TEOCH 44

The ‘Island of the River’ was one of the easier islands to explore among the twelve. Not only was it smaller than the other islands, but the large and small streams distributed throughout the entire island made it easy to get drinking water. Moreover, this island had a powerful advantage that the other islands did not, which was none other than the existence of a ‘landmark.’

“This is truly an incredible river… Where on earth is all this water flowing to?”

“It must flow to the sea. Just like all other rivers do.”

“…The sea?”

“Have you forgotten? There is a sea beneath our feet. Though it’s hard to really feel it since it’s so dizzyingly far away.”

Rikiel shook his head as if he was fed up, but the other companions admired the river spread out before them with expressions of wonder.

We were observing the river while hiding our bodies in the forest to avoid being spotted by monsters. This wide and deep river began from the top of the northern mountain and flowed through the entire island. Our current location was the southern part of the island, in other words, the lower reaches of the river. The river was so wide and the current so strong that it would be difficult to swim across without considerable resolve.

It was a bit disappointing that we couldn’t freely cross between the east and west of the island because of the river, but it was actually an advantage in that it reduced the worry of getting lost.

In a forest so dense that the sky is not visible, it is easy to get lost with just one small mistake. But if you use such a large river as a landmark, you can greatly reduce the chances of getting lost, making it the perfect condition for exploring without wandering.

“We will proceed with our exploration while heading upstream. We will move along the river, but let’s walk while hiding our presence in the forest as much as possible.”

I said as much and looked around. Both humans and monsters prefer the riverside where it is easy to get water, so if you stroll along the riverbank without a thought, like you are on a walk, you are likely to become prey for monsters that have come for a drink. Using the river as a landmark but not getting too close to it was the key to safety. Of course, the forest wasn’t unconditionally safe either, but at least we wouldn’t be spotted by monsters.

“How long will it take to reach the upper reaches? For a river this large, it seems like it will take quite a while.”

“Yes, it will definitely take a long time. It will be impossible to reach the upper reaches within today, so let’s slowly look for a temporary shelter as we go up.”

Rikiel nodded and hoisted Damian onto his back. Perhaps because he had been bitten by fleas five times, Damian’s right calf was so swollen it was practically paralyzed. It couldn’t be helped, since leveling up restored stamina but didn’t heal wounds.

In the end, unable to watch Damian walk with a limp, Rikiel decided to carry him, but… it seemed Damian wasn’t the only one who needed rest right now.

Rikiel, at least, hadn’t been bitten a single time thanks to his passive skill, but the other companions, aside from Rikiel, all wore their flea and louse bites like medals.

I myself had bite marks on my right arm and shoulder, and Rehas seemed to have been bitten multiple times on his back, judging by the way he kept scratching it. Tristan wasn’t scratching anywhere in particular, but since he fought with fleas on his left arm and side during the battle earlier, that area must be stinging quite a bit by now.

‘They’re not that serious, but it’s probably better not to overdo it, right?’

The sun would be setting soon anyway, so for now, the priority is to find a temporary shelter to spend the night and rest. It seems like it will take quite a while to find a shelter that is not far from the river and also not visible to monsters.

Trying my best to ignore the throbbing sensation in my swollen right arm, I led my companions and silently walked on.

“My, oh my… Setting aside the heat, the air is so humid it feels awfully sticky.”

“Don’t roll up your sleeves, Rehas. The plants here are poisonous. You could get poisoned if you accidentally brush against a leaf.”

“Tch. Damian, is there such a thing as a fire that’s cooler than body temperature? Since you can control the temperature of fire, can’t you make something like that?”

“If that were possible, I would have done it long ago, don’t you think…?”

Rehas grumbled and buttoned his sleeves, while Damian, carried on Rikiel’s back, let out a long sigh.

We had been walking through the forest for hours, drenched in sweat. The temperature itself was probably not much different from the tutorial stage, but the humidity and heat surrounding us were tightening their grip on our throats.

The last stage had also been hot and humid, but at least that was an open plain. A single cool breeze would make it much more bearable. In contrast, this place was an environment where heat and moisture were easily trapped because of the surrounding trees and grass. Even though the sun was setting, the heat trapped by the tropical forest showed no signs of cooling down easily.

“Y-You must be having a hard time, right? Should I get down now?”

“This much is fine. By the way, I feel like I want to jump into that river right now, even if it means being discovered by monsters…”

“Your skin will rot. Endure it.”

At my retort, Rikiel scowled and readjusted Damian on his back. Of course, I wasn’t unaware of Rikiel’s feelings. Having a warm person on his back must make him feel much hotter and more humid than the others. But the water in the demon world is contaminated, and if it’s not sufficiently purified, just touching it can have adverse effects on the skin.

“I feel like I want to at least wash my hair. If this keeps up, my whole body might become infested with lice and fleas like that bird from before.”

“…!”

“There are no human-world bugs here, so you don’t have to worry about that, but we definitely need to wash up. It’s so hot it’s hard to even breathe properly.”

Rikiel had a fit at Tristan’s casual remark, but I didn’t even have the energy to chuckle. To be honest, this was not the time for leisurely jokes about washing up.

We just couldn’t find a suitable temporary shelter. I’m not asking for much. A safe clearing wide enough for five people to lie down in, that’s all I need, but even that is hard to find.

Most of the clearings we found had traces of other monsters, and the places without monster tracks were either too small or unsuitable for spending the night.

I let out a long sigh and turned my back on the clearing I had just found. At a glance, it looked like a pretty good place, but on closer inspection, I saw five fist-sized eggs buried in the middle.

As we hastily turned away from the clearing, we heard the fluttering sound of wings from beyond. If we had been just a little later, we would have been attacked by the mother bird returning to her nest.

“At this rate, the sun will set… We just can’t seem to find a good spot.”

I grimaced, clutching my swollen right arm. I had given it some light first aid before exploring the forest, but perhaps because of the sweat seeping in, the wound was stinging unbearably and a disgusting heat was rising from it.

Just washing the sweat-soaked wound clean would make it feel much better, and as that thought crossed my mind, I too became desperate for water. If only I could wash myself, I would do anything…!

“Rohan, look over there!”

As I was hurrying my steps with a sense of urgency, Rehas’s excited voice, as if he had discovered something amazing, echoed loudly through the forest. I was about to hastily cover Rehas’s mouth, worried that a monster might hear the noise, but as soon as I turned my gaze in the direction he was pointing, my jaw dropped as well.

“Wouldn’t this be enough to stay for a night? There are no particular signs of monsters either…”

“We should check a little more just in case, but still, this is an excellent shelter.”

A slightly blunt remark came out due to my usual habit, but to be honest, it was an unexpected windfall. The clearing that had appeared before our eyes was the perfect size for five people to rest.

There was no specific body odor that monsters tend to leave in their territory, and not a single monster footprint remained on the soft dirt ground. The thought that it might be a trap dug by some monster did cross my mind for a moment, but if that were the case, Rehas would have noticed before me. The ‘Spider’s Eye’ skill wasn’t for nothing, after all.

I immediately gave Damian a signal with my eyes. While he, now off Rikiel’s back, cast a detection spell, I gazed in admiration at the small stream flowing at the edge of the clearing. I had only hoped for a small clearing where we could rest our bodies, but to get drinking water and water for washing as well, today was truly a lucky day.

“The water is really clean. If we purify it properly, we could probably drink it. I didn’t expect there to be such a good place…”

“With water this clean, we could wash ourselves.”

“Yes. Since it’s come to this, let’s all at least wash our hair. Everyone looks a right mess after breaking through the tropical forest.”

Rikiel finally gave a satisfied smile, and I too let out a sigh of relief and looked at Damian. When Damian, who had finished his detection spell, smiled brightly and nodded, I drew a magic circle on the ground without hesitation.

In the meantime, Rehas laid a waterproof sheet on the ground, and Tristan placed the ladybug shell he was carrying on his back on top of it, then returned it to its original size. Rikiel spread the remaining waterproof sheet and covered the top of the shell.

With everyone moving busily, the preparations for our temporary shelter were finished in an instant, and we all turned our gazes towards the stream at the same time, as if by agreement. I rummaged through my luggage, took out a large gourd, and said to the party.

“Alright, let’s wash up one by one. I have to purify the water for each person, so washing our whole bodies is out of the question. For now, let’s be satisfied with washing our hair and cleaning our wounds.”

“Let’s do that. Then… who should go first?”

“Let’s start with the person with short hair who can finish quickly. Your Majesty, would you come here?”

The other companions nodded as if they agreed with my decision. It would take a major effort to wash Damian’s long, flowing hair, and Rikiel and Rehas also had rather long hair for men. Come to think of it, I was the one with the shortest hair in the group, but since I was planning to wash last anyway, I decided to have Tristan wash first.

I filled the gourd to the brim with water and imbued it with the energy of purification. The water, which had a clear violet hue, instantly became transparent. After confirming that the water was completely purified, I looked at Tristan.

I thought Tristan would immediately bow his head, but his reaction was completely different. No, come to think of it, that might be the right thing to do, but still, it was so sudden…!

“W-What are you doing right now?!”

Tristan took off his shirt without a moment’s hesitation.

The moment the unhesitatingly revealed fair skin came into my view, I screamed without realizing it.