It hadn't even been an hour since I arrived in this world before I lost consciousness again.
In the midst of my coma, I vaguely heard loud noises near my ears and felt someone moving my body. But my eyelids were incredibly heavy; I tried several times to open them, but I couldn't, and eventually, I drifted into a deep sleep.
I had a series of fragmented dreams. Memories of this body's previous owner mixed with memories from my past life, leaving me confused as to whether I was recalling this body's memories or simply dreaming.
I don't know how much time passed, but suddenly, I felt a wet sensation on my parched lips. Sweet liquid began to moisten my dry mouth, and I regained a bit of strength.
Instinctively, I gulped down the water, but since I was lying down, I accidentally choked and started coughing violently. It was then that I finally managed to force open my heavy eyelids.
The first thing I saw was Sofia's beautiful but haggard face.
Her eyes were still red and swollen from crying, her hair was a mess, and her clothes were dirty.
"Oh, thank God, honey, you're finally awake," Sofia exclaimed, tears of joy streaming down her face again as she pressed my head tightly against her ample chest.
The feeling was incredibly comforting.
I couldn't help but nuzzle my head against her, and as I did, some pleasant memories stored in the mind of this body's previous owner began to surface.
My movements made Sofia pull my head back suddenly, looking at me with concern. "Honey, did I hurt you?"
I gave her a weak smile, but it tugged at the wound under my ribs, causing me to grimace in pain.
"Don't move, Tom. You're injured. Luckily, Major Robert Rogers arrived in time. He not only drove off the Indians but also removed the arrowhead from your ribs," Sofia said, gratitude evident in her eyes as she glanced toward the three men sitting by the fire not far away.
Following Sofia's gaze, I saw three tall, strong men sitting by the fire. They were wearing a mix of military uniforms, with canteens, swords, and powder belts hanging from their bodies.
My knowledge of colonial American history is limited, so I couldn't tell which side they belonged to. However, they weren't wearing the red uniforms of the British regulars, so they probably weren't part of the Royal Army.
The man drinking in the middle was likely the leader, the Major Robert Rogers Sofia mentioned. He was busy drinking and chewing on jerky, seemingly indifferent to the two men beside him who were sorting through some belongings.
Before long, the two men sorted out a small bundle of valuable items and brought it to the Major. He casually inspected the items inside, and under the dim firelight, I could see some jewelry still stained with blood, likely taken from women.
Noticing that I was awake, Major Robert tossed aside the jewelry and got up, walking toward me with a brisk stride. Something at his waist swayed as he moved.
I was still very weak, so my vision was a bit blurry. But as he got closer, I finally saw what it was, and I couldn't help but let out a gasp.
Hanging from his waist were two bloody scalps!
Indian scalps!
Seeing my shocked expression, Major Robert gave me a disdainful smirk and casually grabbed one of the blood-soaked scalps, saying, "This is my trophy, the kind only real men can take on the battlefield."
His eyes, however, were fixated on Sofia, the lecherous intent in his gaze evident as if he could undress her with just his eyes.
I was instantly enraged by his disrespectful behavior and scornful expression. I clenched my fists, and my pride and male ego surged within me.
Sofia, too, was clearly unsettled by his lecherous stare. She huddled closer to me, and I could feel her warmth and trembling through her thin clothes.
When I first woke up, I thought Sofia and I were finally safe. But after witnessing Major Robert's blatant threat, I realized I had been too naive. It seemed I had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire.
In my previous life, I lived in a world of modern civilization, working a nine-to-five office job. I'd never even been in a fight, let alone killed anyone.
But seeing the bloody scalps hanging from Major Robert's waist made me realize the brutal rules of the world I had been reborn into.
Even though both are the United States, 18th century America and 21th century America are almost entirely two different countries.
In the future, this area would be a bustling, populated place. But in the eighteenth century, it was still a sparsely populated frontier.
There was no order, no law, no police.
Killing was as simple as drinking water in this land.
Violence and slaughter were the only laws that dominated this land.
I gently held Sofia, hoping to give her a sense of security, and then looked at Major Robert and said, "Major, thank you for saving my life. I'm very..."
But before I could finish, the Major rudely interrupted, "Your wounds are severe. You'll need to cauterize them with a hot iron, or they'll fester quickly."
What made it worse was that, even as he spoke to me, his eyes remained fixed on Sofia's chest, completely ignoring my presence.
Anger surged within me, and I wanted nothing more than to punch him right then and there. But as I took a breath, the pain in my ribs quickly reminded me of my reality.
It was a harsh dose of reality.
Looking at his bear-like physique, I realized that with this frail body, I was no match for him.
I still didn't know what my new body looked like, but from what I could feel, it was tall and slender, with smooth, delicate skin. These traits might be attractive in a peaceful environment, but in this kill-or-be-killed frontier, they were utterly useless.
"Out of all the people who have been reincarnated, I might be the most unlucky one," I thought to myself with a hint of self-mockery.
When Sofia heard the Major's suggestion, she lifted her head in desperation and pleaded, "Please, Major, help him."