Eternal Temptation: Awakening Sinful Desires

Deep inside the forest, the air felt different. It was almost suffocating to breathe, and a strong sense of dread permeated the area. Looking at the various plants and flowers growing along the ground, one would feel an ominous aura emanating from them. Even the trees appeared to be twisted and misshapen, resembling the skeletons of dead creatures instead of living organisms.

It was a sight that would send shivers down one's spine if one dared venture this far. Yet, a young woman remained unbothered and strolled through the forest at ease, ignoring the oppressive atmosphere surrounding her.

The woman had long, wavy reddish-brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders in waves and a pair of auburn eyes that glimmered like jewels in the night. She wore a dark brown dress embroidered with a maple leaf design on it, accentuating her curves. She had a pale complexion, making her look even more ethereal than usual.

Despite walking through an area filled with sinister energy, her steps remained steady as she continued forward without a hint of fear on her face.

Instead, she seemed to possess a dominating aura that gave off the impression that nothing in this world could ever threaten her safety. Like a dragon treading through the lands, her presence was enough to cause the weaker beasts to cower in terror while the stronger ones watched her with caution, unable to determine whether they should attack or flee.

The young woman noticed the various changes happening around her and let out a soft snort in response. "Hmph, how pathetic! There's nothing here except for a bunch of Rank-1 and Rank-2 beasts. I don't even feel like bothering with them and lowering myself to deal with their likes. It's far better to keep heading towards the deeper parts of the forest."

As she spoke, she looked at her left waist and saw the number 0 engraved on the token tied there, indicating the number of beasts she has hunted so far. Seeing the disappointing number, she clicked her tongue and proceeded onward without giving any more thought to the matter.

However, as soon as she started walking, a loud howl resounded throughout the area, causing a wave of pressure to descend from the front, making the trees around her to rustle and sway in response.

A moment later, a massive creature appeared out of nowhere from between two trees, blocking her path. The beast stood tall, with a huge body covered in silver fur and glowing red eyes filled with killing intent glaring straight at her. Despite its terrifying appearance, the woman's expression remained unchanged as she continued to stare at it without any sign of concern whatsoever.

"A Middle-Stage Rank-3 Silver-furred Wolf, huh? I've heard about your kind, but this is the first time I've seen one in person. It's quite fascinating to think that your race doesn't live in a pack. Instead, all of you are loners and like to wander around by yourselves, like lone wolves."

As she mumbled those words to herself, a vicious glint flashed past her eyes, which made her seem much more intimidating than before. She took a step forward as she continued staring at the giant wolf, and when she spoke again, her voice contained an indescribable level of dominance, like a mighty mountain refusing to bend to the forces of nature. "Come then, dog.

Since you are blocking my way, it seems like you have a death wish. I shall grant it to you, then."

The silver-furred wolf, on the other hand, was oblivious to her arrogance. It let out a long growl and opened its maw wide, revealing dozens of razor-sharp fangs dripping with saliva. Then, without warning, it charged forward with astonishing speed. It moved so fast that anyone would find it hard to believe that such a bulky-looking beast could move with such agility and precision.

It covered the distance between itself and the woman within a blink of an eye before pouncing on her with its jaws stretched wide open.

"What a stupid dog! To think it would rush towards its opponent like that"

Before the silver-furred wolf could reach her, she raised her hand, forming a fist with her right hand, as a reddish-brown aura surrounded it, like the earth. Without delaying a moment longer, she punched toward the incoming beast with tremendous force, sending a powerful shockwave toward it. Her strike contained incredible power, enough to shatter a boulder into dust.

BAM!

Her punch collided with the silver-furred wolf's muzzle, creating a resounding boom that echoed through the air. The very next moment, the beast was sent flying backward as though it were struck by a cannonball. Its body slammed against a nearby tree with a loud thud, causing it to crack from the impact.

The tree fell to the ground, making a loud noise as its trunk hit the surface, causing numerous leaves and branches to scatter everywhere.

The woman stood motionless, looking at the scene in front of her without even batting an eyelid. Her gaze was cold, devoid of emotion. She spoke no words, and her face revealed nothing as she observed the silver-furred wolf getting back on its four paws after it crashed to the ground. The beast seemed stunned by the attack and shook its head to regain its bearings.

When it regained its composure, it let out a loud growl at the woman, expressing its anger towards her for hurting its pride and honor.

After seeing the silver-furred wolf stand up again, the young woman scoffed, "You are quite resilient. That's good. My mother told me that fun is always found in those who struggle to survive the longest. And I have to agree with her. Now, come, beast. Let us play with each other until you drop dead, like a loyal dog!"

With those words uttered, she took another step forward as she clenched both of her fists and prepared to fight once more. This time, she took the initiative and charged toward the silver-furred wolf before the beast had the chance to recover. As soon as she got close enough, she unleashed another strike with her fist covered in a reddish-brown aura, striking at its body.

This time, however, she aimed at its side instead of its face. As she landed her attack, a resounding explosion rang out as the monster was once again blown away by the impact.

BAM!

However, unlike earlier, the silver-furred wolf managed to remain on its feet despite receiving a direct blow to its abdomen. It stumbled for a bit but regained its balance and stood up straight. Seeing the beast recover from her attack, the young woman shook her head in annoyance as she glanced at her right hand. A hint of disappointment flashed in her eyes before disappearing without a trace.

Then she turned back toward the monster and leaped at it once more.

With a graceful leap, the woman jumped high in the air above the beast and rotated her body around, as in her right hand a morning star appeared out of thin air covered in a reddish-brown aura. Then, without hesitation, she swung her weapon down toward the head of the monster.

Upon witnessing the incoming attack, the silver-furred wolf growled and raised its right paw with sharp claws protruding from it before slashing upwards, aiming to parry her blow.

Unfortunately, this proved futile, as the impact from her strike caused a loud crack to erupt from where she struck it, shattering its bones into pieces.

"ARRROOOOO!" The beast let out a pained howl, letting the whole forest know that its suffering was immense as its paw shattered under the force of her attack.

Ignoring its agonizing cry, the young woman pressed forward and swung her morning star at its head once more from below, smashing the bottom of her weapon against its jaw. Another bone-cracking sound was emitted as a result of this action, and the silver-furred wolf was knocked upward into the air by her attack.

Before it could fall to the ground, however, the young woman followed up with an overhead strike with the spike part of her weapon and smashed into the beast's skull with enough force to drive its head downward.

BAM!

A torrent of blood sprayed out of its skull, covering the surrounding area in crimson liquid, and a hole was formed on top of its head where her morning star penetrated it. Its red eyes lost their light as its body twitched for a brief moment before falling to the ground, lifeless.

It didn't even have time to let out one last whimper before it breathed its final breath. As its blood-filled eyes dimmed forever, the young woman stood in front of its corpse with a bored expression on her face. She glanced at her right hand one more time, disappointed at the pitiful outcome of the battle.

"I still couldn't manage to break its defense with just my pure strength alone, making me resort to using an artifact to kill it. Hmph! Disappointing! Very disappointing!"

As she muttered these words, she turned around and walked away from the silver-furred wolf's body without wasting another moment.

Once she made sure no other monsters were nearby, she proceeded deeper into the forest and headed towards its heart, determined to find something worth her time. She moved at a quick pace, causing her reddish-brown hair and dress to flutter in the wind while she traversed through the dense vegetation. It felt as though the wilderness had embraced her, welcoming her into its domain.

Her auburn eyes glowed brighter than usual, scanning her surroundings for prey like a predator searching for food. She paid little attention to anything else besides finding her next target, hoping that the next beast she meets will give her the challenge she seeks.