St Chaos Healer

Ch 100 - The Trek to Jarla

Luc and I had finally set foot on the Isle Continent, one of the five great landmasses of the Eldoria Realm. My knowledge of this world's geography was patchy at best, but one fact stood clear: the Isle Continent was a wild, untamed frontier.

Unlike its sister continents, it sprawled with dense forests and uncharted territories, teeming with strange mana beasts. The hot, humid air—punctuated by sudden downpours—fueled a landscape that even seasoned adventurers struggled to navigate. And yet, here we were, just the two of us, trudging barefoot through its wilderness.

Luc strolled ahead, casually munching on a handful of sweets from his pouch, his steps light as if the tangled undergrowth and oppressive heat didn't faze him. I, on the other hand, staggered behind, the bulk of our luggage strapped to my back. Sweat soaked my shirt, dripping into my eyes as I wrestled with the weight.

Since the Dagonir had left us on the beach, we'd ventured inland, climbing steep hills cloaked in a thick canopy of unfamiliar trees. Their gnarled branches twisted overhead, filtering the sunlight into a dappled haze, while exotic plants brushed against my legs, their leaves glistening with moisture.

The air clung to my skin, heavy and suffocating, each step an effort as I hauled our gear. Luc, though, moved like a ghost—his pale skin untouched by the sun's relentless glare, his dark cloak swaying as if the humidity were a mere breeze. We'd been at it for hours, cresting a hill that still offered a distant glimpse of the beach below, shimmering like a mirage. I had no clue where he was leading us, and the uncertainty gnawed at me.

"Hey, Luc!" I called, wiping sweat from my brow. "You don't even seem bothered by this heat. Now that I think about it, you wore that same outfit back on the snowy trail. Don't you ever feel hot or cold?"

He glanced over his shoulder, popping another sweet into his mouth. "Hmm. You could say I'm immune to it," he replied, his tone nonchalant. "Though I'll admit, I prefer a chill in the air."

I groaned, shifting the luggage higher on my aching shoulders. "Well, if it doesn't faze you, maybe you could carry some of this for me? Please?"

"Nope." He didn't even break stride. "Think of it as training—a warm-up for what's ahead."

I blinked, baffled. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll see soon enough," he said, waving a dismissive hand. "Now quit pestering me. I'm trying to find the trail out of this mess before we end up properly lost."

My jaw dropped. "Wait—so we are lost?" I shouted, frustration boiling over.

Luc didn't answer, just flashed the faintest smirk—a flicker of amusement that tugged at his lips as he strode ahead. His eyes swept the trees with a confidence that felt more theatrical than real, and I glared at his back, caught between irritation and reluctant trust. He acted like he knew exactly where we were going, but I wasn't so sure.

It didn't take long, though, for us to stumble onto a faint trail—worn by footsteps long faded into the earth. We followed it deeper into the forest, trekking for days.

At night, we camped under the stars, huddling beneath makeshift shelters when the skies opened up. The rain here was relentless, descending in sudden, torrential sheets that turned the ground to mud. We fashioned canopies from the broad, waxy leaves of towering plants, draping them over our heads as we slogged through the downpours. I even wrapped some around our bags, hoping to keep our gear dry against the onslaught.

No predators crossed our path, which was a relief but also a problem—no game to hunt. Luc's presence seemed to radiate a silent warning, an aura that kept the forest's mana beasts at bay. Only the small creatures—chirping songbirds and darting fish in the streams—ignored it, oblivious to whatever menace he exuded. So we made do with them, supplementing our meals with foraged fruits and edible roots I'd learned to spot. The fish were slippery but plentiful, and the fruits, though tart, kept us going.