Chapter 333 -: 332 Other humans.

"This forest is really somthing...." Stepping beneath the towering trees, Rosalina’s sharp onyx eyes immediately began scanning her surroundings. The first thing she needed was meat. Not just any meat, however. Julius remained unconscious, and once the wounds from Event Horizon began reappearing, chewing solid food would become impossible for him. She intended to prepare a nourishing meat soup, something soft enough that she could slowly feed it to him while he slept. Because of that, she specifically searched for prey with tender flesh rather than large beasts whose muscles had toughened through years of battle. Fortunately, her search didn’t last long. Several hundred metres away, a deer-like beast peacefully grazed beneath a patch of golden sunlight filtering through the thick canopy. It possessed a pair of elegant spiral horns and snow-white fur covered in faint silver markings that shimmered whenever it moved. Judging from the mana it emitted, the creature wasn’t particularly strong, perhaps even weaker than the magical beasts commonly hunted by beginner adventurers. Rosalina had absolutely no intention of prolonging its suffering. The moment she entered its field of vision, her body blurred forward. Before the beast could even react, a single flash of cold steel sliced cleanly across its neck. The head separated from the body almost instantly, ending its life before it had the chance to feel fear. Without wasting unnecessary time, Rosalina knelt beside the corpse and began dressing it with swift, practiced movements. She ignored the tougher muscles of the legs and shoulders, carefully removing only the most tender portions around the ribs and inner back. Those cuts would become the perfect base for a rich broth. Wrapping the fresh meat inside several broad, fragrant leaves to keep insects away, she tied the bundle securely with flexible vines before setting it aside. With the meat secured, Rosalina shifted her attention toward the remaining ingredients. From what little historical knowledge she possessed, the Nightmare Forest wasn’t completely devoid of human life. Long ago, when the Zlycon race had first begun expanding across the continent, countless human settlements had been destroyed. A handful of survivors had fled deeper into the forest where even the Zlycons rarely ventured, eventually adapting to the harsh environment over countless generations. If humans had truly survived here for so long, then the forest undoubtedly contained edible herbs, spices and medicinal plants capable of supporting an entire community. She simply needed to find them. Following that line of thought, Rosalina gradually ventured closer toward the central regions of the forest, moving cautiously while keeping her senses spread in every direction. Before long, she discovered exactly what she had been hoping for. Growing beneath the roots of a giant tree was a cluster of strange round fruits, each roughly the size of an apple. Their skins were pale white with faint blue veins running across the surface, giving them an unusual appearance. Curious, Rosalina plucked one and bit into it. The moment the juice touched her tongue, her expression immediately changed. "..." "...It would’ve been delicious if it wasn’t this salty." Clicking her tongue in disappointment, she looked down at the fruit in her hand. Beneath the overwhelming saltiness, she could actually taste a pleasant sweetness hiding underneath. Unfortunately, the salt dominated every other flavour to such an extent that eating it by itself was almost impossible. Even so, Rosalina’s disappointment quickly turned into satisfaction. While terrible as a fruit, it was practically a natural seasoning. There would be no need to search for rock salt if these existed. Without hesitation, she picked several more before storing them inside another bundle of leaves. After that, she continued exploring the surrounding area, gathering whatever useful ingredients she encountered. Fragrant herbs with pepper-like aromas, small roots that carried a gentle sweetness once peeled, wild mushrooms growing beneath fallen logs, and several brightly coloured fruits whose flavours ranged from pleasantly sour to lightly sweet gradually filled her collection. Although none of them were ingredients she recognised from the floating continents, years of education allowed her to identify which plants were safe to consume and which were poisonous. Satisfied with the harvest, Rosalina returned to the hollow tree and carefully organised everything inside the newly completed storage room. The fresh meat rested upon a smooth stone slab while the herbs and fruits were separated according to their uses. Only after ensuring everything remained clean did she head outside once more. There was still plenty left to do. She gathered several bundles of dry firewood scattered beneath the enormous trees before carrying them back to the kitchen one armful at a time. The process took a while, but by the end, she had accumulated enough wood to keep a fire burning for several days without needing to venture outside again. The final necessity was water. Fortunately, that problem had already been solved. Earlier, while searching for the herbs, Rosalina had discovered a large freshwater lake not too far from their shelter. The water had appeared crystal clear, and after inspecting it carefully, she had confirmed it was perfectly safe to drink. Better yet, it would also provide the ideal place to clean Julius’s body. Once the wounds from Event Horizon began reopening, blood would inevitably cover him again and again. Having a reliable source of fresh water nearby would make caring for him considerably easier. With an empty wooden container in hand, Rosalina quietly made her way toward the lake. As she approached, the familiar sound of gently flowing water echoed through the forest. Sunlight reflected beautifully across the lake’s calm surface while a cool breeze carried the scent of damp earth and wild flowers through the surrounding trees. Everything appeared exactly as she remembered. Or at least... It should have. The moment Rosalina stepped past the final row of trees, her footsteps abruptly halted. Her Onyx eyes widened into pinpoints. Two people...standing beside the lake... Were two humans. For a brief moment, Rosalina genuinely wondered whether exhaustion had begun affecting her mind. Humans? Here? Her gaze instinctively shifted toward the first figure. It was a young woman, perhaps only a few years younger than herself. She possessed long emerald-green hair that swayed gently in the breeze alongside equally vivid green eyes that resembled polished gemstones. Her skin was almost unnaturally pale, making her already breathtaking appearance seem even more ethereal. She stood quietly near the edge of the lake, staring toward Rosalina with an expression that mixed caution and surprise. Something about her...felt strangely familiar. Rosalina frowned. She was certain she had seen that face somewhere before. Yet no matter how hard she searched her memories, the answer refused to surface. The feeling vanished almost immediately when her gaze shifted toward the second person. The moment she saw him...her breathing stopped. He wore a suit of elegant black armour that gleamed like polished onyx beneath the sunlight. Pale blond hair framed a remarkably handsome face. Rosalina recognised him instantly. "...Leon?" The name escaped her lips almost unconsciously. Her sudden voice shattered the silence surrounding the lake. Both of them immediately turned toward her. The green-haired girl’s beautiful eyes widened dramatically. Surprise, happiness, fear and confusion flashed across her face almost simultaneously, as though she couldn’t decide whether to run toward Rosalina or flee from her instead. Leon, on the other hand, stared at her for several long seconds. His brows slowly furrowed. Then recognition suddenly spread across his face. "...Rosalina?" His voice carried obvious uncertainty. "It really is you..." Rosalina herself didn’t know what expression she should make. Meeting another human inside the Nightmare Forest was already unbelievable enough. Meeting someone from the Three Floating Continents was even more absurd. And meeting someone she personally knew... That possibility had never even crossed her mind. "What are you doing here?" Rosalina finally asked, taking a cautious step forward. Beside Leon, the green-haired girl quietly moved closer to him before whispering something into his ear. Her eyes never left Rosalina for even a second, as though she were trying to determine whether the woman standing before her was friend or foe. Leon listened before replying to her in a low voice, seemingly reassuring her. Only then did he look back toward Rosalina. This time, however, the surprise in his eyes became even more obvious. He stared at her face for several moments before speaking hesitantly. "...What happened to you?" He paused, clearly struggling to find the right words. "I don’t mean any offence..." "But..." His eyes carefully examined her features once more. "...You’re only twenty-one." "So why.....do you look like you’re almost thirty?"