The rushing river scattered the three youths entirely, pulling them further apart as they were swept downstream.
Leon felt cold water envelop him, and a sense of foreboding grew in his heart—he had underestimated the sheer force of the rapids.
The waves battered his body incessantly, blurring his surroundings. Amid the chaotic tumult, he began to choke on water, the sensation of being unable to surface becoming more apparent with each passing second.
No matter how calmly he tried to hold his breath and maintain balance, his already waning strength continued to drain away. The raging current, like a merciless giant hand, dragged him deeper into the depths.
As the river consumed him entirely, his consciousness began to fade alongside his strength.
...Azerian and the others... are they still in the water?
...Am I... going to die?
Pain, suffocation, silence...
The icy river filling his lungs froze Leon's dwindling spirit. This, he thought, might truly be his end.
A fleeting visitor from another world, drowning in the depths of a foreign river—it was almost a ridiculous way for his story to end.
Unable to resist further, his body sank deeper, until it finally reached the riverbed.
"Should I call you lucky... or unlucky?"
"Leon" opened his eyes again.
However, his originally black pupils now gleamed with a luminous golden light in the murky darkness.
"There's no time for delay."
In one smooth motion, "Leon" flipped upright underwater, his hands tracing symbols in the water, swiftly forming runes that created a barrier, isolating the surrounding currents.
In the next instant, he shot up from the riverbed like a fish, his body moving swiftly and fluidly.
Even in the pitch-black water, "Leon" seemed unfazed by the strong undercurrents.
"There," his golden eyes scanned the darkness. He twisted his body, breaking through the water as he swam toward his target.
In one swift motion, "Leon" grabbed Lohak by the back of his collar. Without hesitation, he pivoted and swam at high speed toward another figure struggling on the river's surface—
On the turbulent river, Azerian was still fighting desperately against the current.
He had exhausted all his strength, but even with his skills in water, he couldn't overcome the harsh reality of his draining stamina.
Suddenly, he felt a powerful force surge beneath him, and then he was lifted from the water, soaring upward.
—Boom!
The river exploded as waves surged skyward. In the spray, "Leon" leaped into the air, one hand gripping Lohak and the other holding Azerian's arm. Effortlessly, he landed on the rocky cliff by the riverbank.
The moment he touched solid ground, "Leon" released both of them. His body swayed as the golden light in his eyes quickly faded.
"...Cough!!—Cough!…" Leon collapsed to the ground, gasping and retching uncontrollably.
The river water gushed from his throat as if a floodgate had opened, and he felt like he was about to expel his stomach and lungs altogether.
Azerian, still reeling from shock, stared in a daze. Moments ago, he thought he was about to die, only to find himself suddenly thrown onto dry land.
Seeing Lohak lying motionless nearby jolted him back to reality. He hurried over and began administering first aid, frantically removing Lohak's chainmail and undergarments, draining water, and performing chest compressions. After much effort, a painful cough finally escaped Lohak's lips.
"Ugh~ cough cough… cough—" Lohak spat out water, groaning weakly as he slowly opened his eyes.
"...Hah~... we… we're saved?" Lohak gasped for breath, glancing at the chainmail discarded beside him. His helmet had been lost in the river, and the weight of the armor had nearly dragged him to his death.
"It's a miracle you managed to pull me out... I'll never make the mistake of wearing armor in water again..."
Azerian collapsed onto the ground, his legs trembling. Hearing Lohak's gratitude, he shook his head bitterly and pointed to Leon, who lay a short distance away, even more disheveled.
"I barely saved myself—I didn't even know where you'd been swept off to. It was Leon who pulled us out."
Azerian couldn't comprehend how Leon had managed to bring them ashore, but he wisely chose not to question his companion's secrets.
Leon, still panting, wiped his face with a trembling hand. Exhausted but alive, he let out a dry chuckle in response.
He vividly recalled the strange force that had controlled his body, propelling him through the river. It was clear he had been saved once again by the mysterious presence that had helped him before.
She's here. She must have been watching over him all along...
Unable to suppress his gratitude and curiosity, Leon called out silently in his heart, "Are you still there?"
After a moment of silence, no response came.
Was he imagining things? Maybe this presence couldn't communicate through consciousness alone?
This time, unlike when he was held captive by mercenaries, he had no fear of being overheard. Leon decided to call out aloud:
"Hey! …Hey, are you still here?"
The two other boys stared at him in confusion, unsure who he was talking to.
But a voice, audible only to Leon, spoke directly to his mind:
"Ugh, I'm here, I'm here... no need to shout."
The soft voice of a young woman murmured, her tone clearer and smoother than before.
Overjoyed at the long-awaited response, Leon's face lit up.
"Sorry, I just thought maybe I needed to speak louder for you to hear me."
He scratched his wet hair, a surge of excitement rushing through him. It wasn't just relief from confirming the mysterious presence that had haunted him since that day—it was the thrill of knowing that a powerful and benevolent force was dwelling within him.
Was this like the "old master" trope from the web novels he used to read? Or perhaps a "mysterious big sister"?
Who was she, though?
Was she a local spirit?
Or another soul, like him, from some distant world?
Countless speculations filled his mind.
"Louder isn't necessary. I've been able to hear you all along," the voice replied lazily. "I simply chose not to respond earlier."
Her frankness made Leon feel a little awkward, but he held no resentment. After all, she had saved his life twice now.
"Sorry about that," Leon said, switching to mental communication. "I just wanted to thank you for your help."
"Don't mention it," she replied, her tone softening. "You have many questions, and so do I. But I'm too weak right now. If not for this place… even speaking would be difficult. Speaking of which, I didn't expect you to survive that day…"
Before she could finish, Azerian's urgent shout interrupted their conversation.
"Leon! …Leon!"
Pulled back to reality, Leon looked up. "What is it?"
Azerian gestured around them, and Leon noticed Lohak staring upward in a daze.
Then, for the first time, Leon truly observed their surroundings.
Earlier, preoccupied with survival and his inner dialogue, he hadn't paid much attention. But now, fully alert, he realized something was profoundly wrong.
The visibility was unnaturally clear, revealing everything in startling detail.
In broad daylight, this would be normal.
But unless his memory had failed him, it was still midnight under a crescent moon.
The violent encounters, their frantic escape from the forest, and their plunge into the river—none of it could have pushed the time forward to dawn.
When they fell into the river, even in sparse moonlight, they had barely been able to see the land and water.
Now, Leon stumbled to his feet, glancing around. The forest remained, and so did the river that had nearly claimed them.
But everything appeared unnervingly clear, with a strange, indescribable vividness.
It wasn't the bright clarity of daylight, but rather a sharp, eerie sharpness, as though the world had been draped in a desaturated veil, everything rendered in surreal, muted hues.
Following Lohak's gaze, Leon tilted his head upward—and froze.
There was no sun, no moon, no stars...
The sky above was an endless expanse of dark, swirling shadows, like a vast, oil-black sea.
"What... what is this place?" Lohak's voice trembled, fear written across his face.
"Could it be... that we drowned? Is this the afterlife?"
Leon frowned, trying to keep calm. "Don't say nonsense. We're still alive."
Azerian, his voice uncertain, muttered, "You've heard the stories of the Plains of Despair, haven't you?"
Lohak's eyes widened in terror. "You mean we've stumbled into a cursed land?!"
Leon's thoughts raced. He understood Azerian's reference—a childhood tale often told to frighten children.
The Plains of Despair weren't some obscure legend but a well-known myth in the Kingdom of Serian.
The tales described accursed lands hidden in remote corners of the world, filled with treasures and monsters alike.
These cursed lands could appear in dense forests, barren deserts, or desolate plains. Regardless of their location, all accounts agreed that these forsaken places had no sky, no sun, moon, or stars, and no boundaries. Those who entered were never seen again.
"...A cursed land... fitting, I suppose."
"You know what this place is?" Leon asked the voice within him, oddly comforted by her presence.
Unlike his blind guessing, the mysterious entity with her magical powers likely knew more about this eerie environment.
"This is a 'Class-Spirit Domain.' That's the true name of this realm…" Her voice turned somber, her ethereal tone tinged with an inexplicable sorrow.