August froze up, reading the screen over and over.
This screen was one he had not seen before when he was exploring his new power with Alia. He already knew he couldn't summon an item he gave away as a gift, but this screen handbrake made itself known to him before.
Although he wasn't sure how this screen would show up if the person he gifted the item to was dead. So for now, August would let himself hope.
He scoured the blazing forest around him, looking at the giant footprints of the behemoth for a moment.
The beast had charged into the flame, not wholly unlike the other creatures who ran from the flames the white lion left behind. Although the rhinoceros had taken a slightly different path, a path that did not prioritize escaping the flames. It seemed as though the beast had an intended destination.
The flames still burned blue, and they spread fast, burning away trees within less than half a minute. By now, even the tree August had first pierced in the clearing had probably turned to ash.
He was not as durable as the now unarmored behemoth, and a wall of flames now separated him and the beast. If he tried to go around, he would either lose his way or the rhinoceros would lose him. He could attempt to wait it out, or look for tracks, but if Alia was truly alive, finding her sooner would surely be best.
Looking at the white lion, August couldn't help but think of what the beast would do.
It would have charged into the flames without hesitation, as if it's next meal was there waiting. With confidence and valiant defiance, simply because it was an Apex predator.
It wouldn't back down from just a little heat.
'Tch, couldn't you have even attempted to hold back at least a little if you were going to die anyways?' He thought, attempting to build what little confidence he could.
He shot the lion a solemn glance and a final, short nod of respect, before dashing at the wall of flame.
He crossed his arms in front of his face to shield it from the burning heat, indirectly Summoning his last small, pear husk full of water right in front of him, grabbing it and dousing himself before he finally burst into the flame.
He instantly felt the searing flame evaporate the water and dry his tank top and shorts. Hot air and smoke filled his lungs, making his chest feel as if it was burning from the inside out, yet he charged on.
August was not the armored rhinoceros he did not have heavy plate armor to protect him from the heat. Nor did his lanky body possess incredibly tough muscles or thick gray skin.
Every time his body touched an open flame, his skin singed and sizzled and his blood boiled away, his brown hair was starting to burn away and his sight was hazy.
He tripped, falling into the hot coal remains of a burnt tree, his eyelid was burnt almost fully closed by the scalding dust. That was only because he closed it in time.
'Damn it, why am I even doing this?' He felt a seed of self doubt plant itself firmly in his mind.
Even so, he struggled to his feet, his right arm and leg carrying what he assumed to be fourth degree burns, yet he pushed on anyways.
At this point, the flames had burnt away half his tank top and singed deep into his chest. August still pressed onward, even though his body screamed out in pain and told him to turn back while he still could.
He pushed forward every time he tripped and rolled through the ground, every time his lack of sight had him bump into a burning tree. He kept pushing even after a branch of that burning tree fell on top of him.
Even as he felt the skin on his back burn away, he summoned every weapon he could and blasted the branch apart, getting up and charging forward anyways.
'To hell with it, I don't need any other reason than this.'
His only source of drive was his hope, his belief that his companion was still alive and fighting— and as long as he could believe that, he could feign confidence and keep going forward.
August would never run away again, that was the vow he silently made to himself.
He recalled his weapons and charged forward through the wall of flames.
Suddenly he felt cold air wash over him. His body begged him to take pause and give up, desperately pleading for a moment of respite. But he continued on, because he wasn't sure if he could keep going if he stopped.
He followed the large footprints covering the ground. Just as he thought, the behemoth had not traveled in exactly the same direction as the others, moving perpendicular to the multitude of tracks following one path. That made the beast much easier to follow.
And as a kind byproduct, there were no beasts for him to worry about.
He kept running, gasping for the sweet release of cold air to once again fill his lungs, his raging heart beating against his chest and playing a rythmic symphony in his ears.
Ahead of him, he saw a single, enormous landform.
A gargantuan mountain that was situated where August assumed to be north of the forest from the position of the setting sun.
Not that it mattered right now, under the night sky, which was blocked out by the ash being spewed into the air. August charged through the raining ash towards the mountain.
August felt his muscles slowly start to seize up, but charged forward, following the large tracks anyways.
Soon the mountain stopped being a setpiece in the horizon and drew closer. He wanted to take a moment to admire his new speed and stamina, but allowed it no more than a passing though.
August felt light drops of rain hit his face, the cool water was a welcome feeling for August's burnt face.
Soon he found it pouring down upon his face, the soothing release of water rushing over his body almost made August want to stop.
He once again called upon the gifted blade, attempting to bring it to himself.
—-
"ERROR: The weapon you requested is in use, please request a return from the gifted user. "
____
The error message gave him the strength to go on, stopping right now was tantamount to running away once more.
Even if she was alive, there was no telling the condition Alia was in. That was because even if she was incredibly resilient, it could only last for so long.
He had long since realized the sinking feeling every time he used [The Great Collector] it was as if a large ocean in his stomach was slowly being drained of the water it possessed.
To top it off, every time he used the skill, he became more and more fatigued. It was not too detrimental to August however, since his ability didn't seem to take much out of him, at least not after one day.
But Alia had not been losing aura at single points during the day. August now realized that the red haired girl had constantly sacrificed her aura for him to eat. All her skills were passive, which meant that every time she went without, she was using her aura instead.
It had always been like that, August had always been a burden to those who took it upon themselves to care for him.
He remembered the pain of watching his father leave for work, his shifts were long and no doubt strenuous, yet he never complained. His brother cried each night from the vicious and cruel beatings of his mother, which Hart had taken doubly to guard his brother.
And finally Alia, the first person whom August had managed to form a genuine connection with, no matter how small, had suffered in his stead.
"I'm tired of it all, sick and tired."
August had not meant to say those words out loud, however true they were, but in those words he found peace and resolve, so he continued.
"Every person leaves me, every person is taken from me. In this new world, I refuse to let it continue. I want to be selfish just like everyone else."
In sight, a small hole in the side of the mountain came over the horizon, and August felt himself invigorated with new strength, pushing forward once more.
"I refuse to lose anyone else, I refuse to run away."
August thought back to the white lion, the beast must have been terrified in such a disadvantagous position, but it fought on nonetheless. Taking a page from the beast's book, he chose to never run away again.
"And if any man, monster or even god himself tries to take anything from me."
Charging towards the cave, August steadied his breath and readied himself. Putting on a grin filled with nothing but false confidence, pain and regret.
The final sentence was left unsaid.
Charging towards the cave, he prepared to face the behemoth that hid within, regardless of whether his companion needed saving or not. He was going to kill the damned thing because he wanted to.
Suddenly, as he approached the mouth of the cave, a small detail caught his damaged peripheral.
A ragged body, leaning against a nearby dead tree.