After filling their stomachs and resting, Darwin and Liriel resumed their journey. Their steps carried them deep into the lush forest.
As they walked, Darwin spoke silently to Zero.
'Zero, how many skills do people in this world usually have?'
Zero answered calmly, as always.
'So… ten is already considered amazing, huh.'
Darwin nodded slowly, taking in the explanation before refocusing on the path ahead.
Suddenly, Liriel—who was walking ahead—sprang up onto a tree branch with agile grace, her movements quick and nearly soundless. She was like a shadow dancing among the trees.
"Darwin," she called from above, "I found a water source not far from here. We can use it to bathe and refill our flasks."
Darwin smiled. "Great. Let's head over."
Following Liriel's lead, they soon arrived at a small, clear river flowing gently. The setting was peaceful, and the sound of the trickling water was soothing.
"I actually still have water stocked in my inventory," Darwin said. "So I'll just bathe. You go first, I'll keep watch."
Liriel hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "Alright. Thank you."
She walked to the deeper part of the river and began undressing slowly. The water was cold, but refreshing. Liriel submerged herself and washed her face, enjoying the feel of natural water on her skin.
Meanwhile, Darwin sat on a large rock, keeping an eye on the surroundings as he leaned back. But his mind began to wander.
'Once we find Liriel's sister… what's our goal after that?'
Zero responded.
Darwin pondered for a moment, then nodded. 'Alright. Once we've handled Liriel's matter, we'll head to Asterion.'
But before his thoughts could go further, a sharp scream pierced the air from the direction of the river.
"AAAH!!"
Darwin immediately jumped to his feet and sprinted toward Liriel, his instincts on full alert.
"Liriel! What happened?!"
When he arrived, he saw Liriel still partially submerged, struggling to fend off something with a small dagger. A large, blue water serpent was attacking her from within the river. Its scales shimmered, and its eyes gleamed menacingly.
Liriel froze briefly upon seeing Darwin approach—and then panicked as she realized she wasn't fully dressed.
"D-Darwin! Don't look! Turn around!!" she shouted, her face flushed red.
Darwin, reacting on combat instinct, turned just enough to see her and responded honestly, "I want to help first! You need help!"
"I-I was just startled! I can handle—!"
Before she could finish, the serpent lashed forward and coiled around her, tightening its grip. Her eyes widened. "Damn…!"
Darwin didn't hesitate. He immediately drew his dual daggers and leapt toward the serpent with precise agility.
In a swift motion—shhk-CRAACK!—both blades slashed through the serpent's body. Blue blood sprayed out, and the serpent let out a final hiss before falling limp and releasing Liriel from its grasp.
She collapsed into the water, finally free… but her face grew even redder when she remembered she wasn't wearing anything.
"D-Darwin! Leave! DON'T LOOK!!"
Darwin spun around in a panic. "Yes! Sorry! I didn't mean to! I'm going, I'm going!" he stammered as he quickly retreated into the trees, his own face burning red.
Meanwhile, Liriel stayed in the water, her whole body trembling.
"H-he saw me… Darwin saw me… I… I can never get married now…!"
She covered her face with both hands, red as a tomato and ready to explode from embarrassment. But in the midst of her flustered state, another thought crept into her heart.
"He'll have to take responsibility… I… I must convince him to marry me…!"
After the incident that nearly made both their hearts explode, Darwin remained behind the trees, trying to calm himself down. Soon, a soft but clear voice called out to him.
"Darwin… You can come back now," Liriel called. "I've put my clothes back on."
Darwin walked back with an awkward gait. When their eyes met, he quickly looked down slightly.
"Sorry…" Darwin said. "I didn't mean to… I just got worried about you, so I rushed over. I thought you were seriously under attack…"
Liriel stared at Darwin for a moment. His honest words warmed her heart a little, though her face was still red from embarrassment.
"…Alright. I forgive you," she said, crossing her arms and trying to stay composed. "But… next time, wear a blindfold! So something like that doesn't happen again!"
Darwin looked at her, puzzled, and replied innocently, "That might be a bit difficult if I can't see the enemy… But alright, I'll try."
Liriel let out a quiet huff and gave a small smile. "Hm. At least you get it."
As the atmosphere lightened a little, Liriel looked down at the serpent's corpse lying by the water's edge.
"That snake came out of nowhere from beneath me," she said. "Maybe this place is its nest."
Darwin also looked at the serpent's body. His eyes, however, quickly focused on something else: his Serpent Dagger. It had been subtly vibrating, as if responding to something.
"My dagger… it's been acting weird. It's been trembling since earlier."
Liriel observed it and nodded slightly. "Try stabbing it into the snake's body. Maybe it's connected."
Darwin didn't ask further. He crouched down, gripped his dagger, and stabbed it into the blue snake's corpse.
As soon as the dagger pierced the creature's body…
Something bizarre happened.
The dagger began to emit a faint greenish glow. Slowly, the snake's body started to dry out… then dissolve… as if its flesh was being absorbed into the dagger. Its skin, meat, and even bones vanished piece by piece, melting into the air with a light hissing sound.
A few moments later… there was nothing left. No bones. No blood. Just damp soil.
And the dagger stopped vibrating.
Darwin stared in disbelief. "What was that…?"
Liriel nodded slowly, her expression a mix of awe and caution. "I think… your dagger absorbs the essence of certain creatures. And maybe… its power has increased now."
Darwin lifted the dagger, which now looked a bit darker and sharper than before.
"A unique-grade weapon…?" he muttered quietly.
But at that moment, Zero's voice rang in his head again, this time full of protest.
Darwin grinned inwardly.
Sorry, Zero. I didn't know it'd suck everything in…
He shook his head slightly and looked at Liriel, who was still eyeing the dagger with deep curiosity.
"Anyway, now it's your turn," Liriel said with an amused smile. "You haven't bathed yet, have you? Go on, I'll keep watch."
Darwin nodded. "Alright. But make sure there aren't any more snakes."
"Don't worry. If anything dares show up, I'll give it a lovely arrow right between the eyes."
After Darwin finished bathing and changed clothes, they refilled their water pouches and got ready once again.
Their journey continued.