While he and his pack mates had been momentarily caught off guard by the sudden intruder at their watering hole, the Alpha Wolf nevertheless wasted no time in ordering the attack.

It had been some time since they had last eaten, and they would need their energy if they wanted to take on bigger prey.

Thus, it was with no surprise that the youngest, and most eager of the pack decided to make the first move against their surprisingly calm-looking prey.

However, their prey finally let out a cry of fear as the Young One leapt to tear out his throat.

Unfortunately, their prey proved to be more nimble than anticipated. Managing to not only avoid the killing blow by jumping out of the way, but also remaining upright despite how close to death he had just come.

The Young One's failure was the signal for the rest of the pack to make their move.

Which apparently was enough to snap their prey out of its stupor and try to actively defend itself.

"SHIELD!"

While the tongues of speaking creatures was beyond their comprehension, the Pack was nevertheless familiar with the magical arts.

Becoming more familiar as their attacks were halted by an invisible barrier that surrounded the quickly recovering mage.

Knowing that they would have to act quickly to claim their prize, for they had seen firsthand, albeit at a distance, just how powerful magic users could be when they put their minds to it, the determined wolf looked towards his packmates to inform them of his new strategy.

Only for their instincts to begin screaming at them to run away after the latest spoken incantation.

"Cause Fear!"

For a brief moment, the canine warrior felt his will trying to resist the urge to view this intruder as something other than the ultimate preadtor.

But as he stared deeper into those glaring yellow eyes, he did the one thing that all creatures did, be they prey or predator, when faced with something that made them feel as helpless as a newborn pup.

Turn around, and run as fast as his tired limbs could carry him.

…..

Ok so what did I learn from that experience?

The mechanics of casting spells seem to be the same as they were in DnD. Which meant that it was a good thing I added a components pouch to my inventory, otherwise my more advanced spells would be lost to me.

I had to quickly get over the fact that combat is now RT instead of turn-based. Which means I have to be quick with hand gestures and magic words when confronted with people and monsters that want to kill me.

And lastly, having a High AC is only a good thing if I have the smarts to not stand in one spot.

However, despite this harsh, but fully necessary reminder that this word is far different from the type of 'adventures' I used to have, it also left me with the realization that I had FRICKING MAGIC BABY!

Shield was a handy spell to have. And it was pretty cool to see its effects in a real-life situation.

And while not as impressive as some of the other spells in my inventory, casting a level 5 Cause Fear spell not only allowed me the chance to avoid killing an innocent creature, but it also gave me the chance to feel how it felt to use my spell slots.

It was a sensation that was familiar to writing a test or working on an assignment. The more work you did, or the more complex the job, the more taxed you would feel. Not sure if that would transfer to over to Cantrips, but for now I had other things to worry about.

Primarily ensuring that I had everything else I had written down on my character sheet.

A quick check of the ears confirmed that they were now pointy. But not so pointy that I ended up looking like a Vulcan. A quick look into the pond's reflective surface confirmed that I was still essentially me, just with slightly more pointed features.

A brief scan of my surrounding area confirmed that my perception, at least when I when I was consciously making an effort, was much higher than it had been when I was a human.

I had two very slightly glowing rings that allowed me greater flexibility when it came to the amount of spells I could cast.

I had a staff that was not only similar in appearance to a certain fictional character but also left me with the sensation that it would increase the potency and variety of my magical abilities.

A book that contained both detailed notes on my available spells and a very useful ability that should only be used as a last resort.

And finally, a dark gray colored cloak that had pale runes stitched into it.

So not only did I have the appearance of what I thought my half-elven character would look life, but I had the items, at least one skill in which I was proficient in, and the ability to cast magic.

Which meant that I now had only one thing to worry about.

"Where the hell am I?"

A stupid question to ask out loud since it would probably alert more hungry predators to my location, maybe some who couldn't be intimidated into fleeing with their tails between their legs.

But considering my skillset, I'm feeling pretty confident about dealing with any problem that comes my wa..

"LIGHT OF SABER!"

And it looks like I just got a potential answer to my current problem.

Though it is odd that the direction of my solution is coming from the same direction as those wol..

Shit!

Breaking into a run, silently thanking my foresight in selecting a class that had the jack of all trades feature since otherwise my physical abilities would be far less than what they had been before I arrived in this world, I rushed to rescue whoever it was that had been put in danger by my mistake.

…..

While she was no stranger to unfortunate circumstances, this was perhaps one of the few times in Yunyun's life that she got to experience trouble racing towards her instead of away from her.

It didn't matter that they were merely wolves instead of a newly awakened demon, or even a band of violent bandits.

The fact remained that she was now surrounded by a group of enemies that had been staring at her in a way that could rival how her friend/rival Megumin looked at her school lunch.

Only now, after having taken out one of their packmates with what she liked to think of as her signature spell, they were looking at her with more than just hunger in their eyes.

Readying herself for the expected onslaught, with a little voice snidely telling her that she was probably more capable of handling herself than her Explosion obsessed rival, Yunyun felt her eyes widen in surprise as she heard a slightly winded shout.

"Ch…CHAIN LIGHTENING!"

Watching in amazement as the pack leader was consumed by a single crackling bolt of lightning , which multiplied into four additional bolts that hit each of the surviving wolves, the red-eyed girl turned towards her potentially unnecessary but still appreciated rescuer.

And was hit by the strange urge to laugh as she took in the sight of a dark gray-robed young man, who was currently leaning on his staff like he would collapse without it.

"Note…note to self. Next time I get…get ability improvement points, add them to my strength."

Idly nodding her head in agreement with the panting magic user, for unlike most of her village she recognized the importance of having a balanced skill set, Yunyun opened her mouth to thank him for his assistance.

Only to close it as she heard him say something she hadn't been expecting.

"I…I apologize for putting you in danger miss. If…if I had known that there were other people in the forest, I would have used either…either a longer lasting or permanent spell to deal with the wolves. So I am deeply sorry."

…..

Feeling strong enough to stop using my Staff of Power as a walking stick, I prepared myself for what was sure to be either an anger-filled tirade for my carelessness or some misplaced hero worship.

Not that I wouldn't mind the latter since this girl was rather attractive, in a shy bookwormish kind of way.

But considering that I was to blame for sending a pack of hungry wolves in her direction, any opinions I had about her appearance quickly flew out the proverbial window as I heard her reply.

"It…its fine. Its not like you could have known I was here. And..and between the two of us, we managed to handle them quite…quite well."

Dryly chuckling at this observation, for we indeed had dealt with the wolves in a manner that only overpowered magic users could do, I felt my expression morph into one of bewilderment, and slight amusement as the girl proceeded to introduce herself.

"An…anyways. My thanks fellow traveler. With your combined powers, you have helped I, Yunyun, heiress of the Crimson Demons, thwart a feral threat!"

While caught off guard by this over the top performance, as well as Yunyun's, weird name but then again this is another world, noticeable embarrassment, I decided to make my own introductions in a manner that I hoped wasn't too insulting.

"Nice to meet you Yunyun. I'm Sarlor. Half-elven magician whose musical talents are nearly as awe-inspiring as his magical prowess. Delighted to make your acquaintance."

Bowing in a slightly exaggerated manner as I complelted my slightly false introduction. Sarlor of course wasn't my real name but rather the name of my character. But since I was him in both appearance and ability, might as well embrace my new identity.

Either way, judging by Yunyun's expression, she seemed to accept that I wasn't trying to mock her. Which for the most part I attribute to my performance skills being on the higher end of the average.

"Nice to meet you Sarlor. Even if the circumstances for our meeting is a little bit…ummm. How to put this?"

"Hazardous to one's health?"

Receiving a nervous chuckle at my choice of words, hoping it wouldn't alienate the first person I had met in this world, I decided to voice the curiosity I had felt since she had introduced herself.

"Forgive me for asking this Yunyun. But you said you are a member of the Crimson Demon clan? I hope you don't mind me saying this, but looking at you, the word Demon doesn't exactly spring to mind."

Cringing a little at my choice of words, for it sounded like I was hitting on her, I was largely unsurprised by her response.

"It….its just a name. My people tend to…take things to the extreme when it comes to names, and interactions. But we're not demons, even if our magical abilities tend to be far more impressive than most other people. Which is why I'm currently heading to Axel to stalk….I mean to become an adventurer."

Deciding not to comment that there was an entire community of overpowered magic users, if only because it would be difficult to explain why I found the idea of such a community to be not that interesting, curse the oversaturation of that trope in literature and media, I felt myself frowning a little as I processed her brief slip of the tongue.

"And who exactly are you stalking? I mean, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with people having an interest in following individuals you sdmire. So long as you don't get creepy with it. But if they're the type to act violently, I would highly recommend you choose a different hobby. A young woman like you could probably find other activities quite easily."

Seeing her flush in embarrassment, which I was beginning to suspect was a trend any time she received positive feedback, I waited patiently for her to form a reply.

…..

It took some effort, but in the end Yunyun finally managed to find the words to describe her situation.

"Well….stalking might not be the right word. I mean, she's my rival but…she's also my friend. But….she's…she's…totally unprepared to go off adventuring on her own! So I have to go and make sure nothing happens to her. If only to make sure that I can still one day best her in our rivalry."

"I…see."

Worried that she said too much, the red eyed girl felt a grateful, but no less nervous smile spread across her face as Sarlor provided an agreeable change of topic.

"Well, since I have no real idea where I'm going, the dangers of experimenting with teleportation magic I'm afraid, would it be ok if I accompanied you to…Axel was it? You said it was a place to become an adventurer. And frankly, that's something I've always been interested in doing."

Although she was happy that she wouldn't be travelling alone, and the fact that her potential companion seemed to be friendlier, and a lot less shady than the guy who suggested she change her wardrobe in order to make friends, Yunyun couldn't help the feelings of anxiety that rose within her.

"Ar…are you sure? I mean, I…I appreciate the company, but I wouldn't be that useful to you. I know that I'm pretty skilled for my age when it comes to magic. But…"

"Waitwaitwaitwait. What do you mean 'pretty skilled for your age'?"

Flushing with embarrassment, albeit for reasons that were different from her currently wary-looking companion, Yunyun answered his question.

"Well, I'm only 13. Most Crismon Demons wait until they're 15 or 16 before journeying outside our village. But since I was the 2nd highest-ranked student in my graduation class, I believed to be more than capable of tracking…I mean leaving early."

Waiting for the inevitable rejection that always came with revealing this information, especially since she decided to wear clothing that revealed that there was a few ways in which she was superior to Megumin, the red-eyed girl felt herself beaming in relief as she heard Sarlor's answer.

"Then..all the more reason for us to continue on to Axel together. It would be remiss of me to let a girl of your years, however skilled, to travel alone. Besides, I'm a newcomer in these parts. Last thing I want to do is to start heading in the opposite direction of where I'm supposed to be going. Something that an educated woman like yourself can no doubt help me avoid."

It was odd.

But the manner in which he tried to convince her was similar in nature to Megumin.

If lacking in the underhandedness, and blatant lies that characterized her interaction with her fellow Crimson Demon.

Still, like with Megumin, Yunyun was willing to give him a chance.

He did rescue her after all.

But she would have to wait to see if he was worth the same amount of patience she showed towards her difficult rival.

…..

ANNNND gonna end here since it's a good stopping point.

Got the important stuff out of the way.

From testing Sarlor's abilities, to his first meeting with Yunyun.

Next chapter will see their arrival in Axel. Can't quite recall what time in the story line Yunyun arrived, but will try to make it as close to the story as possible.

Anyways, pls review.

No flames.

Will be working on the new chapter at same time as the Helluva Wizard.