Out in the Wilds!

We followed the grassy bank of the river onward. After two hours, it was half past nine.

A short distance ahead, water roared and splashed. Merlin felt the moisture in the air against his face.

It felt cool and refreshing.

As the three of them crossed a rocky slope, Merlin's eyes lit up.

"We're here."

Several hundred meters ahead, a waterfall plunged from a cliff.

The low-lying terrain had formed a pool at the foot of the cliff, twenty meters across.

The pool was so clear that they could see right to the bottom, where fine sand and rocks of all sizes lay.

The most unusual thing was that a huge boulder nearly split the pool in two.

One side was shallow, the other deep.

The deepest part on the left was about one and a half meters, while the deepest part on the right was at least three meters.

Large boulders were scattered haphazardly along the banks. A gap at the front of the pool let its clear water flow away in a winding stream.

It flowed in the direction the three of them had come from.

Now that they had arrived, smiles appeared on all three of their faces.

"Wow, it's so beautiful here, and the water's so clear! There are even fish and shrimp in it!"

Lami excitedly pointed at a large black fish in the pool and laughed.

Yol poked Merlin in the shoulder. When he turned around, he saw the yearning look in her eyes.

"Could Lami and I wash up first? You can keep watch for us, okay? Please?"

She pressed her palms together, a pleading look in her eyes.

Merlin nodded and went to the bank on the left side of the boulder. He reached into the water and, perhaps because lynxes could withstand the cold, didn't find it chilly.

Then he looked up at Yol. "Why don't you test the water? I think the temperature's fine."

Yol hurried over, delighted, and dipped her somewhat dirty right hand into the water.

"Huh? You're right! It doesn't feel cold to me."

But then she looked at Lami with some hesitation. "Lami's still little, though. The water might be too cold for her."

Merlin's gaze flickered as he looked at her. "Don't worry about catching a cold. I should be able to recover.

"I'll find some firewood nearby and get a fire going. You should be fine if you warm up afterward.

"Besides, we found some cold medicine in Flevance a few days ago."

Lami put her hand in the water and grinned. "Don't worry!

"I'm not some delicate little girl. Aside from Lead Platinum Disease, Brother and I hardly ever got sick when we were little.

"Our whole family hardly ever got sick."

But as she spoke, her eyes dimmed. Yol noticed and gently stroked her head.

Lami looked up, a smile returning to her face. "You don't have to do that, Sister Yol. I'm strong.

"Mom and Dad wouldn't want me to be sad every day.

"So I won't cry. I'm going to be happy every day.

"You should be happy every day, too, Sister Yol!"

She didn't mention her brother. Since they hadn't found Luo's body, Lami still believed in her heart that he was alive, and didn't dare say anything bad about him.

All she could do was pray for him silently.

Hearing Lami's words, Yol's eyes filled with emotion.

"Lami, you're amazing!"

Then she turned and stared at Merlin without blinking. He sighed in resignation.

"Fine, fine. I'll go keep watch for you."

He turned and walked away. As Yol watched him head to the right, a gentle smile curled her lips.

Lami asked in confusion, "Why did Brother Merlin leave? Can't we all wash together?"

Yol's mouth twitched. She looked at Lami helplessly. "Usually, boys and girls can't bathe together."

Lami looked puzzled. "But I used to bathe in hot springs with Mom, Dad, and Brother."

Yol was at a loss for words, but quickly explained.

"That's different..."

Ancient trees towered around the pool.

There was no shortage of dry wood nearby. Before long, Merlin had used a lighter to ignite some dry grass between several large rocks ten meters to the right of the pool, setting the firewood ablaze.

Flames leapt high.

Merlin looked at the backpack and suitcase beside him.

His spare clothes were in the backpack, and he had taken off the metal vest he'd been wearing.

His sword and the fine sword lay nearby. He set down one of his grenades and wondered, "I only have seven left?"

The fine sword he'd found was worth mentioning. It wasn't a legendary blade, but it was a Fine Grade sword, the lowest rank of renowned blades.

Two unusual characters were engraved near the hilt, at the upper end of the blade.

[Fine Snow]

Merlin picked up a five-meter-long bamboo stalk as thick as his wrist. He'd cut it down in a nearby bamboo grove while gathering firewood. Using his dagger, he sharpened one end.

The bamboo tip had a backward-facing barb.

Hearing the women laughing and splashing in the water on the other side of the boulder, Merlin stood and walked to the edge of the pool. He watched the plump black fish swimming below.

Holding the bamboo spear, he aimed its sharp tip at the water and stood perfectly still, watching. Warm sunlight fell on him.

His breathing grew steady.

His pupils gradually narrowed.

At one moment, Merlin's right arm whipped forward. Splash! Water sprayed into the air, and he felt the tip pierce flesh. He yanked the bamboo pole out, a smile appearing on his lips.

"My technique's still sharp."

Back in Flevance, Merlin had sometimes gone fishing in the rivers. Over time, he'd become quite skilled at spearing fish.

As he looked at the half-meter-long fish impaled on the bamboo tip, a smile spread across his face.

He tossed the still-thrashing fish aside and took aim again. Before long, he'd speared five large fish.

"Huh? Merlin, you know how to catch fish?"

A surprised voice suddenly called out.

Yol came over, wearing a short-sleeved, shallow V-neck shirt with white and light-green stripes, dark blue jeans, and brown ankle boots.

Her neck-length, grapefruit-pink hair was now damp.

Lami was dressed in fresh clothes, too: a pale yellow shirt, jeans, and ankle boots.

They'd gotten these clothes for free in Flevance two days earlier.

Their cheeks were a little flushed, whether from the cold water or something else. Merlin smiled. "Do you know how to grill fish?"

Yol nodded with a laugh. "Of course. I'm a pretty good cook."

Then she smiled again. "Why don't you go wash up? I'll take care of grilling the fish."

Merlin smiled and nodded. He set down the bamboo spear, took a change of clothes and sandals from his backpack, and headed to the pool on the left.

When he got there, he saw two sets of clothes tossed carelessly on the bank, with a bar of soap resting on a rock. He looked at them in exasperation.

"You can't just toss your old clothes wherever you want! You should at least burn them!"

They were free now and needed to wash away the bad luck. Of course, they couldn't keep their old clothes.

Merlin shook his head, took off his clothes, and slowly stepped into the water.

The water reached his calves, then his thighs. As he slowly lowered himself into it, a deep feeling of exhaustion and weakness washed over him.

Looking at the pool water reaching his collarbone, Merlin understood. "So the Equipment Slot really can't ignore the negative effects of Devil Fruits."

Merlin recalled some of the information about Devil Fruits from his previous life.

He knew Ability Users feared seawater because of a substance found throughout the water in this world.

It was a mysterious substance called—

"PYROBROIN."

It was also known as the Seastone Factor.

The difference was that it existed in greater quantities in seawater, though it was also present in freshwater at lower concentrations.

Limited contact with water wouldn't affect Ability Users.

Furthermore, the substance generally wasn't absorbed by the human body. So even if an Ability User drank a lot of water, it wouldn't affect them, and it would naturally leave their body through regular bodily functions.

With a thought, he brought up the [Equipment Slot] before him and looked at the effect listed for the Calamity Fruit.

"This Natural Limitation can't be removed, but it can be [weakened].

"But how do I weaken it?"

For the moment, Merlin had no idea. But he believed he would eventually find a way to weaken this negative effect.

He stopped thinking about it and struggled backward until the water only reached his waist.

After a dozen seconds, the weakness eased until it no longer affected him.

He picked up the soap and lathered it, then scrubbed the grime from his body.

The flowing water washed over him, leaving him feeling wonderfully refreshed.

A little later, Merlin emerged wearing a brown, short-sleeved shirt with a stand collar, cropped pants, and sandals. He brought the other two sets of clothes along with him.

Yol was grilling fish skewered on bamboo. When she saw Merlin bringing over the dirty clothes, a strange look appeared in her eyes.

"You can just leave those old clothes. I'll come get them myself in a bit."

Merlin placidly tossed the clothes onto the ground beside him and sat down by the fire next to Lami.

He rubbed her head and smiled. "Are you cold?"

Lami shook her head enthusiastically. "Not at all! It's so warm here."

Before long, the fish were done. Their rich, meaty aroma filled the air as the three of them devoured the deliciously tender grilled fish.

Yol ate two, Lami ate half of one, and Merlin ate two and a half by himself.

Once he was full, Merlin felt warmth spreading through his body.

The fatigue that had built up in him was gradually fading, too.

Food in this world was often packed with abundant, high-energy nutrients.

That was one reason the creatures in this world were generally so powerful.

"I'm so full! The black fish in this pool is really delicious! This is my first time having a picnic way out in the mountains!"

Lami rubbed her belly, her eyes shining with happiness. Yol nodded in agreement beside her.

A smile appeared on Merlin's lips.

"Then don't worry. It'll take us several more days to get out of this mountain range. You'll have plenty to eat!"

"Merlin, where are we planning to go after this?

"We found a compass in the city before.

"We won't get lost, but where exactly are we going?"

Yol asked curiously. Lami looked just as curious. This was her first time traveling so far from home, after all!