CHAPTER 20 - The Second Task, The Test of Strength

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After Arteria Blaze or Arty as she is nicknamed, had passed the first task and test that she managed to succeed at, despite that after she had done the task, she obtained a few bruises and felt a little rattled and shaken from the experience of the test.

A few days later that had gone by again, which gave her a bit more time to prepare herself for the next task, the leader approached her again like before and led her to another place by their main campsite so that she will now go through the next one she'll be tested on.

This time, it is not another misty clearing like before, but in another part of the forest with so many trees around them when the leader led Arty to the place of her second task.

She wondered what kind of task she'll be going through and what kind of opponents she might face and fight against from among the freedom fighters that will be tasked to test her in this next task.

However, she suddenly wished that it was the freedom fighters she will be fighting against because she stopped when the leader stopped first and then turned to her and told her what her next task is. Needless to say, she's suddenly not feeling ready for it and might not be able to pass this one right now.

The leader told her bluntly and straight to the point that her second task is to prove herself whether she knows the strength of the magical and abnormal creatures that are dwelling or roaming in the forest they're in and that she'll need to fight against them if she encounters or they come at her when they do. She'll need to face and fight them with only the weapons she has on hand right now and be able to survive and live through the task until sundown.

Once that was said, Arty didn't realize that she was dumbstruck stunned and standing by herself in the very spot she's on until the leader has left her all alone in the forest she's now trapped in to complete and pass the test of her second task.

Now Arty had cursed to herself that she didn't have a bit of time to prepare herself on learning and knowing what kind of creatures that were in this forest she's in to try to succeed her next task and pass the test, both the magical and abnormal which the leader had said before.

However, the future heroine of the story felt reassured that she has weapons to defend and protect herself with, even though it's only just a sword strapped to her side, a wooden longbow slung on her shoulder, and a quiver of arrows strapped around her back.

She moved forward in a few walking steps slowly, and also tense and on guard, watching out for any of the creatures in the forest that she will encounter or come at her. She was so tense and the sudden eerie silence that engulfed the surroundings around her wasn't helping her agitated nerves a bit.

Just as she tries to think and remember what kind of creatures there are, while she slowly walks and moves forward as quiet as she can, one of the creatures in the forest decided to make its appearance and come at her first.

Arty instantly froze in her steps, stiffening and tensed when she heard a soft rustling from some of the still trees by her right side, and she quickly turned and drew her bow and arrow at the ready, but not shooting until whatever it was that's out there in the forest comes out and reveals itself.

The thing that came out and had made the rustling sounds, was an abnormally large black-furred bear and it snuffled around and sniffed while nearing towards Arty in slow motion on its four paws.

Arty felt like reacting first and taking the shot but then in a sudden flash of inspiration again, similar to how she experienced it before from the previous first task, she realized and figured out what the second one is all about and what the test truly is.

For this second task is not only the test of strength she'll need to pass but the kind of test she must not underestimate the true strength among the creatures of the forests.

Basically put, like how she figured out what to do on the first task before, the second task and the test that she'll need to do and succeed is just only facing and fight against the creatures that are deemed dangerous and a threat to her.

So Arty assessed and study the bear creature first, trying to deduce quickly with her sight and other senses whether this creature before her is truly a danger to her or not.

As if to reply to her answer in a good way, the bear stopped sniffing and snuffling at her direction, turned the other way and left her alone with a small bear moan, like showing her that she passed her test she's in.

Arty gave a whooshing sigh of relief when she watched the large bear-creature had left, but she didn't put back her bow and arrow weapons in place for she still got them out in the ready to shoot at anything that will come at her in a threatening way.

It felt like a long time for Arty to finish her second task until the time of sundown came, but by then she didn't realize how much time seem to fly by and pass so fast again when she dispatch any kind of harmful threats or dangerous creatures she had encountered or they had come at her.

So far, by the time sundown had finally arrived, she only dealt with and fight against a few creatures, which is a harmless-looking but hostile rabbit creature, a venomous normal-looking magical lizard, and a carnivorous screeching normal-looking raven bird.

When the leader and a few freedom fighters came to the forest right at sundown to get and fetch Arty, they were surprised and impressed again on seeing the animal corpses that Arty had faced and fought against, and she succeeded her task on surviving and being alive from it.

Instantly, without the leader announcing first that she had passed her second task and test of strength, the freedom fighters that were with the leader had come running to Arty and then congratulated and praised her with enthusiasm and approval in all of their very beings.

Arty didn't think that she would be able to succeed in the second task, the test of strength which she never thought that she would pass it. All around her, the freedom fighters gave her more praises and congratulations on her success. But she knew that it's not over yet, for the leader had told her after she was done with the second task, that there would be one more and the last one she will be facing against.

Arty wondered what the last task would be, and despite how she feels slightly tired and exhausted from her ordeal of the second one, she wondered what kind of harrowing experience she will be going through next on the last test that she'll need to prove herself worthy to keep staying with the freedom fighters.

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