Twilight Bridge: Immersion (Volume 1)

Chapter 10: The Devil Tree

Jaden's first flight was very short, and it didn't cause him a lot of problems. Thanks to his mysteriously unique UI, which he was the only one who can utilizes, Jaden was able to navigate his way on the ship's console. He remembered what Herc had told him about a planetoid near the edge of the «4th Level». So his destination was to head there first. As successful as his first trip was, he landed safely on what it seemed to him like an overly green planetoid. But Jaden was facing a new set of problems.

"Damn you, Aya Almosawa!" Jaden said to himself angrily. "Why would she take all the ship's supplies?!"
I bet she's eating all that fat-cake, he imagined her mocking him.
'The cake wasn't part of the deal, hehe..'

..That mean evil shrimp!

Jaden was incredibly tired from the flight. Throughout his stay in 077, he was consistently focused on winning the ship and leaving the planetoid that he forgot providing currency.
"I was too busy with everything that happened, I forgot that I had to exchange all the money I brought from Fortuna, and that gold I found in the Tomb!" Jaden sighed. "What's the use of money you can't spend when you're thirsty?..."
Jaden then looked around.
I'm in a middle of a forest, he thought. There's gotta be some sort of water source somewhere. One can only hope, right..

Jaden put his new Engineblade in his ship before locking it, and went looking for water.

The forest floor was covered in a velvet-like thick moss, the space felt suspiciously strange. The leaves of overgrown trees obstructed almost all sunlight, it was just narrow
beams of gold light that managed to reach the ground. The butterflies dancing over the grasses were replaced with strange beetles which looked like dragonflies or moths, they glided soundlessly in the air. Occasionally, a sound of something from somewhere reached his ears. It was a scene he didn't think could be earth in the real world.
Jaden walked for about twelve minutes while praying that a hostile large animal or monster would not come out. He felt greatly relieved when the path that had a deluge of sunlight came into view. As the sound of water became clear, Jaden was certain that up ahead would be a river. He then, naturally quickened his feet while suppressing his dry throat.
The moment Jaden rushed out of the dense forest, separated by a three meter wide area of grasses, was the surface of water, in which the silver light of the sun bounced off and entered his eyes.
"Wa-Water.." he sighed in relief.
With a miserable groan, Jaden unsteadily walked along the final distance, before throwing his body down onto the soft undergrowth riverside.

"Uo......"

What a beautiful stream, he thought. The river wasn't wide, as Jaden slowly crawled, he could see the stunning transparency of the water current. Like a drop of blue paint hanging on pure lack of color, Jaden could clearly see white sands of the riverbed through the extremely clear mountain stream.

For an artificial virtual world, thirst and hunger are very much identical to the real world. Up until several seconds ago, with the remaining small possibility that this place was by some twisted miracle, the real world, I would have to consider the dangers of drinking unboiled water, he was thinking. Thanks a lot, Aya!

However, watching the stream which looked as if it was from melted crystals, unable to resist the temptation, his right hand plunged into the river's surface. With a high-pitched sound as if it was cutting the cold water, his right hand poured the liquid into his mouth.
Could this be called sweet?, he thought. Couldn't feel any impurities at all, the faint sweet and fresh taste of water makes me no longer want to buy mineral water from convenience stores ever again.
After using both hands to dip in the water in rapid succession, Jaden finally put his face into the water surface.
When he got his head out of fresh water, Jaden felt something crawling up on his head.
"Whhhaaa!" he freaked out and rapidly removed it.
When it dropped on the smooth grassy ground, Jaden discovered it was a red and black round insect. "..It's just a ladybug." he sighed.
Suddenly, Jaden had some new mood changing sensations erupted within his chest.
What?!, he thought, what's happening to me. I feel blue all of the sudden! Did this ladybug do something to me?!
Jaden was wondering as he wanted to carry the insect closer, but he stopped his stretching hand halfway.
The breeze that changed direction slightly carried an odd sound into his ears.