I spun too late. The lion lunged, its claws aiming straight for my chest.
I didn't even flinch.
I couldn't. Not because I was courageous, but because I was rooted in place by sheer, stupid terror. But instead of tearing me apart, the lion's claws sparked against an invisible barrier. A translucent dome shimmered around me for half a second—the magical shield. It had triggered automatically, deflecting the full force of the strike.
The lion stumbled back, confused. And that's when I felt it—the sword on my back, humming with power. I reached for it.
The moment my hand touched the hilt, a purple glow radiated from the blade. The weapon vibrated like a living thing, resonating with something deep inside me. I pulled it free, and the jungle dimmed around us—the light focused entirely on that sword.
With one desperate lunge, I struck.
The enchanted blade moved like it had a will of its own. It guided my arm, my body, my breath. The lion roared as the blade cleaved through one of its heads in a burst of black blood and smoke. Another head snapped at me—I ducked and spun, slashing again. The second head fell with a horrible squelch. The final one tried to retreat, whimpering, but the sword wouldn't stop until the job was done.
With a final, glowing arc, I drove the blade into the lion's chest. The creature let out a haunting, gurgling growl before collapsing. The jungle fell silent again.
I dropped to my knees, panting, heart pounding in my ears. My sword dimmed, its glow fading. The Guardian Screen flashed with a soft ding.
Side Quest Completed: Eliminate the three-headed lion.
Reward: +1 Level up
I scrambled over to the others. Elvie was burned and bruised, gripping her arm. Ella was pale, her magic nearly depleted. Felix was barely conscious, blood running down his forehead.
"No dying today," I muttered. I reached into my bag, heart racing, and found the bundle of magical herbs from the last quest. They glowed faintly, giving off a soothing, minty scent. I crushed the leaves and applied them to their wounds. Each herb melted like snow on skin, fusing with flesh and radiating soft healing light.
Wounds closed. Burns faded. Breathing evened out.
"Still alive?" I asked, forcing a weak smile.
Felix groaned, "Barely... remind me not to run at mythical monsters next time."
Ella laughed softly. "I'll hold you to that."
Elvie gave me a long look—something between respect and suspicion.
Later, as dusk fell, we made camp beside a quiet stream. The three-headed lion's corpse lay half-buried in the brush, its blood soaked into the roots of the jungle. We scavenged what meat we could, cleaned it, and started a fire. Felix took over the grill, carefully turning the thick slabs over the flames. When I tossed in some salt and pepper from my stash, his eyes widened.
As the scent of grilled lion meat wafted through the jungle air, Felix hovered over the fire with wide eyes and an expression of pure awe. He held the skewer up, sniffing it like it was some sacred relic from the heavens.
"What the hell is that salt and pepper?" he asked, his voice a mix of reverence and disbelief. "It's so amazing—I've never seen such high-grade salt and pepper before!" He sniffed again, almost delirious. "Is this... infused with elemental magic or something?"
I couldn't help but laugh, reaching into my bag to grab a small sachet. I tossed it to him. The tiny paper packet fluttered in the firelight and landed softly in his open palm.
"Here," I said, smirking. "Take it."
He blinked. "What is this?"
"My seasoning," I said, casually poking at the fire with a stick. From my homeland. It's free, actually. When you buy fried chicken, or noodles, or any kind of meal that might need extra flavor... the store gives you these for free."
The forest fell silent.
Ella gasped first. Loudly.
Elvie snatched the packet from Felix's hand and held it up to the firelight, inspecting the tiny print on the side like it was an ancient scroll.
"This is... like sugar," Elvie growled, her voice low and almost dangerous. This salt and pepper is top grade. There's no alchemist in this kingdom who could refine spices this fine. Dirk..." she narrowed her glowing eyes at me, "how many magical items do you have in that satchel of yours?"
I leaned back and gave her my best smirk, tapping the side of my bag like I was patting a loyal dog.
"A lot," I said simply.
Ella looked at me like I'd just revealed I was a secret prince of a lost kingdom. "You just carry these around with you? Just lying there in your bag like usual supplies? Why am I not surprised?"
I shrugged. "Well, I was going camping before I ended up here."
Felix stared at the salt packet like it might turn into gold. "This is better than gold. This is life-changing."
He took another piece of grilled meat—now perfectly seared with crispy edges and rich, glistening fat—and sprinkled a pinch of the salt and pepper over it. The spices sizzled slightly on contact, reacting with the meat's natural juices in a way that made all three of them lean forward with anticipation.
Felix took a bite.
He froze.
His eyes widened, then slowly rolled back into his head as he let out a blissful groan.
"Are you a chef... or a mage?" he whispered, mouth still full. "Because this... this is magic."
Ella giggled, taking her own bite. "He's definitely not a chef. He just has weapons of flavor."
Elvie, reserved as ever, simply chewed and stared at me in silence for a few seconds. Then she nodded. "I don't know where your homeland is... but I would like to conquer it just to steal your food."
I laughed, the tension from the earlier battle slowly melting into the fire's warmth.
The jungle beyond remained dangerous, but for that one night, under the stars and the glowing embers of our campfire, we weren't just travelers or fighters. We were a strange, mismatched family brought together by fate, danger... and convenience store seasoning.
And somewhere, deep in my backpack, I knew I had more surprises waiting for them.
Just in case. Ella grabbed her own skewer and practically moaned. "This is divine. I've never tasted anything like it."
Even Elvie, silent as always, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as she ate. When everyone was full, I leaned back with a satisfied sigh and reached into my pack again. "One more thing," I said. "Something sweet."
I pulled out a Snickers bar—still wrapped and untouched. They leaned in like curious animals. I unwrapped four and gave them to them.
"It's chocolate. Trust me, you'll love it." They each took a piece. The moment they bit into it, pure silence fell.
Then—
"This... this is illegal," Felix said, stunned. "It's nutty!" Ella gasped, clutching her chest as if overwhelmed by the flavor. "We can sell this for 10 small gold."
Even Elvie chewed slowly, then nodded. "I feel... warm. Is this enchanted?"
I chuckled, watching the firelights dance in their amazed expressions. "Let's just say... it's magic unique to my world. I call it Dirk's Chocolate."
The Guardian Screen chimed again.
Quest Completed: Boost Companion Morale
Reward: Companion Bond Increased
As the jungle hummed quietly around us, and the firelight warmed our faces, I sat back and let myself relax—just for a moment. We were still deep in the Forbidden Forest. We still had to find the Divine Tree. And something told me... the real danger was just beginning.