Chapter 210 A Much Needed Calm

After enduring the flames, though his major injuries healed, he looked at his hands, finding small sores left from the aftermath as a limit was found in his undying blood.

Vandread mentioned it before, but it really isn’t some sort of ‘immortality’...It has its limits, and they’re clear, he thought.

Catching his breath, he was helped to his feet by his two companions, which Everett worriedly looked back to see the flaming insects refusing to cross the chasm.

“Guess they’re staying in their territory,” Everett remarked.

“...Yeah. Good for us,” Emilio said quietly.

Melisande looked crossed between worried for the young man and mad at him for the risks he took, but sighed and wore a smile, “That was really something.”

“You can say that again,” Emilio agreed.

–

The territory that awaited them was once again an alternate sector of the nebulous Valley of Parmesus; an incredibly dense jungle, packed full of trees, interconnecting branches, and veins that sometimes wound up being serpents.

“Uegh...” Melisande shuttered, sticking close to Emilio.

Everett didn’t have any issue with critters, even poking at the snakes that rested on branches, “Aw, what a cute little guy!”

“D-don’t make it mad!” Melisande barked.

“Huh?” Everett glanced at her, “It’s not going to bite. Relax! Ha-ha!”

Though he didn’t have quite the same phobia of limbless reptiles as the silver-haired girl, Emilio also didn’t care much for poking at them and unintentionally catching a heaping serving of venom in his veins.

“Let’s just find somewhere to camp out for the time being–preferably somewhere not littered with snakes,” Emilio said.

He used his sword to cut through the thick grass that stood as tall as his neck and the vines that drooped down annoyingly.

Each time he swept his blade through the abundant, tall grass, he found bugs jumping out, sometimes landing on his skin, causing him to swipe them off.

Though he wasn’t particularly freaked out by bugs, unless they were arachnids, the same couldn’t be said for Melisande, who evaded them like the plague, continuously mumbling ‘Gross’ or ‘Disgusting’.

As a small piece of land in the midst of the jungle biome was found, clear of the troublesome tall grass, the three decided it was good enough for the time being.

Everett didn’t waste a moment dropping onto his behind, letting out a hefty sigh before loosening his armor for relaxation.

They were all clearly tired, transparent enough through the yawn Melisande let out before sitting down with her back pressed against a tree, keeping her knees close to her chest for comfort.

“...If a snake drops down on me, I’ll scream...” Melisande mumbled.

Before sitting down, Emilio looked around, figuring that he had enough of campsites being disturbed as he clapped his hands together.

Alright, let’s secure this place, he thought.

Standing outside of the mud base, he closed the door with a snap of his fingers, leaving his sleeping companions in there as he scouted the area.

Of course, what was on his mind was finding food. Anytime he uses a considerable amount of mana, a toll was taken on the caloric reservoir of his body.

The result was his stomach growling out as it yearned for more than just the serving of badger meat from last night.

“Well, it should be hard to find something...” He glanced around.

This time around, he made it a personal mission to not get into any deadly confrontation with what should be easy prey, trudging through the nearby area as he cut down the vines in his path,

Swiping his sword through a thick bunch of grass, he found a bearing luscious fruit; orange-skinned spheres that resembled peaches.

“Hmm...”

There was enough incentive not to trust random fruit grown on the plants in the malignant valley, though he was hungry enough to be the guinea pig for the others.

Plucking one of the fruits from the bush, he bounced it in his palm, feeling its light fuzz against his fingertips before giving it a cautious sniff.

Worst comes to worst, the undying blood should overcome any poison...should, he thought.

Sitting down for a minute, he took a large bite from the surprisingly juicy fruit as the sweet nectar squirted against his tongue.

“Oh!”

It was delightful; an unexpected delicacy in the harsh wilderness.

The sweet tanginess of the fruit prompted him to continue eating it, finding himself indulging in it like a fine dessert.

There were a few memories that played in his mind when sitting there and being able to snack on fruit; the carefree days spent with his parents were clear as day in his head.

He remembered how diligently Treyna would take care of the apple trees they grew on their land, and how often Julius would receive a scathing glare from her each time he yanked them from the branches prematurely.

A single tear strolled down his cheek recalling those blissful days of peace; sometimes amidst the exhilarating adventures, he forgot how much he missed his home and those waiting for him.

I’ll be back soon...Then I’ll tell you guys about the wild journey I’ve had, he thought.

After finishing off the lovely, tangerine-esque fruit he’d found that had just a little kick of sourness to it, he picked off as many as he could hold in his arms before heading back.

As the light sprinkle of rain cascaded down his bare torso, he felt a sense of vigor reflowing in his body, cooled by the rich morning breakfast.

Arriving at the temporary camp, he entered the mud-forged base to find Melisande awake, though it looked like it was a recent occurrence as she was in the middle of yawning and adjusting her hair.

“Mornin’...” Melisande yawned.

“Morning,” he smiled.

Sitting down beside the girl, he plopped down the fruits he acquired, which brought a sparkle to Melisande’s eyes as she grabbed one, picking it up.

“You picked these?...Are they safe?” She asked.

He took a bite out of one, swallowing it down with a satisfied smile, “They’re delicious.”

“I’ll take that as a yes then,” she laughed, indulging in a sweet breakfast.