184 – Jack Dionel (5)
The sky colored with gray dark clouds.
Tuk. Patter.
Water droplets began to hit the ground.
The ants hurriedly return to the anthill, and the leaf-eating insects hide under the large leaves.
This is because their keen senses, which are much more developed than humans, predicted a shower.
-Ssaaa…
And soon, cool streams of water began to wet the ground.
Mammal monsters sensitive to body temperature hide in their own habitats, and their unique body odor is disturbed.
The area marked with body odor is scattered.
“Now is the time.”
Jack aimed for this moment.
Now that the food chain structure of the tightly connected ecosystem is taking a break.
Now was the time to move my body.
This is the only golden time that can increase the survival rate the most.
-Blame! Fault! Fault! Fault!
Jack held Adela’s hand and came out of the cave.
I passed through a nearby valley and moved to an open field.
This place, full of the scent of grass, is the best place to hide the unique human body odor.
It is also a good place to hide in the long bushes.
-Sabak··· Sabak···.
Adela looked at Jack’s back.
I have the back of the man I trust and love the most.
He was dying of an unknown disease.
Although Adela bluffed and pretended to be fine in front of her, she intuitively knew.
Jack doesn’t have much time left.
That is why Adela was not nervous at this moment of escaping with her life.
Rather, every minute and every second I was with him was precious.
I captured his dependable back in my retina whenever I saw it.
His lovely appearance, working closely to protect himself, was engraved in my mind.
‘All you have to do is survive… And after surviving…’
However, love paralyzes reason.
Although she had already seen him vomit dark red blood several times, Adela was dreaming of a future with him.
Even 10 or 20 years later, she remembers the days together like this, holding hands with him.
“Well done. “Successful up to point A.”
Fortunately, everything is going according to plan so far.
The final place you need to reach to escape this place full of monsters is point D.
I arrived safely at point A, which I had to pass through to get to that point.
“We…”
Is it because I gained courage from this hopeful green light?
Suddenly, Adela grabbed Jack’s collar and opened her mouth.
She said, blushing at Jack who looked back at her.
“When we get out of here… Let’s get married.”
“······.”
Jack looks at himself with a blank face.
Adela scratched the back of her head and continued her next words.
“Well, of course you are a commoner… But you are sure of your skills, right? You can even handle mana! He must have been from a fallen noble family! “If you speak well to your father and have your status restored… that will be a condition for you to marry me.”
Adela proposed a future together.
As if it was natural to get out of this place and survive.
Jack stared at Adela in silence for a moment, then smiled slightly.
She stroked her cheek and pulled away her wet hair.
That was the moment when she nodded her head and said ‘yes’.
-Sssss…
The shower became heavier.
The two hugged each other without heeding anything.
We kissed as if it was our last time and felt each other’s body heat.
In this place filled with cold water and fog, we could feel each other’s body temperature more clearly.
“Let’s go.”
They promised a future and took another step forward.
In order to head to point B, I used all the walking techniques and techniques I had trained to avoid the tight surveillance network of the ecosystem.
As a result, we were able to successfully reach point B.
-Rurrr!
Lightning strikes.
However, this was a green light for the two.
This is because the noise of lightning striking the air heavily is an element suitable for hiding one’s presence.
“Now it’s point C.”
But point C is not easy.
It is a route that is more than twice as difficult as the route we have taken so far.
Jack reminded Adela of that and told her about the training.
Adela nodded her head nervously, listening to Jack’s words.
“Let’s go.”
Soon, the two moved.
I plunged into a dense swamp infested with monsters.
Light is blocked by dense broadleaf trees and shadows are cast.
The body temperature drops and a chill spreads through the body.
However, the two did not use mana to increase their body temperature.
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This is because the monsters that live here are sensitive to heat.
It is a property of these swamp monsters to easily respond to artificial heat control.
-Gurgling… Gurgling…
-Shush… Shhh… Shush…
A strange sound stimulates the sense of hearing.
The type of sound you hear for the first time in your life is likely to stimulate fear.
Various types of noise heard in the dark without any light.
Monsters lurking in the darkness are flashing their eyes.
If she begins to be attacked by monsters, her head is filled with dizzying thoughts that she will become their prey without even a single bone left.
– Kuuk.
But at that moment, she feels Jack’s hand holding her.
Breathing that had been disturbed due to panic returns to normal.
Recalling what Jack warned me about, I try to stabilize my heart rate.
The noise of the monsters that were getting closer began to stop.
‘Good job.’
Jack said that and smiled just by the shape of his mouth.
When she saw that smile, Adela’s fears disappeared completely.
If Jack was even in this swamp, he was a memory to him.
If he is incorporated into a heterogeneous landscape that stimulates fear, the meaning changes.
‘Let’s go’
Once the noise stopped, the two started moving again.
Using the property of the monsters here, which have underdeveloped vision, we made our way through the swamp using our unique walking method while maintaining our body temperature as low as possible.
Soon, the light of the exit from the swamp came into view.
They calmly walked towards that place, step by step.
Even though the goal was right around the corner, I did not get excited and maintained a constant stride and heart rate as I had trained.
As a result, they were able to reach point C where they escaped the swamp.
“Huh… Now, you can raise your temperature.”
The two made it through the swamp while losing their body temperature for a long time.
As soon as the two escaped from the heat-sensitive ecosystem, their body temperature increased and returned to normal condition.
The color that had turned blue returned and my body began to recover.
“Now this is the final point.”
Once his body recovered to some extent, Jack smiled and spoke to Adella.
Adela smiled and took Jack’s hand.
But at that moment.
-Coughing.
Dark red blood spurted out as soon as he coughed.
This is because the body was damaged after passing through the swamp for a long time due to hypothermia.
Jack said with a wry smile as if it was no big deal.
“It’s okay. It’s worth it. After resting for a bit— Wow!”
However, contrary to what was said, the coughing got worse.
Dark circles appeared under my eyes, and my breathing became irregular.
The time for extending life through power is running out.
“It’s okay. “Now, if we just get to point D, it’s over.”
However, Jack smiled.
Even though he knew that the time given to him was coming to an end, he did not show it.
This is because his first mission is to save Adela.
“Let’s go now.”
Jack smiled leisurely, as if to show off that he was in good health.
He warmed up somewhat exaggeratedly and moved forward.
Adela followed behind him, trying hard to ignore the anxiety rising in her heart.
Now that he had just passed the last hurdle, after treating him, he walked on, thinking that he would have him by his side for the rest of his life.
-Sssssibly.
Now the notice is not far away.
In the blessing of a shower that hid her presence, Adela smelled the fragrant smell of earth and grass.
The fact that the cries of frogs and grasshoppers can be heard everywhere is proof that the monsters are gradually leaving their habitat.
Now, if the monsters are missing at point D as expected─
“······.”
─However, Adela’s thoughts were frozen in place.
A group of monsters swarming at point D.
Lizardmen, who have a habit of going hunting when it rains, did not empty their nest.
Even though it’s raining like this, I’m stuck inside my house.
“·····Jack.”
Adela grabbed Jack’s collar.
Jack nodded his head and looked behind him.
However, he smiled and said as if it was nothing.
“Let’s break through.”
“·····Huh?”
“It can break through. “It’s nothing to that extent.”
Adela’s son-in-law trembled uneasily.
Lizardmen are high-risk monsters that even Sword Expedition must be wary of.
Furthermore, they are highly intelligent monsters that form a herd society.
To break through that place where 17 adult Lizardmen are gathered, you need to be a Sword Master in full condition.
“Adela.”
“······.”
However, there was a certain confidence in Jack’s eyes.
He said while holding onto Adela’s trembling shoulders.
“I swear with everything I have. “We will definitely get out of here alive.”
Jack said so and pulled out the sword from his belt.
He continued his next words while heating up the mana that had been suppressed as much as possible to hide his presence.
“Let’s fight. “It’s the last time.”