24 Hearts

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Calypso’s Nightmare

Jeanne munched down her food with much joy that Judah found himself doing the same, caring less about their surrounding area. He stretched his body after their meal quenched his hunger, and soon fatigue washed over him. It rained like hell all day, but it brought him so much comfort he couldn’t resist taking a relaxing break. There was just one thing missing.

‘A bonfire.’

Alchemists tended to use fluorescent liquids, but those could only provide light and not heat. Judah knew he needed to dry their wet coats and leather shoes, or else it could be ruined soon, and he didn’t want to waste money like that.

‘Yes. I really need a bonfire.’

However, to make a bonfire on the wooden floor was also a perfect way to burn down the entire house.

Judah sat there and planned what to do. He idly opened his palm and summoned Altemia, held it in reverse, then threw it down into the wooden floor. Its strong attack power allowed him to stab it in without any special force. The blade was so sharp he could cut a tree with it however he wanted, as easy as cutting a piece of paper.

“Do you need help?”

“No, I’m okay. I’m just resting.” Jeanne offered him help, but Judah shook his head.

Judah carved out a square from the wooden floor. Then he brought out a shovel from his -Bag-, scooped up mud from outside the house to fill the hole he made, and packed it in nicely with a few stomps of his feet. Getting the dirt might have been annoying, but it didn’t take long. He fitted the mud into the square space, crushed and stacked the exposed wooden planks, and placed dry firewood on top to light it up.

“And… done!”

It caught fire as the crackle of burning wood lit up the dark room with a light incomparable to a fluorescent liquid. Most of all, they relished in the warmth it heated into their bodies. Judah almost clapped over his successful hard work. While Jeanne stared at the fire, knowing well that she couldn’t light a fire the same way he did it indoors.

“We should be good to wash and rest, then?” Judah said proudly, whipping out soaps and towels for them to use.

Thanks to his reward from finishing the black wolf quest, Judah could fill his -Bag- with many essentials he bought from general stores the day before they left Serenia Castle. He packed lots of items enough for him to survive even if he was thrown out into the middle of a desert. When Jeanne was handed a towel and soap, she blinked at Judah.

“I’m sorry to bother you, but can you take my luggage out as well?”

Judah nodded and took out her personal backpack, which he had been holding for a while.

“I’ll go ahead then.”

Jeanne turned to the blind spot beyond Judah’s gaze. The old house was tattered. Parts of the walls were open, and because of the wooden panel they used to cover the deceased adventures, there were many ins and outs that Judah could go through. Judah found himself a spot outside and simply washed his feet and hair. Just then, he heard the sound of clothes ruffling, realizing that Jeanne must’ve taken off her clothes to bathe in the rain.

‘That’s bold of her to do.’

He was a bit worried to do the same. All he could do was take off his wet socks. The rainwater here was far cleaner than the real world. Above all, it was as natural as it can get because there were no cars nor chemical plants in this reality.

‘Should I shower?’

Judah had sweat a little from the battle, and he figured he could shower to relax for a bit. It took him a while before he could take off his clothes, feeling the creeps like someone was watching him get undressed. He later on peeled off every clothing, even his underwear, then soaked in the rain as he used soap all over. Since coming to this world, Judah found himself countless things he would’ve never done in the real world. He felt like an ancient man, naked and bathing in the rain in a dark forest.

“Woo.”

His hand reached every spot in his body where it needed cleaning. The rain continued to pour. Eventually, the fresh scent of his soap began to cling and radiate from his body, and he found himself humming in glee.

After taking his shower, Judah returned to their bonfire, and Jeanne was nowhere to be found. He dried himself with a towel as he laid his clothes near the fire. He wore his underwear and socks, and then he threw away the rest of his clothes into the bonfire.

The flames rampaged, engulfing the fabric he had thrown into it. It made the fire stronger than before. Standing there in his new underwear and pants, Jeanne walked in perfectly as Judah took care of his new clothes.

“…!” She flinched, jumping back to the corner where she came from, hiding behind a wall, “Um, excuse me.”

“It’s okay. You can come out now.”

Judah put on his jacket and told Jeanne there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Judah then tied a string between two walls and hung their wet raincoats on it as it kept on dripping water. Finally, he took out a clean cloth and laid it down on the dusty floor.

‘There’s nothing more to do.’

They had a plentiful meal, and his boots were sitting comfortably by the bonfire. All he needed to do now was to get enough sleep. Judah took out his extra firewood, put it into the flames, and laid it down on the floor. Not a pip was shared between the two of them.

The sound of pouring rain and the sound of burning firewood mixed into a sweet lullaby in Judah’s ears. The cold air flowing through the holes of the house even chased away the unpleasant smell that lingered inside.

If Judah were alone, to sleep in such conditions would have him vigilant and always on his feet, but with Jeanne and the Altemia in his possession, he felt safe. He was off to a sweet slumber… or so he thought.

His eyes slowly opened the moment he felt himself being shaken.

Shhhh!

Through the sound of the pouring rain, a pleasant voice stood out.

“Get up, Judah.”

It was Jeanne. He didn’t know when it happened, but she was wearing her clothes and shoes and even her raincoat. The bonfire was weaker than he remembered, and Judah figured he must’ve managed to nap, but he still felt hazy.

“You have to get up and get ready. Something is coming.”

“?”

As much as he dreaded to hear it, and although he wanted to sleep a little more, Judah had no choice but to gear up. He did everything at the speed of a second-class soldier in the army. When he finally put on his clothes and raincoat, he could hear the screams buried by the rain.

“?!”

-Help me! Please, save me! Anybody!

“It’s a person. What would you like to do?”

Just when Judah thought she would go headfirst into the situation, she consulted Judah for his opinion, completely different from how she acted back in Aslan.

Judah sighed, unhappy with how he was woken up during such a relaxing moment under the rain.

“Let’s go.”

Judah tugged the hood of his coat further before walking over to the door. Seeing the pouring rain and muddy trail made Judah hesitate in stepping out. Jeanne, who was standing behind him, sighed in sympathy.

“This is terrible. We have to walk through the rain again.”

“It’s even more terrible to think that we have to go and we can’t go back again.”

Despite his bitter smile, Judah went out into the rain. He stepped out of the house, trying to figure out where the scream came from. The static sound of the rain made it hard for him to hear the voice. Worried, Judah resorted to using -Shadow Justice Form 1-Spreading Shadows-. The shadows cast by the bonfire stretched out of the old house and quickly covered the whole area. It was much better to use it than to look for the source of the voice on their own. His shadow managed to spread out at a maximum of 1 km with enough magic power, giving him instant results. Red dots started to appear one after another on the -map-. They didn’t need to go and find whoever had been screaming, as its source was running towards them as if to follow Judah’s shadows. Judah opened his palm and summoned red energy on his palm, conjuring the Altemia into his grip.

“Save me! Whoever is out there, please!”

A man ran through the woods. He tripped, and his body fell down the ground covering his entire body with mud. Black figures dashed rapidly behind the man. It was obvious that they waited for the man to collapse from exhaustion, chasing after him as they laughed at his demise wickedly.

“Come, Jeanne. Protect the man. I’ll take care of the ghosts.”

“Okay. Be careful!”

Judah charged at the enemies. His heavy footsteps splashed into the puddles, staining his clothes and robe. He glanced at the man who had fallen into the ground, seeing relief wash over him.

‘It’s not time for you to be relieved just yet.’

A ghost behind him shrieked, its arms reaching for the man. Judah threw Altemia from his left hand. It traced the air with a red trajectory, hitting the ghost straight on its chest as the blade struck a tree.

───────!

With an ear-piercing scream, Altemia sucked the ghost straight into its blade. When the other spirits saw it, they ran at Judah in a snap.

‘That’s right. Come to me.’

They made it easier for him. Judah threw a dagger at the ghosts. Despite their distance and the pouring rain, his accuracy was at 100% thanks to the correction of the skill and the amplification caused by Altemia’s power. It didn’t take them long to defeat the small group of ghosts. Jeanne took care of the other spirits that pursued the man. In an instant, Judah cleared up the situation and walked over to Jeanne.

“You good?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Judah turned to the man who was still trembling on the muddy soil.

“How are you? Are you okay?”

“Wow. Wow! Yes, I’m okay! Thank you, really! Thank you so much. You saved my life!”

He looked up at Judah and expressed his gratitude. Judah needed to hear what happened. They helped up the man and returned to the old house with him. Judah put the remaining firewood into the burning bonfire, and the fire was set ablaze again. They settled the man in front of the campfire and took off his coat. He was running around for a while, and so his robe and clothes were covered in mud.

“Here, dry yourself, and tell me where you came from.”

The man nodded as he accepted the clean towel that Judah handed him over. He took a deep breath before speaking up.

“I… I… I’m a hunter from Cherryu Village.”

Jeanne’s gaze turned to Judah.

“What happened?”

“From the forest… These ghosts emerged and haunted the village. Everyone asleep woke up screaming. The ghosts attacked the people inside their houses. Those who escaped from them ran outside and into the village’s center hall. Fortunately, they toyed with us and didn’t kill us right away.”

He was shaking the first second he started his story, but eventually, he finally calmed down.

“We were lucky that a priest and a few adventurers were in the hall with us. With the priest’s divine power, we were able to stay safe for a while. Hah! But… it was impossible for him to protect several people for more than ten days by himself. What’s more, there wasn’t much food in the hall, and we thought we had to ask Kaora for help before it was too late, so a few others, including me, ran out of the hall. The ghosts followed us. We got separated. In a panic, we ran in different directions… As you can see, I was helped by you.”

He bowed his head. He looked at Judah, who was drying his hands and arms with his towel.

“You defeated those ghosts so easily. I hope you don’t mind, but can you help our village?”