"Footprints? They must be close..."

Ella narrowed her eyes and looked around. The wood was dark. Too dark to make out anything beyond ten feet. After reaching level 4, her five senses became sharper.

Even then, she had difficulty navigating through this wood. The eerie ambience added a sinister vibe to the place, making her unable to relax.

"Da*n it! If I knew this place would be so perverse, I would've never come out to search for them." She couldn't even travel on Radiance due to how difficult it was to see from above.

Cursing under her breath, she checked her guns, making sure they were fully loaded, before following the tracks. The further she entered the woods, the colder it became. Controlling her crimson-gold flame, Ella encased it around her body in a dome-like shield for warmth and precaution against sudden attacks.

Fearful whimpers, enraged snarls, and hungry growls rang out from multiple directions. Ella sneered and kept walking. After mutation, some plants with early i