The massive bear lay on the flat ground right at the edge of the pit, like a fallen monument.

  The bear's skin was cracked in places, having turned pitch black under the influence of miasma. Swarms of giant flies buzzed around it, and the putrid smell spreading through the air was sharp enough to turn even the most experienced warrior's stomach.

  Torin, the giant with the axe, grimaced and spat on the ground. "Damn, it's almost completely rotten. This smell... combined with the miasma, it's become pure poison."

  Elias, the group's silent archer, kept his bow aimed near Kayra's direction while scanning the surroundings, as Kael, the dual-swordsman, stepped forward and scrutinized the corpse.

  Without a word, Liora placed the heavy bag on her back onto the ground. She quickly rummaged through her bag and pulled out thick insulated gloves and a leather mask. Putting the mask over her face and tightly tying her gloves, she shot a stern look at the others.

  "You all stay back!" Liora said, her voice muffled and authoritative from beneath the mask. "Miasma at this level will burn your lungs in seconds. No one approach until I've taken the samples."

  As Liora moved towards the corpse, Kael's attention was caught by a plant residue buried in the ground right next to the bear, now completely dried and charred. He poked the black tissue with the tip of his sword.

  "Hey, look at this... It's the remains of a Mana Leech plant," Kael said, genuine surprise in his voice. He turned his gaze to Kayra. "Pretty clever... Did you use this plant to dampen those uncontrolled mana bursts caused by the bear?"

  Torin, leaning his axe on his shoulder, looked at the dried plant. "If he hadn't used that plant, he probably couldn't have maintained consciousness and would have been easy prey for the bear. This kid isn't just lucky; he's got a good head on his shoulders."

  Meanwhile, Elias noticed the deep claw marks and dried pools of blood around where the bear had fallen. Some of the blood mixed into the ground was the bear's dark, poisonous blood; while some was a much brighter, fresher, human red. These blood traces traced a path directly towards where Kayra was standing.

  Torin remembered the claw marks on Kayra's chest he had briefly seen, then looked at the deep gashes on the ground. "You got that wound on your chest right here, under this monster, didn't you?" he said, his voice this time less threatening, in a tone filled with respect. "Taking that claw and still finishing off this creature... You're either crazy or the toughest bastard I've ever met."

  Kayra silently looked at the bear's carcass. Remembering those moments had re-triggered the ache in his ribs.

  Liora, meanwhile, had already knelt beside the bear's carcass and started taking samples of the monster's mutated tissues with crystalline tubes in her hand. But suddenly, she hesitated.

  Her shoulders slumped, and she roughly shoved the crystalline tube back into her bag. A deep, frustrated sigh was heard from beneath her mask.

  "No... No, this can't be!" Liora said. Her voice had lost all trace of its previous authoritative tone, becoming completely hopeless and fragile.

  She slightly lifted her mask, wiping the sweat from her forehead; there was a distinct desperation in her eyes. "Ruined... It's all completely ruined! The structure of these tissues is so deformed that I can't extract the essences needed for the antidote. In this state, they're useless; there's no way for me to get a proper sample from this!"

  Torin and Kael looked at each other and fell silent. The tense anticipation in the valley gave way to a heavy atmosphere of mourning with this news.

  "So..." Torin said, planting his axe on the ground. "Did we come all this way for nothing, Liora? Isn't there even a single usable piece from this carcass?"

  Liora looked at the bear's blackened skin and shook her head. "It's useless, Torin. I can't use these samples. It's impossible for me to synthesize the antidote without a viable sample. For the villagers... this means it's all over."

  Liora's words cast an icy chill over the clearing. Torin squeezed the handle of his axe so hard his knuckles turned white. Elias slowly hung his bow over his shoulder; there no longer seemed any hope requiring him to stay alert.

  Kael sheathed one of his swords and sighed deeply. "So we came all this way, endured this disgusting smell, only to return empty-handed?" he muttered. His voice was filled with anger and disappointment. "Then there's no need to stay near this carcass any longer. We're just breathing in this filth and hastening our own end."

  Torin gently took Liora by the arm and helped her to her feet. "Come on, Liora, we have to go. Waiting here won't change anything."

  The group, shoulders slumped, began to walk with heavy steps back the way they came. No one spoke a word. The tense and suspicious team from before was gone, replaced by a group that had accepted defeat.

  Kayra stood there, watching the retreating group. The Bot's voice in his mind was now clearer, more commanding.

  [They're leaving. If you let them go like that, you'll lose the chance to connect with civilization in this world. Remember, you have a biological immunity to miasma. That's not an ordinary power.]

  With the Bot's words, Kayra sprang into action. The pain of the people in Liora's village had, for a moment, made him forget his own loneliness.

  "Hey! Wait!" Kayra shouted after them.

  Kael cast a weary glance over his shoulder. "What now, stranger? Going to tell us how many different ways the bear stinks? Go about your business."

  "Liora, wait!" Kayra called out. Taking a few steps, he blocked the group's path.

  Kayra's voice cut through the group's heavy silence like a knife. The tears in Liora's eyes hadn't yet dried, but Kayra's serious demeanor made her hesitate for a moment.

  "The bear's tissue might be ruined, but my body is still here."

  Torin frowned, striking his axe on the ground. "What do you mean, kid? We just examined the corpse, said it's useless. What does that have to do with you?"

  Kayra took a deep breath and relayed the analysis the Bot had previously made in his mind, in his own words.

  "I told you I have immunity. I don't know how it happened, how my body fights miasma. But when I took those claws, that poison entered my body, and I'm still standing. If what you're looking for is the antidote to miasma, maybe the clue isn't in the remnants of that bear, but in my body that actually neutralizes the poison."

  Liora stepped back, startled by the sudden jolt of surprise and hope. Her eyes scanned Kayra; it was as if she was seeing him for the first time. "Your body... understanding how it copes with miasma?" she murmured. "If whatever's in your blood... can neutralize miasma, then we might have much more than a live sample."

  Kael looked suspiciously at the wounds on Kayra's chest.

  "This is very dangerous. If you're wrong, an antidote made from your blood could kill those who take it instantly."

  "I don't think you have anything to lose," Kayra said, his voice quite determined. "People in your village are dying. I'm here, the only one who carries this poison and is still breathing. Examine my blood, look at how my body fights this affliction. Maybe the key you're looking for isn't in that bear, but in me."

  Liora held her crystalline device towards Kayra with trembling hands. When the device came near Kayra, unlike the previous static noise, it began to emit a more stable and rhythmic sound.

  For the first time, not aggression, but a deep light of gratitude appeared in Liora's eyes. "If you're telling the truth..." Liora said, her voice trembling. "You could change not just the villagers' fate, but everything we know about miasma."

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Torin placed his heavy hand on Kayra's shoulder. This time, his hand seemed to hold an ally, not an enemy. "Why are you doing this? You don't even know us."

  Kayra looked at the silence of the valley and the bear carcass a short distance away. "I'm tired of being alone," he said honestly. "And if I have something that might save others, there's no point in hiding it."

  These words warmed the heavy, cold air in the clearing for a moment. Torin gripped Kayra's shoulder more tightly, squeezing it like a friend. "This honesty... It shames me for thinking of killing you earlier, kid," the giant man murmured.

  Meanwhile, Liora slowly approached Kayra. The aggressive, know-it-all girl from before was gone; replaced by a young woman with slumped shoulders, her eyes still moist with sorrow. She tried to hide her tears by turning her face away, sniffled slightly, and crossed her arms over her chest. Although she tried to bring back her old sternness, she couldn't hide the tremor in her voice.

  "We keep calling you 'bear hunter' or 'stranger,'" Liora said, still not quite looking Kayra in the face. "But since you're taking such a risk to save us... I guess we at least have the right to know your name. What's your name?"

  Kayra, looking at the girl's vulnerable yet proud demeanor, smiled faintly. It had been so long since he'd told his name to someone else that the word felt strangely heavy on his tongue.

  "Kayra," he said calmly. "My name is Kayra."

  Upon hearing the name, Liora slowly turned her head towards him. For a second, she looked into Kayra's eyes with that tearful but curious gaze. "Kayra..." she whispered to herself. "Alright, Kayra. I'm Liora. That one with the axe is Torin, the swordsman is Kael, and the archer up there is Elias. I can't exactly say I'm pleased to meet you because there's still a chance you're a lying machine but... Thanks, for now."

  Then she suddenly became serious, donning her old authoritative demeanor like armor, and turned to Torin. "We can't stay here. I can't examine Kayra with this basic equipment I have on me. We need to go back to the old campsite immediately and pack up. From there, we'll head to the settlement as fast as possible. We don't have a single second to lose!"

  As Liora turned and began walking with quick steps, Torin gently guided Kayra forward. "Alright then, Kayra, lead the way. It's a long road, and before Liora locks you in her lab, enjoy getting some fresh air."

  The team began climbing the steep slopes of the valley towards the old campsite. The light from the two suns in the sky filtered through the giant, green-leafed trees, casting strange shadows on the damp moss below. The heavy stench of the carcass had thinned out as they ascended, replaced by the sharp scent of earth and wild plants. As Kayra heard the sounds of armor and footsteps behind him, he realized the heavy feeling of loneliness that had been sitting on his chest for weeks was slowly dissipating. Having others around him breathing, talking, and even arguing with him made this ominous world momentarily more bearable.

  Just then, the Bot appeared in Kayra's mind with its cold but analytical voice.

  [I believe you've formed a connection with them, Kayra. From what I observe, they are starting to trust you; at least you're no longer seen as a target. However, my analysis suggests this: Trusting an ambiguous stranger like you would be suicide for them if you weren't who you appear to be. On the other hand, you are also trusting them very quickly. This could pose a significant risk for you as well. You must not allow emotions to hinder logical data flow.]

  Listening to the Bot's warning, Kayra didn't break his stride and answered internally without taking his eyes off the path ahead.

  "You might be right, Bot, but you're missing something. Even when Elias aimed that arrow right between my eyes, my 'Kinesthetic Intuition' ability didn't give the slightest danger warning. If there was real malice or a desire to kill among them, my intuition would have warned me. These people aren't evil, they're just desperate. And desperation sometimes makes people look scarier than the wildest beast."

  After a brief silence, the Bot responded.

  [Correlating your passive ability's data with a logical inference... That's surprising development. Still, I advise you not to let your guard down completely.]

  After walking for a while, they finally reached the campsite. Torin and Kael immediately began gathering the bags and heavy equipment on the ground. Liora, meanwhile, was organizing her bag while impatiently glancing at Kayra.

  "Finally," Liora said, pushing her hair back. "Load up the gear; we're leaving immediately. Elias, you take point. Torin, you handle the heavy loads. Kayra... You stay by my side. I don't want anything to happen to you on the way, or for you to 'change your mind.'"

  Just as they were about to leave the campsite, Kayra looked down at his battered clothes—the coarse fiber mass, torn in places and hardened by days of dust and dirt. The three semi-conscious days in the cave and the subsequent brisk walk had rendered his plant-made garments nearly unusable. Moreover, the wild plant tissues were starting to irritate his skin.

  "One minute," Kayra said, calling out to Torin who was trying to balance the load on his shoulders. "These things on me are really annoying, and they hurt with every move. Do you have anything clean with you? Let me at least put on some proper clothes."

  Liora hesitated as she was fastening her bag's clasp. She looked Kayra up and down, slightly wrinkling her nose. She answered in her usual manner.

  "Oh, right... We couldn't very well have you walking miles in those rags," Liora said, averting her eyes. "Besides, those bandages hanging out from under those fibers look like a complete disaster. Kael! You should have one of the spare scout outfits in your bag. Give it to Kayra, or he'll slow down on the road because of those clothes."

  Kael rummaged through a leather bag and pulled out a clean set of dark grey clothes, looking quite durable with leather reinforcements in places. "They might be a bit loose on you, but definitely an improvement over your current 'wild' look," he said, tossing the clothes to Kayra.

  Kayra caught the clothes in mid-air. The fabric felt both light and quite sturdy.

  The Bot whispered in his mind.

  [Finally... I'm glad you're getting rid of those hardened fibers, Kayra. These clothes won't just be comfortable; they'll also optimize your mobility. Plus, arriving at the settlement looking like one of them rather than an outsider will help you blend in.]

  Kayra went behind some rocks a short distance from the camp and quickly changed. He discarded the old, worn fibers but didn't touch the bandage covering the marked area on his back; he carefully concealed it under his new clothes. When he put on the new pants and tunic, hiding the dagger at his waist, he took a deep breath, enjoying the freshness of the clean fabric.

  When he returned, Liora scrutinized him. Noticing how different Kayra looked in his new attire, her expression changed for a moment, but she immediately turned her back to hide it and shouted sharply.

  "Alright, fashion show over, let's get moving! Elias is already ahead as scout. Torin, take the loads. Kayra... You stay close to me, just in case!"

  As the group began to move single file along the path, Kayra found himself just a few steps behind Liora. After days of only stone walls, dark cave corners, and that terrifying bear, seeing a living human walking ahead of him still felt surreal.

  He involuntarily started observing Liora. The girl's chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders shimmered with copper tones when hit by sunlight. This flowing hair, moving with each step, was half-tied at the nape of her neck with a leather cord for practicality. Her alchemist outfit was more finely crafted than the rest of the scout group; small glass tubes, leather pouches, and a notebook dangling from her belt made a faint clinking sound with every step.

  Kayra caught a glimpse of her face. Her green eyes were as vivid as the fresh leaves in the forest, but that weary sadness still lingered in her gaze.

  Liora, perhaps disturbed by the intense gaze she felt on the back of her neck, suddenly stopped and turned around. With a frown, cheeks slightly flushed, she planted her hands on her hips.

  "What are you staring at?" Liora snapped, her voice echoing off the valley walls. "Is there something strange on me that needs examining? Or are you noting every step I take? You've been staring at me, it's really unsettling!"

  With Liora suddenly stopping and turning around as if to interrogate him, Kayra hesitated for a moment. The girl's cheeks were slightly pink, and her green eyes glared with a fierce "caught you" sparkle.

  Faced with this sharp outburst, Kayra simply shrugged slightly. There was no hidden intent or defensiveness in his voice; just a hint of tiredness and honesty.

  "Sorry," Kayra said calmly. "No particular reason. I was just looking... I zoned out. I guess when there's no one moving or talking around me for so long, my mind just focuses on a single point on its own. If it bothers you, I'll look ahead."

  Liora was unprepared for Kayra to shrug with such naked honesty. When the expected technical excuses or defensive attitude didn't come, she sharpened the sarcastic expression on her face even more to hide her surprise. She stepped back, folded her arms over her chest, and scrutinized Kayra with a disdainful air.

  "Zoned out?" Liora said, raising the sarcastic timbre in her voice. "Wow, what an honor! So, in this whole valley, with dangers lurking in every corner ready to swallow you, you chose me to zone out on. Truly a fantastic survival strategy, Kayra. Next time a bear jumps at you, just say, 'Sorry, I zoned out on your claws,' maybe it'll stop trying to eat you."

  She rolled her eyes and turned her back, but the slight blush was still on her face. Quickening her pace along the path, she didn't forget to glare back at him over her shoulder.

  Despite Liora's outburst, Kayra couldn't help but glance at her once more. The girl's chestnut hair swaying as she walked and her upright posture despite everything felt strange in this chaotic world. But even this fleeting glance didn't escape Liora's attention.

  Even though her back was turned, Liora seemed to sense the intense gaze and slightly slowed her steps. Without fully turning her head, she spoke sharply from her profile, but this time there was more of a hint of agitation than the old anger in her voice.

  "Hey, I told you to watch where you're going! If you keep staring at my back like that, you'll trip on a rock and fall flat on your face. I don't want you spilling and wasting that 'precious' blood of yours on the ground; I need every drop of it for the antidote. Don't jeopardize my research with your clumsiness, understand?"

  Immediately after, she turned her gaze back to the path but continued speaking.

  "Also... Kael's watching you. He's the most protective one in the group, and he might not take kindly to your 'zoning out.' If you don't want him drawing his sword, you'd better pull your eyes off my back and focus on where you're stepping."

  With Liora mentioning his name, Kael lightly touched his sword's hilt and shot Kayra a look that was "warning" but not overly hostile. Torin, meanwhile, chuckled under his breath at the scene and sidled up to Kayra.

  "That's Liora's way of saying 'be careful,' kid," the giant man whispered. "She warned you and threatened to sic Kael on you, all in one go. Two birds with one stone!"

  At Torin's words, Kayra noticed Liora's ears reddening as she quickened her pace ahead, and he smiled faintly. He no longer felt like just a stranger trying to survive, but like part of this strange and dangerous team.