A loud shattering sound fills my ears.
Hmmm…
Looking up, I notice that the barrier the witch had set up was gone.
Faint, slowly dissipating sparkles shone in it's wake.
Other than the faint sparkles, another thing felt more evident.
I could hear outside again
Once the witch's barrier appeared, the world beyond that green screen practically disappeared, all the sound present was blocked off from us.
Piecing it together, I deduced that the witch had put up a sound-blocking barrier, keeping all the tousling and bustling that me and the beast created.
Still…
It was very considerate of her sure, but that begged the question:
Why didn't she just do it herself?
The witch was powerful enough. If she wanted to, she could very easily slay creatures that I could kill with one swing. And yet…
…Is it because of me again?
Once again, I was reminded of our gap.
The witch did not seek my power, obviously.
She had plenty enough of that
What she wanted was somebody reliable, strong—not in the sense of physical power, but one of mental fortitude.
Sadly though, I was neither of those things.
I quickly hide myself, trying to make sure that whatever creature passed by the corpses could be easily disposed of.
After a few minutes though, nobody came.
That gave enough piece of mind to relax and catch my breath.
I heaved a big, heavy sigh.
Hahhh~
I moved my hand to one of the many teeth stuck on my leg.
Though I had pried the beast away from me, it's teeth were sharp and sturdy, refusing to let go of my leg.
A few of them broke off or was dislodged from the beast's mouth, embedding themselves to my skin and flesh.
I grab ahold of one of the bigger ones.
I sucked in my breath.
Biting on my lips so as not to let my scream loose, I pull the sharp tooth from my leg.
I had to do it quick, to save myself from even more pain.
Aaaaaagggggghhhhhh…!!!!
A scream built up in my throat, almost escaping.
I bit even harder, my lip cracking open and drawing blood.
That only served to mitigate a little bit of the pain.
In a quick but incredibly painful moment, I dislodge the sharp tooth from my leg, the opened wound drawing blood immediately.
I pull out a red vial from my pocket.
Twisting the cork open with my non-bloody hand, I gently pour the vial's contents on my bleeding leg.
My leg hissed from the red liquid, and it felt like I was drowning in agony from the knitting of muscle and the closing of the wound.
「Your attribute 'Assimilation' is activating」
「Your attribute 'Assimilation' is enhancing your recovery」
After a few agony-filled seconds, the wound closes, new flesh replacing the hole on my leg. What was once a deep stab wound was now replaced by flesh, though it seems the skin was not included in the healing process.
Guess I'll just let it scab
Putting the cork back on the vial and biting it with my mouth, I moved on to the rest.
It was not as hard as before.
Though still painful and incredibly traumatizing, I managed to power through the rest without much difficulty—compared to the first tooth.
A few minutes of dislodging and healing, and I was back to normal—ignoring my blood-soaked leg.
I stood up—tried to, at least.
Perhaps because of the blood that I lost or the newly-knit flesh, I had trouble even balancing myself properly.
I place my hand on the stalagmite I leaned on earlier, catching myself from almost landing face first to the ground.
I breath a sigh of relief.
Fuh~
I take a step forward, then another.
I made sure not to let my hand leave the stone outcropping.
After a few steps, I find my rhythm.
Walking got easier the more I did it, enough so that I did not have to lean on the stone outcropping anymore.
Then, I stretched, feeling for my fixed leg.
I breathed in and out, calming my nerves and clearing my mind.
I tore off my sleeve and wrapped it around my leg.
They may be healed, but I am still not risking it.
I could get diseases after all, maybe even poison
◇◆◇◆◇
I watch intently as my knight maneuvers around the Earth Wyrm nest, checking and making sure that he was safe.
I don't want anything bad to happen to him
I understood how hypocritical I sounded, but I also knew that he needed it.
As much as it pained me to say it, my sole knight was weak.
His current strength was not something that could take on this labyrinth, let alone protect and serve someone.
I needed to guide him, point him in the right direction in order to reach his fullest potential—something he had an abundance of.
From the start, I knew the way he viewed the world: Cruel, disgusting, and monotone. His eyes told it all.
He wasn't wrong
I agreed with my knight's views.
The world was an unforgiving and horrific place. Lies and betrayal preyed on the good and the deserving people, often getting devoured to satiate their never-ending greed.
Not here though, this place is different…
The labyrinth was a place that prioritized might over right.
Monsters that one would consider a fantasy used to scare children to following their parents was real. Moreover, they were more horrific and terrifying than a parent would describe them.
That's why he needs to get stronger
He has to face trials, overcome obstacles, bear through pain and power through loss.
He needed perseverance above all, and I could tell that he had the qualities to go through his promise.
My knight maneuvered around in the darkness, using the stone outcropping to shield his movements.
His moves were still amateurish—a trained beginner at best. However, I knew that he could do better than that. He had to.
Because there would come a day when I would need someone, and that person had to be him.