A World Unwritten

Rubbing the sting marks on my arm, I walk back towards our makeshift camp, the moon casting an ethereal glow around me. The cool water against my wounds felt somewhat soothing, but it did nothing to diminish the pain that still throbbed within me. My whole body is still tingling from the Eif stings, a not-so-gentle reminder of Ilka's 'training'.

Back at camp, Isadora is still on guard, her sword moving with practiced precision in the moonlight. She stops as I approach, her gaze briefly lingering on my pale face and slumped posture. There's a brief flicker of something in her eyes, surprise perhaps, but it's gone before I can truly identify it.

"Don't worry, I was just training," I assure her, hoping my voice doesn't betray the lingering pain coursing through me. A part of me was expecting her to say something, to ask if I was okay, but she remains silent, going back to her sword practice without another word. Haha I guess that's to be expected with her. Well at least she cared enough to take a glance, It must be because I'm the cook, If I were to die here she would probably be eating grass.

I sigh, a little frustrated at her indifference. Maybe I expected too much from her. "Alright, you two, we're switching. Don't fall asleep," I say to Rai and Arin who were resting nearby. Despite the fatigue pulling at my limbs, I force myself to stay awake until they take their positions.

Arin, squints at me, his brows furrowing with curiosity. "Hey, are you okay? Did you get sick?" he asks, his eyes scanning my pale complexion.

I shrug off his concern, forcing a weak smile onto my face. "Nah, don't worry about it. I was training. Hey, Isadora, time to sleep," I call out to the silent warrior who is still swinging her sword, not a single bead of sweat on her. She simply nods in response, laying down and closing her eyes without uttering a single word.

I sigh, turning back to Rai who's rubbing his eyes sleepily. "Hey, make sure you don't fall asleep, and keep an eye out for the forest," I instruct, the words coming out as a yawn. Rai raises an eyebrow in question, but I simply wave him off. "Just keep an eye out," I repeat before collapsing onto the makeshift leaf bed, surrendering myself to the fatigue pulling at my eyelids.

When I wake up the next morning, my body is sore and stiff, a stark reminder of the previous night's ordeal. I stretch, trying to alleviate the discomfort, only for a dull ache to spread throughout my limbs. I groan, forcing myself to sit up and take in my surroundings. God, I miss my bed, my back still hurts.

The sun is barely peeking over the horizon, the morning sky painted with hues of pink and orange. Most of the group is still asleep, their soft snores filling the otherwise quiet morning. A few figures, however, are already awake. Isadora, in her usual corner, is occupied with balancing coconuts on top of one another. What? I didn't know she actually tried to have fun. Further away, Kaida and Flora are immersed in what seems like meditation, their eyes closed and expressions serene.

Deciding to let them be, I shuffle towards Isadora, who doesn't seem to notice my approach. "Hey," I greet, getting no response. She continues balancing the coconuts, her focus unyielding. I sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. "What are you doing?" Isadora doesn't ignore me anymore, although she takes quite a while to answer at times.

After a beat, she responds, "Training."

I tilt my head, resting my chin on my palm as I study her. I suppose in some convoluted way this could be considered training. I was hoping she was just playing around but I guess that would never happen.

I rub my sting-inflicted arm again, casting a sideways glance at Isadora. I hesitate for a moment before uttering, "Hey, I'm going to head into the forest, are you willing to tag along?" I half expect her to ignore me again, but to my surprise, she drops all the coconuts she's been carefully balancing and nods. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Right then..." I mutter, turning my attention to the other early risers.

"Hey, Flora, Isadora, and I are going to check out the forest, we'll be back in 2 to 3 hours," I call out, approaching the meditating figure. The peace that clung to her like an aura is broken by her startled twitch, and her eyes snap open, revealing confusion and surprise.

"H-Hey, V," she stammers, "don't scare me like that. You guys are heading into the forest? Isadora? I didn't know you were that close to her. How did you do that?" She asks, surprise coloring her voice. I shrug off the surprise, keeping my tone casual.

"I asked her and she agreed, simple as that," I reply. Her reaction is not surprising, everyone believes that Isadora is some sort of emotionless training-obsessed being.

"Shouldn't we explore it with the whole group?" Flora questions, her eyes darting to Kaida, who looks equally startled.

"That's right, it would be safer if we all head in there together," Kaida chimes in.

"Look, everyone else is still asleep. We don't plan to head that deep, I just want to catch something to eat," I explain, my tone firm yet reassuring. "While we're gone, don't let the others head into the forest."

Both of them look at each other before collectively sighing. "Okay, it's not like we can stop you," they respond.

Grateful for their understanding, I head back to Isadora, who's now drinking coconut water. It's dripping down her cheek, and for a fleeting moment, I consider telling her. But I decide against it, she seems... content, yea it's best to let her enjoy it. "Alright, let's go. Let's try to hunt something before the rest of them wake up," I say instead. She doesn't respond, simply gets up and follows.

Our footfalls echo quietly in the forest as we proceed. We're aiming for a boex – a rare beast known for its sturdy tusks and high mana conductivity. They're about the size of a mountain lion, strong but with relatively weak senses. After about an hour of a steady jog, we reach a river. It's sizeable, but the flow isn't that strong, if we're going to find one, it's going to be near a river.

"Alright, Isadora," I say, catching my breath and sweeping my gaze across the river. "If we're going to find something to eat, it's going to be around here."

★

With the game plan in place, Isadora climbs up the tree in silence, poised and ready. I watch her ascend, my thoughts stirring anxiously. I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins, quickening my heart rate as I prepared for the plan we'd laid out.

"Alright, listen. You see that thing?" I point out the Boex we'd been tracking, hidden amongst the forest underbrush, blissfully unaware of our presence. "It packs quite a punch, it's highly sensitive to mana and aura however its other senses are horrible. Our weapons are crude and made of wood so unless we cover them in aura we won't be able to penetrate its hide."

I continue to explain the plan, pointing out to a tree that'd provide a good vantage point. I could see Isadora's brows furrow slightly, her gaze focused as she took in every word. Her silence was reassuring. She was a woman of few words, but I knew she wouldn't let me down. If there is anyone I trust in my class, its Isadora, no one can compare to her in terms of power.

As the plan was set in motion, I felt a slight hesitation creeping in. Could I really take the hit from the Boex? I had no doubt about Isadora's abilities, but would my bones break from such an impact? There's no way, right? I mean I'm constantly filling them with aura.

[Haha, no way. Are you afraid of a simple Boex?]

Tsk, Shut it you damn bastard, why didn't you tell me you could show me any living creatures nearby earlier!? Is it your job to be useless!?

[Haha, So what?]

[That feature is only temporary for your examination]

You could've told me though... "Here goes nothing," I mutter to myself, releasing a slight amount of aura to draw the Boex's attention. I watch as its head snaps towards my direction, its eyes suddenly alert. For a moment, it seems as if it's going to turn tail and run, and my heart drops at the possibility. But then, it plants its feet firmly on the ground, taking a moment to gauge the situation before launching itself at me.

"Oh fuck me," I mutter as I see it charging straight at me. Its tusks gleaming under the sunlight, making it look all the more formidable. I grit my teeth and steel myself for the impact, praying Isadora would take the cue and make her move.

"Here it comes," I brace myself, my body coated in aura as I prepare to tank the charge. Every second feels like a minute as I wait for the inevitable clash. Thoughts of 'can I really hold him for two minutes' dart through my mind, but it's too late for doubts now. The Boex's charge is fast and powerful. There's no room for error here. We have one shot at this, and it's now or never.

[You wont die due to a simple Boex]

[Why are you exaggerating?]

[●_●]

Fuck you! You're not the one getting hurt!

The second the Boex makes contact with my makeshift aura-covered sword, I'm pushed back about three meters. My arms tremble against the force of the Boex's charge, every muscle straining to keep my ground. The strain on my body is nearly unbearable. I grit my teeth, clinging desperately to the sword in my hand, willing my body not to give in.

After what feels like a century, the weight lessens, and I know Isadora has done her part. I glance at the Boex to see Isadora's sword lodged perfectly between its shoulders, the creature collapsing onto the ground with a loud thud. Relief washes over me, and I fall to the ground, panting and trying to catch my breath. "Damn... my arms hurt quite a bit," I groan, wincing as I try to move my trembling arms.

Isadora just stands there, her gaze shifting between me and my sword. I can see the confusion in her eyes, and I can't help but chuckle. "Hey, I might not be as good as you, but I'm more than capable of keeping my sword intact," Haha, this girl. She thinks it's weird my sword didn't break, not that I blame her, I covered Umbra over it after all. Dammit that hurt, although I could've cut it with a single slice everyone would've been questioning me, especially the professors. She remains silent, simply looking at the fallen Boex before uttering a single word. "Food?"

"Haha, that's right," I sigh, watching as she effortlessly hoists the Boex onto her shoulders. I have to admit, I'm a bit taken aback by her strength, but I don't let it show. "Alright, let's hea-"

I'm interrupted by the ground shaking beneath us. My heart lurches as I turn to see a much larger Boex barrelling towards us. I exchange a glance with Isadora before we start running, the fear and urgency clear in both of our eyes. 'Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! What the hell is that!? I don't remember adding that to the novel! Fuck! Shit! It's catching up! Shit, is it a mutated one!? or is it evolved!?' I mentally curse, my thoughts whirling in panic as we sprint through the forest.

Despite the terror, Isadora still clings to her precious kill, not letting it drop even as we're being chased by the gigantic beast. I find it a bit ridiculous, but there's no time to voice my thoughts. The adrenaline in my system gives me the strength to push past the fatigue and soreness from earlier, my only focus on getting away from the charging monster behind us.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the sounds of the charging Boex seem to fade, and I dare to slow down and turn around, only to find that we've lost it. Panting heavily, I slump against a tree, relief washing over me. "That... was too close," I wheeze, glancing at Isadora who seems to have weathered the chase far better than I did. Fuck, why is there something like that here system?

[It was always here]

What the hell do you mean? How is that possible? Hey, answer me you shitty system!! Fuck! I hate when you do this.