The sound of rushing water reached my ears before we saw it.
Pushing through the last bit of foliage, we arrived at the riverbank. The water was clear, flowing steadily over smooth rocks, and the morning sun reflected off the surface in a way that made it look almost inviting.
Almost.
"Finally."
I stretched my arms, my muscles still stiff from yesterday's fight.
"Time to get clean."
Steve wasted no time, already pulling off his boots and stepping toward the water.
North, on the other hand, stopped a few feet away, finding a spot on the ground and sitting down with her back turned toward the river.
"I'll wait," she said simply.
I smirked.
"What? You don't want to see greatness in its purest form?"
She scoffed.
"I'd rather keep my eyesight intact, thanks."
I chuckled and tossed my bag down.
In a few moments, I was in the water with Steve, the coolness immediately washing away the grime and exhaustion from the past day. Blood, dirt, and sweat swirled away in the current.
Steve dunked his head underwater before resurfacing and running a hand through his wet hair.
"Feels good," he muttered.
"Yeah," I agreed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I was starting to feel like a walking Abomination myself."
Steve glanced at me and snorted.
"You looked like one too."
After scrubbing myself thoroughly, I stepped out of the water, rinsing my pants in the river before leaving them on a rock to dry.
With nothing else to wear, I wrapped a towel around my waist and went to my bag. I pulled out my last clean uniform, then turned toward North.
"Here," I said, holding it out to her. "Wear this after you're done."
North turned her head slightly but didn't take it.
"No need."
I raised an eyebrow.
"North, your clothes are torn and covered in blood. You're literally a walking mess."
She huffed.
"Still, I don't need your uniform."
I sighed.
"Look, it's just a uniform. It's clean, and it's not like I need it right now."
She stared at the uniform for a moment, then at me, and frowned.
"Fine," she mumbled, snatching it from my hand.
Steve, who had been quietly wringing out his own clothes, finally spoke up.
"Wow. This guy really out here giving girls his clothes now. What's next? Poetry under the moonlight?"
North shot him a glare.
"Shut up, Steve."
She stood up and walked into the river to bathe.
Steve and I sat down in the sun, letting the warmth dry us off. The cool breeze felt good against my skin after the brutal past few days.
After a moment, Steve glanced at me and spoke.
"So, what's the plan?"
I leaned back on my hands, staring at the sky for a moment before answering.
"According to the map, we're somewhere in the Eastern quadrant of the forest, about midway between the center and the Eastern corner. I'm thinking we head straight toward the center, clearing all the checkpoints along the way."
Steve considered that, then asked.
"You think the next command is going to be around the center?"
I nodded.
"It makes the most sense. Arkas is trying to push us to our limits. If the command was in the outer regions, people could take their time getting there.
But if it's near the center, it forces us to move through high-risk zones. It weeds out the weak and unmotivated. And there is also something else. At the center there is a volcano and it is marked as 'Very Big Volcano'."
Steve gave a slow nod, his eyes half-lidded in thought.
"Sounds like a pain."
I smirked.
"That's the point."
And we stayed silent for the rest of the time, just quietly enjoying the warmth of the sun.
The sound of flowing water mixed with the occasional rustling of leaves, creating a peaceful moment that I hadn't realized I needed.
Then, I heard soft footsteps approaching.
I turned around and saw North walking toward us, fresh from her bath, now dressed in my uniform.
The shirt was a little too loose for her, the sleeves extending past her wrists, so she had folded them up neatly to her elbows.
The pants were long as well, forcing her to roll them up at the ankles. Yet, despite the imperfect fit, she carried herself with the same quiet confidence as before.
Her damp brown hair clung to her shoulders, the water catching the light and making it shimmer. Her face, free of dirt and sweat, looked softer somehow, her skin glowing under the morning sun.
For a moment, I just stared.
She looked… beautiful.
North raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
I blinked, then casually shrugged, playing it off.
"Nothing. Just making sure my uniform doesn't look better on you than it does on me."
She smirked.
"Too late."
Steve, who had been quiet until now looked at me and scoffed.
"You are drooling."
I ignored Steve's comment and focused on more important things.
"So, let's have some terrible food, and I'll tell you about my plan."
I pulled on my pants, which had officially turned into shorts by now, and we settled down to eat.
The problem was, my food, meant for just me, was now being split among three people. At this rate, we'd have to figure out a new food source soon.
As we ate, I filled North in on our plan to move toward the center of the map, clearing checkpoints along the way. She listened carefully and agreed with the approach.
Once we finished eating, we picked the closest checkpoint in that direction and set off.
The journey took time, but it wasn't uneventful. Every Abomination we encountered was wounded first by Steve, then finished off by North. The goal was to help her level up as fast as possible so she could speed up her recovery.
More than two hours later, we arrived near the checkpoint.
It was another blue-level checkpoint, but we weren't alone, another team was already there, using hit-and-run tactics against the Abominations.
I scanned one of the creatures.
[Horned Bison – Level 7]
It was a big bison, nearly six feet tall, with rusted, pus-leaking horns growing in chaotic patterns all over its head. Its legs were covered in strange, tumor-like growths that pulsed unnervingly.
I shifted my focus to the three fighters engaged with it. All of them were only Level 6. Not worth paying attention to.
My eyes moved to the checkpoint pillar.
It stood in the middle of a small clearing, completely surrounded by a herd of these Bisons. Among them was a Level 10 Bison: larger, meaner, and undoubtedly the leader.
The pillar itself was already on the verge of cracking. Another hour or two of constant attacks, and the Bisons would be the ones claiming the reward.
I turned to Steve and North.
"You two handle everything at your level and below and avoid anything that you cannot handle. North, you provide cover for Steve and kill as many as you can as quickly as possible. Once you level up, both of you can go after the Level 10 together."
They nodded.
North suddenly asked.
"What about the other unit members?"
I shook my head.
"Ignore them."
With that settled, we moved into action.
Steve made the first move, dashing toward the Level 6 Bison. It snorted and lowered its rusted, pus-leaking horns, charging at him with heavy steps that shook the ground.
Steve didn't stop.
At the last second, he sidestepped, his sword flashing as he slashed across the tendons of its front leg. The Bison staggered, its charge thrown off, but it wasn't down yet. It twisted its bulky body and swung its head, the jagged horns slicing through the air.
Steve leaned back, barely avoiding the swipe, then pushed forward, driving his sword into the Bison's throat. It reared up, thrashing, refusing to go down.
Then North struck.
She didn't fire immediately. Instead, she kept moving, shifting her position to get a clear shot. Her longbow stayed steady in her hands, her eyes tracking the Bison's movements.
As the beast twisted to shake Steve off, she drew her bowstring back in one smooth motion and released.
The arrow whistled through the air, piercing deep into the Bison's exposed throat. It let out a pained grunt, staggering.
North didn't stop. She had already nocked another arrow. As the Bison thrashed, trying to regain its balance, she adjusted her aim and fired again. The second arrow buried itself just above the first, driving deeper into its throat.
The beast let out a final, wet gurgle before collapsing.
They barely had time to recover before a Level 7 Bison charged. This one was bigger, faster. It lunged straight for Steve.
North had already repositioned, keeping her distance. She moved carefully, favoring her injured ankle, but her bow was steady in her grip.
Steve met the charge head-on, sidestepping at the last second and slicing across the Bison's eye. It roared, blinded on one side, thrashing in rage.
North didn't fire immediately. She tracked the Bison's movements, waiting for an opening. When it twisted toward Steve again, exposing its throat, she released.
The arrow shot forward, embedding deep into the soft flesh just below its jaw. The Bison reared up in pain, stumbling.
Steve took the chance. He dashed in and drove his sword straight through its throat. The Bison gurgled, blood pooling from its mouth, and finally collapsed with a heavy thud.