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the final chapter for the 1k special! once again, thank you for the support in this book, i am very grateful for all the votes, comments and reads of this dungeon meshi fan fiction :)

edit: soooo i guess this is now a 2k vote special...? sorry it took so long to publish! but here it is now, i hope you enjoy! and just so you know, while i was making this special chapter, i was very into silent hill and liminal core, so if you're wondering what the vibes are then they're more on that eerie, empty feeling you'll get in certain locations!

also, i made this practically almost 10k long as an apology for leaving for so long. sorry, senior high school really takes a lot out of me :'3 (this is not proofread, and i scared myself with my own writing so i'm not about to edit this tonight so sorry for the mistakes!)

while this is special is not meant to be scary, be warned that there a few spooky elements :p i genuinely just love adding some parts that will make someone feel uneasy in the things i write nowadays! it is also recommended that this is read at night for the vibes!

third chapter: watched from afar, goodbye.

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song name: milk cassette tape.mp3 by analog_mannequin

☆-繁栄の本質

the catatonic state that the mind and the heart has been left in, it leaves me in pure reverence.

☆- 信頼と忠誠

birds of a feather, stick together until the end of time.

synopsis:

after their hunt for food, the touden party stayed in camp to do their own things. they noticed something... strange- almost bone chilling, even. but that wasn't important. they didn't have to remember. :)

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"we definitely won this challenge."

"where'd you guys even get a whole freaking cow..."

the game of hunt was fun, to say the least. everyone enjoyed helping each other out, finding and hunting their food together.

not so much for falin, as she hesitated to even hurt any animal at all, so her and marcille decided to just catch a fish together- and put a pin in that, because that'll be important later.

[name] had stopped acting strange, much to toshiro's relief. he was observing her the whole time after their conversation, unnerved by how she kept acting so skittish and paranoid and then poof-! it was gone the moment laios came back with the others.

it was like a switch has been flipped, and toshiro is aware of it. but of course, he didn't comment on it. he's just glad he got to confess his feelings to her without being turned down.

[name] was sat on the ground underneath a whole cow that was skewered over the campfire yet to be lit, gathering the animal's fat in one bottle as much as she can.

she had forgotten everything she was thinking of earlier, now focused on one task that kept her mind off of everything else, almost as if nothing has been happening in the first place.

"we found a whole herd of 'em near the bridge. apparently, they've been habituating this mountain for quite a while now, and they came from the valley right on the othe side of the bridge."

namari almost made [name] drop her bottle, startled as she suddenly started chopping the legs off.

"ahhh?! how can you do that so casually?!"

marcille shrieked, and the dwarf glanced at her with a deadpan.

"i mean... how else are we supposed to cook it? you gotta gut and chop the thing, you know. we're not barbarians."

"still..."

"just turn away if you don't wanna see a dead cow get chopped up."

namari sighed as she continues with her endeavour, meanwhile marcille just grumbled and walked away in unease.

"what about the other critters we caught?"

chilchuck gestures to the dead antelope and fish set on the ground, and laios crouched down in front of them.

"i guess we can make something out of these too. it'll be like a buffet."

he offered, and chilchuck shrugged.

"i guess so. but it's pretty obvious that we can't eat all that."

"we can just save the rest of the meat and sell it in the market tomorrow."

and so the group went their own ways, doing whatever they wanna do while the others prepared lunch.

falin and laios were both incharge of cooking, so they're both busy with their own tasks. as for the rest, they're just doing whatever the hell they want.

like toshiro for example, who's kinda just sitting around, picking random flowers from the ground and attempting to make a poorly made flower crown for a certain someone, but he's trying his best so don't be too mean.

marcille was fixing her tent, lugging her bedroll and personal things inside, and of course styling everything to her liking. she'll have people in her tent tonight after all.

and that leaves [name] and chilchuck, watching as everyone got to work. [name] had her brewing stand set up on the ground in front of her, kinda just observing as the liquid inside of the heated up glass bubbles and changed color from time to time.

chilchuck was sat next to her, sneaking glances from time to time. while there was no denying that he wasn't completely the nicest person to meet for the first time, he wasn't outrightly rude.

he did have his suspicions about the two, though. he was the one and only person who is extremely cautious about developing romance between members, and had warned everyone not to engage in such stuff, simply because of his own experience from the previous parties he had.

and from their recent experience with a loss of members from the same reason he warned everyone about, he didn't have the best views towards new members. especially female elves, considering that their previous experience with female elves are... not really pleasant.

yeah, maybe he was being narrow-minded, but that won't last for long. in fact, he felt rather comfy with the two already, despite the small tension that was still pretty evident around them.

one reminded him of a literal confused sheep, simply letting people order her around and not giving a single shit about it, and the other reminds him of a very paranoid cockatoo who can be calm and silent at first, then loud and jumpy the next few seconds.

you could probably guess who is who.

"what do you mean you wanna add bugs into the soup?! and no, falin! i will not agree with your brother!"

...yeah, you can definitely guess who's the loud cockatoo in this.

chilchuck sighed as he looked away from the three and instead, focused on [name] again.

he felt a little awkward sitting around and not saying anything, so he decided to strike up a conversation.

"everyone's pretty busy, huh?"

he rubbed the back of his neck, his gaze dropping to the ground. now he kinda felt bad for judging them both the first time they met.

"and here we are, kinda just sitting around, doing nothing."

"i am doing something."

chilchuck winced, glancing at her and sure enough, she wasn't doing anything. at least, to him.

"uh... what exactly? sitting around?"

"i am making sure the pressure created in the alembic stays the same throughout the boiling process. i cannot risk having the fluid inside exploding on us and melting through our skin. it may or may not be on the verge of explosion at the moment, that is why i am keeping a close eye on it."

"does it seriously do that-??? hey, don't just ignore me! is it gonna explode?!"

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"it is quite... foggy now, don't you think so?"

"yeah, which makes me wonder why the hell did i even volunteer to come with you..."

since they were the only two who are not preoccupied with helping around their camp, [name] and chilchuck decided to do something more "productive" than just sitting around and doing nothing.

while [name] wouldn't normally suggest this and would prefer to do her own thing in her own space, she needed to gather as much materials as she could from this unfamiliar terrain. who knows? maybe she could discover something new that would help her with her work.

chilchuck definitely didn't want to come along, he'd rather just sit around and watch everyone go on about their tasks, but of course he can't just let [name] prance around the woods, searching for whatever she needs while getting lost in the process.

so here he is, babysitting a grown woman who was picking up random things from the ground that may or may not be poisonous, her bag already full of mushrooms of all sorts along with herbs.

"hmm, this terrain seems to have been frequently visited by hikers."

[name] comments as she used a small knife to harvest a clutter of mushroom growing from the roots of a tree.

"how come?"

chilchuck asked as he looked around curiously.

"for one, these mushrooms- also known as monoxishrooms, can only be safely harvested if you possess a blade that can cut through its roots. harvest it incorrectly, and you die."

"die..? seriously? just from harvesting it wrong?"

"yes, it spurts out toxic gas that causes the temperature of your body to drop immensely, and your blood flow to stop due to clogging."

chilchuck flinched and immediately rushed to her, tensing up as he watched her harvest the rest of the mushroom.

"then what the hell are you doing, harvesting these if they're so dangerous?!"

"i know of the correct way to harvest these mushrooms, that's why."

she stuffed them in her bag once she was done, clearing her throat as she stood back up.

"ehem, as i was saying... the mushrooms in this area should have been more bigger, as it could grow up to the same size of a human, but these are freshly grown. animals do not eat these, and even if they do, there would be multiple animal carcass lying around here. therefore, these mushrooms are harvested by someone who has the knowledge of a proper collecting method. and from what i have observed, someone was here a few hours ago, doing exactly what we are doing right at this moment."

chilchuck couldn't help but rub his arms as a chill ran down his body. it shouldn't feel this... scary, imagining another person in the same place as them, but at the same time, they don't know who this person is. they don't know what they're doing out here, and they don't know if they're a good person or not. so it's safe to say that being creeped out is justified in this moment.

"geez, seriously? you got all that from looking at those mushrooms?"

"the art of observation, chilchuck."

was [name] simple response as she hands him the bag that was now full of mushrooms, much to chilchuck's annoyance.

"okay, but is it true? someone was here not too long ago?"

"that is what i have concluded from what i saw. plus, i have seen a few boot tracks from the opening we went through earlier."

"you really should've told me about that beforehand..."

after [name] was satisfied with their harvest, the two decided to head back to camp, especially now that the fog has thickened up.

"why is foggy all of a sudden? i can barely see anything."

the half-foot complained as he adjusted his hold on her bag, frowning.

"[name], don't stray too far from me, got it?"

"yes."

[name] didn't look like she was paying attention at all, as she looks around them cautiously. the trees are starting to look ominous, imitating the silhouette of a person in the fog.

"this is the path we came from. the opening should be right here-"

chilchuck's grin was wiped off of his face before he could even finish what he was saying.

the moment he blinked, they were back to where they started. the same trees with the same mushrooms growing out from it.

with the fog now thicker, chilchuck reached behind him and held [name]'s hand firmly.

"i don't know what kind of bullcrap is going on, because i could've sworn we were almost out of the forest earlier..."

chilchuck released a heavy breath he didn't know he was holding, looking around in panic.

"it says that there is no exit."

[name] muttered, one hand pointing up to a wooden sign propped up on one of the trees while the other tugged on chilchuck's hand.

"huh? what do you mean?"

the half-foot's brows were furrowed, and he began sweating. he couldn't read what was written on the wooden sign at all. it looks like it was a whole completely different language.

"we need to get out of here- quickly."

chilchuck began tugging the girl along, trying his best to see through the thick fog surrounding them. in a moment like this, it's best to not let panic settle in. he's pretty good at keeping calm when danger is present, and this situation shouldn't be any different.

but the problem is, this is different. the forest seems to be playing tricks on them. everytime they'd think they were at the exit, they'll end up exactly where they came from. it was driving chilchuck mad.

"that branch over there. can you get it for me?"

[name] suddenly stops chilchuck, pointing to a branch that was definitely far too high for them to reach.

"...do i look like i can reach that?!"

the half-foot glared at her, and [name] shrugged before lifting him up like a cat.

"okay, now get it."

"agh?! what do you think you're doing, you...!"

chilchuck didn't argue any further, choosing to just take the branch and get it over with so she'd put him down.

"ugh, here. take your stupid branch.."

he groaned, a little flushed from the humiliation of being lifted like a child by someone who he assumes is younger than him.

[name] snatched the branch from him, studying it for a few seconds before nodding to herself as she reached a conclusion.

"does this branch look a little "off" to you?"

she asked out of nowhere, holding said branch right in front of him.

"uh, i guess it does..."

chilchuck sweatdrops, rubbing his nape. he doesn't know what she's trying to say, but she's making sense for some reason.

"this branch is from the outside world. we are currently trapped in an illusion spell, chilchuck. that is why this-"

[name] swings the branch around, and chilchuck noticed the slightest detail of it having more colour and looking more realistic than what's surrounding them right now.

"-looks more alive than everything around us. we were lucky enough to spot a hole from the fabric of illusion that surrounds us right now. the "hole" being this branch that is most definitely from outside."

"so basically we can get the hell out of here now, right?!"

"not really."

chilchuck visibly deflated as [name] sat on the ground, breaking the stick and drawing symbols on the ground.

"we're gonna get bodied, [name]. stop doodling random stickman on the ground!!"

"shhh!"

[name] furrowed her brows, raising a finger up to her lips. chilchuck groaned and paced around, impatiently waiting for her to finish.

suddenly, she stood up and started walking to a random direction, much to chilchuck's confusion.

"where are you going??"

"i need to gather clay. there should be some nearby."

"i'm coming with you!"

"no, stay here. we need someone to keep watch of the manifesto."

"the what?!"

[name] walked away instead of responding, and chilchuck sat down on the ground in caution, looking around with a small frown.

he had to make sure he kept watch and guarded... whatever a "manifesto" is. he'd probably die from heart attack the moment he sees a figure from afar.

chilchuck held a... well, stick in his hand. what? it was all he could find lying around, don't judge him.

his head snaps in all directions, trying to look out for anything that could serve as a threat to him. in all honesty, he wouldn't know what to even do if he does see something. if a 6 foot tall man or woman was standing there, doing a menace pose with a weapon, he'd bolt out of there faster than ever.

he's not about to just sit there and die. actually, he might do that if he passed out. he's terrified, alright? and being alone didn't help one bit.

chilchuck waited and waited, and waited... [name] didn't come back.

'what the hell do i do?! don't tell me she got lost??'

there was a sudden movement from the corner of his eye, and he jumped in fear, pointing the stick at the direction.

"i did not sign up for this!!"

suddenly, somebody sat down next to him, and chilchuck felt like his soul left his body.

"ahhh-?!? oh wait, it's just you, [name]..."

he stopped himself from screaming like a maniac when he looked up and saw that the girl was back.

[name] wordlessly made herself comfortable on the ground again, her back turned to him as she works on the piece of wet clay she brought back.

"you really scared the crap out of me! i thought you got lost or something... don't do that again, okay?! tsk, damn kids walking off without another word... elves are so full of themselves. i knew you'd be selfish just like her."

his complaints were ignored by the focused girl, and chilchuck started to feel awkward, ranting and spewing random words without getting any kind of reaction back. he didn't even noticed he started talking about their former member.

chilchuck knew [name] barely reacts to anything, and even if she did, it would be quite... minimal. you'd miss it if you weren't paying attention. but she was never this nonchalant of his outbursts.

or maybe he just didn't know [name] as much as he thought he did. they're basically still strangers, after all.

"...sorry, my nerves are making me act up. i'm glad you got back safely, though... i wouldn't know what to do if i was just left all alone here."

the half-foot sighed, rubbing his nape in embarrassment. he wasn't used to being vulnerable. it made him wanna punch the hell out of himself.

again, [name] didn't respond and merely stood up, completely ignoring chilchuck.

that was enough to convince him that she was mad at him, and he sighed, picking up her bag and following after her without another word.

'i definitely upset her. ugh, i was panicking. i wasn't thinking of what i was saying.'

with his heart heavy with guilt, chilchuck chose to shut up to stop himself from saying anything else that could make the situation worse.

they've been walking endlessly through the foggy path, it felt like hours despite it only being a few minutes. throughout the walk, [name] was still as silent as a mouse, and chilchuck felt unnerved.

"hey, say something... you're starting to worry me, you know."

he sighed out,