This was the third day since leaving Glafelden. I didn't know how far we'd come. What was clear was we were getting closer to the goal, namely Arnest City. By now, we had arrived at the mountainside after passing through the meadow.
According to an old map I bought from a roadside merchant, Arnest City should be behind the Northern Latitude Mountains. In a world without advanced technology like GPS, maps and compass were the most important determining direction.
The making of maps in this world was made with the ancient art of cartography. Usually, explorers drew places they had visited on paper. I was quite amazed when I saw a map of the Elvian region on sale. That means whoever made this map had come to Elvian territory. Either coming with permission or sneaking in like us, but we were on the right track thanks to him.
"This map is quite accurate," said Dimas as he looked at the compass and matched it with the map laid on the ground. "If we pass the top of
It had been drizzling down the mountainside since the afternoon, soaking the leaves and tree trunks above my head. Luckily, Dimas and I were able to make a tent out of tarpaulin just before the rain started, so there was no need to be afraid that the water would wet my body.This emergency tent wasn't too big, only enough to accommodate three people and the belongings. Because of this narrow space, Dimas, Kak Shella, and I arranged for our bags to be placed in the middle of the tent so they wouldn't get wet. That was what made me make peace with the splash of rain that fell on the ground.A breezy wind tickled my nape, creating a chill that enveloped my body. Knowing our journey would climb up the mountain, I had prepared myself by bringing a jacket from Glafelden Town. Even though I'd put it on, it still couldn't resist the freezing cold. Naturally, this cheap jacket for twenty pieces of bronze was made of thin material. Maybe it was no different than normal clothes.
Instantly my mouth let out a small scream when I found Dimas' hot body. His body temperature was very high compared to normal body temperature. My hands felt like blistered just by sticking them on the skin. Such a contrast to the cold on this mountain.As my mouth kept calling out his name, my hands shook the man's body, hoping to wake him up. Nevertheless, Dimas remained in his sleep with heavy breaths. Repeatedly calling Dimas' name apparently made Shella wake up. The girl, who was half-conscious, seemed to digest the current situation."What's wrong with Dimas?" asked Shella with a confused face."I don't know, his body was so hot! Could you help me to check it out?"Hearing my brief condition, Shella switched to the 'reliable pharmacist' mode even though she had just woken up from her sleep. The girl approached Dimas and checked his temperature. As soon as her hand touched Dimas' forehead, she immediately lifted it up."Gosh! His body is so ho
My sense of hearing, which was more sensitive than humans, immediately felt excruciating pain. It was as if my eardrum had been pierced by a nail until it penetrated my head. My palms couldn't even hold back the loud sound that came in. Although the howl didn't last long, my energy was drained just to endure the deafening sound.My body almost fell to the ground if my brain didn't give me the command to stay alert. I cast my gaze forward. The bear monster had thick white fur similar to a polar bear, it was about three stories tall. The beast had two pairs of arms and two legs, with a fat, flabby body.I briefly remember the Biology lessons taught in my old world. This monster was similar to Tardigrada, a microscopic animal shaped like a bear. The shape of the head that only had a mouth without eyes was also very similar. I even felt that the monster standing in front of me was initially a Tardigrada who was enlarged with a Doraemon magnifying flashlight, then given a h
I looked down to confirm what I found, and sure enough, it was the Black Selenium Mushroom. The characteristics were precisely the same as those described by Shella before. This mushroom has dark black color and was shaped like a pouch. From what I remember, the sap of this mushroom was very dangerous when it came into contact with the skin. I better be careful not to hurt myself.I was silent for a moment, thinking about how to pick this thing without touching it. Too bad I didn't have leather gloves to protect my palms.In the darkness, my eyes were caught by the faint glint of the dagger hanging from my waist. That's right! I completely forgot I had this thing.I immediately pulled the dagger from the belt and tried to cut the mushroom's stem. Doing this in the dark without light aid would be difficult for humans. Luckily I had Haier-Elvian's ability.I have been grateful hundreds of times for being blessed with this ability! Although I also swor
"Are you sure?" asked Shella enthusiastically."Very sure," I answered confidently. "You probably can't. But my eyes could see that many people are walking on the branches and doing activities there.""They made the city on a tree?" now it was Dimas' turn to look very excited."You could see for yourself later."Hearing of a city being built on a tree made them both furious. It was a normal reaction for people from another world like us. Even when I first arrived in Ruvia City, I was just as enthusiastic as them. Looked around with sparkling eyes like a peasant. Looking back, my reaction was even worse."Let's go down immediately!" exclaimed Dimas, who immediately left me, followed by Shella behind him.Geez! They were like little kids impatiently waiting for a birthday present. I also followed the two behind, adjusting the two people's fast-moving footsteps.This small team descended the mountainside quite quickly. We arrived at the
I sat limply in front of the teenager Elvian, lying helplessly. The sign of life in his eyes faded away, his breath getting weaker. It was only a matter of time until he lost his life.But is this correct?Is killing someone the right thing to do at this time?At first, I just wanted to paralyze him. I never thought the arrow I let out would thrust into his chest. Oh, my god! I didn't want to see someone die in front of my eyes because of me. Imagining the grief that the Elvian family had to go through instantly made my chest hurt.I knew I couldn't be naive. In this journey, there must be a time for me to take the lives of others. But not so fast as this. I wasn't ready to bear the responsibility and guilt of killing people.Deep down, I wanted this teenage Elvian to stay alive. If only I could—."...-ggi. Anggi!!!" Suddenly Dimas' screams echoed in my ears. It was as if the voice had just emerged from the silence."Eh, wh-what
As the night got late, I found Elvian's words were the truth. The entire forest area was flooded due to springs suddenly appearing everywhere. The water discharge was swift enough to submerge this forest as deep as two meters in a short time.Fortunately, I was already on top of the Hanarusa tree, which was quite high and far from stagnant water. The Elvians called this giant bonsai tree that way. I didn't know where the name came from. At least now I knew the right name for this tree. Then for this forest, they named it the Hanarusa Sacred Forest. It seemed the Elvians respected highly to this forest for some reason I didn't understand."After this, we head to that tree!" exclaimed the limp young Elvian while pointing to a Hanarusa tree near me." We have to make a detour to a deserted place.""Okay," I answered briefly. Then I translated it into the Lurivian language so that it was easy for my friends who didn't speak Elvian to understand.Dimas carried the Elvian carefully on his ba
"S-Sister? S-So you are … Almira's brother? I mean Elywien's?" I asked in a high-pitched voice. "Elywien is my sister. She used to be an intelligence member of this kingdom. Before finally leaving her job and family after marrying a human. Are we talking about the same person?" I immediately covered my wide-open mouth. Unable to contain the shock of such an unexpected coincidence, I shuffled back a little. "Yes, you're right. My friend Almira is indeed Elvian, who eloped with her husband," "How is she now? I haven't seen her in years," Elzhar asked enthusiastically as if he didn't care about the condition of his body that had not fully recovered. "She's fine, really. Indeed she lived a simple life, but she is now happy. I've never met her husband. I think he's a loving husband. Oh, yeah! She also has an adorable five-year-old son, his name is Cedric," Elzhar suddenly smiled, an expression of relief now attached to his face. "Thank God she's happy. I'm glad to hear that," "Don
A loud thumping sound was created as the wisp of wind smashed against the wall and caused part of the ceiling to collapse. Luminous rocks, dirt, and pebbles rained down from above. Half of the vast square was covered in thick dust, making it impossible to guess where Dimas was.My energy was gone. Chill ran down the spine and gave this body a feeling of intense horror. While hanging on to the root fibers of the Hanarusa tree, my eyes widened. Looking down, hoping that Dimas would immediately come out of the dust and attack the monster's feet like before.However, he still didn't appear even though time had passed. Beads of sweat dripped from my forehead. Not a word was spoken from this mouth while hoping for the best possibility.But when? Until when should I keep hoping? What if that hope never appeared?Negative questions kept coming to my head, making me unable to think clearly. Coupled with excessive indecision and anxiety, my fear is getting worse. I looked up. The exit was just
My eyes locked on two lights shining in the darkness. Part of my brain had sent orders to this body to leave immediately. But some were curious about what was behind the gap in the wall. The feeling of horror was increasingly enveloping my whole body and making me completely numb. Cold sweat started pouring down profusely when my ears caught a growling sound inside the gap. I froze, too shocked and couldn't remember to move. Needless to say, Dimas was frightened too. This was the first time I'd seen his hands shaking like this. Though usually, he was not afraid to face anyone, even though his opponent was the Elvian army.I forced myself free from the stiffness of my body, trying to move my legs little by little."Dimas! Dimas!" I screamed loudly, but the man ignored me. My hand grabbed Dimas' shoulder, then shook his body hard to wake him up."Uh, what?" he answered, looking confused. He was too fixated on a figure and ignored the other stuff."Let's get out of here quick
"No, Fool!" he replied curtly. "Haven't you gotten more of an idiot lately?""I already get it. But you don't really mean to go down there, do you? What if the Spirit Crystals aren't there?""We won't know unless we go, right?"I scratched the back of my head even though it didn't itch. Maybe it was an expression of my frustration when I found out what Dimas meant. At first glance, the idea may seem frivolous. Even though I saw a massive room underground, I wasn't sure what it was.It was like winning the bet if the Spirit Crystal was in that room. Conversely, we might find an underground monster lair. When using Super Sense, I only saw the dirt wall and the roots of the Giant Hanarusa tree. However, down there was still dangerous. It could be that there was a nest of centipedes, worms, or other monsters that were giant in size.However, I'm curious.After thinking for a while, I decided to go down the hole. I stepped to the edge of the hole, squatted down, then tried to put one foot
"S-Sister? S-So you are … Almira's brother? I mean Elywien's?" I asked in a high-pitched voice. "Elywien is my sister. She used to be an intelligence member of this kingdom. Before finally leaving her job and family after marrying a human. Are we talking about the same person?" I immediately covered my wide-open mouth. Unable to contain the shock of such an unexpected coincidence, I shuffled back a little. "Yes, you're right. My friend Almira is indeed Elvian, who eloped with her husband," "How is she now? I haven't seen her in years," Elzhar asked enthusiastically as if he didn't care about the condition of his body that had not fully recovered. "She's fine, really. Indeed she lived a simple life, but she is now happy. I've never met her husband. I think he's a loving husband. Oh, yeah! She also has an adorable five-year-old son, his name is Cedric," Elzhar suddenly smiled, an expression of relief now attached to his face. "Thank God she's happy. I'm glad to hear that," "Don
As the night got late, I found Elvian's words were the truth. The entire forest area was flooded due to springs suddenly appearing everywhere. The water discharge was swift enough to submerge this forest as deep as two meters in a short time.Fortunately, I was already on top of the Hanarusa tree, which was quite high and far from stagnant water. The Elvians called this giant bonsai tree that way. I didn't know where the name came from. At least now I knew the right name for this tree. Then for this forest, they named it the Hanarusa Sacred Forest. It seemed the Elvians respected highly to this forest for some reason I didn't understand."After this, we head to that tree!" exclaimed the limp young Elvian while pointing to a Hanarusa tree near me." We have to make a detour to a deserted place.""Okay," I answered briefly. Then I translated it into the Lurivian language so that it was easy for my friends who didn't speak Elvian to understand.Dimas carried the Elvian carefully on his ba
I sat limply in front of the teenager Elvian, lying helplessly. The sign of life in his eyes faded away, his breath getting weaker. It was only a matter of time until he lost his life.But is this correct?Is killing someone the right thing to do at this time?At first, I just wanted to paralyze him. I never thought the arrow I let out would thrust into his chest. Oh, my god! I didn't want to see someone die in front of my eyes because of me. Imagining the grief that the Elvian family had to go through instantly made my chest hurt.I knew I couldn't be naive. In this journey, there must be a time for me to take the lives of others. But not so fast as this. I wasn't ready to bear the responsibility and guilt of killing people.Deep down, I wanted this teenage Elvian to stay alive. If only I could—."...-ggi. Anggi!!!" Suddenly Dimas' screams echoed in my ears. It was as if the voice had just emerged from the silence."Eh, wh-what
"Are you sure?" asked Shella enthusiastically."Very sure," I answered confidently. "You probably can't. But my eyes could see that many people are walking on the branches and doing activities there.""They made the city on a tree?" now it was Dimas' turn to look very excited."You could see for yourself later."Hearing of a city being built on a tree made them both furious. It was a normal reaction for people from another world like us. Even when I first arrived in Ruvia City, I was just as enthusiastic as them. Looked around with sparkling eyes like a peasant. Looking back, my reaction was even worse."Let's go down immediately!" exclaimed Dimas, who immediately left me, followed by Shella behind him.Geez! They were like little kids impatiently waiting for a birthday present. I also followed the two behind, adjusting the two people's fast-moving footsteps.This small team descended the mountainside quite quickly. We arrived at the
I looked down to confirm what I found, and sure enough, it was the Black Selenium Mushroom. The characteristics were precisely the same as those described by Shella before. This mushroom has dark black color and was shaped like a pouch. From what I remember, the sap of this mushroom was very dangerous when it came into contact with the skin. I better be careful not to hurt myself.I was silent for a moment, thinking about how to pick this thing without touching it. Too bad I didn't have leather gloves to protect my palms.In the darkness, my eyes were caught by the faint glint of the dagger hanging from my waist. That's right! I completely forgot I had this thing.I immediately pulled the dagger from the belt and tried to cut the mushroom's stem. Doing this in the dark without light aid would be difficult for humans. Luckily I had Haier-Elvian's ability.I have been grateful hundreds of times for being blessed with this ability! Although I also swor
My sense of hearing, which was more sensitive than humans, immediately felt excruciating pain. It was as if my eardrum had been pierced by a nail until it penetrated my head. My palms couldn't even hold back the loud sound that came in. Although the howl didn't last long, my energy was drained just to endure the deafening sound.My body almost fell to the ground if my brain didn't give me the command to stay alert. I cast my gaze forward. The bear monster had thick white fur similar to a polar bear, it was about three stories tall. The beast had two pairs of arms and two legs, with a fat, flabby body.I briefly remember the Biology lessons taught in my old world. This monster was similar to Tardigrada, a microscopic animal shaped like a bear. The shape of the head that only had a mouth without eyes was also very similar. I even felt that the monster standing in front of me was initially a Tardigrada who was enlarged with a Doraemon magnifying flashlight, then given a h