"Got you!" she says with her uncanny smile, her voice like honey laced with poison.
Caster's eyes widen in pure horror, but it was too late now. Before he could even scream or move, his whole face turns into stone, freezing his brain in process. The petrification spreads rapidly, turning his terror-stricken expression into permanent stone.
In just a moment, his whole body turns into a dead stone statue, unmoving, a monument to his foolishness in this dangerous land.
But at the same time—KACHA!...
A scythe comes out of nowhere directly piercing the gorgon's back from behind. The blade sinks deep into her flesh with a sickening sound.
With a shriek that echoes across the plains, the Gorgon turns back to see the attacker. It was none other than Esdeath, stabbing her with her ZK-20 turned into a scythe, while her eyes were closed, relying on her other senses to strike true.
The gorgon immediately pulls back, releasing herself from the stabbed scythe. Huge amounts of green blood ooze out of her back, a deep wound done to her that would have killed lesser creatures instantly.
Without resting a moment, she immediately turns around, running away with her snake-like body below, sliding on the ground with rapid speed like a snake, leaving a trail of green blood behind her.
Maruti immediately ran towards her to finish her off, her eyes closed too but she was relying on her senses to figure out surroundings, her feet moving with purpose.
"No need, just stay close to me," Esdeath says, her voice calm despite the chaos.
Maruti stops immediately and turns around as if asking why? Her expression questioning.
Esdeath just slightly opens her eye to look at Maruti and adds, "They are cowards, mostly likely she won't come back. Wait a few minutes here, just in case," she says, her confidence unwavering.
Maruti nods lightly, trusting Esdeath's judgment.
They both sit together, being on high alert to detect anyone approaching them. Esdeath could even sense that gorgon as well... her presence was growing thinner and thinner as she ran out of her range, like a fading echo.
A few minutes later, Esdeath was sure that there was no danger in opening their eyes now.
"You can open your eyes now," she says in a flat voice and turns to look at Caster—or more accurately, Caster's stone statue for a few seconds and then sighs, a sound of frustration and disappointment.
"Forget it, let's continue our journey," she says, a little disappointed. Caster knew about the current location of humans and where rare time path Essence stones were and some more things.
Of course, Esdeath knew about it as well, but compared to her knowledge FLF which takes place in the future—since in FLF, Ethan took six years to come to Terra Divina—Caster's current knowledge was more valuable.
Still, at least from his statements, she got to know that she would definitely encounter a few Awakened humans and some human slaves on her way.
"I wanna eat," Maruti says in a low tone, a bit out of context, her stomach rumbling slightly.
But Esdeath casually ignored her words like she never heard it in the first place, her focus already on their journey ahead.
After that, they both travel deeper into the vast lands of Terra Divina. If one were to forget about the dangers laying in each corner, it was surely a sight to behold—a fantasy world within a fantasy world.
The purple grass stretched out before them like an endless carpet, and the strange trees with their twisted bark reached toward the sky like ancient guardians.
Since flying was not an option, they either walked in a fast pace or simply ran, to reach their journey as soon as possible. Their feet barely made a sound on the soft ground, their movements efficient and purposeful.
In their way, they encountered several enemies. Some attacked them on the spot, their aggression immediate and fierce. Some were waiting for them to attack first, in return they'll unleash their wrath.
But their response to every kind of enemy was the same—RUN!...
They encounter a blue-colored wide saber-tooth panther, its fur shimmering like sapphels in the strange light—They ran, not even considering a fight.
Ended up falling into a huge pool of mud, which actually turned out to be a creature, like a hybrid of slime and monstrous jellyfish with tentacles that reached for them greedily—But again—they ran away, scrambling out of the pool and leaving the creature behind.
Getting exhausted from all the running, they finally came to a halt, resting below a large tree, their backs pressing against its wood body. The tree was enormous, its trunk so wide that it would take several people to encircle it, and its leaves were a deep shade of purple that seemed to absorb the light around them.
The air was surprisingly warm here unlike the cool temperature everywhere else, a pleasant change that made their tired muscles relax.
In just a few moments, they start having an unnatural thirst to sleep without any care, to sleep for days and rest all day. Their eyelids grew heavy, and their minds felt fuzzy, as if wrapped in cotton.
But it quickly drew both Esdeath and Maruti's attention, their survival instincts kicking in despite the lure of sleep.
Turns out, the tree was actually another Rank A monster—a Soul Devourer Tree. Who was actually slowly feeding on their souls or anyone who came near it, drawing them into a dreamless sleep from which they would never wake.
The moment it realizes that it got exposed, the ground shakes a little. Its thick soul-sucking branches move out of the ground to attack them, reaching like skeletal fingers.
And once again—they ran away!
Without engaging in any fight, their legs pumping as they fled the tree's influence, the sleepiness fading as they put distance between themselves and the soul-devouring monster.
***
Run... Run... And run... After running for more than one and half an hour or so, it was already midnight. The moon in the sky was bright white as always, surrounded by countless stars that glittered like diamonds on black velvet.
It was time to rest and sleep for the night.
After searching for a few minutes, they encountered a cave. Although there were several caves in the surroundings, they had to make sure that the cave wasn't a habitat of some beast or monster.
Thus, the cave they picked was not that big—just big enough for at least four to five people to live inside, which meant that no large, powerful beast or monster could live inside it.
Still, Esdeath first used her senses to detect any presence inside, and then even shot some fireballs, just in case anyone was hiding within. The cave was small, so if anyone were to be inside, they would surely be hit by several fireballs or at least show some reaction to protect themselves.
But nothing happened.
Carefully, they entered inside, taking a clear look at the insides. The insides were mostly flat, with some half-rsmall boulder scattered on the ground. There weren't any worms or insects dangling around, nor any uneven plants that needed to be cut, not even small chunks of stones which could make sleeping difficult.
All in all, it was enough for them to sit and lay down and sleep.
"We'll stay here for the night," Esdeath says, making her judgment.
Maruti only nods, she had nothing else to say anyway.
But at that moment, a loud thunder burst in the clouds, its thunderous voice echoing in the distance. Lightning starts dancing in the sky, illuminating the ground below from time to time, casting eerie shadows across the landscape.
In just a few moments, the rain starts, cold winds begin flowing. Although they both were inside the cave, so it didn't affect them much.
"Now it's raining? What kind of fucked up weather is here?" Maruti shouts in frustration, her voice echoing slightly in the small cave.
"It's good, I guess. Rain will diminish our smell or footsteps, making this place even more secure," Esdeath replies. She stands up, already planning to just lay down and sleep.
But Maruti wasn't ready to rest yet!
"I wanna eat," she says, this time in a heavier tone like stating a fact rather than asking.
"I said it already, bonfire will attract enemies. Wait till daytime," Esdeath scolds her immediately, her patience wearing thin.
But only a smug smirk appears on Maruti's face. "Who said about bonfire!" she says.
At the same time, she pulls her right hand toward her breasts—more accurately, between her breasts, just below the throat. Her hand slips inside, and the next second, a huge lunch box, fully packed up, comes out of her chest as if materializing from thin air.
Esdeath: "..."
For a few seconds, Esdeath just watches Maruti's chest without blinking, her expression one of complete disbelief.
"Are they that big?" she thinks to herself, but it definitely sounded ridiculous. They can't be that big, right?
Seeing her expression, Maruti immediately realizes what was going on in Esdeath's mind.
She quickly covers her chest with her right hand as if protecting her chastity, her face flushing slightly.
"What are you looking at? It was just a simple magic Alice taught me. It's quite similar to space magic," she adds, a bit defensively.
"Ohh..." Esdeath nods in realization.
"So... like how much can you store? And for how long?" Esdeath asks, changing the topic smoothly, her eyes now focused on the lunch box rather than Maruti's chest.
"Time isn't a problem. As long as I have enough mana. As for how much I can store, it doesn't depend upon height but weight. Basically same weight as this large lunch box," Maruti replies, her chest puffing out slightly with pride.
"That's quite a unique spell you got," Esdeath says, slightly impressed despite herself. Her eyes narrow slightly as she tries to understand the mechanics of such magic.
Maruti rubs below her nose proudly but then sighs, "It's not like food would remain as it is. I packed it when we were just departing Solaris. The food won't last long, so it's better to eat it now," she explains, her expression shifting from pride to practicality.
Right now, Esdeath had no choice but agree. With a calm look, she nods in agreement, her expression unreadable but accepting.
Maruti immediately starts unpacking the briefly packed lunch box, and slowly takes out different dishes.
Of course, most of them were meat—a whole fried chicken, grilled meat, rice, twelve boiled eggs, some fruits, and two onions and a small fold of paper which has salt in it, just in case they needed. The array of food was impressive, considering they were in the middle of a dangerous realm.
All in all, the sight of them was enough to make Maruti gulp her saliva in greed, her eyes widening with anticipation.
But there was one problem—the food had grown cold, its appetizing aroma diminished by the chill of their journey.
Thus, instead of making a fire, Esdeath just casually touches the plates below, adjusting the heat without making any fire like she was some kind of electric stove. Her hands glow with a faint orange light as she channels her mana to warm the food.
Soon enough, the fresh hot food was ready, smokes coming out of each of them, filling the small cave with delicious smells that made their stomachs rumble.
Water wasn't a problem. Esdeath now has affinity with water as well. She could produce drinkable water from thin air without an issue.
Even then, Maruti was prepared for that as well—just in case. She had several expendable type Rank E Turn Milk essence stones, their smooth surfaces glowing faintly in the dim light of the cave.
Maruti doesn't like to drink alcohol, smoking, and even normal wines and cold drinks. Other than water, she only drank milk or fruit juice.
Crossing her legs, she gave one last look at the dishes in front of her, her expression one of pure satisfaction.
She channels her mana into turn milk essence stones, producing a huge amount of milk in them, the liquid flowing into a cup she'd also brought from her magical storage.
While at the same time, she starts her feast, eating leg piece of chicken greedily, her teeth strong enough to chew even bone without an issue, but she held back, savoring the taste instead of devouring it whole.
She drank milk time to time, and water just to refresh her taste, alternating between the two as she enjoyed her meal.
While Esdeath just ate a small portion of the food. She was never the person who ate much anyway, her movements economical and precise as she took just enough to sustain herself.
"Phew... Now I can sleep peacefully," Maruti says in satisfaction, rubbing her belly, which was now full and warm.
"Let's see what you do from tomorrow," Esdeath adds, a slight smirk on her face. Since all the food was gone now, they might only get to eat monster or beast meat only.
But now it was Maruti's time to ignore Esdeath's words, her contentment too great to be spoiled by such concerns.
Esdeath cleans up the area, her movements efficient and thorough. She gives one last look at Maruti, who was already curling up, her eyes closed, her breathing already deepening.
And then looks outside. The rain was still happening, few droplets dripping inside the cave, the sound a gentle patter against the stone. Few lightning flashes happening from time to time, illuminating the landscape in brief, brilliant bursts.
She slowly lays down, still looking outside, her eyes growing heavy and then closing entirely, her body relaxing into sleep.
Time passes by. Midnight turns into almost early morning. Maruti was laying comfortably, but her sleep gets disturbed by mumbling words coming into her ears.
She didn't say anything, just opens her eyes and slightly turns back to look at Esdeath.
And to her surprise, Esdeath was sitting cross-legged and talking to... a stone?
Maruti raises her eyebrows in shock. She wasn't dreaming—Esdeath was actually talking while facing the half-circular small boulder in front of her, her expression intense and desperate.
"Shut up... shut up... shut up," Esdeath says, as if controlling herself from not shouting in anger, her hands clenched into fists.
"I said I'm not cheating. I promised to not go deeper into demon's area, and I'm not in the demon Kingdom. I'm still at the outskirts. It's just... uhhh... from the other side. I just used the flaws," Esdeath says, as if giving some kind of excuse, her voice pleading.
"I can never betray Lortell. You know it hurts me as well. I'm trying to get back as soon as possible. I'm not even taking unnecessary fights, just focusing on my goals," she adds, grabbing the stone and shaking it a little, her movements almost frantic.
"Lortell understands me. She knows I'll never betray her trust. I'm her good girl. I always have to be. I can't let her be disappointed in me. I-i... would rather die," she continues, her voice cracking with emotion.
She kept on mumbling, continuing her conversation with the dead stone, her words a mix of defiance and desperation.
Maruti gulps her saliva, a knot of anxiety twisting in her stomach.
But instead of saying anything, she just turns around, curling her body and closes her eyes to sleep again, ignoring whatever Esdeath was doing completely. It was better not to question.
"She definitely lost it," Maruti thinks to herself before going back to sleep.