Chapter 64
‘Huh?’
I tilted my head as Yeriel’s face turned a sudden shade of red.
Ah, could it be…
“Yeriel, are you bad at handling compliments?”
Some people are particularly vulnerable to praise. They might brush it off with modesty, but deep down, they’re simply embarrassed.
Me? I’d deny it but secretly be smug about it. Yeriel, though, doesn’t seem like that type.
Yeriel pursed his lips for a moment before nodding slowly.
“Yes, a little.”
His flushed face showed no sign of returning to its normal color anytime soon.
Unexpected. He usually seemed so kind and caring, like an older brother.
“That’s surprising.”
I smiled. He had a surprisingly cute side.
At my words, Yeriel tilted his head and looked at me.
“Surprising…is it?”
His wide eyes blinked innocently.
Ah, this might sound dangerous, but he was cute enough to make me want to tease him a little.
But knowing better, I held back and moved on to my original question.
“Anyway, what were you doing here? Everyone else is over there.”
“Ah, well, actually…”
Yeriel fidgeted with his fingers, looking a bit flustered.
“…This.”
He reached into his inventory and pulled something out.
“Here, take it. It’s a gift. It’s nothing compared to what you’ve given me, though.”
Yeriel handed me a neatly wrapped sachet and smiled shyly.
“This is…”
The light pink pouch released a floral fragrance, reminiscent of the scent Yeriel often carried.
It seemed to be a sachet made with dried flowers like Soft Petal or Bone Petal.
“Thank you, Yeriel.”
“No, it’s really nothing.”
Yeriel was always so considerate.
Even during the rest time I had given, he had been making gifts for others.
“Thank you so much, Yeriel.”
Expressing my gratitude once more, I immediately tied the sachet to my waist.
“I’ll hang it where it’s most visible and take a sniff whenever I’m struggling.”
Yeriel’s face flushed red again.
See? I told you he’s adorable.
[The constellation, The Abandoned Child, supports this couple.]
[The constellation, Love’s Baton, says that flirting without meaning it is torture!]
A notification window popped up.
What? Supports this couple? Who’s this constellation?
‘Can’t friends give each other gifts without it being called flirting?’
If this counts as flirting, then does that mean I’m dating Xenon?
“…”
Wait a minute.
Now that I think about it, our relationship might seem a bit strange.
Fortunately, my musings were interrupted by a voice calling from a distance.
“Captain!”
Quickly getting to my feet, I called back.
“I’m coming!”
As I started to move, something hard caught on my foot.
“Huh? What’s this…”
Bending down, I picked up a Fenrir’s Tooth lying on the ground, examining it curiously.
‘Why is it so long and vicious-looking?’
The sharp, rigid tooth was intimidating, even just to hold. Its grotesque appearance, stained with blood and emitting a faint smell, made it an unpleasant thing to carry around.
Still, wouldn’t it come in handy someday?
[Fenrir’s Molar has been stored in the inventory.]
<Inventory for Wendy Porcelain: Holds up to 6 items>
- A tattered winter dress
- A somewhat crude flower necklace
- A heartfelt flower bracelet
- Fenrir’s Molar
Satisfied after confirming the message, I turned and ran toward the cave without hesitation.
***
Passing through the bush-covered entrance to the Wind’s Stronghold cave, we were met with a vast, deep interior.
As I stepped forward, I felt the unpleasant squelch of sticky mud beneath my feet.
Fortunately, it wasn’t deep enough to sink into.
“Wow, it’s really big.”
Walking along the muddy path, Sylvester surveyed the enormous cave with wide eyes, astonished by its sheer size.
“This smell… of corpses…”
Celestine, who was sticking close to him, seemed equally uncomfortable. She shuffled nervously, her posture withdrawn.
Perhaps due to her unique skill of seeing the dead, she appeared to notice the spectral figures wandering inside the cave.
“If not for these mushrooms, we might not have been able to see ahead.”
Yeriel gestured toward a massive mushroom in front of them as he spoke.
The glowing white mushroom was colossal, easily towering over ten meters—roughly the height of a three-story apartment building.
Poong-poong.
Around the giant mushroom, spores and a faint bluish light emanated gently.
It wasn’t just the giant mushrooms. Small clusters of luminescent fungi grew along the damp, dark walls of the cave, resembling fireflies.
Darwin, lightly tapping one of these glowing mushrooms, spoke in a tone of excitement.
“If I eat this, will my body glow too?”
“You’re spouting nonsense,” Xenon retorted sharply, brushing past Darwin as if he wasn’t worth the effort of further response.
As they continued along the winding path, the narrow trail gradually opened up. Soon, an enormous shape began to dominate their view.
“That’s…”
The group halted as Winfred, leading at the front, stopped in his tracks and muttered in awe.
Kirrreeek.
What came into view was a grotesque creature—a massive spider-like body adorned with ethereal blue butterfly wings. It was unmistakably the boss of the Wind’s Stronghold.
“Boss!”
“It’s the boss! Everyone, prepare for battle!”
Its sheer size, oppressive presence, and unnerving appearance made it clear that this monster ruled over the area.
As the party swiftly prepared for combat, the first to charge forward was none other than Nia.
[Cyclone]
Compressed air began to swirl ferociously in Nia’s hands, taking the shape of a massive drill before launching toward the boss in all directions.
Boom!
However, just before Nia’s magical drill could strike the boss, a tightly woven barrier of wind threads materialized, effortlessly deflecting the attack.
The once-fierce momentum of the cyclone dissipated, and Nia’s attack was absorbed and nullified.
“Wh-what…”
Dumbfounded by the failure of her attack, Nia stood frozen as the boss’s eight piercing eyes turned toward her.
“Nia, get down!”
As a sharp gust of wind shot out from beyond the barrier, aimed straight at Nia’s forehead, I lunged forward, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her back.
Swish!
The razor-like wind barely missed Nia, leaving a shallow cut on her cheek before cleanly slicing through a blue crystal behind her.
“I… I have to be useful… useful, or else…”
Triggered by the realization of her failure, Nia began mumbling incoherently, clutching her head as her body trembled.
“Useful… If I’m useless, I’ll be abandoned… abandoned, punished, tortured… I don’t want that…”
“Nia?”
As if compelled by desperation, Nia began to overexert herself, forcibly drawing out her magical power.
Countless cyclones began to form spontaneously in the air, swirling wildly.
Blood trickled down from Nia’s nose, a clear sign that she was pushing far beyond her limits.
“Nia! Snap out of it!”
Realizing that her life was in danger from this magical overload, I grabbed Nia by the shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“I don’t want to be abandoned… It’s terrifying…”
Her trembling figure and frail voice spoke volumes of the abuse she must have endured.
Letting out a heavy sigh, I gently stroked her hair to calm her down.
“It’s okay, Nia. No one’s going to abandon you. So, cancel the skill, okay?”
Hearing my words, Nia’s bloodshot eyes focused on me as she let her magic dissipate.
“S-sorry…”
“Phew… We’ll talk later. For now, just rest.”
Even in the original story, Nia had moments where she recklessly pushed herself, bleeding from overexertion.
It seemed her trauma of being abandoned triggered her to unleash power far beyond her limits.
I had thought Agatha’s gaslighting was the cause, but perhaps that wasn’t entirely true.
“I’ll handle it.”
As I was busy calming Nia down, a man stepped forward amidst the tense group.
With fiery red hair, piercing eyes, and a solid, muscular build that seemed like compressed stone, he exuded confidence.
“Eltein.”
This was Eltein Cartego, a companion of the male protagonist Caltain in the original story. He was famed as the strongest long-range dealer in the entire world.
He was also the avatar of the constellation Yi, who had assisted me in the Fire’s Stronghold.
“Cover me.”
At Eltein’s command, the male protagonist’s original party members, Caltain and Javier, stepped forward to protect him.
Taking a steady stance, Eltein drew an invisible bowstring, and a crimson glow began to condense in his hand.
A magnificent red bow materialized in the air, and soon, the arrow’s tip began to radiate immense power.
As his well-trained muscles strained to their limits, the arrow, imbued with a vibrant, spinning energy, quivered as though ready to leap from the bowstring.
Finally, with a steady breath, Eltein aimed at the target and released the string.
—
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