—I sometimes wonder. Is there meaning to anything at all? There should be, since there shouldn't be a meaning in nonexistence. Then again, I used to have something for the longest time. Not a pretty one, but also not remotely significant. Which begs the question. Did I live? What does that even mean? How is the value determined?
I do not know. But in the end, it's a pointless thought.
..
Awoken by a bright, warm light, I slowly opened my eyes. My cheek felt a little ticklish. My eyes shifted. A blade of grass softly caressed my skin.
"Mmhg…?"
What's this? I thought, lying there while looking up at the blue sky.
The clouds were fluffy like marshmallows. Though they'd probably taste exactly like plain water or whatever gases mixed in.
Mm. The sun's quite nice, and the grass pleasant, though the smell is just that of a plant. I could lie here for a while.
Naturally, it didn't mean I should. When I got up on my feet, I unconsciously tilted my head, not quite remembering I'd taken a nap in an open field. Not to mention, there was a colorful forest nearby. My curiosity was piqued. But…
"Al!" Emely cried, rushing toward me, hugging me the moment I got up, burying her face in my shoulders.
My shoulder became slightly damp. And when I reciprocated the embrace, she'd cry even more.
"Hic… I-I… was so worried!" she sobbed.
"There, there," I comforted her, stroking her hair.
Behind her was Noel, a tall young man with blue-silver eyes and platinum blond hair. Oh, and the other students. Noel softly smiled and waved. When I returned the gesture, he returned to whatever he was doing.
When she calmed down, she stepped back, wiping her tears. I then handed her a handkerchief.
"Thanks…" she said, her eyes a little swollen.
I thought about it, but I'd presumably not ask where we were. It's not as though she'd know either way.
"Where are we?"
But I suppose I had to ask. She clearly wanted me to say something.
"I… don't know," Emely replied, clenching the handkerchief. "The last thing I remember was finishing up the seminar. And then, we couldn't get the door to open. Then, one after the other, we began to faint."
"I see."
To be frank. I was surprised to be alive, considering how my body was mutilated, skin and bones cracked as blood flooded the floor. That was the price for resisting whatever brought us here, I suppose.
..
After the little talk with Emely, we headed to the others. Noel gave me a quick rundown of the situation. Firstly, this was another world/dimension.
Yeah, couldn't tell.
Secondly, neither smartphones nor laptops worked. Thirdly, everyone could conjure and manipulate certain element/s.
Interesting, I suppose. Kind of like fiction.
"But man, I'm glad you're awake!" Noel said, grinning as always.
But as his proud best friend, I could tell he put up a front, though, that wasn't new. But for a different reason this time. It seemed like they'd all composed themselves when I was unconscious.
Noel then cleared his throat. "Anyways, water's mostly not an issue," he said, then glanced at Miu.
She nodded and conjured water out of thin air. "Ta-daaa~" she said, warmly smiling.
I clapped.
"Fire's not an issue either," Noel added. A small flame flickered at his fingertips. "Voila!"
"Ooh…" I continued to clap.
"You don't seem all that impressed," he remarked.
"What am I supposed to do about my face?" I retorted.
"I dunno, something? You'd be more handsome if you smiled!"
I blankly stared at him. "Aren't I handsome enough?" I asked.
"Well… That's not what I was getting at."
Mm, I see. Humans could never quench their thirst.
But, jokes aside, they all should know how dire the situation looked. Even so, food, shelter, and hygiene were also things to consider. And knowing him, he was most certainly aware.
"Well, anyways, now that everyone's awake and calmer. We should start delegating tasks," Noel said, his tone flipped from playful friend to that of a leader.
So, when I was asleep, Noel picked up the leader role. Can't say I'm surprised, considering his charismatic personality. He didn't have enemies either, and leading a group of 20 people shouldn't be too difficult for him.
"As discussed earlier, if we are to split up, there should at least be a person who can conjure water in each group," Emely voiced.
I must say, the crybaby out-of-work Emely seemed to be faring well.
"What is it, Al?" she asked, strands of jet-black hair clinging to her cheeks, her golden eyes still damp from all the crying.
"No, continue."
She raised her eyebrow, then moved on.
"And as Noel just mentioned, we have to start delegating tasks. We can't be still while the sun's still up, and we don't even know what the nights are like."
Oliver raised his hand and calmly said, "I volunteer to scavenge," as he looked at a few other people, who also raised their hands.
"Okay, that's 6…" Noel pondered. "Well, actually, maybe we all should scavenge? We don't have water or fire issues, and we can look for a decent place to settle at the same time."
"That's true…" Oliver considered.
"I kinda want to hunt, though," Kevin said. "Like, aren't there grazing animals over that hill?"
"No," Noel sighed. "You don't even know how dangerous they are. Besides, it's a herd. Do you really want to take them on?"
"That's… a no."
"Right? So if you want to test your abilities, try on something small and isolated." Noel then turned to me. "Alum, you're the only one without any input. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?"
I pondered a little. The shadows had barely moved, and the sun was high in the sky—there were at least a few hours before dusk. I glanced at the mechanical watch around my wrist.
1:26:32, huh? I could probably calibrate it to this planet.
"I don't. The plan's solid."
"Alright…" he said, turning to the others. "We total 21 people. How about 7 in each group?" he asked.
The others looked at one another, "Sounds good," they replied.
..
We broke into 3 groups. Each had at least one who could use water and fire. There were two mechanical watches, and I had to give mine away. In counting, 30 minutes and 22 seconds should have passed since.
Since there were 6 people in Oliver's group, Emely joined them, albeit reluctantly. As for Noel's group, there were too many, and Miu volunteered to join this group instead.
Yes, a group of independent loners. Barely any words had been spoken. The one leading the group was David, a gray-haired, amber-eyed youth.
So, this was how the situation looked. These people weren't comfortable with the others, but with one another. David was usually sociable when spoken to, but he didn't appear to have a bond with anyone from class.
As for the girl who walked beside me, Miu… She was undeniably the girl people set their eyes on. Snow-like white hair, fluffy—I would like to touch it, but that would be crude. Light ruby eyes and seemingly fair skin. In other words, a beauty.
"What is it, Alum?" she asked, leaning forward with her hands behind her back, smiling at me. "Could it be… have you finally acknowledged my cuteness?" she teased.
"Mm? I did that long ago. Sorry. It was nothing, I was simply deep in thought."
"Hmm~ if you say so!" she giggled.
Well. Despite her cheerful demeanor, she must be as anxious as the rest. Despite her relaxed body language, she had pinched the hem of my shirt since we left.
"Okay, we've arrived," David declared. "Be prepared. Anything could happen."
Everyone pondered for a moment before they affirmed.
..
Entering the colorful forest, the flora was illuminated, and light pulsed across the trunks in regular intervals. There were a few insects, mushrooms, and fruits. The question was, what was edible?
"The fruits are a bit far up—and honestly, I don't trust fungi," David said.
"What about insects?" Sten inquired.
"Ah, well, I was expressing an opinion. But we should consider everything as a potential food source—Alum. What are you chewing…?"
I tilted my head. "A nut?" I replied, cracking another one with my bare hands—this strength was quite convenient, I don't feel pain either. I wonder, have the others noticed the change?
"…"
The others stared at me as if I didn't have survival instincts. While not totally wrong, there wasn't anything special about these nuts. No funny smell, no funny taste, and while the color was funny, so was the whole forest.
"Dude… if you die, Professor Emely would literally kill me!" David exclaimed, shaking me.
—Gulp…
"…"
"Did you…"
"Yes," I affirmed. I swallowed. "This one seems fine for now. Nothing's funny except the glow."
"They… are edible," Miu affirmed.
Everyone looked at her, confused as to why she'd said they were.
"I don't know how to explain it. I could just tell when he got here. Like, the strange bug on that branch is poisonous, the mantis-looking one is not. That mushroom is edible, but it needs to be boiled and drained a few times. And those leaves, they're akin to an herb?"
"That so?"
I walked over to the leaves, snagged one, and sniffed it. There was a slight tinge to it, and with a quick taste test—nom…
"…"
"Tastes like mint," I stated.
"Great… we're not escaping toothpaste," heaved a sigh, causing the others to chuckle.
"Pffts… what the hell? Okay, um… this is strange. But I guess Miu will appraise, and Alum verify, is that okay?" David inquired.
The others seemed reluctant, knowing it was unfair. But I couldn't care less.
"I'll verify too," Miu calmly spoke. "It's my judgment, so that's only fair. Besides, 2 examples are better than 1, right?"
Whether conscious of it or not. Miu was putting immense pressure on their conscience.
But before anyone spoke, a large white snake with blue wavy patterns looked this way. It was our size and fairly long, 20.03 meters, at least from what I can tell. It slid down the tree, sniffing with its forked tongue, observing us.
"Gulp… that one is very venomous…" Miu declared, taking a few steps back.
"I don't think the venom is the problem…" Daniel muttered. "Dammit, we didn't see it since it blended in so well… what else is there?"
Everyone slowly took a few steps back as it slowly approached. Based on observation alone, this thing was dangerous. But, something tells me it has other intentions than to eat us.
"Get away, I'll be a decoy," I said, then walked towards it. Miu grabbed my hand, but I shook her off. "Go," I said. She wouldn't let go until the others dragged her along.
She cried, "Alum, you idiot!" over and over again.
Now then…
It was quite adorable. While I didn't know its intentions. It didn't appear hostile, at least to me. Then, I noticed something stuck under its throat. It seemed to be in pain, and before I realized, I'd stretched out a hand.
It closed the rest of the distance, lowering its head slightly so that I could feel whatever was stuck. That part was like a crystal, compared to its white and blue smooth scales.
I clenched the crystal; it cracked as I put more force into it, eventually shattering as it covered my hand in almost boiling blood—the snake's flesh rapidly regenerated, but the scale in that area was still missing.
It quickly slid up the tree again, shook it, which caused the fruits to fall down. Then it hissed at me, fully showing off its fangs, asserting its dominance.
I see… that was quite a nice transaction.
I grabbed as many of the fruits as I could before walking out. This appeared to be a one-time deal, not a bad one, I reckon. But I do have to make sure the others don't try this lest they wish a death sentence.
Though I wish I could've petted it.