Hypramajent.
The boss had given him a rank of two. He had three confirmed active abilities, and although either of his other two abilities would seem fine to me...
A rank two monster with gigantization?
How could I let it go? The important thing was not any of her other active abilities, but the passive one that accompanied her. If his passive was something useful to me too...
He could replace the Orc Hero essence with this one.
Unfortunately for me, the book said nothing about the monster's passive ability. That made sense, considering the entry mentioned that they hadn't been able to kill him and fled instead. It would have been difficult for them to notice.
That woke me up again.
As I thought about the possibilities and allowed myself to hope, another thought suddenly struck me.
But... what happens if you try to pick up the same skill twice? Only one works? Or can't you just absorb the second essence?
Um, for some reason... I suspected it would be the first. Still, it would be great to be able to use both at the same time. I didn't want to get my hopes up too high, so I considered the worst possible scenarios.
There was a big problem, and it surpassed even the probable strength of a rank two monster.
I have no way of knowing if this guy will even drop an essence.
This plant was unique in that it seemed to house two different types of monsters: normal monsters that released mana stones and essences when you defeated them, and another type whose bodies did not disappear even after you died. According to the boss's notes, these two different types of monsters also had a tendency to fight to the death whenever they saw each other. Thanks to this behavior, the number of monsters on the island decreased drastically in the three days after the rainy season.
And the whole place becomes a field of mana stones, or so they say.
Collecting those mana stones and turning them into Water of Life that they could drink was how these people survived.
Ah, I'm going astray again.
I left the enigma of Hipramajent for later and refocused on the book I was reading.
I didn't expect to see so many new types of monsters here.
The monsters he had seen up to that point were just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to the monsters that appeared during the «rainy season», many were swept to the island by the ocean.
I should write all this down somewhere after I finish reading, in case I forget.
And so, I sat at the desk for a long time, memorizing the boss's books. At some point, I felt a presence near the door.
«Bjorn…»
«¿Missha? ¿No te fuiste con Emily?»
«We finished for today and came back a while ago...»
I looked at the time, noticing that it had become quite late. «Really? So why didn't you call me? If I had known you were back, I would have closed the book and gone out to talk to you».
«That woman... told me to leave you alone. Don't let it bother you since you're busy...»
«¿Emily?»
«...Yes.» Missha nodded, and I noticed her hesitating for a moment before saying, «If you don't mind, could we... chat for a while?».
«Of course. I left the book open on the desk and turned to talk to her. If a member of my clan wanted to talk to me alone, there had to be a reason. «Something's wrong?»
«...Nothing like that».
«Hm? So what is it?»
«It's just that we haven't met in a while, and I think we haven't had a proper conversation yet...».
I was left with my mouth open. «Ah...»
«Nowadays I can't even talk to you without you asking me why», Missha murmured, her voice calm and hurt in equal measure.
I felt a strange pang in my chest, but that didn't stop me from pointing out the facts. «That day, it was you who said we should just be teammates». And when we finally met after so many years, Missha had insisted on drawing that line again in the sand. That's why he was making a concerted effort not to cross it. We needed time to overcome the big gap in our relationship.
«Yes... I did...»
His words got between us and we didn't speak for a while. A suffocating silence filled the room.
I was the one who ended up breaking it. «...Do you have something in mind?»
At my prompt to change the subject, Missha forced some joy into her voice. «Oh no... I'm just a little amazed by all this...».
I understood perfectly where it came from. Lost and found adrift in an ocean of silver, monsters calling themselves humans, and monsters raining from the sky... And that list didn't even include the Great Sage's companion we had found who had somehow ended up trapped in the labyrinth. This was a brand new apartment full of countless mysteries, so of course she would be amazed.
«Here I am... in the maze with you again.»
Oh... so we're still at it?
Despite thinking that, I didn't say the words out loud.
«So... don't worry too much about me. I'm just amazed that this is happening... so I still haven't gotten used to everything. Just a few months ago, I wouldn't have even been able to imagine something like that...», he admitted, looking at me.
I smiled satisfied as I responded: «Don't worry, I'm not worried about you».
Missha's lips twisted reflexively. «What is that supposed to mean...?».
«I'm not just saying it, so believe me when I tell you it's true. You have nothing to envy of Erwen».
Yeah, how could anyone compare to Erwen's intensity level back then? And although things had also improved between us, basically all the encounters I had had with Amelia during the first months of our relationship had ended in combat.
«So don't tiptoe around me and do whatever you want. Fighting brings people together. Seriously, the number of times I've had a fight with Amelia and Erwen-»
«By the way, what is that book?».
I wanted to direct the conversation towards Erwen and Amelia, but I ended up cutting myself off. «Hey? Oh, it's... It's a book the boss wrote. It is a record of all the monsters he has encountered while living on this island».
«Oh really? Excellent. I am sure it will be useful on our expedition.»
Although I had abruptly changed the subject mid-conversation, it didn't bother me that much. We continued talking about the island, whether Chief Bruingrid was really the ancient hero of all the history books, and other casual and comfortable topics like that. It was a really relaxing conversation, like I hadn't had in a while. As I talked to her, I felt like old times.
But...
«Yandel, are you still busy? We want to have a meeting to share the information we gathered today».
Amelia knocked on the door and Missha took it as a sign to leave.
Someone told me you're a traitor. What is that for?
As a result, in the end I couldn't ask that question today either.
***
One day, two days, three days...
Time flew by in the days after our arrival.
During that time, we all followed a simple routine. I would talk to the boss or read the books I had written to gather information. Amelia toured the village with Erwen to see if there were any hidden buildings or areas. Versyl took Auyen and Missha to people watch and learn more about the monsters, their culture, their institutions, and their warriors. And Ainar...
«Then I'm leaving!»
Ainar ran around town like a kid who just left school for the holidays.
«Where are you going today?»
«I have a fight with Itapia in the morning. After that, I'm going to visit the blacksmith shop, since I've been told I can see how they make weapons. And then I will meet Kagudidi to visit the underground cellars. They told me that what's down there is going to blow my mind. I'm looking forward to it».
I couldn't understand how he had made so many friends in such a short time.
«Miss Fenelin... You are amazing. Even if they seem different and there is a language barrier, you have already become good friends with all of them.»
«Haha, you are too much! And why should languages matter? Warriors like us can talk to each other only with gestures».
«Is that so? Still, planning such a complex itinerary with charades alone seems impossible...»
«That's because you're not being honest enough! Wizard, you can't sit and read books all day! Try to look someone in the eye and focus on what they are really saying. Then you will hear his truth».
«Ah, of the veo...»
It was strange to see a barbarian preach to a magician.
However, since making friends without using words was something only Ainar could do, I let her do it.
«Agh, I'm late! Okay, I'm leaving!»
«Sure, but don't get into trouble. And when you come back, tell me what you've seen in the underground cellars!».
«¡Understood!»
Ainar was the first to leave early in the morning, and the others left little by little over the course of the next few hours to do their things. When afternoon came, we all gathered at the house that the village chief had given us to share what we had learned that day.
«Today I discovered a peculiar place. It's about fifteen minutes from the boss's house. At first glance, it looks like a normal house, but there is a lot of security around it. I think I can enter without them realizing it, but first I wanted to know your opinion».
«Don't do anything too hasty, Emily. We have to play fair at least until the rainy season is over».
«I went to visit the Silver Lion Clan. They are much more unstable than I expected. The relationship between those who escaped and those left behind is becoming increasingly fractured as time goes on.»
«I guess it will be difficult to go exploring with them when the rainy season is over... Thanks for the update, Versyl. Auyen, do you have anything to add?»
«It's just that... I've been feeling this way for a long time, but... He... Bruingrid... They call him the head of this village, but he's no different from their king».
«I'd bet he's seen more as a god than a king. When the boss decrees something, everyone follows his orders without questioning them».
«Let's end our meeting there.»
Once our meeting for the day came to an end, everyone returned to their respective rooms to sleep. That had been our routine for the past few days.
Of course, routines can always change, even if only in small details. Thus, on the fourth day of the rainy season...
I had finally finished reading all the books the chief wrote in his free time, so I left my room to explore the village like the rest of my clan. We couldn't afford to have me, the only one of us capable of conversing in the old language, locked in a room forever.
While walking through the village, I ended up running into the monster boy, Marupichichi, for the first time in a long time. Most of the natives here avoided any conversation with me, but luckily, this boy was different.
During our talk, he mentioned a kind of local legend of the town.
«Did you know? A long time ago, a huge dragon lived on the island».
A huge dragon, huh...
The fifth day arrived.
I followed Ainar and was introduced to his friends, but unfortunately I couldn't get along as well with them as Ainar. Everyone seemed hesitant to befriend me, even though they were friends enough with Ainar to exchange playful punches.
Had the boss given them some kind of order not to talk to me?
Although I asked them repeatedly to try to find out if this was the case, I did not get a clear answer.
Sixth day.
In the morning, the captain of the Silver Lion clan approached me to ask if they could join our expedition, and I refused.
In the afternoon, the other half of the clan came to ask me the same thing.
I also rejected them.
Seventh day.
Our investigation of the village was over, and we stayed at our house on the last day to begin preparations for our expedition.
Tomorrow, the rainy season would finally come to an end.
As we began to prepare, the boss called us. He didn't say much, and simply wished us the best of luck tomorrow.
Eighth day.
No, actually, if we were guided not by the rainy season but by the beginning of our adventure, it was the twenty-first day.
That day, we left the now familiar town and headed to the surface.
The island looked beautiful, even with all the grotesque corpses scattered on the ground. Especially because, wherever we looked, we saw mana stones. If they didn't disappear after thirty minutes, then this place would have been filled with essences as well.
The chief told us that a group of patrols would later pick up the mana stones and that we should leave them alone, but hey, God helps those who get up early. We took all the ones we thought we wouldn't miss.
Day twenty-two.
The island was still riddled with monsters, so we used the village as a base and started venturing around.
As we wandered, we picked up an essence.
It wasn't from a fight, but we just picked it up. It seemed to have been abandoned after a battle between monsters. He didn't know what monster it was, but considering they were still alive after the rainy season, they were probably quite strong.
At the moment it is stored in a magic bottle.
In the middle of the day, we encountered the Silver Lion Clan, who had also left the village. They didn't look very good.
Day twenty-three.
We returned to the village to rest for a bit during the night and returned to the surface of the island as soon as dawn broke. The Silver Lion Clan decided to stay in the village for the day.
I think they said someone died yesterday.
It seemed like they were going to stay in the village until things on the island became a little clearer.
Our clan, on the other hand, expanded its radius and moved further and further away from the village.
Day twenty-four.
The village sent its patrol to collect the mana stones scattered around the island. I watched them with barely concealed envy.
How much money was that?
Day twenty-five.
The island finally returned to the state it used to be before the rainy season, so it looked the same as when we arrived.
We had been searching diligently since the day after the rainy season ended, but unfortunately we had not been able to find a Hipramajent. Had he died in a fight against another monster?
I asked the boss and was surprised to learn that many monsters chose to leave the island by sea.
Day twenty-six.
Since there wasn't much else to do on the island, we went to sea and started sailing again.
Day twenty-seven.
Before sunset, we found another island.
But can we call it an island?
Above a wide expanse of silver water was a huge tree breaking the surface. It was even wider than the Human Island. He was also incredibly tall.
I wondered if all the surrounding islands were like this.
Day twenty-eight.
After spending the night on our boat, we visited the island of trees.
As soon as we docked and tied our boat to the trunk of the tree, vines grew from the bark and monsters began to emerge. It was a new type of monster that did not appear in the village chief's books.
We held a vote to decide his name, and ended up choosing Nanari.
Day twenty-nine.
After spending an entire day traversing the roots, we found a knot larger than a decent-sized cave. When we entered it, we saw that the hole was deep and seemed to lead somewhere.
Was it some kind of path?
I had no idea, but we advanced through it with caution and continued to encounter new monsters. The fighting was quite difficult. We recovered quickly thanks to the potions, although Ainar suffered significant injuries during one of our battles.
Day thirty.
As we continued exploring the area, I began to seriously consider the question of our return to the city.
Basement one, the Records Archive: when did this floor close?
Was I going to be stuck here forever as the boss?
If so, it would be a big problem. We couldn't survive on mana water like them. We needed meat that we could chew and swallow.
...Did we have to start rationing our food more?
Day thirty-five.
About six days after venturing into the winding caves for the first time, we found an exit that connected to the outside. When we emerged, we were in a place not unlike the roots we had been traveling through.
To use a human as a comparison, we were about halfway to breeding this tree. It was unknown how long it would take us to reach the top.
In any case, although I called it «exit», the crack we found was more of a window that we could use to look outside, so we ventured back into the labyrinth of roots to look for another exit.
Unfortunately, that day we couldn't find another one. Since everyone seemed tired, we set up camp and I passed out as soon as my head hit my sleeping bag.
And then...
I woke up startled, my eyes wide open as if I were coming out of a deep sleep.
[Your soul has resonated and is being drawn to a different world.]
For some reason, he was in Hansu Lee's room.
«Wait, why the hell am I here?»
I was really dumbfounded.