Chapter 14: The Water Sources 2

Chapter 14: Chapter 14: The Water Sources 2 The first water source was a small pond tucked away behind a row of trees. Isabella rushed over, hopeful, only to come to a screeching halt when she saw a family of wild boars rolling in it like it was their personal spa. She stared. They stared back. One of them snorted aggressively. She turned and ran. [+1 survival rate] — The second water source was a stream near the village’s farming fields. It looked promising! The water was flowing, at least! That had to be a good sign, right? Wrong. Very wrong. Because just as she bent down to scoop some water, something wiggled in the mud. Then another. Then five more. Leeches. LEECHES. "NOPE!" Isabella screeched, tripping over herself as she scrambled away. — The third water source was a beautiful-looking lake deep in the woods. It was clear, peaceful, and untouched. Or so she thought. Because the moment she stepped closer, the surface of the water rippled. Something massive moved beneath it. Something with scales. And big teeth. "Nope. Nope. NOPE." She sprinted away before she could find out what lived there. — The fourth water source was... It was... It was a disaster. She didn’t even make it past the smell. Because the moment she got close, she nearly passed out. It reeked of something so foul, so putrid, that she physically gagged. "What the HELL is this place?!" Isabella cried, covering her nose. A nearby villager saw her and shrugged. "Oh, that’s the swamp where we throw our waste." Isabella choked. "Y-You what?!" "Our waste. You know, the stuff that shouldn’t be kept near the village." They were drinking from this too, weren’t they? She couldn’t. She couldn’t do this anymore. Isabella sank to her knees, hands trembling. The system was right. Finding a clean water source was a damn life-or-death situation. And if she picked the wrong one, it wouldn’t be a bath—it would be her funeral. She wanted to cry. Was this karma for taking her modern world for granted? Was this divine punishment for being picky about bottled water back home? She hated it here. She hated it so much. And she still had no idea where to find clean water. ತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತತ⁠_⁠ತ Isabella dragged her feet back toward the hut, her soul shattered into a thousand pitiful pieces. She had failed. She had been defeated by water. Who would have thought that, of all things, the simple act of taking a bath would be this tragic? She sniffled, wiping at her eyes. This was rock bottom. She could already imagine her future. Living in the village, getting called "that weird, stinky girl" until she permanently smelled like the cursed river of doom. No. No! She couldn’t let that happen! She needed— Drip. Her ears perked up. Drip. Drip. ...Was that...? She turned her head slowly. Somewhere, nearby, she could hear the sound of water. Real water. Her body moved on its own. Not out of hope—no, she was too heartbroken for that. She was fully prepared for disappointment. But she followed the sound anyway, her heart pounding as she moved through the trees, stepping over thick roots and soft earth. And then— She saw it. A small, beautiful pool of water, nestled between smooth rocks, surrounded by tall, swaying trees. The water was crystal clear, so clear she could see the pebbles at the bottom. No murky sludge. No weird creatures floating inside. It didn’t smell. It didn’t reek of death. It was perfect. But Isabella had been hurt before. She squinted at it. She had trusted too many water sources today. She wasn’t about to be fooled again. So she bent down, grabbed a random rock, and chucked it into the pool. SPLASH! She waited. She waited for a tentacle monster to appear. Or for leeches to rise from the depths. Or for a giant, crusty toad to hop out and claim this as his kingdom. She even braced herself for the water to start bubbling ominously. ... Nothing happened. The water just rippled peacefully. "...No way." She grabbed another rock. SPLASH! Still nothing. No toxic fumes. No hostile sea creatures. She stepped closer, heart hammering. The air around her was cool and fresh. The trees gave plenty of shade. The entire place looked like a hidden paradise. And the best part? It wasn’t even far from her hut. She swallowed hard. This was too good to be true. But if it was true— She knelt down, dipping her fingers into the water. No slime. No sudden attacks. Just cool, refreshing water. Her breath caught. She pressed both hands into the pool, splashing lightly. Nothing disturbing floated to the top. This was real. SHE FOUND IT. Her despair vanished instantly. Her misery evaporated. The heavens had blessed her! She knows that she said she needed, warm water, scented oils, and an ambience to freshen up. But at this point she does not care, everything she said yesterday, trash it, TRASH IT NOW. She jumped to her feet, scanning the area. No villagers. No creepy old men lurking. No weird creatures in sight. Her body moved before her brain caught up. She STRIPPED. Her tattered fur clothes hit the ground. In two seconds flat, she plunged into the water.—The moment she hit the water, Isabella moaned dramatically. "Finally!" The water was perfect. Cool, but not freezing. Clean, but not harsh. She dunked herself under, running her fingers through her knotted, filthy hair. Was there soap? No. Was she going to make do anyway? Yes. She scrubbed furiously, rubbing at her arms, legs, face, and neck like her life depended on it. Dirt? Gone. Sweat? Banished. Humiliation from earlier? Erased. She worked diligently, muttering complaints about her lack of proper skincare products. But soon, even that faded away. Because for the first time since arriving in this cursed world, she felt human again. Her muscles relaxed. Her mood lifted. Her soul healed. Before she knew it, she was floating on her back, staring up at the blue sky through the gaps in the trees. A peaceful silence settled over the water, broken only by the gentle splashes she made. She let out a deep sigh, completely at ease. And then— Ding! [ Congratulations on finding a good water source! +30 points. ] Isabella beamed. "YES!" She threw her arms up, sending water flying everywhere. "Take that, filthy rivers!" She kicked her legs, sending another wave splashing over the rocks. She twirled in the water like some graceful mermaid—except she wasn’t graceful at all and almost face-planted. But she didn’t care. She was clean. She was happy. She had won. — But Peace Never Lasts... Just as she was about to sink into another dramatic floating session, something shifted in the trees.