Night had already passed, and the sun bathed the forest with its radiance.
Ruddy's eyes began to tremble as he slowly opened them. He looked around with a frown.
'Where… ahh, The Trial…' Ruddy remembered that he was no longer in the human world, but instead he was in his Trial of Gods.
He slowly stretched his body as he got up and searched for Warrior.
Ruddy left the cave, and he could hear the sounds of the blade cutting through the air. Ruddy walked towards the source of the sounds and found Warrior training with his sword. His upper body was bare; it glistened with sweat rolling down from it. He didn't notice and continued to swing his gunto. Ruddy looked at his posture, the way he held the gunto, and how he moved it with full concentration, so much so that he unknowingly activated his Ichor Eyes.
Ruddy's eyes began to glow a slight golden red as he stared at Warrior. He could see multiple white strings flowing through his body and meeting at a round orb in the centre, which burned with a black flame.
'So, that's his soul spark… huh' Ruddy thought with furrowed brows. 'But… what's up with those blue flakes?' Ruddy questioned as he saw small blue flakes covering the flame; it was like they were trying to devour the flame, but they were too weak to do so.
'What could it be?' Ruddy continued to question himself regarding this and fell into his thoughts.
Warrior had already sensed Ruddy and was looking at him with a frown.
"You know it's disrespectful to watch others' swordsmanship without consent, yes?" Warrior questioned.
"I didn't mean to," Ruddy answered as he bowed to him.
"Hah…" Warrior heaved a sigh and walked towards the nearby tree. He had hung up his tunic.
"We should continue moving, and we will hunt any animal we find as we move." Warrior stated as he wore the tunic.
Ruddy nodded at his words as his stomach growled.
Warrior then untied the knot of the leather pouch, which was tied to his waist. He placed his hand inside the pouch and took out a leather canteen, and began to drink from it.
He offered the canteen to Ruddy as he spoke.
"Drink."
Ruddy didn't move and looked at Warrior with an aggrieved expression.
"You had a canteen all along?" Ruddy spat through his teeth as he looked at the canteen.
"Yeah?" Warrior replied with a puzzled look,
"Why didn't you give it to me yesterday?!" Ruddy asked, his tone hateful.
"You never asked?" Warrior replied with a shrug.
Ruddy turned silent as he clenched his fists and lowered his head.
'Of course I didn't, how would I know you had a storage relic…' Ruddy thought as he cursed at Warrior in his mind. After all, he wasn't stupid enough to curse at him for real.
"You don't need it?" Warrior asked with a raised eyebrow.
Ruddy shook his head and took the canteen from Warrior's hand, and took several mouthfuls of water.
A few moments later, he gave the canteen back to Warrior, who nodded at him.
"Let's move," Warrior said as he started to walk out of the forest.
Ruddy didn't say anything and followed behind him. Ruddy looked through the forest with focus to find anything that might help him complete the trial.
His eyes fell on a bush that had dark blue berries. He looked at the Warrior's back and fell by the bush.
"Ugh!" A groan left his lips as he hit the ground hard.
Warrior stopped in his tracks and turned towards him.
"Look where you step," Warrior commented as he looked at Ruddy's lying figure.
He turned back and continued to move out of the forest.
Ruddy dusted himself off as he stood up and followed behind him.
"I am."
As they neared the clear pathway, Ruddy heard a bush rustle and turned his head towards the bush. He stared at it for a few moments until the bush parted and a deer walked out of it.
Ruddy looked at the deer with a guilty expression as Warrior was already at it, his sword unsheathed, hanging above the deer's neck like a guillotine, and within mere moments, the sword fell. Severing the deer's head from its body.
Warrior looked at Ruddy and spoke in a flat tone.
"Pick it up."
Ruddy looked at the dead deer as blood poured out from its severed neck. His stomach twisted at its sight, but he bit his lips and moved towards the deer's body and picked it up on his shoulders.
"Ugh... It's heavier than it looks..." Ruddy complained as he looked at Warrior with a hurt expression.
Warrior, however, didn't play his games and just nodded.
Soon, they stepped out of the forest and set foot on the wide pathway they had used yesterday.
"Place it down and get some wood," Warrior said as he took out a dagger from his leather pouch.
"But... cooking it here will make other beasts know about our presence." Ruddy voiced his concern as he placed down the deer, and Warrior just shrugged at him.
"We are at the edge of the forest. Most beasts and hexbones live within the deep forest." Warrior stated as he walked towards the deer and started to skin it.
"I see..." Ruddy nodded at his words as he looked toward the deep forest.
'I hope...' He thought as he stared at the deep wilderness.
"Now, get going," Warrior said as he continued to skin the deer.
Ruddy nodded and stepped inside the forest as he began collecting dry wood they could use to cook the deer. As he continued to walk, his eyes fell on a shiny object. He walked towards the object and picked it up.
"An arrowhead?" Ruddy mumbled as he looked at the broken arrow. He then turned where it was dropped and nearly vomited, even though he had eaten nothing.
The place in front of him was filled with severed corpses, and limbs were littered all around the place. It was horrifying much so it was dreadful.
"W-What is this?!" Ruddy exclaimed as he fell on his butt.