"RUN"
At first, they were a bit confused, but then they stood up and followed me.
There weren't that many people in the corridors, the only ones that we encountered were just guards who were guarding the other cells with children, I swiftly knocked them out and released the kids.
(Ok, just a bit more and we'll be out of here!)
The moment I thought that I heard a really loud whistle.
(So they already found out, huh. It was later than I expected, but oh well, better for me.)
Strangely enough, there was only one guard at the exit.
(Maybe they're really confident in their hideout?)
The guy standing there couldn't do anything as we ran over him
AND WE ARE OUT!!!
"Ok! now we have to...scatter..."
Before I could even finish my words, they were chaotically running in all directions.
(Ahh~ screw it, running as a group would be too dangerous.)
Thinking that I also ran towards the forest.
At this point, the people from the dungeon are already chasing us.
(Now that I think of it for them it would be fairly easy to catch up to us... unfortunately many of them would be recaptured very soon...hmmm...)
I soon noticed something strange...
(Why the fuck are they following only me?!)
Yep, that's right, they are focusing only on me... but why tho?
Because I was thinking about an unnecessary thing, I failed to notice a small tree root sticking out of the ground... and I tripped on it.
(Shit! why now of all times?!)
At first, I was angry, but when I looked up I saw an arrow stuck on the tree.
(damn it!!! Are they trying to kill me!... wait, what's that?)
I suddenly heard a noise, it was a really familiar sound.
(It's a river!!!)
I immediately rushed towards the sound and soon I was running along the cliff.
The thing is, this river isn't a normal one, it's like a small canyon.
I, who never really had any fear of height, leapt head first.
After being underwater for several seconds I emerged on the surface only to see the pursuers looking over me while biting their lips.
I don't know why they're like that, but I have something to do.
"See ya' suckers!!!"
I said that and showed them a middle finger, to which they just clicked their tongues.
While enjoying their dumb faces I suddenly feel that the water current is getting stronger and stronger.
I looked back to see what was going on and at that moment blood left my face.
(...You're kidding right?)
There's a fucking waterfall!!!
Despite my struggling, I couldn't resist the flow that was getting even stronger, As such I fell down.
After that, my mind blacked out...
.
.
.
.
.
"...Ahhhhh *cough!* *cough!*"
After opening my eyes I coughed violently
"haa haa haa haa"
(Where is this place?)
while calming my breath I started to look around.
Right now I'm in the forest, near the river... but still, where is this?
I then looked in the sky...
(hmmm... It seems to be around... 5 pm?)
I guess that much time has passed, I escaped before sunrise.
"Now then, first I need to... dry my clothes."
Saying that to no one in particular, I took my clothes off and hang them on the tree branch.
"ah~ it's a good thing that it's so warm here."
I didn't have to wait too long, for them to dry.
I put them on and...
~gururu
"I'm hungry..."
my stomach is making a really loud sound.
"hmmm... what to do? I can't really hunt and I don't really know which berries here are edible..."
After saying so, I opened my eyes with a snap!
"That's what appraisal is for!"
I exclaimed in joy.
I went to a bush, which had edible looking berries on it, I picked some and used an appraisal on them.
As I expected white transparent screen appeared and the information there was...
[Edible looking berrie]
"Wut?"
There must be some kind of mistake.
Not wanting to accept this for true I tried more... And the results were the same.
What came out from the appraisal was things like [poisonous looking herb] [normal looking leaves] and so on.
"Is this because my level is low? but there are no levels here..."
Without another choice, I put the [edible looking berries] in my mouth.
As the result my gingiva and sclera became red and it felt like they were on fire.
"Ok, these are the last resort."
Though it was painful but endurable.
But now I have suspicions on this appraisal...
To confirm them, I used it on the leftover berries
[poisionous berrie]
Is this it? Is this really it? literally ten seconds ago it said [edible looking berries]...
wait a minute... maybe it happened because I understood what that berry was and this appraisal is giving me information based on my knowledge? come to think of it I used it only on things like table, chair and other furniture, I knew what they were so didn't notice...
"The fuck is wrong with it! I can't use it without learning first?! If I'm going to study then why the fuck would I need this?!"
Calm down, who knows, maybe it will be super useful in the future, fuuu~ I'm better now.
Anyway, I need to find some food and way out of this forest.
Well, I can follow this river and at some point, it will lead to some settlement, this leaves me with one concern... food, even if I can get out of here I will die due to starvation.
"It would be great if I can find some fruit tree, I don't even know if it's the right season for them."
Regardless, I still have to proceed no matter what, but first I'll secure the food.
I went a bit deeper in the forest and start looking for fruit.
.
.
.
I walked a bit, but I don't want to go too far from the river so it's not actually that big distance.
"Damn, I'm hungry as hell."
The rumbling in my stomach didn't stop, I hope, I'll find something soon.
Thinking that, I saw a tree with pear-like fruit hanging from it.
The moment I saw it my heart was instantly filled with joy
(Hell yea! I can finally eat something!)
I rushed towards it without much thought,
When I got close to it, I also noticed that I wasn't the only who wanted the fruit.
The thing in front of me is sometimes is depicted as just a green chibi in some novels that I've read, but sometimes as an ugly little devil.
The thing in front of me was none other than a goblin, and this one isn't a chibi one, but skinny and disgusting looking devil.
"Oh, come on...!"
After witnessing how bad my luck was, that was the only thing that I could say right before running with all my might.
"Gyaa!"
And the goblin, seeing me only as a food, gave me a chase after it's the ear-screeching cry.
(SHIT! SHIT!SHIT!SHIT!... SHIT!!!)
God damn it! I've finally found the food and now that little shit wants to make me its food!
Even if I manage to run away from it I will lose my precious food! I won't give up! Somehow I'll defeat it!
This guy is very skinny, so I don't think it will be really strong, also this one, according to a certain slayer, must be a runaway loner and so even kids can defeat it, I can overcome the difference in physical strength using 'body strengthening', but the problem is that it has a knife, it would be terrible if I get wounded here, if I don't bleed out, I still might die from infection.
The best way to do things would be to make a surprise attack on him who is still running.
(Ok, I have a plan.)
I picked up some sturdy stick laying around, then I took one of my shoes... uhh, a shoe like a thing that I'm wearing and put in the bushes, the way that it's somewhat visible, after which I hid behind a large tree near the bushes.
My initial speed was high so the goblin who lost sight of me is looking for me
(Now for the last part...)
I threw a pebble at the bushes, where my shoe was.
The goblin noticed this and on his face grew a disgusting grin, probably because he saw my... uhh, shoe.
blinded by hunger, it vigorously charged towards the bush.
I tightly gripped the stick that I picked up earlier and strengthened my arms to its maximum.
Just a bit more and it will pass by the tree I'm hiding behind.
(Ok! here goes for nothing!)
The moment it was about to pass by me, I left my cover and smashed the stick in its head with everything I got.
Because of sudden pain, it was writhing on the ground, while holding his face.
"It's not over yet! Here comes another one!"
And I hit it again with the same force as the first one
"Another one! Another one! Another one! Another one!!!"
I continued until it lost consciousness and stopped moving.
"It's still alive though, should I finish it?"
I said so after I took its knife.
I'm somehow hesitant, not because of pity, I just don't want to get bloody, for now, I only have a little bit on my face so it's easy to wash it off, I did sometimes help my uncles to skin the animals, but the only times I had to stab flesh was when I was skewering meat, if I handle things poorly and get all bloody the wolves will come for me before I can clean up.
Before I could come to a conclusion I heard a distant howl, which gave me chills and unstoppable shaking.
I abandoned all kinds of hesitations and just ran away, not forgetting to take a knife with me.
After some time I got back to the fruit tree and took as much as I could.
It was already evening when I got back to a riverside.
There I washed the knife.
By the way, I almost ate all of the fruit and now I'm full.
"Now that I've calmed down a bit... where should I sleep?"
I can't sleep on the ground because of this wolf (?), I would like to climb up the tree and spend a night there, but if I do that I'll most likely fall down...
"...hmmm, this might come in handy."
My final decision is to sleep on the tree, And for safety, I'll use ropes, which I'll make from tree crust.
"Now, let's proceed!"
First I made a shallow cut on the tree, then peeled it off all the way up.
I did this several times and now I had a considerable amount of them.
But, it's not done yet.
I now have to separate the inner layer from the outer.
I only need inner one, anything else I can throw away.
For the proper rope you first need to soak them into a water then dry them up and as the final touch twist them, to make it look like a rope, but for a temporary one, this much will suffice.
I tied them together into to longe ropes.
One, I stretched between to branches horizontally, not the best substitute for a bed but it's enough for now.
The other one, I wrapped it around me like that of a skydiver, the free end which was coming out of my chest was tied to a branch above me, even if I fall down I won't receive any injury.
.
.
.
The night time has come, I can faintly see the moon between leaves.
Watching this scene managed to relax my tension and now I can see that I could've done things better and wouldn't end up here if I got those ideas before.
"Well, it's no use to cry over spilt milk."
I said so to encourage myself.
I'm getting drowsy...
I have a feeling that I'll sleep peacefully tonight.
.
.
.
...That naive thought was accompanied by a loud howling, which most probably belonged to a wolf, so... that night I had nightmares.