After sunset, the forest around the lake became extraordinarily quiet.
Damp mist crept up from the water’s surface, flowing slowly along the half-collapsed stone walls and the patched old tents.
Alisia noticed the anomaly first.
She had been maintaining her weapon, but the next moment, her movements froze.
From deep within the forest came a rustling sound.
At first, it was nothing unusual. But listening closely, one could tell it wasn’t just the wind—it was the faint noise of some creature moving through bushes and grass.
And those sounds were slowly growing louder.
Alisia lifted her head slowly.
Not far away, Qiu Meng also sat up straight.
She was wrapped in the cloak that smelled of sea salt, hugging her knees beside the campfire. Her eyelids had been growing heavy, but at the sound, she snapped awake.
“…You heard it too?” Qiu Meng lowered her voice.
Alisia nodded, her fingers resting on the sword hilt.
“Wolves.”
No sooner had she spoken than a low wolf howl sounded in the distance.
Awooo—
Qiu Meng instinctively tightened the cloak around herself, her face paling slightly.
“A pack of wolves again…”
Alisia stood, put on her own cloak, then pulled another spare from her luggage and draped it over Qiu Meng again.
“If you’re cold, wear more.”
Qiu Meng looked at the cloak, her expression gradually turning puzzled.
“How many cloaks did you even bring?”
Alisia paused.
“Just a habit.”
“…”
For the first time, Qiu Meng felt that someone could be even more excessive than her own father when it came to preparing supplies.
Alisia seemed to read her expression but didn’t explain much. She calmly looked toward the deeper mist.
“The real test starts now.”
Qiu Meng gripped the Noble Sword at her waist and said quietly,
“Did our scent attract them? Or the noise?”
“I’m afraid… both.”
Alisia walked to the campfire and checked the wind direction.
Qiu Meng thought for a moment, then quickly said,
“We need to light torches. Beasts fear fire, and even magic beasts are somewhat disturbed by it. Alisia, should we light two more fires on the upwind side?”
“Alright.”
Alisia nodded, then looked toward the camp’s perimeter.
“I’ll go find Cadera. She was setting up barriers by the fence.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Qiu Meng watched her leave, standing alone by the campfire. As the mist seemed to grow thicker, she immediately went to gather firewood.
Meanwhile, Alisia quickly found Cadera.
The green-haired girl was standing by the wooden fence, using the tip of her sword to carve tiny runes. Pale red and gray-white light flickered along the grooves on the ground, then extended outward, forming some barrier formations.
Hearing footsteps, Cadera turned around.
“What’s wrong?”
Alisia looked toward the forest.
“A pack of wolves is approaching… I came to see if I can help.”
Cadera nodded and continued drawing the barrier on the fence.
“Do you know barrier magic?”
“I’ve learned the basics, but I haven’t practiced much in this kind of environment.”
“Then try drawing one.”
Cadera stepped aside and pointed to a patch of grass beside the fence entrance.
“Draw a barrier on that patch of grass. At least it can slow down a charge.”
Alisia looked at the ground, recalling the basic defensive patterns she had learned before.
“I’ll try.”
She crouched down and used a short knife to carve lines into the damp, soft grass. She tried to imitate the pattern Cadera had carved into the wooden stakes, but either she drew crookedly, or the magic array flickered and then failed.
Alisia fell silent.
“Completely… sigh.” She covered her face, her tone rarely showing a hint of frustration. “Sorry… I guess I really lack practice in this area.”
Cadera was not surprised.
“Then take a break.”
She took a small tea bag from her pocket and handed it to Alisia.
Alisia was momentarily taken aback.
“What is this?”
“A medicinal tea to restore mana.”
Cadera’s tone was calm.
“It’s good for you. You’ve consumed a lot during the day, and you’ll need to guard the camp tonight.”
Alisia took the tea bag and examined it carefully.
It contained blue herbs and didn’t smell bitter. Instead, it had a strange, refreshing aroma, like mint.
“Drinking a calming tea at this hour…”
“It’s not just for calming.”
Cadera smiled.
“It strengthens the mana circulation, relieves fatigue, and temporarily improves perception.”
‘Is there really such a good tea…?’
But Alisia had indeed expended a lot during the day, and she couldn’t rely entirely on Qiu Meng to guard the camp at night. After hesitating for a moment, she accepted the tea bag.
“Thank you. I’ll ask you about barrier magic later.”
Cadera smiled but didn’t reply.
When Alisia returned to the campfire, Qiu Meng immediately looked over.
“How’s Cadera doing?”
“She’s setting up barriers. Looks like we don’t need to worry too much—at least it’ll keep a lot of monsters or beasts from charging straight in.”
“Phew… as expected of Cadera. With the barrier, we can at least take turns sleeping soundly tonight.”
After saying that, Qiu Meng couldn’t help glancing at Alisia’s bag.
“By the way, you brought several spare cloaks, didn’t you? You’re so well-prepared for the forest… Have you camped often before?”
While heating water, Alisia replied,
“It’s always good to have extras. Same with gloves—besides the pair I’m wearing, I have two more pairs ready, just in case they get damaged and hinder my work.”
Qiu Meng was startled.
“That is thorough…”
“After a lot of training, it’s necessary to have tools ready at all times.”
The kettle was placed over the fire, and soon white steam rose.
Alisia put the blue tea bag in, and the water immediately turned a beautiful light blue. A faint scent spread. Qiu Meng sniffed it, her expression turning strange.
The smell reminded her of a carbonated sweet drink (cola) from her previous life.
“Want some?” Alisia asked.
Qiu Meng hesitated, then shook her head.
“I’ll pass, just to be safe. Since it restores mana, you should drink more. I’ll rely on you two for tonight’s watch—I’ll just drink water, that’s fine.”
“If you say so.”
Alisia took a sip quietly.
A warm, sweet sensation spread through her, but she felt a strange heat in her body. Suddenly, she sensed something wrong and squeezed her legs together tightly.
Then her ears began to burn, and her cheeks slowly reddened.
Qiu Meng tilted her head, looking at her with confusion.
“Are you okay…?”
Cadera, watching from the side, covered her mouth silently, observing the two without a word.
Alisia tightened the lid of the copper kettle, put it back in its place, and panted heavily.
“…!”
Then Cadera spoke with a teasing tone.
“This is a new medicinal tea I made… it effectively strengthens mana…”
As soon as she finished speaking, Alisia began to slowly move toward Qiu Meng.
Her breathing became irregular, and fragmented, stifled gasps escaped her lips. “Ha… ha…”
Qiu Meng realized something was wrong and instinctively stepped back half a step.
Alisia’s eyes were unfocused, glistening with a watery mist, as if looking at her through a thin fog.
Qiu Meng dodged her approaching face, untied the spare cloak from her shoulder, and wrapped it around Alisia in one motion. Then she stared at Cadera and said,
“Cadera! Is this really a tea that strengthens mana?! What the hell did you put in it? Do you have an antidote? Give it to me now—this is no time for jokes!”
But before she could finish, she was pinned down.
Alisia pressed her to the ground, holding her shoulders. Her long fingers trembled slightly, and she mumbled an apology, but her voice sounded strange due to the uncontrollable gasps.
“S-sorry…”
Cadera added lightly,
“This is just the side effect of strengthening mana—mana overflow~”
Alisia hugged Qiu Meng tightly, whispering in her ear, her voice shaky from the effort of restraint.
“Excess mana… is overflowing in this way…”
Qiu Meng gritted her teeth, using the edge of the cloak to firmly hold down Alisia’s flailing wrists.
“Alisia, listen to me… I’m Qiu Meng. Take a deep breath. Don’t let the medicine control you. I know you can hold on.”
Alisia panted, “Ha… ha…” Her silver-violet hair fell in disarray as she tried to suppress the surging heat inside her.
Then, she kissed her.
“Mmph—!!!!”
That kiss made Qiu Meng’s eyes widen as she felt the indescribable softness of lips pressing against hers.
When Qiu Meng recovered from the shock, she pushed Alisia’s face away and forced her to meet her gaze.
“Alisia! Wake up! Look at me—we’re not that kind of people! Where’s your reason?!”
But Alisia didn’t answer. Instead, she quietly pinched the soft flesh at Qiu Meng’s waist.
Qiu Meng gasped sharply.
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