I bent down to confirm what I had found, and indeed, it was the Black Selinida Mushroom. Its features matched exactly as Shella had described earlier. The mushroom had a deep, dark black color and was shaped like a bag. From what I remembered, the sap of this mushroom was highly dangerous if it touched the skin. I had to be careful not to injure myself.
For a moment, I stood still, pondering how to pick it without touching it. Unfortunately, I didn't have leather gloves to protect my palms.
In the darkness of the night, my eyes were drawn to a faint glimmer from the dagger hanging at my waist. Of course! I had forgotten I had this.
Quickly, I drew the dagger from my belt and tried to slice through the stem of the mushroom. For humans, doing this in the dark without any light source would be difficult. For the umpteenth time, I was grateful to have a Haier-Elvian body.
I had cursed this body a hundred times for the drastic changes it had caused, but there was still some good in my misfortune. At least there was something beneficial hidden behind my disadvantages.
After carefully slicing through the mushroom stem, the mushroom bag, deep black in color, fell to the ground, overturned. It was then that I saw the thick, black sap spilling onto the earth. The surface of the ground immediately darkened and hissed as it made contact with the mushroom sap. Goosebumps rose on my skin at the thought of that sap touching my own skin.
Shivers ran down my spine! How could such a plant exist in this world? And why could something so dangerous be used as an herbal remedy?
I shook my head, trying to dismiss anything I didn't understand. Thinking about things I couldn't comprehend would only waste time. My priority right now was gathering these toxic mushrooms for Shella so they could be used as medicine for Dimas. Hopefully, this plant would truly be useful.
Once I ensured all the sap had dripped onto the ground, I pierced the mushroom bag and collected it on a rock near where I stood. Using the same method, I managed to collect three Black Selinida Mushroom bags.
Before placing them into my leather bag, I wrapped them with large leaves I had picked nearby. I didn't want to put the toxic mushrooms directly into my bag, as their sap might still drip, possibly leaking onto the bag and accidentally touching my skin.
After making sure the mushrooms were securely wrapped, I placed them into my bag and hurriedly left the spot. My destination now was to climb the mountain and return to the camp where Shella and Dimas were.
I forced my legs to keep moving and climb, even though my energy had been drained after facing the Tardigrade monster. Every joint ached, my breath came in short gasps, and my back slumped, unable to straighten. The weariness I felt now was far greater than when I was fleeing in the city of Ruvia some time ago.
I wanted nothing more than to stop and rest for a while, but I knew I would just be wasting time. Dimas's condition was racing against time. If I were late, his situation could worsen. So, as much as I could, I kept walking, despite my body being drained of strength.
Dimas was my best friend and the closest person I had in this world. I couldn't bear to see him suffer like that. If anything terrible happened to him, I couldn't imagine it.
Ignoring all negative thoughts, I continued to climb the increasingly steep mountain slope. It wasn't the same path I had taken earlier in the day, but since I was still on the same side of the mountain, I was certain I would find the camp if I continued climbing.
I dragged my feet upward without stopping, unaware of how much time had passed. Perhaps an hour or two had gone by. The surrounding scenery had become a line of tall pine trees, rising through the thick mist and low-hanging clouds. Somewhere nearby, Dimas and Shella's tent had to be.
Hurrying, I jogged slightly, glancing to my right and left, trying to find the silhouette of a simple tent with a tarp roof set up under the branches of a large tree. The thick fog obscured my vision. Though my eyes could pierce the darkness of the night, fog prevented me from seeing clearly.
The fog only thickened with time, reducing my field of vision to just five meters ahead. Surrounded by the thick white blanket, I lost my sense of direction. I looked in all directions, but found nothing.
"Shella! Dimas!" I cried out into the silence.
My body, exhausted from the climb, was getting weaker as the temperature dropped. It was much colder than when the rain had fallen earlier. The thin jacket covering my body couldn't withstand the extreme temperatures.
No matter where I looked, I saw nothing but the thick fog. My steps became heavier, my breath ragged. I kept shouting Dimas and Shella's names, hoping they could hear me and answer back. Perhaps because of this, my energy ran out, and I could no longer focus.
As I jogged, suddenly, my foot caught on something—whether it was a tree root or a stone, I couldn't tell. The next moment, I fell face-first into the ground. I tried to push myself up, but couldn't. My body had reached its limit, unable to move any further. It felt as though dozens of ropes were restraining me, keeping me rooted to the ground.
I couldn't even control my own fingers. All I could do was lie still, staring at the thick fog that surrounded me.
Is this the end?
If it was, it was absurd. A journey I had started with great ambition and resolve would end as soon as it began.
I must have spoken too much. If given another chance, perhaps I would learn to keep my mouth shut.
If only... I...
A white world—this was a world with nothing but the color white. As far as the eye could see, there was only emptiness.
I don't know what I did to end up stranded in this place. Looking back, I had failed halfway through my journey to change my fate. Perhaps this was the punishment I deserved for being so presumptuous and accomplishing nothing.
Even so, I felt that it was unfair. Who would want to fail? Everyone wants to succeed. Whether in their career, business, love, or life. No one aspires to failure, neither did I. I wanted to try again. Please, let me fix it!
I want to leave.
I must rebel against this place. It feels like I've been here in this white world for so long that I'm nearly losing my sanity.
Along with the strong desire surging from within, a yellowish light appeared before my eyes. The emergence of this color stained the purity of the white world that had been preserved all this time. Slowly, the light grew stronger, shining brightly until it became blinding, forcing me to close my eyes.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the tips of pine trees against a bright blue sky. The dense rows of trees and the sparse leaves blocked my view of the warm sunlight directly. I blinked for a moment, then glanced to the side.
Next to where I lay, a young man sat, gazing toward the morning sun. He remained still, as though savoring the gradual rise of the sun. It didn't take long for me to recognize the young man.
"Dimas?" I said softly.
Regaining my strength, I tried to rise slowly. My eyes could now see clearly, and I knew I wasn't mistaken. Especially from this close. It would be beyond belief if I didn't recognize my own friend.
"Oh, you're awake," the young man responded, glancing at me.
"Are you okay now?" I was so surprised to see him well that I almost ignored my question.
"You can see for yourself," he answered with a smile.
"Did you also... die?"
"Idiot! Stop talking nonsense. Look to your left!" Dimas said, pointing behind me.
I followed the direction of his finger, where I found Shella cooking something over an open flame. The girl with shoulder-length hair greeted me with a warm smile, as radiant as the morning sun.
"Are you feeling better now?" she asked. Then, her gaze returned to the clay pot over the fire. Shella added salt and basil leaves before stirring it gently.
"Yes, I think so," I answered quietly. Still unsure about what had happened. I was certain I had passed out before reaching the camp.
"You probably want to ask what happened last night, don't you?"
As if she could read my mind, Shella asked the question I was about to ask. I nodded slightly in response.
"When I was waiting for you to come back last night, I suddenly heard you calling my name. At first, I thought I was hallucinating, but eventually, your voice became clearer. When I tried to get closer to where the sound came from, it stopped suddenly, and I found you lying on the ground. I brought you back to the camp after that."
"Seriously?" I exclaimed, still in disbelief.
She smiled mischievously and chuckled softly. "Don't underestimate me, okay? If it's just you, Anggi, I can still carry you. After that, I made the herbal remedy for Dimas using the ingredients in your bag."
"So that's it?"
"I already told you not to make me handle two patients at once, right? You pushed yourself too hard and wore yourself out. I checked your heart rate and breathing earlier, and they're fine. Looks like you just need to rest."
Hearing Shella's explanation, I exhaled in relief. Truly, this was such a relief. Earlier, I thought I had failed to reach the camp, and Dimas, without the medicine, would worsen. I glanced to my right and saw Dimas sipping a cup of warm water.
He felt my gaze and looked back at me. Our eyes met, and we stayed silent for a few seconds before I broke the silence.
"I'm glad to see you're okay," I said with relief.
"Yeah, thanks to the herbs you brought. Thank you."
"How does the medicine taste? Good?"
Dimas immediately made a disgusted face and turned away. "Terrible. I hope I never have to drink it again."
I laughed at his response. He was usually the one pretending to be tough. If even he said it was terrible, the medicine must have been truly awful. I could only imagine it. Poisonous mushrooms with sap that could burn the skin—who would want to put that in their mouth? I wondered how Shella had managed to process it into something consumable. The taste didn't change much, though. It was as bad as the dry bread I'd gotten.
After that, the three of us spent time together, eating Shella's mushroom soup for breakfast. Both Dimas and Shella asked what I had gone through to faint last night. I answered truthfully.
They both looked stunned by what I had been through. Even I still couldn't believe I had escaped the Tardigrade monster's chase. It felt like it hadn't really happened. If it had been a month ago, I would never have guessed I'd get through all of it. Fighting monsters and traveling to distant places. This had probably been my greatest achievement so far.
Setting that aside, I was grateful to have made it this far. But I couldn't let myself become complacent. This was just the beginning of the journey, and I probably hadn't even reached 1% of the total distance. There would be many more challenges and unexpected adventures ahead. Some might be far greater and more dangerous than what we had already faced.
But I didn't think it was an exaggeration to consider this a success so far. This was something I could hold on to as I prepared for the challenges tomorrow would bring.
After breakfast, the three of us packed up the camp to continue our journey. Since Dimas had just recovered, we weren't rushing as we had the day before. Chasing the target was important, but considering our condition was even more crucial. There was no point in rushing if we wore ourselves out—it could lead to something unexpected.
We continued climbing the mountain, not far from the peak now. I could already see the summit. Fortunately, the rain and fog weren't blocking the view today, so our small team could move without any obstacles.
We walked in a line, like a mountain-climbing group. Dimas was at the front, using the map in his hands to choose the best route. Then Shella followed, carrying her bag filled with herbal remedy ingredients. I walked behind, keeping watch to ensure no threats followed us.
"Hey, Shella!" I said quietly to the front.
The girl turned her head toward me, raising an eyebrow. "What's up?"
"Thank you," I said, offering a smile.
"For what?" she asked, slowing her pace to walk beside me.
"Carrying me back to the camp."
"Isn't that what I should do?"
I shook my head. "If you weren't there, I might have frozen to death out there. Dimas probably wouldn't have survived either if he didn't get the medicine you made. You saved both of us. If you hadn't been there yesterday, we both would have died. So, thank you!"
Hearing my praise, Shella immediately brightened up. She showed me a wide smile that couldn't be contained. Then she nodded enthusiastically and raised her right fist toward me.
"I might not be able to fight, but anything else, leave it to me."
I looked at her face and then her fist in turn, before slowly returning the fist bump with my left hand. "We're a team."
After that, Shella and I laughed together. The sound of our laughter broke the tension, drawing the attention of Dimas, who had been focused on his map.
"You two can fist bump without me? Am I just an extra here?" Dimas grumbled, stopping in his tracks.
"Why did it take you so long to realize?" I teased.
Dimas wore an exaggerated surprised expression for a moment. "Fine, if that's what you say. Sorry, I'm just a little hasty. You two, the main characters, go ahead and find your way."
The tall young man quickly sped up, leaving Shella and me behind. Not caring about the two of us, he walked quickly, not even bothered by how steep the terrain was. Shella and I exchanged glances, then burst into laughter, amused by Dimas's childish antics.
The laughter continued as we traveled, and before we knew it, we had already reached the peak of this mountain.
Dimas helped me climb up a high rock, and I pulled my hand firmly to reach the top. Finally, we reached the summit of the Northern Star Mountains.
My eyes widened at the sight before me. The clear sky, with no clouds or fog, allowed me to enjoy this breathtaking view. Now, I could see the western horizon from the high ground. It was far more beautiful than I'd ever seen at the edge of Glafelden. As far as the eye could see, an expanse of green forest stretched out, like a carpet spread over the vast ground. It was like a painting on a canvas, done with the highest artistic skill.
The super low temperature up here couldn't stop me from appreciating the natural beauty of the panorama. Mesmerized, I ignored everything else, as if I didn't want to be disturbed for a while.
"Hey, look over there!" Dimas called out. His finger pointed toward a red-roofed tower that jutted out from the thick forest.
I immediately turned my gaze to where he was pointing. Sure enough, there, in the distance, stood a red tower amidst the trees. I quickly focused my eyes on it. At the same time, I noticed several more towers standing nearby. Not only that, but there were also other buildings behind the foliage.
Normal humans couldn't see as clearly as I could at this moment. In addition to the buildings, I also saw people walking across the branches and trunks of trees. The forest here was unlike the one in Ruvia, where trees grew to hundreds of meters. This forest consisted of shorter trees with trunks so thick and branches so abundant that it looked like thousands of giant bonsai trees planted close together.
The people there had built structures on the trunks and branches of these enormous trees, much like in the city of Ruvia. For some reason, I couldn't stop smiling.
"That's the city of Arnest, our first destination!" I exclaimed.