We continued advancing, and Jina's sharp instincts proved correct—we finally caught sight of the enormous lake. In a tense whisper, she ordered silence, reinforcing that our goal was to avoid detection at all costs. The lake stretched majestously before us, a vast mirror of crystal-clear water reflecting the sky, dotted with sparse trees and shrubs that only accentuated its grandeur. Streams meandered gracefully, their currents leading to a colossal waterfall. 'This place is absolutely breathtaking,' I thought, absorbing every detail with a thick sense of awe and danger.
—"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Jina murmured, her voice thick with tension.
I nodded in agreement. —"It really is."
—"Unfortunately, we can't stay here long. Follow me," Jina commanded, setting off with determination.
We skirted the lake cautiously, aware that the number of slimes multiplied in this exposed terrain, making every movement a risk. With each step, the sound of our footsteps mingled with held breaths. Luckily, we didn't cross paths with any orange slimes.
—"We need to reach that passage near the waterfall. There's a trail that leads down from there. That's our way back to town," Jina informed me, pointing firmly.
—"Right, we're almost there. The only obstacle now is crossing one of the streams to reach the passage," I replied, trying to stay calm despite the mounting tension.
As we reached the small stream, we began crossing with light, careful steps. So far, the journey had been uneventful, but the ominous feeling that the day would be marked by inevitable disasters hung in the air. We had barely advanced when, ahead of us, they appeared—four orange slimes surrounded by seven brown ones.
My eyes met Jina's, filled with undeniable, silent fear, as my breath caught in my throat. In a sudden motion, Jina pointed toward the path, and without time to deliberate, I followed her lead. But treacherous luck was against us. On my first step, I slipped, snapping a dry branch that shattered with a deceptive, unexpected sound. The noise echoed through the woods, and the orange slime, as if sensing the inevitable, swiveled its gelatinous mass toward us with a guttural screech—
"GRRR…"
In an instant, all the slimes were alerted. Like an uncontrolled wave, they began converging toward the orange slime in a menacing assembly. I had no time to process the unfolding chaos before Jina shoved me hard by the arm, and we began sprinting desperately toward the waterfall.
"GRAWW…"
A new screech reverberated, different from before—laced with fury and foreboding—as the slimes now turned directly against us. We were dangerously close to the cascade, and Jina, her voice firm, ordered:
—"We're jumping!"
—"WHAT?!" I screamed, desperation tearing through my voice.
—"Don't worry, the river below is deep," she shot back, her determination eclipsing any hesitation.
My heart raced—not just from the fear of the fall, but from the terror that this leap from dizzying heights might seal our fate. 'We're going to die,' I thought silently, resigned to the cruel destiny approaching.
Noticing my hesitation, Jina fixed me with an intense gaze and, with near-desperate firmness, grabbed my hand. 'She's scared too... But what the hell am I doing?' My thoughts blurred with adrenaline. Determined not to succumb, I decided to ignore my vertigo and face the fall as a better alternative than being surrounded by slimes. Without further delay, I jumped alongside Jina, hurling ourselves downhill toward the river—and possible oblivion—with death lurking at every moment.
SPLASH! SPLASH!
We hit the river, and as soon as I surfaced, I immediately searched for Jina. She emerged beside me moments later. I noticed the slimes hadn't jumped after us.
Looking around, I realized the sound of our fall had drawn considerable attention. We began wading out of the water, and Jina pointed toward the waterfall.
—"Ishida, behind that waterfall is a cave where we can take shelter. The sun's already setting, and I don't think we'll make it back to town today. It'll take too long, and by then, it'll be dark," Jina said, her tone serious. —"We'll be safe behind the waterfall—neither wolves nor slimes will detect us there. They also avoid entering the water."
We entered the cave and began examining it. It wasn't very large or deep, and there were no signs of animals inside.
—"Seems safe enough," I remarked to Jina.
—"Indeed... looks like no monsters use this place as a hideout. But we can't stay here without a fire. We're soaked, and once night falls, we'll freeze," Jina gave me a mischievous smile. "Good thing we've got a strong man with us, right? Hehehe. Ishida, you're gathering firewood while I look for something to eat."
I nodded in agreement. —"Be careful, Jina. See you soon."
—"You too, Ishida. See you soon."
With that, we set off on our tasks.
I began gathering branches along the way, piling them up while lost in thought. 'Everything that went wrong today was my fault... That's why we're in this mess. I need to train harder—I can't rely on Jina forever,' I thought, frustrated with myself. 'Damn it...'
My frustration was abruptly cut short when a wolf's howl echoed in the distance, reverberating through the forest. A shiver ran down my spine, and I quickly retreated to the safety of the cave. Inside the dark, damp space, I found Jina already there, kneeling beside a small pile of fruits, glistening fish, and earthy-looking mushrooms she had gathered for our meal.
—"It's not much, but it's what we've got for today, hehe," Jina said with a slightly embarrassed laugh, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. —"Besides, you were supposed to come back earlier. Waiting until the wolves howled was risky," she added, giving me a mildly reproachful look.
—"Sorry, hehe. Well... shall we light the fire?" I said, already feeling the night's cold air creeping into the cave's entrance, bringing a chilling shiver with it.
With the crackling fire casting light and warmth, Jina began cooking the mushrooms and fish she had collected. Smoke spiraled toward the rocky ceiling as the rich aroma spread around us. Once our modest feast was ready, Jina took a handful of vibrant red flower petals and tossed them into the flames.
—"Ohh, that smells nice," I commented, inhaling deeply the floral scent mixing with our dinner's aroma.
—"Right? But I threw the flowers in to mask the smell of our meal. Wolves have an excellent sense of smell," Jina explained, a sly smile lighting up her face. —"Shall we eat?"