TEOCH 29

The crackling sound of the campfire reached me from the edges of my consciousness. Even though I was wrapped in two layers of blankets, a chill rose from the ground, but thanks to Tristan’s warmth pressed against me, it didn’t feel too cold.

The snoring, likely from Rehas, and the much softer sound of Tristan’s steady breathing weren’t bothersome enough to disturb my sleep. I drifted in and out of shallow slumber, teetering between consciousness and unconsciousness. I was too exhausted to even open my eyes.

How many minutes passed like that? The sound of someone stirring and leaving the tent snapped me back to awareness. Who was going out? Was Rehas tending to the campfire? But that guess seemed wrong. With a hiss, the sound of the campfire being extinguished was followed by the cold from the ground vanishing, replaced by a gentle warmth filling the tent. It was a heating spell.

I was quietly surprised that Damian, who should’ve been the most exhausted, was the first to wake. After putting out the campfire, he returned to the tent and, instead of lying back down, began rustling through our belongings. It seemed he had no intention of going back to sleep.

I figured I should get up too, but when I tried to move, the tight blankets restrained me. Apparently, Rehas hadn’t untied the ropes binding me. Unable to get up on my own, I opened my mouth, and a hoarse, metallic sound scraped out of my throat.

“Damian? You’re awake?”

“Mr. Rohan? Did I wake you?”

“No, I was already awake… Could you come over and untie this? I can’t get up.”

Damian approached, rustling, and let out a small chuckle when he saw me and Tristan wrapped together in the blanket. It must’ve looked comical, like we’d been rolled up in a mat.

I was inwardly relieved that his reaction was just amusement. If Rikiel or Tristan had woken first, it wouldn’t have been so lighthearted. It would’ve been an incredibly awkward situation.

As Damian untied the ropes, I wriggled free and sat up. Thankfully, Tristan was still fast asleep, unaware of anything.

After making sure Tristan was well-covered with both blankets, I shot a glare at Rehas, snoring in the corner of the tent. Honestly, that man had no sense of consideration. Sure, a companion with little regard for propriety or etiquette could be useful, but this was a bit much…

“He brought back quite a lot of firewood. Must’ve been tough,” Damian remarked.

“Firewood? Oh, right.”

I stood and stepped outside the tent. Next to the now-extinguished campfire was a pile of rotten logs. Estimating the amount of firewood used to keep the fire going last night and what remained, I clicked my tongue lightly.

How much firewood had he gathered? Wandering the demon realm alone at dusk while everyone else was asleep…

Looking at Rehas, curled up and snoring in the corner, I decided to forgive his antics (?). His diligence in this regard was enough. Sure, he caused trouble sometimes, but it was bearable.

“Damian, maintain the heating spell for just one hour. After that, until dawn, it’ll be more efficient to use the firewood Rehas brought.”

“That does sound better. Should I meditate until then? Might as well recharge as much mana as I can.”

“Yes, that’d be appreciated.”

After Damian sat to meditate, I stretched to loosen my stiff body. Twisting until my joints cracked, I found myself with nothing to do and blankly scanned the surroundings. Everyone else was asleep, and Damian, in meditation, wasn’t much different from sleeping.

Should I sleep more or find something to do? As I pondered, my thoughts drifted to our remaining parasites.

‘Come to think of it, I forgot to check how many parasites we have left. I should figure out what kinds we have for future strategies.’

I stood and approached the pile of belongings in the corner. If memory served, we’d collected at least forty parasites over the past few days. Most were unidentified, but the more parasites, the better. They could be used as emergency healing items in life-or-death situations or infused into the corpses of useful demon beasts.

Rehas didn’t use more than necessary, did he? I picked up the sack of parasites tucked neatly in the corner. Feeling them wriggling vigorously inside, I figured there were still plenty left. Relieved, I opened the sack.

And then, the next moment…

“Ahem, everyone. Starting today, we’ll move north to train against spider-type demon beasts. Originally, we’d have gone with better equipment and more preparation, but… due to an unfortunate incident, we’ll have to start combat in a slightly unstable state. Please bear with it.”

The next morning, after everyone woke, I gathered my companions and calmly explained the upcoming schedule. Damian pretended to look elsewhere, while Tristan and Rikiel stared at my feet, unsure what to do. Rehas, crumpled at my feet under a blanket, only groaned in discomfort.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have much time. This safe zone closes tomorrow. So today, we’ll fight in the north while searching for a temporary base to stay in. Understood?”

“…”

“Oh, and a warning: no matter how curious you are about a parasite’s properties, don’t synthesize all of them. If incompatible parasites get synthesized or ones with awkward properties combine, it’s a complete waste.”

“…”

“When synthesizing parasites, at least one should be identified. Only synthesize if the identified parasite has highly versatile abilities or is utterly useless. Got it, Rehas?”

“…Got it,” Rehas answered in a small voice from my feet.

Satisfied, I released him. Rehas rolled out from under my feet, and I sighed lightly, placing my hands on my hips. Scolding him first thing in the morning left my body aching, but seeing his dejected look eased my frustration a bit.

Sure, Rehas’s synthesis of the ‘Suffocation Prevention’ parasites helped us escape the ground wasp nest, but I couldn’t forgive him for using forty-two out of our forty-five carefully collected parasites.

If the synthesis had been a disaster, I’d have kicked him out of the safe zone without hesitation. Luckily, the results were decent enough, so I let it slide with just a lecture.

“Rohan, you’re scarier than I thought…”

“Indeed, hyung.”

“Don’t whisper where I can hear you, Your Majesty. How’s your arm? Healed?”

“Hm? Oh, it’s fine now. The paralysis is gone too.”

Tristan slipped behind Rikiel, and I gave a wry smile, shrugging. His complexion was brighter than yesterday, which was a relief. I’d worried his injury might make him sick, but thankfully, he looked healthy this morning. Clearing my throat, I continued.

“Good. From now on, we all need to work together. Since fighting demon beasts is new for most of you, be as cautious as possible. Our goal isn’t to kill enemies but to train. If things get dangerous, prioritize escaping quickly. No reckless moves. Understood, Your Majesty?”

“Understood.”

“And unless it’s absolutely necessary to act independently, follow my instructions. I might make mistakes, but I know more about this place than you do. Got it, Sir Rikiel?”

“…Got it.”

They nodded tensely, and I looked at them with concern. Honestly, the real challenge starts now. The journey so far was brutal for a tutorial, but it was still within predictable scenarios with a few variables.

Now, we’re entering uncharted territory. A five-person combat system, new companions, Tristan’s ‘Purification’ ability—all of it is new. How to fight with two main damage dealers, what Rehas and Tristan’s combat styles are, how to handle enhanced demon beasts… We’ll have to learn through trial and error this cycle.

‘I hope we can at least go far this time.’

Hoping to clear the tutorial stage, I distributed equipment. Tristan got a ‘Paralysis’ and ‘Swift Attack’ sword, Rikiel a ‘Counterattack’ and ‘Regression’ sword, and I took a ‘Vampirism’ and ‘Bombardment’ sword. Most weapons were enhanced by stacking multiple parasites of the same type.

Since a mage’s staff depends more on its enchantments, Damian kept his ‘Confusion’-enchanted staff. As for Rehas… since he’d already synthesized plenty of arrows, I let him use those. He gave an awkward smile and looked away, and I sighed, trying to ignore him.

Next was armor distribution. Basic armor and helmets were infused with multiple ‘Iron Wall’ parasites for high defense, but since Damian and Rehas had low base defense and could die in one hit even with armor, they got ‘Suffocation Prevention’ helmets. The helmets weren’t great, but they allowed them to focus without constantly purifying toxic air, making it a decent choice.

As Rikiel put on the parasite-infused heavy armor, he hesitated before speaking.

“By the way, Rohan.”

“Yes?”

“If I wear this armor, what happens when I need to use the ‘Flight’ ability? I can’t take it off during combat.”

“No need to worry too much. This is demon realm armor. Unlike human-world steel armor, parasite-infused armor regenerates even if damaged. Durability might be an issue, but it’s not a big concern.”

“I see. Still, I’ll be careful.”

Rikiel nodded hesitantly, but I spoke calmly. It was a warning I’d have to give eventually, so I figured now was as good a time as any.

“No, it’s better to avoid using it unless absolutely necessary.”

“Why?”

“You felt the aftereffects yesterday. ‘Flight’ and ‘Enhancement’ parasites put a heavy strain on the host’s body. Plus, using them requires fuel, which means you’ll need to eat more.”

“But if eating more avoids dangerous situations, isn’t that worth it?”

“Relying on parasites too much will cause trouble later. Food’s plentiful now, but later, a single missed meal could leave us struggling. And…”

I instinctively touched my side. The ‘Counterattack’ parasite there had never been used properly, and I didn’t want to. While parasite-infused areas could regenerate from injuries, and I didn’t regret implanting it, still…

“If you misuse a parasite while starving, it’ll end up consuming us.”

Rikiel fell silent. I shrugged lightly and started walking.