Nathan and Meriel rode the spirit beast wolf, Fang, through the freezing ancient forest. The cold icy wind blowing through the trees caused a chill to run down their spines. The snow-covered ground starkly contrasted with the trees' deep green. The air was so cold that their breath formed a white mist in front of them as they rode.

The further they rode, the colder it got. Meriel wrapped her cloak tightly around her, and Nathan pulled his hood up to keep the cold out. They both kept their eyes open, searching for any sign of a monster lurking in the shadows.

They rode for what felt like hours, their progress slowed by the thick blanket of snow that had fallen the night before. They'd spot a footprint in the snow every now and then, but nothing seemed significant enough to stop and investigate.

"I wonder how far Linda and the others have gone?" Nathan asked, "Sure they wouldn't be moving as fast as Fang."

He had been searching for something to hunt but hadn't found anything yet.

Fang's quickness was remarkable like it was running on a sheet of snow, nimbly maneuvering between the big, snow-covered roots and tall trees that reached the sky.

Finally, they reached a clearing. In the middle of the clearing, they saw a large cave. Nathan and Meriel exchanged a look, knowing that this was where their monster hunt would begin.

Nathan activated his "Magic Detection" but found nothing; this was likely because the detection range wasn't far enough to reach the end of the cave. The entrance was three stories high and there were chunks and marks of blunt objects scattered around it.

"What kind of monsters occupy a cave like this? Or could there be other participants hiding within?" he asked.

Meriel grasped the hem of Nathan's shirt. "Master Nathan, I smell a lot of blood coming from that cave," she said quietly.

"Lots of blood? Humans?" Nathan asked doubtfully.

Meriel was quiet for a moment before responding. "It's the blood of elves," she said.

Nathan clenched his fists upon hearing Meriel's words. "Dark elves?" he murmured.

Meriel shook her head, her hair brushing against Nathan's back. "Forest Elves," she whispered.

He remembered what Polly had told him about the four types of elves in Yunatea. The Forest Elves were the least numerous and weakest of them all.

"I didn't pay much attention to the challenge's participants. So, there are Forest Elves too? Are they... still alive, Meriel?" Nathan asked, swallowing hard and taking a deep breath.

"I'm not really sure Mr. Nathan. But what I do feel, there are some forest elves inside. It seems they are hunting whatever monsters are inside." she replied.

They dismounted their black wolf, and Nathan grabbed his sword and activated his fire aura, and a deep red flame started to spread from its hilt and up the blade. As the fire spread, he could feel a warmth emanating from the weapon and a feeling of power that surged through his veins like liquid fire. The flames grew brighter and brighter until it was like a blazing beacon in the gloomy forest.

"Do they need help?" Nathan asked, turning to Meriel, who was standing quietly beside him. "Should we go in and find out their condition?"

Meriel bit her lower lip, appearing uncertain. "Um..." She hesitated. "I'm with you, whatever you decide, Mr. Nathan."

Nathan frowned at Meriel's response, recalling what he had heard about the strained relationship between the different types of elves. "Could Meriel run into trouble if she encountered Forest Elves?" he thought. Despite this, he couldn't bring himself to leave her alone outside; he cared more for his party members than the others.

"Alright," Nathan said firmly, "Let's do this. We'll go in slowly and leave quickly if there's any trouble. I need you to stay close and tell me right away if anything worries you, got it Meriel?"

Meriel nodded in agreement.

They then stepped into the frozen cave, the air around them becoming chillier as they advanced further. Both of them gripping their weapons tightly.

The cave was dark and silent. The only sound there was their breathing and the echoing of their footsteps. The walls of the cave were made of a thick sheet of ice, and it was cold to the touch.

Nathan's sword illuminated the cavern. As they continued, strange noises echoed within the walls. Nathan kept a careful eye out, his sword in front of him, ready to protect them both if danger arose.

At the end of the cave, they were met with a beautiful sight - a large lake of shimmering, dark blue water. Nathan was mesmerized by its beauty and the stillness of the cave.

Then they noticed a pile of monster carcasses around the ground. On the further side, lit only by a minimal light source, they could see a group of people converging at one point. Nathan and Meriel were walking closer when the people in front of them noticed and stood up and drew their swords.

Nathan felt a chill run down his spine as he surveyed them. They had pointed ears and pale skin tones, they looked really badly injured. There were five of them, three men and two women. One of the women was lying on the ground with a serious wound in her stomach, a pool of blood forming beneath her on a layer of ice.

"Who are you?" one of them asked, the others standing in a defensive stance.

Nathan was about to answer when Meriel stepped in. "Let me help," she said urgently. "Your friend is in a bad condition and I can stop the bleeding in her stomach."

"That's Meriel," one of the forest elves said.

"I can see that," the one who seemed the leader of the elves answered, his voice filled with anger. "Get away from this place before you provoke our wrath!"

historical

Nathan grabbed Meriel's wrist. "Let them, Meriel," he said, not understanding what was happening between them.

Meriel shook her head, insisting, "I just want to help. Please let me. Otherwise, your friend won't be safe."

One of the forest elves pointed his sword at her. Instantly, Nathan stood in front of Meriel, a yellow sparkle of light briefly surrounding his body.

"My friend only wants to help. Can't you appreciate that?" Nathan said in an even voice.

"You humans," the forest elf said, "trying to protect her. You just need to wait until she bites back."

"We shouldn't help those who don't need our assistance. Can we go, Meriel?" Nathan said, turning to grasp Meriel's wrist.

She nodded, her expression still anxious, and followed Nathan's step.