I shook my head, trying to dispel the frivolous and weird thoughts swirling in my mind. This wasn't the time for distractions. My entire body ached, the sharp stingers buried deep in my flesh sending waves of pain through me. Some were lodged in places I didn't even want to think about.
"Um, are you okay? Still in shock?" the woman asked, her voice laced with concern. Upon closer inspection, I noticed her bright green eyes, striking against the burned scar that marred her face. The scar was...
"Did you get hurt trying to save me...?" I didn't want to entertain the thought, but the possibility gnawed at me. Could it be that her beauty had been scarred because of me?
Her expression shifted abruptly, as if my question had offended her. She stood up, turning her face away.
"It's an old scar," she answered curtly. "Forget about me. More importantly, are those stingers poisonous? You're looking paler by the second."
"Poison? I don't thi—" My words were cut off as I coughed violently, blood spilling from my mouth. The effects were finally catching up to me.
"Mister, are you okay?" The little girl rushed toward me as I collapsed face-first onto the ground. "Mister! Mister! Please don't die! It's all because of me..."
"G-get away from him, girl! Go back and stand with your brother," the brown-haired girl ordered sharply.
"Yeah, sis, don't say it's your fault. I was the one who provoked those bees," the little boy chimed in.
I could hear them, feel the pain coursing through me, but moving my body was proving impossible.
Paralysis?
"Stay calm, okay? I'll take you back to the clearing for now. Hold tight," I heard her say as she hoisted me onto her back.
Wasn't she too strong for a girl? She looked to be around my age. What a pathetic display this was—paralyzed and being carried by a girl. Shouldn't it have been the other way around?
"Kids, stay close to me. We don't know what other creatures are lurking in this forest," she warned, adjusting me on her back with a sharp jerk. My jaw, hanging loosely, slammed into my tongue, and I bit down hard. Pain shot through me.
*Kill me now.*
"Why are kids as young as you even in this game? Isn't it rated R17?" she scolded the children as she began walking back the way we came.
"Ah, that..."
"It's all this brat's fault. He plays games all the time and never does his homework."
"Sis?"
"And he uses Father's ID to buy these adult games, saying children's games are boring."
"Sis!"
"Now, now, let's talk about this later. Be quiet, or we might attract more animals."
I listened to their conversation as my head dangled loosely over her shoulder, her hair tickling my nose. Such a pleasant fragrance. Wait, no—I mustn't smell. I am not a weirdo.
But a paralyzed man's gotta breathe, right? I hoped she'd forgive me.
By the way, wasn't I forgetting something?
Must be my imagination.
*Buzz. Buzz.*
"No way..." The girl turned reflexively, causing my neck to jerk awkwardly again.
"Please don't let it be them..."
"The bees..."
Panic erupted once more. I saw them clearly now—giant bees, an even larger swarm than before, heading straight for us. Was it just me, or did they look angrier than ever?
"Kids, run!" she shouted, quickly dropping me to the ground like the ragdoll I'd become. Thankfully, I landed at an angle that gave me a perfect view of my approaching doom.
"Be careful!"
"Come with me!"
The children sprinted away without hesitation, perhaps too confident in the girl's abilities. This time, even I would get a front-row seat to the action.
"It's your fault for attacking us. Don't hold it against me," she muttered, stretching out her hand, palm wide open, directly toward the incoming swarm.
*Buzz. Buzz.*
She took a step back, her stance tense, and shouted, "Flame Thrower!"
Fire erupted from her palm, raging wildly and reducing the bees to blackened balls of coal. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and my eyes contracted from the brightness of the flames.
Magnificent.
However, the flames stopped abruptly, without warning.
"Shit... My MP is gone," she muttered, taking several steps back. "We gotta run."
Those damn game masters. Giving us too little MP while making the monsters ridiculously strong.
She hurriedly tried to lift me onto her back again, but it was too late. Sorry for being a burdensome ragdoll.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you," she said, covering me with her own body, just as I had done for the little girl earlier.
Tears welled up in my eyes. I knew how much it would hurt her. Worse, she'd be paralyzed alongside me. Some random creature might stumble upon us and start feasting on our helpless bodies.
I wanted to scream at her, to tell her to leave me and run. But of course, I had no such luck.
I saw it—the swarm finally reaching us, blocking out the sunlight. I couldn't even close my eyes as I resigned myself to my fate. I could hear her heartbeat quicken, her face buried in my shoulder.
The first bee charged, aiming straight for my left eye.
It's over.
—*Slash.*—
A sharp, slicing sound cut through the air.
"You dare hurt my partner? Die. Die. Die to your death!"
—*Slash.*—
—*Slash.*—
—*Slash.*—
#Teammate @Boxcutter has slain: Level 5 Giant Bee.
#Teammate @Boxcutter has slain: Level 5 Giant Bee.
It was her. Boxcutter.
She moved with the agility of a speed demon, her blade slicing through the bees with precision. I couldn't even follow her movements with my eyes. It was as if she had ten hands.
—*Slash.*—
—*Slash.*—
—*Slash.*—
The bees fell around us, or rather, their pieces did.
#Teammate @Boxcutter has slain: Level 5 Giant Bee.
#Teammate @Boxcutter has slain: Level 5 Giant Bee.
#Teammate @Boxcutter has slain: Level 5 Giant Bee.
*Buzz. Buzz.*
Within a minute of relentless slashing, the sky was clear. All the bees were dead, without stinging any of us even once.
Fantastic. Was she for real?
"Who in the world...?" the girl muttered, equally bewildered.
"Now then. Bandage..." Boxcutter glared at me, still buried under the girl's protective embrace. Her eyes were cold.
I had a bad feeling about this.