Ignoring the translucent screens in front of me, I let myself fall to the ground, taking deep breaths. It felt like every cell in my body was crying out for rest. Glancing briefly, I witnessed Ellen and Noelle dealing with the last remaining wolf. With that, our mission was accomplished. As they approached me, I turned my gaze back to the sun.
The red had already filled more than half of the sun. We probably had less than an hour now until anything could happen when the sun turned completely red. Moreover, I don't know if it's because my senses have sharpened, but I can't ignore this bad feeling that has been with me since I noticed the sun taking on this peculiar coloration.
Shifting my attention away from the sun, I looked back at the girls. It wouldn't do any good to worry about that now. It would be better to focus on the present and deal with any problems as they arise. All I could do was let that worry diminish a little, knowing that I did everything I could when the time demanded it.
"How did it go?"
As I asked this, I alternated my gaze between Ellen and Noelle. They exchanged looks for a few seconds before a smile formed on their lips. Then they raised their hands and made a V sign.
"I reached level 8" Ellen said excitedly.
"Yeah, I... got to level 6" Noelle replied shyly.
By the way, I noticed that Noelle didn't seem to be very talkative. When I asked Ellen about it, she explained that it's because I'm present. According to Ellen, Noelle is a very shy girl and it takes her time to open up to others. But when she does, she becomes playful and cheerful.
After that, we continued our hunt, and I was the only one who managed to level up again. According to Ellen, it would be more efficient if I were the only one to hunt to increase my level, even if it was just for one more. Overall, Ellen and Noelle provided minimal support when needed. With that, I managed to reach level 11.
At this point, we decided to return to the bus. Looking at the sun, I realized that there were only a few minutes left until it turned completely red. Honestly, I didn't want to be in the middle of the forest when that happened; just thinking about it sent shivers down my spine.
On the way back, I tried to start a conversation with Noelle, but honestly, I'm not sure if I succeeded. She still spoke very timidly and clung to Ellen's clothes, her older sister. On the other hand, Ellen just watched the scene with a satisfied smile on her face.
Back at the "temporary camp" we encountered some people cutting the boar that I had brought earlier. There was a considerable amount of blood on the ground, which made me wonder if they followed the procedure I had seen on TV to drain the blood from the animal. Honestly, that had completely slipped my mind.
As we approached, everyone briefly bowed their heads and then returned to their tasks. I'm not sure if it was a sign of renewed respect for me or simply a minimal expression of gratitude for bringing food. Leo had been strangely absent since we returned, and I noticed that half of the passengers were missing too.
Ignoring this issue, Ellen and Noelle went to rest inside the bus. Meanwhile, I climbed onto the roof of the vehicle and fixed my gaze on the sun. I decided to use my available points now, as I was almost certain I wouldn't be able to use them when the sun turned completely red.
With 10 total points available to invesFt in my stats, and considering that Constitution and Ether were the attributes that benefited me the most, I chose to use all the points on these two specific statistics.
Constitution: 15 -> Constitution: 20
Ether: 25 -> Ether: 30
I must admit I wasn't prepared for the new sensations that arose when I increased these two statistics. Firstly, I could feel every cell in my body as if it were natural, probably a result of investing 20 points in Constitution. Additionally, I realized that in case of injuries, I could direct all the energy from my body to heal a specific point, although I suspected that it wouldn't increase the speed of healing, only its efficiency.
Now, regarding Ether, I could feel my channels expanding. In simple terms, it was as if my "pool" of Ether had grown, allowing for more accumulation of this energy. The feeling was simply incredible, and I felt like I could explore many new possibilities with it.
Satisfied with my choice, I turned my gaze to the translucent screen displaying all my stats, focusing especially on the [General Skills] section. At that moment, I was pondering which skills to level up.
General Skills: Identify [Lv - 1], Ether Manipulation [Lv - 3], Ether Vision [Lv - 3], Ecopulsation [Lv - 4], Infusion [Lv - 4], Etheric Pumping [Lv - 1]
Although [Etheric Pumping] is a relatively new skill, and I was aware of the importance of increasing the level of other skills that were already more advanced, I can't ignore the fact that this skill has been extremely useful to me. It's almost certain that I wouldn't have survived if I hadn't used it before, even though, technically, until moments ago it wasn't considered one of my skills.
So, I decided to invest my remaining two points in this skill. All my other skills are already at a decent level, so I don't see the need to increase them so hastily at this moment. Although I'm not strengthening the [Identify] skill, I must admit that it doesn't seem so useful to me right now.
Etheric Pumping [Lv - 1] -> Etheric Pumping [Lv - 3]
With everything ready, all that's left for me is to wait. I'm sure everyone has noticed the change in the sun, but apparently, they're choosing to ignore it. Frankly, that's the worst decision they could make. I don't intend to sacrifice myself to save those who are not useful to me. Except for Ellen and Noelle, they'd better find a place to hide if they don't want to be involved in the imminent confrontation.
As these thoughts echoed in my mind, I noticed some commotion in the forest. I directed my gaze to that point, promptly reaching for the dagger I kept hidden under my shirt, holding it tightly. The other passengers also seemed to notice the movement and began to retreat towards the bus.
For some reason, they seemed genuinely convinced that they would be safe inside the bus. I continued to watch the forest closely, and when people emerged from it, I put away my dagger, casting another quick glance at the group. Leo was among them.
His clothes were torn and blood-spattered, and he wasn't alone; there was a group with him. However, even with this company, it seemed like there were missing people. Faced with this situation, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened, especially when noticing the expression in their eyes.
Leo seemed to notice me and cast a meaningful glance in my direction. It seems he followed my advice, but judging by the evident signs on his body, things didn't go as well for him as they did for me. Anyway, that wasn't my concern. Survival in that relentless environment probably favored the fittest, and those who were there were witnesses to that, although looking at Noelle, I begin to question if that logic applies to everyone.
Turning my gaze away from Leo, I returned my attention to the celestial body in front of me. Actually, I shouldn't call it the sun anymore; "blood moon" seems like a more accurate description. The bright sphere was almost completely obscured, and the dreaded moment was approaching rapidly. Whatever was about to happen, it wouldn't be long before it revealed itself.
I noticed movement on the bus and saw that Ellen and Noelle had also boarded. Ellen had a worried expression, and Noelle's hands were trembling slightly. Although I myself was apprehensive, I couldn't help but offer them a moment of comfort. The idea of being devoured alive by Goblins, although I knew it wouldn't be a definitive death, still terrified me deeply.
"It'll be alright"
Those were the only words I uttered, but surprisingly they had a reassuring effect on Ellen and Noelle. It was somewhat curious, actually. I wondered about the image they had of me, for such simple words to bring them so much comfort.
With that, both of them settled in, with Noelle sitting in the middle between me and Ellen. I noticed when Noelle held Ellen's hand, and I could see how hesitant she was to do the same with me, watching my hand for a moment before deciding.
In fact, she was still trembling a bit, so she probably wanted to feel the warmth of Ellen's and mine to feel safer. I didn't hesitate to hold her hand, and although she reacted timidly at first, she soon accepted the gesture. Thus, the three of us continued to watch the sun transition into the blood moon.