Chapter 7: Pessimistic Realist

But those were matters of the past. They were behind her. For her, living life to the fullest means the most. She, more than anyone else, knew how valuable life was.

And that's why she struggled. Even with a shitty system, she would survive. Was she optimistic? No, she was a pessimistic realist.

Currently, she wasn't feeling much optimistic, and her mouth felt dry. There was so much snow, but no water.

Her stomach growled, but she paid no heed to it. Thinking about food would only make her more hungry. Her eyes used the skill <Trajectory> which, now that it had levelled up, could be used to see in the distance. 

She finally spotted a large tree trunk shaped like a cave. Her foot dragged but she carried on. Soon enough, they reached the spot. Sighing, she looked back at the lovebirds and said, "We'll rest here for today." She turned and shifted a branch to enter the small dome-like structure.

Miao and Ed glanced at each other, and nodded. They had already decided to follow Kanae. She was powerful, and they needed someone powerful to protect them during the journey.

The tree cave was actually like an imaginary cave. It had dark walls and a few water droplets dripped from above.

Kanae looked up in delight. Water! She was thirsty enough to drink up a whole gallon of water. Kneeling down, she checked the smell of the water. It didn't seem pungent, but she wouldn't know if there were any bacterias in it.

"One of you, go build a fire. We need to boil water for cooking and drinking. Quick." Kanae said, busy examining the water. If she had any indicators, it would have been easier to find out. Unfortunately, there were no such indicators in this thick forest. 

Ed picked up some dry sticks and stacked them. Miao rubbed two stones together and after a lot of efforts, a spark finally was visible and she dropped it slowly in the pile of sticks.

Kanae took a container out from Miao' s bag, and filled it with water. Setting it aside to boil, she pulled out another container, and poured out water for cleaning.

Both of them had a confused look on seeing her actions and looked dubiously at her. She sighed and replied, "The water may not look dirty but we can't be sure about bacterias, boiling will kill all the germs in it. And I'm setting aside some water for cleaning. Don't just directly use water from the pool. Got it?"

They nodded silently. Miao had a serious look, while Ed was filled with admiration.

They were stunned by her knowledge. After all, she looked years younger than them. They wanted to ask her age, but didn't feel like they deserved to. Miao was even more hesitant, as she remembered her behaviour of the day before and felt embarrassed.

So, it was Ed who took up the initiative to ask Kanae.

"Uh... Honorable Miss, may we ask what's your age?"

"Hmmm? Me? I'm nineteen years old."

"....."

What? They did hear right? Nineteen?!?

But... She looked like a fifteen year old at the most. Nineteen? Maybe, that would explain her superiority in knowledge and power to them.

Kanae, once again, had forgotten that she wasn't in her old body. Scratching her hair, she took some water from the cleaning bowl, and splashed it on her face. Her palms cleaned off all the muck that had been sticking to her pores, as well as the snow from her frostbitten feet.

She let out a sigh in relief, as the water was relatively warmer than the outside temperature. Turning around, she looked at the couple and said, "There, it's your turn. Wash up quickly. And mind you," She drew in a breath sharply, "I don't want you frolicking here. That might have been your home, and I may have destroyed it, but let me tell you, I have no intention of being a third wheel. So hurry up."

Both of them gaped at her, not because of her words, but because of her appearance.

She had clear blue eyes, that sparkled slightly, fair skin and white blonde hair. She was beautiful, just like a doll that one would see at the top of the display box, meant only to be bought by the rich. Her rosy lips were slightly bleeding, adding a rustic look to her otherwise perfect appearance. 

Kanae's eyelashes gently fluttered, and she looked up at them through her long fringes. "What?" She questioned, proceeding to wipe the water off from her face.

The scene was truly one to behold, her face dripping with water, reflection shimmering in the water, round lips slightly blue. Her body moved as she spoke, but the two just stared enthralled. She didn't exactly have a beautiful appearance, but without a doubt, she had an aura that made them feel drawn to her. Was it her small height? Or her adorable dimples? Or maybe it was that careless look in her eyes that had them bewitched.

This was exactly what they needed. Someone truly confident of themselves, willing to lead, having an aura that draws many people towards them.

Little did they know, her confidence was merely a cover. She was just too lazy to panic and make the adrenaline rush through her body.

Only fear had the ability to make her move, feel and rush. Did she feel fear? Of course, she was human too.

Seeing that the couple hadn't stopped gazing at her, she grew irritated. What amazing thing was there on her face, that they just wouldn't stop staring? She whirled back on her toes, and took a peek on the water. Once the water had stilled, and there were no ripples, she blinked. Her reflection shone on the water, clear and defined.

Even Kanae herself was shocked. She, a nineteen year old, had become so small? It was simply unacceptable. In her mind, she commanded, 'System, check my age.'

"Analysing results, Player White is 15 years old."

'.....'