Chapter 5: Ch.3 Gula

I slowly crept forward, my heart pounding in my chest. I kept my eyes on constant alert for any signs of life, and my hands tightly gripped my knife. The orange glow of the butterflies that lit my way was the only source of light in the menacing darkness of the forest.

I have been doing tours around the place where the elevator returns every 30 minutes. Gradually I went further and further away, making the perimeter bigger. This is probably not that good of an idea, but the emotion of fear was currently clouding my mind so I couldn't think of anything more productive.

The trees were tall and gnarled, their large branches reaching up toward the sky. Between them hung the orange butterflies, glowing like tiny stars in the night sky. In the darkness, they provided just enough light for me to make out the contours of the plants and wildlife that surrounded me. 

The further I walked, the denser and lusher the foliage became. Vines twisted around tree trunks while flowers bloomed between the gnarled roots, and dark orange moss clung to the rocks beneath my feet. Despite my apprehension, it was a strangely peaceful environment, but I knew better than to lower my guard. I kept being careful.

Everything was like it was described in the book from the orphanage. The first layer was a dark forest with orange butterflies all around. Sadly the book was broken and only the visual aspect of the first layer was described. No useful information was written.

Currently, I am searching for magical creatures to kill, I need their cores to sell in the market. 

Time passes without luck and I'm starting to feel tired, should I risk going further? I can't afford to come back to the surface without gaining money. I only have 30 bronze coins left and I need them to get a place to sleep tonight. I have no choice but to move forward. I have to find a magical creature and collect its cor-

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I paused, my breath held tight in my throat. I heard a noise. Every sense was heightened as I listened intently for the sound again, my knife clenched tightly within my grip. 

The leaves rustled gently in the gentle breeze, but nothing else moved. My heart pounded hard against my chest, its beat echoing loudly in my ears. Every nerve in my body was tense, ready to react at any split second if needed. I couldn't detect the source of the noise that I'd heard, so taking no chances, I cautiously backed away, not wanting to take risks in case something was lurking nearby.

However, before I could retire. A sharp pain suddenly shot through my left hand, strong enough to make me jump and roll to the side without thinking. When I lifted my head, I saw that there was no danger around me. I slowly looked down at my hand and to my shock and surprise, an enormous orange butterfly bigger than my head, had landed on what remained of my finger. All that was left were tiny pieces of bone where my index finger should have been. 

A wave of intense pain surged through me, radiating from the wound up my arm until I thought I'd collapse. Everything felt upside down, and for a moment, I couldn't tell which way was up or down. Did it inject some type of venom into me?

Desperately, I grabbed the red potion from my bag and drank a little of it. As the throbbing sensation began to subside, I looked at my hand again, the butterfly was now eating my bone. After realizing it was still there, without hesitation, I reached for my knife, put my hand on the floor, and chopped off the rest of my finger. It took a lot of strength. Shortly after, under the effect of the potion the wound slowly closes itself.

When it fell, I stumbled on the butterfly with my shoes multiple times until I made sure it was dead.