Mia soared high through the night sky.
The night was deep, and there were no lights left anywhere. The entire village was cloaked in darkness.
'Where should I go now?'
She had run out blindly, and now she was lost. How was she supposed to get back to U.S.?
The place where she had first set foot in Sibareth with Leca. That barren wilderness filled with raw peridot stones. But she didn't know how to get there. Even if she did, it would be useless since she couldn't teleport.
'Maybe if I go to Muria…'
There might be someone there who could help me. Either way, walking around Sibareth in my current form is out of the question. Probably the same in Naizman. In that case…
She had absorbed Mithys's attributes, and her appearance was now closer to a fae. So it made sense to go to Muria. Someone there might be able to help her.
But how would she get to Muria?
The Isle of the Fae, Muria, was very close to the northern coast of Naizman. There was a sea route from Sibareth, but it was very far. And besides, if she went by sea, she wouldn't be able to rest even when exhausted.
So, it was better to go to Naizman first and then head to Muria from there. With that decision made, Mia headed toward the boundary between Sibareth and Naizman—the Forest of monsters.
Heading there alone in the middle of the night, without Leca, made her hesitate for a moment. But really, what could happen?
The beasts she had encountered so far could all be dealt with using her powers. Mia decided to enter the Cave of Pitch located in the Paradise of Monsters to reach Naizman.
Resolving her mind, she flew diligently toward the Paradise of Monsters. She wondered briefly if Leca might follow her, but there was no sign of him. That made her feel relieved, yet oddly lonely.
'So it was just words in the end. Talking about protecting me and all that, but he doesn't even follow me.'
When Mia arrived at the Paradise of Monsters, she was terribly thirsty and exhausted. After flying for about two hours, she was completely drained.
She ran to the spring and gulped down the water. After drinking some, her stomach began to grumble. But with her senses on high alert, she didn't feel like eating.
Cautiously, Mia headed for the Cave of Pitch. On the way, she summoned ten will-o'-the-wisps, which lit the path well enough to move forward. Just in time, the large moon peeked out from behind the clouds, casting bright light around her.
Using everything Leca had taught her while running away from him—how ironic.
With a bitter smile, Mia stood in front of the Cave of Pitch. Now that she was about to enter, fear crept in. But she reassured herself that the cave would be just as dark during the day anyway, so it didn't matter.
Hopefully no giant centipedes show up. That would be disgusting.
The cave entrance looked even more ominous at night. It was pitch black, like a bottomless abyss—the very mouth of hell. When she came here with Leca at dawn, it had just looked like a regular cave. But entering it alone, in the dead of night, gave it an entirely different atmosphere.
Her legs trembled slightly. For a moment, she considered turning back.
But she didn't want to get caught up in Mithys and Leca's schemes again. Living as a queen in this world forever, enslaved and unable to return to the U.S.—that couldn't happen.
Better to endure a bit of fear now! I have to move before Leca finds me.
Mia tightly gripped the dagger she kept hidden in her clothes. It was a personal defense weapon she always carried. She wasn't sure it would be enough, but if push came to shove, she could always attack with magic.
Mia stepped into the cave. As expected, the moment she entered, a loud rumble sounded behind her and the rock at the entrance sealed shut. She deliberately took bold steps forward.
A few shadowy beasts approached her, the same kind that had appeared when she came with Leca, but Mia easily fended them off with fire spells. Luckily, since it wasn't a full moon, there weren't any particularly large or threatening creatures.
Then came a fork in the path. Without hesitation, Mia took the same route she had chosen before. Having been here once, it wasn't as frightening. As she walked further in, the only sounds were the faint drip, drip of water.
A few rats squeaked as they ran over her feet, and aside from a three-headed water snake that appeared, nothing else blocked her path. It seemed the threatening beasts that had once inhabited this path had vanished since the zombie incident.
But one thing was different this time—the tunnel felt much, much longer. Had that zombie used some sort of teleportation trick last time? Dammit… this walk feels endless!
Mia trudged through the monotonous tunnel, surrounded by her will-o'-the-wisps. After walking for a long while, she finally saw a faint light ahead. Thank God! I made it! With a surge of joy, she ran full speed and burst out of the cave.
"Wow…"
Mia gasped in awe. An endless desert stretched before her, and the sky was filled with an unimaginable number of stars. She had seen stars in Sibareth too, but never this many. For a moment, she forgot her circumstances and was swept away by happiness as she gazed at the beautiful Milky Way.
An infinite desert below. And above, a symphony of equally endless starlight.
Suddenly, she remembered when Leca had shown her this scene with a fire orb. When she couldn't sleep, like a gentle nanny, he had conjured these stars just for her.
Forget it. No use thinking about that now.
Mia decided to head toward the oasis where she had swum before. But…
No matter how far she flew, the oasis didn't appear. Maybe it was because the desert lacked landmarks. Still, she was flying and seeing from above—how could she not find it?
Ugh… What is this? I'm hungry and thirsty.
She had been so hyper-focused and on guard inside the cave that her entire body now ached, and she was completely drained. There was no way she could keep flying in this condition.
Oh—what's that?
There was no oasis, but a cluster of plants, flowers, and enormous cacti appeared in the distance. Maybe there were some fruits or berries there? But no—if they were poisonous, eating them could be dangerous.
Still, after seeing nothing but an endless desert of sand, the sight of any vegetation filled her with relief. Without a second thought, Mia descended. At the very least, those giant plant leaves looked like they could serve as a blanket.
Once she landed, she lay beneath one of the tall red flowers—taller than she was by far. The flower was easily twice her height, and its broad leaf was big enough for her to use as a sleeping bag.
Mia tore off one of the red petals and draped it over her body. It was a perfect fit. Then she rested her head on the cool sand. She had expected the desert to be hot, but surprisingly, the sand was cold at night.
Mia sank into sleep, comforted by the soft sand like it was a blanket, without even realizing it.
…..
Something was wrong. She felt suffocated.
Mia woke up, gasping for air.
And then…
She realized she was completely wrapped up in something. Thread? Her body was bound tightly in what looked like fine white threads.
"What the hell is this?!"
Even more terrifying—she wasn't lying on the ground. When she turned her head…
She was lying in the very center of the red flower's petals. The massive bloom from earlier. She had definitely fallen asleep on the sand, so how had this happened?
Mia twisted her body in panic. But the nearly invisible white threads were incredibly tough—no matter how she struggled, they only tightened around her.
Then—
The petals moved. As if alive, they rippled and churned. Then it spit something out. A thick, sticky, yellow liquid oozed from the flower, reeking horribly. Mia felt the revolting substance begin to pour onto her.
"Mmff—mmff!"
She writhed as the flood of yellow goo rained down on her. It continued to rise steadily. At this rate, she'd be completely submerged—and drowned.
"Wh-what… what is this…"
She was about to use magic to attack the plant, but stopped. The only offensive spell she had learned was a fireball. Using that in this situation would burn her along with the plant.
Instead, she chanted the spell Leca had taught her for repelling creatures of darkness. But nothing happened. Whatever this disgusting flower was, it clearly wasn't a dark creature.
The dagger… If only she could reach the dagger in her clothes.
Mia twisted her body with all her strength, desperately thinking. Meanwhile, the yellow goo continued to rise, sticky and relentless, coating her entire body. Her face was still above the surface—for now. But it wouldn't be long.
Leca… I wonder what Leca's doing right now.
Was he mad because she had pushed him so hard earlier? But if Mithys was telling the truth, and he truly needed her to become queen, then he had to come get her.
Mia bit her lip, realizing she had no choice but to rely on Leca. Had she overestimated herself? Had she been foolish to believe she could make it to Muria without him?
The yellow fluid poured even faster now. Soon, her face would be submerged. Desperately, like a dying larva writhing in sticky slime, Mia racked her brain for a solution.
Could she use materialization magic to create something? But what should she make? A dagger would be small—maybe that could work.
She focused and chanted the spell in her mind.
Then—
A transparent dagger materialized in midair. It worked!
But the dagger didn't drop down. It just hovered above her.
"Cut the threads! Free me!"
But the dagger remained still. Of course—she only knew how to create it, not how to make magical constructs respond to commands or act on their own.
Frustration welled up inside her. Why hadn't she studied materialization magic more seriously?
The yellow liquid now swelled up to her neck, rippling against her skin. It would cover her face any moment now. Mia closed her eyes, resigned.