Oasis's breathing was ragged, each breath sending a sharp pain through his shoulder where the dagger remained lodged.
His once-simple tunic was now soaked and torn, stained with his own blood.
The cool breeze that rustled through the bamboo offered some relief, but the agony in his body was undeniable.
He gazed up at the sky, trying to focus his mind and calm his racing heart.
The blue-cyan aura that had flowed through him during the battle now flickered weakly, barely visible as he fought to maintain consciousness.
As he lay on the training field, surrounded by the stillness of this hidden sanctuary, Oasis could feel his body beginning to shut down from the pain and exhaustion.
The world around him started to blur, the edges of his vision darkening as he drifted toward unconsciousness.
But even as his eyes began to close, his mind clung to a single thought: he had survived, and he would continue to fight.
---
On the brink of losing consciousness, Oasis summoned every ounce of strength left in his battered body.
His hand trembled as he reached up to grasp the hilt of the dagger embedded in his shoulder. With a sharp, determined pull, he yanked the dagger free.
The blade slid out with a sickening sound, blood spurting from the wound as Oasis grimaced in agony.
His face contorted, teeth gritted against the searing pain that radiated through his entire body.
The dagger clattered to the ground beside him, a metallic clang echoing in the quiet training field.
Huff! Huff! Huff!
Oasis's breaths were shallow and labored as he fumbled for a pill from his storage bracelet.
His hands, slick with blood, struggled to open the compartment, but he managed to retrieve the pill and force it into his mouth.
He barely had the strength to chew, but he swallowed it down with sheer willpower.
Tears welled up in his eyes, a mixture of pain and relief as the healing properties of the pill began to take effect.
A deep breath escaped him, bringing a temporary peace to his tormented body.
"I can rest a bit now," Oasis thought, his eyelids growing heavy as he slowly closed his eyes, succumbing to sleep.
As consciousness slipped away, his mind replayed the moments leading up to his escape.
---
After plunging into the stream, Oasis had acted quickly.
"Old man Fenris's Celestial Garden Sphere," he remembered, pulling the small, intricately carved sphere from his storage bracelet.
With a surge of mana, the sphere activated, enveloping him in a warm glow before swallowing him whole.
The artifact, now carrying Oasis inside, was carried away by the current, sinking deeper into the water and out of sight.
Rurik's pursuit was thwarted, the artifact concealing Oasis in a pocket dimension as it drifted downstream.
---
The pill's effects were swift and potent.
Within moments, the bleeding from Oasis's wounds slowed and eventually stopped, his body beginning to mend itself.
Energy flowed back into his limbs, revitalizing him after the near-fatal encounter.
The intense pain subsided to a dull ache, allowing Oasis to slip into a deep, restorative sleep.
---
A week later in the sphere, Oasis slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight filtering through the bamboo trees.
He lay on the training field, dried blood caked on his skin and clothes.
The dagger wound in his shoulder had healed significantly, though it still ached when he moved.
"Phewww!" he exhaled, relieved to feel the strength returning to his limbs.
"Thanks to the vitality replenishing pill, I've regained most of my strength," he thought, rotating his shoulder to test its range of motion.
A sharp pain shot through the joint, causing him to wince.
"Not bad. I can still feel the pain, but it's mostly recovered," he assessed, inspecting the remnants of the wound.
With his clothing in tatters, Oasis tore off the remaining fabric, leaving himself in just his underwear.
His muscular frame was exposed, along with the phoenix claw pendant that hung around his neck.
The dried blood on his skin contrasted with the pallor of his body, evidence of the fierce battle he had survived.
"Dammit, I am hungry," Oasis muttered as his stomach growled loudly.
He quickly retrieved some food cubes from his storage bracelet and began to eat, his hands still trembling slightly from the exertion.
As he chewed, he clenched and unclenched his fists, testing his body's readiness for the challenges ahead.
Reflecting on his escape, Oasis's thoughts turned to the artifact that had saved his life.
"I've never refined this artifact, but it allowed me access inside. How is it possible?" he wondered.
"Maybe somehow, old man Fenris made a link for me while I was moving about in the Eternal Passage,"
he mused, realizing that the artifact had already marked him as its owner within his conscious realm.
"And Rurik... despite tagging him, I can't locate him. I see, this artifact is in a different realm," Oasis concluded.
"So, I can only locate a tagged target if we're in the same realm."
As the gravity of his situation settled in, Oasis realized the opportunity before him.
"To think about it, this place is nice. While I'm here, I need to make the most of it," he resolved, recalling the rules of the Celestial Garden Sphere mentioned by Fenris.
Without wasting any more time, Oasis picked up Rurik's dagger from the ground and placed it in his storage bracelet.
He then sat down on the field, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate, drawing on the tranquil energy of the Celestial Garden Sphere to strengthen his body and mind.
Oasis sat cross-legged on the field, his eyes closed in deep concentration.
As he focused on his breathing, the tranquil energy of the Celestial Garden Sphere began to flow into him, merging with his own mana.
His body shimmered with a soft, ethereal light as he absorbed the rich mana from the surroundings.
The aura around him grew stronger and more vibrant with each passing moment, the energy circulating through his veins revitalizing him completely.