Luck

"Is that a tail?" Rune wondered aloud as he noticed the small blue tail wrapped around Miko's waist, covered in blue scales. Taken aback, Miko quickly grabbed her clothes and used them to shield herself. "Oh, sorry," Rune quickly apologized, moving away and taking a seat behind a tree. However, the image of the blue tail lingered in his mind, and after some reflection, Rune realized that it was not so unusual for Miko to possess such a trait after surviving complete infection.

Individuals who managed to resist the infection to a certain extent were known to become half corrupted, taking on the appearance of the monster they were turning into. Rune pondered on the fact that he had traveled throughout the entire city, searching for a means to survive. Through countless walks, he was prepared to find the glimmer of light in the darkness. But for a child like her to have reached stage four of the infection, she was practically condemned to death, given the tremendous distance she would have had to cover in order to find that light in the place of darkness

Lost in thought, Rune concluded that for Miko to have endured full corruption, she must have had someone by her side, urging her to persist through the darkness.

After a while, Miko came over to where Rune was still sitting under the tree. "I'm done bathing now," she said. However, Rune hadn't moved, and as she stood in front of him, she realized he was fast asleep. Miko wondered how he managed to fall asleep like this and sat down beside him, contemplating how he would treat her after finding out about her tail, something that only corrupt people possessed. She thought about leaving with her bag of supplies, which brought tears to her eyes, but she decided to stay by Rune's side while he slept. After a long time of sitting next to Rune, Miko herself started to feel sleepy, and her eyes slowly closed as she drifted off to sleep.

Later on, Rune opened his eyes and saw Miko sleeping beside him. "Damn, we were both asleep. A monster could have easily killed us," Rune exclaimed as he quickly stood up and surveyed their surroundings, searching for any signs of danger. He let out a sigh of relief when he realized that nothing had changed and that there were no monsters nearby.

After thoroughly searching, Rune finally made his way down to the serene pond, ready to cleanse himself from the foul odor that clung to his body. With the rag he had found among the supplies, he ensured he was completely free from the stench. Stepping out of the water, he dried himself with the rag before getting dressed. "Are you finished?" Miko asked, now awake. "Oh, you're awake. Yes, I'm done," Rune replied as Miko slowly emerged from behind the tree, her expression filled with fear. Observing her face, Rune was presented with two options: to ignore the fact that he had caught sight of her tail, or to reassure her that he understood and accepted it.

Intrigued by the concept of having a tail, Rune chose the second option and posed the question, "So, what does it feel like to have a tail?" Miko remained silent, seemingly searching for the right words to describe the sensation. After a moment of contemplation, she replied, "Well, I suppose it's like having a third arm." Rune, intrigued by her response, commented, "A third arm? That sounds interesting ." Noticing that Miko was still frightened, he added, "But it must be pretty cool, right?" Miko's face lit up, revealing a smile as she exclaimed, "Yes, it is!" Curious to know more, Rune inquired, "So, do you always keep it wrapped around your body?" Miko responded, "Yes, it feels like wearing a belt."

Hearing that, Rune decided to conclude the conversation and headed towards his supply bag, realizing that they needed to find a way out of the forest before nightfall. They embarked on a journey through the vast forest, with towering trees and lush grass and colorful flowers carpeting the ground. As they walked, Miko suddenly pointed at a flying insect and exclaimed, "Look at that! What is it?" Rune smiled and answered, "That's what they call a dragonfly." Miko marveled, "How can it fly so fast?"

As they continued their walk, they encountered numerous captivating insects, each one drawing Miko's attention and leaving her in awe. Rune too was amazed, as he had only seen these insects in books, making this experience entirely new for him.

Slowly as Rune and Miko made their way through the forest, Rune couldn't help but ponder about the lack of monster encounters they had experienced thus far. It seemed odd, considering the tales he had heard about the outside world. However, he quickly dismissed the thought, not wanting to tempt fate and jinx their luck. Instead, he focused on moving forward, grateful for the fortunate circumstances they found themselves in.

After a few more minutes of walking, he glanced ahead and noticed a second pond. Miko turned her gaze towards him and remarked, "I guess we're very lucky ." "Seems so," Rune replied as they slowly made their way towards the pond. "Why are we heading towards the pond?" Miko asked. "We need to go around it," Rune explained, as they began to circumvent the larger, distinct pond. Tall yellow grass lined its edges, reflecting the clear sky, while a pathway separated the trees from the water. Side by side, Rune and Miko followed the trail, but after a while, Rune felt an unusual sensation, a hint of fear creeping in. He quickly spun around, scanning his surroundings, but everything appeared to be fine. "Is something wrong?" Miko inquired, observing Rune's behavior. After glancing around a few more times, Rune responded, "No, no, everything is fine. Let's just keep moving forward."

"Alright, something doesn't feel right. It's as if we're being watched by someone or something," Rune finally admitted, casting another wary glance around. However, there was nothing notable to be seen. "Maybe it's all in my head," Rune pondered aloud. Miko also glanced around, then suggested, "Well, let's just walk faster and leave this forest."

"Let's move behind the trees," Rune said with a nagging feeling that something was wrong . "Alright," Miko agreed, and together they veered off the trail, weaving through the trees that bordered the path circling the pond. As soon as they stepped away from the path, a faint sound emanated from the expansive pond. "Stay still, Miko," Rune whispered, before cautiously peering out from behind a tree to observe the pond. His gaze fell upon a pair of antlers emerging from the water's surface. "Is that a deer?" Rune questioned, his heart racing and fear beginning to take hold. Suddenly, two hands appeared, cradling the antlers, causing Rune's apprehension to intensify. Along with the emergence of the hands, the sound of water moving became more pronounced, as if something was approaching the trail from the pond.