Chapter 8 - Tiger's Den To Devil's Lair
Along the way, Elysia who has not had time to take over her body tells Elena about the magic that can be realized from the imagination with adequate concentration.
Elena who still uses Elysia's body was able to run 120 kilometers to the west, 6 times the distance traveled by Elysia before reaching the cave. She uses [Light Step] which is used as if running lightly in the air at a steady speed, each step she takes can reach 2-4 meters.
'Wow! This cool! We can make our imaginations come true if you concentrate enough on it. But it's so tiring too! *huf*'Elena exclaimed in her mind still using [Light Step] to run lightly in the air.
They still need to be careful in this forest which has a lot of high-level beasts which they always avoid by turning around and avoid making sounds that can make them a target for hunting.
'Very convenient indeed. I think we were thrown into the world with the laws of nature like a game I once played on Earth.' Elysia answered casually. She no longer supports Elena's spirit body in [Soul Realm] and just let her float aside.
'*huf* Lil Ely... This is the first time I've been in a real body. *huf* If this could be so tiring, *huf* I'd better just stay in [Soul Realm] and give you some mental support!' Elena began to complain.
Initially, Elena passionately created various magic from her imagination that came from her observations while still on Earth, like what Elysia had done before, but this time she didn't seem as excited as before.
'Keep going, Big Sis Elena!' Elysia cheerfully gave her encouragement. She who had walked 20 kilometers with a body that had not yet recovered knew very well how tiring it was.
'Lil Ely! I can't go on anymore! *huf* I thought I'd pass out if more than this! *huf* *huf*' Elena was breathing heavily with sweat and stopped running. The burden that Elena bears is not just a physical one, but also a mental burden.
'Em... Then, we better go to the cave on the cliff there. 100 meters to the southwest of our present location.'
Elysia knew Elena was at her limit, and she wanted Elysia to take her body back immediately. Elysia is currently reluctant to shoulder the burden of being tired again, and only provides solutions.
'That one? Alright then, after I'm there, return to your body immediately... I want to sleep well in your [Soul Realm].' Elena spoke while going towards the cave on the cliff that Elysia pointed out.
'Um. Sorry to tire you out, Big Sis Elena hehe... Ah! By the way, how do I get back to my body? I only know how to get out of the body in spirit form.'
'You must concentrate on your body position and feel it, you can already see with what I see, the way it is like that. Um, we arrived. I will return to [Soul Realm].'
Elena immediately returned to [Soul Realm] after sitting down and leaning against the edge of the cave's mouth. They have not checked the situation inside the cave, so Elysia needs to take over her body before entering the cave.
'Now try going back to your body.' Elena's spirit form returned to life in the [Soul Realm], waiting for Elysia to try to return to her body.
'Um. Thank you for your hard work. Now leave the rest to me.' Elysia closed her eyes and tried to return to her body.
'I made it back to my body! Uh, My body screaming! And what is this? My body wasn't like this before...'
Elysia exclaimed happily in her mind, but it didn't last long, her body was so exhausted after running with [Light Step] so far. The thing that surprised Elysia afterward was that her body felt different from her previous body. Her hair was slightly longer than before and has a golden color with a smooth wave style, not to mention the burden on her chest that feels heavier than before.
The image of Elena's body came to her mind instantly.
'Sister Elena! What happened to my body... Why did my body become exactly like yours?'
Elysia no longer calls her 'Big Sis Elena' as before, it seems that the nickname she said earlier was only because she was asking for a favor.
'Your beloved big sister is asleep and cannot be disturbed until she wakes up. *tut* *tut* Maybe because I'm stuck with you, you have two forms? Mine and yours? Ahh... This time my sleep will be very comfortable with this soft and fragrant hug pillow...'
Elysia who heard the joke of her big sister did not take it too seriously, but it made sense.
'So, we now have two different bodily forms? Eh, wait? a hug pillow? That is me?' Elysia was aware of her spirit form which might still be in the [Soul Realm].
'Don't worry, your big sister will take care of your spirit form.'
Elysia felt rather relieved although there were still some worries left in her mind, after trying to share their vision and seeing her spirit form indeed being embraced by Elena.
'Sister Elena won't do anything indecent, right?' After these words were spoken, what Elysia saw in their shared vision went dark and only Elena's soft breathing sounded, it seemed that she had slept soundly.
Elysia who knew Elena would not answer trying to check inside of the cave using her ability. Her body really needs some rest too.
At night with the moonlight shining from the sky, Elysia who was still on the outside of the cave saw a figure of a teenage girl leaning against the wall at end of the cave, she seemed to be resting with her eyes closed.
'A girl? In this forest surrounded by many dangers?' Elysia murmured in her mind to consider what she should do next.
After thinking for a while, Elysia decided to draw closer to the mouth of the cave and peek into the cave.
The next incident after Elysia looked into the cave immediately made her body froze. The girl with silver hair leaning against the wall at the end of the cave suddenly opened her blood-red eyes and immediately put on a stance as if she would fight the threat. But what made Elysia's body freeze motionless was due to the status that she checked with her eyes directly.
<| Lv. 170 | Devil Saint | Sylvia Transcendent | Female (556) | 395,000 / 395,000 |>
'Bad luck that happened to me! Waking up between the corpses, then a tiger full of wounds came, and now this helpless-looking girl has level 170 !? What's wrong with my fate... After a while ago I just decided to be a good girl like a heroine in a fairy tale who always gets good luck wherever she is...'
Elysia began to doubt the role of the heroine in the fairy tale had been made up and exaggerated by the creator.
'Calm yourself, Ely! You've been targeted by Devil with level 170! She didn't attack me immediately, proving she wouldn't kill me immediately! So make sure you don't threaten her and avoid sudden movements.'
She is currently calming herself and trying to think clearly with a cool head, she has stepped on a mine and there is no way back from here.
Elysia just sat in the corner of the cave's mouth casually and leaned back against the cave wall as if ignoring the red-eyed girl who kept staring at her. Actually, Elysia is still in a state of high alert, ensuring further action from the girl who is outside of her league.
Just one attack from the girl and maybe Elysia will become her prey.
Her knowledge and experience in the wild proved to be useful again. The girl seemed to lower her alertness a little and continued to stare at Elysia who appeared to be sitting leisurely and slightly confused.
'That's good, she doesn't attack and only looks at me. Then keep ignoring her and do something else.'
Elysia took out some light food and drinking water and consumed it as if they were going to recover her energy that had come out far from the tiger's den then fall into the devil's lair, really unlucky.
When Elysia was eating food from her 'booty', the stomach of the girl who kept staring at her made a strange noise.
*growl*
'Looks like she's hungry.' Elysia grinned in her mind but remained in a calm face.
"Are you hungry? Do you want to have dinner with me?" Elysia kindly offered the rice ball she was eating, even though in her heart she kept screaming about her actions that did not know right or wrong because someone in front of her could kill her at any time.
The girl who predicted Elysia was far weaker than her but was not afraid of her felt strange and uncertain, she could not be sure how strong Elysia was. But seeing the friendly smile from Elysia offering the rice ball she was eating made her think differently.
She approached Elysia and then took the rice ball in Elysia's hands. After that, she smelled the rice ball as if checking whether there was poison in it before eating it gently.
Elysia heaved a sigh of relief in her mind and took more of the rice ball she provided earlier and ate it.
The two of them are now sitting next to each other having dinner together.
After all that was finished, the girl seemed to want to say something to Elysia, and after a while, she opened her mouth to speak.
"Hey Human... Why you are not afraid of me?" Such a pleasant voice, in contrast to Elysia's anxiety, she continued to suppress her fear so that it would not be seen from the outside.
"Why should I be afraid of you?" Elysia looked at the girl beside her and asked back in her melodious voice with an innocent face while tilting her head slightly as if confused.
'Why does she ask like that? There seems to be more to it...' Elysia murmured in her mind, unknown to the girl next to her.