She had been going through the maps in the library, while focusing on the areas that existed in the direction she felt the call.
She wasn't sure where they should go, but there was a place that had caught her attention, a place called Valley of the Wind.
With mountains to the south and covered by forests, it was a place where the wind blew strongly. It was said that those who practiced the magic of this element could see its power multiplied while they were there.
She was curious about the place, wanted to test her magic there, and had a gut feeling too. Besides, it was in the right direction, so they had to pass close by.
She left town shortly after, in the middle of the afternoon, by the south exit, and traveled through a wide highway. However, as soon as she had a chance, she went into the forest. Not only did she feel safe there, but her sister had been insisting for a long time.
"Finally!" exclaimed the lynx, who stripped off the disguise and the collar.
The elf kept it, because she didn't know if they would need it later, despite the fact that her sister wanted to destroy it. She hesitated for a moment, but she too decided to get rid of her disguise. If someone recognized her with a pet that wasn't a panther, it would be too strange.
That night, they slept in the forest, while they were protected by Vegetable Home. They had enjoyed a copious dinner, which had included several of the promised cream cakes.
For a moment, the elf wondered why she wasn't getting fat, since she wasn't exactly eating little. Maybe, it was because she was an elf, because she was a visitor, or because the food cooked by the magic platform was really balanced, or low in fat. Maybe, it was even related to her continued use of skills.
She soon decided not to worry about it. As long as it was like this, she was fine with it, and also her sister. If they got fat from eating too much, the lynx would look more like a cow than a feline.
It didn't take long for them to fall asleep inside a comfortable fairy castle, while enjoying the solitude and mutual company.
The forest's level was low on the outskirts of the city. It barely reached 10, and it was increasing the farther they went. In the Valley of the Wind's area, it was around level 50 if the maps were correct, so they should be careful there.
However, in that forest, when a fierce herd of giant lizards surrounded them, they looked at each other with rather resignation.
They were dark green, with a sharp crest on their back, and a mucous in their mouths that looked poisonous. However, they didn't even reach level 20. At that level, the poison wouldn't be able to overcome their passive resistance.
The elf had cured an adorable fawn that had apparently escaped these predators. Given the connection to Goldmi's nature, after having saved it, it had lost any fear towards her, although it looked suspiciously at the lynx. After the arrival of the lizards, it hid in fear behind its savior.
She invoked a Wind Ring, which the reptiles were unable to cross. Two severed bodies were the witness that a pair had tried. However, despite this, they didn't leave, and continued to surround them. She wasn't willing to give them their prey. In fact, her only doubt was whether she would exterminate them all.
However, she recalled that Eldi had told them over and over again that predators are a fundamental part of ecosystems. That the balance would be broken without them. So, she was a bit reluctant to do so, as much as those lizards repelled her a bit.
She ultimately chose to Tangle them, and her fairy only dismembered the two which had dared to cross the Ring, and suffered the consequences. Then, she Floated over them with the nervous fawn in her arms, which she left a few meters away. The lynx, for her part, simply jumped between them, or on them.
She watched it go, while wondering what the future would hold for it, but that was all she could do. That and heal its mother, which had attracted part of the predators, and then leave them behind by jumping over a small cliff that her little one wasn't yet able to overcome.
Then, she had returned to retrieve her child, as she hoped it had managed to survive, and the elf had Detected her. She had some bruises and some poison. Though it wasn't enough to put her life in danger, it was to weaken her.
She looked at the elf gratefully, and then they disappeared in the forest. Although low-level, they were magical creatures, and had a certain intelligence, which increased with their level.
It was on the seventh day of travel that they reached a small mining settlement, so the elf walked over to see if she could get some information on what lay ahead. She also hoped to obtain a more detailed map of the area than the one she'd gotten from the guild.
Those in the library weren't sold, while in specialized stores in the capital it took a day to make a copy. They were continually being updated, so keeping them in stock meant having to throw them away, or sell outdated maps. It was only done by the less reputable ones.
The zone was level 20-25, so she decided to use Disguise to look like level 25, in addition to dressing in gear of that level. She then approached the tavern. In the game, it was the right place to get information.
She decided to wear the panther-woman costume, as elves were less common in that area. Meanwhile, the lynx stayed in the forest. She could come to her aid in just a few seconds if needed.
With sword and dagger at her waist, she entered the tavern. It was late in the afternoon and the workday was over, so the atmosphere was lively. There were quite a few dwarves there, more than usual in the area, though it was logical as they were miners. There were also some humans and several demihumans.
She sat next to the counter. She was ready to order the usual alcoholic drink and, try to get information. Goldmi had verified that, thanks to the passive resistance to poisons, her tolerance to alcohol was high. In fact, she was able to totally override it.
"Hi baby. Are you new here? Let me buy you a drink," a man-tiger, who had drunken too much, suddenly approached her.
The elf sighed to herself. This was something common in the game. It was a situation so cliché that she didn't expect to find in reality. She found it a bit annoying.