Inside a pretty, luminescent forest—waves of something magical floated in the air, like a rainbow with gentle lights. The more I looked around the forest, the prettier it became.
It was the same with the sky. I've always appreciated nature, and being able to see the stars in broad daylight was a delight.
Now then…
"Alum!" Miu exclaimed, running.
However, the others stopped her.
"What if that's a skinwalker!?" Jayne yelled.
David and the others gave her a strange look, but proceeded to be cautious. For all they knew, I could be whatever a skinwalker was. I quietly took a bite out of a fruit as they began to whisper among themselves.
Oh? It tastes pretty sweet. And this smell… oh? Could the crystal have been some sort of crystallized sugar?
"When is Miu's birthday?" Tobias suddenly asked.
"The July 7th," I replied.
"How many days until then?" David pressed.
"If a day has supposedly passed, then 115 days from now."
"What date did you all last recall?" David asked the others.
"March 13th…"
"…"
The other quietly glanced at one another, heaving a sigh.
"Okay, that's him alright…" David said.
But then, Miu wondered, "Do you remember when I mentioned the date?" as she poked her index fingers together.
I thought about it for a moment.
"Tanabata or chocolate being allegedly introduced to Europe? Which one?"
"Nji-hihi~ The former. So you do remember…" she giggled. She then approached me, circling me before heaving a sigh in relief. "Seriously… what were you thinking? And that blood…"
"Mm? This? It's snake blood. It cut itself as it passed me, so I thought its smell might deter some predators."
The snake did seem like an apex predator, and I doubt its blood would attract other predators.
"I… see?" Miu didn't seem convinced. "If you say so."
"It knocked down these fruits while it was at it."
Miu took a closer look. "Looks like apples," she said. She conjured water, washing it before taking a bite. "Oh… It's very sweet and refreshing!"
Right? Right?
"Try some too," I said, turning to the others.
They reluctantly took the blue, slightly luminescent fruit. Once they took a bite, their shoulders relaxed.
"This is pretty good… are there more? We could dry this stuff," David said, staring at the forest, adding, "If there are, we could consider sneaking back in."
"No, there aren't."
I lied. There was no reason they had to go back. The pretty snake seemed territorial as well. I could sneak back to kill it later, but I would rather not kill such an adorable thing.
.. ..
Ugh… It's so hot. The hunger is getting to me. But we can't waste the little edible snacks we got…
I couldn't help but groan as I looked up at the sky. This world was pretty strange, all things considered.
Taking out the watch, I looked at the time.
3:23, huh?
Not going to lie, that dude has nice taste in watches. Although everything else about him annoyed me.
I didn't voice these things aloud, but I'm sure people could tell. I especially didn't like how close he was to Miu.
She'd rejected my date invitations so many times, yet I see them hanging out during the days off. Well, given that Noel was with them, it shouldn't have been a date.
I also didn't get what Noel saw in that callous guy. And if Noel wasn't childhood friends with Miu, she wouldn't be hanging around that guy either.
I barely knew anyone…
"What's wrong, Oliver?" Maya suddenly asked.
"No, it's nothing," I replied. "How's it going?"
"Pretty decent, I'd say," Maya shrugged. "We've wrapped most of the stuff with the jackets. Is it about time to head back?"
"Yeah, it's about time. Noel's and David's group should be heading back about now as well. What do you say, Professor? Should this be enough?"
Emely turned toward me, smiling gently. "It should be for a while—just have to hope some of it is edible," she replied.
—I don't understand how they could be related…
"Got it."
And so, we headed out towards where we last split up.
.. ..
It's almost 4 PM, I thought as I checked the time.
Alum's group headed to the forest to the right, and Oliver's to the left. Leaving us to walk directly into the one ahead.
We'd meet up again around here, but I didn't see them. But then, in the distance, Oliver's group appeared with bundles made of hoodies.
"Nice… but now I'm worried about Miu's group…" Julia commented.
"It's fine," I reassured. "Alum's really dependable at times like these?"
"Really?" Lova chuckled. "The guy looks like he barely has survival instincts."
"Ugh…" I groaned, amused by the statement. "I can't argue with that," I added, shrugging.
"Haha. Don't you also cook for him when Emely works overtime?" Daniel asked.
"Of course! Their kitchen is so darn nice, but… it was barely used when I first visited, haha."
"Sounds nice, your stew was really nice too when I tried it during the camping trip," Daniel added.
"Urk… you'll likely get bored with it very soon."
I mean… what else was efficient to make, especially in large quantities? Besides, I doubt we'd find a decent meat source any time soon.
Just as those thoughts crossed my mind, the girls in my group began to run. As I turned around, I saw Alum and Miu's group arrive with bundles.
I couldn't help but sigh in relief; they all seemed okay. When we entered the forest, we heard noises and avoided them. The animals here looked mystic, but probably not friendly.
Still, we found a decent spot. The trees were tall, a more open area further in. There was also a riverbed for good measure. Well, we would have to decide after hearing what the others had to say.
.. ..
After meeting up with the others, Miu's stocks soared. Most of the things gathered were edible. There were mostly fruits and nuts. Only our group caught insects. Though I'm uncertain if they'd be popular. They should contain a decent amount of protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
That said, Oliver returned my watch. "Thanks for letting us borrow it," he said, dropping it into my palm.
I lightly shook my head. "Mm, don't mention it," I replied.
"But I have to ask. How do you even keep track of time?" he asked, frowning slightly.
"I guess," I answered.
He nodded. Not pressing the matter.
Now then, since it would likely get dark soon, we decided to settle where Noel thought was a decent place. It wasn't in the open, nor was it too closed in. The trees were tall, and the branches seemed sturdy.
I understood his logic. It should be safer further up than on the ground or in a cave. But that would put stress on Oliver, Maya, and Lova, the only three able to bend certain flora to their will.
They would need the others' help with materials. It should've been difficult since we didn't have any equipment. But I doubt that it would be a problem when their newfound powers were considered.
"So, what do you think about that plan?" Noel asked, taking yet another bite from a fruit.
"Let's see…" Oliver thought about it and didn't seem opposed to the idea. "Sounds kinda fun, like building a tree house," he replied, munching on the nuts.
"I'll try…" Maya said, unsure but willing, trying not to look at the insects.
"Right. Those who can manipulate the earth and minerals should focus on creating sturdy tools. As for the rest, help gather materials or try to be useful in some way," Noel said as he looked around.
Kevin then said, "Maybe, I dunno, we should try cutting things with water or wind?"
"That… could work," the others agreed, seemingly surprised by his suggestion.
"But I don't want to see any fire or lightning," Emely noted. "If things catch fire, we're screwed."
"Wait… so I'm totally out?" Kevin grumbled.
Everyone burst out laughing. But then, when the topic of elemental powers was in bloom. They all looked at me.
"Wait… what can you even do?" Lova asked bluntly.
The others shared the sentiment.
Mm, now that they mention it. What can I do?
I finished my protein bar. Some of them looked like they had something crawling on their skin.
Going with the flow, I conjured a water ball, shaping it into a jellyfish, crystallized it, then—poff, it turned into water vapors, then to snowflakes.
Interesting. Sublimation and deposition.
"You… got some real nice control," Noel was the first to speak. "Do you have a secondary element or a third?"
I thought about it. "Lightning?" I replied, sparks crackled atop my fingertip, then, like a stable flame, flickering only a little.
"…"
"Bro, how are you controlling it so well?" Kevin raised his voice.
The others seemed to wonder too. I presumed they could all handle it with fine control. But I was supposedly wrong.
"Dunno," I shrugged. "It's a familiar sensation, I suppose?"
"Hmm," Noel thought, stroking his chin.
"In a strange way, doesn't it feel like moving a muscle?" Miu said.
The others fell silent.
"Wait…? You're right…" They agreed.
And then, Emely cleared her throat. "Ahem. We should really start before it gets dark," she reminded.
They all agreed as they finished the fruits and nuts that had been distributed in equal portions. The rest was stored.