My Strange Savior - Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Gia stopped herself from speaking when she saw Spencer’s face, which was so immaculate that it would be embarrassing to say they had slept and woken up together. 

“Why are you like this?”

Gia asked, pushing a stray strand of hair out of her face.

“Spencer’s behavior, why do you dislike it so much? It seems like he just wants to repay a favor.”

“Ah…”

As Gia questioned, Kalion, who had been trying to find a reason, rolled his red eyes in different directions. 

Kalion also wanted to know the reason. After searching for a justification for a long time yesterday, he couldn’t come up with a proper answer.

“I acknowledge that he received your help. However, if he wants to repay a favor, I think it’s better to work harder, train, and improve his skills. Instead of doing these trivial things and causing a fuss.”

That was the feeble reason Kalion had come up with after much thought. The more he spoke, the more verbose he became, and Kalion wanted to block his mouth with his hand without waiting for permission.

What nonsense is he talking about? Please let it sound convincing.

Kalion looked at Gia without showing his confusion. 

“Ah……. I see. You’re different.”

Unlike Kalion, who was embarrassed, Gia was praising him for being himself.

Kalion let out a quiet sigh at Gia’s pure acceptance. Why is one side of his heart hurting so much? Trying to maintain a blank expression, Kalion quickly folded his words.

Unperturbed, Kalion rose and moved to where Rockt was. Watching Kalion’s perfect back, Gia couldn’t help but admire.

That’s what a leader should be like.

Unintentionally, her opinion of him rose even higher.

* * *

“How much farther do we have to climb?”

Two days had passed since the appearance of goblins and trolls, and there had been no sign of monsters. In the meantime, the wounded members had recovered some of their strength, and the ascent up the mountain was progressing fairly smoothly.

Please, let it continue like this. She made a small wish, but life didn’t always move according to Gia’s desires.

As the season approached winter, the sun was setting earlier and earlier, causing the members to expend their energy more quickly. Climbing the dark mountain was not an easy task, especially since there was no established path through the forest.

It was only natural for the exhausted members to tire easily. Gia anxiously watched the remaining distance to the Dragon Lair and calculated the remaining days.

If the dragon isn’t in the lair, where should they go? She lowered her hand, deciding not to fret about the uncertain future. 

She knew Kalion well enough not to doubt his words. If he said the dragon was in the lair, it was.

The snow-covered mountain peaks still felt far away.

Finally, when a flat plain appeared, the members let out a deep breath. They might not show it, but climbing a treacherous mountain made of constant rocks couldn’t have been easy.

Even Gia, with her steel-like stamina, hadn’t undertaken such a strenuous mountain climb before, and her feet occasionally slipped, only to regain their footing in the snow.

“Phew…”

The chilly wind was almost welcome. The sweat dripping down her forehead and chin from the exertion felt cool against her flushed face, providing some relief.

They all took a moment to rest, checking their gear while rubbing their sore necks. 

“You’ve all been through a lot.”

Gia muttered to herself, feeling somewhat guilty. If only she had captured Morrison before coming here. What if she had aimed for his forehead instead of his shoulder? Would their world still be peaceful?

It’s an irreversible past anyway. Despite the momentary relief, Gia couldn’t help but be flooded with unnecessary thoughts.

Kalion tried to tell her not to worry, that she was thinking too much, but Gia wasn’t sure. She felt like she had no idea what to do.

She gazed at Kalion’s sturdy shoulders as he checked on the members without a break. Meeting him had indeed been fortunate. While they had their differences at first, she couldn’t help but wonder if they would have made it this far with anyone else now.

“Are you okay?” 

The voice that carefully examined Gia’s condition had no fluctuation in tone, but now, Gia could even sense a comforting emotion.

“Yeah. How about you?”

“I’m fine too.”

Knowing that he wasn’t someone to complain easily, Gia stared at Kalion, who had sat down beside her.

“You always say you’re fine.”

“Do I?””

Kalion, who didn’t realize he had such a habit, smiled faintly at Gia’s remark. After two days of arduous marching, their condition was far from great.

Gia wiped her sweaty hair without bothering to clean her face properly.

She gazed at the vast plain that lay before them. With the sun about to set, they had no idea how much farther they could go. It was time to find a suitable place for camping.

As Gia closed her water flask, she stared at a tree that made her feel uneasy. It stood alone on the brown ground, its leaves appearing gray, unlike the other trees they had seen, as if it had absorbed all life around it.

It made her feel uncomfortable, and she considered asking Kalion about it but decided to keep her mouth shut. After all the trouble in the forest, she was now suspicious of everything.

Kalion, who had been resting, got up and started securing his backpack, and the members silently followed suit. They had remarkable trust in Kalion. It was evident how hard he had worked to earn that trust.

As Gia stood up and brushed off her bottom, Spencer approached her. She wondered why he hadn’t come sooner, perhaps because Kalion was with her and he seized the opportunity.

“If you get caught again, he’ll scold you.”

“Why does he scold me?” 

Spencer pouted his lips and expressed his dissatisfaction, making Gia burst into laughter.

Spencer rummaged through his pocket and handed her a piece of paper, then gave her a sly look as if he had secretly brought a snack. 

Where did these snacks keep coming from? Didn’t they distribute them all last time? Maybe he had a magic pouch or something.

Spencer’s behavior, something befitting the youngest sibling, made Gia smile.

“I’ll eat it well.”

Gia carefully opened the paper when no one was looking, and inside, there was a single piece of chocolate, about the size of a thumb.

“Enjoy it yourself.”

“Isn’t it too small to share with someone else?” 

Gia protests, but then nods, smiling at Spencer’s sincerity. She decided to graciously accept Spencer’s gift, understanding his desire to share something he cherished.

She popped the small piece of chocolate into her mouth, savoring the sweet taste as it melted in her mouth. It served as a small boost of comfort and helped dispel the feeling of unease. 

She walked for quite some time.

 It was now getting dark, and the horizon hinted at the sunset, barely clinging to the edge of the sky.

Kalion, who had paused the march, gathered the skilled members for a quick reconnaissance to find a suitable campsite. It didn’t take long for the scattered members to return.

“Oh… What is that?”

Gia asked, turning to Spencer, who had taken advantage of Kalion’s absence to join them.

“Hmm…” 

The leaves of the tree, which Gia had found odd earlier, were now emitting a greenish glow.

About 100 meters away, a tree’s leaves were aglow with an eerie, shifting light, even though there was no wind to cause movement.

Not knowing the cause, Spencer followed Gia’s gaze and looked at the tree producing its light.

“I’m not sure either.” 

Spencer said, scratching his head.

As they were both clueless, an odd sound caught Gia’s ear.

What’s that?

Nobody seemed to have heard it, as the members were sitting and resting as usual, seemingly unaware. They were making the most of their break until they found a suitable campsite.

She must have misheard. Gia looked at the seemingly unaffected people and then shifted her gaze to Kalion and Spencer in succession.

Jeez…

Something was vibrating and trembling, but no one else seemed to hear it. Perplexed, Gia turned her head in various directions, trying to locate the source of the sound, but she suddenly stopped.

“Insane.”

At the abrupt exclamation, Spencer, who was beside her, also raised his head. Gia’s shocked face, fixed in one direction, made Spencer shift his gaze in the same direction.

[Jose and Kayler]

“Mon, mon….”

They had never seen anything like it before. Spencer, with a terrified expression, could only manage to repeat syllables, unable to say anything more.

“It’s a monster!”

Spencer’s exclamation, as if bursting out, drew the attention of the people around him. Members of the group, who had been muttering in confusion, turned their gaze in the direction where Spencer was pointing, and a collective gasp rippled through them.

“Get into a defensive position!”

Rockt, who had just regained his composure, tried to encourage the disoriented members and issued the order, but Kalion quickly retracted the command.

“Everyone, run into the forest!”

Upon Kalion’s orders to descend from the path they had ascended, the members quickly started running, leaving behind their belongings.

Even Gia, who had been momentarily stunned, snapped back to attention. She needed to take the case with the sniper rifle, so she quickly slung it securely on her back.

With Spencer’s wrist still in her grip, Gia pulled him along, heading in the direction that Kalion had indicated.

“Run, you fool!””

A strange monster emitting a rapid green light, resembling a mosquito in appearance, something they had never seen before. 

However, what made it different was that what Gia had initially thought to be leaves were their wings, and their size was equivalent to an adult male’s torso. Moreover, the pouches that were filled with blood were glowing green.

“It’s Jose.”

Kalion, who had approached without Gia noticing, said as he observed the approaching swarm of mosquitoes. The number of mosquitoes was too numerous to estimate, and they filled the sky densely.

Judging from their direction and altitude, the monster’s intentions were abundantly clear.

“Jose?”

As Gia ran rapidly, she questioned Kalion upon hearing the name.

“Yes. Huh. It’s a…huh…monster that feeds on blood. It’s better to…huh…take shelter in the forest.”

“Got it.”

Gia heard Kalion’s labored voice as if his breath was running out, from right beside her.

“It has…huh…paralysis toxin in its tail.”

“Okay.”

A paralysis toxin in its tail. Perhaps it was a creature that captured its prey while it was alive and fed on its blood.

“It won’t be life-threatening, but still, be careful.”