"now what..." Illya said. She rubbed her head affectionately against Fyar’s shoulder.
"If this is a dungeon, then there must be a portal to exit," Fyar answered calmly.
"You read novels, right... so... usually when characters get lost, what do they do...?"
"Those are novels, Fyar... how could they possibly be applied to the real world..." Illya replied.
"Who knows?" Fyar smiled faintly.
Illya sighed. "Well... usually they panic... and get tense... then there’s a monster... and they well... make it out... and survive..."
"I see. Do they also talk about their hobbies? Or treat it like a vacation?" Fyar asked.
"No, they’re normal," Illya answered. "Only weird people treat this as entertainment."
"You’re right... I wonder who those weird people are?" Fyar asked in a teasing tone.
"Hmm... a party filled with weird people? Hmm," Illya answered.
Illya then fell silent for a moment. Her face turned worried. Her brow furrowed.
"But I’m seriously worried, Fyar..."
"What if we don’t find the portal or even if this isn’t a dungeon? How do we find the portal and-"
Before Illya could finish her sentence, Fyar gently covered the girl’s mouth with his hand.
"We can definitely get out of here, Dear," Fyar said.
"I understand your frustration and fear. But..."
Fyar paused for a moment before continuing. "What choice do we have now?"
"Are we going to be scared and despair throughout the journey or accept our fate? Or do what we can and not give up on the situation?"
Illya was silent. She buried her face in Fyar’s chest.
Fyar kissed Illya’s head and stroked her hair.
"Listen, Illya. Our probability of getting out of here is higher if we keep looking for an exit. And not worry about what if... what if..."
"Just focus on what is here now, this moment. While trying to get out of here. The future is uncertain. And if we are destined to get out of here, then we will get out of here."
"If there is danger, then we will face it together. Remember there’s me, Zaefal, Rasie, Illya, and Cyhas. You are not alone. We are all scared. But again... what choice do we have."
Fyar whispered. "Hey... look at me."
"Look at me."
Illya slowly lifted her face and looked into Fyar’s eyes. Her face looked worried and weary.
Fyar touched Illya’s cheek gently.
"I’m here. We will get out of here. Stop worrying about the uncertain future and focus on what we can do. Understand?"
Illya nodded slowly. "I understand."
Fyar then leaned down and kissed Illya’s lips briefly.
"Thank you."
Illya smiled faintly again. She rested her head on Fyar’s neck. "Don’t tell anyone about me being like that, okay."
Fyar chuckled. He went back to stroking Illya’s hair gently. "I understand."
On the other side, Cyhas leaned alone against a large mushroom tree. Her gaze was fixed on the night sky full of beautiful blue Auroras. The comfortable cold air pierced her skin.
Footsteps were heard approaching. It was Zaefal and Rasie.
"How are you holding up?" Zaefal asked. He sat on Cyhas’s right.
"You seem better," Rasie said, sitting on Cyhas’s left.
Cyhas nodded. She looked at Rasie. "Yes... thank you, Lady Rasie."
Then she looked at Zaefal. "Thank you, Mr. Zaefal. Thank you for taking care of me."
Zaefal nodded. "No problem."
"When are we leaving, Zaefal, and where to after this?" Rasie asked. She propped her chin on her hand.
Zaefal sighed. "Let’s rest here for another fifteen minutes."
Zaefal then looked at Illya and Fyar who were sitting together. "For the next step, I’ll discuss with Fyar. If this is really a dungeon, we’ll look for a portal to get out of here."
Rasie nodded. "I see..."
She joined in staring at Fyar embracing Illya.
"They’re so lovey-dovey, oh my god..." Rasie said.
"They’re a perfect match..." Cyhas said.
Zaefal laughed lightly. "Trust me, you guys will act the same if you have a partner."
"Well, you said you were clingy with that woman named Seraphina," Rasie said. "But Zaefal... I won’t be like you guys. I’ll stay myself!"
"I look forward to it," Zaefal said.
He then turned to Cyhas. "Oh yeah, Cyhas. May I ask something?"
Cyhas nodded.
"That artifact... where did you get it?"
Cyhas was silent. Her eyes moved upward, remembering.
"My father knows... he said this artifact was a gift from my mother. He said this artifact should only be used if the situation is super urgent... That’s all I know. And if you ask about my mother, I don’t know because when I was a baby my mother was already..." Cyhas didn’t finish her sentence.
"I understand," Zaefal said gently. "Thank you."
Cyhas nodded.
"Ah, by the way, how are we going to carry water to drink? We don’t have bottles, right?" Rasie asked. Her eyes glanced at the clear river water. "Water is important, you know."
"You’re right," Zaefal stood up. He looked at the clear water. "We have to carry supplies for drinking."
Zaefal looked around. "I wonder what can be used as a bottle..."
His gaze fell on young mushrooms growing on the roots of a large tree.
Zaefal was silent for a moment, thinking. After that, he nodded to himself.
"That," he said, pointing.
"Huh? Mushrooms?" Rasie was confused.
Zaefal walked toward a cluster of young mushrooms growing near the roots of the large tree. The mushroom stems were thick, the size of an adult’s arm, with a hard, fibrous skin texture.
"We can use this," Zaefal said.
He pulled a small knife from his waist pocket. Zaefal cut the base of the mushroom stem with a quick motion.
Slice.
Thick clear liquid oozed out of the cut. It smelled like wet earth.
Zaefal then cut the top of the stem, separating the cap. He now held a solid, pale-colored cylinder.
His hands moved deftly. He stuck the tip of the knife into the center of the cylinder. He twisted his wrist, scraping out the softer inside of the stem. Flakes of white mushroom flesh fell to the ground.
Rasie watched his method. She also pulled out her pocket knife and looked for a similarly sized mushroom. Rasie mimicked Zaefal’s movements. She scraped the inside of the mushroom stem. The texture was chewy and slightly slippery, similar to cutting thick rubber.
After a few minutes, the center of the stem was hollow. The outer wall left a thickness of about one centimeter, strong enough to withstand pressure.
Zaefal took a small piece from the leftover mushroom root. He whittled it a bit to fit the hole at the top of his new container. A simple stopper.
"Done," Zaefal said. He lifted the mushroom tube. The object now functioned as a sturdy emergency water bottle.
"Genius!" Rasie commented. She finished her container and blew out the remaining mushroom flakes from inside.
Fyar, seeing this, approached with Illya.
"What are you guys doing?" he asked.
"Huh? Look for yourself, we’re making bottles from mushrooms," Rasie answered. She proudly showed the finished bottle to Fyar. "Look, look."
"Ooh..." Fyar was amazed. He examined the emergency bottle. "Ohh, smart. Smart."
"You’re amazing, Rasie," Illya praised.
"This was Zaefal’s idea," Rasie said, jutting her chin toward Zaefal.
"You’re amazing, Z-Zaefal," Illya praised.
Zaefal nodded. "It was nothing."
They then made seven more bottles. They cut the mushroom stems, scraped out the insides carefully, and whittled stoppers from the roots. The process took a few minutes, but the result was worth it.
After their bottles were ready, they knelt by the glass river.
Fyar submerged his handmade mushroom bottle into the invisible current. Air bubbles emerged from the mouth of the bottle, indicating water was filling the empty space inside. The weight of the bottle increased.
Fyar lifted it and corked it tightly. He shook it gently. No leaks.
"Supplies secure," Fyar said, putting the bottle into his blazer pocket.
"Secure, secure!" Rasie said.
"Illya, Rasie, Cyhas," Zaefal said, looking at them in turn. "You fill these bottles with water. I will discuss with Fyar."
They nodded.
Zaefal and Fyar walked away from the river, toward a quieter area near the cliff.
"What’s your opinion on this place?" Zaefal asked.
Fyar covered his mouth with his hand, thinking.
"So far we haven’t met any monsters, haven’t even seen any dangerous creatures."
He stared at Zaefal. "You definitely agree that this is a dungeon."
Zaefal nodded. "Likely yes... giant mushrooms... and the atmosphere here... similar to a level fifteen dungeon."
Zaefal looked at the ceiling. "Plus the time seems to be perpetually night even though about six to seven hours have passed... But we could have arrived here at seven or eight at night."
"We need about three or four more hours to confirm. If it’s still night, then we are in a dungeon."
Fyar narrowed his brows. "And if there is sunlight, then this is not a dungeon."
"If it’s not a dungeon... my suggestion is we go look for a village or city. There must be one."
Zaefal nodded. "Yes, makes sense."
Fyar sighed. "For now, let’s assume we are in a dungeon. And look for an exit portal. Who knows, on the way, if it’s not a dungeon, we might find a village."
"Good plan," Zaefal agreed.