Violet clicked her tongue softly and guided the pony forward.
It wasn't a war horse.
War horses were monsters of their own. Expensive beasts that ate special oats and soybeans, costing nearly ten gold coins a month just to keep their muscles from wasting away.
Without that diet, a war horse became nothing more than a large donkey.
The pony Violet rode was a descendant of war horse blood.
But it had never been fed properly.
Only two years old, still lean and small, with more stubbornness than strength.
A bridle horse.
Still, it was better than walking.
Behind Violet, a servant followed.
Javius.
He wore worn leather armor, a long sword strapped across his back. Unlike Violet, he didn't ride.
He ran on foot.
Matching the pony's pace easily, breathing steady, steps silent.
Javius wasn't an ordinary servant.
He was a veteran brought back from the battlefield by Valerius Raven himself. After the war, he chose to follow the knight back to Raven Castle instead of wandering as a mercenary.
Part loyalty.
Part gratitude.
That was how nobles kept their men.
They fed them.
Sheltered them.
Saved them.
And in return, those men became dogs that would bite without hesitation.
Javius was one of those dogs.
He had learned warrior techniques from Valerius and reached the sixth level. No fancy combat skills, but his swordsmanship was sharp enough to kill most beasts before they got close.
That was why Valerius always sent him whenever Violet left the castle.
*
The road to Fort Brightforge stretched across open plains and patches of woodland.
The morning was peaceful.
Birds chirped in the distance. The sky was clean and wide.
But Violet's mind was anything but peaceful.
Since last night, her thoughts had been tangled like rope.
The Alchemist's Cube.
Even remembering it made her heartbeat speed up.
She couldn't use the Town Portal scrolls.
But the cube itself…
It was too valuable to ignore.
In the game, it wasn't just storage.
It was a miracle box.
A crafting altar.
A cheat code disguised as an artifact.
Violet had memorized dozens of recipes in her old life. Some were useless without proper materials, but others…
Others could change everything.
If the cube worked the same way here, then Violet could grow far faster than any normal trainee knight.
That was why she needed Fort Brightforge.
She needed to see what existed in this world.
What materials could be bought.
What could be traded.
What could be stolen from fate.
Half an hour passed.
Raven Castle was far behind them now.
Fort Brightforge was still another half hour ahead.
They were in the worst possible place.
Too far from both ends.
Too far for help to arrive quickly.
Javius's expression had been calm until now.
Then his pace slowed.
His hand moved to the hilt of his sword.
Violet noticed instantly.
"What is it?" Violet asked quietly.
Javius didn't answer right away.
His eyes locked onto the woods beside the road.
His fingers tightened.
"Master," Javius said, voice low.
"Stop."
Violet pulled the reins.
The pony halted with a small snort.
The air felt different.
The birds had gone quiet.
Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
And in the stillness…
Violet felt it too.
Something was watching them.
Violet's fingers slid to her waist.
The dagger Rowena had given her came free with a soft scrape, the blade catching sunlight for a brief flash.
She didn't panic.
But her body had already shifted into readiness, the way it always did back on Earth when she sensed trouble.
"What did you see?" Violet asked.
Javius didn't blink.
His gaze stayed locked on the trees.
"Something hungry."
As if the forest itself wanted to confirm it, a low growl rolled out from the undergrowth.
Then the shadow moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
A dark shape burst from the woods like a black arrow, crossing the distance in a blink. Violet barely had time to register it before it was already at the pony's throat.
Her eyes widened.
A Shadow Leopard.
Its fur was black, threaded with faint gray patterns that blended perfectly with bark and shade. Its body was lean, packed with muscle like a coiled spring. Its eyes were bright and cruel, locked onto Violet as if she were already meat.
The beast lunged, jaws snapping.
The pony shrieked and stumbled backward, hooves tearing dirt. The movement was clumsy, desperate, but it saved its life by a hair.
Javius surged forward instantly.
His sword came out in one clean motion.
The blade cut through the air with a howl, aimed straight for the leopard's neck.
But the Shadow Leopard twisted midair, bending unnaturally.
The sword missed the kill point, slicing across its back instead.
Blood sprayed.
The beast didn't fall.
Its tail whipped like a heavy iron rope and slammed into Javius's leg.
Javius grunted. His knee buckled slightly, pain flashing across his face, but he didn't lose balance.
Violet's breath stayed controlled.
So this is what a real monster looks like.
The Shadow Leopard circled, paws silent. It darted forward, snapping at Javius's throat, then vanished back before the blade could bite.
Javius slashed again.
The beast danced away.
Too fast.
Violet understood instantly why Shadow Leopards were feared.
They weren't beasts meant for fair fights.
They were assassins.
They hid in darkness, waited patiently, then went straight for the neck.
And this one was attacking in broad daylight.
That meant only one thing.
It was starving.
A starving monster was always more dangerous than a full one.
Javius's swordwork was clean and experienced. Every strike was sharp. Every step is controlled. He blocked claws, teeth, and sudden leaps with the steadiness of a veteran.
But Violet could see it.
Javius was being pushed.
If this continued, he would slow down.
And once he slowed…
He would die.
Violet slid off the pony and moved away, keeping her dagger low.
She didn't rush in like an idiot.
Instead, she circled slowly, watching the beast's rhythm.
Reading it.
The Shadow Leopard didn't even glance at her.
To it, Violet was nothing.
A small human.
A snack for later.
Its focus stayed on Javius, the only threat.
Javius struck again, forcing the leopard to twist. The blade scraped across its ribs, drawing another line of blood.
The beast hissed and jumped back, tail flicking like a whip.
Then it lunged again.
Javius raised his sword and chopped downward.
This time, the blade landed solidly on the leopard's shoulder.
Not deep enough to kill.
Deep enough to stagger.
The beast jerked.
Its tail lashed out instinctively, swinging toward Javius's leg again.
And that was the moment Violet had been waiting for.
The leopard was airborne.
Its attention split.
Its body committed to a motion it couldn't cancel.
Violet inhaled sharply.
She activated her Mana pulse.
Heat surged through her body, flooding her muscles like boiling water. Her legs felt weightless. Her arms tightened with power. Even her vision sharpened, as if the world had slowed down.
But she felt the cost instantly.
Her Mana pulse trembled.
Overdrawing.
A first-level trainee could only do this once. One burst. One strike.
If she tried again, her Mana might collapse entirely.
Violet stepped forward, eyes cold.
"Let's do this."
The ground exploded beneath her foot.
She shot forward like an arrow.
The Shadow Leopard's eyes widened as it finally noticed her. It tried to twist away, but the injured shoulder slowed it for the smallest fraction of a second.
That fraction was enough.
Violet drove the dagger forward with everything she had.
Not into the ribs.
Not into the fur.
Lower.
Deeper.
The blade plunged into its back and sank to the hilt.
The Shadow Leopard let out a shriek so horrible it made Violet's skin prickle.
Its entire body convulsed.
Violet released the dagger instantly and jumped backward.
A black tail swept through the air where her head had been a heartbeat ago.
If she had hesitated, her skull would've been crushed like an egg.
The beast crashed into the dirt, rolling and clawing wildly. Blood poured out, thick and dark. Its legs kicked as it tried to rise, but the strength drained faster than rage could replace it.
Javius limped forward, sword raised, shielding Violet without even thinking.
The leopard's screeches grew weaker.
Its body twitched.
Then it stopped moving.
Violet took a cautious step forward.
But Javius's hand shot out, gripping her shoulder.
"Lady Raven," he warned sharply. "Careful."
Violet froze.
Javius reached behind his back and pulled out his scabbard.
Without hesitation, he threw it at the corpse.
The scabbard struck the leopard's side.
Instantly, claws snapped out, raking the leather with a final desperate swipe.