In no time at all, everyone gathered at the spot. They found Ryan lying on the ground, with the massive corpse of a goblin sprawled out in front of him. They rushed over to him immediately. And there, standing nearby, was that girl.
The group stared at her in utter astonishment. She didn't look anything like them. Her body structure was human-like, but her hair was a vibrant red, her eyes a striking green, and her ears were slightly elongated and pointed.
Nora wasted no time drawing her dagger and pointing it at the girl. "Hey, you! Did you do something to Ryan? There's no way he'd pass out fighting a beast like this—I don't belief it!"
The girl was sharp-witted. Even though she couldn't understand Nora's words, she could tell she was being accused of causing Ryan's unconsciousness. She tried gesturing with her hands to explain, but no one grasped her meaning.
That's when Ayaka stepped in. "Come on, Nora, drop it. How could a little girl like her hurt Ryan? Besides, I think he came running here because he heard her scream."
Grace knelt beside Ryan, pondering what could have knocked him out. Suddenly, her gaze fell on his left hand—it was unnaturally red and swollen.
"Everyone, look!" Grace called out urgently. "I think poison has spread through Ryan's body. But how?"
The revelation sent a wave of fear through the group. If something happened to Ryan now, their last hope for survival would vanish.
.
Out of nowhere, the girl stepped forward and placed her hands over Ryan, closing her eyes. A soft green light emanated from her palms, flowing into his body.
Nora's temper flared. "What the hell are you doing to him?!"
The girl ignored her, continuing her work. As Nora lunged forward in anger, Kaito grabbed her arm. "Hold on, Nora! Calm down. It looks like she's using some kind of magic to heal him."
Nora halted, watching closely. Grace noticed the wound on Ryan's hand gradually fading, returning to normal. After a few moments, the girl finished her healing process.
Ryan's eyes fluttered open slowly. The group stared at him in disbelief—they had all feared the poison would claim him. But this girl had saved him. The effort had drained her immensely; she was panting heavily.
Ryan sat up, feeling his body fully recovered. He was stunned. Glancing at the girl and seeing her exhaustion, he realized she was responsible. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
She understood and responded with a beautiful smile, as if to say, "You're welcome."
Seeing Ryan healthy again filled everyone with joy. Ayaka even burst into happy tears. Grace held back her emotions with great effort—this wasn't the time to get sentimental. Questions swirled in their minds about this world: the tunnel, the ancient beasts, birds, dinosaurs... and now this strange place with goblins and this mysterious girl.
.
The girl stepped closer to the group. On her left index finger gleamed a ring embedded with a red stone. She touched the stone, and a small teleportation gate-like portal shimmered open before her. She reached inside and pulled out a small box. From it, she extracted five round, orb-like items and handed them to the group. They stared in bewilderment.
Kaito chuckled nervously. "Does she think we're hungry? And if so, what even is this? It looks like some kind of chocolate. Will this fill us up?"
The girl gestured insistently for them to eat. Though confused about her intent, they decided to trust her and swallowed the orbs.
A few minutes later, a strange sensation washed over them.
Ryan frowned. "Hey, what was that thing you gave us? My head's spinning after eating it."
She replied calmly, "That's a Vox Truffle. It mixes with your brain and translates languages. Now we can communicate easily."
The group gaped as she spoke. Just moments ago, her words had been in an unfamiliar tongue, but now they heard perfect English.
Ryan blinked in shock. "How are you speaking English?"
"I'm speaking my own language," she explained. "The Vox Truffle in your brain translates it into English for you. That's why it sounds that way."
Ryan was floored by the advanced technology. He couldn't help but wonder what other futuristic wonders awaited them.
The initial dizziness from the Vox Truffle faded, leaving everyone relieved.
Now that communication was possible, Ryan turned to her. "Since you can understand us now, tell us about yourself."
She nodded serenely. "I'm Julia. I'm 8 years old. I live in a nearby village. My father is the village chief. We were traveling by horse carriage when we heard a blast. Then goblins appeared out of nowhere and attacked. All the soldiers died protecting me."
Ryan nodded thoughtfully. "So there are villages here. Interesting. By the way, I'm Ryan, and these are my friends: Grace, Ayaka, Nora, and Kaito."
He introduced everyone. Kaito then asked, "You don't look like us at all. Why's that?"
"Because we're elves," Julia said simply. "Our ears are a bit longer, and our hair comes in colorful shades."
The group chatted with Julia about various things. But Ryan's mind was on their next move. They had crossed the sea to survive, never imagining they'd encounter another race of people. He decided they'd escort Julia back to her village and try to negotiate with her father, the chief, for a place to stay.
When he shared the plan, everyone agreed. Julia beamed with happiness at the idea of them joining her village.
And so, they set off toward Julia's village.