Fang, his powerful stride eating up the distance, carried Elara deeper into the northern reaches of the forest. The trees grew taller, their branches gnarled and twisted, their leaves a sickly, yellow-green. A sense of unease settled over Elara, the air heavy with a palpable sense of decay.

  "Definitely not the scenic route," she muttered, patting Fang's neck. Fang whined in agreement, his ears twitching nervously.

  As they rode, Elara used her "Identify" ability to scan their surroundings. The plants and creatures here were different, corrupted.

  [Corrupted Whisperwood Tree]

  [Description: A once majestic tree, now twisted and diseased. Emits a faint aura of dark energy.]

  [Corrupted Forest Rat]

  [Description: A common forest rat, mutated by dark energy. Aggressive and carries disease.]

  "Yikes," Elara said, "this is definitely what Lyra was talking about."

  The deeper they went, the more prevalent the corruption became. The trees were blackened and withered, the ground barren and cracked. The air was thick with the stench of rot and decay.

  Suddenly, Fang stopped, his ears perked, his body tense. He let out a low growl, his eyes fixed on a clearing ahead.

  Elara peered through the trees. In the center of the clearing stood a twisted, gnarled tree, its branches reaching towards the sky like skeletal fingers. A dark, pulsating energy emanated from it, warping the air around it.

  "That's… definitely not good," Elara muttered.

  As they approached the clearing, several figures emerged from the shadows. They were humanoid, but their skin was pale and sickly, their eyes glowing with a malevolent red light. They were dressed in tattered robes, and they carried gnarled staffs that pulsed with dark energy.

  [Corrupted Cultists (5)]

  [Level: 15]

  "Level 15 cultists?" Elara sighed. "Of course."

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  The cultists began chanting in a guttural language, their voices raspy and discordant. The dark energy emanating from the twisted tree intensified, and the air grew colder.

  "Fang," Elara said, "stay close."

  She dismounted Fang and approached the cultists, her energy sword drawn.

  "Alright, folks," she said, her voice surprisingly steady, "I don't know what you're up to, but it's clearly not good. How about you pack it up and go home?"

  The cultists ignored her, their chanting growing louder. The dark energy around the twisted tree swirled and coalesced, forming a dark, shadowy figure.

  [Shadow Beast]

  [Level: 20]

  "Level 20 shadow beast?" Elara's eyes widened. "Okay, this is officially above my pay grade."

  The Shadow Beast roared, its voice a cacophony of whispers and screams. It lunged towards Elara, its shadowy claws reaching for her.

  Elara dodged, the Shadow Beast's attack tearing through the air where she had just been. The cultists continued their chanting, their voices fueling the Shadow Beast's power.

  "Okay, time to think," Elara muttered, dodging another attack. "I can't take on a level 20 shadow beast and five level 15 cultists. I need a plan."

  She focused on her "Summoning" ability, trying to think of something, anything, that could help her.

  [Summoning (Available Summons: Forest Sprite, Earth Elemental (Locked), Fire Elemental (Locked), Water Elemental (Locked), Air Elemental (Locked))]

  "Forest Sprite?" Elara raised an eyebrow. "Well, it's better than nothing."

  She focused her energy, and a small, shimmering sprite appeared beside her. The Forest Sprite was a tiny creature, with delicate wings and a mischievous grin.

  "What can I do for you, boss?" the Sprite chirped.

  "We need a distraction," Elara said, "Can you handle that?"

  "Can I handle that?" The Sprite grinned. "I was born to distract!"

  The Sprite zipped towards the cultists, its movements erratic and unpredictable. It began pulling at their robes, tugging at their hair, and generally causing chaos.

  The cultists, distracted by the Sprite's antics, faltered in their chanting. The Shadow Beast, its connection to the cultists weakened, growled in frustration.

  Elara saw her chance. She focused on her "Alchemy" ability, quickly brewing a potent concoction using ingredients she had gathered along the way.

  "Alright, Shadow Beast," she said, throwing the concoction at the creature, "time for a little cleansing!"

  The concoction hit the Shadow Beast, causing it to hiss and writhe in pain. The dark energy surrounding it flickered and sputtered.

  Elara, Fang, and the Forest Sprite launched a coordinated attack, distracting the Shadow Beast and the cultists. Elara, with a final strike of her energy sword, destroyed the source of the corruption.

  Current Status:

  * Name: Elara Hayes

  * Class: Dimensional Anomaly

  * Level: 2

  * Abilities: Identify, Alchemy (Basic Understanding), Summoning (Forest Sprite), Portal Creation, Monster Taming, Universal Magic Mastery, Pocket Dimension Storage.

  * Skills Points: 0

  * Inventory: Energy Sword, Ground Burrower Core, Basic Healing Potion, Portable Alchemy Set, Collapsible Tent, Multi-Tool.

  * Companions: Fang (Forest Dire Wolf, Alpha)