4 Ecounter

Sougo persisted in his stride, exhibiting no indication of halting and distancing himself from Mika who was endeavoring to catch up. Sougo's countenance betrayed no emotion as he ventured into uncharted territory.

"You're pretty strong even though you're in bad shape. Those wounds were supposed to be acting up right until now and warn your limits."

"Waitttt!"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a girl emerged from the foliage, pleading with them to hold up. It was the same girl they had gallantly rescued not too long ago. Apparently, she had nowhere else to go and decided to tag along with the duo. Being the third wheel.

Mika raised his eyebrows, responded in shock, "Huh? What are you doing here?"

A hint of small blush appeared on her cheeks as she replied, "Ahem, please forgive me if I'm being too forward, but I'm Lusina. Would it be terribly impertinent of me to question whether I might have the honor of accompanying you to your... gathering?"

Clad in her wizarding cloak, Lusina presented herself, having been rescued while wearing the garment. Its enchanting quality lent her a captivating air, obscuring both her face and authentic traits from view.

"Uhm, okay... No need to be so formal. I'm just here to guide hi-"

Sougo left the scene.

"HEY! DON'T KEEP WALKING ON YOUR OWN!" Sougo persisted in his movement without any interruption, even as Mika engaged in conversation with Lusina. The trio ventured further into the forest, with no insight into Sougo's thoughts.

"What gives with the wizard robes? Are you cold or a wizard's student?" Mika, lacking knowledge of the purpose behind Lusina's wizard robe, inquired if she was wearing it due to the cold weather.

"N-no... I-I... I-If I showed you my face, would you freak out?" With a restless demeanor, she was apprehensive that their reaction would be adverse upon discovering the truth about her.

Mika showed genuine concern and asked, "Hmm? What's wrong? Birth problems?"

Lusina expressed that her anxiety did not stem from her physical appearance, but from the possibility that her true identity could terrify Mika and Sougo.

In response, Mika reassured Lusina that she need not reveal her face if it caused her such distress.

Lusina's face turned away out of flustering.

"By the way, what made the Atreun rhino went wild anyway? They're friendly creatures. Did you make them mad or something?" Mika questioned with a confused tone about how the creature known as the Atreun rhino went wild.

The rhinoceroses inhabiting the region of Atreun coexisted peacefully and serenely alongside the surrounding ecosystem. However, if provoked, their temperament became unpleasant, and their skin was as unrelenting as solid granite. These creatures possessed a powerful propulsion system on their posterior that they would employ with the force of a cannon when engaging adversaries.

Despite their ability to easily tear apart a human being with their formidable horns, their immense bulk and weight rendered them seemingly powerless when attempting to change direction.

"Hmm, I was picking a flower, a mysterious gas came out as I pulled it out. then, they started to attack me. Here is the flower that I just pulled." Lusina assumed responsibility for the calamity, elucidating that her behaviors had triggered a catastrophic event. Specifically, while extracting a floral specimen from its terrestrial habitat, an unexpected ejection of gas had ensued.

"I see, it makes sense now. It is obvious why the Atreun Rhino assaulted you. The roots of this flower has a saccharine poison in it, which would trigger an outburst of a gaseous substance colloquially referred to as 'friendly fire gas.' The victim would then proceed to assail a random subject without warning or provocation. In short, you smell it, you will hurt anyone near you." Mika eased the suspicion, regarding the rampage which was caused by Lusina who had plucked the flower oblivious to the knowledge.

"Not to worry, It only affects beings with lower levels of intelligence. The Acletus rose is what it's called."

Though Lusina's face was covered in the dark shade from her hood, she smiled, "Thank you! You're so smart!"

"Nah, it's nothing. I read many books, that's all. My goal is to travel the world, so I studied everything about the world. I sure am envious, living my life within the limits of my travels. So far, this is my farthest travel yet, taking me deep into the woods."

Lusina inquired about Sougo's identity, postulating that he might be Mika's father.

To which Mika responded, "No, he's not my father. He's just a lost wanderer, unfamiliar with this locale. As such, it is my responsibility to ensure his well-being."

Whilst gathering clams, Mika was ruminating on Sougo's mysterious appearance on the shore. He had rescued Sougo from the brink of death by dragging him to a nearby cavern.

For nearly 54 hours, he tended to Sougo, but he grew increasingly exasperated with Sougo's unyielding nature. Despite suffering from severe injuries and still convalescing, Sougo was persistently active and refused to rest. Mika was certain that Sougo must have been experiencing excruciating discomfort, and yet he was pushing himself beyond his physical limitations.

"Umm, may I join your party guild?" Lusina approached Mika with a palpable sense of anxiety and requested to join her guild.

"Sorry?" Mika was taken aback by Lusina's sudden inquiry about the party guild.

Lusina nervously cleared her throat, "I'm not quite skilled in combat, but I have the knowledge of healing and plant magic. Just that... my expertness in using is... quite dissapointing. Would you kindly accept me to join, despite my limitations?"

"Lusina, like I've said, no need for such formalities, and I'm not in a party guild. But, how about we form a temporary guild instead?" Mika assured. "Until we reach a nearby city, let's make a real guild. Although, it might be pricey." Mika consented to establish a temporary guild with a cheeky grin.

Abruptly halting in his tracks, Mika noticed that Sougo had ceased his movements, and was fixated on a colossal stone structure ahead of them. The stone was adorned with inscriptions of a cryptic nature.

"Hmm, looks like someone was here before us," remarked Mika, as he proceeded past Sougo to investigate the stone. Upon closer inspection, Mika noticed a crudely etched note left on the surface of the stone.

"Let's see... based on the language... it's Jemuguarian."

"Unabī always hungry, eat, drink, and sleep. Must not disturb."

Mika was left perplexed by the enigmatic inscription on the stone which bore the name Unabī . After deciphering it, he attempted to make sense of its meaning.

"Hmm... could be a cautionary message, warning us about a disturbing creature that's always hungry, maybe it eats and drinks a lot while neglecting work and slumber?" Mika speculated. "But still, I got no clue what it is." His voice shaped with unfamiliarity, overlooking the historic event that had happened.

His inference was reinforced by the subtle implication of the phrase "must not disturb". Sensing potential danger, Mika suggested to his companion that they depart from the vicinity without delay to avoid any untoward consequences.

Both listened and turned in the opposite direction.

"Phew, now we need to... huh?"

HOOMMMM!

The blaring of a resounding trumpet captured the attention of the trio, who soon found themselves besieged by a congregation of individuals who had stealthily assembled atop the branches of the tree, thus causing their dispersion.

The group were attired in customary garb and embellished with bones. Furthermore, they shared a uniform dark complexion and appeared indistinguishable from one another, save for the white tattoos that adorned their countenances up to their feet.

"Oh no..." Mika's eyes wide in terror by the sight he was beholding. "IT'S THE TRIBESPEOPLE ! RUN!" With a thunderous bellow, Mika exhorted his compatriots Sougo and Lusina to take to their heels, for danger was nigh.

Unfortunately, their path was obstructed by a colossal savage, wielding a menacingly spiky axe, and intent on inflicting grievous harm upon them.

Without hesitation, Sougo gathered both Lusina and Mika into his arms, and with a prodigious leap, eluded the brutal strike of the axe. With astounding alacrity, Sougo sprinted with breakneck speed, leaving onlookers agape in amazement at his prodigious feat of leaping and fleeing.

"Watch out for traps!" Mika's keen eye beheld the treacherous traps that lay before them, mighty bear traps that threatened to ensnare their path.

Meanwhile, Sougo, with the grace of a panther, deftly evaded each perilous contraption without faltering in his stride.

Yet, even as he ran with the swiftness of the wind, an arrow pierced his right arm, causing him to reel in shock and inadvertently release his precious burden, Lusina.

"LUSINA!" Amid the chaos, Mika's vocal cords resonated with a vehement cry that echoed through the surrounding air. Sadly, Lusina, having been accidentally dropped, fell prey to the tribe's clutches, who, in their efforts to prevent her escape, aimed their arrows at her feet.

"HANDS OFF HER!" In a frenzied state, Mika brandished his bow and unleashed a deadly threat aimed at the tribesmen, determined to protect his comrade.

However, Sougo, with a level head and quick reflexes, intervened before Mika could incite further violence, and they were forced to abandon Lusina to her captors.

"Hey! She needs our help, we can't just leave her there!" Despite Mika's courageous attempts to rescue her, he was ultimately unsuccessful, and the tribesmen succeeded in seizing their prey.

In the midst of his recovery, Sougo was beset by a vicious assault, his arm pierced by a projectile, and his body wracked with fatigue from his arduous movements.

Emerging from the dense forest, they found themselves at the precipice of a sheer drop, with no escape in sight. With nowhere to run, Sougo lowered Mika to the ground and unsheathed his blade, girding himself for the impending battle.

Though surrounded by a multitude of tribesmen, their bows and weapons trained upon them, Sougo stood strong and undaunted, his unwavering courage and unshakable demeanor a testament to his indomitable spirit.

Despite the odds stacked against him and his injuries gnawing at his body, he remained resolute. But, in an unexpected turn of events, Mika pushed Sougo off the cliff and coated him with a cloak of magic, ensuring his safe fall.

Sougo's eyes bulged with incredulity as he beheld Mika's selfless act.

However, action faked his eyes...

Even though his face displayed a sense of fear, his bravery to save a person but himself what overwhelmed those fears.

Though but a young boy, his courage knew no bounds, regardless of even knowing each other.

Sougo fell into the river and had his body carried by the stream...