Chapter 22 - Blurry Memories

Fae continued to tend to Raymond, who had finally stabilized after being stained by the blue wolf's withering attack. My staff glowed with a serene green light, its aura enveloping my body and forming a protective barrier. As the light wrapped around me, I felt my defenses surge - both in physical and magical - bolstering my readiness for the next assault.

I leapt into the air, narrowly dodging a spray of black, tar-like substance spewing from the wolf's gaping maw. The creature growled, its jaws widening as it prepared to release another, more devastating wave. Reacting quickly, I drove the end of my staff into its tongue, blocking the flow. A grotesque mixture of blood and the deadly liquid erupted from its snout, splattering the ground.

With one hand, I grabbed a fistful of its coarse whiskers, eliciting a sharp yelp of pain. The wolf thrashed violently, its massive head whipping side to side in an attempt to shake me loose. My staff flared brighter, and from deep within the wolf's throat, long stems and lush leaves of lavender water hyacinths began to sprout.

I released my grip just as its claws swiped dangerously close, leaping back to safety. The translucent gems embedded in the wolf's body shattered under the pressure of the rapidly growing roots, puncturing its hide. Thick, black liquid oozed from the wounds, pooling on the ground.

The wolf staggered, its floppy tongue licking weakly at the spilled liquid. Blood loss and exhaustion finally overcame it, and its massive body collapsed to the side. As it fell, large purple flowers bloomed across its snout, their sweet, refreshing scent filling the air - a mix of watermelon and cucumber.

"Wow," Fae murmured, her eyes wide with awe. "It's… beautiful."

Zild cautiously poked the carcass with the tip of his boot. "That's an incredible ability! Who knew you could use something so pretty to take down a monster?" He scratched his arm, frowning. "Though I feel itchy now. The body's still toxic, isn't it?"

I nodded, helping Raymond to his feet. "The plants absorb the toxins, but they retain them in their stems and leaves. Hyacinths are great for phytoremediation, but they're not exactly safe to touch."

Raymond inspected his chains, which had only partially recovered. "This isn't good. I might not be much help in the next fight. My chains are still rusty." His voice was heavy with disappointment. "I should've grabbed a weapon from the treasure room, but none of them matched my stats."

"We'll manage," I reassured him. "We'll earn more points here. Once we're back in the overworld, you'll have your pick of weapons and armor."

My own ability to wield multiple weapons was a result of my inflated stats. I could store them in my scroll, but using them required meeting specific attribute thresholds - something the others hadn't yet achieved.

We pressed on, encountering more monsters as we ventured deeper. Fae was visibly exhausted, her MP nearly depleted. I channeled a rejuvenating spell through my staff, restoring her energy. She smiled weakly. "Thanks, brother." Then, without missing a beat, she returned to fiddling with her phone, engrossed in a cooperative game with Zild.

"We should set up camp and rest," I suggested. "We'll need our strength for tomorrow."

As we settled in, Raymond and I struck up a conversation. I decided to bring up the encrypted folder on my phone. "Do you think it's possible to access files from an encrypted folder on a phone?"

Raymond raised an eyebrow. "Nothing's impossible. What's in it?" I showed him the folder and its cryptic name. He suggested a few methods to unlock it, most of which I'd already tried. Then he added, "Could be malware or spyware, you know? It's weird that your phone would ask for someone else's biometrics. That's not standard."

His words gave me pause. The phone's security scan hadn't detected anything, but the thought lingered. "We'll update the antivirus once we have a signal," I said, though unease gnawed at me.

I decided to probe further. "Do you know a girl named Kara?" Maybe I'd mentioned her before, but my memory was hazy.

Raymond crossed his arms, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "The name sounds familiar, but I can't recall anything specific. It's like my mind goes blank when you bring her up." His confusion mirrored my own.

I turned to Fae, who was still absorbed in her game. "Have I ever told you about someone named Kara?" She didn't respond, so I repeated the question.

"Yeah, she's… she's…" Fae trailed off, her focus still on the screen. "What does she look like again? Anyway, talk to me later. Busy…" Zild shot me an apologetic look, but I waved it off. "No worries."

•••••••••••••••••••

We took turns keeping watch, letting Fae sleep through the night. A well-rested healer was crucial, and Fae's crankiness when sleep-deprived would be detrimental to the mission. 

Still, I couldn't sleep. The mystery of Kara pesters me. Why did her name feel so familiar, yet no one could remember anything about her? It was as if we'd all been struck by selective amnesia.

Exhausted but restless, I decided to try self-recall, hoping to jog my memory. I opened my notes and began jotting down associations:

- Kara - Friend 

- Kara - Money 

- Kara - Office 

- Kara - Boss 

- Kara - Girlfriend 

None of the combinations sparked anything. Frustrated, I tapped out another:

- Kara - Wif 

But before I could finish typing "wife," my hands began to tremble uncontrollably. My phone slipped from my grasp, the screen cracking as it hit the ground.

Zild picked it up, brushing off the dirt. "The screen's cracked, but it still works." He handed it back to me, but the touchscreen was unresponsive. The display flickered faintly, taunting me with its uselessness.

"Great," I muttered, shoving the phone into my bag. "Just what I needed."

Raymond chuckled. "Guess you'll be playing tic-tac-toe in the dirt for entertainment." I forced a dry laugh, though my frustration simmered.

Then, something strange happened. Raymond and Fae dropped to all fours, their movements unnaturally fluid. They began to bark - loud, guttural sounds that sent a chill down my spine. Zild stared in horror, shaking Fae's shoulder. "Fae, snap out of it!"

But Fae snarled, her teeth bared as she lunged at him. Zild barely managed to pull his arm away in time. Before our eyes, fur sprouted across their skin, their eyes glowing a menacing red. Their nails elongated into sharp claws.

My heart pounded in my chest. This wasn't just exhaustion or a strange quirk - something was terribly wrong.