“Solar Crash!” Rui activated the spell. Powerful light in the form of a beam as big as her wood golem form blasted into the air.

  Okan chuckled. “Well done, Rui.”

  Rui huffed and puffed as the spell took a lot out of her. “H-How… could mother… do it so easily?”

  Okan smiled. “She would store the solar energy over time. Solar Crash is more of a final attack in the case of an emergency.”

  “I see….” Rui relaxed and closed her eyes. The light seemed to lightly dim around the girl as she forcibly absorbed the energy.

  “Hmm. Don’t take it too far, Rui. Too much will only hurt yourself.” Okan warned.

  “Okay!” Rui smiled at him while continuing.

  Pappy appeared nearby. “I have news.” He gave a happy smile.

  “Melody!?” Rui excitedly asked.

  Pappy nodded. “Yes. They have made it through the first part of the Monster Rush and are waiting to deal with the night section.”

  “How well did she do?” Okan asked.

  Pappy smiled. “Lady Melody took down an earth dragon.” The old gnome chuckled. “And then ate it!”

  Rui bounced in place upon hearing of her sister’s success. She balled her wooden fists. “Let’s continue, Grandpa! I want to be out there helping Melody!”

  “Ah, Lady Rui,” Pappy called her attention. “What would you like for dinner?”

  Rui thought for a moment. “Do we have dragon meat?”

  Okan laughed. “Rui! Your sister is the only one who could eat an earth dragon and survive!”

  “Are they dangerous?”

  Pappy chuckled. “The flesh and blood of an earth dragon is very poisonous.”

  “Oh….” Rui pouted, wishing she had her sister’s level of immunity.

  Pappy thought for a moment. “Ah! I do think we have some salamander meat left. That might taste like an earth dragon.”

  “Really?! Thank you, Pappy!” Rui hopped out of her wood golem and hugged the gnome.

  The older ones shared a laugh, and Pappy headed off to prepare Rui’s meal.

  “Now then, shall we continue?” Okan straightened his hunched posture, and his wooden body bulged with muscles.

  Rui looked at her grandpa with nervousness. “Will you take it easy on me this time?” She asked.

  Okan chuckled. “If you want to catch up to Melody.” He cracked his wooden knuckles. “I cannot.”

  Rui frowned at the one-sided fight that was about to begin. Okan was careful that she never got too hurt, but fighting an ancient treant with over a thousand years of experience was like trying to climb a mountain without limbs.

  Sighing, Rui got back into her wood golem and beefed it up as much as possible.

  “Let’s go, Grandpa!” Rui defiantly cried.

  Okan chuckled. “Seems you still have much to learn.”

  The terrified screams of a young dryad filled the Grove for about thirty minutes before Pappy called her for dinner.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The nighttime monster rush began, and the beasts charged toward the city.

  Melody stood before the ground troops with her war hammer at her side. Violet and Annabelle joined the ground forces as Melody planned to test her new weapon. Annabelle advised them to hang back because Melody would have to limit her movements to avoid throwing them off.

  “Melody!” Violet called from her tower. “Our protective barriers on you should last thirty minutes! Be sure to come back to renew it before it runs out!”

  Melody smiled and nodded.

  “You ready, Melody?” Gerald asked.

  She took a deep breath and exhaled. “Yup.”

  “Good luck, Melody!” Annabelle called from below.

  “Demon bull! Fire type!” A spotter called.

  Melody took several swings with her war hammer to remember Annabelle’s advice and brief training.

  Taking a ready stance, Melody activated Stampede and charged into the Monster Rush.

  Arrows and magic rained around Melody to clear her path to the first demon for the night as much as possible.

  The demon bull let out flames from its nostrils and focused on Melody.

  Melody lowered and readied her war hammer.

  The demon bull lowered its horns in line with Melody, ready to gore her.

  She smirked.

  Roots sprung up and tripped the bull. It hit the ground, skidding forward.

  Melody leaped into the air while spinning the hammer, building as much momentum as possible. With a war cry, Melody slammed her hammer into the bull’s neck, obliterating it and killing the bull.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  With the defeat of the first demon, Melody set off through the group of beasts, bashing and crushing them.

  “Melody!” Violet called her through telepathy. “A darkness-type demon saber is heading toward you!”

  “I sensed it!” Melody replied. She had felt the demon’s blood thirst.

  The saber burst from a shadow toward Melody, its fangs and claws bared.

  Melody smirked once more. “You’re not the only one who can use darkness.”

  Melody faded into the darkness, out of the saber’s attack.

  Though her mother stopped her from sinking into shadows early in her life, Melody learned it was safe when she learned Shadow Pounce.

  She flew up and out of the shadow beside the saber, her hammer slamming into the underbelly of the predator. The saber roared in pain as it flew high into the air. Quickly switching weapons, Melody brought her bow up and fired four nature arrows into the demon cat, killing it.

  “Good job, Melody! We could use your help back here. We’re holding it off, but a wind demon vulture took a wide berth from you.” Violet called.

  Melody turned her attention back toward the city and saw the soldiers atop the wall were keeping the large bird at a safe distance. She aimed and fired nature arrow after arrow at the demon.

  The vulture quickly realized it was in danger and began dodging the arrows.

  Melody had to stop attacking the vulture as she had to dodge several beasts still charging around her.

  Dropping a magic charge seed onto the ground, Melody hopped into the air. A large tree rapidly grew, lifting Melody to safety.

  The vulture screeched in a panic and tried to fly into the city, but the soldiers battered it with magic and arrows.

  Melody pulled a couple of her paralysis arrows and fired off several nature arrows toward the vulture first, then followed with her poisoned arrows.

  The vulture skillfully dodged the bright nature arrows but missed the poisonous ones that sunk into its flesh.

  “Violet! I paralyzed it, so you guys should be able to finish it.” Melody called through their link.

  “Got it! Thanks, Melody!”

  The adventurers quickly closed in on the frozen vulture and finished it off.

  While Melody awaited the following report of a demon, she shot from her tree, thinning the Monster Rush.

  “Violet,” Melody called to her friend.

  “What’s up?”

  “Should I call in a storm?” She asked.

  “We should be alrig-, MEL-!” Violet began to shout.

  Melody sensed blood lust and ducked from a pair of taloned claws.

  “-Ody… Whew. Glad you sensed it.” Violet sighed in relief.

  “What is that? Some kind of dragon?” Melody asked.

  “Wyvern. Watch out for its claws. It has a highly potent… Never mind. Just don’t get hurt.”

  Melody giggled at Violet’s lapse in memory over her poison immunity.

  The wyvern had broad, leathery wings, a long neck, a thin tail, and short legs. It roared in anger that Melody dodged its ambush.

  Melody turned her bow toward it as it spat a glob at her. She shot an arrow and blasted the wad to bits.

  Some of it got on her. “Ew.” It felt sticky and nasty.

  “Most people would be screaming as that poison eats through their flesh. Cheater.” Violet huffed.

  Feeling irritated, she charged more magic than usual to the nature arrow. The loose magic focused together. “Whoa!” She had never thought to charge them more.

  “What is it?” Violet asked.

  “Something neat!” Melody laughed.

  Melody continued to force more magic into the arrow until it solidified into a green needle. She dodged a swooping attack from the wyvern as she finished learning that the arrow would not improve further.

  She turned her bow and fired. The nature needle flew far faster than anything she had fired before. The moment it hit the chest of the wyvern, most of its torso was obliterated by the force.

  “NOOOOOO!” Melody whined as the corpse drifted toward the ground.

  “What is it?” Violet asked.

  “My food!” Melody cried.

  Violet snorted and laughed. Melody knew she had destroyed the heart and liver, bringing her chances of getting a skill down to small and losing her stat increases.

  “Hey, Melody,” Violet called.

  “What?” She sadly replied.

  “Look up.”

  Melody did as Violet said, and a bright smile came.

  Six more wyverns had shown up and were coming for Melody.

  Grinning like a predator, Melody readied her bow.

  Hours later, Melody cooked another stew using the earth dragon shell. This time, she had diced up multiple wyverns.

  “Don’t forget to deal with the poison, Melody,” Violet commented.

  “I won’t!” Melody grinned.

  She had added many brains, hearts, and livers to the stew and the seasons she had used before.

  The nighttime Monster Rush finished with about six more demons popping up. Many adventurers slept or rested while Violet and Gerald kept Melody company. Annabelle was quietly sleeping nearby. She tried her best to stay up, but her exhaustion got her.

  Gerald looked off toward the horizon. “Looks like the sun will be up soon.” He yawned. “How much longer, Melody?”

  Melody checked it with her skill. “It’s done.” She ensured the poison was dealt with and handed him a bowl.

  “Thanks, Melody.” He chuckled as he tried it. “Delicious!”

  Melody smiled brightly as she gave one to Violet and got her meal.

  After finishing off the bowel, she checked her skills once more.

  “Anything new?” Violet asked.

  Melody shook her head. “No, but my poison control improved by two more points. I’ll take it.” She smiled.

  Violet looked over to the pile of demons and other beasts that Melody requested. “Are you going to be able to butcher all that?”

  Melody giggled. “Your grandpa helped me to improve my butchering skills. It might take me a few hours to finish it all. I think I should have enough space in my pack. If not…” She licked her lips.

  Violet giggled as she finished her meal. “Well, best of luck, Melody. I’m heading to sleep.”

  Gerald followed shortly after, heading to his own tent.

  The morning group began waking up and enjoyed a bowl of wyvern stew.

  “Man! This is delicious!” “I’ve never had wyvern stew. Why isn’t this more common?” “Normally, it’s highly poisonous. How did you not know that?” “Then how are we able to eat it?” “That’s thanks to the Crimson Goddess!”

  Melody smiled happily as she overheard their conversations and worked on butchering a bull. Fenny lay nearby, fully gorged on all the blood.

  “Master,” Poe called her.

  “Yes, Poe?” Melody cheerily replied.

  “The city lord wishes to speak with you. She asked when a good time would be.” Poe said.

  Melody looked over the pile. “Give me… a few hours. I will come to her residence.”

  Poe acknowledged Melody and went to relay her message.

  “Melody?” Annabelle sleepily called.

  “Morning, Anna! Hungry?”

  Annabelle lazily nodded as she stretched her body.

  After getting a bowl for her friend, she continued her butchering.

  “Mm! Melody! This is delicious!” Annabelle commented as she continued to enjoy the stew.

  “Thanks!” Melody paused her work to check what was left in the shell and found that it had been emptied. She stared at the shell for a bit.

  “What’s wrong?” Annabelle asked.

  “I like this thing. I wonder how I can get it back home….”

  “Perhaps we can help with that.” Willow approached and explained that she was sure she could find plenty of volunteers to transport it back to Hallfen for her.

  Melody thanked the guild master and put in a request. “Miss Willow, do you expect there to be more attacks?”

  The guild master shook her head. “Nope. At least nothing bad. We might keep the walls manned for a few more days to deal with flyers, but the worst is now behind us, thanks to you.”

  Melody smiled brightly and finished her butchering before she went off to meet the city lord.