'Being face to face with death was something I have come all too familiar about in recent times,' seeing a sharp shard directly placed close to my neck.
Believe it or not, I faced death multiple times in the forest. Feeling no pain however, it seemed trivial.
Sure, my body was all battered up and looked like I was already a waking zombie, but I was fine. I always managed to leave some cards to secure an escape route and rest, replenishing my source of power. The cards were certainly very powerful and versatile but at the end of the day, I can't use them as much as I want to. Mainly because if I do, it feels like I am splitting the world apart and destroying something far bigger than I realize.
One thing is enjoying yourself in the world and another thing is to completely disregard oneself to the purpose to achieve that enjoyment. I mean, I'll have fun as long as I have the variables in my hand. I fought with my life on the line but always had backup safety plans in case unpredictable scenarios popped. Did I almost die? yep... more like I did die.
Somewhat.
How did I cheat death? Well, I simply created a domain where it was me against the forest. I died or they died. If I died, a do over with monster retaining their memories. If they died, a reset but they all lose only their memories of the time in the space.
In a way, this was meant to be beneficial for everyone in the forest. I get experience and stronger, while the mindless monsters get stronger. Balanced.
I was a bit scared of the rules not working, but luckily, I am still alive. It was a necessary step to survive in this tough world and it paid off. I didn't just win once, but multiple times. Every run, I learned more ways to win. My last mission was a no-hit run with a gun. I spared no expense to make additional rules the easier it got. I bet there is still a lot of things to learn however, it was time to explore my world.
With that being my final mission, I released my skill and left.
"Who are you?" Aubree asked, shard in hand.
"Hey, put that thing down," I exclaimed panting," literally saved you and I get the royal shard to the throat treatment. Even had to use one of my precious treasures. tsk."
I placed emphasis on the 'precious treasures' part. I had a goal and by all means, even in pain, I will achieve.
I then looked up ahead.
Realizing what she had just done, Aubree dispelled her shard, looking embarrassed for what she had done.
She had little time to feel embarrassed however as she realized just how many injuries her benefactor had. How he stayed alive was beyond her comprehension, much less how he was able to move and respond in such a sorry state. Hoping to rectify her previous mistake, she jumped towards the front of the carriage with the man, placed her hand onto his shoulder and casted magic.
[Heal] she muttered.
She was surrounded by a dimly lit yellow aura, the magic flowing from her body, onto Ronan.
The moment the heal spell landed on me, it quite literally avoided me.
"Huh? What?" Aubree was left shocked at what just occurred. She had seen healing magic multiple times before but not once had it ever been rejected or stopped by a recipient. Not even the lowest level healing spell responded the way it did now.
'Maybe I'm not concentrating enough,' she thought as she closed her eyes to readminister it again.
[Heal]
A stronger glow of yellow was emitted by her and attempted to flow into Ronan. This time however, the yellow aura was abruptly cancelled.
"What?!?!" she quickly removed her hand from Ronan, startled by the abrupt cancel.
'So healing magic from other's doesn't work on me too. Bummer' I sighed as I looked at the girl having a crisis. 'How funny.'
"Haha, I appreciate the thoughts miss but I am cursed and therefore cannot receive healing." I chuckled a bit, looking at her slightly worried expression towards me.
"But..."
Cutting her off, I looked ahead "Don't worry about it, I'll be fine in due time, " I grimaced a bit.
'Honestly, my self inflicted pains are no joke, still, this is but a mere trial for a person such as myself' I said laughing internally at my dumb joke.
"That just means you owe me a great deal of rewards, you got it? I am in the midst of dying after all" I smiled as pitifully as I could with the pain supporting my performance.
Aubree was stunned at how the man that saved her was acting. He looked horrible. He was literally on the verge of death, and is thinking about rewards while smiling and laughing. He saved strangers almost at the cost of his own life for rewards? Moving a carriage that was barely holding on towards safety for something so simple?
Why?
Is he brave or dumb?
"How irritating" She couldn't make sense of it.
"Give me that," she exclaimed, grabbing the reigns of the horse.
"Wait, I am perfectly fine! I think we are nearing a city anyways so it's not a big deal. Just go to the back, we can't have a young lady such as yourself pulling a carriage or up in the front. " I dismissively remarked, holding tightly onto the reigns that were going to be snatched.
'Let go damn it!!! I don't want to go up against to bodyguards the moment they wake up. You almost put a shard to my throat, imagine what they will do!!! If you are pulling the carriage, I will be socked later too!! Most importantly, I need to show my tenacity in front of the guards to reap better rewards!!! ' My mind was racing at the loss of rewards.
Aubree mouth was wide opened, absolutely stunned at the stubbornness the man was displaying. He was in no condition to do anything.
"I said let go" Aubree shot an icy glare towards me, the surrounding temperature decreasing.
I smiled, looking her dead in the eyes, "No... I got it."
"Let GO" she said frustrated.
Thats when I heard a small noise from inside the carriage
'Damn, Otis and Millie have woken up'
Almost immediately after...
"YOUNG MISS!! Are you alright!", while there were two swords were suspended on either side of my neck.
How familiar...
"LET GO!" she said in an even colder voice, ignoring the concerned bodyguards.
Outnumbered, I let go slowly. The horse quickly stopping to a halt.
"Fine, you win" I said, annoyed that I had lost my edge. The temperature slowly rising back up.
Otis immediately recognized the man and put down his sword, quickly ordering her sister to do the same.
"Forgive our rudeness benefactor... We were worried about the young miss." he said slightly lowering his head.
"I'll pull the carriage young miss," Millie quickly motioned Aubree to give her the reigns.
Noticing the horrible injuries, Otis offered me a healing potion.
"Here sir, this should fix you up, " Otis said, taking out an expensive looking vial.
"A high-grade elixir! Otis...!" Millie quickly attempted to dissuade his brother from doing so.
"He saved all of us," Otis reprimanded her sister.
"Please, use it"
"No" I quickly shut him down. "I haven't been able to be healed as of yet through other means so I wouldn't be surprised if potions don't work. So don't bother." I winced at the pain coursing through my body.
He looked at me with doubt in his eyes, thinking I was just being humble.
"Seriously..."
Otis was determined to give it to me.
That potion was needed for something later on in the story, it's time to be used was not yet.
"Look, it is wasteful to use it on me right now since I am not dying alright. That's a powerful potion that is absolutely useless to me and my injuries are trivial you see." I said, having a crooked smile raising my arms to show that I am fine.
Everything was hurting, absolutely everything.
[Role of the weak: Activating"]
'What?'
The moment I raised my arm, more blood started gushing out of my side. My bandages slowly being filled up with blood. It honestly felt exaggerated.
That day, they all witnessed a human blood fountain.
Everyone was alarmed at the sudden outburst of blood.
"ARE YOU STUPID!!!!" Aubree could no longer contain her anger; she usually didn't show much emotion as of late but this guy... he is seriously too much to handle. As if forgetting that he was unable to get healed by her power, she quickly ordered Otis, "GIVE HIM THE ELIXIR, QUICKLY! WE WILL INCUR THE COST!!!" She realized that this guy was a danger to himself, there is no reasoning with him, just doing what needs to be done.
Millie was used to seeing blood however, this guy was something else. How was he not dead?
Otis quickly uncapped the potion, no longer taking no for an answer. He was ready to make the benefactor scarf it down.
Noticing that Otis was about to shove the elixir down my throat, I quickly thought of a solution.
'Well, this is going to hurt...'
As if the blood fountain wasn't already enough, they all witnessed an unexpected situation.
I quickly ripped all of the arrows out of my body, more blood gushing out.
It hurt like hell.
Aubree, Otis, Millie were left stunned, yet they were not prepared for what was next.
Immediately after I said [Burn]
My hand became scorching hot and preceded to burn my wounds closed.
You could hear the sizzle of my skin.
"You see... I ... am... fi...ne... I... am ....jus..t go...ing.... to... ta...ke a.... n...ap" I whispered, slowly losing vision while my body was wobbling.
'I guess my mind experienced too much shock' I said looking blurringly at their concerned faces, all rushing towards my falling body.
"DON'T LET HIM DIE!" was the last thing I heard before I lost consciousness.