hey soul sister

[Avalon]

word count;2237

Avalon felt alone. Being in the Windsor Greatwood felt so calming and nice with the glistening sun just hiding halfway in the cloud and with the cool breeze compared to the city life back in the real world. The environment was too dingy and smokey with the fumes of gas to enjoy the nature's calling. This place was too nice to be considered real to life--way too nice. As she walked further off the dirt path passed the variety of trees and bushes, she felt that empty emotion once again. She was not the type to feel depressed about things but she missed her cousins who were the ones who originally introduced her to this game and she still hasn't seen any of her cousins so far. There was no where in sight of anyone she recognized to help her in this unfamiliar woods. She needed her cousins who she trusted to guide her in Elder Tale. She just prayed that her cousins also logged in and were exploring some other location in Elder Tale and trying to find her hopefully. She honestly was not close to her cousins for the past few years but until recently, they were the genuine ones to happened to keep her company even though they didn't really a reason to do those things for her.

In the past, she had ignored most of them for her friends who she partied hard and smoked with. She had been called the black sheep of the whole family by her aunties though she actually was not supposed to hear those words. It cut her deep inside that those words from her aunties' only caused her act out and cause trouble even more and more. Deep inside, she knew that eventually her actions would soon land her into trouble that she wouldn't be able to get away with. For some reason, she just couldn't help it. She had tried over and over again to trying her hardest to studying hard to earn good grades to acting the perfect girl opposite of what they thought her to be. She had begun to believe that they had meant for her to hear those mean accusations to rile her for who knows what. Eventually she cursed at them and became what they accused her to be--the black sheep. Imperfect. The troublemaker.That's why she had been confused and baffled when they reunited with her after all that time. Why? She just didn't understand. Well at first she didn't understand but after spending time with them, she realized that just maybe--blood was thicker than water. She didn't believe that saying but now she fully believed those words. She really did.

Avalon shook her head in order to get rid of those thoughts that brought her kind in a turmoil the past few minutes. For now, she had to adapt to this new environment to learn how to survive in this seeming peaceful place without much help than she originally thought. The People of the Land or Landers as she found that term out, weren't as kind as she thought they would be like before this Catastrophe happened. She had asked this mid-aged man with graying brown hair, a Lander who practically spat on her face and told her to get lost. And then there was this black haired woman Lander who had the indecency to ignore her the whole time. If it were her, she would have at least helped someone by that time.They wouldn't even lift a finger. She grudgingly even used puppy dog eyes to hopefully have them feel sorry for her earlier. She honestly was just asking for directions to find her way but her asking didn't go as planned. Weren't the People of the Land supposed to be nice and also helpful to all the adventurers? That's what she had thought in the beginning like when first played the Elder Tale game with her cousins but this was all very different. It seemed that each and every person of the land had their own personalities and attitudes now in this updated version of the game. Unfortunately, most shared this resentment toward the adventurers that she didn't quite understand. Besides, she had tried to be as polite to them as possible but that still didn't work to change their minds and help her at least. What a barbarian. She had heard those words whispered as she passed by them amongst the People of the Land.

It was like back at home when she was called the black sheep of the family. Yes, it hurt that they called her a barbarian. And yes, she did want to punch them out so hard. Despite all that, she grudgingly had to admit it that she really did need the People of the Land. They could help her. There had to be some Lander who was nonjudgmental enough and didn't completely share the resentment toward the adventurers. There had to be. She could really take a drag right now but there wasn't any cigarettes or matches in sight, nothing at all to calm her nerves. A nice cold beer would be nice too. She knew that there was a choice of being a brewer for the crafting sub class so there must be someone somewhere who could lend a hand in making some good beer for her though a sweet soda would do as well. She didn't need anything fancy, just well something that could relax her even for a while. Maybe there was a Lander brewer? She wasn't sure since she had only played the Elder Tale a few times with her cousins and even then, she didn't really take the game seriously until now. Now that she was and had to take the game seriously, no one so far was up for helping her or at least just giving her advice. She knew that there were many adventure refers back up from the trail but she needed to gain some experience in fighting in order to survive in this world. Maybe she should have asked for some one to come with her but she was too self reliant to ask for that kind of help. She regretted it but she stubbornly couldn't turn back now. She needed to find some adventurer and she thought that maybe she would find someone.

Unexpectedly before she even journeyed further into the Windsor Greatwood, she stopped in her tracks hearing a gruff but loud voice yelling for her to stop. Avalon turned apprehensively around and saw a breathlessly tall scrawny old man who had a slight limp, a NPC who plodded his way toward her. Once he came up next to her, she widened her eyes feeling a bit intimidated by how imposing he was compared to her; her head was just below the old man's shoulders. The man scratched his head for few moment and apologizing, "Sorry young adventurer. Name's William," and continued with a wide grin, "You look strong kid. Must be experienced in fighting aren't cha?" complimenting her in the last statement. Even though the things he wasn't true, she couldn't help but cock her head and blush by the obvious compliments. Besides, she at most--looked like a young teenager. "Not really," she responded while looking slightly down in embarrassment and continued, "but I try" as she moved her head upwards. She didn't want to seem too weak so she gulped down her nervousness and asked, "So anyway, I know you want to ask me something. What's the question?" since she knew no one would come up to any random stranger just to give them compliments especially a Lander. The old man widened his wrinkled eyes for a moment and grinned, "To the point eh?" and exhaled slowly, "Alright kid. My son and his wide died just recently leaving his four kids behind. I need to get some food for them and prices for food have gone up. I could just hunt for food. But as you can see, my body's not as good as it used to be."

Avalon's could feel the emotion from the man and her eyes almost teared up from the loss that the old man suffered and now had to provide for four children by himself. It perturbed her feeling sympathetic to a NPC since the few times she had played the Elder Tales game, they only there for her benefit such as for gaining game information, a variety of purchases, and for quests. They were just like real people. They expressed their own options and showed emotions and feelings she didn't expect them to have. "I hope you're not busy, I just have one favor to ask of you," he continued as he gazed at her closely. She responded with mild curiosity in her eyes, "No I'm not busy at all. What is it?" though she had a idea of what he was going to ask of her. "Of it's not too much too ask," and paused for moment, "Could you capture some monsters for my family for dinner tonight? Of course, you're invited to eat with us too?" and waited for her response. She thought it amusing that he crossed his fingers at the same time, meaning that he really wanted her help. The prospect of eating a good dinner was tempting enough. Could she actually manage the task? This was her first time where she would be battling monster. But--but this old man sounded genuine and looked like he really needed her help. "I'll help you out, don't worry, " she assured him though hiding her hesitation. He clasped both his hands together and grinned, "Alright! We'll meet back here around supper time!" and extended his right arm out toward her. She paused for a moment being thrown off and shook his hand, noticing with wince that his hand grip was tighter than she thought it would be. "It's a deal!" the old man rejoiced and she responded trailing off, "Yeah a deal..." as she waved at him and walked away from him. What did she get herself into?

Continuing on, she heard a light rustling noise that lasted for at least twenty seconds from a distance that sounded like it was coming from some bushes. Maybe that could be another adventurer returning from leveling up? Or a monster? She really hoped that was not the case. Avalon wasn't even sure she was brave enough to battle a monster or even use her crossbow without shaking from fear. She didn't feel ready enough for this potentially realistically dangerous encounter but she made a deal and shook on it. She couldn't back out on it. Avalon would feel guilty if she didn't find some monsters and risk the old man and children from having dinner. Avalon took a deep breath and eyes so to calm herself. There was no telling of what she would encounter as the rustling of leaves and bushes drew closer and closer but she had to be ready when it does happen. She had to consider her abilities first. Assassin Class. Her class had high physical damage and were fast. Hunter Sub-Class. They had great marksmanship and caused more damage to beast type monsters with the usage of the bow weapons. Crouching down on her knees behind a medium sized lush green bush, Avalon took out her beginner's crossbow and got her weapon ready to battle. With her hands slightly shaking from nervousness, she clumsily drew the bowstring back by the shooter as she then locked it into position at the nock point with the trigger. She placed her beginner's crossbow leaning against herself as she retrieved a bolt from her inventory. She then carefully placed the bolt on her crossbow's stock grove and sold the bolt's nock point up the strong.

She felt it odd for her to be using bolts because she was used to hearing the term arrows more often. There were some bow users who used bow users who used the crossbow but she would observe sometimes and see more often the long bows at her school in the archery club and it was amazing. She didn't want to admit since her friends back then weren't the type to do anything academic including clubs at school. All they wanted to do was party hard and drink. Now she was doing her best to change. Still, sometimes her past would crawl back to her at times. She couldn't let that happen and ruin her growing relationship with her cousins and maybe more positive influencing friends later on. Maybe she would find one in the game? Suddenly, she was interrupted by loud grunting noise and followed up by a screeching squealing noise. What happened? Did another player make a kill? Maybe the player was nice? Or maybe not? In any case, she had to take precautions with the recent knowledge of rumors that some players had P.K.'d other players but she wasn't so sure. It was just rumors being passed around. It couldn't be true right? But...but she honestly was scared that would happen to her. She had to adapt and be strong. The sounds of a death of a supposed monster weren't too close. It sounded more than a few feet away. She placed her finger right by the crossbow's trigger and waited in anticipation with her heart beating faster and faster.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;1056

After a heart racing minute, there was no player or monster that she see could spot close by or from some distances further. She took a deep breath outwards to hopefully release the tension caused by herself and to calm her nerves from the enemy she thought was coming toward her. There was actually no one to be worried about. The other Elder Tale players that made that kill most likely from some type of boar based on the high pitched squealing, probably went in some other direction. She plopped herself on the grass covered ground with heated breath and carefully leaned her beginner's crossbow against the medium sized lush bush. Now that she settled on the ground and felt less tense, she surveyed her surroundings in order to gain an idea of the environment's advantages and disadvantages at the moment. It was time wrenching but she knew she had to somehow keep a steady breath and talk much less than she would usually do. Just rely on her five sense to observe without any observations out loud. She felt a nice cool wind that steadily breezed past her but not to the point of the wind being too strong to lose her footings. Unlike the nice breeze, Avalon's head was heated and she felt herself perspire from her forehead as sweat rolled down her cheeks.

The bright scorching sun was showing itself amongst all the spaced out round clouds in the sky, not giving her much coverage to hide herself from up above. The means of coverage specifically from the trees, were unfortunately surrounding her some feet away though even if she did choose to move her location, the lush trees were not as protective and did not provide her with enough shade as she would have preferred the surroundings to be. If she would have journeyed deeper into the Windsor Greatwood, she would have more suitable conditions to hide herself with the large and proud trees with thick barks of wood that would be just perfect to practice her cutting and shaping for her wood crafting sub class. She still had not the opportunity to gain experience in the different classes yet. It would be nice to be able to build her very own home while stuck in the Elder Tale world. But---she did not have the confidence to venture further beyond the light woods and into the deep forest toward the ancient castle where stronger monsters would dwell. She closed her violet eyes and breathed outwards sighing at the thought and the wish that she was stronger to not be so cautious of going anywhere by herself. Yes, she did enter the Windsor Greatwood alone but that decision might have been the wrong one. An adventurer she had passed by in the town had bragged that he was just a mere level one samurai until he continuously fought many low level monsters all by himself. She had innocently taken what he said to heart and wanted to try crunching up some levels all by herself like he did. After all, she honestly did not really know much about the Elder Tale game--yet.

Suddenly, she felt a strong gust of wind hit her on the spot that she had to extend her arms in front of her face to prevent the excessive dust from blowing into her face and disturbing her eyesight. What was up about that sudden wind? With the unexpected gust of air, clusters of a variety of leaves were swiftly blown against her face leaving her slightly disorientated from the collision of leaves blown from the deeper parts of the Windsor Greatwood. Unfortunately, her lips curved downwards feeling a slight sting from her left arm from most likely one of the leaves. Avalon stood straight as she intently inspected her supposed injured left arm. The injury didn't look like much, just a thin slightly red line on her outer part of her left arm but it felt just like one of those irritating paper cuts she used to get sometimes when she she had used to enjoy a hobby of paper crafts.They were just small but it did sting. She gritted her teeth and winced but it would be humiliating if someone saw her face by a mere paper cut. If so, would she even be able to survive in this dangerously realistic world? Who would even want to accompany a weak character who basically was just learning the game? She would rather run and log out first chance she got. That wasn't an option. Back at home, she was confident and life was just a game until getting caught by the police. Her past self would laugh and insult for being this insecure. This wasn't her. Unexpectedly, her head twitched momentarily at hearing multiple different sounds from some monsters some distances away.

She turned her body slowly toward the noises coming from the deeper part of the Windsor Greatsor where the presence of thick and tall trees inhabited themselves. Thump! Thump! Thump! Ba-dump! Despite her better judgement of risking her safety, her curiosity got the best of her and cute bunnies were hard to resist not to take a glance at and the unfortunate prospect of a battle. Besides, she would at least keep her distance from those rabbits if worse comes to worse. Regular rabbits were usually timid after all. So it should apply to the Elder Tale rabbits as well right? She cradled her beginner's crossbow gripping her weapon with clenched hands as if it was the most important item she held in the world. Avalon could not afford to lose her only weapon of she were to keep herself alive in this world. She still wasn't confident as she would wanted herself to be. Who knows what the outcome would be if she was killed in battle if she second guessed herself in a critical moment. With hesitant light steps, she crouched slightly down paying close attention to the location of the frenmic rabbits and stalked toward the location of the rabbits that she might have an opportunity to gain experience in battling though she wished it would not have been the case. Some of the monsters were just innocent creatures in the wild but unfortunately were essential to gaining experience and leveling up your classes.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;522

With anticipation growing, she breathlessly skulked through many different natural hiding spots such as the thick mosses, trees, and large bushes. Every now and then, she would quickly halt and stood straight behind one of the many trees in the Windsor Greatwood. She knew that it was only a matter of time before the frenmic rabbits would eventually notice her presence in the woods. The frenmic rabbits were known for their great alertness and sense of incoming threats to themselves. Still, she had to take her chances and not regret in not being able to gain some battling experience even against low level monsters though the frenmic rabbits were a perfect and only choice at the moment.

Finally reaching the clearing surrounded by thick trees and much shade, she stood still and silently with her palms faced forward behind a thick and large oak tree and breathed slowly inward and exhaling through her nose as that action cleared her mind and revitalized herself. Soon, she slowly cocked her neck slightly to observe the creatures in front of her. It looked like a family of frenmic rabbits. The younglings of rabbits, both described to be level ones were of a cinnamon and also a cream coloring. They both were amusingly quickly jumping and frolicking into the air, while twisting and flicking their head and feet as if both frenmic rabbits were happy and enjoying their time together. The two larger framed frenmic rabbits both at level two were of a sable and a red coloring and were interestingly pacing and rubbing themselves against various things in clearing including the mossy grasses, small plants, and barks of the trees as if marking and claiming the territory as their own.

She honestly did not want to disturb and cause pain to this peaceful and surreal scene at nature's finest by attacking one or more of the frenmic rabbits. It would feel like destroying a whole family. She would had this opportunity to observe nature like what she was doing now when she lived in the city life. Everything there was too noisy and sometimes chaotic that she had become desensitized and drown all of it that she realized that she never actually noticed the actual dinginess amongst the vibrant artificial lights and modern buildings in the city until this very moment. Literally shaking her turmoil filled mind off, she shook her head for a few seconds and thought that just maybe harming one frenmic rabbit would be enough instead of attacking them all. Maybe she was naively being a pacifist in this survival of the fittest situation but an opportunity of serene was mostly hard to come by the city and would be forever ingrained into one of her most best memories. It would have been nice if she had some of camera to take a picture of it but there was none in sight anywhere. She had to admit it. Despite the loss of some electronics she would constantly depend on back at home, the world of Elder Tale she was now stuck in provided her with much more meaningful experiences than she expected.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;1073

About an hour ago, she had made a promise to the old man so she couldn't let her feelings get in the way of fulfilling it. Even though she didn't personally know the old man and the children, she want to be the cause of anyone starving. Maybe she would need those NPCs in the future so helping them out was the perfect way to get into their good graces at the moment. She didn't like the thought of other adventurers laughing at how weak she was. That would be so humiliating. Leveling up sounded good too since being weak wasn't something she wanted to stay. The frenmic rabbits were in the process of plants and grasses so with them being distracted, they didn't notice her yet. She knew she had to choose attacking the larger frenmic rabbits because attacking the level ones would most likely kill them in one shot. She was an assassin type class and that meant the class boasted the highest attack power. She would have rather been a bard since she loved music and using a instrument in battle she thought, sounded really fun. Avalon remembered going karaoke with her friends almost every week and attempting to teach herself how to play the guitar. But her cousins chose everything for her since she didn't really care at the time and she wasn't someone who practiced being stealthy though maybe lying and sneaking out might count but not for this situation. So with her being an assassin type class, she had to be careful to be able to capture the beasts alive in order to bring them to the old man to cook. She slightly smiled at the prospect of eating something that actually taste good.

The only problem besides her aim was using her crossbow. Yes, her crossbow meant that her attacks would be quieter than other choices of weapons that an assassin could wield. There was a clearing surrounding the frenmic rabbits but shooting her crossbow's bolt, it might pose a problem if the bolt became caught on a branch or anything else that was in it's way toward the target. If she crept up closer to the frenmic rabbits for that scenario to happen, it might risk her location to become exposed. Her targets would notice her by then and run away from fear by then. She couldn't let that happen. What should she do now? Should she risk it and attack from the spot she was in already? Her aim wasn't that great so she was apprehensive about shooting from her spot. Or risk it even more by exposing herself? She couldn't spend too much time thinking about shooting her first target especially that she was on a time limit to return with the kill. Once she thought about, shooting one frenmic rabbit wouldn't be enough to feed five people so she had to find another monsters to bring back. The rabbits were too quick for her to be able to shoot all of them for the NPCs to eat and actually, including herself. They would long gone even after shooting one of the rabbits. She hoped she was wrong though. After some thought, she decided to take her chances and shoot them where her location. One of her bolts should at least hit one of the frenmic rabbits right?

Placing one bolt onto the string, she narrowed her eyes as she intently made sure that the end of the bolt was resting securely on the groove of her beginner's crossbow. She bent down on her right knee on the ground and laid her crossbow on her shoulder for better leverage and easier for her to aim her bolt to her target. She had her finger on the trigger and was ready to shoot her target. The target was the largest frenmic rabbit, which was conveniently eating some plants and was digging up some dirt. It was the closest rabbit that she could aim her crossbow at and least likely to die in one shot. A level three monster. "Accel Dance," she said quietly as her eyes flashed midnight gold. Wolf ears and a thick bushy tail quickly grew from her caused by most likely the prospect of battle awaiting her. The Accel Dance move cleared her mind and released her body inhibitors. Avalon swiftly pressed down on her crossbow's trigger and sent the bolt zooming toward her target faster than she even thought the bolt would ever go. Observing the bolt's trajectory, it fortunately zoomed past obstacles she had thought would sent the wooden bolt spiraling downward. It seemed this time, that was not the case in this situation as luck was on her side. There were some close calls with some branches and leaves just a few mere inches away a from her projectile.

Sweet! She loosened her grip on her beginner's crossbow and gave a toothy wide grin when her bolt hit the target. Wait--what? Maybe she got her hopes up too high. Right after she executed her attack, the rabbit disappeared with a glowing light into bits of pieces of data that floated off with the wind. Instead of actually hitting the intended target, it turned out that the largest frenmic rabbit was still alive and well as the it and the rest of the rabbits had already bolted out away from the danger. Damn. Unfortunately, it seemed that her trajectory was more than a little off and hit one of the smaller rabbits. She needed to aim for the higher level and bigger level frenmic rabbits to give to the old man to cook and feed the three children. How did that happen? She executed the Accel Dance move, which increased the speed of her attack but she guessed that it had nothing to do with accuracy at all. She had to improve her long to mid ranged abilities on her own. That would take time and patience. Avalon wasn't sure that she would have those two traits in time to improve when leveling up in battles was very much important in this realistically dangerous world. She wasn't even a gamer. The only quality that helped her though grudgingly had to admit were the classes her cousins chose for her. Assassin. She wasn't much of a front line battler. Feeling too timid, she would freeze up or so she thought. She just had to become used to the challenge. Right?

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;2126

Damn. Glancing her eyes quickly in different directions, she observed that there were no frenmic rabbits in sight. Nothing at all. They were long gone. She clenched her beginner's crossbow tightly that it left marks on her palms. She failed but she couldn't just give up--yet. Her mind was in turmoil knowing she was overthinking her options but she had been so sure that her bolt would hit the right target. With a glimmer of hope, she thought just maybe she would be able to catch up to the frenmic rabbits somehow. But then again, her mouth curved downward in the realization in that possibility to be impossible. Or was it? They bolted away from danger before she could even catch a glimpse of what direction they were headed toward. The strong currents of wind blowing multiple leaves all over the place were becoming erratic as it began to hit against her once again and she had less of an idea of what path to head toward. Maybe it would have been a better idea for her cousins to choose a tracker or pathfinder sub class. Those two classes sounded better suited in this type of situation though she wasn't too sure since she didn't really read much about them. What should she do now? What could she do now? The only thing she was sure that she could do at the moment was just continue on forward and she would locate other monsters the more she went deeper into the Windsor Greatwood. It would just be a matter of time until she would encounter something along the way. She had to be right. Anything was possible right?

In a world very unfamiliar to Avalon, there were many things that she did not truly understand and basics concepts of the game that she wished that she paid more attention to before the catastrophe occurred. She wasn't stupid. But she made stupid decisions that included not gaining the basic knowledge of the Elder Tales. Avalon had to minimize the number of mistakes she could possibly make here. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm her nerves and continue on her mini adventure to find more monsters to battle though a bit hesitant in movement. Although she was anxious about continuing onward, she decided to wing it and pick any trail she felt that would lead her to more monsters. She used to give up easily and convince others to take over for her in other situations but she had no one else to rely on but herself at the moment. Having swung her beginner's crossbow over her shoulder, she got up from her hidden position behind the bushes and followed her instinctual choice of path she would take. Light stepping away, she quickly darted her eyes back and forth as she surveyed the surroundings around herself. Avalon couldn't help but shiver since the winds had made her slightly cold. Ahhh-choo! Blowing her nose with a piece of cloth, she cursed at accidentally letting out a loud sneeze. Crap! She didn't exactly feel like she was going to sneeze. This was bad. She most likely scared off many monsters that she would really want to battle by this time. Her chances of doing just that was lowered by who knows what.

She sighed but decided to make do with it as she passed by multiple trees, a few small ponds, and some clearings but so far--there was nothing in sight. It was as if the frenmic rabbits who ran away after she attacked the small frenmic rabbits alerted other rabbits of the lurking danger namely her. It just wasn't fair. She had been so close but yet so far. If only that one shot went for the frenmic rabbit that she originally was aiming for, then she wouldn't have the need to begin on this wild goose chase. But now, she knew she couldn't afford to think of all the what-ifs. She had to improvise. Avalon sped faster and faster through the Windsor Greatwood since seeing the horizon darken, she was reminded that she was on time limit though actually wasn't sure what time it would be. He didn't exactly specify what time was supper time. Soon, she felt herself perspire and sweat fall down her cheeks as she continued looking for monsters, low level monsters of course. She knew she wasn't yet fit and experienced enough to be challenging any monsters past her current level. Level one. Avalon clenched her fists tightly until they turned white at the frustration of still not accomplishing her goal. But she would find a way--she always did.

There it was! Breathing heavily, she came a abrupt halt after running for a while when she spotted a monster some yards away from her position. Her running and frustration had paid off. She crept up closer as she soon hid behind a thick tree in order to be able to get a better view of the monster. Avalon widened her eyes in surprise at the realization the monster she thought she had seen was actually a bunch of weird dull lucid green slimes with bulging big black eyes. They were all clustered together that they appeared to look like one long and intimidating slime monster. She intently looked at the description of the dull green slimes overhead and breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that the highest was only level two. She squinted her eyes a bit and observed intensely that there was five of the dull green slimes all moving into a line formation. They weren't really interesting to watch actually. It was just slimes wiggling around to the point of them looking retarded. Nothing cute or adorable like the frenmic rabbits she had enjoyed watching for a while. She would have chosen to avoid battling the dull green slimes but they would notice her presence if she moved forward into their territory. Avalon didn't know how aggressive they would act toward her and she didn't want to test them. She preferred to stay a long to mid ranged fighter where the only danger she thought, would be missing the intended target she would be aiming for. Besides, she felt like she was put on the spot if she was forced to be front line fighter.

Considering her options, she wondered she had the ability to be able to defeat all the five dull green slime monsters within the so-called time limit that she had been given by from the old man she met earlier. Even though most of the dull green slimes were of the same level as her except for the two of them that were level two, she didn't feel as confident using the beginner's crossbow as she would want herself to be. After all, she had already missed her target earlier. That didn't really help much in boosting up her confidence in using her own starter weapon but she had to try anyway. She leaned herself against her the thick tree as she carefully loaded another bolt into the groove in her beginner's crossbow and firmly rested the end of the crossbow against her right shoulder. "Come, gotta hit this time," she muttered desperately as she observed closely at the dull green slimes wiggling about. She decided to shoot the dull green slime situated in the middle. If she was not able to hit the middle target that she was aiming for then her bolt would most likely hit the left or right dull green slime instead. Avalon just hoped they would not decide to scatter too quickly like the frenmic rabbits did though the slimes didn't look that fast anyway. She hoped she was right. She pulled the trigger. Accel dance! Her mind cleared once again and her body relax as it caused her projectile to more quickly and exert more power to speed up further.

The crossbow's bolt zoomed toward the middle dull green slime though slightly wobbled and spun shakily because of her inexperience using the crossbow. Shoot and score! She gave a wide grin in satisfaction at finally being able to hit the target she was aiming for this time. Like the level one frenmic rabbit she had defeated earlier, this level one dull green slime was blasted into bits and pieces of data that eventually disappeared into the winds. But this was not the end of the battle. There were still four other dull green slimes to defeat in order to move further along and battle the monsters she needed to capture for the old man to cook for his grandchildren. There was a slight problem. Right after she defeated the middle dull green slime, all of the other green slimes scattered around frantically most likely at the shock of one of their own being destroyed. Zigzagging all over the place. This was another dilemma. After a few seconds, she loaded up another bolt into the groove of her beginner's crossbow. She then used another Accel Dance to clear her mind even further to speed up her projectile attack as she aimed for another dull green slime that seemed to be frantically moving slower than the rest of the dull green slimes. She hoped that she had luck on her side this time since her skill at using her beginner's crossbow was sorely lacking at the moment. At least she had speed and power on her side. That's what mattered so far.

"Shoot," she muttered irritatedly as she observed that her shooting and luck failed her this time. As her bolt was heading straight for the slower moving dull green slime, the slime unexpectedly zigzagged quickly to the right before her projectile could hit dead-on target in the center. She had not considered the possibility that the slime would be able to move faster than it already did. Now she knew that not considering that was a mistake. The bolt's velocity was just right but the winds were picking up again and that the dull green slime had unfortunately moved from it's position. At least the Accel Dance move increased the speed of her attack just enough though only managed to graze the dull green slime's left side a bit as a result. That was better than nothing. The utter feeling of completely missing her target once again was worse than missing her target by a little, There was a bit of the dull green slime's health points left since it was the slime that was level two. Possibly one or two attacks more and she would be able to defeat that dull green slime. In the meantime, she could just concentrate on defeating one by one the other dull green slimes until the highest level slime was sorely left and vulnerable to her next attacks. Avalon hoped that the winds didn't decide to pick up once again when she was executing her attacks especially that she was using her beginner's crossbow, a long to mid ranged weapon so was quite a distance away from her targets and anything in front of her would most likely affect her shooting accuracy.

Maybe third time's the charm? This would be the third attempt at shooting at the dull green slime. Even though the weight of the heavy crossbow's end was beginning to cause a burning pain making her wince a couple of times from resting her crossbow on her shoulder for a long period of time so far, she could not afford to stop her attack on the slime monsters now. She was only now gaining a momentum and getting used to using her beginner's crossbow. Avalon could rest later of course. She stuck a new bolt in the groove of the crossbow and relaxed her body to become ready to shoot one of the dull green slimes once again. Accel Dance! Her eyes flashed a moonlight yellow as she aimed her bolt at her current target. She decided to aim once again at the level two dull green slime instead of taking out the lower leveled slimes since she thought it would be more convenient to deal with the harder monsters first. Avalon's golden eyes narrowed in intense concentration and her mind drifted into a clearer state as her body was let go of it's natural inhibitors causing her movements to increase in speed once more. This will hit! It has to! Her crossbow's bolt was sent flying toward the level two dull green slime that was moving a bit faster than last time she shot at it. Fortunately, the bolt she used zoomed and spun faster and faster toward her target straight ahead without wiggling erratically less than before. She prayed and hoped it would hit this time.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;395

Shoot and score baby! Her hoping and praying did pay off after all. She had made her to increase her attack speed and intently concentrate on her intended target to reach her goal to defeat the dull green slime. That very moment when she noticed the bolt hit the grassy clearing and the anima dissipated, it caused her to breath a sigh of relief and curl her lips in satisfaction. Although the cool down was just ten seconds compared to her other abilities, she frowned feeling impatient when she could be already in the process of shooting another bolt at her target. After all, patience did not come naturally to her. Back at home, she was so used to living the fast life and doing things that she needed to be done efficiently and quick. Now, it was a waiting game. She was a long-range fighter who had to make damn sure her bolts were going toward the specific trajectory and the sweet spot where it mattered the most.

Oh no! Noticing that most of the dull green slimes had all but scattered away, she widened and held in a gasp at the bewilderment that there was one brave dull green slime standing it's ground and seemingly ready to defend it's comrades from the hidden attacker. She had been surprised with the display of such courage that she had not expected from a low level creature of the forest. Avalon had thought low level monster were most likely cowardly and easily to be scared off but she was wrong. Now she felt a bit saddened with the fact that she had killed off those dull green slimes earlier with the way the last one standing was displaying courage to take her on even though odds were not in it's favor. After all, the poor thing was only a level one monster. How was it supposed to defend itself? She took a deep breath to calm herself and regain a maintenance of a slow and steady heart as clumsy as her attempt had been. It troubled her that display had interrupted her clarity of thinking as purely a hunter sub-class for almost a whole minute. It clearly was time for her to get back on track for her goal to capture monsters for the landers she had promised to get. So what should she do now?

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;456

The time was ticking for Avalon to capture the beast type monsters for the old man and his family. Forming around her were shadows and dark patches that seemed to be moving closer and closer toward her as if boxing her in her spot. It was apparent that the light was fading. She could hear the wind whistling through the trunks of the trees disturbing the leaves and felt the moisture seeping into her boots. The earthly smells of rotting wood and musk were circling and beginning to overwhelm her sense of smell. It was even worse that because she was in the middle of combat though long range as it was, her animalistic senses were enhanced by a great amount. The sounds and scents that she had began to notice may have signified that she probably has been sitting idle for much too long and needed to get on her way to finishing up the quest she had been sent to complete as a favor.

Wasting no time, she recomposed herself to get ready for her move of attack on the dull green slime who had been circling around the wide clearing for a while now. Fast and efficient was her mantra now. She had to kill off this dull green slime and end this already. After all, the green slime wouldn't be useful as food or anything else for the matter at the moment. Maybe some time later but not anything tasty. She could go for something filling and tasty in her stomach though she doubted the meat she would give the lander would taste any different than a very plain biscuit. Avalon wasn't sure whether she would regain a sense of taste of something delicious pertaining to food again. For that, she needed to locate a high level chef adventurer to satisfy her taste buds.

Intently observing the dull green slime, she noticed that it was seemingly just pacing back and forth in a single line as if if was clueless and lost. Were the green slimes this dumb? Shaking her head, she thought that their cluelessness might be case and it could be proven true. It was time to shoot this slime now! Avalon kneeled down on one knee for leverage for her crossbow though with the muggy surroundings, her bent down knee was sunk down a few inches. This was not what she had expected earlier. She was now on uneven ground. It could possibly affect her accuracy though her assassin's passive ability for a slightly better accuracy in combat might help her out a little bit. Cocking her crossbow's bolt back with her slightly swollen hands from using it more than usual, she trailed her bolt carefully following her target.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;628

Gripping her weapon at hand tightly, she was sent into an intense concentration with her amber eyes glowing in the shadows of the forestry. Quick Draw! She released her bolt as it was sent zooming toward her prey startling the poor creature and catching it off guard. It probably didn't know what hit it. Immediately, the dull green slime disappeared into flowing translucent sprinkles of anima until it burst into nothingness--gone forever. Avalon felt that she was an evil villain. In real life, killing such a creature without a valid reason would be frowned upon. Worse yet, people might consider her crazy for killing the small monster. Taking a deep breath in and out, she sighed knowing that it didn't matter anymore. This was just a game. She was one of the many players. She needed the experience to level up and become stronger especially that she didn't want to be considered a weak girl by others. She had much to improve and learn more about this world. Also, she had to adapt and become used to defeating monsters. This was not the real world. Still, she was shocked when the NPCs displayed behaviors and personalities she had never thought they held.

For a moment, she slapped her face with a slight twitch and closed eyes shut tight. Avalon's mind finally calmed her mind and heart beat steadied into rhythmic pulse. Suddenly, her ears twitched in alertness hearing the crunching of twigs following by a rustling of foliage along the way. The noises didn't sound too far away. It could either be beast monsters that she was hoping to capture or a lone adventurer exploring the forestry as well. Avalon hoped it was the former, she really did. If it was the latter, it would unfortunately make it that much harder to pinpoint where the monsters would be as the adventurer's steps would be somewhat distracting. In any case, she might as well check out the source of the noises she heard earlier. And as if the song of nature's calling was beckoning to her, her legs seemed to be moving unconsciously with an important purpose in mind. Skulking deeper into the majestic forestry, she had become mystified smelling the rotting trees that displayed it's old ancient glory and fortress standing high and mighty. It was just as if it was a forest she had once explored as a young child. The natural smells and the leafy canopies of the Windsor Greatwood gave her a sense of nostalgia. She didn't want to be stuck in this game forever.

Suddenly, the Windsor Greatwood seemed ominously quiet. She paused for a cautious moment, now all that could be heard was the rustling of the leaves in the flowing wind. She could overhear a swift swoosh and a high pitched squeal that disturbed her senses. Her mouth curved downward and she bit her lip slightly in the realization that another adventurer had stole her potential prey and capture. Damnit! She just lost her chance. Reaching the rounded clearing, she saw a myriad of fluttering leaves as if it were dancing to vibrant melodious song. It was calming and hypnotizing. But the longer she stared at the dancing leaves, revealed a scenery of deathly visage and then it all disappeared into the abyss. It was no more. Not only revealing the defeated pittered boar, came narrowed hazel eyes staring right back at her. The hollowed eyes was as if it were challenging her to come any closer to his territory, not that it was his to own. She slightly squirmed at the intensely gaze the man gave her, a few seconds too long for her own comfort. Avalon didn't want any trouble. She just wanted to get this quest over with already.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;963

Avalon was sure she was gazing at the young man who could easily run her over at any given moment. Sure, he was of a guardian class and possibly weaker than her in that aspect but as a tank--he would be an annoying monster that would definitely pose a great problem. The young adventurer had a marine cut and penetrating wander-lust scorching eyes. It was as if he were staring deep within her, waiting for her to succumb to his intimidation tactics. He had a swirling, lion's mane of a hair shimmering vibrantly in the flecks of the sunlight. The guardian walked toward her with a panther-like prowl. The guardian's heavy plated armor didn't help her emotions calm themselves down. It was still caught in a rumbling storm and she couldn't escape. She shuddered in the thought of being overwhelmed and caught by such an man who gave off powerful tremors of a proud lion than a mere human adventurer. She was supposed to be the wolf hair here! She was not to be intimidated by this! But still, an instinct told her that male guardian was someone to be wary of and those shivers that coursed her body told her enough that it was prudent to take flight if he were to make her his prey. She felt that she was lowly mouse, prey and he was the lion, the predator ready to pounce.

Coming closer toward her like on the prowl, she felt a heated pressure and it caused her to slowly and carefully take a tentative few steps back. One more step closer and he finally reached her with a seemingly devious smile. A jack-o-lanturn carved by an insane clown. Or a wolf curving it's lips upward at a lame lamb. This situation already spelled trouble for her. She hoped not though. Then there was a pause a few seconds too long for her that she thought she would lose her breath from the anxiousness in her mind. The male guardian threw her a curve ball and seemingly gave her a loud hearty laugh, almost bawling. What the hell? Frowning at the strange man, her cheeks puffed up for a moment and narrowed her eyes at the stranger. She had assumed he was about to attack her at any given moment but she was wrong. He seemed almost friendly. Taking a deep breath in and out, she calmed her nerves down a bit and regained the courage to take a good look at the guy. She watched him tentatively as he gulped in his last laugh and drew a short breath right after. What happened to that intimidating presence he had earlier? Where did it go all of a sudden? She had been sure he was exuding a malicious intent. Maybe it was just her that had felt nervous at a large man towering over her making himself known. It could be because of the level difference with him being more than ten levels above her. She was merely fodder.

Cocking her head in confusion, she listened to the young man asking her if she was alright and fine. Her eyes narrowed inwardly and fists trembled into a clenched position as if she was holding to a precious item with dear life. She forced herself into a stiff nod of acknowledgement and letting him know that she was pretty darn fine. Avalon unintentionally gave him a deep growl taking her by surprise as she had widened her eyes and her cheeks turned a light pink coloring. Still, she did not want to admit to this stranger that she had been intimidated by his presence earlier. He gave her a swoosh of a nonchalant wave with his mouth twisting into a seemingly looking mischievous smirk that quickly caught her attention. The sunlight up above now suddenly become a spotlight and he was the the star of the show. It made him appear arrogant and hogging the spotlight, not giving anyone a chance to shine. She drew a breath and her lips pursued in a frown trailing onto his figure. What was up with that cocky look on his face? Unexpectedly, he had asked curiously if it worked. What was he talking about? Maybe he was asking about the encounter with her and the intimidation factor that would have made her shudder and shiver in anxiousness. Was that it?

Then she saw his sub-class. A chilling feeling of dread coursed through her spine and her heart began to pulsate faster and faster, an increase of a metronome that she couldn't keep up with. She felt an unwanted rush of adrenaline. Avalon had to get away from this guy as soon as possible. After all, she definitely wasn't ready for a player versus player scenario. It was strange though, it seemed that his behavior had fluctuated with a malicious intent and seemingly genuinely concerned for her well-being. What was his real intention for being here besides defeating that boar earlier? He gave her a long look and once again, boastfully laughter right at her face. Moving back, he strolled to the side and grinned saying that he guessed it did worked after all. Avalon didn't have a second thought what he was referring to what worked--it was obvious now. It seemed like he was just mocking her and even called her a 'little birdie' who's scared and wants to fly away. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of doing exactly what he said she would do and wanted to prove him wrong. But the apparent level difference made her think twice about facing the guardian head on. At least he didn't designate her as a target yet so maybe he just enjoyed toying with people and intimidating them just for kicks.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;359

Fly away, little birdie. That image of the male adventurer's malicious smile and repeated words became rooted into her mind. Sprinting, she clumsily had to hop over multiple rocks and twigs that would potentially be the death of her. Avalon could hear twigs cracking and leaving rustling, giving her a sense of dread running up her spine and the chill of goosebumps from the fear of the sounds increasingly growing louder and louder. It was creeping upon her slowly and steadily, leaving her utterly frustrated on what course of action she should take next. It was just her luck her curiosity got the best and had to find out who was the adventurer that took the pittered boar away from her. Avalon regretted it. The shadows lurking around her seemed more ominous than usual that the slightest shadow even from a lush bush, looked like a monster specifically creeping up on her. It made her shudder at the thought of something like occurring when her emotions were jolting in turmoil and mind spinning around in circles in a somber panic.

Making a quick decision to hide herself in a canopy of leaves, she skidded swiftly in between a few bushes and nestled herself inside. It may be a fool's bravery to stop herself from running away from the maniacal guardian of an adventurer though maybe she was a fool. She didn't just want to keep running in circles away from the guy, it would be an endless cycle of cat and mouse. She wasn't even sure he would give up on her. He seemed more entranced in the thrill of the chase and hunt than how she was with defeating beasts. It was a whole another story especially that relishing in and enjoying themselves too much was definitely not a good sign. The sky still held high and mighty though the fortress of ancient trees gave her coverage from the male adventurer trying to hunt her down. Maybe could possibly be able to carefully aim her starter crossbow at the guardian to hopefully slow him down and prevent her from becoming the hunted. But how would that work exactly?

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;436

He was coming, closer and closer toward her. The loud rustling of the autumn leaves causing her heart pound faster and faster, not in a good way. She could feel a rush of adrenaline rushing over her body as heightened senses overwhelmed her. Suddenly, her humanly eyes transformed into a feral like amber colored eyes, glowing in the darkened forestry. Leaning against the prickle of the rough bark for leverage, she bit her lip to resist the urge to wince her body and close her eyes. Avalon did not want to lose her sight of her target. She was scared of the imposing figure of the hit man adventurer with his malicious laugh and higher level. It intimidated her that she almost hesitated in attacking him in her nervousness. If this was mind game and strength was no issue, she would have the upper hand but she couldn’t always get what she wanted.

She cocked her bolt into the crossbow’s slot and rested the back side of her weapon on her right shoulder for more leverage. Focus Avalon, focus. He was not as scary as she thought he was. Avalon repeated that mantra multiple times in mind to maintain the courage needed to retaliate against the male guardian. Still in all seriousness, he did not attack her yet but he was oozing the intent to cause harm and laughed at her. If he wasn’t intending to mean her no harm, he would have the need to be on the prowl treating her as his prey. She was getting tired of this meaningless cat and mouse game. The young man’s steps sounded like he was just lugging them like heavy baggage. It didn’t help that his guardian armor was bulky so in that way, it gave her an advantage in attacking and dodging.

Twigs creaking and more leaves rustling. Avalon could hear them clearer than before and his large imposing’s shadow crept up closer to her hiding spot beneath the haven of the canopy of leaves above her. It was a miracle that he had walked on uneven ground full of moss and slightly tripped on the larger roots causing him to stumble back a few steps. It made him grunt in annoyance and shook his head. He was mildly distracted by the almost stumbling. It was her chance! She intensely trailed her animalistic feral eyes on her target at hand and carefully gripped her weapon tightly. Quick Draw! Avalon observed in anticipation as her arrow zoomed toward her target located in the clearing nearby. It was clean shot! She grinned in satisfaction at the direct hit.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;519

The lion of a man roared loudly in his pain as his body twisted and turned, finally crouching down as if he had a stinging stomachache. Avalon’s mouth curved upwards in amusement at the clumsily reaction she had not expected from the so-called intimidating hit man adventurer. She couldn't afford to be too satisfied with the progress of just one hit as funny as it had been. Besides, the guardian was built like a towering and defense filled tank. It would take some patience and stealthy tactics to slowly weaken his health. It would be annoying but necessary to get out of this situation. Avalon took a deep breath outwards as her heartbeat become a steady metronome and the anticipation decreased into a posed and clear mindset. She needed to think. “I’m gonna get you good for that little birdie!” the golden haired young man exclaimed, puffing out his chest in his arrogance. With her senses heightened, she could clearly discern the sounds of the rustling leaves and shuffling of steps most likely from beast like monsters rushing away from the source of the ear piercing cacophony. If it were her, she would have remained dead silent to be able to catch her prey but the golden haired predator did not take that into consideration and she was the only target in his scope. She could use this information to her advantage and hopefully set up tactically placed traps or come up with distractions. While he would be looking astray, she would take that chance and strike him out. Slowly, but surely.

Or maybe she could attempt a second option where there was no need for both of them to get hurt and have resentment for each. Negotiation might be answer to her problem. It could work if she appealed to his humanity in some way or another. It was a shame that she did not know much about him. Or it could be the worse she had so far. Either way, she would rather get this over with as quick as possible without any injury. If negotiating with the man was not the answer and did not appeal to him in any way, she could easily skid out of the way. Avalon had seen many grassy mosses on the forest floor that would allow her slip and slide faster than normally. Carefully releasing herself out from the canopy of leaves on the ground, she hesitantly pulled her hands up and she intently focused her eyes toward him. She made sure that he noticed that she wasn't holding any utter weaponry on her hands. He gave a piercing and harsh look as his eyes trailed slowly on her figure. She thought she could already feel like his deep gaze with latching on to her very soul. It was unnerving. Gulping down her fears, she subtly cleared her throat and surely walked toward him. The tension building up all in a moment with the still muggy air began to warm and less breathable. If a droplet of water were to fall, she felt like she would definitely notice it.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;514

The lion of a man roared loudly in his pain as his body twisted and turned, finally crouching down as if he had a stinging stomachache. Avalon’s mouth curved upwards in amusement at the clumsily reaction she had not expected from the so-called intimidating hit man adventurer. She couldn't afford to be too satisfied with the progress of just one hit as funny as it had been. Besides, the guardian was built like a towering and defense filled tank. It would take some patience and stealthy tactics to slowly weaken his health. It would be annoying but necessary to get out of this situation. Avalon took a deep breath outwards as her heartbeat become a steady metronome and the anticipation decreased into a posed and clear mindset. She needed to think. “I’m gonna get you good for that little birdie!” the golden haired young man exclaimed, puffing out his chest in his arrogance. With her senses heightened, she could clearly discern the sounds of the rustling leaves and shuffling of steps most likely from beast like monsters rushing away from the source of the ear piercing cacophony. If it were her, she would have remained dead silent to be able to catch her prey but the golden haired predator did not take that into consideration and she was the only target in his scope. She could use this information to her advantage and hopefully set up tactically placed traps or come up with distractions. While he would be looking astray, she would take that chance and strike him out. Slowly, but surely.

Or maybe she could attempt a second option where there was no need for both of them to get hurt and have resentment for each. Negotiation might be answer to her problem. It could work if she appealed to his humanity in some way or another. It was a shame that she did not know much about him. Or it could be the worse she had so far. Either way, she would rather get this over with as quick as possible without any injury. If negotiating with the man was not the answer and did not appeal to him in any way, she could easily skid out of the way. Avalon had seen many grassy mosses on the forest floor that would allow her slip and slide faster than normally. Carefully releasing herself out from the canopy of leaves on the ground, she hesitantly pulled her hands up and she intently focused her eyes toward him. She made sure that he noticed that she wasn't holding any utter weaponry on her hands. He gave a piercing and harsh look as his eyes trailed slowly on her figure. She thought she could already feel like his deep gaze with latching on to her very soul. It was unnerving. Gulping down her fears, she subtly cleared her throat and surely walked toward him. The tension building up all in a moment with the still muggy air began to warm and less breathable. If a droplet of water were to fall, she felt like she would definitely notice it.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS

[Avalon]

word count;730

With her heart racing fast, she crept up closer to the pressuring young man gazing directly into her wavering amber eyes lurking about. Her senses increased at the peak of the straining tension. The wind whistling among the towering ancient tree above was an unwelcome haunting noise that she could feel her body stiffen at the heatwave flowing gradually with her body. The earthly smells of pine and rotting wood were increased by a fold when rain water droplet were sent downward in a gentle plonking sound hitting the foliage on the ground below. It created a clammy feeling of discomfort causing her to shrug the extra water off, while the rest of the water left hung in wet slicks against her neck and dripped down her forehead.

It gave her a somber depressing figure from a melancholy noir movie she had watched with her friends back home. When the movie had first began, it seemed slow pacing and too much exposition that she was dozing off but it turned out those scenes were much more important to the action than she had realized and had to watch the noir movie all over again just so she wouldn’t be confused again. But now that she was staring at the lion of a man, she felt that she was lifted and inserted into one of those movies by accident. She internally crossed her fingers in the hope that it would work and end in being injury free. It was time to make her appeal to the male guardian.

“Hello there, sorry about shooting at you,” she started apologetically with her hand scratching her head into a shrug and continued, “It was just you were shooting at me and chasing me. I didn’t know—“ but was sourly interrupted by the man.

“You didn’t know?” the hit man class responded sharply with a malicious glimmer in his steel azure eyes as if capturing her with his mind. He swooshed his golden mane around to the side and started strolling around her in a circular motion. That action heightened her adrenaline and sped up her heart beat at the anxious emotions built up gradually. She was a minuscule koi fish about to be captured in his giant net.

“Why it was just me that you were aiming at?” she questioned heatedly. Avalon didn’t like where this conversation was headed already. The towering young man made it a point that she was his target, not anyone else in the forest. Why she had asked, she didn’t exactly know herself. But what she did know, she was searching for an inkling of a hope that his reasonings were pure and maybe he just wanted to help her out but didn’t know exactly how to express it properly. Deep in her consciousness, she knew those answers were the most unlikely of choices.

“Why?” he repeated mockingly as if the answer should be obvious to her. His mouth twitched half way and his noise pointed high, transforming into an apparent grimace. She began backing away slowly and cautiously, remaining steadily fixated on his position and movement with him in a distance of the circular pattern. He continued as he strolled closer to her, “You’re the only one I spotted little birdie and you’re weak,” he plainly stated with an odd look written on his high chinned face.

She bit her rosy lips at what he called her and couldn’t believe that he had said that she was weak right in front of her, so bluntly and straightforwardly. Avalon supposed that he was right in a way as much as she did not want to admit that fact. Yes, she was of a lower level than he was and he easily towered over him like it was nothing of concern to him. It was frustrating that he looked harrowing and displayed enough assurance in his abilities to overcome her and possibly PK her at any moment. But she had gained self-determination over the days and strength to not give up despite that she felt that the odds were not in her favor. “I am not weak,” she responded with determination lurking in her eyes, ready to be used and continued swiftly, “I’ll prove you wrong. I’m better than you think I am,” and she definitely going to suck up her nervousness and beat him at his own game.

CODED BY DUCKIE OF GS