As Grim charged at me, I quickly unsheathed my sword and braced for his attack. He was level ten, and one wrong move could mean certain death. When he closed the distance, I dodged his initial strike, only to be slammed into a nearby tree by his sudden, forceful headbutt. Grim growled as he prepared for another attack.
Amid the chaos, I glanced at a notification I had received. A red liquid, presumably berry juice, dripped from Grim's mouth. I shook off the distraction and refocused on the fight.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Party Chat:
Leo: Where are you
Mia: I'm back at the teleport rune.
Mia: We got attacked by lizard soldiers.
Lia: Yeah, we had to run in the opposite direction.
Leo: Where's Wakaba?
Lia: She ran ahead, and we lost her.
Mia: We were slightly outside the grasslands looking for you.
Mia: That's the last place we saw her.
—-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The system responded to my thoughts, so I informed Leo that I was being attacked by bear minibosses.I struggled to my feet, wincing in pain and chugging a health potion.
Leo's looking for me. All I need to do is survive… No, I shouted, "I'm not who I was before!"
With newfound resolve, Grim reared up on his hind legs like a human and let out a bone-chilling roar.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buffing Roar:
Increases strength and speed by 25% for the next minute.
—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grim charged at me again. Sword outstretched, I was determined not to let him get close. As he swung, I blocked with my sword, but he quickly retaliated with another slash.
"Multi Slash!" I shouted, delivering a cross-shaped cut to the bear's underbelly.
Grim fell back to all fours, his eyes locked on me with fierce intensity. I leaped backward, preparing for his next move. As he charged once more, red mixed with the dirt and water beneath him. He slashed at me again, but I blocked the attack with my sword, readying myself for the next onslaught.
Snap
The sharp crack of my sword breaking in two echoed through the surrounding forest. With the force of the attack, Grim drove me back into a tree. A searing pain surged through my body, and red began to pour from my mouth as a pounding ache resonated throughout me. I slumped against the tree, struggling to maintain my balance.
—---------------------------------------
You are critically low on health
—---------------------------------------
I quickly used the skill points I had earned from leveling up to boost my health to 150, but the pain was relentless, throbbing with every heartbeat. As I leaned against the tree for support, Grim advanced with unyielding determination, his breath coming in heavy gasps. Now that I had a closer look, I realized he was about the height of an average human. Without hesitation, he lunged at me again.
Quick Draw
In a flash, I drew my sword and slashed across Grim's face. Red spurted from the wound as he let out a pained grunt. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly created some distance between us.
—---------------------------------
Debuffing Roar
Debuffs 1 opponent by 50%
Requirement: Higher level
—-----------------------------------
Grim charged at me again, fury still burning in him. I summoned my shield from my inventory to block his assault. The impact of his strike pushed me backward, sending me stumbling toward the swampy water. I tried to escape, but my movements were sluggish, and Grim caught up to me with brutal efficiency. He headbutted me in the back, causing me to crash into the murky depths of the swamp.
Grim took advantage of my disorientation, leaping on top of me and pinning me down with crushing weight. He bit into my left arm with a ferocious grip. The pain was relentless, a cruel blend of ripping, tearing, and crushing pressure. I could feel the wet, sticky warmth of red mixing with the cold, slimy mud of the swamp.
Despite the overwhelming pain, Grim continued his assault. He clamped down again, sinking his teeth into my arm. A single tear traced down my face as I tried to endure the agony.
—-------------------------------------
You are critically low on health
—-------------------------------------
Leo's name echoed in my mind as everything began to fade to black. I could still feel the crushing weight of Grim on top of me, the relentless pressure, and the mingling of red with the dark, murky swamp.
"It hurts so much," I sobbed, my voice trembling.
A mysterious voice shouted, "Heavy Slash!"
Suddenly, I felt the bear being forcefully pushed away from me. Though I couldn't see who had intervened, the relief was palpable. Someone gently lifted my head and offered me a thick liquid. As I drank, a surge of energy coursed through me, and my health rapidly climbed back to 150. Despite this, the pain was still intense and paralyzing. As I lay in the water, I managed to look up.
Leo stood between me and Grim, who now had a deep slash mark on the right side of his face, and his eye was missing. Realizing he couldn't win, Grim retreated, pushing aside bushes and foliage as he made his way out. Before disappearing into the distance, he let out one final roar.
I tried to lift my arms, but despite being at full health, the lingering pain made every movement a struggle. I glanced at my hand.
Leo ensured the area was secure and that Grim wouldn't return before rushing to my side. He carefully lifted me from the water, holding me close. As I looked up at him, I saw a rare and intense emotion on his face—rage. It was raw and unfiltered, a stark contrast to his usual calm demeanor.
"Where are they?" he demanded, his voice cold.
Too exhausted and in too much pain to respond, I lost consciousness. Everything around me faded to black, and the last image I saw was Leo's eyes, brimming with tears.
A subtle, quiet warp resonated in the background, the only sound in the enveloping darkness.
CRACK
***
Yawn.
"What an awful dream," I muttered to myself still in bed.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Leo burst into the room, his food spilling to the floor with a loud crash. He rushed over, enveloping me in a tight hug and pressing kisses to my face. I tried to hug him back but quickly realized I couldn't.
"You were asleep for 5 days," he cried.
He gently settled down next to me. With a serious expression, he asked, "What happened?"
"I don't remember too well," I said, struggling to recall the events from the day before. The memories were fuzzy and painful.
Leo left the room briefly, and soon Mia and Lia entered. His presence was colder than I had ever seen, his eyes filled with a chilling intensity that seemed to freeze the air in the room. Mia and Lia glanced at me, shock evident on their faces. There was something different about them now—perhaps because they were now level 4.
"What happened?" Leo demanded again, his voice cold and piercing. "Why did she almost die?"
Mia and Lia appeared paralyzed by Leo's intense presence, unable to move. After a moment of heavy silence, Mia spoke up, her voice trembling.
"She ran ahead of us."
"Is this true, Wakaba?" Leo asked, his gaze never leaving mine.
I tried to piece together the memories from before. We had just defeated a lizard woman, and afterward, I had sprinted ahead. My head pounded as I tried to remember, but the memories seemed to blur together painfully.
Before I could respond, Lia broke down, her voice choked with emotion.
"It was never supposed to go this far."
"Go this far?" Leo pressed.
"We let her go ahead of us," Lia cried.
"She was only supposed to come across a soldier, and we would have saved her," Lia said, her voice trembling.
"Why would you do something so reckless?" Leo shot back.
"She made fun of our best friend. We would have saved her…" Lia's voice choked with emotion.
"But we got attacked by 6 lizardmen soldiers," Mia interjected. "Once we killed them we were instantly warped from the floor."
"Does that sound true?" Leo asked, looking at me for confirmation.
In my last memories, they had definitely been level 3.
Leo sighed deeply and told Mia and Lia to leave. Once the door closed behind them, he turned to me.
"What do you remember?" he asked, his voice subdued.
I struggled to maintain composure. "We had killed a lizardman civilian. I ran ahead of them, lost in thought, so it's plausible I didn't hear them getting attacked."
Leo got up from the bed and slammed his hand onto a nearby desk in frustration.
"Did you get the relic?" I asked, my voice more controlled.
"Yes," he replied quietly, recalling a small wooden chest from his inventory.
—------------------------------
Unactivated Relic Chest
Time Limit: 24 hours
—-------------------------------
"Then our goal was accomplished," I said, my voice devoid of emotion.
"Wakaba…" Leo said slowly, his voice breaking as he walked back to me. "You don't have to be strong," he said, pulling me into a tight hug.
I collapsed against him "It hurts," I cried out, my tears shaking our bodies. "It hurts so much." I clung to Leo, my voice cracking, "I can no longer be a knight."
Leo's arms tightened around me, holding me close. "I promise I'll find a way to heal you. Until then, let me be your strength," he said softly.
"You don't have to pretend to be cold," he continued, his voice trembling.
"But how?" I sobbed, my voice barely a whisper. "I don't want to feel useless."
Leo looked at me with kind eyes. "Why not learn magic?"
I managed a faint smile.
"So, about Mia and Lia…" Leo began.
"Yeah, what do we do about them?" I asked.
"We should keep a close watch on them from now on."
"Agreed. We should ask them about learning magic?"
"And once we reach the 6th floor…"
"We'll disband the party and start our own guild." I interjected.
"Sounds like a plan," Leo said, smiling. "You need some rest."
After Leo left the room, I got out of bed. I wobbled to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face. My hair tumbled messily over my shoulders.
I cried as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my left arm missing.