After resting our tired bodies, Gia and I continued our journey. Well, we were actually heading back to the camp as soon as possible, though. We also hunted some monsters on the way back, starting from Behemoths, Imps, and even some Drakes.
I leveled up a bunch, of course. Oh, I also got a notification from Dea that some of my skills leveled up as well. I felt I'd gotten much stronger than before, but I'd save looking at my status for next time.
After that, we walked for almost half a day before we entered a familiar vicinity. In the distance, the camp was seen. A smoke was coming out from there.
"No… No… No!"
Gia ran in a hurry, leaving me who was pulling a cart full of monsters' meat and materials we hunted earlier.
"Huff… Puff… W-Wait…!"
I moved my legs frantically. Suddenly, a smell of burnt meat entered my nose. I got a really bad premonition. I forced my body to run faster. The heaviness of the cart I was pulling along with its contents didn't hinder me. Then, I saw Gia, who was running before, fall on her knees and start laughing and crying at the same time.
"Hahaha… This isn't a lie, is it?"
Inside the camp, a group of people with small stature were dancing happily, encircling a big bonfire. Some of them were grilling big chunks of meat in that. One of them turned her head and spotted us.
"Huh? Guys, Gia and Farenna made it back!"
"For real!?"
"They came home at the right moment!"
"Look! Farenna brought us a lot of meat!
"Come on! Get in! We're having a feast!"
A lot of them ran towards our direction while laughing cheerfully. Some of them even carried their babies along. That was definitely not a scene of a small camp that had been invaded.
"Haaaah…", I sighed and crouched down.
All my bad thoughts didn't come true, and it made me feel so relieved. I thought I lost the place I could call a home, again.
"Damn… I worried for nothing."
I tried looking at my surroundings. And there, Gia was still sitting on her knees, while sobbing.
"Hey, what happened? Why are you crying?"
A familiar figure approached and tapped Gia's shoulder with her muscular hand. Yep, it was Sue, the muscle-brained tomboy.
"Don't tell me Farenna made you cry again!?"
Sue turned her gaze towards me. Her eyes were full of hostility and she made me fall on my butt.
"No… Enna didn't do anything… Sniff…", Gia grabbed Sue's hand. "I'm just happy to see you guys are okay… Uuuuh…."
Gia started crying profusely. Almost all of the people there became so confused, except for me. Their impression of Gia probably was the reason why they became like that.
"Gia…", I whispered as I approached her slowly.
Gia was known as a cheerful yet responsible girl who had become the Ace of the tribe. She was also known for her stern and hardworking personality. Even Sue told me the last time she saw Gia crying was when they lost Shea.
"Gia, let's come in first…", I hugged her from behind while wiping her tears. "Let's inform Lilith about what we found."
"You two…", Sue suddenly opened her mouth in a trembling voice. "Since when were you two in that kind of relationship!?"
"Sue…", I turned my gaze towards Sue. "Please, it's not the time for that."
"Huh?", Sue's facial expression changed into a confused one.
"Can you please pull the cart inside the camp and distribute the meat? I'll take Gia to Lilith's place.", I begged Sue in a soft voice. "Please."
Seeing my serious face and the strangeness of the situation, Sue's face was full of bewilderment. Without waiting for her response, I stood up and tried to help Gia up and started walking towards the direction of the tent where Lilith should be at.
"For real though, what happened?"
I could still hear Sue's words from behind, along with the voices from other people there, but I decided to ignore them for the time being.
***
"Lilith! Are you here!?", I shouted loudly by the time I opened the tent's curtain.
"Yes, I'm here!", Lilith shouted back at me. "You don't even need to shout, you know? I can hear you clearly."
The room was oddly so dark. A shadow of a tall woman was coming closer. I always called her tall since she was around 170cm in height, while I and other Nymphs were around 130ish. Could you imagine that?
"Huh, Gia!? What happened!?"
Lilith panicked after seeing Gia's state. Gia's face was full of tears, snot, and sweat, mixed together into the face of a girl in despair and agony. Her sobbing became clearer since there were no other sounds aside from Lilith's frantic footsteps.
"Let us inside. I'll tell you after that."
Lilith only nodded her head while turning her body back as she dragged a layer of her leather bed and placed it in the middle of the room. I proceeded there and put Gia's weak body on it, she was still sobbing so hard.
Not long after, Gia calmed down. No, she passed out. It should be due to the emotional damage she was feeling.
"I've never seen Gia like this…", Lilith looked down at Gia and crouched. "Even when she lost Shea, it wasn't this bad…"
Lilith tore a piece of her cloth and wiped Gia's face with it. She then turned her gaze at me and asked.
"Farenna, what actually happened? What caused her mental to be in shambles like this?"
A faint sign of anxiety and worry showed up on her face. Seeing her face being like that made it harder for me to tell her the whole story.
"Can I just… straight up to the point?", I bargained.
"Why? Is it that hard to tell?", Lilith reached for my hands and smiled bitterly. "Please, tell me everything."
After pondering for a little while, I started telling her the whole story. Starting from how we dived until we reached the 23rd floor, how we found humans' footprints there, until the conclusion of Dea and my discussion.
Her expression changed every time I told her the different part of our journey, and the worst one was when I revealed Dea's speculation. She placed her fingers on her temples and started rubbing them.
"The Norse, huh?", she gritted her teeth. "If only I was at my prime…"
"At your prime? What do you mean by that?"
Lilith didn't answer immediately. Instead, she was staring at me with teary eyes.
"Why don't you appraise me? I've given you the permission to do so…"
It was really suspicious. Why would she ask me to appraise her when she could tell me directly using her mouth?
"You're so easy to read, Farenna…"
Huh?
"You should… No, you must appraise me…", she tightened her grip on my hands. "You'll understand once you do it…"
I was still hesitating, and Lilith didn't seem to want to tell me directly. I had no choice but to obey her.
"Appraisal."
The next moment, the usual panel appeared before me. At first glance, there was no oddity at all. But then, when I looked at her status…
"What the fuck is this?!", I yelled furiously and turned my gaze at her. "Why didn't you tell me about this!?"
Lilith replied by shaking her head slowly. She then smiled wryly at me.
"Please, don't tell those kids about this.", she begged me. "This is also one of the reasons why I forced you to join this tribe…"
Her teary eyes were no longer able to hold the tears from flowing.
"Please, Farenna… Protect these kids on my behalf…"
It was really hard to answer her plea. As someone who used to think only of myself, being asked for help by someone I knew like this was tremendously hard.
"No… I don't want to…"
Lilith opened her eyes widely in shock. She probably didn't think I would react that way.
"You see? Even without this tribe I can still live by myself…", I turned my body back, facing the exit of the tent. "I can do anything by myself…"
I clenched my fists tightly. Seeing my reaction towards her plea, Lilith was crying without making any sounds. I turned my head to her and said.
"But you know?", I smiled while holding my tears. "I'll give those invaders some etiquette lessons."
I walked out from the tent, as I heard a woman's cry, thanking me countless times from behind. I walked through the entire camp before I reached the gate. And there, Sue stopped me.
"Farenna! Where are you going?"
She tried to grab my hand, but I retaliated and shook my head.
"I've got some business to attend to.", I smiled a little. "If Gia's awake, please tell her I'll be back in no time."
Sue stared at me in confusion. But the next moment, she slapped her own cheeks and smiled widely.
"Got it! I dunno what you're going to do but I'm rooting for you!", she gave a thumbs-up. "But promise me something…"
She paused for a moment.
"Please, come back safely. If you don't, Gia… No, all of us will be sad."
She smiled at me, revealing her unusual charming side.
"Yeah!", I smiled back at her. "I'm going!"
I dashed forward until the camp couldn't be seen anymore.
[Do you have any plans?]
"Where have you been? You never went silent this long before."
[I was just being considerate. So, do you have any plans?]
"Hmm…", I stopped my legs. "No, I don't."
[As expected of you.]
"Actually, with you around I think I can do anything, right?"
[Leave everything to me.]
I smiled and dashed forward.
*Farenna's Newest Status:
———————
Status
———————
Name : Farenna
Race : Lv. 16/30 Blood Nymph
Status : Sealed
Sync. Rate: 10.01%
———————
HP: 200/200 MP: 100/100
SP: 65/120
———————
STR : 22 LUK : 5
AGI : 25 DEX : 20
INT : 17 VIT : 23
Unallocated pts: 45
Bonus pts: 20
———————
Equipments:
· Weapon : Spear of ??? (EX)
· Headgear : None
· Armor : Rough Golden Gown (Rare)
· Torso : None
· Feet : None
· Misc. : Sealing Chains of Hell (EX)
————————————
Skills:
· Appraisal Lv. 6 (↑3 Lv. Up)
· Devour (EX)
· Bona Dea (Unique)
· Crafting Lv. 4 (↑3 Lv. Up)
· Weaving Lv. 1
· Weaponize Lv. 11 (↑4 Lv. Up)
· Berserk (Mutation)
————————————
Blessings:
· Blessing of Purity & Chastity
· Blessing of Growth (Inherited)
————————————
Curses:
· Curse of Wrath
————————————
Titles:
· Regressor
· Goddess' Apostle
· Rotten to the Bone
————————————
*Lilith's Status:
[Lilith (Asura Hero/Cursed)
Level: 961
Habitat: Abyss 16th floor (Formerly 999th floor)
Curse: Curse of Avalon
HP: 4182/30000 MP: 11820/20000
SP: 2016/7000]
[Curse of Avalon:
A curse caused by Avalon, the scabbard of the Holy Sword Excalibur. You will gradually lose your HP, MP, and SP until each of them reaches 1 respectively (but it won't drop below 1). Incurable as of now.]