As soon as I finished casting the spell, I felt power flow from my chest into my arm, then into the viglet I held. In the next instant, a gust of wind formed at the tip of the ivory-colored staff, condensing into a dense wind ball, no larger than the size of my hand. I focused again, concentrating, and the wind ball grew rapidly, expanding several times its original size.
With a single thrust, the magical energy I released shot forward, striking the massive spider in front of me. The power of the Esze produced by this viglet was immense. The spider was knocked back several meters, its surrounding grass torn up and scattered.
Despite the force of the attack, it seemed that the spider was still not fully defeated. It struggled to rise, its legs trembling as it fought against the pain.
"Vitr Blast!"
Not wanting to give it time to recover, I struck again with the same Esze technique. As the gust exploded outward, the spider was sent flying again, crashing several meters away. Its legs snapped with a sickening crack, leaving it incapable of standing up for a while. Moments later, it stopped moving entirely.
I could feel the exhaustion setting in immediately. My body became weak, and I half-knelt to keep from fainting. The viglet had drained a significant amount of my magical energy, far more than I had anticipated.
Perhaps Almira had been right earlier—this special viglet was like a double-edged sword. While it was capable of unleashing powerful magic, the amount of Esze it consumed was far above average. That was why she had warned me not to use it recklessly.
Prince Keylan could probably wield it without any issue, but unlike him, I had not yet mastered full control over my Esze. This viglet had nearly drained me dry.
I glanced to the side, noticing the other spider frozen in place, staring at me. A small smirk crossed my lips as I directed the viglet toward the creature with a hint of intimidation. It seemed to sense the threat, slowly backing away before eventually scurrying off into the forest.
Dimas immediately rushed to my side, supporting me as I stumbled to my feet.
"Are you okay? You don't look so good," he said, concern filling his voice.
"I'm just tired," I replied, looking at the viglet in my hand. "Using this thing really drains my energy."
"Well, if I may comment... that was amazing! You really saved us this time."
"We're still not 100% safe if we stay here. Let's move quickly!" I said, urging us to leave.
"Let me help you walk." Dimas offered me his shoulder to steady me.
"Thanks," I responded with a small smile.
We then made our way to Shella, who had been hiding in the tall grass. She was doing much better now. Her ankle, though injured, was now able to support her, but her body was still shaking with fear. Upon seeing me and Dimas, her muscles relaxed, and she let out a deep sigh of relief. She offered to heal my wounds and restore my stamina with some potions, but I declined, insisting that we needed to leave immediately.
We began walking toward the base of the mountain, pushing through dense trees on the gently sloping land. The area here felt much more familiar than the Elvian forest we had been in earlier. The trees were shorter, more like the forests near Glafelden. It gave me a sense of relief, as I didn't feel the constant danger looming over us as I had in the Elvian woods.
After about an hour of travel, we decided to rest in a cave near a spring. Of course, we made sure the cave was empty and uninhabited by wild beasts. It seemed like a good spot. The sun was already dipping below the horizon, casting a soft, golden light, as if it were preparing for a long rest.
Dimas went off to hunt for something for dinner, while Shella applied some ointment to the wounds on my body. Whatever the ointment was made of, it immediately made my back feel cool. It reminded me of the sensation when your skin burns from hot oil, and you apply toothpaste—cool, but soothing enough to ease the pain.
"Wow, this is amazing! My wound doesn't hurt at all now!" I exclaimed in relief. I turned to the one who had been treating me. "Thank you so much, Shella!"
She paused for a moment, then responded softly, "I should be thanking you, Anggi."
"But I'm the one being treated. Why should you thank me?"
"Because I can only treat wounds. I can't do anything when faced with a forest monster. I'm sorry if I've just been a burden to you."
Her voice grew quieter, as if it were being swallowed by the earth. A look of regret and sorrow clouded her face. She lowered her gaze and bit her lower lip, as though she were acknowledging past mistakes.
"Of course not, Shella! It's precisely because of your skill in making these potions that you've helped us. Think about it—if it weren't for you, maybe Dimas would have treated my wound. And he might've just spat on it and said, 'It'll heal eventually.' Imagine if my whole body was covered in spit. Would you want to see that?" I asked, speaking firmly. "Definitely not, right?"
Upon hearing my words, Shella let out a small laugh. "True. Your body would probably smell awful afterward."
I studied her for a moment. While her laughter temporarily distracted me, I could still see the sadness in her eyes.
"I know how you feel. We've lived peacefully in our homes for so long. Going to school, having fun with friends, or going on vacations whenever we wanted. It was a life of peace, where we never knew the danger of death. Just like the life we had in Glafelden—calm and serene."
"Now, though, we're on a different path, one full of danger and uncertainty. Before I decided on this journey, I thought about it many times, until my mind became weary. I'm afraid of death. I think everyone is. Who isn't afraid of death? But I realized that if I want to achieve something, I have to risk my life. I can't just stay where I am and let opportunities pass by."
I paused for a moment to catch my breath, then continued.
"Remember when I found information about the Indemnius Crystal of Souls in the library and showed it to you? Then I accidentally ended up in the Elvian city and met Prince Keylan. After that, it seemed like destiny. He gave me clearer information about the Crystal of Souls. At that moment, I thought, maybe this is the opportunity given to me. This is the path I need to follow. So, no matter what dangers lie ahead, I am determined to go as far as I can."
I looked ahead, staring at the cave's stone wall and the muddy ground beneath my feet. It wasn't that I was focusing on it. I just didn't know where else to look at the moment.
"Have you ever felt afraid in this world?" Shella asked, her gaze soft.
"Of course. When I first arrived in this world, who wouldn't be scared when seeing their own appearance change? Or when I first joined the hunt. Honestly, I was terrified of being caught by the Elvian soldiers, just like Grussel warned us."
"Being a hunter is that tough, huh?"
"Yeah, it is. Want me to tell you about my hunts? Maybe this will help pass the time while we recover here," I said with enthusiasm.
"Sure. Tell me about your most memorable hunting experience, Anggi!"
For the next half hour, I recounted various tales from my time hunting with Kelam Malam. From my first hunt, when I had just picked up a real weapon, to the experiences that followed. It was a turning point for me, thinking that with that, I could grow stronger, just as I had always dreamed.
I also told her about how I started using wind-type Esze, and how the techniques had become effective enough to disable enemies. I explained in more detail about my adventure in the city of Ruvia. Shella listened intently, her eyes wide with fascination. If you looked at her now, her gaze was like a child watching their favorite robot movie, sparkling like stars in the dark sky.
Shella said she was very interested in visiting Ruvia. But at that moment, I was lucky. I got the chance to stroll there because I happened to meet the kind-hearted Prince Keylan. If I hadn't, the Long-Ears would have likely caught me the moment I stepped foot there.
"But I think your meeting with Prince Keylan was so romantic, don't you?" she said.
"Romantic? How so?" I let out a small laugh, raising an eyebrow.
"Think about it! When you were cornered and captured by the special Elvian forces, Prince Keylan came to save you. Isn't that just like something from a Disney movie? Maybe that prince is your soulmate, Anggi!"
I sighed and flicked Shella's forehead. "Stop talking nonsense! You know my current priority is to return to my world. I'm not thinking about anything else but that!" I responded curtly.
"Hahaha. Well, maybe he really is your soulmate!"
After our lighthearted conversation, Shella brightened up. Her face lit up like the warm sunlight greeting every creature. She looked as if she had returned to her normal, cheerful self—like an innocent child, free of worries. No longer did she carry the burden of feeling like a hindrance to the group.
I realized that the journey ahead would be long. There would surely be moments when one of us would feel hopeless and ready to give up. When we might consider letting go of our dreams and accepting our fate. But that's the strength of a team. We had to encourage one another to reach our goal.
I hoped the three of us could endure until the end of this journey.