Darkness was everywhere. There was nothing but an endless void. Suddenly, as if defying the emptiness, fragments of the shattered reality began to piece themselves back together. Slowly, they formed a shape—a vision that seemed familiar, though long forgotten. A vision that had once felt like a distant future. And yet now, amidst this nothingness, it began to take real form. It was a vision of truth, a reflection of a reality impossible to deny. When the process was complete, it revealed the full scope of what had once existed—a brutal present.
The present was dark and unforgiving. Against the backdrop of a collapsing reality, a wounded monster, drenched in blood and rage, slowly made its way toward the woman. Its intentions were clear—to kill her, to steal her energy so it could regenerate and recover its strength. The woman was unconscious—helpless in the face of the approaching disaster. Beside her, lying on the ground, was the boy. His body was shattered, covered in wounds and bruises. Both legs and his left arm were broken, and his breathing was becoming increasingly shallow. His face had taken on an almost deathly pallor, but his eyes… His eyes seemed to defy the rest of him. A wild determination burned in them, as if from nowhere, he had found a reason—a strength to defy his fate.
His thoughts swirled chaotically, creating a cacophony of emotions.
"What the hell did I just see? Was that the life of this girl? Am I just losing my mind before I die? What the fuck is happening?! Damn it! My head… God, it hurts so much! Like it's about to explode!"
Pain and confusion threatened to overwhelm him, but amidst the chaos, one thought stood out clearly, dominating all others:
"I have to save her!"
He couldn't shake the images he had seen—fragments of the girl's life, her struggles, her pain, and her traumas, as well as the dreams she still carried in her heart. It all made one thing painfully clear: he couldn't let someone like her die because of him. She had a purpose, a goal, and he couldn't take that away from her.
As for himself, he never had any grand ambitions. He was just an ordinary guy who wanted a quiet, uneventful life. But now, here he was, trapped in this strange world, longing to return home. He couldn't leave his mother to grieve his absence, but at the same time, he knew he couldn't allow this woman to die. It was his fault she was in this situation. He had to take responsibility.
"Fuck this power! If its only purpose was to burden me with guilt and awaken my damn conscience, then it's working perfectly. What a load of crap!" – His thoughts were like sharp knives cutting into him from the inside. Every word echoed in his head, amplifying his pain and frustration. But even so, he quickly shook himself out of it, trying to regain control over the chaos in his mind.
"Stop it! This isn't the time for bullshit like this. I need to come up with something! But what? The monster is in terrible shape, but I'm… I'm even worse! Even if I somehow gather the strength to stand, what good will it do? The monster will just swat me down again, and this time I'll definitely die. There has to be a way, damn it! My left eye isn't activating visions anymore... Is there really nothing I can do? What the hell was the point of seeing her life? Just so I could suffer more? Fuck this shit! What kind of shitty isekai is this, where I can't even save the first beauty I meet and instead end up being the reason she dies!"
Frustrated and furious, the boy watched as the monster moved closer to the unconscious Leni. Every step it took seemed to be in slow motion, as if fate wanted to prolong the boy's agony. The monster was already bending down to grab her when something caught Edo's attention.
"Wait… the crossbow!" – The thought struck his mind like lightning. His gaze fell on the object lying just two meters away. "It's the same magical crossbow I found in that caravan! I dropped it earlier when the bolt I fired at the monster turned out to be too powerful and ripped it out of my hands. But… do I still have bolts?"
He remembered stashing four bolts behind his back earlier. One had already been wasted, but there should still be three left. Heart pounding, he reached with his right hand to the spot where they should have been. His fingers touched cold metal.
"They're here! Yes, this is my chance!" – A surge of adrenaline flooded his body, momentarily numbing the pain. "Now I just need to crawl to that crossbow!"
Determined, Edo began crawling. Every movement was torture—searing pain shot through his body, but he ignored it. Only one thing mattered: reaching the crossbow. After what felt like an eternity, he finally grabbed it. His hand clenched tightly around the weapon, and his eyes reignited with determination.
He looked at the monster, and the sight froze the blood in his veins. The beast had already grabbed Leni by the neck and was lifting her high into the air.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck! This is bad. I need to act fast, or she's dead!" His mind raced at full speed. He quickly loaded one of the remaining bolts into the crossbow, but now the biggest problem arose: how to cock it?
He usually needed two hands to do it, and even then, it was a struggle. Now, he had only one functional arm.
"I don't have a choice…" he muttered to himself, gritting his teeth. His gaze grew even more determined. Using his broken left arm, he grabbed the crossbow. The pain was unimaginable—he felt the bones in his arm and hand cracking further, as if knives were being driven into his flesh. His scream was almost animalistic, but he didn't let go.
Clenching his teeth harder, he managed to cock the crossbow with his right hand. His breaths were shallow, his heart pounded like a drum, and the pain threatened to tear him apart. Yet the fire in his eyes refused to die.
"Got it!" the boy shouted when he finally managed to prepare the weapon. His body trembled with agony, but there was no time to dwell on it. Holding the crossbow in one hand, he aimed it at the monster, who was moments away from killing Leni.
"Don't miss now… Die, you bastard…" he whispered with determination, barely suppressing the tremor in his hand.
He pulled the trigger. The shot rang out with a thunderous crack, tearing through the forest's silence. As before, the crossbow's powerful force nearly ripped it from his grasp, but this time, Edo was ready. He held on tighter, though the pain in his broken arm reminded him of every ounce of his effort.
The bolt, surrounded by a magical flame, streaked forward with incredible speed. Its glow illuminated the surroundings, giving the scene an almost apocalyptic air. The monster reacted instinctively, trying to dodge, but it was too late. Its weakened body and the short distance made any escape impossible.
The bolt struck the monster squarely on the right side of its face, piercing through its skull. The force of the impact made the beast roar in pain before its massive body crashed backward. As it lost its grip, it dropped Leni, who hit the ground with a heavy thud.
"YES! I DID IT! HAHAHA!" Edo yelled triumphantly, but his celebration was short-lived. "Aghr…!" he groaned as his broken ribs reminded him of their presence. Taking a shallow breath, he tried to manage the pain.
"It worked…" he whispered as adrenaline began leaving his body. His eyelids grew heavy, and the world around him started to blur. But suddenly, something within him resisted.
"No! I can't! What the hell am I thinking? 'It worked'? From what angle, damn it?! We're in the middle of this goddamned misty forest! Every second we stay here risks another monster showing up—something just as terrifying as this one. It'll only work when we get out of here alive! I have to get her out of here!"
Gritting his teeth, Edo tucked the crossbow into his belt, knowing it might still come in handy. With immense effort, he began crawling toward Leni, lying motionless under a tree. When he reached her, his hands immediately went to her neck to check for a pulse.
"She's alive… Thank God…" he whispered in relief, feeling the faint warmth of her heartbeat under his fingers. For a moment, hope flickered in his mind. "Maybe I can wake her up?"
He began gently patting her cheeks, trying to rouse her. When that didn't work, he increased the force, but it was no use. Bruises began forming on her pale cheeks from his attempts, forcing him to stop.
"This isn't going to work… I'll have to handle this myself…" he muttered, though doubt was evident in his voice.
Edo knew what he had to do, though the thought terrified him. He had to stand up, despite his body barely functioning. Gripping a nearby tree, his trembling hands tightened as he tried to pull himself up. Slowly, he attempted to stand, but the pain in his broken legs was unbearable. He felt the bones crack and shift under his weight, worsening the injuries.
"Damn it… Damn it… DAMN IT!!!" he screamed as his legs buckled beneath him once more.
"Come on!!! Work, damn it!" he screamed, as if trying to will his body into submission through sheer force.
After long, grueling moments and countless attempts, he finally managed to stand. His body wavered, and every breath was a battle.
"I'm standing… But… no, I can't think like this..." Edo whispered, shaking off the momentary hesitation. He gritted his teeth and then approached Leni.
"Alright… This has to work..." His voice was filled with determination, even though his body begged him to stop. He bent down and carefully lifted the girl. With his broken left arm, he held her legs, while his right arm, though exhausted, supported her head.
"Ugh... I can barely stand! But… no, I can't just give up!" he hissed, forcing himself to ignore the agony tearing through every part of his body. He started moving forward, heading in the direction that would lead them out of this cursed forest.
Each step was torture. Pain sliced through him like hundreds of knives, and his legs wobbled as if they might give out at any moment. Still, he pushed on, driving his body to its absolute limits.
---
Minutes turned into hours.
Still,Edo did not stop.
Hours stretched into what felt like eternity.
Still, Edo did not stop.
His pain seemed muted by the vision of life that flashed in his mind.
Still, Edo did not stop.
"How much longer...? I… I don't know… if I can… keep going… My legs… Do I even still have them…? Heh… I can't feel them anymore..." he muttered, his thoughts becoming increasingly disjointed.
Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of heavy footsteps behind him. They were too familiar to ignore. Edo's heart sank.
"No… You've got to be fucking kidding me…"
Trembling, he turned his head and saw what he feared the most. It was him. The monster. The same one whose face had been blown apart by the bolt. The same one that survived Leni's lethal attack. The same one responsible for this entire nightmare. Battered, bleeding, half his face destroyed, but still alive, the beast was slowly closing in on them.
"Ha… Haha… HAHAHAHAHA! This has to be some kind of sick, unfunny joke!" Edo burst into hysterical laughter.
"Why this one fucking monster…? The *first* fucking monster I meet in this world, and it has goddamn plot armor?! I'm the one who's supposed to have that, damn it!!"
A wave of frustration surged through him, but he knew such thoughts would change nothing. He'd been in this world too briefly to understand its rules, but one thing was certain—only action would give him a chance at survival.
He turned his back to the monster and gently laid Leni on the ground. He wanted to make sure she'd be safe, at least for a moment. Swallowing hard, he glanced at her one last time, as if drawing strength from her presence.
When he looked back at the monster, it was much closer now. Every step it took seemed to drive another nail into Edo's coffin.
"The crossbow..." Edo thought, grabbing the magical weapon from his belt. He pulled it out along with one of the remaining bolts, but realization struck him like a blow. It was pointless. Without the strength or leverage, he couldn't draw the string. The last time, he'd barely managed by using the ground for support, but now, standing, he was powerless. Lying down again wasn't an option—he knew that if he did, he'd never get back up.
"FUCK THIS!!" he roared, and in a burst of frustration, he hurled the crossbow into the depths of the forest.
He looked straight ahead—the monster was almost upon him. Its single remaining eye stared at Edo with a cold, inscrutable gaze, and its shattered face appeared even more terrifying.
"Move…" the monster said in a low, grave voice.
Edo froze. The monster's tone was different than before. When they first met, it had been full of confidence and arrogance. Later, after being wounded, it had been enraged, consumed by fury. But now? Now it was just serious. Almost calm.
"No…" Edo answered softly, his voice trembling.
- "Mov--."
"NOOO!" Edo screamed, locking eyes with the monster, his gaze brimming with a determination he hadn't known he possessed.
The monster let out a deep sigh, his breath sounding like a heavy lament, and asked with a disturbing undertone in his voice:
"Why are you so determined to protect this woman?"
The question caught Edo off guard. He hadn't expected the enemy to ask something like that, but he answered without hesitation:
"Because unlike me, she has ambition! She has goals that I might bury if I fail! And I can't let that happen! Even if I can't achieve much… at least I'll die with dignity, like a man, protecting someone with such a noble purpose!"
In a surge of courage, he swung at the monster. The attack, however, was pitifully ineffective. The monster effortlessly caught Edo's arm and, with a brutal motion, ripped it off.
Edo froze. He stared at the spot where his right arm had been moments ago. Now, there was only blood, pouring out in a crimson torrent. Pain ripped through his body like a thousand blades, and dark spots began to cloud his vision.
He didn't scream. He bit his lips so hard he nearly bit through them. He glared at the monster with hostility, even though every fiber of his being begged for mercy.
The monster opened his hand, and the severed arm fell to the ground. He looked at Edo with the same grave expression as before and repeated:
"Move aside."
Edo stared at him, tears of rage and pain streaming down his face.
"Listen..." the monster began, his voice calm, almost philosophical. "I've been what you see now for over a hundred years. It's been a long time since I've met someone as stubborn as you. I have to admit, I'm impressed. I apologize for my earlier behavior. When that woman injured me, I lost control… I acted irrationally."
Edo stared at him in disbelief, but the monster continued:
"I'll spare you. I like your will to fight. But you must let me kill this woman. I need her energy to regenerate. In exchange, I'll give you some of mine so you don't die from exhaustion. It's a fair trade. Now step aside."
"Wait… what?! What the hell are you talking about?! I told you, I'm not giving up, you bastard! Why do you want her energy so badly, huh?! Take mine instead!" Edo shouted, still standing in the monster's path.
The monster frowned.
"Don't misunderstand me. I can sense the energy of others, and you have none. It's strange but true. You're also too weak to be one of them."
Edo wasn't surprised by the answer. He already suspected that, as someone without a magical core, he had no energy at all. But in his panic, he'd asked the question even though the answer was obvious.
"Alright, now move aside…"
"NEVER!" Edo screamed, clutching his hand over the bleeding wound.
The monster sighed deeply.
"I see I have no choice. I'll have to kill you."
He looked at the boy seriously, as though preparing for a final strike. Edo's thoughts swirled.
"Is this the end? Is this how my adventure in this world ends? Heh… Seriously, do I really have such rotten luck?" His thoughts spun, and the pain was nearly paralyzing.
He felt life slowly leaving his body. With his broken left hand, he pressed against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Suddenly, in the pocket of his jacket, he felt something that almost made him doubt his senses—a forgotten object. Something that could change his fate.
"The phone... Heh, but how do I even use it? I completely forgot about it. After all, what good is a phone in a place like this? But wait... I KNOW!"
Edo remembered a feature he had once set up on his device. Double-pressing the power button turned on the flashlight. He had configured it back when he used to watch horror movies late at night, quickly double-clicking the power button to light up the room and check if no one was lurking in the shadows.
"Yes! This could work! But that monster won't give me the time to calmly pull out my phone... I have to act fast."
Edo slowly removed his hand from the wound, feeling warm blood pour out even faster. With a trembling hand, he reached for the right pocket of his jacket.
"Please, just be in one piece, phone... I hope you still work after all this..."
The monster noticed the boy's suspicious movements. Its eyes narrowed before launching a brutal strike with its claws, aiming directly at Edo's chest. At the last moment, Edo pulled back, dodging the deadly blow, but the claws tore through his shirt and part of his jacket, cutting into his skin and leaving deep, stinging wounds.
At that very moment, Edo grabbed the phone, pulled it out of his pocket, and pressed the power button twice. A beam of light from the flashlight hit the monster's single eye directly.
"AAAARGHHH!!" the monster let out a blood-curdling scream of pain, recoiling and clutching its light-struck eye.
"It works!" Edo shouted. He dropped the phone, and, seizing the moment of his enemy's disorientation, lifted his leg and struck the monster's knee with all his strength, knocking both the monster and himself off balance. They both fell to the ground, but Edo, despite the pain, didn't allow himself even a moment of hesitation.
"TAKE THAT, YOU BASTARD!" he yelled, driving his broken left hand straight into the monster's forehead, into the place where its core was located. He poured every ounce of his remaining strength into the strike, ignoring the agony that tore through his body. He felt his hand's bones shatter further, his fingers crunching under the pressure.
The monster and Edo collapsed onto the ground beside each other. Edo lay there, gasping for breath, pain throbbing through every cell of his body.
"Argh... The pain... Did... did it work?" Edo's thoughts were chaotic, his vision starting to blur.
Then he saw the monster rising from the ground. Slowly, it approached the boy, standing over him like a shadow of death.
"Fuck this..." Edo whispered to himself, almost accepting his fate.
"You've won..." the monster said unexpectedly, breaking through his despair.
Edo opened his eyes wider and looked at the monster. Its core, the same one he had struck with his hand, was cracked and emitting a strange, fading light.
"You've won... I shouldn't have underestimated you for even a moment..." the monster continued, its voice sounding almost respectful. Then it fell to the ground with a heavy thud, its body beginning to evaporate, turning into dust.
"I... I won... Haha... Yeah... I won... But what's the point?" Edo whispered, barely able to see. "I don't even have the strength to get up. I couldn't save Leni... But... I gave it absolutely everything I had. Even if I failed, I'm prouder of myself now than ever before... Heh At least my death turned out epic in this world.... ..."
Slowly, he closed his eyes, accepting his fate.