Chapter 3: A moment…

Yusciel pushed herself up from the cold stone floor, her hands seeking support against the rough wall. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her, but this was nothing new after countless explorations. Her parched throat ached, prompting her reach for the water jug tied to her shoulder strap. As she took a sip, her gaze drifted to Leo.

The child sat motionless, curled into himself, his eyes fixed on Yusciel’s leathered boot and the ground below. Leo was small, barely reaching the height of Yusciel’s bag. His dirty blond hair was a tangled mess, and his clothing were little more than rags—peppered with holes and smeared with dirt. The thin robe offered little to no protection, far from the standards of an exploration gear.

Fragile and too skinny, Leo’s forearm bore visible scrapes and red marks crusted with dried blood. Yusciel didn’t see what type of grappling gear he had used—if anything, he was fortunate it hadn’t torn his arm off completely.

After a loud gulp, she swallowed, water trickling between the cracks of her lips. Wiping her chin clean, she closed the cap of the nearly empty water jug. She tossed it towards Leo, causing him to startle.

“Finish it,” she instructed, then turned her attention to her bag, kneeling to untie the upper strings that opened the main compartment.

“B-but, there won’t be any water left?” His voice quivered.

“That is not something you need to worry—” Yusciel suddenly paused, reconsidering her words as she continued to unpack the bag. “There are many ways to get water.”

“Hmm,” Leo murmured. “I see. Thank you, miss.”

Yusciel didn’t reply but focused on sorting through her belongings. She pulled out various items—devices, clothes, packages of canned food, and metal canisters. Among them, she seperated a 6-inch long metal stick with engraved characters, and a thin metal container filled with snacks.

Shifting the bag to access a pocket, she fished out a small, crumpled brown package. Carefully unwrapping it, she revealed a tightly rolled strip of white cloth.

Turning to Leo, she inquired, “Do you know how to apply bandages?”

Wide-eyed, he replied, “N-no… But I can learn!”

“Come then.”

Upon hearing her words, Leo rose from the ground, the water jug clutched in his hands as he moved in front of her. Seeing Yusciel’s gestures, he placed the jug to the side before offering his injured hand. His forearm filled with wounds—red and violet rashes, interspersed with slices, bruises, and torn skin. A clear gouge marked where the hook typically returned, just above his wrist, with flesh was torn and bloodied skin. Numerous straight red lines crisscrossed his fingers—evidence of where the strings had cut upon their return.

Yusciel mused, ‘Impressive—not a single finger lost,’ as she examined Leo’s expected injury with a frown. ‘An injured arm is better than no hand, I suppose,’ she thought, ‘but this needs a salve. Another expense to the pocket.’

Yusciel reached into the same pocket, retrieving a small, thin metal container labeled ‘Salve to your Soul’ with a thumbs-up yellow colored paint. Placing it beside her, she then took the thin metal stick, pulling from the two ends to extend it by half of its original size.

“A wand? Are you a wizard, miss?” Leo wondered aloud, before Yusciel guided his arms to the side.

Yusciel remained silent as she methodically removed her gloves, unbuckled the belt securing the armor plate around her hand, and rolled up her sleeves. Her pale skin was revealed, the contours of her muscle defined by rough lines as she picked up the wand for careful inspection.

With intense focus, she scrutinized every inscribed character on the metal wand. Noticing a misalignment in one of the runes she intended to use, she deftly twisted it to align with ‘afa-pame’ before pointing the tip towards Leo’s injured forearm.

Yusciel emptied her mind focusing intently as she attempted to manipulate the mana within her. The unearthly energy felt thick and sluggish, moving in cold waves through her body. As it flowed through her arm in slow undulating movements, her vision doubled, and the world seemed to blur around her, assaulting her senses. Her eyes throbbed in growing rhythm with her heartbeat, and a chill ran along her spine.

Suddenly, the engraved letters on her wand began to glow blue, filled with the mana she was channeling. As if marking the end of Mana transfer, her senses stabilized, matching her now-steady breathing. Wand fully charged, she glanced at Leo, noticing his childlike fascination. “Bear with it, alright?” she warned. “Afa-pame Ekis 2.”

The wand’s tip reacted to her words, releasing a trickle of water onto Leo’s skin. Tiny droplets splashed onto Yusciel’s fingertips, causing both her and Leo to shudder from the unexpected cold—a bit too frigid even for her liking.

She muttered another incantation, “Ekis 2, de abir moto.” Multiple waves of thin, sky-blue lines appeared, moving across the metallic wand towards the tip. When they vanished, the water’s temperature changed to soothing warmth.

Carefully, Yusciel began cleaning the blood, dirt and dried smears from Leo’s hand. As she passed over the giant wound on his wrist, Leo’s body jerked involuntarily.

Leo groaned as Yusciel continued working on his fingers. He trembled, fighting the urge to pull his hand away, but her grip remained firm. She washed each finger meticulously, slowly revealing pale, bony hand as blood and grime were swept away.

“I’m almost finished,” Yusciel said, her voice steady. “Hand me the water jug.”

Leo struggled but managed to pass it to her with his free hand, his movements clumsy with pain.

“Done,” she declared, gently pushing his injured arm aside. Taking the water jug, she deftly removed the cap with one hand and began cleaning its rim. Briefly after, she chanted again, “Ekis 2, be anir leto.”

As those words left her lips, three thin waves of white light pulsed on her wand, traveling to its tip. The ongoing runic magic shifted, responding to her command. Perfectly timing it, she pointed the wand into the water jug. Instantly, a stream of fresh, cold water trickled, replenishing the water jug slowly.

Leo, still holding his hands in the air, watched in fascination as Yusciel filled the water jug. Intrigued, he couldn’t help but ask, “Is that magic? Are you a wizard?”

Yusciel shook her head. “This is not magic—it’s hard to explain—so I won’t say.” Once the water reached the desired level in the jug, she muttered, “Notos ein.”

At her command, the wand stopped producing water—remained but a glowing metallic stick as Yusciel placed it next to her. She closed the cap of the water jug tightly before adding, “Besides, if I knew how to use magic, you would have been healed by now.”

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As she spoke, Yusciel reached for a black towel she had carefully placed on top of the canister. Using it to wrap around Leo’s hand, she dampened the wetness. Inquisitive, Leo spoke up, trying to be formal, “Um, miss. I’m curious about this. I’ve seen others who look like you—very tall, bulky, almost twice, or much more the size than adults. What, uh, is your race called?”

Yusciel matched his gaze, placing the towel back in her bag once she was finished. “This body is of the E-X-three race, one of variants for exploration.”

“Hmmm.” Leo nodded. Seemingly understanding. “And… Where do you typically buy that body? And… for how much?”

Yusciel’s gaze lowered into a glare, but she answered regardless, “Up north—beyond the sandstorms of Deimhall, in capital Dhamos. They sell them for 1,400 Sukays, or precisely 2,500 Diros.”

Uttering those words made Leo’s eyebrow twitch, his gaze widening in bewilderment. With nothing more to add to the conversation, Yusciel turned her attention to the salve as she took it from the ground. The metal cap was tightly sealed, almost melded shut, but with a firm twist, it creaked as the metal bent slightly, releasing a burst of pungent herbal scent into the air. She placed it within easy reach.

“Eh? Aren't those things expensive?” Leo quickly withdrew his arm, eliciting an immediate frown from Yusciel. He added, “Aren’t those like 30 Sukays?”

“Arm,” Yusciel uttered in a low voice.

Leo’s dimple deepened, his lips twitched as he resigned himself, placing his injured hand on her palm. Yusciel instructed, “Watch carefully,” before dipping her fingers into the thick, greenish salve. She glanced at Leo, noting his intense focus and the sweat beading on his face. Satisfied, she continued.

Suddenly, the light from her hanging bulb blinked—a warning. Yusciel clicked her tongue and hurried.

“If it’s too cold or painful, bear with it,” she warned, tightening her grip.

With practiced movements, Yusciel began dotting the ointment across the Leo’s forearm in a line, then created a crisscross pattern over his palm. She paid special attention to the wrist and finger with bruises—some had flesh opening as she noticed—applying tiny dots of salve to each knuckle.

“A bit more,” she said, dipping her fingers once again before mixing the ointment on her palm. Then, spreading it on Leo’s arm, her hands moved deftly, massaging the child’s hand and fingers. As she worked, the distinct lines and dots merged into thin white lines that glistened slightly in the light.

Suddenly, a powerful wind gust blew into the cave, causing their clothes to flutter violently, some canisters to rattle, and Leo’s hand to shiver. Unconsciously, he tried to slip away, but Yusciel tightened her grip.

“Stay still,” Yusciel warned.

Leo flinched occasionally as Yusciel hit sensitive spots, but as moments passed, the ointment began to disappear into his skin, leaving behind only a faint sheen and a lingering scent of herbs. Satisfied, Yusciel nodded to herself. “Done—I’ll cover it with bandages now.”

She shifted her attention to the tin can, sealing the ointment tightly before returning it to her bag. Then, she took the crumpled brown paper and unwrapped the bandage, pulling one end to Leo’s palm before starting to wrap it between his thumb and around his hand. Yusciel glanced at him—Leo seemed focused on watching her technique, gritting his teeth as his hand trembled. She nodded approvingly and continued in silence.

Once she had finished wrapping from his palm to his lower forearm, she cut the excess bandage and tied off the end. Yusciel scanned his hand, nodding at her excellent work once more. “Done. Did you get all that?” she asked, storing the leftover bandage in the crumpled brown paper package and storing it back in her bag.

“Umm, I think so?” Leo replied, his voice tinged with doubt.

Yusciel paid no mind to his uncertainty and handed him the circular metal can she had prepared. “Eat this,” she instructed, while reaching for the water jug she had set aside earlier.

“Tha—”

The light flickered once more, causing Yusciel’s brow to furrow, ‘Oh, I almost forgot,’ she realized, and hurriedly tied the water jug to her shoulder strap. Once secured, she rummaged through her bag, guiding her hands through its depths without vision, relying solely on her sense of touch. Suddenly, her fingers brushed against a cold, slick, round object. Yusciel fished it out—in her hands was another light bulb.

She passed it to Leo, saying simply, “This.” Then she took another one from her bag.

“‘This’?” Leo repeated, confused as he lifted the bulb.

“Hold on to the bulb light for now. You’ll need it later—just in case—do you know how to use it?”

Leo responded with a shook of his head, confirming Yusciel’s expectations. She then demonstrated by holding her own bulb, rotating it around until she found a small protrusion. Pointing to it, she explained, “See this? You pull this with your teeth.” Mimicking her words, she clenched her teeth and pulled, causing the crystal bulb to emit a dim yellow glow that gradually brightened to white. “You can also do it with your hands—I highly doubt you can. But save that for later when you need it,” Yusciel advised before turning back to her tasks.

“Does this explode or something?” He wondered jokingly.

“Maybe,” Yusciel replied in her usual tone. “You’ll be the first to know if that happens.”

The bulb light on her belt flickered once more, prompting her to immediately swap it out for the one in her hand. With the dying bulb in her palm, she unlocked the protruding part and pressed it until it clicked back into place. A short, shattered noise followed, clearly indicating something had broken inside as the flickering light vanished completely.

“Hmmm?” Leo’s curious voice interjected beside her.

Ignoring him, Yusciel stored the broken bulb light and returned other items she had taken out from the bag, carefully fitting them back inside. The only item left outside was the long metal stick, which she held in her hands as she secured it to the pockets of her shoulder bag before rising to her feet, towering over Leo’s small figure.

Seated, Leo barely reached the height of the bag propped up beside Yusciel. A human, and one from the slums at that, he wasn’t of extraordinary figure. She observed as Leo finally opened the thin metal cap, the loud clanking sound accompanying a scatter of numerous biscuits. One of them dropped to the ground, making Yusciel comment, “If it falls on the ground—don’t eat it.”

“Eh?” Leo exclaimed as he turned to Yusciel. “Why? It’s a waste.”

Moving towards the entrance of the cave, Yusciel replied, “Who knows what stone we are standing on. Even open wounds can get you poisoned with a single touch—let alone eating food that fell from it.”

“O-okay.” He responded obediently, his voice shaking.

Yusciel edged around the entrance, her eyes peering down into the abyss—a sea of forest shrouded in darkness, almost resembling a land of black mass formed by the canopy of trees. No visible signs of people or their lights were present. She shifted her gaze to the horizon beyond their island, where Worldly Trunks, barely visible, held the worlds together. Sprouting from the darkness below, thick wooden trunks cluttered the distance, some supporting flat island and others towering mountains.

She could barely see anything further as everything seemed veiled in thick darkness surrounding the isle. Following one of the nearby Worldly Trunks, she noticed it connected to another cluster of islands in a rounder form. A white dot moving through caught her attention—an airship traversing at the distance.

She gulped, quickly recollecting her thoughts. ‘There are about 12 airships for this expedition—most of them cruiser types. Even if that ship isn’t ours, I have to hurry back. Especially if it's another expedition unit from a different organization, we need to get moving quickly.’

Yusciel scanned the surrounding steep walls, pausing to contemplate while staring at the distant horizon. A flicker of movement caught her eye. Squinting, she discerned deep blue silhouettes weaving through the dark—a Makbeast horde, at least seven strong, their wings beating in eerie synchronization. One creature clutched something in its talons, though she couldn’t make out what it was.

‘This is dangerous,’ Yusciel thought. She tilted her head up, assessing the climb ahead. Jagged stone ridges obscured her view, with roots seeping through the cracks and dangling down like withered vines. With a frustrated click of her tongue, she spun on her heel and retreated into the cave.

Yusciel was immediately greeted by the sight of Leo suddenly standing up from the ground. His expression seemed eager, but she couldn’t care less and moved forward. Before Yusciel could pass him, he exclaimed, “I have a favor!”

She turned, facing him. “A favor?”

“Yes…” He said, his voice desperate. “Please! Let me enter the treasure hunt! I’ll mine ores or do anything! Just compensate me fairly, and I won’t complain!”

One of Yusciel’s eyebrows arched as she stared at the kid’s unyielding gaze. “You seem to be misunderstanding something here.”

“Misunderstanding?” He repeated, his black eyes visibly constricting with anxiety.

“I am not part of the treasure hunt—” she began, but hesitated before continuing, “but I am—”