The Infinite Journey of a Certain Flame

Kiana shook her head and then said, "Don't worry, I'm fully confident that I can take care of that giant wolf."

"this..."

The old man's mouth was half-open, and he stammered for a long time before he couldn't muster the courage to respond.

The reason was simple: he dared not disobey a powerful figure with a prominent surname...

Moreover, this person came to help me. If I turn him away... I might miss a great opportunity.

Thinking of this, the old man slowly nodded.

"Alright, but I don't know the specifics either. You can ask the old hunters in the village."

"The old hunter?"

"Yes, he lives in a small house near the other side of the river,"

The old man replied, "We've been here these past few days. He comes back every now and then; perhaps he knows something."

Upon hearing this, Kiana nodded and then walked towards the old hunter's house.

Soon, Kiana arrived at a small house and gently knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

An old voice echoed from inside the room.

"it's me."

"A woman? You are...?"

Upon hearing Kiana's voice, the old hunter quickly opened the door. Seeing the unfamiliar Kiana, he immediately burst out laughing, gripped the bow hanging at his waist, and said with a chuckle.

"Hehehe... What business does Your Excellency have with me?"

"Oh, I came to ask you something."

Kiana got straight to the point, her tone revealing a hint of hostility.

"what's up?"

"Could you tell me if there are any unusual or suspicious animals around here?"

"...There are no suspicious animals, but there are certainly some formidable magical beasts..."

The old hunter frowned, seemingly lost in memories.

"You're not referring to a giant wolf, are you?"

The old hunter said, "If I remember correctly, that giant wolf should be active a few hundred meters away. Our villagers are just ordinary farmers and don't know how strong they are. If you want to catch the giant wolf, you may have to risk going to the area where the wolf pack is active."

Upon hearing the old hunter's words, Kiana's expression turned serious. She stared intently at the old hunter, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"Thank you for reminding me, I understand."

Kiana said, then turned and left.

The old hunter looked at Kiana's departing figure with some doubt, thinking to himself, "Is this girl here to catch that giant wolf?"

It seems...yes?

..........

As Kiana left the old hunter's house, the old hunter's words echoed in her mind.

"It seems that in order to deal with this giant wolf, I need to find out its background first and see if it has any other companions before I can react accordingly. I can't act rashly, otherwise it's easy to cause trouble."

Kiana muttered to herself.

"Um..."

Then, Kiana turned her head and looked into the distance.

"It feels like he said nothing at all. Does that mean this old hunter only knows the general location and has no idea about the giant wolf's specifics? This is really troublesome..."

Kiana didn't finish her sentence; she paused for a moment, then looked around at her surroundings.

"However, it is indeed a bit too much to ask an ordinary person to face magical beasts. I'd better go and scout that swamp area first."

Thinking of this, Kiana clapped her hands at the little spider who was baring her teeth at the village dog, then led her towards the giant wolf's lair...

What's it like to be human in a world where a slime is the Demon Lord?: Chapter 4: When the Familiar Evolves

"Um... wait a minute!"

Just as Kiana was about to leave the village and head to the swamp where the demon wolves lived, a girl dressed in simple clothes suddenly blocked her way.

The girl looked to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. She had a strong rural air about her, but she also possessed a lively and beautiful youthful spirit. Her big eyes were full of intelligence and curiosity as she looked at Kiana, as if she had something to ask her.

Kiana was blocked in her way, and a look of confusion appeared on her face.

Who is this girl?

Why are you blocking my way?

"What's wrong?" Kiana asked, somewhat puzzled.

She wasn't quite sure what the villagers wanted to tell her.

Could it be that there's some new information about the wolf king that they're preparing to share?

But if they're going to notify me, why send a little girl who looks like she hasn't even grown any hair yet?

Thinking of this, Kiana, still puzzled, slowly squatted down and gently stroked the girl's head:

"Young lady, what can I do for you?"

She had short, slightly disheveled brown hair, and although she looked dusty and dirty, her eyes, which had never been dulled, still shone with a hint of light.

Despite her simple attire, this girl exudes a vibrant energy.

That's right.

The girl smiled slightly, then clutched her chest: "I heard from the adults that you, sister, are going to help us get rid of the wolf problem."

"Yes, that's right."

Kiana readily admitted it.

"But we have nothing to repay you with... As for food and such, we're barely managing to keep any after handing it over to the lords, and as for anything else of value..."

The girl rubbed her hands together, feeling somewhat ashamed that she hadn't been able to offer any tangible reward.

However, for Kiana, such sincere gratitude was already enough.

"It's alright, I'm not really short of supplies, your gratitude is enough."

Kiana slowly stood up, then put one hand on her hip and said crisply.

In any case, for her, this was just an insignificant part of the long quest to accumulate honor points.

How many people did you help, how many problems did you solve, how much reward did you receive, and how much praise did you garner?

These are all incidental and cannot be considered the purpose.

Therefore, Kiana felt that she was acting from the heart, and not simply because she wanted something in return.

"Is that so... Thank you, sister. Here, take this!"

After saying that, the little girl handed over a small red flower and then happily skipped away.

Looking at the ordinary-looking little flower in my hand, which exudes a unique fragrance.

Kiana felt a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"They are children from a poor rural area after all. They don't even know how to properly express their gratitude. But... they are still quite simple and honest."

Although the ceremony wasn't very formal, at least their hearts were sincere.

Kiana felt that was enough.

"Set off."

Without much hesitation or lingering, she quickly left the village entrance and embarked on the road to the wolf's den.

Because horses, when encountering ferocious beasts like wolves, can become frightened and lose control.

Therefore, Kiana chose the simplest method: walking. The reason she didn't fly was...

The main reason is that the little spiders behind me need to be guided, otherwise they might cause some trouble.

Fortunately, the place didn't seem to be too close to the village.

Moreover, the mountains and rivers along the way are quite elegant and beautiful. Even Kiana would find it beautiful and comfortable, and would stop to admire the surrounding scenery.

However, since this was the edge of the village, there were not many wild animals to be found except for some forests, so Kiana's pace was not slow.

Soon, a majestic and precipitous mountain range came into view.

The mountains rise and fall, lush and verdant, with several winding rivers meandering through them in the distance, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

"This must be the wolf's den."

Standing atop the mountain, Kiana gazed at the rolling mountains and couldn't help but feel a pang of emotion. It had been a long time since she had been here since her battle with the Giant Wolf King.

I never expected to return to this place in this way. I really don't know why I chose to come here in the first place.

"Ok?"

Just as Kiana was lost in thought, she suddenly heard a soft hum.

"Whoosh, hoo!"

"what!"

Kiana immediately turned around and found a wolf king, completely black, standing behind her!

The wolf king was quite large, its body covered in black scales, and its sharp quills gleamed coldly in the sunlight, sending chills down one's spine.

Meanwhile, Kiana was being stared at by the wolf king.

"What a huge wolf!"

Kiana frowned as she looked at the wolf king that had suddenly appeared.

I've been focused on finding these wolves the whole way, so how did a wolf suddenly appear?