Chapter 31
“Was I wrong?”
“…No, you’re right.”
“Then that’s all that matters.”
“……”
“Anyway, I don’t want to have a long conversation with someone I find bothersome. It’s enough that he’s been chased away.”
After saying that, I blankly watched Xenon’s back as he turned and walked away.
[He dislikes people who always smile, huh… Do you think Xenon dislikes me?]
Hearing Yeriel’s voice resonate in my mind, I smiled faintly.
“I don’t think so. If anything, Yeriel probably belongs to the category of those who smile genuinely all the time.”
[You think so? I hope you’re right…]
While I conversed with Yeriel in my mind, Lyria suddenly approached and tugged on my sleeve.
Reacting naturally to her pull, I looked down.
Meeting my gaze, Lyria smiled brightly.
“Big sister, let’s hurry and follow!”
“…Yeah.”
Indeed, harmless and cute beings are impossible to resist.
Relenting, I let Lyria hold my hand.
The trials faced at the first obstacle, Xenon’s strange behavior, and even Agatha’s sudden appearance.
If I tried to decipher the meaning behind every little thing now, my head might explode.
Sometimes, a bit of small comfort like this is needed.
“I’m starving to death.”
Eden, who had come closer to us without us realizing, grumbled with a sulky expression.
“Yeah, let’s go rest and eat first.”
Fortunately, since we’ve built up some goodwill, we should be able to get better food this time than last time.
“Sister’s cooking is the best!”
Sometimes, it’s important to just be happy and enjoy the moment.
After getting some rest and receiving our rewards, this odd itchiness in my mind should fade away a bit.
“You’re such a glutton.”
“Says the one whose stomach growled earlier.”
“No, it didn’t.”
“Yes, it did!”
For the first time since arriving here, I cleared my mind and laughed brightly, like someone without a care, following the two of them.
***
“Agatha, where have you been?”
After a rather unpleasant encounter, Agatha returned to the group.
Facing the devout follower who had been waiting for him, Agatha responded with a gentle smile.
“I went to spread the light of hope.”
When their eyes met, the follower bowed deeply, as if overwhelmed with gratitude.
It was a gesture Agatha had seen so often that it had grown tiresome.
“But things didn’t go as planned. I suppose my light isn’t yet enough to share with everyone.”
Hearing those words, the followers gnashed their teeth and raged against the non-believers.
Watching their reactions filled Agatha with satisfaction.
“I must strive harder. This world is in dire need of the light of hope, after all.”
Admiring gazes, respectful postures, and reverence—all those feelings directed solely at him.
“And so, I have decided: I need a volunteer to make the light burn brighter.”
A radiant halo spread behind him.
It was gentle and warm, yet so elusive that no one dared to touch it.
It seemed tantalizingly close, but even if they reached out, it would remain out of reach—an unsettling, cool glow.
With a soft smile, he extended his hand.
“Is there anyone willing to volunteer?”
Before the light, they all knelt and raised their hands, without a single hesitation.
As Agatha scanned the bowed heads of the followers, he paused, his gaze fixed on one.
“Ilian, you will be the spark that brightens this light.”
“It is an honor, Agatha!”
All it took was for Agatha to select one, clasp their hand, and look them in the eye with a smile.
Then, the chosen follower would shed tears, thanking him profusely.
“Forever in the light of hope.”
“Forever in the light of hope!”
With the cult’s prayer recited one last time—
Thud!
The life of the young lamb, willingly sacrificed, seeped into him as nourishment.
“Aah…”
He felt life coursing through his entire body.
It was a vitality that made it seem as though he could regenerate even if struck by a blade.
His skin turned smooth like a pearl, and his body pulsed with uncontrollable energy.
Strength surged through him, filling him with vigor.
This was the power of faith.
This was his power, the authority of Agatha, the Apostle of Light.
“How strange.”
Yet, something felt off. Who exactly was that woman?
“This is supposed to be normal.”
He tilted his head in pure puzzlement.
He dipped his finger into the still-warm pool of blood and tasted it.
“Such a dull flavor.”
Savoring the life of a follower who had devoted everything, he thought back to the woman with the red hair he encountered earlier.
His expression twisted into one of unmistakable disgust.
‘Why on earth?’
He had never met her before.
Yet, somehow—
She looked at him as if she knew him, with those eyes filled with contempt.
What kind of taste would her life have?
Would it be as intense as the hatred that had flashed in her eyes while she glared at him?
“When the chance comes…”
He muttered softly, wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand.
“I’d like to taste it.”
***
After the small commotion settled, my party and I arrived at a shabby tent.
Since we arrived late, the larger and better tents had already been claimed by other teams.
‘No more sleeping outdoors!’
Just escaping from sleeping on the ground held great significance for me.
The tent was small and humble, only big enough to fit five or six adults lying down, but still, it was something.
‘The kids are small, so we can sleep while holding them, and if needed, we can take turns keeping watch.’
Goodbye to those dreadful blankets.
And farewell to the earthy smell that lingered in my nose every morning.
Humming to myself, I looked around the tent and spoke to my team members standing by the entrance.
“Alright, let’s all collect our rewards and regroup here.”
“Do we each have to verify them individually?”
Sylvester asked innocently, without any ill intention, causing me to hesitate.
“Well, not exactly…”
Seeing me struggle with my answer, Eden surprisingly took Sylvester’s side.
“Why not just collect everything together here? That way, if anyone has something they need, we can trade right on the spot.”
Indeed, as Eden suggested, it would be more convenient to collect our rewards together.
But I had a specific reason for wanting to verify our rewards individually.
[You have reached the first Survivors’ Base. Please check the supplies issued to each of you.]
- Supplies are distributed based on the contributions of each team.
- If a team is disbanded, supplies are distributed based on individual contributions.
- Supplies can be exchanged through personal transactions.
The key issue was the line that said, “If a team is disbanded, supplies are distributed based on individual contributions.”
As long as the team remained intact, everyone would receive similar levels of rewards, so it wouldn’t matter much.
But in our case, the team had disbanded midway.
Therefore, rewards were distributed based on each person’s contributions.
Given their personalities, it was unlikely to cause any trouble, but—
‘If anyone were to complain about the rewards they received, it could become a problem.’
People always think the grass is greener on the other side.
Especially in the early stages when rewards are a sensitive issue, if conflicts arose over who did better or worse—
It could create awkward relationships during future challenges.
And it would make it impossible for us to fully trust and rely on each other.
That’s why I suggested verifying the rewards separately as a precaution.
Of course, Xenon, who had no idea about my reasoning, just stared at me with a blank expression.
An awkward silence dragged on.
Eventually, Lyria, who seemed frustrated by the situation, spoke up.
“Let’s just do what Wendy says. It’s individual rewards anyway, so there’s no need to verify them all together.”
“Yeah, she’s right. If you want to trade, you can just talk to the person separately afterward.”
With Celestine also backing me up, I felt unexpectedly reassured.
Good job, my clever little pups!
“Well, if everyone’s saying that…”
“That sounds better, then.”
Fortunately, they didn’t see any further need to question the matter and agreed readily.
“Alright, let’s meet back here in about ten minutes.”
With Lyria’s words, we all dispersed.
“…Whew.”
Watching them leave, I breathed a sigh of relief.
At least there wouldn’t be any fights over rewards.
Feeling much more at ease, I slowly looked around.
Lyria and Celestine headed toward the tents on the opposite side.
Eden and Sylvester went back toward the entrance where we first arrived.
Xenon…
‘Who knows where he went.’
He left last, but he somehow disappeared the fastest.
‘Seriously, what a strange guy.’
Muttering softly to myself, I picked a comfortable spot near a patch of inviting-looking bushes.
The prickly feel of the underbrush was palpable against me as I sat down.
Right in front of me was our team’s tent, with an open field behind me where no one else was around.
And to both sides, large bushes formed a natural barrier.
A perfectly secluded spot!
Here, I could check things out without anyone else seeing.
Casually brushing off the sand clinging to the hem of my dress, I carefully set down the seedling I held in my hand.
“Yeriel, are you asleep?”
I poked the leaves gently, then leaned closer to listen.
‘How strange.’
From some time ago, I hadn’t sensed any presence from him at all.
—
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