October 23, 3104
It's time for me to go. Most of them already knew I was leaving today, but I didn't say goodbye. Parting with people has always been difficult for me.
The car was already waiting in front of the hospital. I turned back to look at the building where I'd spent six months—where I'd lost everything, and yet, somehow, where I'd found a glimmer of hope to recover what I'd lost.
When I glanced up at the rehabilitation room windows, I saw a group of elderly patients who seemed like they'd never leave this place.
"Don't die, you old fakers" I muttered with a grin.
As I got into the car, the smile faded, replaced by the expressionless look I'd learned to wear—a defense mechanism that became second nature after growing up in a clan of knights.
I've ended up with the same face as those scaly reptiles in the clan.
The Cindercrest elders…as far back as I can remember, they've been hell-bent on ruining my life. My relationship with my father isn't exactly bad, but he was always chosen as the one to represent the clan in battles, which kept him distant. I can't say I have a bad relationship with him because, honestly, I'm not sure I have a relationship with him at all.
In twelve years, I've seen him only twice. The first was when I caught a glimpse of him walking toward the central house while I was training with the new generation of the clan. The second was at the annual clan meeting, which I was invited to attend because I'd become the most advanced junior of my cohort.
They never considered my mother as a person—just as a means to an end. She was brought into the clan by my father, canceling a previous engagement, and although we were tolerated due to our achievements, we were never truly accepted.
And they leaped at the first chance to get rid of us.
"I'll show you what you bastards threw away," I whispered.
Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my hands, which had been tense until now.
"But right now, it'll be tricky, considering what the doctor said."
October 22
"Your max ejection fraction dropped from 100% to 75%. That's fascinating, considering most people are born with 75%, but you lost two limbs and still have so much."
"But it's not enough. It's insufficient," Kail replied.
"Insufficient for what?"
"For the Altgrad Academy! I need at least 80% to qualify."
"You want to enter Altgrad without two major arteries?" the doctor asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, I do!" Kail responded firmly.
The doctor sighed. "Ehhh… you do realize that 90% of Altgrad's students have all their arteries intact? Not to mention, the academy set the 80% minimum to keep out the flood of applications. Even the weakest admitted students usually have at least 85%, and I probably don't need to explain how crucial every 1% is—let alone 10%!"
"I know! If not for my original 100%, I'd already be out on the streets!" Kail's voice faltered, and silence fell between them for a moment.
"But I still want to try. I really do. But with 75%, I can't even qualify!"
The doctor looked into Kail's eyes and saw a rare fire there—an intense drive he'd only seen once before, in a little girl who defied her own limits. Most of his patients were exhausted from life, simply wanting to live their last days in peace. Yet, here was this fierce desire for more. Biting the corner of his lip, he finally spoke.
"It… it might be possible to increase it."
"What could increase it?" Kail asked, startled.
"But don't get your hopes up. This is nothing more than a wild theory."
"What does it involve?" Kail leaned forward, intrigued.
"Your arterial system was once ideal because your central arteries were large enough to channel ether through 100% of your skin pores. But after you lost central arteries in your forearm, palm, leg, and foot, the size of the remaining arteries didn't shrink. So, while they still transfer ether, they can't cover all the pores, leaving unused ether in the system. If you could force the body to expel that ether, it might stretch the remaining arteries to cover a wider area, and your ejection fraction could increase."
I was stunned. Even if it was just a theory, it was still a chance.
"But!" the doctor added, raising a hand. "I repeat, this is only a theory—no evidence, no clinical examples, just the idea of a crazy doctor."
"Thank you for the idea," Kail said with a small smile. "As the doctor is, so are the patients."
"Haha, maybe so. But don't mention this to our old friends, or we'll both be in trouble."
October 23
Near Elderwood Forest
We arrived, and the driver turned to me.
"Mr. Kail, if your attempt is unsuccessful, ask the person you're visiting if they can offer you a place to stay for three days. I'll be back here from 12:00 to 13:00. Good luck on your adventure."
"Thank you very much," I replied.
No matter what others say about Mr. Collins, he's a good person.
Now, I was alone with a bag of essentials: some clothes, snacks, and camping supplies—a knife, two glow sticks, a lighter, and some rope. I hadn't packed much since Mr. Collins had said I'd be covering a lot of ground. Fortunately, I'd dressed well for the autumn weather.
I opened the map. It only covered about 5% of the entire forest, and the instructions were simple: stay on the right path for around 20 kilometers, then wait there.
"Strange," I muttered. "No reference points… I'm not even sure if the starting point on the map matches where I am."
With no other choice, I moved in the direction of the sun, as it was the only way to ensure I was heading straight.
And so, I began.
By sunset, the sun had nearly disappeared from view. My plan to navigate using the opposite direction of the moon quickly failed when it hid behind thick clouds.
"Damn!" I muttered.
With no other choice, I took a glow stick from my bag, bent it to activate it, then took out my knife to mark the trees as I walked to avoid getting lost.
I kept moving forward.
"I'm exhausted," I murmured.
I had no idea how far I'd gone. Complete darkness surrounded me, and my glow stick would soon run out. Deciding it was best to rest and continue at sunrise, I searched for a place to sleep.
I found a tall tree with plenty of branches for climbing. Carefully, I climbed up to a thicker branch about four or five meters off the ground. Wrapping the rope around my waist, I tied myself securely to the branch so I wouldn't fall in my sleep.
"That's it for today," I murmured, drifting off to sleep.
A cold wind blew in my direction, jolting me awake.
"What are you doing here?"
Hearing a voice, I nearly slipped from the branch, saved only by the rope I'd tied around myself earlier.
I didn't sense him at all… even now, standing right in front of me, his presence is barely noticeable.
The man was about 183 cm tall, with gray hair and a beard, and black eyes fixed in my direction. He stood on a nearby branch, dressed in hunter's clothing in dark shades, a hooded cloak, a bow slung across his back, and a hip quiver at his side.
I found him. I really found him.
It was Evans Hidklif.