Day 01, Month 01, Year 1501
Forest of the Silent Void
A day has passed since then. The journey was... how can I put it in a few words? Quite bothersome. The forest was a complete torture for the mind in general, with the dark and silent shadows that could be seen all over the place, the complete silence as if a dangerous animal were lurking, waiting for the best moment to pounce on its prey. It is said that when the forest is silent, something is lurking. It's not a demon, because the mere presence of them causes the surrounding area to corrupt, and the air turns murky. You can even feel that unpleasant sensation of discomfort throughout your body. According to the teachings of old man Colder, there are animals that were enhanced by mana, called magical beasts, and this forest is filled with them... silently walking behind the group of young people.
Since we began walking, I was warned to remain silent. It makes sense: making too much noise can attract aggressive magical animals and waste unnecessary energy. We didn't stop walking for even a moment, only small breaks of 15 minutes mainly to eat. Drinking water can be done while walking, but I've noticed that I am the only one who needs food and water to continue. The three young nobles haven't touched a crumb of food or a sip of water, as if they don't need it yet. It makes sense, after all, they aren't normal in the usual sense of the word.
Putting that aside, and the strange feeling that something is following us... everything was normal, so to speak.
Now... I've never ventured so deep into the dark forest. Every time I went, it was only to gather some fruit. My instincts told me that this forest was extremely dangerous, and now that I am inside it, that feeling has only intensified much more. The shadows here were very heavy, terrible, abnormal, and powerful, but they simply stayed still, watching us in silence. On the other hand... the forest was incredibly beautiful. It sounds quite bold considering this forest, but now and then, small landscapes appeared that left you in awe. For example, a few hours ago, we came across a small clearing where bright yellow flowers grew, gathering together. Around them, there was a small stream that covered them as if trying to protect them.
When we found it, the eyes of the young Angela shone brightly. She quickly approached the flowers, crouched down, picked a few, and stored them in her dimensional ring.
"Sun daisies! A great flower for making light potions! This forest definitely lives up to the rumors going around the empire. In more dangerous places, you can find strange, valuable items!" With satisfaction, she stored a few more in her ring and stood up. Her friends simply looked at the daisies curiously and kept walking. Nox, seeing the young woman's reaction, also approached the daisies and picked them the same way she had. "They'll definitely be worth money!" he thought to himself with a smile. He stored them in the bag he carried, trying to keep them as safe as possible... He kept them between some of his shirts.
"The most dangerous places are always the most beautiful..." Thinking to himself, he silently followed the three young people.
****
As night fell, the three young people stopped in a place where we could sleep. They set up a small tent and lit a small campfire. They sat around it and took out some food. Nox stayed a little away from the fire. He was sitting, leaning his back against a tree trunk, staring at the starry night, thinking to himself... Throughout this time, he realized that the three young people knew what they were doing. From time to time, they would deviate and take other paths. Sometimes they made signals for him to stop walking, even to hide from time to time. It was like seeing survival experts, totally prepared. They would backtrack to avoid unnecessary fights and did everything they could to not attract attention, just like during the day...
He looked at the small campfire, where they were roasting what seemed to be a small pig. It was completely hunted by the young Abadon, cleanly, without noise or suffering for the animal... quite impressive. He looked in silence, the aroma of the roasted meat filling his nose... Looking back at the sky... although it wasn't fully visible, there was a bubble around us. It was created by the young Angela when we settled in this place. It seems, and being the most obvious thing in the world, it's some sort of protection. I really want to go out and see the bubble from the outside, but fearing it might explode or something worse, I decided to stay where I am. The last thing I want right now is to cause any problems...
Reaching into my bag, I take out a small boiled potato. Although it's cold from being outside, I don't mind. It's better to have something in my stomach, along with water to wash it down. I remain silent; it's sad, but at these moments, I really miss the children... Closing my eyes, I hear footsteps approaching me.
Opening my eyes, I see the young Cristina. In her hands, she had a beautifully decorated ceramic plate with a fork and a small knife on it. Her face remained expressionless, as did her eyes. She extended her hand: "You can eat it," she said, handing the plate to me... I opened my eyes a bit...
"Come on! Don't be shy!" The young Abadon smiled and gave me a thumbs up.
"Thank you very much." I nodded my head to both of them. Cristina gave a small smile and walked away, sitting back down with her friends...
Looking at and smelling the sweet aroma of the meat, I smiled... The times when we could eat meat were very rare, sometimes once every two weeks. Picking up the fork and cutting with the knife, I separated some of the meat. It was very tender. When I put it in my mouth, a taste I had never experienced in my life spread throughout my mouth instantly... Opening my eyes slightly, as I swallowed, I could feel mana entering my body... Stupefied!
A magical beast! In old man Colder's classes, he mentioned that every magical animal has mana inside its flesh, and if you have the opportunity to eat one of them, you'll instantly feel your mana replenishing little by little as you eat more, in addition to experiencing a heavenly taste... It was super nutritious for growth and muscle gain!
My eyes sparkled, and I quickly began devouring the meat in seconds. After a few moments, I looked regretfully at the empty plate...
"Boy, come over here!" The energetic voice of young Abadon pulled me out of my thoughts, calling me with his hand. "If you want more, just come and take it! But you need to come closer to the fire, hehe." He laughed good-naturedly...
Hesitating for a moment, I stood up. This meat is very valuable for my body! I couldn't waste this opportunity!