6 Teammate’s Danger

"Hn, hm~ ♪" behind me, I heard a Tilda whistling playfully. I was genuinely impressed that she's able to stay playful when it's our first time going on out quest together and we don't even know if 'we can leave our back to the other.'

But hell, we're so damn lucky. We're just on our way to the said spot where Manion Herbs gather the most but we've already found 3 Manion Herbs.

"I've found another one! Lucky~" While I was testing Shouta's skill, Tilda said excitedly once more.

'Holy crap, it's already the 4th one.' Of course, the Manion Herbs didn't escape from my [Clairvoyance] but rather than 'me finding Manion Herbs,' it was rather, 'Manion Herbs appearing nearby Tilda.'

By the way, the appearance Manion Herbs had was; that above the soil, stickman-shaped sprouts popped up and if you pull it, a purple onion will come out from the soil.

"By any chance, do you have a skill related to plant-gathering?" I asked Tilda curiously.

"Oh, if my question made you uncomfortable, you don't have to answer it," I added.

'I've never heard of a party where party members are unaware of their teammate skills, though.' I thought inwardly but decided to seal this inside me.

"Hmhm, it's not a plant-gathering skill. It's a skill from the skill tree called [Clown's Playtime] which I gained when I class-changed to [Jester] Class." Tilda sincerely explained while putting the herbs in her bag.

"At Skill Tree level one, [Clown's Playtime] gives me a skill called [Lucky Clown!] which passively increases my luck by 2. I am very lucky!" Tilda gave me a peace sign.

''Did I just misheard it?' to confirm my suspicion, I inquired Tilda about what she just said.

"If you change your class, will it automatically up 1 Skill Tree Slot?" I said to her.

"Yeah, isn't it common sense everybody knows?" Tilda tilted her head in confusion while answering.

'Well, I didn't know it because I skipped tutorial!" I opened my mouth wide and now did I truly regret skipping the tutorial.

I probably skipped an hour of life but waste years of knowledge.

I decided that someday to visit a place where I can learn more information in the future despite hating studying.

Changing the topics, I was currently sending a blow toward my newly-made party member, Shouta.

This man's unique skill, [Auto Run] was goddamn amazing, it was basically ultra instinct. I've been trying to hit Shouta all this time including when I was talking with Tilda but never once, have I hit him.

"Are we done already...?" seeing how my punches stopped there, Shouta asked me pitifully. It seems that he wanted to play more.

But, I was exhausted. There's nothing you can do about it.

Our journey toward the herbs spot was seemingly long but short. By the moment we arrived, we already had 7 Manion Herbs in our hands.

We only required 18 more herbs until the mission is completed, and we can collect more than the required number for better rewards.

.

.

.

It was about when we collected 25 Manion Herbs, instead of going back since it wasn't too dark yet, we decided to collect more Manion Herbs.

"Tilda, don't stray from us too far," I warned Tilda who I saw through my peripheral vision, trying to dive into the forest.

However, instead of heeding my warning, Tilda didn't respond but ran as if she was chasing something.

Seeing this, I finally diverted my attention and looked toward the forest Tilda entered.

I clicked my tongue. 'Tch, haven't you watched a horror movie? A people like you who act alone will die the first.'

Scared of the danger that may be in the forest, I said to Shouta, "Shouta, let's follow Tilda."

"Yeah, big brother!" Shouta answered before running toward where I was looking without hesitation.

Perhaps because my leg was struck by fear or purely because that Shouta's level was higher than mine, he was running faster than me.

Whilst still shaking in fear, unable to overcome it and being scared of suddenly losing my life unkowingly, I followed Shouta's back.

The good thing about [Clairvoyance] is it made me see well and clearly.

But that's also a bad thing because I could see everything so clearly.

The caterpillar above the leaf is, a butterfly captured by a spider. The corpse of a cicada is carried by the armies of ants. I was the type of person who would freeze over the sight of cockroaches.

Forest was not only a place where I had my near-death experience but a hell filled with bugs which I'm bad at.

I want to get out of here as soon as I can but I couldn't leave out my teammate alone.

"Ah, Rein-san! Look at what I've found!" somewhere not too far between me or Shouta, Tilda stopped and waved toward us

She succeeds in taking our attention but she attracted the attention of another being, 'it' entered my eyes.

The colossal being hiding in the shadow has exposed its sturdy scales and absurdly long body as it pounced toward Tilda.

"Til...Ta! Duc...Push her out!" My brain messed up trying to warn Tilda but also order Shouta to push Tilda off the attack motion.

The result was a mess. Although Shouta was able to dodge just dine, Tilda's shoulder was bitten by the colossal snake and in a short time her shoulder became pale.

'Fuck, fuck. Tilda is going to die.' I regretted panicking giving out a words that will only confuse my teammate.

*sssshhii*

The huge snake cried, showing its long tongue as it stared at Shouta, its prey. My entire attention focused on it, and I noticed one thing with the help of my [Clairvoyance].

"...Shouta, trust me in and ignore the snake and take Tilda with you!"

*shaaaa!*

As the snake roared, did Shouta's legs move. Just as it seemed that the snake would charge at Shouta, its trajectory changed strangely as it charged toward me.

I who had been seeing the snake 'secretly glance at my side for a brief moment to confirm my spatial coordination,' was prepared and dived into the side floor to dodge it.

Just behind me was a tree which I secretly moved into. As the snake was intently trying not to be noticed, he didn't confirm what was behind me and his face collided with tree.

Taking this chance while the snake is stunned, I ran toward the direction Shouta ran while carrying Tilda and found out where he was hiding.

"R-Rein-san, we're in a really bad situation...the Fang Snake's poison has flowed deep inside Tilda-san's body. Even if we successfully run away from Fang Snake, I doubt, the poison would have reached her heart before we can give her medicine at Beginner Village." Shouts said to me.

Just in case, I bought a few potions but it is of low-grade one and the potion was for physical injuries, not internal poison.

"Then, let's cure it now! Manion Herbs is a herb used by alchemists to make detoxification potions, right?" I said to Shouta, asking for his confirmation.

"Yes that's right but, the effect would be much less, and only by using all Manion Herbs, we collected can we cure Tilda-san," Shouta confirmed.

If it was as Shouta said, then it would mean that the time we spent until coming at this point would be a waste... but.

"There's plenty of time, we can search for more herbs anytime. However, Tilda's life is a single thing. It would be too much of a pity if I let a cute girl in our party dies here just because of the temporary greed and quick reward." I had no hesitation.

After saying what I wanted to say, I took the Manion Herbs and squashed them, making the Manion Herbs' liquid fall into Tilda's arm.

"Now I think of it, you were looking at Vina-san with similar eyes, weren't you," Shouta finally had the leisure to tease how obvious my intention is.

"I have no choice! I'm not particularly handsome nor do I have an ability to impress anyone, I'm not even smart as well. Without anything, what could I do to get loved by someone else, if not for my 'action?'" Whilst squashing the 13th Manion Herbs, I spoke to Shouta.

"I misunderstood you, Rein-san," Shouta said to me.

"Well, sorry for letting you down." I just silently squashed the 14th Manion Herbs. Just in case, I prepared my heart if Shouta said to leave the party.

"No, I like this Rein-san more. At first, I thought this party would be a cold party where a single mistake is not forgiven." Shouta paused for a moment to think about his next sentence.

"But, to think that I have an incompetent, selfish, attention-seeking... Yet, a comrade-loving, caring, and strangely dependable leader." Shouta said.

I was speechless.. I thought this is the first time I've seen him genuinely smile.

Out of embarrassment, I murmured while blushing, "dependable? That's the biggest joke I've heard today."

However, Shouta couldn't hear it, and instead, he panicked as the poison wasn't disappearing as he thought. "Rein-san, that's it! We need to insert the Manion Herbs from her mouth!"

"That way, the Manion Herbs' liquid can detoxify the poison without pushing it toward her heart! So Rein-san! Please hurry up! How you say? Of course by mouth-to-mouth!" Shouta said seriously.

Seeing how grave his expression was, I wasn't able to joke around. I was hesitating but his intense gaze was pushing me to do it.

'Kiss a girl, can I do something like that? Not to mention, Tilda is damn cute.' I knew that the time was running out and a snake was searching for us but I still couldn't help but hesitate.