"Just hold a bit longer," Gray thought while moving, his legs shaking with each step that he took. The simple act of walking had become incredibly painful; he needed to use all his strength just to move forward.
Gray felt as if he had once again become a one-year-old toddler who was starting to learn how to walk properly for the first time—unsteady, swaying, stumbling with every step he took.
Although his injury had somewhat healed after utilizing the Origin Essences, it had once again flared after his determination to escape the forest as fast as possible. He didn't have a choice; he had to push forward, even if his body refused to move, even if his breath was like a sharp knife tearing his lungs.
Gray felt thankful for learning all the information about the forest that he could in his free time. With only sheer luck and determination, he had managed to successfully escape the dreadful Forest.
As the dreadful Forest thinned, a massive outline of a mighty wall appeared on the horizon—a jagged outline against the violet-tinged sky.
This sight of simple and crude stones, rough and stained with the blood of hundreds of beasts, filled his heart with newfound hope. Just a few more steps and he would finally be safe.
At this thought, Gray's steps quickened, but in the next moment, a pained expression appeared on his face and he immediately collapsed on the ground like a broken puppet with its strings cut.
"Argh!"
No matter how much he tried to control himself, a muffled groan escaped his lips. Gray tried to get up, but his body refused to move; the continuous strain had deprived him of all energy to move.
Gray continued to lay down like a corpse; the almost nauseous smell of burnt charcoal made the situation even worse.
Under the purplish sky, Gray lay breathless; the pain he was feeling made him want to give up.
'Why all this struggle?'
'You were going to die someday anyway, just let it go and close your eyes.'
Like a demon's whisper, these thoughts popped up in his head.
"No!"
Gray shouted and used all his strength to keep his eyes open. His fists were unconsciously clenched so tightly that his nails had started to dig deep into his palm, drawing blood. Warm crimson droplets slid between his fingers, but he didn't notice. Couldn't afford to notice; all he knew was he had to keep moving. He couldn't stop here. Not after everything that he had been through.
'My story is not going to end today, not after I have gotten the chance to live my dream.'
Gray shouted in his head; his loud shout made all the negative thoughts in his head disappear like clouds of smoke on a windy day.
His eyes were burning with anger, not at the Earthly Knight who had played around with his life or with the world, but at himself. His own weakness. His own failure. If he had been stronger—if he had trained harder—this wouldn't have happened. He wouldn't be fighting just to take another step.
'I may have come to this world at the will of others, but I will only leave at my own.'
His head was filled with defiance and he once again roared in his heart, 'Get up!'
But these words had no effect on his body; this made Gray even more furious. 'I said get the fuck up!'
His eyes turned red because of the immense pressure, but he finally managed to get up and move forward.
The first step made him feel as if his body was being burnt alive; the pain was so much that he couldn't even think about anything else.
But Gray refused to fall here today; moreover, he was sure if he died again, there might be no more second chances.
The second step made him groan, but he still persevered.
The third, his vision started to swim; fourth step... by the fourth step, his body became numb from pain, and he lost sight of the world around him. At this point, his body was moving solely on instincts; it was as if he had become a puppet pulled along by invisible strings, numb to everything but the will to survive.
Sadly, there was no one to witness such an incredible sight. If someone was here, they would definitely cry out loud in shock. One didn't even experience such pain during knight training.
And then he fell; his knees collapsed. Gray seemed to have heard a loud shout and hurried footsteps moving toward him at great speed.
Before they could reach him, Gray's body fell to the ground like a ragdoll, but there seemed to be a small smile at the corners of his lips.
[...]
Knight Heaven City, inside a medieval-looking room, a man with golden hair lay peacefully; he seemed to be lost in a beautiful dream.
Suddenly, a tight frown appeared on the handsome young man's face, and in the next moment, his eyes immediately snapped open and beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
"I survived." The thought hit him with a wave of disbelief; his body still ached but nothing compared to the earlier agony. The bed beneath him was soft, far softer than the cold, unyielding forest floor.
The room was extremely familiar and yet at the same time completely unfamiliar. The wooden furniture with ornate carvings—a sturdy oak wardrobe and table littered with half-read books. A crossed sword mounted above a stone fireplace.
"But how did I get here?" This was the second thought that popped in his head after understanding his situation.
He didn't have to think for long, as after pondering for a moment, he understood everything.
During his half-unconscious state, he had managed to reach the city entrance, and the guards had helped him reach his home.
After all, he was quite famous in the city as the only grandson of Legendary Knight Theodore.
After clearing his thoughts and sighing, Gray summoned the status screen to better understand his situation. A translucent panel hovered in the air before him.
[Name - Gray Peace-loving]
[Race - Corrupted Human]
[Title - Ultimate Defier (SSS - Grade, currently unusable)]
[Spiritual force - 0 (Unawakened)
Strength - 0.1
Agility - 0.4
Health - 0.1
Stamina - 0.1]
[Origin Essence - 1]
[Acquired Skills]
[Cooking - Level 1
Potion Making - Level 1
Manipulation - Level 1]
[Origin Essence needed to awaken first skill - 10]
After taking a look at the screen, Gray frowned; right now his stats were weaker than a kid's.
It was simply a miracle that he had managed to survive again.
A soft creak interrupted Gray's thoughts and he looked around. The sound of light footsteps echoed through the hall, growing closer to his room. Someone was here to check up on him.
Thinking up to this point, he imagined the face of a beautiful girl with gentle eyes, her expression full of worry.
He took a deep breath, his heart rate calming down as the footsteps stopped just outside his door.