Sherry's Pursuit [2]

After getting everything necessary done, Sherry exited the city. She then took out the compass, which had been buzzing earlier.

The compass needle always pointed in one direction, but now it was flickering continuously, as if searching for the target that was either lost or out of range.

The compass had a limited range, and as she moved further away from the city, the chaotic mana outside hindered the compass's functions.

'I need to hurry up and move in the direction it was pointing earlier.' Sherry bit her lip in anxiety, fearing she might never find that person.

The compass was her only hope of locating a certain person with exceptionally high magic affinity for a specific attribute.

It wasn't a powerful device, as it had its limitations and was a retro prototype derived from a relic lost in time.

With only fragmentary knowledge and a touch of imagination, she had pieced together a device resembling the enigmatic relic, untested before.

Sherry had already lost hope in the compass working, but for the very first time, it had reacted and led her to Alex, though that encounter didn't end well.

Today, it reacted again, giving her a ray of hope.

'I hope it works, or I might never be able to...NO, It has to, please, please be.'

This thought haunted Sherry as she moved towards the direction the compass had pointed earlier, uncertain where it might lead.

She had lost hope many times, but she didn't give up easily. However, her hope could only last so long before she broke down in sorrow.

Sherry excelled academically, ranking first in all theoretical subjects, mundane or magic-related. However, the same couldn't be said for her physical abilities.

If one went by physical fitness alone, she was just one level ahead of what Alex was initially.

After a lot of persistence, perseverance, and determination, she managed to reach the start of the orange zone.

"Haaah, Haaah, I made it." It took her nearly an hour to reach, but she did it.

After catching her breath and regaining composure, she took out an expensive-looking small glass bottle with orange-hued shiny liquid inside and gulped it down in one go.

The potion Sherry drank was an energy potion, and by the looks of it, a high-grade one, which was very expensive in itself.

Taking a moment to collect herself and reenergizing, Sherry surveyed the surroundings in the orange zone. The air felt charged with chaotic mana, making her compass flicker even more erratically.

The terrain here was vastly different from the controlled environment of the city. Wild and untamed, the orange zone presented both an opportunity and a challenge for Sherry.

"I can't afford to lose track now. The compass is my only guide." she muttered, a determined glint in her eyes.

"Now that I have reached the orange zone, Gleam, come out." As Sherry spoke, a huge summoning magic circle appeared near her, and a giant Crystal Golem began to materialize from it.

The Crystal Golem stood majestically at a towering height of 2.5 meters, its shiny crystal body glistening with an ethereal glow, refracting light in a mesmerizing dance of colors.

The golem appeared intimidating from afar, but towards Sherry, it acted like a cute little dog, innocently looking at her. "Kyunn...?"

Although the golem couldn't speak human language, Sherry easily understood it and replied, "Don't worry, Gleam. We are just outside in the wilderness. Now, let's go; we have someone to find."

Gleam understood its master's wishes, picking Sherry up and seating her on its broad shoulders.

"Wait! Let's call Bellio for help too." Another summoning magic circle appeared, and a small blue and white whale materialized.

The diminutive whale resembled a plush toy, featuring vibrant blue on its back and a pristine white belly. An ethereal dark blue water wave beneath it gave the impression of effortlessly gliding through the air.

What truly captured the eye was the ethereal dark blue water wave beneath it, giving the impression of effortlessly gliding through the air rather than swimming in the sea.

"Bellio, be our guide, but don't roam too far. If you see something, signal me immediately."

Bellio exhaled powerful sprays of mist on top of his head and, with a cute sound, moved forward, "Bellio, Bellio!!!"

"That way, Gleam, after Bellio." Sherry instructed.

"Kyunnn." Gleam moved forward toward the direction Sherry pointed, carrying her on its back, albeit slower than Bellio.

Sherry was not a normal mage but a monster tamer. She was born with high talents and an affinity for magic, but unfortunately, she didn't have an affinity for any of the attributes.

It wasn't all bad, as she was born with a huge mana pool and had a natural talent for taming monsters.

Gleam and Bellio were her only two tamed monsters so far. They might not look like much, but both of them were C-rank monsters.

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Deep within the hazardous red zone, Alex found himself contemplating a swift retreat to avoid any inadvertent encounters with formidable D-rank monsters.

Although he possessed the prowess to effortlessly vanquish a pack of E-rank creatures unscathed, the prospect of facing D-rank adversaries was a risk he preferred not to take.

The specific D-rank monsters in this area were Berserker Boars, aptly named for their berserker nature, indiscriminately attacking anything within their line of sight.

These colossal creatures, resembling mini-vans in size, could effortlessly trample an entire pack of Monster Wolves, even those composed entirely of the formidable alpha that Alex had killed just the day before.

Despite the regular hunting attempts to curb their population, Alex, currently, wasn't inclined to test his mettle against these formidable foes.

His focus, instead, gravitated towards honing the mastery of his spells to successfully complete a side quest by day's end.

The half-dozen remaining E-rank monsters required for the main quest could be hunted on a later date, perhaps when he felt adequately prepared to face D-rank monsters.

While turning back and navigating his position on the map, he suddenly heard loud noises coming from his side.

Unable to discern the source, he curiously turned towards that direction to investigate.

He had not walked a few meters when the unknown sound started to increase, as it was coming in his direction.

'It sounds like a car engine?!'

Suddenly, a car, reminiscent of a copy of monster truck, careened through the forest, demolishing trees in its path.

Alex, caught off guard, was a moment too slow to grasp the situation when a man thrust his upper body out of the vehicle, bringing it to a halt before him.

"Hmm?!" Alex, bewildered, attempted to comprehend the unfolding scenario, but before he could react, the man called out, "Kid, wait!"

Unsure of the stranger's intentions, Alex, recalling Aurora's advice, contemplated making a swift escape.

However, he found himself halted by the man, who insisted, "Stop there! And don't think of running away."

Remaining vigilant, Alex, already on edge, prepared for the unexpected as a fireball hurtled toward him.

His <Dark Barrier> nullified the attack, further heightening his wariness in the face of this sudden assault.