Genshin Isekai With Homies [Ao3 Crosspost]

Chapter 7: Extra I - The Bois

Felix and Razor crouch behind a bush, knees brushing the dirt and the air stiff with animal scent. In front of them, a pack of boars grazing leisurely unaware of their stalkers.

Razor shifts his claymore onto his shoulder and Bennett unsheathes his sword. With an exchange of glances and a leap of faith, shadows cover the moon over an unsuspecting boar and pounce onto the ground.

Missed! The boar gives a shrilling shriek and the whole pack dashes away. Coughing and running half-blinded by the dust, the hunters follow their prey.

Razor dashes back in the bushes as Felix scrambles over the grasses and rocks. He follows the boar left and right through the trees, jumps over the logs, and slides under the branches.

"Rawr!"

Razor springs out of the bushes in front of the boar. It recoils, crashing into Bennett. It kicks down his stomach and he grabs its legs. He locks it down and pierces his sword right through its flesh.

—

"Ow." Gui winces as he scratches the bandages on his arms, resting next to the pond's edge. He listens to the waves push and pulls gently to the moonlight while James dumps out the stale water and shuffles back to Gui with an empty pot. James dips the pot in the life-saving water.

"I can come by myself," Gui says gruffly.

"And I came by Addy's orders," James chuckles. He checks the water, throws it out, and scoops some more again.

"Why are we even here. The water quality is probably the frickin' same as the one before. Heck, that might be cleaner than this."

James stands up and takes the pot with him. He checks the water, scoops, and throws away the water. Gui watches in amusement as his friend repeats this cycle, again and again in a different spot, rounding the pond and back.

"Just take some."

James glances nervously and sighs. Then, he takes out some fresh bandages from the inventory and bathes them in pot water.

"What are you doing now?"

"I've read that you got to scrub them to get them off." James gestures to Gui's red bandages.

Gui looks at his wounds and swipes the wet bandages from James' hands.

"I'll do it myself."

They continue the next few seconds in silence. The only sounds are Gui's muted sufferings, the rippling water, and the unseen crickets in the bushes. After squatting for some time, James finally sits down.

"I can help."

"It's fine...Thanks."

Gui accepts James' second set of soaked bandages and continues scrubbing while the latter sets off wandering again. When Gui feels squeaky clean, James comes back with a handful of sweet flowers.

Gui squints at it. "Addy's ghost got into you?"

"I heard that some flowers like daisies can be eaten raw. Since sweet flowers are used to make sugars here, I think maybe they'll be edible too."

"You do know that that's Addy, the World Cleaner, right?"

"E-Even if she has plenty, I don't want to go back empty-handed—" James coughs. "Oh, I don't feel so good."

He wheezes and Gui runs. Goshdarnit-James! Don't go eat random stuff! He gave his friend an abdominal thrust. James spits out some white petals and green leaves.

"I thought nothing is poisonous in this game," James rubs his throat and notices the sound of glass cracking. The grass all around him freezes and a trail of ice crawls to a now crystallized pond, fishes stuck like an ice sculpture.