It seemed like I was gaining a new stat point every two levels. With this I could make some better decisions in the long run.
Class: N/A
Traits: [Transmigrator]
Level: 4
Strength: 0.9
Agility: 0.8
Constitution: 1
Spirit: 2
Luck: 3 → 4
Skills Page ≫
The battle finally came to an end after a grueling dozen minutes. Myrina took care of any wolves that appeared, single-handedly killing over forty of them. However, the fight had taken its toll on her. She bore scratches on her arms and legs, and a bite mark marred her thigh.
Breathing heavily, she looked at me and smiled. "You're much better with a bow than you are with a spear."
I wasn't entirely convinced of that, considering I had a dedicated skill for the spear, while my proficiency with the bow relied solely on my Luck stat.
Under normal circumstances, we would have exchanged playful banter. However, the village was now littered with corpses, and several villagers lay injured. I couldn't bear to look at the gruesome scene—a child slumped against a wall with a large chunk missing from her neck. It filled me with the urge to vomit, collapse to my knees, and cry over the tragic loss. I had known these people for a considerable time, and they were good-hearted individuals.
Children cried over their deceased parents, and parents wept for their lost children. The sight of such despair made my legs buckle. If only I had been stronger, this horrific event might have been prevented. It wasn't that I blamed myself, but I couldn't help but imagine what could have been if I had focused more on becoming stronger and leveling up.
Shaking off these thoughts, I knew I couldn't dwell on them. Instead of succumbing to tears or disgust, I realized the priority was to save as many people as possible. "Myrina, stay here and take care of these people. If any more wolves come, eliminate them!"
I was concerned about Myrina's well-being. Despite her apparent lack of fatigue, she had enough pride not to display any signs of weakness, even if she was on the verge of exhaustion. However, with her now among the villagers who had acquired farming tools from the blacksmith to use as weapons, they should be capable of defending themselves and even protecting Myrina if necessary.
As I hurried towards the old hunter, Myrina followed suit. Yet, she no longer resembled her usual formidable self, using her spear as a crutch every few steps.
"You should stay in the village and look after-"
"Hey, Idas," she interrupted me with a menacing gaze. "I don't appreciate that look in your eyes. I'm not some feeble puppy, and if you treat me as such again, you'll regret it."
And here it was, that stubborn and impulsive side of her. When her pride was at stake, Myrina acted recklessly.
…
Finally, the old hunter's two-story wooden hut came into sight, and along the way, Myrina began to breathe heavily and her face grew pale. She was leaving a trail of blood along the road.
"Okay, enough of your bullshit," I said, pushing Myrina onto the grass. She stared at me wide-eyed.
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"What are you-"
I interrupted her by removing my shirt, leaving her frozen in shock. Her eyes filled with a flash of hate as she spoke. "This isn't the time. If you think-"
Once again, I silenced her and tore my shirt apart, fashioning rough bandages to wrap around her thigh. I didn't care about her complaints or actions. "If you're so insistent on joining me in the battle, then I need you to stay alive and be useful until then."
I offered her my hand, and she pulled herself up, her haunting purple eyes locked onto mine with our faces mere inches apart. There was an unreadable look in her eyes.
Hopefully, she wasn't contemplating actually punching me, as that would likely be fatal. In these circumstances, it would essentially be a death sentence.
She merely sighed and turned her gaze towards the two-story hut in the distance. We picked up the pace, but since she still had difficulty walking, I supported her by placing her arm over my shoulder.
"Lean on me. Use your other hand to hold your spear and be prepared for any sneak attacks," I instructed.
She nodded, and together we made our way towards the hunter's hut. My heart sank when I saw the shattered front door. We hurried inside, and Myrina nudged me. "Stay calm, there's no growling or any other noise. Something's off."
I nodded, and upon entering, my attention was immediately drawn to the wolf corpses on the blood-stained floor. Each step we took, our ancient-style sandals became sticky with blood.
A coppery smell permeated the air, accompanied by an eerie silence. Even the taste of the air was damp with blood. Walking among the corpses of several beasts, six wolves in total, I came across a human body leaning against the wall. One of the wolves continued to bite at the man's neck while another wolf had a dagger deeply embedded in its own neck.
I nocked back an arrow, and shot it at the beast's unsuspecting neck. The old hunter's beard was red, and as I approached him, Myrina released her grip on me. A surge of emotions overwhelmed me — the desire to scream, cry, and collapse all at once.
"You know, old man, I never really got to know much about you," I said through clenched teeth, trying to hold back tears. It seemed like luck didn’t influence those around me. "I always thought that one day you would share your life story with me. Maybe you were a legendary hunter in disguise, or a hidden master, or maybe you were just an ordinary person. It doesn't matter now... but..."
I stumbled over my words, realizing he was gone and would never hear me. So I simply said what came to mind. "Thank you for taking me under your wing, teaching me how to survive and hunt in this world when you had no reason to do so. I know I can be annoying at times, and I'm sorry for that."
Something flew through the air, catching my attention. I turned towards its source, only to see the rocking chair I had built for the old man hurtling towards me. The chair crashed into me, forcing me back.
The attacker was... Myrina?!
But then something leapt down into the spot where I had stood. It had twelve hairy legs and a grotesque body, with a human head perched on top. It resembled a spider fused with a human.
"Well, well, if it isn't the Amazon Warrior," the human-headed creature spoke. "I thought you were surely dead. It seems you Amazons possess remarkable vitality."
Myrina's gaze turned cold. "So it was because of you that the wolves came here, killing and slaughtering. It's all your doing!"
The human-headed creature grinned widely, its face splitting in two, revealing rows of sharp, inhuman teeth. "If I had known you were here, I would have attacked elsewhere. You Amazons are like cockroaches. Kill one, and two more appear."
"You mock the lives you've taken, both my fellow warrior sisters and innocent people," Myrina tightened her grip on her spear until her fingers turned white. "I will kill you, Arachsh!"
Without a moment's hesitation, she charged at the giant spider-like monster, the size of a horse. The creature swung its leg, striking her and sending her crashing into one of the wooden walls before landing in the yard outside.
"Look at that, you're weaker than before," the monster taunted, its legs wriggling as it pursued her by crashing through the door opening. It seemed to forget about my presence.
I reloaded my bow, hoping to exploit his carelessness. However, it was a futile attempt as my arrows were dulled from striking numerous wolves that day. Some were broken, and most were on the verge of breaking.
Instead of succumbing to despair, a sense of calmness washed over me when I noticed the old hunter's bow lying just a few feet away from him.
"It appears you will aid me once more, old man," I whispered, seizing his bow and the arrows from his quiver. Crafted from hardened iron and superior wood, they surpassed the quality of my own. It seemed Romos was deeply passionate about hunting.
Stepping forward, I saw Myrina locked in combat with the colossal spider, her spear clashing against its legs. However, her injured leg hindered her, preventing a firm stance. Catching my gaze, she discreetly mouthed the words just out of the spider's sight.
"Run away, or we will both perish."