The morning was beautiful, the forest can be sometimes pretty, hearing the birds chirp, hearing the trees weaving their leaves, and the sounds of the river are melodies that help to distract me.

There’s still no traces of humans to be found… but at least I want a pillow to sleep on the rough floor. The ground’s pretty hard and cold, I can’t rest well, why couldn’t we have reincarnated near a city?

It would save us a lot of worries, and we wouldn’t be dying of hunger and the harsh environment.

Suddenly as time passes the sky starts turning dark and filling with gray clouds as the environment feels a bit humid... I don’t like where this is going.

My friends obviously noticed the environment as well.

Asao said, “We better find shelter or we’ll catch a bad fever,”

As he starts searching for refuge I correct him.

“Not just a fever, but hypothermia and I don’t want to check if my magic can heal those things,”

I say trying to look intelligent, but how can you take a little girl seriously?

Yui doesn’t look like she’s trying to find shelter, or doing anything at all… she’s spacing out but I hope that the rain will wake her up soon.

There’s a mountain a bit far away from us but if we rush we can reach it in time. I called out Asao to tell him about the mountains I saw.

“Follow me then,” he said with a serious expression while heading to the mountains at a normal pace... don’t you see the gravity of the problem!?

Yui and I followed Asao through the caves hoping to find shelter to take refuge in.

The rain started pouring onto us slowly and I could feel the coldness of each raindrop that fell into my bare skin. I was sure I wouldn’t endure a minute if the rain got heavier but it seems that we’re lucky that this rain is pouring slowly.

Some time has passed already and the mountain still looks away from us. Will we really be able to reach the mountains, and even if we reach them will there even be a cave for shelter?

I shouldn’t think negatively it will just drive me crazy. If Asao won’t hurry I will, because I don’t want to die.

I faced in Asao’s direction and told him, “If you won’t rush, then I will, I will wait for you in the cave,” then I faced the mountains and ran.

I really need to think about my survival. I don’t want to die, my pride won’t allow for me to die this pitifully again.

Asao still isn’t hurrying even a bit it’s like he’s thinking that the rain will wait for him to reach shelter before it gets serious, is he an idiot!?

Yui is still spacing out. When is she gonna understand she can’t escape reality, is she still a little kid or something!?

I was running and sprinting with my ragged breath, I felt that If I could reach a cave to find shelter I would be safe, I felt as if I didn’t need help from my friends, I felt capable of doing anything and finding civilization without them.

Yeah, I will reach the cave and laugh all over them, they will surely beg for my forgiveness. I am superior!

I could see the mountains in the distance but I was already getting tired. All that running exhausted me, my breath has become rough and ragged trying to reach the mountains...

I was closer to possible shelter than those fools but it’s already raining heavily. it felt colder with each passing droplet. I don’t have to worry I’m near the mountains therefore a cave!

I laughed a while and wheezed, those fools, I will laugh it was the only thing in my head.

I was slowly reaching the mountains while the sky was almost falling and after stepping forward a miracle appeared before me.

Wait really, a cave? My eyes aren’t fooling me?

But I was seeing things correctly, there was a cave, a cave I could enter and get refuge from the rain, I was almost there. I’m not insane.

I tried to run but my legs gave out, my bones already as cold as metal.

I was almost there you can’t be kidding me!!

The coldness of the rain was freezing, I stopped moving, I was feeling sick, and without the energy to move.

Suddenly I dropped to the wet soul as I fell down. Am I really going to die, or is the goddess just playing with me like as if I were her doll?

I would eventually end up like this even if I was with my friends… no amount of teamwork can stop this rain from freezing us to death.

If that’s the case... then goddess I’ll leave my destiny to you, since it seems I don’t have any control over it.

I closed my eyes and let my luck do whatever with me, at least with a rain my death will look dramatic... As my consciousness starts to fade away, I wish that Asao and Yui didn’t end like me.

My body feels hot and warm, did I get sent to hell for doing bad deeds?

I thought to myself as the sounds of firewood crackling from fire echoes in my surroundings.

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Wait... doesn’t firewood make those sounds, am I near a campfire?

This can’t be, wasn’t I freezing just now... or it was an hour ago…?

I don’t remember but it feels good, it seems those guys did it and even after I threw a tantrum in front of their faces they rescued me….

Am I a bad friend right now or is it just them trying to be kind?

...

...

...

Barely regaining my consciousness I can hear how Yui and Asao are discussing something but I can’t comprehend any of the words.

“We...ed...o...ina...cine...om...f...ver...ravel...civ...ation...get...”

What is happening? I can’t quite understand what they’re discussing and thinking gives me headaches. Nope, I’m not insane.

I open my eyes and see how Asao is going outside of... a cave? Then they succeeded where I couldn’t... I feel like an idiot now, should I apologize for my tantrum?

I get to organize my words and tell Yui “S...wryy...”, then she directs her sight from the cave entrance to me and sits where I’m laid.

Puts her palm on my forehead and says “hot,” after which she says, “Shiina, your fever is pretty high, you should rest and sleep.”

Is my new body that weak that it can’t stand a normal rain? Well, I should have thought it better, I’m not that guy that got ill once every full moon anymore... I’m now a girl with a fragile body… a girl...

My stomach growls, right I haven’t eaten since I came here, but what can we eat?

An idea pops up in my mind and I organize it so I can say it to Yui properly without sounding like a dental patient high on anaesthetics.

“Co...lec...tber...wrys...” is probably what I sounded like.

“Right…” she spaced out a bit and continued, “I will return shortly, don’t worry.” Yui says trying to be dependable, but she’s clearly nervous.

Meanwhile Yui went out to forage and I’m trying not to die.

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Medicine, drugs, herbs, I need to find something to help with Shiina's fever... I can’t let Shiina die, I won’t be able to forgive myself.

I try to go at a continuous pace. I need to get to a city as soon as possible. Shiina didn’t look so good, and with her constitution she won’t last long.

Time passes and my hunger eats away at my soul, I think it’s already time I ate this fantasy world’s gourmet since I haven’t eaten anything since I came here...

With the primitive spear Shiina made, and the gloom of sunlight I attempt to hunt for fish. It shouldn’t be that risky, and I won’t get parasites if I cook it.

After probably two hours of spearfishing, I get to catch 5 small fishes, it’s easier said than done.

I keep silent for a moment about what just popped up in front of me, did I just gain a new skill?

I open my stats and see that there’s a new skill called〖Hunt LV. 1〗was there.

So this is how skills are gained... interesting. I’ll tell Shiina and Yui later, Shiina will need an offensive skill sooner or later anyway.

After reviewing my skills I gathered some firewood, I know I can eat raw fish but I don’t want to take irreversible risks.

I set up the fire with the firewood I got. with Yui this would be easy but she has to take care of Shiina.

I grilled the fishes with an ope flame, the sound of the crackling wood from the campfire is quite relaxing. I hope this fishes are delicious but as soon as I take a bite... dry.

I let out a sigh. “Better than nothing,” and I was starving anyway. I quickly finished the grilled fish, If you can even call it that, and fed the fire more firewood so it can last all night.

Good night I mutter to myself, I lie down and proceed to sleep.

The sunlight woke me up the next day, at least I had the whole day to walk in search of civilization, I should get going.

I stand up and continue my journey, I really hope I can find some help, or at least medicine for Shiina.

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I just returned from collecting berries from the forest, it was really humid and the grass was gathering morning dew, my feet are still wet and felt itchy but at least I am in the safety of the cave.

I see Shiina lying on the floor, she’s in the same position as I left her in. I'm grateful nothing happened to her, but she looks weaker than before.

I approach Shiina and check her temperature... she’s boiling hot!

I smash the berries one by one and feed it to Shiina, she has not eaten anything for days, nor me…

After the fight with... that ‘thing’. I haven’t thought of anything more than that... until now, I need to take care of Shiina and wait for Asao, he shouldn’t take too long. I believe that we're near civilization, I hope that I’m right.

At least we have a place to stay, and it protects us from the elements, at least I can rest from forest's wrath and just take care of Shiina. I’m grateful for all these things.

I lean on the wall of the cave and try to rest for a bit.

After the peaceful wake of minutes, vague pawsteps can be heard as well as the sound of leaves crunching from their trail. It’s not a bear... right?

They begin approaching us like a pack of playful dogs. Except that they’re not playful, nor dogs. They’re wolves. And I need to protect Shiina from them. I stand up, and then a wolf growls at me.

Oh no, Shiina!! I let my guard down and got distracted. They can quickly drag Shiina back into the forest.

But... I can’t use my fireballs, it would hit Shiina but... they will take her...! Those wolves will eat Shiina!!

I can’t do anything, my hands are trembling, I’m paralyzed, why can’t I save her?!

I want to but I don’t know what to do, should I concentrate on not hitting Shiina? But the wolves would still hurt her!

I don’t know what to do. I don’t. I don’t. I don’t!!!

My thoughts surged to my head, clouding my thoughts. And when I came to be, I realized that Shiina was gone.

How was that possible!? she was in front of me and now she’s gone!

Calm down, calm down, I should figure out something as fast as possible, something, something I could do to save Shiina.

After a few seconds of thinking I came up with an idea, I will try to track the wolves and rescue her!

But the wolves have already left time ago... how will I track them down?

I stand up and get out of the cave hoping to see anything to help me track down the wolves.

As I get out I hear howling a bit far away from the cave, I tremble with nervousness, I walk to where the howling originated. Thanks to my fox ears I can pretty much triangulate the origin of the sound.

My walking pace is slow but I've decided to rescue my best friend. I don’t know what the wolves want from her, but I will rescue her, with just me and my magic.

Thankfully I don’t need to worry about sunlight, but that’s not an excuse to slow down my pace, my fear won’t stop me from saving Shiina.

Time passes, I move my legs and I keep alert.

Are the wolves in a cave like us or they made their own home?

I need to visualize where I will be so I can rescue Shiina as fast as possible and not get injured, but how will I get off without a scratch from this?

It’s impossible to get away harmless from a pack of wolves, it’s not even possible with my magic.

Ten? Fifteen? Even if it’s just ten of them, I wouldn’t stand a chance against ten wolves, I wouldn’t be able to deal with even five of them at once!

I sigh worried, and slow down my pace, maybe I should just threaten the wolves, take Shiina and go back.

But it’s even possible for a single person to threaten a pack of wolves? What do wolves fear?

I speed up my pace a bit while I start thinking on how I could threaten that pack of wolves.

A memory pops into my head, the memory of a campsite I went with Asao and Shiina a long time ago, they told us that there were wolves in the forest and we had to keep the fire on for the night.

That’s it fire! I should be able to make them back out if I show them I can cast fire! Now I know how I will save Shiina!

I hasten my pace with confidence and with determination in me, I can do it.

I hear a second howl from the same direction, now I can confirm much better where they are.

As I was passing some bushes I saw a wolf patrolling as I quickly hid, did the wolf hear me? or did it see me?

Right, I have the power of fire I should just threaten it so it runs away.

I uncover from the bush I was hiding in and face the wolf, the wolf then stares at me and growls.

It’s gonna attack me? Because if it’s gonna do that I will die…

As the wolf starts approaching slowly to me I extend my hand with my palm up and cast a small fire.

The wolf is taken back a bit, but keeps approaching, didn’t it work? It should have worked!

I shoot the fire near the wolf as a warning and it avoids my fireball and it retreats from there past some bushes, after that a howl sounds from where the wolf went.

Is this bad? Would it have been better if I killed it in the spot?

I resume my journey of rescuing Shiina, it seems as if I worried for nothing. I keep walking and the sun is already high noon, if I don’t hurry soon the sun will start setting and I won’t be able to see anything.

After a while after the encounter with the patrolling wolf I hear some rustling surrounding me, are those wolves?

How many could be there be, three, five??

I couldn’t even handle one, how am I supposed to fight five of them!?