No matter how grand and strange Neight's idea of setting up a ropeway over the lake sounded, it actually turned out to be quite simple. At least, after he explained it, I had a clear picture of what we needed to do. The plan essentially consisted of a few basic steps:

1. Tie one end of the rope to a tree;

2. Walk along the edge of the clearing to the opposite side;

3. Stretch the rope to make sure it passes over the water;

4. Loop it around a tree on the other side and secure it at the right height;

5. Then, return to the starting point and connect the ends to form a taut, continuous loop.

That way, we’d have a movable zipline to transport anything to and from the lake without having to get even a millimeter closer to it.

I had to admit, the plan sounded impressive. Now we just had to bring it to life.

Without wasting time, we descended the ramp, fully intent on completing the task. We had to act quickly since it was the second half of the day, and darkness would soon fall. We definitely didn’t want to be caught outside in the dark, especially in unexplored terrain. Who knows what dangers could be lurking in the shadows?

"We need to get the hose" Neight commanded. "I unlocked the hatch through the control panel, but you’ll have to crawl under the ship."

"Got it!"

Feeling inspired and finally useful, I handed Neight the weapon temporarily so it wouldn’t get in the way during my incredibly important mission. Circling around the ramp, I dropped to all fours and crawled forward through the flattened but thick grass beneath the ship. Each blade crunched under my hands and knees, brushing against my helmet and suit. As I went deeper, the ship’s shadow became denser, making it difficult to make out the features underneath. Soon, I realized I was moving purely by feel. I couldn’t stay in the dark like this for long, so I needed a solution. I thought about using my notebook to light the way but doubted it would be effective—it was too weak a light source.

"It’s pretty dark down here. Do we have something like a flashlight?"

"Yes, of course," came the reply in my earpiece. "Press the button to the right at temple level."

Following the instruction, a bright beam shot out from the top of my helmet. Reflecting off the ship’s light hull, it completely dispelled the darkness that had dominated just a second ago.

"Thanks! Now everything is as clear as daylight."

"Great," Neight replied contentedly. "You should hurry a bit, by the way. We have a lot to do before it gets dark."

"Yes, yes, I know," I muttered as I started looking around. "How will I know which hatch?"

"It’s the only one that’s open. You can’t miss it."

Turning my head, I spotted a small opening about the size of a dinner plate in the smooth hull of the ship, hidden by the tall grass. It was slightly behind me—I must have missed it in the darkness. I backed up carefully until I was right beneath the hatch and looked up to see what was inside. A thin, flexible dark gray hose dangled from within. It didn’t look like rubber, as it had a metallic shine to it. But with all the unknown technology on the ship, I wasn’t even surprised.

Probably a more advanced, durable material, I thought.

I grabbed the end of the hose and pulled, feeling it extend smoothly. Peering deeper into the opening, I noticed that it seemed to be wound on a large reel.

Convenient. As long as it doesn’t get stuck.

"Neight, I’ve got the hose," I reported, pleased.

"Understood. Crawl out of there, and let’s go."

----------------------------------------

We were making our way through the forest toward the ill-fated lake, which was both our only salvation and could also be the cause of our demise. I walked ahead with a weapon in hand, scanning the area for potential threats. There was a lingering concern that local predators might become active as night fell, so I was tense and focused, reacting to every sound and movement in the bushes.

Neight followed behind me, dragging the hose along, which slithered across the grass like a long snake. The path was more difficult than I had imagined. I had to choose a route that prevented the hose from catching on any obstacles like dense bushes, stones, and protruding roots. Maneuvering between the trees, I couldn’t help but wonder if the hose would be long enough for what we needed.

But that was only part of the issue. Our progress was painfully slow. And it wasn’t just because of my caution or the tricky path—I could tell that Neight wasn’t fully recovered and wasn’t really ready for this much exertion after his injury. Predictably, he refused to admit he was struggling, continuing to hobble along silently, his breaths coming heavy and labored. Some things never changed, and his stubbornness was infuriating.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Hey, Neight, how are you holding up?"

"I’m fine... phew... I’ll manage," he replied, clearly trying to catch his breath to sound more convincing.

"Look, you can’t keep pushing yourself like this. You should be resting and regaining strength; I could handle this on my own. Why don’t you head back? I'm sure I'll get it all done quickly."

I tried to keep my voice soft yet persuasive. No matter how I looked at it, his presence didn’t seem necessary here. In this state, I doubted he could be much help even if something went wrong. But he clearly had his own view on that.

"No... like I said, I’m not leaving you alone... I’ll have time to rest after we’re done."

Is he seriously still holding onto that? I thought. Sure, it was only yesterday, but I figured after he restored my access to the ship, he’d trust me enough to let me go on my own.

"Hey, I’m not going to run off again. I promised," I said, feeling a bit hurt at his distrust.

"I remember… But it’s better if I stay close… just in case."

"Fine, whatever you say," I sighed, knowing I wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise. Starting a new argument and risking another fight wasn’t something I wanted.

Maybe there’s a reason he’s acting like this.

We had already reached the marked tree where Neight had carved a giant cross yesterday. The clearing with the lake was just a short distance away when I heard a stumble behind me, followed by an annoyed huff over the radio. I turned to see Neight struggling to pull the hose, which had suddenly stopped moving.

"Did it run out?" I asked, alarmed.

Panic shot through my mind as I realized I had no idea what we’d do if that were the case, and we had no time to come up with an alternative plan. Meanwhile, Neight looked at me and sighed heavily.

"No, it should’ve been long enough. It probably got snagged somewhere or the reel jammed."

I felt a bit relieved that things weren’t as bad as they initially seemed, but we still had to do something.

"I’ll go check," I offered immediately, about to head off when Neight stopped me.

"It’s not safe for you to go alone. We’ll go together."

His stubbornness truly amazed me.

"Neight, listen, we don’t have much time, and you can’t move quickly. Can we really afford these delays?" I began. "Just wait here while I run back. I’m in much better shape than you, wouldn’t you agree?"

He was silent for a moment. I was sure he was conflicted and frustrated, but he really had no choice.

"Fine, go ahead," he finally replied, a barely perceptible hint of irritation in his voice.

Pleased that I’d managed to hold my ground, I nodded happily and ran along the hose, calling out that I’d be right back. My only real worry was about Neight, who was now alone back there, without any gun and weakened from his injury. That was just one more reason to find the problem as fast as possible and get back to him.

I ran for about a minute, my legs starting to tire, when I finally found the issue. A large amount of grass had tangled tightly around the hose, caught on a thick green bush. I pulled out my knife and began freeing the hose from the tangle.

Just don’t damage anything, I thought, carefully cutting the grass and tossing it aside.

Once I was done, I tugged on the hose and felt it move freely again.

Phew, that should do it. I hope there won’t be any more issues.

While I was clearing the grass, I managed to catch my breath a bit, though the ache in my legs still lingered.

If everything goes smoothly, I’m just going to crash into bed and stay there until tomorrow, I thought, running through the forest, weaving around slim tree trunks and leaping over exposed roots.

Finally, I spotted Neight sitting on the ground, apparently waiting for me. But as I got closer, a chill of fear crept over me—he was covered in blood.

No… This can’t be happening!

All the sounds of the forest faded as my pulse pounded stronger, radiating through my entire body.

"N-Neight! Are you alive?! What happened?" I cried, rushing toward him as fast as I could.

But then, to my shock, he looked up at me calmly and stood up as if nothing had happened.

"I’m fine," he replied evenly. "What about the hose? Did you manage to fix it?"

"Y-yes… It just got tangled in the grass…" I answered automatically, still shaken and not fully understanding what had happened. "Neight, there’s… b-blood on you…"

"Oh, that…" he said in a chillingly emotionless tone, sending shivers down my spine. "While you were gone, a small predator spotted me. Fortunately, I had my knife. Don’t worry, it’s not my blood."

Listening to him, I realized I’d completely forgotten what he was capable of. Maybe that was the real reason I’d felt such primal fear yesterday when I ran from him, blindly fleeing into the unknown. Even while injured, he remained incredibly strong and resilient, especially in emergency situations. His quick reflexes and ability to assess everything around him almost seemed superhuman. He could take a life without even batting an eye. For some reason, our conversation came back to me—the one where Neight claimed he saw little difference between a wild animal and a human…

No, he’s definitely someone you wouldn’t want as an enemy.

"Let’s go," he said in a softer voice. "We’re almost there."

I took a few seconds to collect myself, then we continued our journey toward the lake. Occasionally, I glanced over at Neight, noting that nothing had changed in his tired, slow gait. If it weren’t for the crimson splatters on his suit, it might’ve seemed like nothing had happened at all. Still, I couldn’t shake my worry.

"Are you sure you’re not hurt? Are you sure you're alright?"

He sighed in mild frustration.

"If you don’t count a fractured collarbone, muscle aches all over my body, and general fatigue and exhaustion, I’m just fine."

I couldn’t tell if he was joking or speaking seriously.

"Doesn’t sound all that great," I replied with a faint, sad smile he couldn’t see.

"Hm… Just saying it like it is," he answered, sounding calm, which actually made me feel a bit better. "By the way, we’re here."