swift, precise strike. The creature howled in pain, right before she stabbed her dagger through its neck, its screams turning to gurgles as Sally scooped up the girl, her heart pounding.

"Stay quiet," she whispered to the child, her voice urgent yet gentle. The girl nodded, tears streaming down her face, but she made no sound.

Sally moved quickly, dodging through the shadows as the demons scrambled to respond to the sudden attack. She found a hiding spot behind a collapsed wall, the girl clinging to her tightly. They crouched there, breathless, as the demons searched the area.

Minutes felt like hours, but finally, one of the demons that had been out, ran into the ruins of the village. Sally watched this newcomer, presumably a scout, with rapt attention.

It spoke in a language Sally had never heard before, but somehow she could understand it, and that was enough.

His report made her blood run cold. Her encampment had been found, other scouts were keeping an eye on the women while this one came to report.

Looking down at the girl, she whispered, "We're going to get out of here. Do you trust me?"

The girl nodded, her wide eyes filled with a mixture of fear and hope. Sally smiled, a cold glint in her eye. "Good. Let's go."

A sudden crack rings through the air and Sally's instincts blare as a flash white narrowly misses her chest.

'Shit' she swore. 'i got distracted by the message, now they know I'm here.' In the distance she can see a demon, much larger than the rest, wearing a brown fur coat. His left arm raised in the position of a throw.

'I'll have to attack fast.' Sally stares at growing horse of demons surrounding her as she catches a small smirk on the large demon's face. 'Think this is enough to beat me? Wait till I wipe the that smile off your -' Sally's thoughts are cut off by the strained gurgles behind her.

A glance behind her sends a chill to the pits of her stomach, a stinging pain drawing at her chest as the little girl's eyes dim and she slumps, a white spear lodged in her throat.

Sally felt a familiar rage boiling up inside her as the girl's lifeless body slumped against her. The sting of failure twisted her insides, and for a moment, the world narrowed to a single point of focus: the sneering commander and the horde of demons around him. Her grip on her dagger tightened, knuckles white as she steeled herself for the fight to come.

The first wave of demons charged, their guttural cries echoing through the ruined village. Sally leaped into action, She met the first demon head-on, her dagger slicing through its leathery hide with ease. Its blood sprayed across her face, but she didn't flinch, already moving on to the next target.

A pair of demons lunged at her from either side, trying to overwhelm her with sheer numbers. Sally spun, her daggers a blur as she passed between them, carving a deadly path. She moved with a ferocity that bordered on savage, each strike born from fury. Her blades found throats, hearts, and eyes, cutting down the demons with lethal efficiency.

Another demon, larger than the rest, lunged at her with a massive club. Sally ducked under its swing, feeling the rush of air as it passed overhead. She rolled forward, coming up inside its guard and driving her dagger up into its jaw. The demon staggered back, gurgling on its own blood before collapsing in a heap.

More demons poured into the clearing, drawn by the commotion. Sally found herself surrounded, a sea of green bodies closing in on all sides. Her mind raced, calculating her next move even as she fought to stay alive. The commander watched from a distance, barking orders and directing the assault with cold efficiency.

Sally felt her rage settle in. She surged forward, her movements a blur of speed and precision. Her daggers flashed like lightning, each strike finding its mark. The demons fell around her in droves, their bodies piling up at her feet. But for every demon she slew, two more seemed to take its place.

She pivoted, catching a demon's wrist as it swung at her with a wickedly curved blade. With a swift twist, she disarmed it, spinning the weapon in her hand before burying it in the demon's chest. Another demon lunged at her from behind, its claws outstretched. Sally ducked, feeling the rush of air as its claws missed her by mere inches.

She came up inside its guard, driving her dagger into its throat with ruthless precision. The demon staggered, blood bubbling from its mouth before it collapsed. Sally barely had time to catch her breath before the next wave hit her, a wall of green bodies closing in.

Sally's heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins as she fought for what felt like hours. She was a whirlwind of motion, her daggers an extension of her will. She ducked, weaved, and struck with a lethal grace, each movement calculated and precise.

The demons were relentless, their sheer numbers threatening to overwhelm her. Sally's muscles burned with excitement, her breath coming in steadier gasps as she fought on. Her mind was a whirl of calculations, each move a smooth bid to stay one step ahead of the horde.

The demons pressed in from all sides, their sheer numbers a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. But Sally fought on, her movements a dance of death as she wove between them. Her daggers flashing like silver fire.

A massive demon riding a much more massive beast charged at her, its roar echoing through the clearing. Sally met it head-on, ducking under its wild swing and dragging her dagger up along the beast's throat. The demon staggered, falling from its mount before being crushed by said mount, blood spraying from the impact before it collapsed in a heap.

Sally was a force of nature now, her movements a blur as she carved a path through the horde. Her daggers sang as they sliced through the air, each strike a deadly promise.

The ground was slick with blood and the bodies of fallen demons, but Sally pressed on. She was a whirlwind of death, her daggers finding their mark with unerring accuracy. Her heart raced in her chest.

As the fight wore on, Sally's strength began to rise. An ocean blue aura surrounded with every dodge she made, eventually passing the one hundred mark. Her aura rose so fiercely it gave them demons pause for only a moment.

Finally, she reached the commander, the hulking demon standing amidst the chaos. It sneered at her, its eyes cold and calculating as it drew a massive sword. Sally met its gaze, her heart pounding in her chest.

She launched herself at the demon, her daggers flashing in the moonlight. In a surprise feat of speed, the commander met her strike with its sword, the clash of metal ringing through the air. The ground beneath the commander however caved in forming a crater.

The demon was strong, its strikes powerful and precise. But Sally was faster, and now she was stronger, her movements a dance of death as she weaved around its attacks. She struck at its exposed flank, her dagger slicing through its flesh with ease.

The commander roared in pain, lashing out with a wild swing. Sally parried its strike, coming up inside its guard and driving her dagger into its chest then dragging it down to its hip. The demon staggered back, blood pouring from the wound.

Sally pressed her advantage, her movements a blur of speed and precision. She struck again and again, each blow finding its mark. The demon's strength began to wane, its attacks growing more desperate as it fought to stay upright.

Finally, with one last, powerful strike, Sally drove her dagger into the demon's skull. The commander let out a final, gurgling whimper before collapsing to the ground, its lifeblood pooling around it.

Sally stood over the fallen demon, her chest heaving with exertion. The horde of demons had thinned, their numbers decimated by her relentless assault.

'I messed up.' tears pooled in her eyes. 'I could have ended this a long time ago. I didn't even use any skills. I could have easily destroyed them. But I was being cautious, Maple would never do this. She would never wait and watch while someone was in danger.' the sudden downpour of rain did nothing to bother Sally as she stood on the outskirt of the broken village, the water washing away some of the blood.

She turned, her eyes scanning the ruined village. Finally, satisfied that the area was clear, Sally turned and made her way back to the riverbank. She moved quickly, her senses on high alert as she retraced her steps. The forest loomed around her, its dark canopy a protective shroud as she made her way back to the camp.

She reached the riverbank, pausing to catch her breath. Her heart still raced, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through her veins. She took a moment to drink from the cool, clear stream, the water refreshing against her parched throat.

Her mind raced with thoughts of the fight, the memory of the girl's lifeless body a constant reminder of the stakes. She knew she had to change to live in this world.

With a final, determined breath, Sally set off into the forest, her steps swift and sure. The darkness enveloped her, the sounds of the forest a constant presence as she made her way back to her friends.

She would not let the enemies win. Not like tonight. Not ever again.

A few minutes later, her interface appeared with a ding.

|| Level Up ||

|| Level Up ||

|| Level Up ||

|| Level Up ||

|| Level Up ||

|| Level Up ||

|| Level Up ||

|| Sally ||

|| Lv: 10 || Exp: 370/35,500 ||

|| HP: 20,200 ||

|| MP: 43,000 ||

|| STR: 22,000 ||

|| AGI: 58,500 ||

|| Inventory ||

|| Party || ×7 ||

|| Permission Required ||

|| Guild has leveled up ||

|| Congratulations, you have pushed your guild through a significant milestone ||

|| Reward: World Map ||

"Hmm?" Sally immediately froze as she stared at the interface. "Guild?... My Guild?... The Guild?" Her eyes eyes widen in a burst of emotions. "The Guild is here!" Jumping to the top of a large tree to avoid prying eyes, she drills holes into the interface with her eyes. "Message." Nothing happens. "Message Maple." Nothing happens again.

"Is there something interfering? Could be distance." Her eyes flash with excitement. "But this confirms Maple's here, she has to be. She's the guild leader. Hmmm a reward?" She mentally clicks on the reward. "World map huh." Suddenly the interface expands and she can see a virtual layout of the land around her.

A small green dot on the edge of a forest represents herself, a small group of green dots represents her party. Ahead of them is a black expanse. "Hmmm I see, so the map only records where I and my allies have been. What's that?" She notices on the edge of the map is a green arrow. Zooming out of the forest, she scrolls past a large area of black nothingness until. "It's the guild!" The darkness clears showing another land, with a large green dot with the name Maple Tree blinking above it. "It's really here."

Sally catches herself tearing up while she giggles uncontrollably. "Maple... Kaede, I found you."

////

In a large hall, a banquet is being held. Music plays as nobles mingle with one another. In the middle of the hall a group of nobles exchange greetings with a young black haired girl.

The girl smiles as the nobles try to convince her of their family's worth in round about ways. Bringing up marriage more times than she's comfortable with.

Eventually the girl finds time to herself as she walks to the balcony of the manor. Once their she lets out a yawn. "This is so boring. How much longer do I have to do this Chrome?" She asks her guild mate via message.

"I know, I know. This is important. It's just really hard not to fall asleep. The king feels nice... I think. I can't be sure with the way this world is."

*Ding*

"Hang on, I just got a notification."

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"Sally?"