The first step inside the rainforest was the hardest part.
If outside the entrance was in the middle of spring, inside was a summer like the five had never experienced before.
Even Blanc, who had read about rainforests in the past and had given advice to the others just a minute ago, did not expect the sudden change or how harsh it would really be.
The sudden humidity was beyond uncomfortable, and the warmth made their clothes feel heavy and sticky, not even a minute after entering.
However, none could disagree that it was not one of the most beautiful they had ever laid eyes upon.
A canopy of evergreen trees that seemed to stretch for miles on end, trees small and large growing in such unique ways that it felt as if they were witnessing a slow dance that took the trees centuries until now to achieve.
Smaller plants, many unknown to all, even to Blanc, seemed to thrive in the humidity that was floating around in the air.
And the most amazing difference between the outside world and the Garden was the sounds of undisturbed life.
Birds singing their exotic songs in the distance, monkeys a bit of distance away speaking in their primal tongues, this place felt alive, even more alive than a bustling town.
Unfortunately, this was not a trip to experience the beauty of the Garden, but to hunt and grow stronger.
However, for that, they first needed to locate the most vital thing of all.
"Is everyone okay?" Blanc asked.
"I hate it," Lune muttered, wiping with her forearm at the sweat or humidity that caught itself on her forehead.
"It's a bit uncomfortable, but I can manage," Celine beamed a warm smile that, if not for her words, one would think she was unaffected by the change.
"Good," Blanc nodded before turning to the two who had not said anything until now, "Kael, Miyanna?"
"I don't think I can read in such humidity… my book will be ruined," Kael sighed.
"Haha, yeah, that's true, keep your book deep within the bag," Blanc replied to his words.
Miyanna was tugging at her long-sleeved shirt as she spoke, "And can I really not remove some of the clothing? I think I'll be going mad if we stay in here for a month."
Blanc shook his head, "Nope, the beasts and insects in here are no joke."
"Fuck," she cursed, hitting a small plant with her foot.
Blanc chuckled, seeing her, before grabbing the waterskin, "Let's go deeper, we have to find the most important thing inside, before anything else."
"What? Turtles?" Lune asked expectantly.
"Nope," he replied after gulping down a mouthful, "Water."
There is no amount of strength, no amount of money, or influence, one could have to make them less dependent on water.
In special cases, Raw or True Vita from specific beasts could offer one the power to become less reliant on water, to the point one might need less to survive, but never removing the need for water at all.
And that showed itself everywhere in the world, on this continent or another.
Besides the Noble Bloods, or higher powers of influence in other kingdoms that lived differently due to their egos, most, if not all the villages and cities had a water source less than a mile away from their location or built right next to that water source.
Be it rivers, lakes, seas, or oceans.
That's how vital it was to both life and many livelihoods; it offered both what one needed to survive as well as a way of life for many.
But for Blanc and the rest, they only needed water to keep on living.
"Brother," said Lune as they walked through the small vegetation.
"What is it, Little Flower?" Blanc asked.
"If we do not find a river or something, what then?" she wondered.
"Not to worry, in here, there are many ways to collect water, and I know a few. But a river would be the best thing we could find, though that too would be dangerous," Blanc explained.
"Why?" Miyanna asked.
"That's easy, sister," Celine began, "Besides all the manner of beasts that will be coming towards the river to drink, the river itself poses many dangers inside."
"Delicious dangers, may I add," Blanc added.
"You will not be fishing, brother," Kael intervened, "I fear no beast inside the river will be strong enough to not be ripped in half by you when you pull them out of the water."
At Kael's words, all began laughing, even Blanc, for he knew it was the truth.
But the most important thing was that, by talking and joking around, the harshness of this Garden became less of a challenge as they walked.
"Still," Blanc sighed once the laughter died down, "Once we get everything in order and start hunting, we need to find out how to cross into the other gardens."
"Is it difficult?" Miyanna asked.
"I've heard of ways, but until I see them work, I remain skeptical," Blanc replied, but suddenly stopped as he caught a sound that made a grin come into existence atop his lips, "Water."
Hearing that Blanc had located a water source deeper into the rainforest, they began walking slowly through the vegetation that lay at their feet, making slow and steady steps, until they managed to find it.
Though small in size, no higger than twenty feet, before their eyes, less than a hundred feet away, stood a waterfall.
As the waterfall fell inside the pool below, the excess flowed away by a small creek that may have formed over the millennia that this waterfall has stood here.
It was perfect.
In such a small pool, there could be close to no fish that remained there for too long but actually swam down the creek in search of deeper, more stable waters.
The perfect place for them to bathe and relax from time to time… if not for the three gorillas that had the same brilliant idea.