Valenius went down to the unconscious woman and checked her temperature. As he attempted to lift her from the ground, he felt the icy touch of a spear against his throat.

Valenius looked at the woman holding the spear and slowly lowered the unconscious woman to the ground. He then raised his hands and slowly got to his feet.

Valenius asked softly, “Can I please take her to a nearby safe zone? I might help her there. She will die if she stays here.”

The woman lowered the spear from his throat and stepped back, allowing Valenius to pick up the unconscious woman in his arms.

They returned to Val’s safe zone, where he had been earlier. Upon reaching the concealed rocky entrance, Valenius gently laid the unconscious woman on the ground. The other woman kept her gaze fixed on Valenius the entire time.

As Valenius started pressing the rocks, there was no vibration. Valenius kept pushing the rocks, but nothing happened. He heard the woman’s toxic voice.“That’s enough games. Why are you bringing us to an area that clearly isn’t an area at all? What tricks are you trying to play?”

Valenius felt the hairs on his neck stand up as he slowly and cautiously turned to face the woman with the spear.

Valenius asked, “Please, give me a few minutes. I genuinely want to help.”

The woman just glared at him, gripping her spear tightly.

Valenius sighed and activated his gauntlet to open the map, hoped to find another nearby location. To his dismay, Val’s safe zones were no longer displayed.

Pointing to a new spot on the map, Valenius said, “We will take her there.”

The woman muttered, “What choice do I have?”

Valenius asked,“What is your name.”

“My name is Mayarn,” she replied.

“My name is Valenius,” he responded.

With that, they set out towards the nearby village.

Valenius then asked, “So, what happened? What happened to you?”

Mayarn responded, “Some creature was chasing us.”

Valenius inquired, “What kind of creature chased you? Was it a dragon of some sort?”

Mayarn shook her head as she responded, “If it was a dragon, we would certainly be dead. There would be no surviving an attack like that. Besides, whatever that creature was, it didn’t chase us for long.”

Mayarn paused for a second, her gaze briefly shifting to her ill friend before returning to Valenius. “I didn’t see the creature that chased after us. I asked Voilen to stay here while I went to confront it. But the creature was gone, and when I returned to Voilen, she was unconscious. There was smoke that was hazy, swirling with violet and purple hues, so I suspect she was poisoned. That’s why she’s sick.”

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Mayarn’s gaze shifted to Valenius’s gauntlet as she spoke in a lower tone, “What is that device on your arm? I’ve seen it before, but only on a few people, not too many.”

Valenius responded, “It’s a high-tech gauntlet, nothing special. It just shows me maps.”

Valenius noticed the gauntlet flashing. He pressed the button, and the map appeared, but at the top right corner, there was a flashing area, like a heading with the wording “Alchemy.”

Valenius pressed the button, revealing a few recipes for different types of potions and new spells. He rushed to see if there was a potion cure for poison, and to his relief, there was one; only one key ingredient was needed.

Valenius began typing the names of the ingredients and noticed that there it was, Toth herb, the nearest location, was within walking distance from their current position. With Mayarn’s help, they went in the direction and found a big tree surrounded by scattered red flowers. Valenius checked the gauntlet and confirmed they were at the location of the Toth flowers. He gathered the ingredients and crushed them, following the custom instructions displayed in the gauntlet. Once he was done, he passed the medicine to Voilen.

They waited patiently to see if Voilen was getting better. Her eyes began to flicker, and she started groaning as her breathing became rapid. Gradually, her breath slowed to a normal pace, and then she opened her eyes.

She woke up groggy, her movements slow, and her face contorted in discomfort. Eyes widening in fear upon seeing Valenius, she instinctively backed away until her back pressed against a tree. Valenius crouched to the ground, her gaze shifting anxiously between Valenius and Mayarn. In a soft tone, Valenius reassured her, “I’m here to help. You don’t need to be afraid.”

The woman looked around, her eyes darting with confusion before she regained her footing. Turning to Mayarn, she asked,“What happened? My memory is gone. I heard something from behind, and then... nothing.”

Mayarn placed her hand on Voilen’s shoulder as she spoke.

“I don’t know what happened, but at least you’re okay now.”

Mayarn then turned to look at Valenius and said, “He made the cure. Now we must go home.”

Mayarn asked Valenius,“Do you know where we are now?”

Valenius, noticing her gaze on his gauntlet, pressed the button to reveal the map. As Mayarn gasped in surprise, she explained,” I’m not sure how we got so far, but at least we have a way to find our way back.”

As dusk settled in and the chill of the evening set in briskly, Valenius suggested they find shelter for the night. Just as they began to move, the Voilen grew weak and stumbled, falling to the ground. Valenius swiftly rushed to her aid, helping her regain her footing. With her feeling somewhat better but still weak, Valenius supported her by putting her arm around his shoulder as they walked through the forest.

After a while, they finally arrived at a clearing and set up a fire. Valenius turned to Mayarn and asked, “Where are you from.”

Mayarn replied, “My true home was far to the North, but it exists no more due to the significant battle. We had no choice but to leave, or else we would've perished. So, the last place I saw my people was Southwest from here, and we are still in search of a new home.”

“You don’t look like you're from around here, and usually, people with that device are outsiders, not from this world. Did you acquire it from them? Are you an outsider yourself?” questioned the woman.

Valenius remained silent.

Mayarn smirked, chuckled lightly, and said, “Yes, your silence speaks volumes. It confirms you’re not from here, which explains your high-tech gadgets. We are fortunate to have crossed paths. So, how do you find this world?”

She gestured toward the swords and the scars on Valenius, remarking, “You must be getting used to this world now, judging by those swords and scars.”.

After some rest, they return to where Mayarn and Voilen had last seen their people.