Chapter 2136 Final Challenge

One year was a long time.

But it was also a very short one.

Many things could happen in a year. For Genevieve, they had.

She sat inside a cave, licking her wounds. One of her eyes was covered by crude strips of cloth. Her abdomen was tightly wrapped in bandages, still stained with fresh blood.

Her shoulder was no better. There used to be a gaping hole in her left shoulder blade. But that was last month. It was hell. Pure agony. She had mostly recovered from that wound, however.

Her fingernails were caked with dirt and dried blood. Wounds and old scars covered nearly every part of her body, illuminated by the flickering fire in front of her.

After dealing with her fresh injuries, she leaned against the cave wall and stared ahead blankly with her one good eye. She absentmindedly stroked the raven band on her finger. A habit by now.

It had been one year since she had stepped into this primordial forest.

And what a year it had been.

She had fought countless monsters. Creatures with claws, fangs, poisonous saliva, and strange abilities she had never encountered before. She had been poisoned more than once.

There had been days when she had nearly died simply from lack of food and water. Her material components had run out long ago. One artifact after another had been destroyed.

Eventually, she had been left with nothing but her body and the weapons she carried.

No spells. No powerful artifacts. No endless supply of resources. And no one coming to save her. She had been forced to rely on herself. On her physical combat abilities. Her rapier. Her bow. Her hands. Her instincts.

There were times when she had gone days without a proper meal. Times when she had been forced to drink whatever water she could. Times when she had slept in the dirt with monsters prowling outside her hiding place.

Every step deeper into the forest had been another battle. Every battle had left another scar.

Yet she continued to move forward nevertheless. Day after day. Month after month. She kept moving toward the center. Toward the temple the Custos told her about. Toward the end of her trial.

It had taken her an entire year to reach the heart of this primordial forest. And now, battered and exhausted, Genevieve sat beside the fire and stared silently into the flames.

She looked toward the cave entrance. Her destination was half a day's journey away. The temple was finally within reach. But it was guarded by a powerful monster. The very beast that had nearly killed her a few days ago and given her the scar that ran across her left eye.

Her trembling hand reached toward her bandaged face. Recalling the predatory eyes of that monster, fear gripped her heart. But she did what she always did when terror tried to overwhelm her.

I acknowledge my fear.

I give it no command over me.

It is a guest within my heart.

Not the master of my will.

She repeated the invocation again and again until her heartbeat slowed down. The trembling stopped eventually. She opened her cerulean eye. It gleamed with calm, quiet resolve.

Tomorrow's the day, she thought to herself.

Suddenly, there was a rustling sound near the cave entrance.

In one swift motion, she retrieved her bow, nocked an arrow she had made herself within this jungle, and took aim. All in under one second.

Ribbit. Ribbit.

A large frog appeared at the mouth of the cave. It cast a bored look at Genevieve, then at the fire, before bouncing away.

Genevieve lowered the bow and arrow, sighing in relief. Still, she did not turn away from the cave entrance or let go of the weapon. She had been humbled enough times in this jungle to learn from her mistakes.

A few minutes later, she put out the fire and retreated deeper into the cave. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she went over her plans for the hunt tomorrow.

All the traps have been set. The contingencies are in place.

Extra arrows have been hidden away at different locations.

There is nothing left to prepare.

Genevieve closed her eyes slowly, though a part of her mind still remained alert.

Everything is ready.

Tomorrow, I bring the monster down.

***

In the heart of the jungle stood an ancient temple.

It was the final destination for every child of the gens Fortuna who undertook the coming-of-age ceremony.

The temple was magnificent. Enormous stone pillars were covered in intricate carvings. Ancient statues stood at the entrance. Even after countless millennia had passed, there was a grandeur to the place, as though the temple had been built for something far greater than mortals.

Yet the forest surrounding it was grander still. Towering trees formed an immense wall around the clearing. Vines hung from the canopy. Flowers bloomed among the roots. And ancient greenery stretched as far as the eye could see.

The temple stood at the center of it all. Patiently waiting.

But the path to the temple was not an easy one.

A monster guarded it.

It had been there as the final challenge. There was no avoiding it. No shortcut. No way around the monster. Defeat it. Enter the temple. That was the final test.

This creature resembled a dragon, albeit without wings.

Three horns jutted from its massive, scaly head, while its enormous body was covered in thick red scales that resembled natural armor. This was the monster that had nearly killed Genevieve last week.

Smoke occasionally curled from its nostrils. Its aura was fiery and intimidating.

A fire-breathing drake. The final guardian of the temple.

The drake, which had seemed to be sleeping, suddenly snapped its eyes open. Amber eyes with vertical pupils constricted fiercely.

Thwock!

The monster shifted its head ever so slightly at the last possible moment. The arrow missed its mark, striking the scaly snout instead of the eye. The drake let out a furious bellow and rose to its feet.

It immediately locked onto Genevieve, who stood on the branch of a tree at the edge of the clearing, slowly lowering her empty bow.

She looked straight into the monster's eyes and sneered.

Then she disappeared back into the forest.

Enraged, the drake charged after her. This time, it was going to kill her.

Meanwhile, Genevieve had begun putting her carefully laid plans into action.