Killing monsters always seemed like an easy task for adventurers unless it was the boss monster right? There's no way that I'd be unlucky enough to fight a really strong monster right off the bat. Unfortunately for me the bartender had to go and throw out one really unnecessary detail.

Right before I exited the bar he told me

"Be careful young man, the monster you're about to go kill has already taken the lives of a few careless adventurers. If it were but a simple ghoul or goblin we would not have asked our lord to put out a bounty for it."

Why does everything have to be difficult?

I decided to scout out the nearby wheat field thinking I may find Remi before the monster finds me. As I progress through the field I find the corpses of the party of adventurers the bartender told me about. The stench of the decomposing bodies almost makes me puke. I search through their belongings to find anything I could use to kill the monster. Hey, it's not like they need it anymore now right. A few daggers, a short sword, a greatsword, a coin pouch and a bow. I really don't know how to use a bow and I don't have the strength to wield a greatsword either. The adventurers' armor won't fit me as it is too small and probably needs to be custom fitted for the person. I at least put on the leather belt to have something to hang the weapons from and pick up the rusted short sword as well as a small dagger lying on the ground nearby. I place both in their respective sheathes, pick up the coin purse and decide that nothing else here is useful. Suddenly I hear the sound of a wolf howling and some kind of high pitched shriek.

I rushed in the direction of the noise but hid nearby as to not be seen. The creature appears to be a kind of bug like monster with wings and almost scythe like arms. To me it almost looked like the pokemon, Scyther. I barely spot Remi hiding nearby commanding the wolf and it seems as though she has a way of concealing her presence from the monster. Good news it didn't find me first, the bad news it seems like the wolf is losing the fight. Man, Remi would be a terrible Pokemon trainer, you're not supposed to use fighting type attacks against flying types, everyone knows that. I analyze the monster in order to see possible weaknesses: (Race: Death Mantis), (Elemental Weakness: lightning, fire, air), (mobility: high), (aura: ØäÜþþ). Still can't understand what the aura message means, but the other information proves useful. Hmm, I guess the elemental weaknesses make sense, but I can only exploit one of those at the moment. Although the name death mantis seems a little intimidating, god, how I hate bugs. Catching my attention I see the wolf get cut up three different ways by the mantis and starts cutting all the wheat in the area as if it were searching for someone. It seems that seeing her wolf lose causes Remi to lose her composure and she gives away her position by shooting high pressure blasts of water at the mantis. The mantis dodges both of them quickly and starts flying in her direction. Damn it, that idiot should have just retreated the moment her wolf lost. Your pride doesn't matter if you're dead. I rushed to her and began firing wind bullets at the monster. One of them hits and cuts off the mantis's left wing. It ignores me and continues heading for Remi. For some inexplicable reason I rush and push her out of the way before it attacks. Damn it, I feel a sharp pain in my right shoulder as the mantis inflicts a small slashing attack. I grab her hand and start attempting to make as much distance as possible between us and the mantis.

"Will?! What are you doing here," she states.

"Saving your life, you idiot!" I yell as we rush towards a small lake near the wheat field. "Quickly summon your wolf back so we have a chance to fight it!" I command.

"I can't, it takes time before I can resummon a spirit animal once it disappears," she responds. "Do you have any plans to defeat that thing now that your wolf is gone?" I question.

Remembering the ring's analysis I tell her, "It has a weakness to air based attacks."

"How do you even know that?" she quickly replies.

"I know, just trust me," I state as I try to ignore the pain coming from my right shoulder.

Carefully pondering what I said she states,

"Ok, ok taking that information into account, I think I have a plan to defeat the mantis. Alright first I need your help, we're going to strike with a combination type attack that utilizes the magical energy in the lake and the air above it."

She proceeds to channel the magical energy of the nearby lake and it starts forming a whirlpool.

"Ok when it comes out of the wheat field I need you to unleash the largest wind attack you can manage right at the whirlpool."

I channel all the energy in my body and wait for her signal. Abruptly the mantis comes out of the wheat field and races right at us.

"NOW!" she yells.

I channel up the rest of my remaining aura and launch it straight at the whirlpool. What happened next was a rather remarkable spectacle as the wind combined with the whirlpool causing a large vortex of wind and water which sucked up the mantis. It was as if the mantis had been eaten by a monster as it was repeatedly attacked by sharp gusts of wind and entrapped within a vortex of water. Ah yes, I remember which monster in question. Charybdis was a sea monster that originated in Greek mythology and usually was depicted as a whirlpool with teeth. As the vortex subsided the mantis fell to the floor--unable to move, I decided to finish it off once and for all. I unsheath my rusted sword and cut off its head.

"Hah I guess I saved you now didn't I? Now, we're even," I say trying not to pass out from exhaustion and pain.

"Yep, we most definitely are. Here take this healing potion, it's the least I could do after I lost my cool and you got hurt because of it," she says.

I take the bottle and drink the ominously colored potion. Hmm. Tastes like bad medicine, well at least the effects are good and don't cause any symptoms like diarrhea. I feel the wound on my right shoulder close up, but my exhaustion remains. I suppose there are also potions that restore your stamina or aura. I wish I could have one of those now too.

"Well what are we going to do now?" I ask.

"You did say you were going to the capital right? I guess I'll take you there since I have to go get my reward after all," Remi responds.

"And maybe I'll split it with you since I did kind of force you into doing this."

Silently I decide it is not a good idea to tell her I tried to abandon her to go look for Quincy earlier. She proceeds to hire a nearby carriage to take us to the capital and I promptly fall asleep on the trip.

A few hours pass by and I feel myself get abruptly woken up. Remi announces,

"Hey Will wake up we're here. I guess you've never been here before right. Well then, Welcome to the capital city of Westphalia."