I woke up to a heavy sensation pressing down on my chest.
It wasn't sharp pain—just a slow, lingering weight, as if my body hadn't yet decided whether it wanted to rise… or sink back into sleep. I forced my eyes open, my vision taking a few seconds to steady.
The sky above me was washed in a pale blue, light slipping through the dense canopy in narrow angles.
The sun had moved from where it was before.
Time had passed.
I raised my arm slowly. The movement was possible… but uncomfortable. My gaze drifted to my shoulder, where the deep wound remained. It hadn't vanished, but the bleeding had stopped, and the flesh was closing in a way that felt unnatural.
"…Two hours?" I muttered.
I wasn't certain, but something inside me insisted I hadn't slept long. And yet, whatever had happened during that time was far from normal.
I pushed myself up carefully, one hand braced against the ground. My body responded—stiff, but obedient. That familiar sensation that precedes collapse never came. The pain was still there, yes, but it no longer ruled me.
I checked the rest of my injuries.
The shallow cuts had almost disappeared. The deeper wounds still protested when I moved, but there was no tearing, no fresh bleeding. My chest ached with every deep breath, and my shoulder rejected any sudden motion.
But I was standing.
"Partial recovery," I said quietly.
Not healing. Not a miracle.
But enough.
I looked down at the sword in my hand.
There was no blood on it. The blade was clean, still—like it hadn't done anything the day before. I felt no new flow, no change in my mana.
And yet… I couldn't ignore the thought that surfaced.
I dismissed it.
Now wasn't the time for questions.
I lifted my gaze toward the depths of the forest. The trees were still dense, the shadows long. Staying here meant more encounters—more attrition.
The choice was obvious.
Return.
---
I started moving again, slow and deliberate, choosing my path with care. I no longer rushed the way I had in the first days. Every step was measured. Every sound, watched.
The forest hadn't forgotten me.
Less than half an hour later, the first threat appeared.
An E-rank beast, resembling a massive wild dog. Dark fur. Alert eyes. It watched me from behind a fallen trunk.
I didn't change my pace.
When it lunged, I stepped once to the side. The sword rose in a straight line. The strike was clean. Fast. Thoughtless.
The body fell without a sound.
I paused for a moment. My breathing was steady. No tremor. No hesitation.
I moved on.
Another beast. Then another.
Some attacked. Some retreated. One forced me to chase it briefly before I ended it.
These weren't battles.
They were obstacles being removed.
But with every encounter, I felt something inside me wearing down.
Not my strength.
My endurance.
My mana didn't recover. What remained felt like residue—an empty core struggling to breathe. Every strike relied on the body alone, every movement consuming what little remained.
I stopped, leaning against a tree.
My breathing deepened. Sweat gathered on my brow. And the pain… returned, reminding me of its limits.
"Don't overdo it," I told myself.
Then I continued.
---
Halfway through, I encountered a D-rank beast.
It was taller than the others, its body covered in natural plates, its head lowered as if preparing to charge. I saw it before it saw me—and that saved me.
I didn't attack head-on.
I changed direction, trying to circle around, but the forest here offered no mercy. Thick branches slowed me, and the beast sensed the movement.
It charged.
I rolled aside as the impact shook the ground behind me. Pain exploded in my chest, but I held on. I rose quickly, sword held low.
The next attack was slower.
I seized the opening.
I lunged forward, struck the joint between the plates—once, then again. The beast recoiled, roared, tried to turn.
I didn't pursue.
I backed away.
I wasn't here to fight.
I was here to pass through.
I left it behind, the sound of its movement fading into the forest.
I sat afterward on a low rock, breathing deeply.
My energy was draining. My focus fraying.
But the path ahead… was changing.
The trees weren't as tightly packed. The light grew clearer. The air less damp.
I was getting close.
---
As evening approached, I fought one last time.
Two E-rank beasts appeared together. Their coordination was crude—but aggressive.
I gave them no chance.
The first strike dropped one.
The second severed the other's throat.
I stood still for a moment.
Looked at the bodies. Then at the sword.
I felt nothing.
No disgust. No thrill.
Just… silence.
I wiped the blade on a piece of old cloth and let it rest at my side.
Then I moved on.
---
I didn't realize I had arrived until the trees ended—abruptly.
I took one more step… and emerged from the forest's shadow.
Ahead of me stretched a narrow dirt road. In the distance, low rooftops appeared. Thin smoke rose from chimneys. Faint sounds—human.
The village.
I stood there, at the boundary between forest and world.
My body was exhausted. My clothes stained. And the sword in my hand… was no longer just a tool.
I took a deep breath.
Then stepped forward.
I walked out of Valsmeer.
______
If you enjoyed the chapter, don't forget to leave some Power Stones.