I looked down to confirm what I found, and sure enough, it was the Black Selenium Mushroom. The characteristics were precisely the same as those described by Shella before. This mushroom has dark black color and was shaped like a pouch. From what I remember, the sap of this mushroom was very dangerous when it came into contact with the skin. I better be careful not to hurt myself.
I was silent for a moment, thinking about how to pick this thing without touching it. Too bad I didn't have leather gloves to protect my palms.
In the darkness, my eyes were caught by the faint glint of the dagger hanging from my waist. That's right! I completely forgot I had this thing.
I immediately pulled the dagger from the belt and tried to cut the mushroom's stem. Doing this in the dark without light aid would be difficult for humans. Luckily I had Haier-Elvian's ability.
I have been grateful hundreds of times for being blessed with this ability! Although I also swore the same amount because of the drastic change in my body. At least there was still a good thing behind my misfortune.
After gently slicing the mushroom stem, the pitch-black mushroom bag fell to the ground upside down. I saw a thick black sap spill dripping onto the ground. The soil surface immediately blackened and hissed as soon as it came into contact with the mushroom sap. My nape hair stood up as soon as I imagined the fluid touching my skin.
Holy shit! Why did plants like that exist in this world? And how could such a dangerous thing be an ingredient for herbal medicine?
I immediately shook my head. Trying to get rid of everything I didn't understand. Thinking about unimportant things would only waste time. My priority right now was to bring back this poisonous black mushroom to Shella so it could be used as medicine for Dimas. Hopefully, this plant could help.
After making sure the sap dripped all over the ground, I poked the mushroom pouch and collected them on a rock near where I was standing. In precisely the same way, I managed to get three pouches of Black Selenium Mushroom.
Before putting it in a leather bag, I wrapped it in a broadleaf that I picked nearby. I didn't want to just put this poisonous mushroom in my bag. Because the sap could still drip and seep on the bag, then accidentally touch my skin.
After making sure the mushrooms were neatly wrapped and put in the bag, I hurriedly left the place. My goal right now was to climb the mountain and return to the camp where Shella and Dimas were.
I forced my legs to keep going and climbing, even though the energy was drained after fighting the Tardigrada monster. All of my joints felt like they were going to come off. My breath felt heavy, and my back drooped. The current fatigue level far exceeds when I was on the run in Ruvia City a while ago.
I'd like to stop and rest for a while to unwind, but it was just wasting my time. Currently, Dimas's condition was racing against time. If it was too late, the man's condition might get worse. So as much as possible, I kept walking even though my body had lost its strength.
Dimas was my best friend and the closest person I have. I didn't want to see him in pain like that. If something terrible happened to him, I couldn't imagine it.
While ignoring any bad thoughts, I continued to climb the steeper slope of the mountain. Indeed, this was not the path I took this afternoon. But since it was still on the same side of the mountain, I would definitely find the camp if I kept going up the hill.
I dragged my feet non-stop until I didn't realize how much time had passed. Maybe an hour or two. The surrounding scenery becomes a row of towering pine trees through the thick fog and low-hanging clouds. There must be the tent somewhere near here where Dimas and Shella are.
I hastily jogged as I looked left and right, trying to find the silhouette of a simple tarpaulin-roofed tent erected under a large tree trunk. The thick fog reduced my visibility. My eyes could indeed penetrate the dark night, but not with this.
The longer the fog thickened, I could only see five meters ahead. Surrounded by the mist that had begun to envelop me, I lost my way. I looked everywhere but found nothing.
"Kak Shella! Dimas!" I screamed shrilly in the silence.
The condition of my body which was very tired had decreased because the temperature here was dropping so fast. The temperature was colder now than when it rained before. The thin jacket covering my body was unable to withstand this extreme cold.
Wherever my eyes looked, there was only white mist. My footsteps were getting heavier, and my breath was panting. I repeatedly shouted the names of Dimas and Shella, hoping they could hear me and yell back at me. Maybe because of that, the energy I had was depleted to the point where I could no longer maintain concentration.
Suddenly my foot hit something, either a tree root or a rock when I was running. The next second I immediately fell to the ground. I tried to force myself to wake up, but I couldn't. My body had reached its limit, where I could no longer move my limbs. It was as if there were dozens of ropes holding me on the ground.
I couldn't even control my own fingers. All I could do was stare at the thick fog that enveloped me.
Is this the end?
If so, this was absolutely ridiculous. The journey I started with great ambition and determination had to end right after I started it.
It seemed I talked too much. Maybe I'll learn to keep my mouth shut a bit if given another chance.
If only ... I...
***
The white world was a world that had nothing in it but white. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing you could see but emptiness.
I didn't know what I'd done to end up in this place. Looking back, I failed in the middle of the journey to change my destiny. Perhaps this was the proper punishment for someone who boasted so much and did nothing like me.
However, I feel that it was unfair. Who wanted to fail? Everyone wanted to be successful. Whether it was in their career, business, romance, or life. No one aspired to fail, and neither did I. I wanted a redo. Please let me fix it one more time!
I want to go back.
I have to get out of this place. I've been in this white world long enough to almost go crazy.
Along with a strong desire welled up in my heart, a yellow light appeared in front of my eyes. The appearance of this color tarnished the sanctity of the white world. Gradually the light grew stronger and glowed so brightly that I had to close my eyes.
The next time I opened my eyes, I could see the tip of the pine tree against the clear blue sky. The density of tree rows and the leaves were sparse, blocking my eyes from the direct rays of the warm sun. I blinked for a moment, then glanced sideways.
Next to where I lay, a young man sat looking up at the morning sun. The man didn't budge as if enjoying the time the sun rose slowly. It didn't take me long to recognize the young man.
"Dimas?" I said slowly.
I, who had regained strength, tried to get up slowly. My eyes could see clearly, so I couldn't be wrong, especially from this close. How insolent I was if I couldn't recognize my own best friend.
"Already up?" replied the young man while glancing at me.
"Are you okay?" I was so surprised to see him doing well that I ignored his question.
"You can see with your own eyes."
"Are you dead too?"
"Stupid! Where does it come from? Look to your left!" said Dimas, pointing behind my body.
My eyes followed the direction of his index finger. There I found the figure of Shella, who was cooking something over the coals. The girl with long hair greeted me with a warm smile no less than the morning sun.
"Are you feeling better now?" the girl asked. Then her gaze returned to the clay pot on the coals. Shella added salt and basil leaves before mixing them well.
"Yes, I am," I answered slowly. Still confused about what happened. Though I was pretty sure I passed out before reaching the camp.
"I guess you want to ask what happened last night, right?"
As if she could read what was going through my head, the girl asked the question I was about to ask. I nodded slowly in response.
"While waiting for your return last night, I suddenly heard your voice calling my name. At first, I thought I was hallucinating, but your voice became evident after a while. As soon as I tried to get closer to the sound source that suddenly stopped, I found you lying on the ground. Then I brought you back to camp."
"Serious?" I said in disbelief.
The girl smiled mischievously and chuckled. "Don't underestimate me, you know! If it's just Anggi, I can still carry you. After that, I made herbal medicine for Dimas from the ingredients in your bag."
"Oh, thanks, God!"
After hearing Shella's explanation, I breathed a sigh of relief. Really, this was a relief. Previously, I thought I would fail to reach the camp. Then, Dimas, who didn't get the medicine, would worsen. I turned to my right and found Dimas sipping a glass of warm water.
The young man felt my gaze and reciprocated. Our eyes met, and we stared at each other for a few seconds before I finally opened the talk.
"I'm glad to see you're okay," I said with relief.
"Yes, thanks to the herbs you brought. Thank you."
"How does the medicine taste? Is it nice?"
Dimas immediately showed a disgusted expression and looked away. "Terrifying. I hope I never drink it again, ever."
I immediately laughed at that. Usually, Dimas pretended to be a strong person. If he even said that, the medicine taste was horrible. I could imagine it. A poisonous mushroom whose sap could burn the skin, no one would want to put it in their mouth. Somehow Shella processed it to become consumable. What was clear, the taste did not turn out to be good.
After that, we spent time having breakfast with Shella's mushroom soup. Both Dimas and Shella asked what I had gone through that made me faint like last night. I just answered honestly.
Both of them looked in awe of what I had been through. Even I couldn't believe that I could escape the Tardigrada monster chase. It felt like what happened last night wasn't real. If it was one month ago, I didn't think I'd be able to go through it all. Fight against monsters and go to faraway places. This was probably my most significant achievement so far.
Putting that aside, I was grateful that I could still survive until now. But I couldn't be complacent. This was still the beginning of the journey, which may not have reached 1% of the total. There were still many unexpected challenges and adventures that I would face. It might be much bigger and more dangerous than this.
But I didn't think it was an exaggeration to believe that getting to this point was a success. I could use this to boost my confidence to face tomorrow.
After breakfast was over, the three of us cleaned up the camp so we could leave immediately and continue our journey. Since Dimas had just recovered, we weren't in a hurry as yesterday. Pursuing the target was necessary, but adjusting the conditions was more important. It was useless if we forced ourselves, it might even happen that unexpected things come.
The three of us climbed the top of the mountain, which was not too far away. I could see the peak. Luckily this morning, the rain and fog didn't get in the way, so this small team could move without any obstacles.
We walked in line like schoolchildren. Dimas was at the forefront. He was tasked with choosing the path with the map in his hand. Then Shella was in the middle, carrying her bag, which contained ingredients and tools for concocting herbal medicines. Then I walked behind, trying to ensure there weren't any threats following us.
"Hey, Kak Shella!" I said slowly to the front.
The girl looked back and raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"Thank you!" I said with a smile.
"For what?" Shella asked as she slowed her steps, then walked beside me.
"Carrying me back to camp."
"Isn't that what it should be?"
I shook my head. "If it weren't for you, I might have frozen to death in that place. Dimas might not survive if you didn't concoct the medicine for him. You said that you were only a burden to Dimas and me. In fact, yesterday you saved both of us. If only Kak Shella had not been there yesterday, we would have died. So, thank you!"
Hearing my praise, the girl immediately smiled. She showed an ear-to-ear smile that couldn't be helped. Then nodded happily and then raised her right palm at me.
"I really can't fight. But if it's for anything else, leave it to me."
My eyes glanced at her face and palm alternately. Then reacted it with my left hand slowly. "We are a team."
After that, Shella and I laughed together. This caused a commotion that attracted Dimas' attention, who had been busy looking at his map.
"How could you guys do a high five without me. Am I here just an extra?" Dimas grumbled, who stopped his steps.
"Why did you just realize?" I replied mockingly.
Dimas put on a surprised face for a moment. "Fine, if that's what you say. Sorry, I'm just an extra in a bit of a rush. So you main characters, please find your own way."
The tall young man immediately quickened his pace, leaving Shella and me. Paying no heed to the two behind him, he quickly made his way uphill, no matter how steep the terrain. Shella and I looked at each other, then laughed aloud at Dimas' behavior like a child.
The excitement continued throughout the journey until we had unknowingly reached the top of this mountain.
Dimas helped me up onto the rocks, which were quite high. I pulled my hand firmly to get to the top. Finally, we arrived at the peak of the Northern Latitude Mountains.
My eyes were amazed to see what was in front of me. Clear skies without clouds and fog helped me enjoy this view. Now I could see the western horizon from a height. It looked much prettier than what I was used to seeing on the outskirts of Glafelden. As far as the eye could see, the expanse of green forest stretched out like a carpet spread over the field, like a painting on canvas painted with high art.
The super-low temperature up here couldn't stop me from enjoying the beauty of the natural panorama. I was in amazement, so I ignored everything else as if I didn't want to be bothered for a while.
"Hey, look over there!" exclaimed Dimas. His index finger pointed at a red-roofed tower sticking out of the thick trees.
I immediately glanced in the direction he was pointing. That's right, somewhere there was a red tower standing in the middle of the forest. Suddenly I sharpened my sense of sight towards it. At the same time, I noticed that several towers were standing nearby. Not only that, other buildings were behind the leaves.
Ordinary humans wouldn't be able to see as clearly as I was witnessing right now. Besides buildings, I could also see people passing by on tree trunks and branches. The forest behind this mountain range was unlike the one in Ruvia City, which grew to hundreds of meters. The forest consists of short trees with super-thick trunks and many branches. The forest here was like thousands of giant bonsai trees planted close together, if I had to explain.
The people there built buildings on the trunks and branches of giant trees, much like in Ruvia City. I don't know why I couldn't hold back my smile.
"What do you see over there?" asked Shella.
"That is Arnest City, our first destination!"