We moved carefully, constantly watching our surroundings. We didn't rush, in order to avoid making any mistakes or being caught off guard by an unexpected situation. Luckily, both nobles had wristwatches. We had been walking for just over two hours. I'm not sure how far we've gone—maybe 12 or 13 kilometers?

We looked at the small mountain in front of us—maybe about 2 more kilometers to go.

"Stop." Everyone looked at me. Their expressions were a mix of caution and fear. They didn't make a sound, as previously agreed—they just stared at me, waiting.

"Don't worry. I just have a suggestion." They relaxed a little at my sudden call, continuing to keep watch while waiting for my words. "I'm feeling better physically, so I'll go ahead to the mountain and scout it out. You should all wait here for me."

All their eyes turned to me with suspicion. "No, we should all go together, in case something happens." Arisa was the only one to object. The other two remained silent, concern evident in their eyes.

"The mountain may be small, but it's still huge. I'll move using Imra and mana to shorten the search time. I'm the strongest, fastest, and most skilled. I'm the only one who can do this." Arisa just frowned. Bush and Miroi wore unreadable expressions. After a bit of planning, I got ready to head out.

"We'll be next to that large cone-shaped rock. Don't forget. Miroi will set up a cover to hide us until you return." I nodded to her words. Without waiting any longer, I let my Imra flow through my body to fortify it, and infused my feet with electric mana to activate my movement skill.

I dashed through the forest at full speed. Using my movement ability repeatedly is tiring, so I gave it breaks to let my body absorb ambient mana and refill my core.

Moving swiftly yet cautiously, I began climbing little by little. I found a few caves, but there were no signs of animals or monsters. I climbed higher to get a better view of the forest. The sight was breathtaking—an endless sea of trees.

I left marks on the walls to find my way back and tried to memorize every path I took. After circling the mountain a bit, I saw something that made me feel relieved—a lake! That should solve our water problem.

"It's a bit far from the mountain, maybe 5 kilometers?" I decided to look for a cave with a small entrance but spacious inside. I didn't find one that was perfect, just a few similar ones. "I've lost track of time… I should head back." I told them two hours. It's been a little over three. I'd better return quickly.

I had a bit of trouble retracing my steps—it took longer than I expected. But I finally made it. I saw the odd mound of dirt next to the rock and approached to tap it in the agreed pattern. Three soft knocks, two-second pause, then two hard knocks.

The small mound collapsed, and the three of them appeared.

"You took nearly twice as long as you said." Arisa walked toward me. She looked annoyed, but didn't raise her voice. Bush just waited for news, and Miroi stared uncomfortably at the ground.

"Sorry, I found something valuable and decided to investigate a bit more." I told them about the lake and the decent nearby caves. They were all happy and asked me to lead the way.

We walked along the path I had previously marked, a bit faster this time but still cautious. I hadn't encountered any danger, but better safe than sorry.

We arrived at the cave in the best location and settled near the end of the tunnel. Miroi was the most helpful here—she sealed most of the entrance and softened the hard rock so we could sit and lie down comfortably.

Her mana constructions aren't as solid as real rock, but it's still better to have the entrance sealed than left open.

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"We've got about four hours of daylight left. What should we do?" Bush made us all turn to him.

"First, eat something and drink as much water as you want. I'll go refill all the empty bottles afterward." I had already planned in my head to go to the lake and explore. If there's water, there must be animals nearby.

"You plan to go alone?" Arisa stared at me seriously. Her question sounded more like a scolding.

"I'm the strongest of the four. You know my abilities—I can take care of myself." I didn't want to risk their safety on a simple exploration. It's better if I go alone and return.

Arisa clenched her right fist. She gave up easier than I expected—I was prepared for her to argue.

"Are you sure, Maki? We're strong too. We can take care of ourselves." Hearing Miroi speak surprised me.

"Don't get me wrong. I know you're not weak—it's just easier if I go by myself." They all looked at me, each showing a different emotion.

"If you're going alone, take this." Bush pulled a potion from his bracelet and handed it to me. "It can heal almost any wound and restore you in a critical situation. My father gave it to me recently—use it if you must."

I looked at the orange liquid inside the bottle, hesitating whether to accept it. Bush wouldn't take no for an answer and placed it on my lap.

"Don't waste it." His blue eyes stared at me firmly. This kid wasn't taking no for an answer.

"Thanks, Bush. I promise I won't waste it." Just a few hours ago, I hated this kid. Now we're trying to survive together. Is this sudden change just part of being a kid?

"Come back soon. And don't you dare die." Arisa grabbed my cheek, shook it a little, and let go a few seconds later.

"I'll be back soon—maybe in a few hours. Let me borrow your watch again, please." Arisa took it off her wrist and strapped it onto mine. They kept Bush's watch.

I crawled out through the narrow hole in the cave. Using my sword, I left marks on rocks and trees—arrows pointing my way back.

Little by little, I made my way near the lake. I waited, hidden in the treetop, for a few minutes to see if anything moved. I was surprised to see an animal after about 30 minutes. It looked like a huge rabbit with something growing out of its head.

"Wait… could it be a monster?" I watched it carefully. It was drinking water from the lake without issue. Once satisfied, it hopped away.

"The water seems drinkable." I remembered hearing my brother Sers say something similar during a school activity—if a monster or animal drinks from a water source, it's likely safe.

I crept toward the lake, hid behind a tree, and started filling the bottles. I looked at the watch—I still had time. Should I explore around the lake? I hesitated for a moment, weighing the pros and cons, and eventually decided to explore.

I moved quietly. If there was one monster-like rabbit, there could be more. I walked cautiously about 40 meters from the lakeshore. My pseudo-domain currently had a 30-meter radius.

An hour passed during my exploration. I only found two groups of rabbits—one with three, another with two. Could those be the only monsters near the lake? I didn't attack them out of fear of drawing too much attention. I could easily defeat them—but not without making noise.

Really? No more monsters or animals? Those thoughts vanished as I sensed another rabbit at the edge of my domain. I approached slowly and noticed something strange about its body. I shifted my position to get a clear view—and discovered what it had. A fish! We could fish to survive.

These rabbits wouldn't be a problem for the other three. They could easily take on five or six at once. We were lucky to find a food and water source so quickly.

I kept moving slowly. Something in the distance caught my eye—it looked like a bipedal figure. My excitement grew as I got closer. The closer I got, the more certain I was—it was either a person or some kind of bipedal monster.

Perched atop a tree, I watched it. It was a goblin! But these looked different from the ones I fought before. The ones I fought were dark green—these shared the same color, but with varying shades.

The two goblins had killed a lone rabbit. They were tearing it apart. They divided the meat and set off.

Should I follow them? Or not? I wanted to know where they were going, but I also feared running into a grade three monster. Should I go after them or return to tell Arisa, Bush, and Miroi?

No—I needed more precise information. I had to learn more about a potential threat.

I followed them for about 30 minutes, moving carefully. I had to avoid being detected—and also avoid the rabbits in the area. The goblins themselves were also avoiding fights while carrying their prey.

My skill detected them descending a slope. I approached the edge slowly. I climbed a tree and was left speechless. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was right to follow them.

A goblin settlement!

Around a large tree, they had built something resembling small houses. I counted about twelve in total. Should I wipe them all out now? They're all grade one—it would be easy. Or should I return to tell Arisa, Bush, and Miroi?

After thinking for a moment, I decided to return and plan our next move.

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