Chapter 225: Death Omen and Memories

Mist Forest, outskirts.

It was midday, and the pale gray mist drifted softly in the air like a layer of delicate gauze.

Only occasionally would a light breeze blow, bringing the faint "rustling" sound of swaying branches, blowing the mist and revealing the forest's outline in the quiet.

Creak—

Accompanied by the soft sound of brittle leaves and rotting soil colliding and rubbing under pressure, a not-so-thick fallen branch was stepped on and snapped by a leather boot falling from above, making an inappropriately abrupt sound.

An off-white robe hung to her ankles, the hem stained with grass clippings and specks of dirt; a neat, deep chestnut high ponytail swayed left and right with her body's movement, like a nimble, tiny furry tail.

Weirouer walked alone deep into the forest.

Her slender, frail build and attire that offered no defense whatsoever didn't look at all like someone capable of moving normally in the Mist Forest.

Yet her overly calm and composed expression, paired with that fair, delicate girl's face, made the place she was currently in seem not like a gathering place for all kinds of dangerous monsters, but some quiet and safe little garden.

Compared to the lingering fear and terror when she had just left the Adventurer Association, Weirouer had now regained the calm posture she should show as a veteran.

In her hand, she now held a staff that was grayish-white all over, with natural dark thread-like patterns on its surface.

Perhaps its seemingly simple appearance couldn't reflect its value, but just by looking at that black opal embedded at the top of the staff—of extremely high purity, with black shadows and gold spots inside, and only the size of a fingernail, which could sell for nearly four digits of gold coins at a jewelry store—it was enough to indicate the expensive cost of this staff.

And at this moment, the magical radiance flowing silkily along the staff body and finally erupting from the black opal at the top further revealed its status as a high-grade "enchanted equipment."

If sold on the market, its price might even double or triple.

Hum—

The pale radiance turned into a translucent pale blue shield, isolating the mist and danger outside the light shield.

—1st-ring Protection School 【Alarm - Arcane Calendar Year 932 Improved Version VII】

While retaining the original alert function of 【Alarm】, it also came with multiple effects such as physical protection and aura concealment.

Although the spell model was much more complex, and the required spell materials and mental energy consumption were different from the original.

But for Weirouer, whose mental control ability and mental energy reserve far exceeded mages of the same level, it was almost effortless.

Taking out an exquisitely styled brass pocket watch from the leather pouch at her waist, she lowered her head to check the time.

The girl stopped slowly, her cautious gaze scanning the surroundings meticulously, and the translucent light shield enveloping her body expanded quietly, then retracted sharply.

Confirming that there was no danger around, she dragged her exhausted body and found a thick oak tree nearby.

Not minding the mud on the ground, she just sat down leaning against it.

At the same time, she estimated in her heart:

Her body was currently approaching an overloaded state due to not getting enough rest for a long time.

Considering the environment she was in and the enemies she might encounter later... an efficient twenty-minute rest should be enough to maintain her state until she camped for rest in the second half of the night.

While pondering, her eyes were already closed, and her consciousness sank at the fastest speed, entering a state of rest.

Basic sleep for an ordinary person was a luxury for Weirouer that she only qualified for when her body and consciousness were close to overload and collapse.

The urgency lingering and roaring in her heart was like an invisible giant hand, pushing her forward without a moment's pause.

She didn't dare to waste even a second.

"Rustle."

The subtle movement suddenly coming from the bushes in front made Weirouer, who had just closed her eyes, open them abruptly.

Although she was very confident in her improved 【Alarm】, she knew that there were basically no dangerous creatures in the outskirts of the Mist Forest capable of bypassing the protection and approaching her.

But at this moment, she still instinctively carried out countermeasures against unknown attackers.

First, for the few magic items stored close to her body under her off-white robe, her intent had already hooked into them, ready to trigger their enchanted defensive spells at any time.

At the same time, before she had even fully stood up from the ground, in the process of supporting herself with one hand, bending her knees, stepping on the ground, and using her muscles to rise,

the spell model prepared deep in her mind, specifically for the current situation, had already been poured in by her mental energy.

Evocation, Enchantment, Transmutation... spell models of multiple schools were rapidly charging under the push of her intent.

Magical radiance appeared in the gaps of her hair strands, and her bangs moved without wind.

In less than a breath's time from the sound, Weirouer had instinctively prepared for battle.

Just waiting for the enemy to appear, or for her to finish detecting their identity, she could pour the anger of materialized magic particles onto them.

The next second.

"Rustle."

The bushes in front swayed slightly again.

Immediately, a fluffy, furry big tail and two ignorant, pure little eyes came into her view.

"Bright-tailed Velvet Squirrel?"

Looking at this big-tailed squirrel with light red fur all over its body and clear, stupid eyes,

Weirouer didn't relax her vigilance, but released her few spells for confirming hostility and detecting transformation/concealment effects, confirming that this squirrel was not an enemy disguise, before finally setting her heart at ease.

She let out a slow sigh of relief and sat back down.

She tried to close her eyes for a nap again, but the concentration she had just gathered, and her highly active brain under the flow of magic power, made her briefly lose the possibility of falling asleep.

Perhaps it was the improved alarm spell that lowered Weirouer's presence as a biological entity, or perhaps it was the magic particles dancing around her body.

The culprit that disturbed her rest, that bright-tailed velvet squirrel, actually moved its short limbs and jumped to Weirouer's side.

Reflecting the small figure on the ground in her crystalline amber eyes, she subconsciously reached out her hand, her fingertips gently stroking the little guy's head.

Feeling the fluffy, delicate touch from her fingertips, for some reason, she suddenly remembered her encounter at the Adventurer Association earlier, and remembered that sharp figure.

Weirouer's breathing stopped abruptly, her heart gripped by an invisible cold hand.

"Bright-tailed Velvet Squirrel..."

Her lips parted and closed, she murmured unconsciously, her thoughts flowing quietly.

This kind of small creature with bright fur wasn't very famous among ordinary people nowadays, only occasionally appearing on the market.

But ever since five years later, at a noble banquet in a big city, the Duchess wore a shawl made of bright-tailed velvet squirrel fur.

Clothing made from its fur quickly became an extreme decoration that swept through high society, symbolizing status and luxury.

An organization called the "Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce" smelled a business opportunity.

On one hand, they wove the lie that "the fur of the bright-tailed velvet squirrel can bring good luck and protection," secretly driving up the price;

On the other hand, they cleared the way with fire oil and steel axes, marking out forbidden zones in the forest, carrying well-trained hunting falcons and blowpipes smeared with paralytic poison.

They hunted these innocent little creatures, which were only the size of a palm but worth a lot of money, in batches.

Driven by greed, even a baron who refused to sell his ancestral forest land, along with his family castle and relatives and servants, was swallowed by a great fire on a deep night.

Regarding this, the Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce, which had bought the forest land at a low price at high speed, only claimed that it was an accident caused by the baron himself and had nothing to do with them. But soon, this organization, which had briefly monopolized the velvet squirrel fur trade through bloody means, attracted real predators due to its violent and cruel behavior toward those who blocked their way and the huge profits hidden in the fur.

—The Iron Hammer Brotherhood.

A behemoth hidden in the shadows, with a sphere of influence covering more than a dozen large cities, composed of assassins and rogues.

A chilling assassination and purge ended quickly in the span of a week.

The Golden Wheat Chamber of Commerce became history, the accumulated wealth was divided by peers and nobles, and the bright-tailed velvet squirrel business naturally was taken over by the overt organization under the control of the Brotherhood.

Weirouer stared at the little creature in her palm that was looking at her with ignorant eyes, and the distant memory deeply imprinted in her mind suddenly became clear.

"Iron Hammer Brotherhood," this behemoth that gathered a large number of professionals through interests and steel means.

Its collapse stemmed merely from a trivial "entertainment."

Two rogues who had just completed a delivery mission, carrying a full cart of squirrel skins and a whole team of young girls abducted from various villages, intending to sell them to the underground black market.

On the way back to rest, they intended to find some "fun" in a nearby small town.

Then, they provoked that existence and had their heads chopped off on the spot.

And the Iron Hammer Brotherhood naturally wouldn't let such a vicious act against Brotherhood members within its sphere of influence go unpunished.

Thus... the Iron Hammer Brotherhood, hidden deep in the dark night, ushered in their dawn.

Even now, Weirouer still remembered the night she followed her mentor to the headquarters of the Iron Hammer Brotherhood.

The organization flag, representing shadow and death, symbolizing glory, and most valued by Brotherhood members, turned into pieces of broken cloth, lying quietly in the corner like a rag on a tavern table.

Minced meat mixed with internal organs, severed limbs stained with viscous blood, scattered everywhere in the room, as if blood color was frozen even in the air.

And that ambitious organization leader, who dreamed of developing the Brotherhood into the most powerful underground force on the Aifala Continent and had already completed his transcendental job change.

Also on that night, together with all the members of the Brotherhood headquarters.

Was piled into a towering corpse mound with their heads.

Only then, Weirouer learned the name of this existence from her mentor for the first time:

—"Death Omen" Xia Nan.

Her fingers stroking the squirrel's head exerted force unconsciously, and a sharp pain came from her fingertips.

The light red figure in front of her flickered, and the bright-tailed velvet squirrel, stimulated, squeaked and disappeared into the depths of the bushes.

And on Weirouer's finger, there was an extra small wound dripping blood.

"Damn it!" Recalling the black-haired youth sitting across the table in the association conference room again, her face stiffened abruptly, and her complexion became ugly.

"It was clearly just an ordinary commission, why did I encounter such an existence?"

"And..."

Weirouer's head hung low, the shadow cast by her bangs making her expression look uncertain.

In her memory, this big shot with a fierce reputation should only have begun to show his edge in an adventure mission three years later, right?

According to the timeline, the other party should have just started in the industry not long ago, and was still far from being a professional.

But right now, he clearly already had the qualifications to step onto the second floor of the association.

This also meant that the other party had not only obtained a professional level but had already completed the association's promotion mission.

And... in the second-floor conference room, Weirouer was worried about arousing the other party's suspicion and didn't dare to let go of her mental intent to perceive carefully.

But in just those few dozen minutes of being in the same room with the other party, she had clearly felt the condensed momentum coming from him.

Much heavier than a newcomer who had just become a professional.

Just like a veteran who had explored the professional path for many years.

"Why?"

Weirouer's doubt almost overflowed from her heart.

"Why so fast?"

"Could it be because of the chain reaction I brought?"

"No! Impossible!"

"It's only been a few years since I came back. Just re-memorizing spells in the city, exploring information, and meditating to improve mental energy took a lot of time, and the distance to River Valley Town is very far."

"There's no way it could affect this place!"

"Then why?"

Weirouer couldn't figure it out, and the strange events that were gradually getting out of control and changing from her future memories made her feel uneasy.

At the same time, deep in her heart, she couldn't help but feel a touch of relief.

Fortunately, she had seen Xia Nan's face at different periods in the bounty orders of many underground organizations, knew his appearance, and roughly knew he was from Pan Yun Province.

Only then did she notice the other party's identity the moment she walked into the conference room.

Otherwise, if she had angered the other party because of her attitude or some other reason.

She didn't want to have her head chopped off and piled on a corpse mound.

Thinking back now, her performance at the time seemed too enthusiastic and a bit abrupt compared to their first meeting.

"Will it make Xia Nan suspicious?"

Weirouer thought uneasily.

But no matter what, she had indeed bought the resonance relic in the other party's hand at a price far exceeding the market average.

She even proactively provided a purification service, solving the trouble of the beastification curse for him.

Having done all this, not to mention whether she could leave a good impression in his heart, she shouldn't have made the other party dissatisfied, right?

"Not necessarily..." Recalling Xia Nan's reputation among professionals in her memory, she wasn't sure.

"Forget it, anyway, I've already left the conference room safely, just be careful in the future and don't make contact again."

Xia Nan himself had no conflict with Weirouer's mission, nor was there any connection, so there was no need to force herself to get close to him just because of his future big-shot status.

Moreover, given his fierce reputation in her memory... it was better to stay a little further away.

Although she didn't know why Xia Nan's growth speed was so much faster than in her memory.

But time was tight, and she didn't want to, nor did she dare to, get close to explore the changes.

"Should be almost there, right?"

Dispersing the distracting thoughts in her mind, Weirouer stood up, her gaze looking toward the dense forest in front, estimating the distance to her destination.

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 226 =====