CHAPTER 3 – The Fall
"No… I can't die here… I have to do something!" Leo shouted at himself as he plummeted down the cliff.
His breathing was rapid, his heart pounding like a war drum.
Think, Leo, think!
Wind magic? No — not enough mana. Ken… maybe if he coated his sword with wind, he could survive.
But then he hesitated.
Tch, I don't even know how to use Ken properly… But Father always said: spread your mana, connect your body to your blade.
Leo shut his eyes, focused, and roared:
"Mana, flow through me!"
A warmth spread from his core into his arm. The sword no longer felt like cold steel — it was part of him.
"Yes… I feel it! This is Ken!"
With all his strength, he swung.
A gust of wind burst from his blade, catching him like invisible wings. He still hit the ground hard, but he wasn't dead.
Leo groaned, trembling.
"Oh… I really thought I'd die…"
But relief didn't last. Red eyes glimmered in the shadows. Dozens of them. Growls, fangs, claws — the clearing beneath the cliff was swarming with monsters.
From the pack, a massive wolf-like beast emerged. Three meters tall, fangs like spears, eyes burning with bloodlust.
"Shit…" Leo muttered, his legs trembling. Yet he raised his blade and shouted:
"Come then! If I'm going to die, I'll die fighting!"
The beast lunged.
"Move, damn it, move!" Leo dodged at the last second. His body reacted on instinct.
Fast Learning… it's kicking in!
His blade sliced across the wolf's leg. The monster roared and collapsed. Without hesitation, Leo finished it with a clean strike.
"One down… how many more…?"
And then—dozens poured out. Dozens became a hundred.
"You've got to be kidding me!" he cursed, gripping his sword tighter. "Fine! COME ON!"
The battlefield became hell. Each strike, each dodge, each parry—his body was adapting, improving with every movement.
"Sidestep… parry… slash… I know this! My body remembers!"
But pain exploded through his ribs, his arms, his legs.
"Arghhh! Damn it… I can't—"
And yet his body kept moving. Wind howled with each strike, monsters fell one by one.
At last, silence. The clearing was littered with corpses. Only Leo remained, soaked in blood, gasping.
"Hah… hah… I… I did it…" His knees buckled, and he collapsed. Darkness swallowed him whole.
---
When Leo opened his eyes again, a girl with silvery hair and pointed ears knelt beside him.
"Oh… you're awake," she said softly.
Leo groaned, pushing himself up. "Who… who are you?"
"Selene," she answered. "An elf. I found you covered in blood. You would have died if I hadn't dragged you out."
He managed a weak smile.
"Then… thank you. You saved my life."
"Don't mention it," she replied, though her curious eyes lingered on him. "You're human, aren't you? What were you doing here all alone?"
"I fell," Leo admitted. "I was with hunters… slipped off a cliff. The monsters nearly finished me."
Selene lowered her gaze. "You're lucky. Very lucky."
Leo chuckled weakly. "Feels more like stubbornness than luck."
---
Later, when he had regained some strength, he introduced himself properly.
"My name is Leo Mizuno. Thank you again, Selene, for saving me."
"You're welcome," she said softly.
"But… what about you? What are you doing here?" Leo asked.
"I saw you fall," she admitted. "I thought I could call for help… but I slipped too. So I ended up here with you."
Leo frowned, then pushed himself up despite his trembling legs.
"Then I'll bring you home. You saved me — now it's my turn."
Selene's eyes widened slightly. "You? After all that… you killed all those monsters?"
"Yes," Leo said quietly. "Somehow, I survived. But without you, I'd still be lying there."
Selene's lips curled into a shy smile. "Then… if you really help me return, I'll repay you one day."
"There's no need. But… can you use magic to contact my parents? They must think I'm dead."
She nodded. "There is such a spell. But it requires a strong bond and a lot of mana. If the bond is true, the message will reach them."
---
Meanwhile, back at home…
Kenji sat at the table, his face buried in his hands. "I'm sorry… the monster was too strong. At least C-rank. I couldn't protect him…"
Kevin placed a hand on his shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, Kenji."
But Leo's mother stood silently, her eyes cold and sharp. "My son is not dead. I would feel it if he was."
And then—
"Mom. Dad."
Everyone froze.
"L-Leo?!" Kenji leapt to his feet. "Where are you?! Are you hurt?!"
Leo's faint chuckle echoed in their minds. "I'm alive. Someone saved me. Her name is Selene. She taught me this spell."
Tears streamed down his mother's face. "I knew it… I knew my son couldn't die like this!"
Kenji clenched his fists, relief shaking his voice. "Thank the gods…"
"Listen," Leo continued. "I'll bring her home safely. It might take a month. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"No, it's too dangerous—we'll find you!" Kenji protested.
Leo shook his head. "You can't. I don't even know where I am. For now, I'll find my own way."
His mother wept, but smiled. "Then promise me… you'll come back alive."
"I promise," Leo said firmly. "So wait for me. I'll return."
His parents whispered together, voices trembling with hope:
"We trust you. Come back soon, son."
The connection faded.
---
Afterward, Leo and Selene prepared to leave.
"Hey Selene," Leo asked with a smirk, "you said you were going to call for help before you slipped. That means your people must be nearby, right?"
"Oh, yes," Selene replied proudly. "I went to the main town with my guards. You know… I am a princess, after all."
Leo blinked. "A princess, huh? Then where are your guards?"
Her face turned bright red. She looked away, voice suddenly soft and cute.
"Um… I tried to escape them. I got lost, then I saw you fall… I wanted to help but… I don't know where they are now."
Leo chuckled. "How can a princess get lost like that? Fine—I'll help you. After all, you saved me first."
Selene puffed her cheeks slightly. "Hmph, you'd better!"
"Do you think they already went back to the kingdom?" Leo asked politely.
"Maybe… I think they'll assume I went home, like always. But this time… I'm really lost." Her voice grew sad.
"Don't worry," Leo said gently. "I'll bring you home. But first… we need to get out of here."
Selene tilted her head curiously. "And how will we do that?"
"We'll move forward," Leo said calmly. "That's the only way out."
"Oh okay, but… there are still monsters," she whispered.
"Don't worry. I'll protect you. But you're a princess, aren't you? Can you fight?"
"Oh, I can cast some basic spells… and one advanced one, but it drains a lot of mana. I'll be useful!" she said proudly.
Leo smirked. "Good. Stay behind me, Selene."
"Okay. But I'll help too," she smiled.
"Just be careful. It won't be easy," he warned.
Selene teased, "Oh, you already care about me that much, huh?"
Leo rolled his eyes. "I can't let my savior die, can I? And you're a princess, after all."
Selene giggled. "Then don't let me die here."
"Fine. Let's go."
---
They pressed forward. Monsters kept appearing, but Leo cut them down one by one. His movements were sharper, faster—his body improving after every battle.
Selene cast spells at weaker ones, impressed by his strength. "Wow… you're stronger than you look. Maybe I don't even need to do anything."
"Still, stay close," Leo replied calmly. "You never know what might happen."
Hours passed. They fought side by side until Leo was nearly collapsing from exhaustion. Selene noticed his heavy breathing and worry filled her voice.
"Leo, let's rest. You don't have to push yourself so hard."
Leo smiled and teased, "Oh? The princess is worried about me? Then I guess I'll listen to her."
Her face flushed red. "Hmph! Do what you want. I don't care."
Leo chuckled. "Alright. Let's rest."
But just as they searched for a safe spot, a massive shadow appeared. At first, it looked like a normal monster — but when it charged, Leo barely dodged in time.
Selene's eyes widened. "This one… it's stronger than the others…"
The beast towered over them, 2.5 meters tall, its orange skin stretched over bulging muscles. Razor-sharp claws gleamed in the dim light.
Leo's voice was tense. "This thing… it's stronger than the Hobgoblin I fought earlier."
The monster roared and attacked. Leo blocked its claws, sparks flying from his blade. He countered, slicing its arm. The beast screamed—then its body twisted and swelled, muscles doubling in size as its skin turned crimson. Its severed arm regenerated before their eyes.
"What the hell…?" Leo gasped in shock.
Selene stepped out from behind a rock. "I'll help you, Leo! You can't win alone!"
"No! Stay back!" Leo shouted, fear in his voice.
But before she could retreat, the beast lunged at her. Leo leapt in the way—its claws raked across his side, tearing flesh.
"Ahhhgh!" he screamed in pain, but still grabbed Selene's hand. "Run! Now!"
Dragging her with him, Leo bolted through the forest. The mutated beast gave chase, smashing through trees, but Selene cast spells to slow it down—bursts of fire, roots tearing from the ground.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, they burst out of the ravine and into the dense forest. They kept running until the sounds of pursuit faded.
Leo collapsed against a tree, blood soaking his clothes. "We… we made it…"
Selene knelt beside him, her hands glowing as she tried to heal his wounds. Her voice trembled, but her eyes burned with determination.
"You idiot… don't you dare die after everything we went through."
Leo chuckled weakly. "Relax… I'm not planning on dying yet."
The forest grew silent around them. For the first time since the fall, they were safe.
end of chapter 3