I Only Summon Villainesses

Chapter 199: Two Days Long Journey

Ashara continent had instantly proven itself to be a worthy adversary when I had not even spent twenty-four hours there. I wasn’t mad, I swear I wasn’t. I couldn’t even be mad. Honestly, I just wanted to leave here as soon as I could.

Having to destroy humans and Spirit Beasts was one thing, but these Duskstriders — they knew not the concept of walking or stopping, just a bunch of desert runners.

’I wonder where they’re even running to.’

I couldn’t even fathom a place after thinking about it for a while, but wherever it was, I could only cast some vote of pity for the place. Those things would get there eventually. They always did.

I exhaled while stepping back from the ruined window. We had found a ruin, although calling it a ruin was in fact a bit of a stretch. The place was a structure that had been torn naked by either a sandstorm or a crude Spirit Beast — maybe both, given how this continent seemed to operate.

Its walls were barely even taller than us. The roofs that were supposed to cover the structure now lay in huge chunks of stone on the floor, cracked and scattered like broken teeth. Tristan and Levi and Nisha sat on some of the stones while Kassie stood beside me at the torn window. I managed to somehow lay my back against what remained of the frame.

Cindy was standing beyond the structure, her silhouette motionless against the dark.

Everybody sat in silence, breathing and just resting. I stared at the stars and the moons, each of them more distant than before, and I wondered if I was even going to make it to Recimiras in one piece. Or if I was even going to make it at all.

You couldn’t blame me for thinking like that. In such a short time of being in this world, I had seen enough death to last several lifetimes. It’s been five months since I came and it has been one death fight to another.

’I miss days where my greatest worry was going to school.’

I exhaled again as I tried to hold tight to those memories—the mundane ones, the boring ones — to try and forget the horrors I had experienced in this world.

But it was futile. The memories slipped through like sand.

Tristan’s voice brought me back to reality.

“On the bright side of things,” he said, wearing a small and tired smile and looking particularly at me, “it’s not long until we reach Solarium. A day or two.”

I sighed at his words. Suddenly a day or two felt longer than the two months I’d spent on the water. My throat burned at the thought.

’Who decided my fate.’

I tried to not think about my dried throat and thirst for anything liquid. Instead I glanced at Kassie, who was standing like a statue with her arms folded.

’So awesome. You’re the only good thing about my life right now.’

Summoning these Villainess was the best thing that ever happened to me. Granted they were also the source of my troubles.

’I’d have suffered either way. With them it’s bearable.’

Thinking about this, I managed to close my eyes and sleep.

The next day, we woke up before the sun rose and began our journey, traversing the vast empty desert for another brutal day with nothing to look forward to.

The only thing that kept ringing in my mind was what Tristan had said. Because of it, I kept thinking:

’One more day to go.’

The thoughts did not help the raw taste that ravaged my throat though. We were supposed to prepare water for this kind of journey, but Levi had said we wouldn’t need to scale the desert on foot.

Our journey was supposed to be faster than this, but it seemed the strange incident with the city of Kamarun had destroyed all of his plans.

And going back to the ship wasn’t completely a safe option. It wasn’t even like the ship would be waiting for our return.

Forward was the only way and forward we’ve been going.

’I better not die.’

As we continued to traverse the desert, towards the horizon we began to see a small structure that got larger and larger as we walked closer.

It wasn’t clear, but something told me that we were about to find a haven soon.

Then we got to a point where the structure revealed itself — massive pillars like stone cones rose from the ground, pointing upward as if trying to pierce the sky. And in the center of it, as we got closer, was a circular pool filled with translucent liquid.

As I came closer my eyes widened.

’Water!’

Tristan and Nisha had the same reaction. All three of us scrambled to the center of the strange place, not caring for what it was. We each brought our hands into the pool, scooped water, and drank.

After drinking it, I slapped my tongue against the roof of my mouth because the water tasted strange. Thick, too. Heavier than water should be.

’Well, you don’t exactly expect that water sitting here for heaven knows how long will taste the same as normal water.’

It was the truth. I figured I had to take whatever I could get.

I glanced at Levi as I sprawled tiredly beside the pool. Even though the sun was burning, it felt a little bearable now that I had water in me. I had not been so tired from walking — Cindy had carried me all day — but the sun… even my resistance to fire and heat did not help me in this case.

It burned all the same. Or maybe the others were having it even harder. I’d never know. But it wasn’t easy on my end either.

“Aren’t you going to drink some?”

Levi, after scanning the surroundings, stepped closer and bent down. He was about to scoop the water when he paused, raised his head, and looked at Tristan, Nisha, and me in confusion.

I looked at him blankly.

“What exactly did you guys drink?” he asked.