Kanae bit back the scream threatening to rise from her throat. She was a very strong woman but when her brain wasn't on her side, it terrified her to no limits.
Miao and Ed were both eerily silent. They were staring at her in a weird manner.
Kanae, who noticed this, gave them a nonchalant look after fixing her expression. She then tugged on Miao's arm and asked, "What's for dinner?"
"Oh, sweet potatoes and some wild flowers."
Immediately, Kanae knew something was wrong.
She questioned Ed next, "How old did I say I was again? I know it's a weird question but my brain feels out of it right now, haha."
Ed smiled and replied, "You're fifteen, of course."
The silence after this reply pierced her ears.
Kanae tried her best not to 'think', since she knew this whole situation was a trap. The Dungeon Boss was someone who could control her mind and her dreams. It could make illusions and currently, she was stuck in a chain of illusions. She couldn't be sure if this Dungeon Boss could hear her thoughts as well.
All of a sudden, another roar rang out.
The Dungeon Boss seemed to already have understood that she had realised where she was. Cautiously, Kanae took a few steps backwards.
She asked the system in her mind, 'System, what's the cost of getting out of here?'
'Physical labour? That does not sound that bad… I mean, how bad could it be, right?'
Kanae chuckled wryly because she knew it wouldn't be easy at all.
Raising her thin arms and taking a defensive stance, she shouted, "System! Get me out of here! I'm willing to pay the price!"
<1%...2%...3%...100% successful.>
"F*ck this… I hate my life…"
Kanae couldn't help but shed invisible tears on hearing this. She loved muscles but working out was always a pain. In the first place, wasn't she supposed to develop the body of a mother? Wouldn't this damage her body?
System:
"Damn you, you…. YOU!!"
With a crack, the mirage broke and Kanae was back to the real world. She found herself lying on a makeshift bed in the cave. Miao was staring at her with a worried expression. Ed was also gazing at her with an indescribable look in his eyes.
Kanae felt really weak, all of a sudden. She mumbled, "Don't give me that look. I'm fine, I just passed out for a bit."
"Honoured Miss… The monster isn't gone, right?" Miao questioned, trembling a bit.
Ed held her shaking shoulders.
Kanae nodded.
"Why do we keep meeting trouble!? I just want a simple life… Why can't we live in peace?" Miao broke down, falling into Ed's embrace and crying loudly.
Ed held her tightly and patted her back. He passed Kanae an apologetic look.
Kanae felt really bad. She also bent forward and patted Miao's head. It had only been some time since they knew each other but this duo had grown on her. They were like poor puppies who were left alone in the rain, without protection.
"Don't worry, kid. I'm here to protect you. What are you scared of?"
Miao sniffled and finally stopped crying. Her beautiful eyes were red from all the sobbing. She looked like a troubled fairy from fairy tales. Kanae could understand why Ed fell for her. She also understood these two were previously very spoiled brats, who probably got used to living in luxury. Now that they were facing trouble for the first time in their life, they couldn't handle it.
Kanae made up her mind to find a safer place for them to stay.
"Come on, we should move on. This place is far from safe, " Kanae muttered as she stretched. Her body felt very sore, she definitely needed some medicine.
Her skin even felt a little warm. Whoever the original owner was, they weren't used to living outside.
'I should scourge for some herbs. If there are any familiar ones nearby, then I'll be in luck.'
Since Ed and Miao were packing up, she decided to roam around a bit. With a long stick in her hand, Kanae jumped over the bushes and parted the leaves.
Her keen eyesight caught sight of a familiar herb— no, wait, there were tons of herbs!
Kanae couldn't control her excitement. She had actually hit a treasure trove! She picked up a bit of the grass next to the herbs and weaved the grass strands into a basket. The tightly wound grass now contained herbs which she could use and maybe even sell to earn some money.
Humming a tune under her breath, Kanae went back to the cave.
Miao curiously asked what she had brought back.
On showing the herbs, both showed a shocked expression.
"Honoured Miss, those are poisonous! You cannot use that! I've heard of people dying because they ingested it… Please throw those away right now."
Kanae snorted and said, "What nonsense. These are treasures, TREASURES, you hear me? The fools probably died because they didn't know how to use them. I'm not stupid like them."
Judging from the looks on Ed and Miao's faces, it did not look like they believed her. Kanae resisted the urge to face-palm.
Someone great had said," Actions speak louder than words."
She'll have to show these kids the results of the herbs, rather than just talking about it. Kanae bent down to find a clean stone and a water source where she could get some natural water. Without water, it was impossible to live.
"Let's stay here for sometime more. My body is still weak. After I recuperate, we can move on," Kanae declared while searching for a good stone to grind her herbs.
Ed and Miao agreed, they didn't have any problems.