bookpub Chapter 219 VOL 3 57: I have a bad feeling.
Chapter 219 VOL 3 57: I have a bad feeling.
Upon hearing Erik, everyone turned to look at him with serious expressions, though a subtle glimmer was visible in their eyes. Erik was right—the real challenge was only just beginning.Although it was a relief to have potions and equipment, the reason they desperately needed them was because of the situation they were in. There were 'hunters' out to kill them and members of other factions who wouldn't hesitate to do the same if given the chance.
"I just remembered that there's something in the cave that kind of looks like an exit. Once we have our gear ready, we need to check that out carefully." Remembering the strange room, Erik commented, to which everyone else nodded seriously.
...
After a quick discussion about their different roles, Zoe, Frank, and Elara got to work preparing rations. Meanwhile, Erik started brewing a new batch of mana recovery potions to use up all the ingredients. By the time night fell, Erik discovered the 'temple entrance,' and everyone began passing around the rations and different ingredients.
In the following days, Erik focused completely on potion-making, creating healing potions, antidotes, concealment potions, and more—making the most of every ingredient they had access to on the island. Afterwards, he began crafting simple leather armor from the hides of the animals they hunted, as well as some metal tools, like a couple of machetes, though he had refrained from engraving runes on them.
Meanwhile, Elara, Frank, and Zoe concentrated on gathering as many resources from the island as possible, stripping everything like locusts. Since everything would be lost once the basilisk awoke, it was best to take everything they could while they still had the chance. Moreover, magical ingredients took at least decades to grow, so they couldn't expect more to appear anytime soon.
But as more data about the basilisk accumulated, Erik began to notice something concerning—not only were changes appearing in the basilisk, but they were accelerating. This caused his expression to grow more serious with each update, something that Ebonique, who was always attentive to her beloved contractor, easily noticed.
…
"Is it that bad...?"
In the middle of the night, Ebonique asked while coiled around Erik's neck, who was sitting in front of a campfire, making calculations in an improvised notebook. After a heavy sigh, Erik set the notebook aside and spoke in a weary voice.
"Yes. If the basilisk keeps evolving at this pace, it will probably awaken in less than a month."
"… I see…" Ebonique replied quietly, then gazed off into the distance, toward the waterfall. A few moments later, the dragoness looked at Erik and spoke in a serious tone.
"But that's not all. There's something else worrying you."
"Am I that obvious?"
Erik asked with a slightly bitter smile. Ebonique replied in a calm voice as she glanced toward the 'houses' made of compacted earth, where the others were sleeping. Right now, it was Erik's turn for night watch.
"Maybe not to the others, but you are to me." Ebonique shifted so she was looking directly into Erik's eyes, then asked in a calm but serious voice.
"What's really going on? I want you to trust me and tell me. I'm not one of those kids—I'm your partner and your strongest support. You can count on me for anything."
Hearing the seriousness in Ebonique's voice, Erik looked into her eyes for a moment, then gazed up at the starry sky with a thoughtful expression. After a few seconds, Erik let out a deep sigh and began to speak in a reflective tone.
"… The truth is, I don't know what's happening. Maybe it's just anxiety, but I have a bad feeling, and it frustrates me that I can't pinpoint what it is. Also, lately the Myst has been acting very strange, giving me too many 'suggestions' to modify the bio-mystic technique, and it's getting worse every day. Something in the environment is changing, and I feel like it's not good for us…"
Upon hearing Erik, Ebonique turned to look at the dark forest and quietly began to materialize a part of her true form. For his part, Erik let out another sigh and stood up from the log where he'd been sitting, then walked over to a nearby stone table, where he spread out a large sheet of paper.
On the sheet, three different rune arrangements for artifacts were drawn, which Erik began reviewing once again with a serious expression, making slight adjustments. Meanwhile, Ebonique continued to materialize a part of her body as stealthily as possible. After almost an hour, the dragoness's eyes shone with a deep purple light, and at that moment, the entire ruin appeared before her eyes.
But in that instant, the dragoness quickly dematerialized her true body and hid in Erik's hair with a dark expression. In the split second she was able to see the whole ruin, Ebonique noticed an important change—the aura of that bastard collector was growing denser and was starting to cover everything, as if it was swallowing it all up.
There was something strange about the aura, though, as it was spreading very slowly, but that didn't lessen the danger it represented. If things kept going like this, it would only be a matter of time before she wouldn't be able to materialize her true form without being noticed, which would be a real disaster. As Ebonique sank into deep thought about her next steps, Erik asked in a confused voice.
"Did something happen, Ebonique? Why did you hide like that?"
"…The aura of the spirit I told you about is getting denser, which limits my actions…"
After hesitating for a few seconds, Ebonique replied in a serious voice. Erik's eyes widened in surprise, and he focused completely on the Myst, extending his perception to the limit. But once again, he didn't sense anything strange, apart from a slight 'heaviness' in the Myst.
"Is that 'aura' something only spirits can feel…?" After a few seconds, Erik asked with concern, glancing at Hiyori, who was lying in front of Zoe and Elara's 'house.'
"… Not all of them, only those with high perception." Ebonique lied, her expression complex. Erik brought a hand to his chin, then asked seriously.
"Will the other spirits besides you be affected too?"
"Yes, they won't be able to be summoned if they return to the spirit dimension." Ebonique answered in a serious tone. Erik's expression couldn't help but grow even darker as he listened to the dragoness.
Spirits, although practically immortal, could still have their incarnations—born from a summoning through a contract—damaged, and if they took too much damage, they would disappear and have to be summoned again. Therefore, Erik was now facing the possibility of losing nearly a third of his power if Ebonique took too much damage.
"So that's the change…" Erik said in a heavy voice, then looked over at the white fox spirit and called out in a calmer tone.
full of wood, minerals, and even black soil, plants, and young trees dug up with their roots. That last part was something Erik had specifically requested, since he had an idea in mind.
Using arms made of solidified Myst, Erik quickly began to harden everything. Meanwhile, Zoe started cutting wooden planks, and Frank and Elara began nailing them together with copper nails to create large boxes for storing everything Erik sorted. Soon, Erik finished sorting, and Frank began nailing the lids shut while Zoe and Elara packed the remaining items into the other boxes.
But at that moment, the wolves began to howl, which alarmed Erik, who immediately stood up and started looking around. After a few seconds, the ground began to shake, putting an incredibly grave expression on Erik's face. In an urgent and solemn voice, the star-haired boy quickly ordered.
"To the 'temple,' now! Take whatever you can!!"
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