The next morning, we hurried deeper into the forest. Julia, Silvia, and I woke up very early today. Unlike the previous day, we didn't waste any time and quickly got ready to continue our journey.
As we ventured further into the forest, the animals we encountered were different from those in the part of the forest we had left behind. Although I was sure that this area was no longer under the jurisdiction of the lizard monster, I still instructed Julia and Silvia to walk through the bushes to avoid lurking dangers.
During our journey, we occasionally stopped to recharge our energy and refilled our water bottles whenever we found pitcher-shaped plants containing water. Without realizing it, we had been walking for several hours, and it was probably noon by now. We continued because we had rested earlier.
As we proceeded deeper into the forest, a soft, rumbling sound could be heard, like water flowing from a sink. I sensed that there was water ahead, possibly a river. I decided to head towards the sound of flowing water. Julia and Silvia, as usual, followed me from behind.
As we moved closer to the sound, suddenly, in the bushes, we saw something like a cluster of thorns on a small tree trunk, about the size of an adult human. I approached the thorny trunk, and seeing this, Julia and Silvia couldn't help but observe my movements.
When I tried to get closer, the trunk suddenly moved. I was startled by this unexpected movement.
"Shhh... shhh..."
A sound came from the trunk. Hearing the noise, I quickly backed away, but before I could get far, a needle shot out from the trunk towards me.
"Whoosh!"
The needle flew at me at a high speed. I tried to dodge it by leaping to the side.
"Schlick!"
The needle pierced my leg. Even though I had jumped to the side, the needle still managed to stab me. I fell to the ground after jumping away.
"Shhh... shhh..."
The sound from the trunk seemed to indicate that it was disturbed by our presence. With the needle in my leg, I quickly moved away from the creature. Limping on my left leg, I headed towards Julia and Silvia. Seeing my condition, they both looked panicked and hurriedly came to my aid.
"Eric, are you okay?!" they asked in unison.
"I think I got stabbed by a needle," I replied.
Julia and Silvia looked at the needle, which was about the size of a human pinky finger, embedded in my left leg, and their faces changed. They shuddered at the sight of the wound on my left leg, probably because it was the first time they had seen someone injured right in front of them. I then pulled the needle out.
"Squelch."
I removed the needle from my leg, and blood started to flow out after I pulled it out.
"Julia, Silvia, give me your water bottles. I need to clean this wound before it gets infected," I said, asking for water to clean the needle wound.
Without hesitation, Julia and Silvia handed me their water bottles. I poured the water over my wound to remove any dirt that might be inside.
"Give me one of your unused shirts."
Julia handed me one of her thinner shirts. I took it and tore it into strips. After cleaning the wound with water, I bandaged my leg to stop the bleeding. After ensuring the wound was clean, I wrapped it with the strips of cloth.
My wound now looked better, and the bleeding had stopped. Luckily, it hadn't hit a vein that could cause excessive bleeding.
"Eric, how is it?" they asked nervously.
"It's better now," I replied.
"Let's move on. I think that wasn't a tree needle, but a camouflaged monster. We better get away from here," I instructed.
We then headed towards the sound of water. Fortunately, the monster with needles on its body didn't chase us. I guess it attacked me because it felt threatened.
We walked slowly because of my injured leg. The rumbling sound of flowing water grew louder, and we continued walking towards the source of the sound.
"Urr... urr... urr..."
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
Strange noises came from the large trees. What else awaited us this time? I muttered in frustration. It seemed like there was no such thing as a peaceful day out here. Monsters and wild animals were everywhere. It made me think that there was no safe place on the surface.
Were we here just to die? What did the government expect from us? Were we just here to test the surface situation? I didn't know. Regardless, I was still happy to be free from living underground.
My thoughts wandered, wondering if there was a place up here that wasn't inhabited by wild animals and monsters. After walking for some time following the sound, we saw a bright light ahead. It looked like there was an open area with trees.
"Let's go. I think the river is over there."
We hurried towards the bright area where the sound of flowing water was coming from. We emerged from the trees and saw a medium-sized river filled with rocks. The rumbling sound came from the river water flowing and hitting the rocks.
We were mesmerized by the sight. The water was very clear, and the river wasn't too deep. It was right in front of us.
I looked around the area. The surroundings of the river weren't filled with large trees. In the distance, I saw a piece of land rising towards the sky. It was a mountain, and it was so tall that its peak was covered by clouds.
"Hey, look over there!" Silvia pointed towards the mountain.
"Ah! That land goes up to the sky," Julia said, surprised.
"That's called a mountain, if I'm not mistaken," I informed them.
"Let's rest here. I don't think I can walk much further," I suggested.
We decided to rest by the river. With the river water available, we didn't have to worry about running out of drinking water. And maybe we could fish later. So, our food concerns would be resolved.
"Sorry, I can't set up the bivouac for you this time," I said to them.
"It's okay, Eric. We'll try to do it ourselves," Julia replied.
I nodded in agreement. Limping, I looked for some bushes to use as bedding. I also made a campfire, as usual. Then, I lay down, using my backpack as a pillow. I glanced at Julia and Silvia, who were still busy setting up their bivouac. I laughed at their antics, wondering what they would do out here without me.
I then guided them in setting up the bivouac, and they followed my instructions, quickly building it. Their faces lit up with happiness after completing the bivouac.
"Alright, friends, I'll rest first this time."
I then bid them goodnight and hoped that my wound would be better tomorrow so we could think about our next journey.