The rain was pouring down relentlessly, coming down in sheets that obscured the man's vision. His own screams were drowned out by the deafening sound of the rain. It was as if the rain was determined to silence him.
Despite the heavy downpour, the man's raw emotions were palpable as he shouted something unintelligible in the midst of the deluge. His feet sank into the mud with every step he took, making it difficult for him to move forward.
As he shouted, the man scanned his surroundings with a sense of desperation, as if he were searching for something or someone. It was impossible to know for sure what he was looking for, but it was clear that it was of the utmost importance to him.
The rain showed no signs of abating as the man stumbled through the mud, his figure obscured by the relentless deluge. He struggled to stay on his feet, but somehow managed to regain his balance after a moment of wavering.
Despite the challenging conditions, the man refused to be deterred. He resumed his shouting, his voice ringing out in the downpour with a fervor that was impossible to ignore.
Suddenly, something caught his eye, darting out from the corner of his vision with lightning speed. Despite the low visibility, the man was able to catch a glimpse of the object as it streaked past him.
It was no surprise that the man had such sharp instincts. He was an A-Class adventurer, and a particularly exceptional one at that. The only reason he hadn't achieved the coveted S-Class status was because he had retired from adventuring to lead a peaceful life as a farmer with his wife and three children.
Despite having retired from adventuring for seven years, however, the man had not become weak or senile. His body still possessed the strength and agility that had made him an exceptional A-Class adventurer in his prime.
As he looked around, he saw nothing but the rain and the mud. Perhaps the movement he had glimpsed earlier had been nothing but his imagination. But he didn't have time to dwell on it, for there was something much more pressing at hand.
But sometimes, neglecting even the slightest details could prove to be dangerous.
As soon as he resumed running, he suddenly felt like he wasn't touching the ground. It was as if he was floating, but the sensation was quickly replaced with intense pain shooting up from his feet. He fell to the ground screaming, and when he looked down, he saw that his feet were gone. They had been completely cut off, and the pain he was feeling was coming from the stumps where his feet used to be.
How had this happened? He had no idea. One moment he was running, and the next his feet were gone.
As the man lay there in agony, he heard something approaching him. It was impossible to hear anything in this downpour, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that danger was closing in on him. It wasn't a sound he heard with his ears, but rather an instinctual warning that set off alarm bells in his mind.
"Run!" his inner voice screamed at him. "Something is approaching you!"
But how could he run? He had no feet—crawling was his only option. With a sense of desperation and the groans of pain escaping from his lips, the man began to claw his way through the mud, dragging himself inch by inch towards safety.
He had no idea what was lurking out there, but he knew that it was dangerous. His instincts told him that he needed to keep moving, if he was to survive this ordeal.
Finally managing to crawl himself to a tree, he propped himself up and leaned his back against it. He gazed down at his feet, or what remained of them, the bleeding had left a trail of blood behind him. With a dagger, he cut off some of his clothes and tried to tie it around the wounds to prevent further bleeding.
Though the tree offered some protection from the rain, the gaps in the leaves allowed droplets to slip through, plopping onto his body. He felt a drop on his neck, but this drop was different. It was thicker and warmer than the rain. With trembling hands, he reached up to touch it, and his fingers came away slick with blood.
Suddenly, a feeling of dread washed over him. He looked up and saw a monster with reptilian features staring down at him with its red eyes, perched on a branch just above him. The monster had his severed foot clamped in its jaws, dripping blood onto the man's face.
As the man sat there, staring at the monster with his foot in its mouth, he couldn't help but think, "Is this how it all ends?" He knew that the monster would not hesitate to kill him.
In that moment, his life flashed before his eyes. He remembered his childhood, filled with laughter and joy. He had always been a curious child, always exploring and trying new things. As he grew older, that curiosity turned into a passion for adventure.
He became an A-Class adventurer, renowned for his bravery and strength. He had fought countless monsters and completed countless quests. But eventually, he had grown tired of the dangerous lifestyle and decided to retire. He settled down with his wife and children on a large plot of land, where he took up farming.
Everything had gone smoothly for him, until today.
One of his children had gone missing, and as the hours passed by, the man's worry only grew. The rain was coming down hard, and he knew he had to act fast. Despite the risks, he ventured out into the stormy weather to search for his child.
The man had been wandering around for hours, shouting his child's name in the pouring rain. He had searched every inch of his land, and had even gone to his neighbors' to ask if they had seen anything. But still, there was no trace of his child.
He ventured into the forest with the sole purpose of finding his missing child, but instead of a reunion with his beloved offspring, he stumbled upon a monster that posed a deadly threat to his life.
"Damn it, why did I let my guard down?" he thought, frustrated with himself for putting himself in this situation.
He knew that even if he wanted to fight the monster, he wouldn't stand a chance. Without his feet, he was practically defenseless. There was no way he could defeat the creature.
In his mind, he was thinking about his daughter, Sophia. She was missing, and he didn't know where she was. The rain was coming down hard, and he knew his wife must be worried sick as well.
He whispered her name, "Sophia...". Even though he knew no one could hear him, he kept muttering to himself, "Where could she be?" He desperately hoped that she was safe, wherever she was.
As he closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate of being eaten by the monster, he wished with all his heart for his daughter's safety. It was the only thing he could do for her at that moment.
The monster had finished its gruesome meal and turned its attention to the man, leaping towards him with its arms outstretched. The man braced himself for the inevitable end. With closed eyes, he waited for the monster's jaws to close around him.
But to his surprise, the end did not come. When he cautiously opened his eyes, he saw that the monster had stopped just inches away from his face. Confused and bewildered, the man tilted his head, trying to understand what was happening.
Then, suddenly, the monster's head separated from its body and dropped to the muddy ground with a sickening plop. The man stared in disbelief as the body of the beast collapsed beside him.
The man was in a state of shock as he gazed at the hideous monster's head. He couldn't comprehend what had just occurred, until he noticed a man standing nearby. The newcomer had draped a coat over himself to shield against the pouring rain. However, as he drew closer, he removed the hood, exposing his face. The man had long, red hair pulled back in a ponytail, and a striking appearance.
"Drake?" the man with the red hair addressed him by name. "What are you doing here—Wait! What happened to your feet!"
Drake tried to move, but the excruciating pain prevented him from doing so.
"Don't move. You'll only make things worse. Allow me to carry you instead."
"No, I can carry myself. I need to find my daughter..."
"Your daughter?"
"I must find my daughter, no matter what it takes. Even if I have to crawl, without feet to walk on, I will search for her."
Sophia was missing, and Drake's heart was heavy with worry. He couldn't imagine the thought of his little girl being out there somewhere, alone and scared. His mind raced with possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. He had to find her, and he had to find her fast. The pain in his feet was intense, but it didn't matter. Even if it meant crawling on his hands and knees, he would do it.
With a deep breath, he leaned forward and slammed into the muddy ground, attempting to crawl forward despite his disability. But before he could even move an inch, he suddenly stopped moving. He had lost a lot of blood, and it seemed he had lost consciousness as well.
Despite the heavy rain pouring down on them, the man – Leonelle – could feel the determination emanating from Drake. In an effort to help him find his missing daughter, he offered, "If you're determined to find her, I'll carry you. Let's search for her together."
However, Drake was unconscious at the time and the sound of the rain was drowning out Leonelle's voice. Nevertheless, he smiled, knowing that his gesture was one of hope in a dire situation.