I hurried to Cloud’s side, clutching the antidote given to me by that strange child.

The poison of the King Snake spreads fast. If we don’t neutralize it quickly, he’ll die. Although I had already given him the antidote I had on hand, it only bought us a little more time. Still, I couldn’t shake the unease.

I had relied too much on Cloud being a healer.

It was a mistake not to bring more of the highest-grade antidote, assuming there’d be no problem with Cloud’s healing skills. I never thought Cloud would end up being bitten by the King Snake himself.

After the fog that had filled this “Forest of Mist” suddenly lifted, confident adventurers had all ventured into the forest, dreaming of striking it rich… only to disappear.

The center of the forest, previously hidden by the thick fog, turned out to be a different world, prowled by terrifyingly strong monsters.

Due to the sheer magnitude of the casualties, adventurers of Gold rank or higher were all summoned and tasked with investigating this forest.

Of course, as a party of the higher Mithril rank, we were also called upon to enter the forest. However, the forest we knew had changed so drastically, it felt like an entirely different place.

It had become a demonic realm where colossal, king-class monsters roamed freely.

Just as my older brother Zeke, our leader, decided to call off the investigation and retreat, the King Snake attacked.

The poison of the King Snake is extremely potent, and regular antidotes don’t work. Cloud had been recovering thanks to his antidote skills and the highest-grade antidotes we had prepared, but then Cloud himself got bitten.

We somehow managed to fend off the attacking King Snake and tried to give Cloud the antidote, but by that point, we had already used up the highest-grade antidote in the earlier battle. Though I gave him the antidote I had left, it wasn’t enough to fully cure him.

If things continued this way, Cloud would collapse from the poison before we could make it back to town.

But there was still one more remedy.

If he drank the blood dripping from the heart of the King Snake, the poison would be instantly neutralized.

Zeke and I rushed after the King Snake, but it had vanished without a trace. Instead, we encountered a strange girl.

She looked out of place in the monster-infested forest, wearing luxurious clothes that would rival those of a royal. She couldn’t have been more than ten years old, her face still childlike.

Her black hair was glossy, and her eyes, like rubies, radiated immense magical power. I asked if she was the legendary witch rumored to live in this forest, but she immediately denied it.

Even if she wasn’t a witch, it was still odd for her to be in the forest, alive and unharmed.

Is she good or evil?

I left that judgment to Zeke, who has the power to appraise such things.

We’re twins, so we can communicate telepathically.

Without speaking, I asked Zeke for the appraisal result, but his answer was “Inappraisable.”

That meant she was stronger than us.

Still, she acted strangely childish. Maybe she was the witch’s daughter.

That would explain her extraordinary magical power and the two beasts that followed her as if they were her guardians.

Yes, those beasts were not ordinary animals either. Though they looked like regular creatures, their eyes were red. Creatures whose eyes turn red from magical power are monsters.

“Zeke, how’s it going over there?”

“Oh, uh… no, there’s no problem.”

“What’s wrong? You sound hesitant.”

“I got intimidated by the chicken. It was like facing an Ancient Dragon.”

“That’s ridiculous—”

Even for us, at the highest Mithril rank among adventurers, dealing with a dragon is a daunting task.

We could maybe handle a young dragon with just the three of us, but an Ancient Dragon, which has lived since ancient times, is a cataclysmic threat. There’s no way to kill it; the best you can do is wait for the storm to pass.

Then again, I’ve heard that Ancient Dragons, being more intelligent than humans, rarely pick fights. There’s even a legend about a black dragon that once destroyed a kingdom but was sealed away by a goddess.

“You should be careful too.

“Got it. So, do you think she’s the witch’s daughter?”

“It’s just… she seems like a regular child.”

“Are you talking about the one who sold us the highest-grade antidote for a single silver coin?”

That had been Zeke’s gamble.

With no sign of the King Snake, Cloud’s life was hanging by a thread. Desperate, Zeke asked if we could buy an antidote from her, even if she was a villain. To our surprise, she handed one over without any fuss.

Zeke appraised it to check if it was a trap, but it turned out to be an incredibly high-quality antidote.

“Now I’m just worried about whether the antidote will work.”

“She reacted like an ordinary child.”

“Didn’t she? Wait, what? She’s already an adult? No way!”

“We’ll talk later. I’m heading back to Cloud.”

Before I could respond to Zeke’s shock, I ran back to where Cloud lay, limp and pale. I was worried that the scent to ward off monsters wasn’t working, but luckily, he hadn’t been attacked by any others.

I quickly gave the antidote to Cloud, who was pale as a sheet. He’s been our childhood friend, with us since we were kids. I wasn’t going to let him die here.

Cloud swallowed the medicine with a gulp, and color quickly returned to his face.

“Cloud, are you okay?”

“…Alex? Sorry, I messed up.”

Cloud, now sitting up, let out a big sigh.

It seemed he was going to be alright. That girl really was something. The antidote worked like a charm.

“No, I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“You two didn’t get hurt while fighting the King Snake, did you? Where’s Zeke? Don’t tell me—”

“Zeke’s fine. Oh, looks like he’s on his way back.”

While I was tending to Cloud, it seemed Zeke and the others were heading back to us.

Whether she’s the witch’s daughter or not, we owe her for saving Cloud. I should thank her.

“We didn’t need the King Snake’s heart to cure you, though—”

I told Cloud, who was raising a skeptical eyebrow, about the strange girl we’d met in the forest.