A sensation akin to the cold feeling of death greeted me upon my awakening.
It burned yet it was cold. Or maybe it was just my imagination.
'Heh' I laughed to myself, it probably was.
Seeing as when I had opened my eyes to take in my surroundings I was bombarded by the cold night air.
'Yeah…' it was probably just my body playing tricks on me rather than an actual infliction.
I tried to move my hand though all it amounted to was the twitching of my fingers.
My body was still paralyzed, the damn dagger in my back taking from me the very movement of my body. The only lucky thing about it was that I couldn't feel any of the pain in my back rather it felt rather numb.
I grit my teeth, tensing all of my muscles as much as I could to try and move yet even still I could do nothing. It was as expected because of the paralysis but I had to try at the very least.
I didn't even know if this was permanent as there was a real chance that it had damaged my spine and permanently paralyzed me, or it could have been a poison.
Though judging by the fact that I could slightly move my muscles and tense them I would assume that it was poison then again I wasn't a doctor so I didn't really know much.
However I hoped, to whatever cruel god, that it wasn't paralysis.
'Ah…'
It was minutes? Hours? I didn't know the time but it happened and that was what was important. The feeling in my limbs returned, not as much as I would have liked but it did return.
A phantom sensation, of a hand grasping at my very existence. It was faint, almost dream-like in its quality but I could feel it as if it was real.
Warm… it was so warm, the sensation like a mothers touch. Yet much more than that, it grabbed me and pulled me from where I lay. Encouraging in its touch.
My leg started to move, pulling me up and up until I was stood upon my feet. My head turned frantically, looking around and trying to find whoever had done that but even then I knew it was futile. I smiled a sardonic smile, looking to the ground after moments of searching.
'It was you wasn't it?'
I held my hands out cupping them and holding out the rain that fell upon them. My reflection found me in it. The smile on it becomes a reflection of warmth despite the harsh climate around me.
I let go of my hands, the water that had accumulated falling from my hands as I look to the sky. The gray clouds pouring down their rain like tears from the heavens.
Shaking my head I look away, my feet carrying me towards a new place. One foot in front of the other, painful steps accompanying my progress.
All the while my hand reached towards my back, the soft touch of metal and leather greeting me. It was the same dagger that had paralyzed me.
Still there, like an ever present reminder of my failings. Yet it would not remain as my grazing touch turned towards a sharp grasp.
A pull and it was out, blood pouring from my back. I felt light headed, adrenaline rushing through me to fight through the pain and do what was needed.
'Heh' I laughed, the pain stirring out a humorous side of me. I grab at my shirt and rip it into two. My bare chest exposed to the winter.
With swift movements, my head light from blood loss, I rip it into two. The parts were not even but that did not matter as soon after I reached over my back and found purchase.
The cloth that was once my shirt was pulled taut against the wound to apply pressure. It hurt, it stung but I ignored that. I reached back over and grabbed the other end making sure to tie it off as tight as I could.
I flinched at the pain but otherwise kept my light movements. Or I would have if my legs had not failed me at the most inopportune moment.
Mud filled my pants and my naked top, the cold sensation washing over me. I shivered for a second before I pulled my hand from where it lay and tried to find my footing.
It was during then that I found something. Or more accurately the lack of something. It was when I was trying to stand that I found the lack of my sheathe and sword.
I looked around for a second in panic before with a sigh giving up. It seemed that those goblins couldn't give up the allure of a fully maintained sword.
I couldn't even blame them, seeing as their only weapons were some rusty daggers and disposable needles it was no wonder that they took the opportunity to claim a sword from someone they thought had died.
Either way it was a tragedy, not the loss of the sword. If I had been given enough time I would have made another that was not as soulless as the one I had been given but right now I was left with no weapon.
Well not completely bare as I had the dagger but that wasn't much. I could tell that it would break against anything significant.
I guess that if it broke I could punch them but that was pretty much useless. Without a proper martial art it would just be me flailing around like some baby. The best that it would do was stun them for a moment. But that was all.
…
The grass parted around me, my hand waving around and pulling them from my way.
'No use in staying here'
It was that thought that motivated me towards movement. Even then though, in my constant movements towards an unknown place I didn't fail to take the one object that might be of use in the future.
The dagger, even if it was rusted and falling apart it had its uses. The steel with the right treatment could be taken and used to recreate this into a useful dagger. And it was steel, my eye would not lie to me.
I had seen enough to know the difference between metals and that dagger was almost certainly made of steel. Low quality steel but it was still a useful metal.
I held it in one hand, the hilt feeling rough around my skin. My arms were not as broken as the rest of my body wich allowed for me to swing it hard.
And to my surprise it didn't bend or sway with the force. It was neither a good or bad thing, it just meant that my techniques needed to be more accurate then if it was flexible.
Not that it would be in use for much longer as if I could just get a forge set up then I could make the dagger so much better than it was right now. There wasn't enough steel to make a sword but that could be rectified if I could scrounge some more steel from the goblins.
Though that brung up the problem of actually obtaining a forge. Sure I could wait the mission out and hope that I could buy it with my meager points but that would be a last resort.
Either way I first needed to find shelter.
I shook my head of the thoughts and found myself parting the grass in front of me again. To my surprise I found something that I had not been expecting.
The place where I had been ambushed. It was almost exactly like I remembered it, not that I was expecting anything different. However the thing that caught my eye the most was what lay in the middle.
It seemed that they really didn't have any favor for that particular goblin. Seeing as they just left it there without a proper burial.
Not that I was complaining as soon after I found it I had already dug my hand into the corpse of the supposed goblin. Searching around I eventually found what I was looking for.
A rune.
[You have gained a
My eyes shone as I read the description.
'A new one, finally'
Without further inspection I crushed it in my hand. My muscles tightened for a moment before a notification rang out in my ear.
…
[Mihr Masamune]
Vitality: 1.5
Strength: 1.1
Dexterity: 2
Mana: 3.2
[Skills]
[Memoria(rank 1) (9.9%)
Allows the user to remember]
[Swordsmanship rank 1 (0.91%)]
[Mana Manipulation (rank 1 1.9%)]
[current pts:1384]
…
I clench my fist, lowering my center of gravity and pulling it back.
A tensing of my muscles and I had snapped my fist out. It felt lighter and stronger but not by much.
Just enough to be noticeable.
I breathe in, my eyes closing for a second before mana flooded through my veins.
A mental command and the lines of mana infused into my body.
I felt the drain and for a second just stood there.
A moment later I sent out a punch. I could feel the air crack behind me like a whip.
A smile graced my features as I walked off into the distance.
Growth… It felt good.