Disconnected

Chapter 5: Untold Beginning (pt.5)

"We're getting close," Serein muttered to herself.

She held back a tired sigh as she continued to carry the knight on her back, navigating the forest's treacherous terrain. 

While her stamina wasn't lacking, the challenge of bearing the weight of someone nearly twice her size during each leap from branch to branch left her feeling drained. Not to mention, she had to be careful not to slip and send them both tumbling to their doom below, where thick acid awaited, ready to devour them as nourishment for the forest.

The acrid smell of the acid rose up, making them both slightly lightheaded. Serein couldn't help but wonder how they'd ended up in this perilous situation.

‘Well, either way,’ she thought, "we're almost there."

As they moved deeper into the forest, they could hear the sound of rushing water. Finally, they reached the top of a massive waterfall.

"What now, Guide-min?" Cherry asked with a hint of anxiety.

"We're going to jump," Serein replied calmly, her voice belying the gravity of her words.

"Jump?!" Gil, the young knight, exclaimed, gripping Serein’s shoulder as if trying to dissuade her from carrying out the audacious plan. "We can't even see the bottom of it! Are you out of your mind!?"

In return, Serein stared back at him with an unimpressed expression.

"For a dying person, you sure are a chatterbox," she deadpanned. "Look at your companion; she's not even complaining."

Cherry, though filled with doubt, remained silent, trying to peer through the thick fog below. She had chosen to trust this strange person for now, so her only question was, "We're not going to die if we do as you say?"

Those magenta eyes locked onto the hazel ones, seeking confirmation as they heard their knight and friend cry out, "Cherry!"

The two of them brushed aside Gil's protest as Serein responded with a simple nod and an ominous grin. 

"See you down there."

With that cryptic farewell, Serein took the plunge, with Gil clinging to her like a lifeline. Cherry hesitated for a moment, then followed suit, her terrified scream echoing in the forest until they both made a massive splash in the water below.

‘How strange,’ Serein thought. This feeling of being submerged in water was quite unusual for her. Typically, at this point in her dreams, Min Suhyun would awaken and begin to document her experiences in real life, turning them into drafts for her novels.

Curiosity piqued, Serein wondered to herself, 'If I were to drown in this oasis, would it wake me up?' She had never tried such a thing before, but whenever she died as a character in her dreams, like she was experiencing now, she would usually wake up abruptly.

But Serein didn't dwell on this thought for long. The sensation of being pulled on her back brought her back to her senses. Following the path of the rising air bubbles, she swam in that direction.

"PWAH!"

A series of coughs followed, along with another splash as Cherry emerged from the water.

"Cherry... Are you okay?" Gil asked, concerned for his lady.

"I'm fine. You?"

"I'm okay."

Relieved that they were both unharmed from the fall, they soon realized something peculiar.

"You should also feel no pain anymore now, little lamb," Serein remarked.

Gil blinked, noticing that the pain in his severed limb had indeed disappeared. Cherry, quick-witted as ever, put two and two together.

"Is it this water?"

Serein offered a nod of confirmation.

"Correct. The poison above and the poison in this part of the land are different. This 'lake' is the only place where the two of them meet and form an antidote. Which is why—"

She trailed off, sensing that they were not alone. The monsters they had encountered earlier had joined them by the oasis.

"The monsters...!" Cherry exclaimed, gripping her staff in a defensive stance, despite her depleted mana.

"It's okay," Serein reassured her, placing a hand on Cherry's tense shoulder. "They won't attack us as long as we remain peaceful."

Gil was equally surprised but soon realized that Serein was right. None of the monsters seemed interested in harming them. They merely observed the smaller creatures in their midst without aggression.

"They're not attacking? Huh?" 

“But How—?”

Cherry and Gil were incredulous but had no choice but to accept the situation, even spotting one of the monsters that had eluded their group earlier.

"You see, this place is like a sanctuary," Serein explained as she signaled for Cherry to follow.

"This forest is their home but also a great danger to them. This 'oasis' is their only refuge if they can't make it home before sundown."

The young adventurer continued speaking as she swam to the lake's edge, still supporting Gil with one arm.

"Everyone in this forest knows they can't survive the harsh environment here, so there's an unspoken agreement not to harm smaller creatures in this sacred place, at least during the night."

Serein led them into a cave behind the waterfall. It was the safest spot to rest, as the fragile peace would likely shatter with the coming dawn.

"I understand," Gil said as he was placed on the ground. Serein immediately began to provide first aid to his severed limb. With the poison neutralized, he would start bleeding again.

Once inside the cave, Serein attended to Gil's wound, expertly cleaning and bandaging it. She couldn't help but notice Cherry's pink hair, now exposed.

‘Her princess identity is worth more than one's life,’ Serein thought, impressed by Cherry's choice to save her friend instead of using the little mana she had left to save herself and conceal her appearance.

After all, Cherry's pink hair was a clear sign of her noble heritage, and revealing who she is to a stranger like Serein might bring more danger to this already hazardous venture. But she didn't seem to mind it, which showed her resilience and selflessness.

"Ah, thank you so much," Gil finally said, grateful for the temporary treatment.

"200 gold coins don't sound so expensive now, huh?" 

Serein was amused by Gil's reaction to that.