The next time I opened my eyes, the faint rays of the sun peeked over the mountains. Its warm light gently caressed my face, dispelling the chill that had clung to the air around me. Morning dew covered the leaves and the tips of the branches, creating a shimmering carpet beneath the sun's rays.
I tried to rise from sleep, stretching my stiff arms and body before standing and walking toward the stream. The morning light reflected off the water's surface, creating thousands of tiny sparkles that danced along with the flow. I cupped my hands to scoop some water and drank. It was as fresh as if it had just come from a spring. Fortunately, we had found a resting place near a water source last night. I looked up, the thin pink and orange clouds slowly dissipating, giving way to a wide, blue sky. It was truly a clear day after the terrifying events of the night before.
After the attack by the swarm of Black Vampire Bats, Dimas, Shella, and I had searched for a safe place to spend the night. Luck had led us here. Not only was it near a water source, but the area was still covered with massive trees, and their large roots provided shelter from any animal attacks.
We hadn't slept at the same time, of course. Someone had to stay on watch, ready to wake the others if anything went wrong. Since we were used to hunting, it was only Dimas and I who kept watch.
I had taken the first three hours, and Dimas had taken the next shift. He was supposed to stay by my side and Shella's. But for some reason, his presence was nowhere to be found.
"He probably just went out briefly to find something to eat nearby," I thought to myself, feeling a bit anxious.
Then, I shook my head. Instead of worrying about him, I decided to use this time to bathe. After fighting last night, I felt as if I smelled like bats. Luckily, the animal blood stains were easy to clean. One thing that bothered me was starting this journey with dirty clothes.
I removed my clothes piece by piece, then placed them on a large river stone by the edge. My gaze fell on two mounds on my chest, wrapped in a camisole. Compared to the modern bras I was familiar with, this piece of clothing resembled a tight blouse worn under outer garments. In this world, undergarments were a luxury item, so women from lower classes didn't wear them. As a modern woman with a sense of modesty, my female companions and I had sewn our own sets of undergarments. As for this luxurious camisole I was wearing, it was another matter—I had taken it when Kelam Malam raided the house of a city official.
For now, it was better to forget about that.
Unconsciously, my hands gently brushed over my chest. I let out a long sigh. Since the first time I arrived in this world, for some reason, my chest had been growing. When I first arrived here, I was quite flat, but now, they had grown large enough to fill my palms. In my previous world, my chest was never this big.
I often caught several men, even Dimas, eyeing my chest with desire. It was truly disgusting. I wanted to kick their faces one by one until they couldn't see anymore. It was embarrassing to be the object of men's lust. But on the other hand, I was proud that I had an attraction that could captivate people's attention.
My hand continued to trace my chest. It was quite large, perhaps the size of Shella's, which was proportional. I wondered, could my chest grow even larger, like an adult woman's chest, such as Almira's?
While I absentmindedly continued touching my chest, suddenly, a male voice clearing his throat startled me.
"Ahem... are you sure you want to keep doing that while I'm right beside you?"
Immediately, I covered my chest and turned toward the source of the voice behind the large stone. Dimas was there! His upper body and hair were wet, as if he had just dipped his naked body into the water, like a reptile trying to maintain its body temperature in the cold.
"Damn it! What the hell are you doing here?" I shouted angrily, crouching to avoid his gaze.
"What does it look like? I'm taking a bath," he replied nonchalantly.
"I didn't ask that. You were peeping on me, weren't you?"
"Peeping? Hold on, Miss! I was already here. You came over, took off your clothes, and started fondling your chest. Why are you blaming me when it's your fault?"
My anger flared, but I was still able to hold it back. But it was true. It was my own carelessness. However, I still couldn't accept it so easily after he saw me do something so embarrassing. I was sure my face was turning red now. I just wanted to bury my head in the ground forever.
"F-Fine, I'll go!" I shouted nervously, intending to grab the clothes I had taken off.
"Wait a minute! You came here to bathe, right? Why don't we just bathe together here?"
"Haaa!? Did I hear that right? B-B-Bathe together?! You must be out of your mind!"
"Relax, damn it! You misunderstood. I'm not talking about anything crazy. What I mean by bathing together is that I'll be here, and you'll be on the other side of the rock."
"Even so, that's... ugh."
"There's something I need to talk to you about."
And that's how it happened that Dimas and I sat together in the water, naked, with only a large rock separating us. If there hadn't been that rock, we would have been facing each other directly. My mouth couldn't speak anymore. The atmosphere became incredibly awkward. Since becoming a beautiful girl, I had always been cautious about situations that could lead to sexual harassment. I really didn't want to be tainted by any man.
But what was happening now was that I was sitting with Dimas in the water, naked. He could easily be above me, and I below him. Even though he was my close friend, whom I trusted, it was still difficult to imagine. I had to keep my defenses up.
"You know, Dimas?" I broke the silence. "I really hate it when you look at me with that lustful gaze."
"W-What? When did I look at you with such a perverted gaze?"
"Just now. And every time I bathe, your eyes always wander all over my body."
"Y-You noticed?" Dimas stammered, surprised.
"Of course, I noticed! Do you think women don't know when a man is staring at them?"
He fell silent. Perhaps he had run out of words. He looked utterly surprised that I had exposed his behavior. I didn't know what he was doing on the other side of the rock. I bet he was embarrassed as hell and wished he could bury his head in the ground. Well, that's what he deserved. He needed to be ashamed so he wouldn't do it again.
"Good grief, Dimas! Seriously. Don't you like Shella? Why don't you gaze at her like that instead of me?"
"Actually, that's why I have to keep her pure and not see her as a beast. As a substitute, I chose another girl to stare at ravenously."
"And that girl is me. You really are trash!"
"That means you're attractive. I'm sure I'm not the only man who stares at you like that," Dimas explained. His response was something I couldn't accept. There were already many men like him, and it made me uncomfortable whenever I went to places where men gathered. "And I have to admit, your body is so enticing right now, like a fruit that's just ripened. I even have to calm my little brother down every time you bathe."
"What!?" I shouted as I jumped up, covering my chest with my hands.
I glared at him. My emotions were at their peak. I quickly grabbed a few small rocks and threw them at Dimas.
"You're disgusting!"
After leaving the water and putting my clothes back on, I quickly walked away. I didn't want to linger with someone who had such a lustful gaze toward me. Something worse could happen if I stayed with him any longer.
When the sun began to rise, we continued our journey toward the Northern Star Mountains. Since then, I had not spoken to Dimas. The journey felt so quiet. Normally, Dimas and I would exchange jokes, but now there was nothing. It was eerily silent.
"What happened with you two?" Shella asked, walking behind me.
"Nothing's going on," I answered casually. I lowered my body to pass under the large tree roots that were above my head.
"You two are never like this."
"Dimas? Who's that? Oh, you mean the trashy guy behind me?" I replied coldly. Dimas didn't respond at all. He seemed resigned to whatever I called him.
"There's something going on," Shella muttered.
After walking for nearly four hours, we had finally emerged from the giant tree area. There was only a vast expanse of grass stretching before us. At the edge of the grassland was the foot of the mountain. We had to cross the Northern Star Mountains to reach the city of Arnest. My goal lay beyond that mountain range. The mountain peaks were shrouded in thick storm clouds.
Though we were now a step closer to our destination, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling in my chest. Every time I looked ahead, my heart felt tight. It was as though I could hear the screams of people trapped in despair.
"Are you anxious?" Dimas asked, slapping me on the shoulder.
I ignored him and pressed my hand to my chest. My heartbeat was racing as if it were going to leap out of my chest. I had no idea what lay behind the storm clouds. What was certain was that the journey ahead would not be easy.
After standing still for a moment, staring at the towering mountains, I decided to push away my dark thoughts. I steeled myself and took a bold step forward. Dimas and Shella, who had been hesitant, followed. The vast grassland felt normal enough. Since this was Elvian territory, I was afraid there could be magical surprises hidden in the grass.
Half an hour later, we reached the middle of the grassland. There was only half the distance left to reach the foot of the mountain. But that was when I noticed something strange. The grass around us was damaged, as though something had stepped on it. The damage to the grass stretched as far as two meters. It wasn't normal. If someone stepped on it, it would only be a few inches deep. The further we went, the more I found uprooted grass or trampled patches, like signs of a struggle. I also noticed several animal carcasses, like deer or buffalo. Most of the carcasses had turned to bones. What was the same about all the carcasses was that they didn't have heads.
A chill ran down my spine. I turned my head in all directions, but saw nothing. Then I paused, using my Super Sense. My projection spread out in every direction. Though my eyes were closed, I could see Dimas and Shella, both of them fearful. I could hear their heartbeat quicken, as if their hearts were racing. There was nothing unusual in the grass, only swarms of harmless ants and small birds pecking at the grass.
When my projection passed through the ground, I was suddenly startled. Two giant spiders were waiting in a hole ten meters below the surface. They were about twice the size of an elephant, with thick, hairy legs and sharp fangs, ready to strike at any prey above.
The prey was us.
"Run!!!" I shouted loudly, sprinting ahead.