Ch. 20 Misty Forest

Guin had no other choice but to ride in the wagon with Ares. As he expected, the journey by wagon was longer and took until sunset. She started to wonder if her decision to come here was right.

Actually, Guin could have postponed it until tomorrow, but she was worried that Lionel would hold a grudge and send someone to her house at dawn tomorrow. Wait! Was she really worried, or did she have another intention? Guin herself had no idea about her reckless decision.

Like it or not, Guin stayed and enjoyed the familiar atmosphere while she could. She never thought the Werewolf Realm had an environment and air similar to the Beast World. Guin didn't have time to enjoy the air yesterday because she was in a car. Apart from that, the car windows were so dark that she couldn't see anything from inside.

Right now, she felt nostalgic, as if this was the world she was born in. If only there weren't the occasional wolf howling sound, how immaculate her mood would be.

Arriving at the Alpha King's residence, Ares led Guin into a room. After that, Ares left for work affairs.

'Why is there no one in such a big house? Does the Alpha King have no servants?' Guin forced herself to sit quietly despite being curious about this place.

This room only had two long settees and one table, but it had three enormous cupboards filled with various books.

"Is this a reading room?" Guin likes to read, especially about magic. Guin learned to control his powers from the books she read in the library.

Aileen's family was indeed a family of magicians, but their techniques and how to use them were very different from the beast clan's. As a result, Guin had to find her own way to learn magic.

Guin felt inquisitive—eager to read one or maybe two of these books, but she didn't want to be presumptuous by borrowing someone's without asking permission first. Reluctantly, she waited in silence until a figure caught her attention.

The settee she was sitting on was close to a window, so she realized that someone had just passed this room. Guin chased the person without a second thought as if her feet had minds on their own.

A certain someone had disappeared when Guin arrived in front of the window where she was waiting. Having a strong desire to meet the person who had just passed by, Guin sharpened her sense of smell to track the person's scent. As soon as Guin caught a familiar smell, her feet moved to follow it until she arrived in a misty forest.

Guin's heart suddenly sank, feeling intimidated by the thick fog that enveloped this forest. Strangely, her desire to see that person overcome her fear. She took courage and stepped into this mysterious forest. Fortunately, the thick fog had disappeared, and she could see the surrounding environment more clearly once she entered the forest.

A feeling of relief overwhelmed her heart, and she continued her search by taking a few more steps, only to encounter a different sight.

Guin's footsteps stopped, realizing that what she saw changed instantly as soon as she stepped forward. When she turned around, she saw a large stone wall, to her surprise.

"Was there a wall behind me all along? But I was only walking..." No! Where is this forest entrance she just entered?! She was sure she had only taken a few steps since entering the thick fog.

Now, Guin regretted her careless actions. She wanted to return but couldn't find a way out. Neither did she dare to take a step—fearing that she would shift as soon as she stepped forward.

"What kind of wood is this? Why do I always change locations every time I take a step?" Guin started to wonder if there was a teleport array around this place. Even if that were the case, it wouldn't be possible to change places repeatedly, unless... this forest is filled with teleport arrays!?

Guin closed her eyes, concentrating on tracking the scent she was following—hoping she could find someone to help her. Unfortunately, the whiff she had tracked disappeared as if the person had never entered this forest. Guin squatted down and let out a heavy sigh. "What should I do? I'm completely lost."

If Guin remained silent here, she would never be able to return. However, if she kept walking, she never knew what kind of environment she would encounter.

"Should I consider it a new adventure?" Wasn't it time to use her Beast instincts?

For most of her life, Guin lived in the Unbound Havens—a neutral zone where only a handful of people were allowed to use their powers. There were no fights using magic or duels between other nations who visited the mortal realm. Only soldiers and protectors of the Unbound Havens could use their powers—they used them only if a villain broke the rules or a frenzied vampire went on a rampage. Not surprisingly, Guin rarely used her powers or her beast instincts.

"It's better to try than wait for death here." Guin decided to get up at the end and dared to walk again.

The difference was that Guin stepped slowly while counting her steps and was alert to her surroundings. Just as she expected, her surroundings changed in about the count of ten, and the figure of an unexpected beast filled her sight.

A pair of black eyes stared straight at Guin—its ribbon-like red tongue stuck in and out as if to evaluate Guin's nature. The beast's body had iron scales with two small horns on top of its head—neatly coiled, protecting two white eggs the size of boulders.

Guin gulped nervously, realizing she was facing a dragon-snake with iron scales. Its body size was beyond common sense, and the tip of the snake's tail was very sharp, like a spear that could split a shield.

Guin didn't dare move—didn't dare look away. She pretended to be a statue, hoping this beast king would not attack her. The problem was the snake's head, which had previously stood upright, lowered, creeping little by little towards where Guin was standing.

Guin's heart pounded faster, and her face turned pale. She broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that the size of the snake's head could swallow her whole without needing to chew.

When Guin decided to come to the werewolf world, she never planned to become someone's meal. And even though she was no match for this beast, Guin was not willing to die as prey just like that.

Just as the dragon's mouth opened wide to eat her, Guin stamped her feet—jumping high until she landed on one of the nearest tree branches.

Guin leaped to the next tree, discovering the monster was chasing her. She leaped and jumped to escape, wishing she had shifted somewhere else. Alas, no matter how often she jumped, Guin was still in the same place as a giant snake that insisted on making her its dinner.

Having no other choice, Guin spun around—face-to-face with the beast. When the snake's mouth was about to pounce on her, Guin leaped for the umpteenth time, using an agility spell to speed up her speed and head towards its enemy's lair.

Arriving at the nest where the two giant white eggs were, Guin let her fox claws out, circled the two eggs, and said in a threatening tone. "Stop! Or I will kill them!!"