Chapter:16-The Woman

Edwin stared at the glowing screen that had suddenly appeared before him, its luminescent letters hovering in the air like a ghostly message from the heavens. The soft hum of magic accompanied the notification, faint but ever-present, like the whisper of some unseen entity observing him.

[New Title Acquired: Bane of Wolves]

His breath came in ragged gasps, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to steady himself. The heat of battle still lingered on his skin, sweat dripping down his forehead. His arms ached from the vicious fight, his muscles tight with the fading adrenaline rush. But despite the exhaustion clawing at him, the glowing words in front of him commanded his attention, pushing all other thoughts aside.

"A title?" he muttered, confusion evident in his voice. His mind raced, trying to recall if he'd ever heard of such a thing before from the system. He had seen system notifications plenty of times—leveling up, gaining points, tracking stats—but this was different.

Before he could ponder it further, the system's ever-present, mechanical voice answered, its tone as detached and analytical as always.

[Yes. A title is bestowed when you accomplish something outstanding.]

Edwin blinked, processing the information. His fingers clenched and unclenched, his body still on high alert even as his mind tried to grasp the implications. A title… that sounded important. But what did it actually do?

He exhaled sharply and asked, "...What does it do exactly,Elora?"

[It can give you buffs.]

[In this instance, you have gained a two-point buff.]

[Additional points are being given.]

Edwin frowned, rubbing his chin. Buffs… He knew the system assigned points for strength, speed, and other attributes—he had just gained some after slaying that goblin earlier. At the time, he hadn't given it much thought, only that it made him feel stronger. But now, this was something else. Something more.

"Open status," he commanded, the words leaving his lips instinctively.

In an instant, the familiar display appeared before him, floating in the dim light of the forest.

[Strength: 18]

[Speed: 16]

[Durability: 19]

[Sense: 17]

[Health: 1700/2000]

[Rune of Enhancement: Simple]

[Title: Bane of Wolves]

His eyes flicked across the numbers, scanning for changes. And then—

"Huh?" His brow furrowed. "I took less damage than I did with the goblin…"

Almost immediately, the system responded, its tone cool and matter-of-fact.

[That is because of your added strength and durability, which you gained from using the five points earned from the goblin's death.]

Edwin let out a small breath of realization. "Oh, right. I did do that…" A small grin formed on his lips as he recalled spending the points earlier. At the time, he hadn't felt much different—just a slight edge in power—but now, after this fight? He could tell. He was stronger.

[You have terrible memory, master.]

Edwin's eye twitched. His fingers curled into fists.

"Hey, stop that!" he snapped, irritation flaring in his voice. Elora had always been neutral, cold, but now, She is talking back. And not in a way he liked.

' Was it developing an attitude?'

That was the last thing he needed.

The notification faded, leaving only the darkness of the forest around him. Edwin sighed and shook his head, forcing himself to focus. He could figure out Elora's quirks later.

Right now, he had bigger concerns. The exam wasn't over yet, and this cursed forest… something about it made the hairs on his neck stand on end.

He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of damp earth, moss, and lingering blood. The air was thick, heavy with the weight of past battles and unspoken dangers. The shadows stretched long between the towering trees, their gnarled roots curling like the twisted fingers of some long-dead creature.

His gaze drifted back to the lifeless body lying a few feet away.

The adventurer.

His steps slowed. His throat tightened.

The man's armor was battered, his tunic torn where the black wolf's claws had ripped into him. His lifeless eyes stared up at the sky, frozen in his final moment.

His body was bleeding and torn.

Edwin knelt beside the fallen warrior, his fingers curling into fists against his knees.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, voice barely audible. "I couldn't save you."

A lump formed in his throat, but he forced himself to swallow it down.

He wanted to bury the man. To give him the dignity of a proper grave. But the reality of the situation was harsh—this forest was teeming with monsters. If he buried him here, scavengers would find him before long.

His family, if he had one, deserved to know what had happened. If the guild recovered his body, at least there would be some closure.

Edwin exhaled and forced himself to stand.

Then—

THUD.

An arrow struck the ground beside him, quivering from the impact.

His heart lurched into his throat. His body moved on instinct, muscles tensing as his hand flew to his weapon. His eyes darted through the shadows. Someone was here. Someone had just shot at him.

A figure stepped forward from the darkness.

A woman.

She moved with confidence, her bow still in hand. Blonde hair framed her sharp features, falling just past her shoulders. Her body was lean, toned, built for speed and precision. The leather of her archer's uniform hugged her form, allowing for both flexibility and protection.

She had fair,pale skin akin to the the people of Roska.

Her piercing gaze locked onto him, and she smirked.

"You..." she spoke, her voice carrying a rough accent. "You seem to have had some archery training. It was half-baked, but not bad."

Edwin bristled.

"The hell do you mean, 'half-baked'?" he shot back. "Who are yo—"

Before he could finish, she moved.

Lightning-fast, she nocked an arrow and fired.

CRACK!

The projectile whizzed past his ear, striking a tree trunk behind him with enough force to split the bark.

Edwin froze. His breath hitched.

That was—

That was not normal.

The woman tilted her head, clearly amused by his reaction.

"That's... who I am. Got that, Mister Potato?"

Edwin rubbed his ear, still shaken by how close that had been. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

She chuckled. "Just testing you." Her eyes flicked to the wolf's corpse. "Saw how you killed that thing. Slightly impressive."

Edwin narrowed his eyes. He didn't like her tone.

She knelt by the dead adventurer, inspecting the body with an expert eye.

"Do you know how much a black wolf's body is worth?"

Edwin hesitated. "Yes!… No."

She smirked. "Enough to buy a small house."

His eyes widened. "What?!"

'How could a single animal be worth that much?'

She straightened. "Do you know how to skin them?"

Edwin looked away. "...No."

She sighed. "Tell you what. I'll skin it. We split the profits 50/50 after we sell it,I know some good buyers."

Edwin frowned. "I killed it. I should get the majority,skinning it isn't enough."

She shrugged. "Fine. I'll also accompany you through the rest of the exam."

He hesitated. She was strong. Maybe stronger than him. Seeing how she destroyed the tree trunk she would be an amazing asset.

And..seeing her archery skills Edwin wondered if he could get her to teach him.

"…Fine," he said.

She grinned. "Now, be useful and carry the wolf. I'll take the adventurer's body to the guild."

With a sigh Edwin went to the wolf.

He turned on [Rune of Enhancement] which made it much "easier."

He grabbed it by the paw and dragged it onto his back.

She looked at the wolf and remarked."That one is probably a juvenile."

Edwin's stomach sank.

'Juvenile…?'

With a grunt, he hoisted the wolf onto his back, its weight pressing down like a boulder.

She lifted the dead adventurer with disturbing ease.

Edwin swallowed hard.

'If that was a juvenile, then what the hell js out there waiting for me?,it took me 64 tries to kill it?!'

Edwin and the woman walked,she was walking with the corpse with scary ease.

"What's your name?" Edwin asks.

She looks back and replies.

"Eliza,my name is Eliza"

"Oh,my name is Edwin" Edwin introduces himself.

"Nice to meet you,Edwin" She said

Edwin would repeat it back but he was too busy carrying a giant JUVENILE wolf.

"How are you so good with a bow?" Edwin asks.

"My father was a hunter,he taught me a lot of things." She says with a solemn look.

'Was?,so either he is dead or he retired,solemn look probably mean the former but let's not assume things...'

"Are you from around here?" He asks. 

"No,my father was from Roska and my mother as well,they came here after The Roska Civil War." She explains with a normal tone and face, not something you would expect someone talking about one of the greatest wars in history.

The Roska Civil War,it ended the monarchy of Roska,the largest country of the modern age,only problem is that most of it is always covered in snowstorms and full of monsters.

"I see..I don't know my father or mother for that matter,I grew up in a monastery where a priest raised me."

Edwin says,that old priest was named Gabriel.

Although he was a priest he drank a LOT.

He taught Edwin a lot of things as there were hundreds maybe even thousands of books at the monastery.

Gabriel died when Edwin was 10 years old,7 years have passed since then....

"Oh..I am sorry." Eliza apologizes with a solemn,pitiful tone.

"No,don't be." Edwin dismisses it.

End of chapter