The fight had concluded, and all the hunters lay dead. Moonlight and Creambell were tending to Butterbell's injuries while Orochi took a leisurely walk around the island. As she strolled along the island's perimeter, Finn suddenly appeared beside her, having teleported himself.
"Is your room ready?" he inquired, walking alongside her.
"I'm still finalizing a few things," Orochi replied, her eyes fixed on the horizon.
"Great!" Finn responded. "By the way, thanks for helping us back there."
"I wasn't helping you," Orochi clarified. "I was merely dealing with some trespassers, especially after they managed to provoke my anger."
"Right," Finn acknowledged with a faint smile.
Orochi abruptly halted when she spotted the lifeless bodies of the water salamanders, which Finn had slain the previous night, spread across the ground. "Aren't you going to dispose of these corpses?" she asked.
"Well, you see," Finn began, "my physical body has sustained significant damage, and for corpse disposal, I need to consume them. At the moment, I can't do that until my body heals to some extent," he explained, his face displaying a hint of embarrassment.
"In that case, let me handle it for you," Orochi offered.
Finn looked at Orochi with disbelief. "You'll do it?" he exclaimed.
"Yes," Orochi affirmed, but she remained in place.
A minute passed, with Orochi still standing unmoved. Finn began to wonder, "Does she possess some sort of telekinetic ability?" He glanced at Orochi, puzzled by her behavior.
Orochi noticed his curiosity. "What's the matter?" she inquired, turning her gaze toward Finn.
Finn met her eyes and responded, "Nothing. I was just wondering how you plan to clean up the corpses."
At that very moment, several Drag Spiders emerged from the lake through the broken ice. Finn watched in amazement as these creatures shot sticky threads at the water salamander corpses and dragged them beneath the water's surface.
"Like that," Orochi replied, her usual stoic demeanor unchanged.
"Of course!" Finn exclaimed, chuckling at the unexpected assistance from the Drag Spiders.
Butterbell had made a full recovery, and all the pixies gathered before Orochi. Moonlight stood at the forefront, with Butterbell and Creambell just behind her.
"I wanted to convey something on behalf of all of us," Moonlight began.
"What is it?" Orochi asked, her attention fixed on Moonlight.
Moonlight's voice held genuine gratitude, and her eyes sparkled with sincerity as she said, "Thank you for saving us."
Orochi was taken aback. She replied, "I didn't even realize I was saving you until now. I was merely removing trespassers from my territory."
Moonlight smiled warmly. "You're kinder than you portray yourself, you know."
Orochi was surprised by the word "kind" being associated with her.
Moonlight then turned her attention to Finn and continued, "I must also express my gratitude, Finn. You saved Butterbell by bringing the antidote for Puppeteer Rat poison, defended us from the hunters, and even helped us hunt for food. You've done so much for us, even though we've only known each other for 2 days."
Butterbell chimed in, though his expression seemed somewhat obligated, "Yes, ghost. Thank you."
Finn responded with a humble smile, "Oh, it was nothing. I believe you would have done the same if you were in my place."
"I feel really bad that the house was destroyed. I wish I could heal it like any other living being," Moonlight expressed her concern.
Finn, curious about potential solutions, asked, "Now that you mention it, do you know anyone from outside who could fix the house?"
Creambell nodded, offering a solution. "We know a carpenter who also builds houses. He lives on the outskirts of the Serpent Forest. Maybe he could help you, right Butterbell?" Creambell looked at Butterbell for confirmation.
Butterbell confirmed, "Right."
"Great," Finn responded enthusiastically. He then requested, "Now that you're safe from every creature in the forest, could you please bring the carpenter?"
"Definitely," Moonlight replied energetically, flashing a smile.
However, Orochi interjected, causing everyone to look at her curiously. She stated, "It won't work."
Finn furrowed his brow, seeking an explanation. "Why not?" he asked.
Orochi continued, "Your existence itself is very unusual. I don't think any normal carpenter can fix you."
Finn pondered for a moment and acknowledged, "I guess you might be correct. I can't touch anything from outside the house, but I can interact with everything that was already a part of the house. Maybe you're right, and a regular carpenter might not be able to add external elements to the house." He then asked with a hint of desperation, "So, what should I do?"
Orochi took a moment to think before responding, "I don't know, but there is a place where you might find your answers."
Finn's eyes widened with anticipation. "Which place?" he inquired eagerly.
"Ixar, the City of Crafts," Orochi revealed.
"Ixar?" Finn exclaimed, his brows furrowing in confusion.
Creambell added to the conversation, saying, "I've read about it. It's the home to many engineers, architects, weaponsmiths, and other craftsmen. It's said that the craftsmanship of Ixar is simply the best in the entire Central Island."
Finn, seeking more information, asked, "Pardon me for asking, but where is this Central Island?"
Everyone looked at Finn in surprise, except for Moonlight, who understood why Finn had raised this question. As they stared in astonishment, Moonlight chuckled softly.
Meanwhile, Finn began to explain his unique situation, saying, "I've been on this island from the very beginning, with no contact with the outside world. In fact, my first communication with someone from the outside world was with Moonlight, which happened only 2 days back."
Upon hearing this, Orochi sighed and proceeded to use her light magic to project a sphere above them. She provided a detailed explanation. "Much like this island of Serpent Forest, the smallest continent in the world is known as Central Island, and both Serpent Forest and Ixar are part of it. Just as this lake surrounds this island, Central Island is encircled by a sea that's 200 kilometers wide, known as the Lower Lagoon." As she spoke, the 3D sphere projection above them began to fill with details.
Continuing her explanation, Orochi elaborated further. "Then, much like the forest that surrounds the lake, there is a ring-shaped landmass surrounding the Lower Lagoon, and this landmass is a continent called Lower Atoll. Lower Atoll, in turn, is surrounded by a body of water that's 300 kilometers wide, known as the Upper Lagoon. The Upper Lagoon is encircled by a larger ring-shaped landmass, which is the continent known as Upper Atoll. Beyond Upper Atoll lies the Open World, primarily covered by vast oceans and home to many smaller and larger countries."
As Orochi provided this information, everyone watched the 3D sphere with childlike fascination. When the explanation was over, Finn gazed at the sphere and remarked slowly, "What a peculiar world."
In a few moments, Orochi stopped her magic, causing the sphere to disappear.
In the meantime, Butterbell's stomach growled. "I guess it's time for food," Creambell remarked, glancing toward the house, momentarily forgetting that it had been burnt down.
Upon realizing that the procured meat had been incinerated along with the house, Creambell sighed in disappointment. He said in a disheartened tone, "I suppose we'll have to hunt again."
Butterbell, however, remembered something. "Wait, there were dead salamanders that Finn killed yesterday," he mentioned, scanning the island for any signs of the deceased creatures. To his surprise, there were no salamander bodies in sight. "Where did the bodies go?" he asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.
Finn hesitated before responding, his facial expression revealing his realization of the mistake. Meanwhile, Butterbell continued to look at him curiously. However, Orochi intervened, her eyes projecting authority. "I cleaned them up. Do you have a problem with that?" she asked.
Butterbell met Orochi's gaze but instantly regretted it. He gulped and looked away with a sigh. "I guess we'll have to hunt something else," he conceded.
Meanwhile, observing the pixies' downcast expressions, Orochi decided to take action. "I'll summon the Driller Fishes to the surface. You can try to hunt them," she declared.
Creambell and Butterbell exchanged disbelieving glances, but upon seeing Orochi's serious demeanor, they realized she wasn't joking. Big smiles spread across their faces as they simultaneously expressed their gratitude. "Thank you so much."