Chapter 335: It’s a Relief

‘He probably expects me to abandon Reysir and run away, but do you think I’d do that…!’

I didn’t turn around or even flinch to a stop. I shifted my weight onto my forward foot, pushed off the ground, and advanced. At the same time, I reapplied the [Encourage] keyword to Yor and Reysir, and used my whip to snag the stem where a flower was just about to bloom.

‘Since I can’t extend the buff after I fall asleep, I have to do it now!’

On the next step, I swung the whip and hurled the flower stem wrapped around its tip with all my strength. I channeled Aether into the shockwave generated from this and activated the [Elation] skill. Then, taking another step, I threw a dagger to cut the rope suspending Reysir.

The monster spat out seeds again, growing a plant with white flower buds. As if it was ignoring the fact that I had just pulled the flower out by the roots and discarded it, its growth rate was incomparably faster than before.

‘But if I’ve closed the distance this much…!’

I let go of the whip I was holding and threw myself to catch Reysir, who was falling upside down. With my center of gravity already leaning forward, having a heavy weight placed on my outstretched arms made it impossible to keep my balance.

I couldn’t hold on for even a moment and fell over, but so what? The important thing is that I wasn’t too late.

“It’s a relief…”

I pulled Reysir’s head into my arms, hugging him tightly, and let out a sigh of relief without thinking. It was at that moment that the white flower bloomed fully, bursting pollen into the air. A sweet scent filled my nasal passages.

My eyelids grew impossibly heavy. Only then did I realize I hadn’t been able to extend the effect of the [Encouragement] skill.

‘I wish I’d taken out plenty of Potions too… Yor has some, but just in case! But it looks like I can’t. My mind is quickly growing hazy. Ah, but I absolutely must use [Encouragement] at least… What should my line be…?’

“Um… So… Good… luck…?”

“……??”

For Reysir, it wasn’t easy to catch up with and understand the series of events that had just transpired in an instant. From his perspective, it was inevitable. The monster he thought he’d just finished off moved and tried to grab him. When he dodged that, he was caught by a suddenly activated trap, hung upside down, then dropped.

He bumped his nose against his friend’s chest and had his face buried there, unable to breathe for a moment. At that timing, hearing the rather cute cheering phrase “Good luck” came out of nowhere, so of course he was bewildered.

Especially since the person who said it was none other than Karbaldr. He’s not the type to voluntarily say something like that without being prompted, is he?

‘And just before that, he muttered “It’s a relief” too!’

So, just as Reysir was doubting his own ears, the strength in Karbaldr’s arms, which were holding his head, went slack.

“Ka… Karbaldr…?”

Finally freeing himself from his friend’s embrace and lifting his head, Reysir was flustered. No, he was horrified. Because Karbaldr, who already had a pale complexion, was slumped limply, looking like a dead person.

“Kryaaargh——!!”

If it weren’t for that very peculiar cat cry piercing his eardrums, Reysir would have remained dazed and, unable to protect the one he needed to protect, would have lived a life of regret and self-reproach.

To avoid that future, Reysir suppressed his desire to immediately check on his friend’s condition, grabbed the spear lying beside him, and stood up. Then he plunged lightning into both the flower and the body of the plant-type monster, which was paralyzed by Jormungand’s [Cat’s Vigor (=Dragon Fear)] skill.

Only then did the monster’s life activities completely cease. When he poked it with the spear shaft, the withered leaves crumbled and scattered, leaving only soot. He should have done this sooner…

Even though it looked like a head, it was just a flower. No plant dies just because its flower falls off. Of course, it wasn’t a real flower but a monster, but precisely because of that, it was even more so.

Reysir was dumbfounded by his own judgment, wondering how he had overlooked such an obvious fact and made such a foolish mistake. He thought it must be because he’d gotten arrogant from all the people around him praising him as strong. There was no one else to blame but himself. Anger surged toward himself.

Yet, an inexplicable sense of grievance grew alongside it. But because he couldn’t identify who that emotion was directed at, Reysir understood it as his own desire to blame others without a conscience. So a feeling of self-deprecation washed over him.

However, he could no longer postpone checking on the well-being of his friend, who had tried to protect him.

“Um… Karbaldr is…”

“Meow meow.”

As he turned around and carefully opened his mouth, he saw Jormungand holding the Whiteboard.

[Truth-Reading Eye]

The arrow was pointing at the plant with the wilted, drooping flower. Come to think of it, this had ‘sprouted’ from the seed the monster spat out. Karbaldr had advised him that whenever the monster used the [Sprout] skill, he should definitely read the information on its result.

Recalling the conversation he had with his friend in Chapter 333, Reysir activated the [Truth-Reading Eye] skill.

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[Sid Bloom’s Sleep Grass]

: A plant grown by the monster ‘Sid Bloom’ using the [Sprout] skill. It contained pollen with a strong sleep-inducing effect.

==========

Judging from the past tense sentence, it seemed that being able to spray pollen was a one-time thing. Having reached this conclusion, Reysir didn’t leave it alone but carbonized it with lightning power.

Meanwhile, the writing on the Whiteboard Jormungand was holding changed. This time, the arrow pointed toward Karbaldr. Reysir finally realized that Karbaldr was simply asleep, and his legs gave out, making him slump down.

Even though the description window read with [Truth-Reading Eye] also said ‘sleep-inducing component,’ and Karbaldr’s familiar had told him he was asleep, Reysir still couldn’t rest easy. He absolutely had to confirm it himself.

So he brought his finger to Karbaldr’s nose tip to feel the tickling breath. He pressed his ear to his chest, which rose and fell faintly with each breath, and listened to the thumping heartbeat. Only then could he truly feel that Karbaldr was alive. Hugging his warm body tightly, he finally felt genuine relief.

“Really… I’m so glad!”

The words had burst out involuntarily. Reysir wondered if Karbaldr had said “It’s a relief” with the same feeling. Apologetic, grateful, moved, relieved, happy… As countless emotions began to run wild, tears welled up and blurred his vision.

But ironically, other things became clearer instead—like the image of Karbaldr, with a desperate and urgent expression, gritting his teeth and running toward him, or the faint smile on his face the moment he reached out for him.

Recalling those memories, Reysir felt a pang in his chest, moved to the point of aching.

‘Come to think of it, the voice whispering “It’s a relief” also seemed very gentle…’

Having such a thought—which the person in question would probably refute with ‘Your memory is being romanticized!’ —Reysir tightened his arms around Karbaldr’s body.

Watching this, Jormungand was conflicted about whether he should tell him to let go of his master now. But to increase his master’s survival rate, it seemed better to stall for time like this, so he let Reysir linger in his sentimental mood.

Thus, after a considerable amount of time had passed…

“Ah… I can’t keep doing this here, can I…?”

As the overflowing emotions subsided, Reysir seemed to regain rational thought, slightly loosening the strength in his arms. But he didn’t immediately get up. He had to think about what to do next.

“It seems about time for the Professors to come out for breakfast. If I periodically drop lightning strikes, would they immediately notice we’re here and come running?”

Karbaldr was still unconscious, deeply asleep. So Reysir murmured this not to discuss with someone, but to organize his own thoughts.

But he received an unexpected answer.

“Meow meow.”

It wasn’t unusual for Jormungand to meow, but the familiar’s finger was pointing upward. When he unconsciously lifted his head, he saw a single, very dense and small raincloud floating in the open sky. Given this, it was enough to count as receiving an ‘unexpected answer.’

“You mean you’ve already left a mark, so I shouldn’t waste Aether on that…?”

“Meow.”

“So it’s no wonder Karbaldr calls you a genius.”

“Mrrya, mrrya~.”

Reysir’s reaction was half amazement and half bewilderment. Jormungand brushed it off with a nonchalant attitude, as if wondering why he was making such a fuss over something so obvious.

Then he took three handkerchiefs from a mysterious orb he always carried. He handed two of them to Reysir, and with the remaining one, he covered his own respiratory tract and tied a knot at the back of his head.

“You’re really smart…”

Reysir admired him once again, then covered his own nose and mouth with a handkerchief. He also placed a handkerchief over the sleeping Karbaldr’s lower face and secured it with a knot.

The cloth didn’t stick perfectly to his face, leaving the sides of his nose bridge raised and the bottom slightly fluttering, so it wouldn’t completely block the sleep powder. But at least it should filter out more than half.

“The Professors will soon know we’re here. Should we just wait for rescue somewhere suitable? Or would it be better to keep moving toward escape?”

He had just confirmed Jormungand’s brilliant intellect. So this time, Reysir spoke not to himself but to discuss. However, Jormungand didn’t respond to his expectation, just shrugged with an indifferent attitude.

“Hmm… But does such a ‘suitable place’ even exist…?”

The first thing that came to Reysir’s mind was a place blocked on at least one side by a solid wall or rock. In such a place, the number of directions to guard would be reduced. Just last week, while ‘Treasure Capsule Hunting,’ Reysir had found such a place, and its location was in his head.

‘But somehow… it doesn’t feel right…!

It wasn’t just reluctance; a strange sense of rejection welled up.