[EXP: +180]

"Are you okay?"

I immediately snapped my gaze from the crushed insect in my hand to Celeste, who spoke. Without giving a reply, I turned, eyes sweeping the surrounding grass until I spotted dozens of the same small, winged insects hovering nearby.

"Shit!"

I turned back to Celeste, grabbed her hand, and dragged her forward instantly, then yelled to the others while also motioning with my hands, "Move! We need to move!"

Ino's grip on the leaves tightened. She looked at me with a frown, but instead of questioning my panic, she simply repeated the order to the group with a sharp gesture, "Move!"

Everyone immediately moved out, walking briskly away from the foothills and beginning the ascent deep into the mountain range.

We walked on for a few minutes before Dion finally asked, "What's it this time?"

I opened my palm and showed them the squashed insect in my hand.

Evelyn gasped, and a look of sharp dread ran across her face. "Is that a Husk Fly?"

I nodded, then flicked the crushed body away.

Despite their size, Husk Flies were Grade One creatures considered extremely dangerous as a single bite from them could most often lead to death.

Even though their natural habitat was dense, damp places near rivers, I hadn't expected to run into them immediately after crossing the Grail River. They were known to be highly seasonal, popping up only once a year.

Who knew we would be so unlucky as to find ourselves at a river precisely during the one time of the year they emerged?

Not only that…

'You've been bitten…'~~

Aika's worried voice suddenly echoed in my mind.

I winced from the pain that had already begun to spike and shook my head. Then I finally replied, '...yes.'~

She exhaled a sound of desperate frustration.

'This is bad…'~~

Of course it was really bad. Huskfly bites were excruciatingly painful, and the pain only grew worse as the days went by. The worst part was that Health Elixirs didn't cure the pain.

This was because the Husk Fly would implant an egg inside the host upon biting. This egg grew by feeding on your life force and the only way to remove it was to wait for the larva to mature, then find a way to chase it out.

Inside a person's body, it usually took less than a week to mature.

The bad thing was, if it was not removed, the growing Husk Fly would not only continue feeding on your life force until you were completely immobilized, but it would also consume your consciousness until you were nothing more than a husk. Once fully mature, it would then hijack your body.

I sighed and rubbed my face as the realization settled in that I was in for a few days of excruciating pain.

Just then, Ino's voice drew my attention. "We'll stop when we reach the border of the montane forest, and make camp there. That area should be safe, as the Husk Flies do not come all the way up there. Also, according to the Whisperglobe, that area does not have any creatures. As long as we are not too close to the thick forest, nothing should attack us." She tilted her head and added, "…Hopefully."

The party members agreed and continued onwards at the same pace.

As for me, even though the pain was excruciating, it was not so debilitating that it hampered my mobility, and so I continued on with the others at the same brisk pace.

We walked on for almost five hours before finally reaching a spot to set camp a fair distance from where the thick forest began.

The group immediately laid their banana leaves on the ground while Aika took out some wood from the inventory to build a fire.

Not long after, everyone gathered around the fireplace. It had now become a habit to gather there, chatting away until it was time to sleep.

However, rather than join them, I took out my sleeping bag from my inventory and quickly laid it down. When the others saw me preparing to get into it, Dion stopped speaking and tilted his head. "Huh? Don't tell me you are already going to sleep?"

"I'm tired," I replied, as I got into the bag and looked away from them.

There was no need to tell them about the Husk Fly now. I decided to wait until it had matured and it was time to take it out. I didn't want to put everyone in worry for the next few days, and so, I closed my eyes, tuned out the noise from their chatter, and forced myself to sleep.

***

The next day, I woke up feeling so thirsty that my throat felt like coarse sandpaper. My lips were dry and cracked and my eyes were bloodshot and sunken.

I turned my head to the side to see Aika sitting beside me, holding a bowl in her hand.

"Here…" She extended the bowl towards me. "Try this. It'll make you feel better." She paused for a moment before adding uncertainly. "…I hope."

I grunted as I pushed myself to sit up, simultaneously wincing from the pain in my neck that was worse than before. I turned to look at the bowl and saw that it was filled with steaming hot broth with small, green leaves floating on the surface.

'Where did she get herbs?'

"Thanks," I murmured as I got the bowl from her. Then I began to sip the broth, trying not to burn my parched throat.

By the time I was done, I stood up with Aika, and we walked over to the others. They were gathered by the dying embers of the fireplace, discussing the route and plan for the day.

Ino stopped talking the moment she heard me approach, and turned to me. "Oh, you are awake," she said with a small smile. "The Raven of Decay said you were feeling a bit under the weather and that we could go ahead and plan our route, but since you are here, I'll just quickly brief you on what we decided."

I nodded. Once Aika and I sat down, Ino turned back to the holographic map projected by the Whisperglobe and began.

"Once we get into the montane forest, we won't be able to stop or make camp. It's too dangerous because of the Mountain Cats." She flicked a projection on the map, zooming out to show the upper slopes. "We have decided to keep moving until we are out and above the tree-line. Once there, we can find a rock shelter to make camp."

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