"We gathered around Karin's smartphone, scrutinizing the photos I'd taken. The images showed the girls, the monkey still clinging to Mana, and me in the background.
'This is...' I trailed off, concern etched on my face. Aiko's eyes locked onto mine. 'What's wrong?'
The others waited with bated breath for my response.
'I don't see any signs of settlement,' I admitted. 'No cleared areas, no deforestation. If people lived nearby, there'd be some indication of tree removal.'
I zoomed in on the image, taking advantage of the smartphone's impressive wide-angle capabilities. The forest looked pristine, untouched.
'Unlikely they're using tree houses,' I continued. 'If they were, they'd probably occupy the cave we found earlier.
'Kiara's face fell. 'No good!' She hung her head, disappointment evident."
"The others' faces mirrored Kiara's disappointment, but I offered a glimmer of hope. 'It's not all in vain, though.'
Their expressions lifted, intrigued. 'Did you find something good?' Eri asked.
I nodded and displayed a photo. 'We're close to the sea. That's a significant discovery.'
The image revealed the sea's presence, mere hundreds of meters away.
Mana zoomed in, confirming our find. 'You mentioned searching for the sea, Sorcerer. Looks like we hit the jackpot.'
I smiled. 'The sea means access to vital resources for survival.'
Beyond the sea, our scan revealed nothing. But this discovery sparked new possibilities.
Aiko's voice turned somber. 'I wonder if there's a nearby island...'"
"Mana zoomed in on the horizon, but no other islands came into view. Or so we thought.
Kiara scrutinized another photo, her eyes widening. 'Wait, isn't that an island?'
Aiko leaned in, curious. 'Which one? Where's the island?'
Kiara pointed to a tiny speck on the screen. 'This dot. Look closely.'
As she leaned against my right shoulder, her huge breasts sparked a momentary distraction. Her closeness was unsettling, yet welcome.
However, Kiara quickly pushed my face away. ' Sorcerer, you're in the way!'
I chuckled, 'Oops,' and sidestepped, meeting Eri's amused gaze briefly.
Kiara continued, undeterred. 'See this dot? Isn't that an island?'
We gathered around, studying the image. The tiny speck seemed too small to be an island, but..."
"Aiko and Eri tilted their heads, skeptical. I squinted at the image, unsure.
'Can we get a better look?' I suggested. 'Maybe we should head to the sea for a closer shot.'
Mana, however, was already on it. 'Let me try adjusting the brightness.' She opened an editing app and began tweaking the image. With a few swift taps, she enhanced the brightness, contrast, and other settings. The blurry dot transformed into a distinct shape.
Kiara exclaimed, 'Look! That's an island!'
We gathered around, unanimous in our agreement. The image revealed an unmistakable island. Though we couldn't confirm any buildings or signs of life, the discovery sparked excitement.
Aiko turned to me, her eyes sparkling. 'Sorcerer, is that a good find?'"
"Aiko's casual use of 'Sorcerer' warmed my heart. It felt like she genuinely acknowledged me.
'This is a game-changer,' I explained. 'Even if the island's uninhabited, it might have wildlife or resources. And if we're lucky, there could be reception, allowing us to contact the outside world.'
Kiara's eyes lit up. 'That means our chances of rescue just increased?'
I nodded. 'If this isn't an isekai, that is.'
The girls erupted into cheers, their loudest and most enthusiastic outburst of the day.
'Ooh!' they chimed in unison, their faces radiant with hope."
"As we trekked toward the beach, Kiara marked the trees, taking over from me, whose arms ached from climbing.
'Is this mark good enough?' she asked.
'That's perfect,' I replied. 'This ensures we don't lose our bearings.'
Aiko wondered, 'We shouldn't need this if we have compasses, right?'
I explained, 'Digital compasses, like those on our smartphones, are only reliable for rough estimates. Plus, they'll be useless once our batteries die.'
The group fell silent, realizing our vulnerability.
Mana pressed on, 'Sorcerer, why didn't you bring a compass? Isn't it a survival basic?'
I flashed a sheepish grin. 'Honestly, I forgot. With smartphones, I didn't think it was essential. Embarrassing, I know.'
Our digital compasses, utilizing built-in magnetic sensors, had served us well so far. We'd traveled southwest from the cave, fortunate that the river, sea, and cave aligned in the same direction.
'I'm glad the river and sea are in the same general direction,' I said. 'If they weren't, navigating would be much tougher.'"
"The conversation lapsed as we conserved energy. Eri broke the silence.
'Sorcerer-kun, you're thinking about something, aren't you?' She'd dropped the 'sorcerer' nickname, adopting a more affectionate '-kun'.
I nodded. 'Yeah."
'What's on your mind?'
'Taking back the cave.'
Aiko's eyes widened. 'From that massive tiger?'
I confirmed, 'That's right.' The cave was crucial to our survival.
'But how do you plan to defeat it?' Eri asked.
'Fighting barehanded is impossible, and my knife won't be enough. I'm no expert in combat.'
Kiara suggested, 'Maybe we can reclaim it when the tiger's away?'
I shook my head. 'We need to ensure it won't return. If we don't, it'll always pose a threat.'
Kiara let out a dramatic shriek. 'Then what's the plan?'
'I have an idea, but it's untested.' Eri encouraged, 'That's cool, Sorcerer -kun! Share it later.'
We emerged from the forest, and Kiara sprinted toward the coast.
'The sea!' she exclaimed.
The others followed, laughing. I inspected the seawater and surroundings.
As sunset approached, I called out, 'Time to head back!'
The girls, busy arranging stones to spell 'SOS', didn't protest. They fell in line.
Aiko asked, 'Where are we heading?'
I replied, 'Isn't it obvious? The cave. We're taking it back from the tiger.'"