"COUGH!! COUGH!"
I opened my eyes, with towering trees and dangling vines filling my vision as I lay on my back. However, this time, the excruciating pain that I was welcomed by told me I wasn't dreaming.
Where was I?
How was I alive?
I tried to getting up, but my body doesn't listen. The only thing I was able to manage was turn my head, and even that involved a series of throbbing pains in my neck.
Looking to my right, I spotted nothing but corpses around me. I slowly turned my head to my left, gritting my teeth through the pain, but only more corpses.
My eyes widened at the sight and I immediately had to resist the urge to vomit. The pool of blood around me drenched my cloths, the bodies around me probably had more broken bones than ones I still had intact. I could see the white bones of his ribs jutting out of the sunken cavity of the chest with a pile of his entrails beside one of the many corpses. Their limbs were sprawled out at unnatural angles, with skulls shattered in the back with some brain matter oozing out along with blood.
Some faces were frozen into an expression of surprise and disbelief, others in anger. Except for completely red eyes, a trail of dried blood was still visible from their eye sockets. I couldn't turn my head away fast enough. With my already weakened body being assaulted with both the gruesome sight and repugnant smell, I vomited what was left in my stomach until I was left gagging dry heaves.
Even in my past life, the most gruesome of beatings I have witnessed have never been to this caliber. With the nauseating stench and insects feasting on the gore, I couldn't help but feel sick. With parts of my face and neck covered in my own regurgitation, I finally managed to turn my head to rid my sight of this massacre.
How was I still alive?
I couldn't help wondering what had happened while I was unconscious.
I should look very similar to this corpse right about now, maybe even worse, but not only was I okay, I don't even seem to have a broken bone.
I pondered over the possible answers until I was interrupted by a strong grumble from my stomach.
Again, I tried getting up, fighting through my body's protests; the only parts of my body that seem to be listening to me as of now was my right arm and my neck up. I willed sin energy into my right arm and used my fingers to claw my way, dragging my body, to reach one of the dead corpses bags. It couldn't have been more than a meter away, but it took over what felt like an hour until I finally managed to reach it. Pulling it closer to me, I rummaged through it with my only able hand until I found what I was looking for: food!
I succeeded in pouring a mouthful of the snack that I had stolen. My throat, surprised by the sudden flood of food, responded by leaving me in a choking fit of coughs, leading me to another round of agony in my body. Fumbling for the water sack inside of the bag, I slowly poured a bit of the water into my mouth before placing another handful of the snack into my mouth. Tears rolling down the sides of my face and into my ears, I continued chewing on the dried rations until passing out again, using the bag as a makeshift blanket.
My eyes fluttered open as I stirred awake from the brisk bite of cold. Looking around, the position of the first rays of light peeking through the mountains me it was dawn.
This time, I was able to get up, but only with the help of sin energy. I carefully inspected all of my body, making sure everything was in place before allowing myself to relax.
"Fuck me..." I chuckled, this was hell.
I looked over to the other corpses, the standard weapon I had always kept with me in my past life was a dagger. I know your probably thinking: WHAT ABOUT USING THE WEAPON ERIVEN GAVE YOU!
Well, I can't.
[Cannot unlock inventory until level 5]
Even to get to level 5, I needed a weapon, plus I wasn't sure how long I would have to be here so having a weapon was critical.
I could see a dagger made out of a bluish wood, wasn't very sharp, but it will do.
I held it in my hands with a weak grip. It was too big...
'Oh, you're awake.'
I instantly got into a fighting stance, gritting through the pain from the sudden movement, with my knife in hand, turning to face the carcass.
I swear to fucking god if this corpse is the one that's talking…
A melodic chuckle made me look around for the source of the voice.
'Do not worry. You won't have to worry about that corpse coming to life little one.'
The voice that seemed to come out of nowhere had a dignified, yet soft quality emanating a sense of nobility. It was powerful and resonant, yet silky and soothing sound that made you want to trust it.
Still on guard, I managed to mutter a less than elegant response.
"Who are you? Are you the one that saved me?"
"Yes is the answer to your second question to your second question. As for the first, you will soon find out when you arrive at my dwelling."
This voice seemed fairly sure that I would try and find it.
As if reading my thoughts, she continued, "I am the only one that will be able to get you home from this place, so I advise you to make haste."
That jerked some sense into me. That's right! I had to get back home! Mother! Father! The Kushi! The void mother fucker! Are they alright (obviously not talking about the void motehrfucker, he should dig himself a hole!)?
If the voice could really take me back home, I had no choice but to find it.
"Ahem, dear uhh… Mr. Voice. May I ask for the directions to your location so that you may bless me with your presence?"
The voice let out another soft chuckle before replying with, "Don't you think it's a little rude to call a lady 'Mister'? And yes, I'll show you the way."
Ahh… so it was a lady.
Immediately, my vision shifted into a bird's-eye view. Zooming out, a location that was roughly around a day's trip to the east came into sight and lighted up before my vision shifted back to normal.
"I recommend departing immediately. It will be a lot safer traveling during the day than when it gets dark." Gently chided the voice.
"Yes Ma'am!" I quickly picked up my knapsack before trotting towards my destination.
It became less painful with each step and, by mid-morning, I was only left with a few aches here and there. Whatever that lady did was some powerful magic. I've never heard or read of casting a spell with that much of a distance. Or maybe she left after casting the spell right before I landed? Then how could she have known that we were falling, and why did she only save me? The more I tried to solve the mystery, the more questions I seemed to end up with.
Hearing a faint gurgling sound, I headed towards the direction, spotting a narrow stream.
"Yes!" I exclaimed.
I was absolutely filthy. My face and neck still had the stench of stomach acid, while my clothes were torn and caked with grime. Almost sprinting, I cannonballed into the stream, vigorously scrubbing clean my face and body. Taking off my clothes and after briefly washing them, I laid them down on a nearby rock to dry. After finishing the refreshing bath, I walked towards my still damp clothes when…
"Ara ara… how pleasantly carefree."
Reflexively, both my hands shot down to cover my precious area as I hunched my back, trying to make my body as small as possible.
"Don't worry, there wasn't much to see." I shuddered as I almost felt the Voice wink at me.
How rude! My pride…
Grumbling, I almost wanted to argue that my body wasn't developed, but I chose to ignore the Voice and put on my clothes.
"Aww… don't pout. I apologize," the Voice stifled a laugh.
Calm your mind, Aka. A man worthy of Asel must be calm...
After I put on my clothes, the perverted voice seemed to go silent. Not minding too much, I rummaged through my bag and dug out the last of the dried rations. Water wasn't going to be a problem for a while since I had just refilled my water sack, but I would need food soon; hopefully the voice would provide me with something.
Looking around, I begin wondering where I was. Since I fell off the mountain towards the east, I must be near the elves' territory. I don't think I'm in the Forest of Helmfire because I'm not surrounded by fog. Was I in the Beast Wilds? No. There weren't any mana beasts… I spotted a few rabbits and birds, but I've yet to see anything else. Something even stranger that I noticed a bit before was the abundance of mana in this place. Maybe it was mostly due to the richness of mana that I was able to recover from my initial state so quickly, but my body rejects mana, so that isn't the cause. Although that still doesn't explain how I survived in the first place, I hoped that the source behind the voice would tell me.
I should hurry.
Aside from the fact that there was no road, it turned out to be a pretty uneventfully peaceful trip, with minimal obstacles and terrains I had to go around. As I drew near the location of the voice, the density in mana was getting richer and thicker. I ventured on.
Since everyone probably assumed that I was dead, I couldn't help but worry about Mother and Father. Not so much physically, but for their mental health. I'm concerned Mother and Father wouldn't forgive themselves for my death. The only thought that comforted me was the fact that my mother was pregnant. Yes, at least for the sake of my unborn brother or sister, they'd stay strong.
I reached the area where the Voice directed me towards, but I was unable to see anything besides a cluster of rocks surrounded by a cluster of trees.
"I'm glad you were able to make it here safely," the Voice echoed confidently, as if it already knew I would.
"Nice to meet you uhh… Ma'am? Miss, tree?
"I'm not a tree. There is a hollow in this tree, right under the tree, the entrance should be around the tree somewhere. That's where I'll be," the Voice chuckled.
Looking around, I managed to spot the small gap, about the width of an adult, between two of the larger rocks that were leaning against each other. The slight breeze coming out from the crevice told me I had found what I was looking for. If it weren't for the Voice directing me to this exact location, I would never have even noticed the small fissure.
"Child. Go on and enter through the crevice, but strengthen yourself with mana before you do."
Fuck mana, sin energy is the way!
Without a second's hesitation, I slipped in through the gap easily while willing the sin energy to strengthen my body.
I had expected a platform to step on but instead, I immediately plummeted down the dark hole.
"For fu-