I almost lost my life at the Spring of Life but thanks to being near it, my stamina was fully recovered. My neglected skin was now as smooth as if I had been to a spa. I felt like the rest of my journey would go smoothly. Even my mood turned positive.
I informed the King of Spirits of my impending departure.
“You’re going to the depths of the forest. But be careful, most areas are still contaminated. The spring water reached the entire forest.”
She likely understood the negative consequences of stopping it and did it anyway. It was water that should not fall into anyone’s hands. Well, of course, everyone would want water that would heal wounds and fully restore stamina just by soaking in it.
“Understood, thank you. Well then.”
“Ah, wait, take this with you.”
She offered me my canteen. Dangerous, I almost forgot it. I don’t think it’s much, but securing water is very important in places where not even people live.
I received the canteen, which was floating gently. Was it full of contents?
“I’ve put spring water in your canteen. Please use it when you need it.”
This is a great help, I’ll definitely use it if I get injured. I’ll try not to drink it by mistake.
After that, we packed our luggage and left the spring behind. Thanks to everyone’s recovered stamina, our steps felt lighter. With this, we should be able to find the Hummingbird Harpies soon.
“Hey Cecilia, what do you think the composition of this spring water is?”
“Huh? I don’t know. But I feel light-attribute mana from this water.”
Oh, I see. So that’s why it heals wounds. It must be the power of those spirits. But then, could it be poison to Veronica? I thought, but she seemed fine. I can’t feel anything with my magic-less self, but she must have a special secret.
“I also feel light mana, but it’s like it’s close to no attribute. There’s just strong magic in it, that’s why it was warm there, right?”
Ah, come to think of it, the temperature was like spring. And the water was like warm water. Perhaps the secret lies there.
As the King of Spirits had said, as we moved away from the spring, the eerie sight gradually returned. The temperature dropped, and distorted, dead trees increased. It looked like the trees that were originally normal had become sick due to the erosion of miasma.
We had to be vigilant in areas where the spirits’ blessings had been withdrawn. We didn’t know what threats might be lurking. Perhaps Dark Elf assassins were lying in wait.
Suddenly, a strong smell assailed my nostrils. A pungent smell that made my stomach clench. Everyone stopped walking.
“What is this, it’s harsh!”
“Be careful, this is…”
“Th-this! This is a corpse!”
Lauren, who suddenly appeared from behind, startled both me and Sharin. A corpse…? Ignoring us as we swallowed hard, Lauren ran off into the dark forest with a rustling sound.
“Th-that way, found it!”
“She was as fast as an insect.”
“Sharin, Lauren is not an insect… but a spider.”
Seriously, having a companion who likes corpses is pretty messed up just from the words themselves. After a long time together, I had become quite desensitized.
And the corpse in question seemed to be a bear. That’s a relief. If it had been a human, it would have been troublesome. It’s not about the value of a life, but I was afraid Lauren might start manipulating human corpses. If I asked her, she might even say she’d done it before.
I don’t want to travel with a dead body of a stranger. On top of that, corpses are incredibly unsanitary.
“B-bear, *hehe* cute.”
“Lauren, let’s stop. There are a lot of flies. Let’s get a new one.”
It must have been dead for a while; a lot of flies were taking off from its horribly torn belly. They buzzed around, which was quite unpleasant. I forcibly pulled Lauren away and returned to everyone else.
“Hey, why is everyone so far away! Is it just me?”
“Because it’s gross~!”
Nina shouted from a distance. What is she talking about? Lauren is quite strong. She doesn’t budge at all with her eight legs bracing herself.
“Ah, Arisugawa…”
Hmm, did I just hear Sharin’s voice? I turned back to everyone again, and they were looking tense, trying to convey something. Sharin put a finger to her mouth and gestured for me to be quiet. Then she pointed to the side.
What is there now? A spider enlarged by miasma? It’s a good target, let’s have Lauren fight it.
As I turned my head, I saw a Giant Hippo. Lauren, who was likely seeing the same thing, also stopped moving. My mind was overwhelmed in an instant. Why is a hippo in this forest? And what is this huge body? How will we get out of here? If it were a pack of wolves, it would be a hundred times better.
