I am the Enchantress!

Chapter 26 Countdown

The border forest is divided into twenty-six areas from A to Z, with point A being the closest to the town.

Monsters are rarely seen in this area, so it's relatively safe.

However, relative does not equal absolute. After all, this is a forest, and ferocious wild animals such as jackals and brown bears still occasionally appear.

Therefore, ordinary people in Ironweave Town usually do not risk accepting the Guild's gathering quests.

The pay is much lower than for easy tasks, but significantly higher than for manual labor. Gathering plants is a great option for beginners.

Wilder and Talia arrived at the designated location in less than two hours.

Spring dew grass prefers shady and damp conditions and is often found along streamsides.

The two walked along a shallow stream for a while, when Wilde, who had been looking down, suddenly stopped and squatted down.

"Is this it?"

He pointed to a clump of tender grass on the damp ground.

The stems are slender and whitish, and the leaves are narrow and long with a vertical light white stripe on the leaf surface, which is the most conspicuous feature.

Talia held the "Frontier Forest Plant Atlas" she had received from the association in her hands, comparing it back and forth two or three times before finally showing a joyful expression.

"Yes, that's it."

She knelt on the grass, carefully digging through the soil with both hands, and uprooted the entire clump of spring dew grass.

Spring Dew Grass +1.

It's pretty easy.

Find another 999 bushes and you can exchange them for five gold coins!

"There should be some more nearby. You collect them here, and I'll go find some dragon snake petals. Let's meet here in two hours."

"Okay." Talia raised her head and nodded her porcelain-like chin.

Wilder then left.

Although the two plants grow in overlapping areas, the Dragon Snake Petal grows in sunny rock crevices, which is completely different from the growing environment of the Spring Dew Grass.

Wilder walked with his back to the stream into the depths of the forest for more than ten minutes before finally spotting his target on a low slope.

The slender, orange-red petals emerge from the cracks in the rocks, resembling a snake, hence the name "Dragon Snake Petal." It is a primary ingredient in fire-resistant agents.

Wilde pulled the fifty copper coins out of the crack in the stone and stuffed them into his burlap sack.

As expected, the dragon snake petals did not cluster together and were few in number. Wilder wandered around the area for almost two hours and only found five clumps.

Two silver coins and fifty copper coins are better than nothing.

That's enough for now.

He walked back the way he came.

Before we even left the dense forest, we suddenly heard a rustling sound.

It's not Talia.

Wilder slowed his pace, parted the bushes, and was slightly taken aback by what he saw.

Beside the stream, an adult reindeer was bowing its head, while Talia held its head firmly with both hands, preventing it from getting any closer.

At the feet of the deer and the young girl was a delicate spring dew grass.

"This is mine."

Talia played the piano for the deer with a serious tone.

The reindeer remained silent, only craning their necks downwards.

"You can eat other grasses," Talia puffed out her cheeks. "This grass doesn't taste good."

Wilder finally couldn't help but laugh out loud.

They couldn't even fool a deer.

"Who?"

Talia heard the laughter and turned her head, but her hand never left the reindeer's head.

Wilder emerged from behind the bushes, a smile on his face.

"What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing." Wilder walked over to Talia and glanced into the burlap sack on the ground.

Not bad, there are probably eight or nine clumps of spring dew grass. It seems you're working harder than him.

He bent down and took out a clump from inside, holding it in his hand.

"How dare you try to steal my Spring Dew Grass too!" Talia exclaimed anxiously.

"I'm here to help you."

Wilder walked over to the reindeer, waved the spring dew grass in front of it, and the reindeer's attention was immediately drawn to it, turning its head to follow.

He stepped back a few paces, and the reindeer followed suit, moving slowly.

"Talia, hurry up and pull the weeds."

"oh oh!"

Talia reacted quickly and pulled out the clump of spring dew grass.

Seeing that she had succeeded, Wilde turned and slipped away from the reindeer.

"Waaah..."

Realizing it had been tricked, the reindeer snorted in dissatisfaction and turned to eat other grass nearby.

Wilder put the clump of grass back into the burlap sack.

"Thanks."

Talia looked at the ten clumps of spring dew grass in the bag and gave a sweet, innocent smile.

Wilder blinked.

The afternoon sun was warm and gentle around three or four o'clock, and the sound of a babbling brook reached his ears. He suddenly felt quite happy.

The two wandered around the stream for a while and found five clumps of spring dew grass.

Before we knew it, the sun was setting.

"It's getting late, we should head back," Wilder said.

"Shall we leave now?" Talia was a little reluctant, as she hadn't picked enough of the thousand bushes yet. "I haven't finished picking them all."

"Let's come back tomorrow. Many monsters are nocturnal, and this area isn't entirely safe."

"But……"

Talia was interrupted by Wilder before she could finish speaking.

"Wait, don't make a sound."

He heard a sound that shouldn't have been there.

A low, heavy breathing sound.

He instinctively pulled Talia behind him, his right hand reaching for the dagger at his waist.

The bushes directly in front of them shook violently, and a grayish-brown figure staggered out.

Gnolls.

It was about the same size as Wilder, covered in dirty mane, with a long, gaping mouth revealing two rows of yellowed, sharp teeth.

Upon closer inspection, it was injured.

A long wound ran diagonally from the left shoulder blade to the right rib, the skin and flesh torn open, and the simple leather armor was stained with blood.

My left leg is probably broken, and I can't put any weight on it when I walk.

But its eyes remained fierce, fixed on Wilder and Talia.

Wilder's heart tightened.

How could monsters appear in this area?

But it's too late to investigate now.

The difference between monsters and wild beasts is that they do not attack humans because they are hungry or because their territory has been invaded.

Their attacks stem from pure, evil instincts.

Battle is imminent.

In Wilder's mind, Talia clearly had no fighting ability.

In other words, this was the first time he had left the team and faced the monster alone.

My brain raced, and a very simple tactic came to mind.

At this moment, the gnoll charged towards them, though it wasn't very fast due to its limp.

"Back off!!!"

Wilder suddenly roared at it.

【instruction】

The jackal's steps suddenly stopped, as if bewitched, and it mechanically moved backward.

Without a moment's hesitation, Wilder immediately stretched out his arms, touched his thumbs together, and assumed the posture of a fledgling eagle taking flight.

[Burning Hand]

Countdown, eight seconds.

Eight.

seven.

six.

The gnolls stopped retreating.

"roar--"

It regained consciousness and charged at Wilder in an even more ferocious rage.

But Wilder remained calm and focused on preparing his spell.

The gnoll was about a hundred feet away from him; it had just retreated a few steps, compounded by its leg injury…

five.

Four.

three.

two.

The gnoll was less than twenty feet away from Wilder.

If only we were a little closer.

Closer.

You can then stick your claws into his neck!

One!

The gnoll had already raised his arm, ready to enjoy the thrill of bloodlust.

However, it never imagined that its own death knell had already tolled.

Sudden.

A bright flash of fire completely engulfed its vision.

"boom--!"

A burst of blazing flame shot out from Wilder's palm, striking the gnoll squarely in the face!

The distance was only about ten feet.

The powerful flames blasted its head apart.