Saving the Snake 1

"The flower that you spoke of is… in this place?" Furcio scanned the dimly lit cave, his eyes searching for the flower that Ethan told him about.

As he turned, he caught sight of a calm yet ominous body of water nearby. He frowned.

The black surface stretched out like a vast mirror, reflecting the cave's eerie shadows. The water seemed unusually still, its depths shrouded by the unknown.

A subtle current stirred the surface, creating gentle ripples that danced in the dim light.

It seems that they just reached the end of the cave.

Furcio immediately noticed that the air felt heavy with a sense of foreboding. For the second time, he turned around and observed his surroundings.

This pool was situated at the deepest part of the cave, its inky blackness contrasting with the surrounding rocky walls. The subdued light barely reached its edges, leaving much of it cloaked in darkness. He would not be surprised to see another beast guarding this place.

"Yes," Ethan answered, his eyes were already on the normal-looking weed located near the small black pool.

It looked simple, in fact, it looked too normal. Many would think of it as a weed when, in fact, it was actually a potent healing herb. This is not a weed but a flower masking as a weed.

"I see no flowers in this place," Furcio said. "Is it in the water?" he asked, frowning. He was certain that he would not go into that water even if Ethan gave him all of his treasures.

"The water is poisonous to beasts…" Ethan said. "That is the reason why the insects do not like this place." It was the very reason why the snake came into this cave—to seek shelter. Right now, the snake was not aware that the one that could help it was this weed.

"Do you have something that we can use as a container?" he asked.

Furcio frowned and glared at him. "Why are you asking?"

"I need it," Ethan fought the urge to roll his eyes. How could he not notice Furcio's changes?

If he was right, the beast was probably thinking that he was here to take advantage of the snake's weakness and force a contract between them. That is a believable conclusion, but it was far from the truth.

First and foremost, this snake was simply too strong! How could Ethan, who had no Essentia, survive a contract with a beast comparable to a dragon?

Second, Ethan thought the beast was too ferocious. Even if he had the ability to contract with it, he would not do it. He could not imagine this snake betraying him!

And third… this snake was simply too attractive! It was huge—too huge! He would not want to walk around with something like this, ah!

"I have this…" Furcio revealed what looked like a small gray pouch.

"Oh?" Ethan arched an eyebrow. He never expected the man to actually have a storage pouch!

"I found it," Furcio answered. Since he did not offer any more explanation, Ethan simply nodded and took the pouch.

After examining it, he concluded that this was indeed a storage pouch of a player from Earth. He wondered how Furcio found it.

Still, he chose not to ask.

Instead, he closed his eyes and was immediately greeted with about a cubic size of storage. It was indeed the very same storage space that a player would receive after finishing a lower-level mission.

If Ethan was right, storage like this is available in Yeonsin, but it is very rare and is only provided to people with Master Level Essentia.

"You can have it," Furcio said.

"Alright," Ethan nodded. "I will give you enough to pay for it," Ethan immediately started walking towards the lake, but Furcio held his arm.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious?"

Furcio glared at him.

"I am going to take the flower," Ethan said.

"What flower are you talking about?" Furcio asked, suspicion flashing in his eyes.

"That—" Ethan pointed to the flower. He really had no reason to hide this from this beast.

"That is not—" Furcio did not continue his words as he let Ethan's arm go. "I will take it."

"No…" Ethan said. "It is harmful to beasts…" He was telling the truth. "Even the higher-ranking ones."

Furcio pursed his lips. So, Ethan simply walked towards the weeds and started grabbing the weeds. The moment this happened, the weed started to change its color. From that boring green to a brilliant pink flower.

"Is it not going to fight back?" Furcio asked; he was standing behind him.

"No," Ethan said. This mission is not exactly dangerous as it was given to beginner-level players. After gathering a large amount of weed, Ethan used a small cup and started pouring the water from the pool into the pouch.

"What are you doing?" Furcio asked.

"Water…" Ethan said.

"Isn't that unsafe?"

"For beasts…" Ethan said. This pool was not for beasts but for the players! He gathered just enough water to soak the flowers. Then he carefully closed it before he started undressing.

Seeing this, Furcio's gaze turned ugly.

"You—" Furcio turned around and started walking away from the pool.

"Bathing…" Ethan smirked as he stared at the beast's back. What a weird beast, he thought inwardly. Then without saying another word, he jumped into the pool, naked.

The moment Ethan plunged into the pool, a shiver ran down his spine. The water was colder than he had anticipated as it wrapped around him like a chilling embrace.

It felt as if tiny icicles were gently grazing his skin, sending a wave of goosebumps across his body. Yet, as Ethan adjusted to the coldness, something unexpected happened.

The chill that initially surrounded him began to transform into a soothing warmth. It was as if the cold water had found its way inside him, turning from a biting sensation to a comforting heat.

His body started to tingle as the warmth spread, and Ethan felt an unusual sensation of his skin tingling and awakening. The coldness that had first embraced him now merging into a gentle warmth that seemed to seep into his very bones.

As he submerged himself further, the warmth intensified. Ethan's body seemed to burn, but instead of discomfort, it felt invigorating.

It was like a dormant fire awakening within him, casting away the initial coldness. Without hesitation, he put his head under the water, letting the warmth envelop him completely.

Who would have thought that even this pool was exactly the same as the one in the game?