Four days passed like a distant wind as both of them continued their relentless search.

After their first day, Rion made sure not to wear her out; even then, he had to do it without her catching on to his acts.

As not to hurt her warrior's pride.

However, Dora had already pieced together what he was trying to do, but she didn't say anything — she quite liked it when he did his best to care for her, after all.

She giggled inwardly and thought, 'You are still such a dummy...'

Her lips blossomed into a lovely smile, and a chuckle left them as she mumbled under her breath, "And I am a bigger dummy for loving you..."

Rion, who was busy staring at the four herbs with starry eyes, didn't catch her words and continued to follow behind her as both of them climbed a mountain.

She shook her head and took out the item for the last herb that grew at the edge of the cliffs.

She held the twisted, dark brown twig with red spots before her head and chanted in an incomprehensible language.

The item glowed golden before it turned into dust, and that dust seeped into the centre of her forehead.

Just like before, she focused on the whispers of the herb, and soon enough, she memorised the nearby locations of the item.

As it was a simple herb, her radius of search was much smaller than when she used something of great value to her or others.

As she climbed, memories began to resurface.

She began to remember how she had used the flower gifted to her by Rion to find him when she didn't see him at their usual spot during the ritual of youth.

'Maybe that was the first time I had really seen him as someone dependable.'

That day, she had acted as if she were asleep because she was too embarrassed to open her eyes, so instead of opening her eyes, she waited for him to leave.

But he didn't leave; instead, he stayed beside her until sunset with his arm around her waist to save her from falling off the branch.

That day was still fresh in her mind, and after that, many things throughout the past decade only made the two of them sink deeper into this euphoric quagmire.

She didn't know when it happened, but she began to desire him.

To hold him...

To love him...

To keep him.

Yet, she didn't push her desires onto him.

It wasn't only Rion's reluctance that held her back, but also her fears.

After hearing about Tarun's parents, she had begun to think about the possibility of her falling into the purple fog just like how his father did.

Still, the possibility of Rion falling to it didn't even cross her mind, which showed how much confidence she held in him.

She feared falling prey to it because she was weak, but Rion wasn't weak in any way. He was strong — absurdly strong.

'There is no way that mere fog can curse Him.'

He was 'Him', after all.

This confidence was also what allowed her to drop her guard and act childish around him.

She shook her mind away from the depressing thoughts and focused on searching for the herb.

After about an hour, both of them stood staring at the side of a cliff.

"Are you sure that's the right herb?" Dora asked while pointing at a branch peeking out of the cracks.

"I am sure of it," Rion answered while staring at it with furrowed brows.

She frowned, "How are we going to get it?"

Both of them were proficient at climbing the cliff, but this one was simply too plain and straight for them to climb; the cracks it had were filled by the branches that were peeking out of it.

But even those branches were not good enough to be used as holds.

Suddenly, a lightbulb brightened beside her head, and she suggested while taking her bow off her shoulder, "Should I shoot it down?"

He looked at her with a deadpan and spat, "Yes! Go ahead! Shoot it and ruin it!"

"What?! I am just trying to help you!" She shot back and mumbled, "Why is he always so mean to me?"

Rion frowned and heaved a defeated sigh before muttering, "Stop acting, the sun is about to go down."

"Hmph! What great plan do you have to get it then?"

He shot her an annoyed look and said, "I am thinking."

A few seconds passed as Dora waited for him to come up with a supposedly better plan.

Rion nodded. "Okay, this should work."

She stepped closer. "So?"

He grinned and mumbled while tightening his grip around the shaft of his spear, "I am going to climb this."

She blinked in bafflement and shifted her head between the cliff and him before she mumbled,

"Your great idea is to climb this flat cliff...?"

Rion knew how stupid his plan was, but he had no other choice as they only had about two hours before the sun shied away from the sky.

Rion threw a grin towards her.

"Yup."

She stared at him with a deadpan look and asked flatly, "Are you dumb?"

He shook his head, pointed his finger at the flat cliff and began to explain, "I am going to stick my spear under that branch, and then you'll help me reach the spear."

"Oh..." she let out a mumble and thought over his plan — considering the little time they had in their hands, it was the only solution, but there was just one problem.

She turned towards him and asked, "How am I going to help you reach the spear?"

He didn't answer right after; instead, he lifted his spear, aimed it at the spot and said flatly, "Just throw me."

"Wait!" She exclaimed.

He frowned and asked without lowering his dark spear, "What's wrong?"

She pointed at herself, then at the spot, and remarked in a sharp tone, "How am I going to throw you that high?!"

He heaved a calming sigh and said, "You just have to throw me, and I'll use my aura to reach it... It might take a few tries, but I am sure to get it before sunset."

She pondered over his words and suggested, "Why don't you throw me instead?"

"..." Rion glanced at her with knowing eyes. He had expected her to suggest that, after all.

Dora smiled and stated with an effortless shrug, "I am much lighter than you, so it would be easier for me to reach it."

He considered her words, and suddenly an idea reached him from the deepest parts of his mind, 'Can I use Heaven's Vector on her?'

The description of Heaven's Vector didn't specify what could be considered a projectile; it did list a few examples, but they were just examples, not limitations.

———

Skill: Heaven's Vector

Description: Aura-infused projectiles — be they arrows, daggers, or stones — will never miss their mark, unless blocked or interrupted.

———

'Let's try this!' He grinned inwardly and accepted her suggestion, "All right."

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