Day 7, 6:55 AM

"'Tis but a scratch; I've had worse,"

— The Black Knight

Leandra’s scream wakes me up.

“You all right?” A split second later, I realize what’s happening.

The land leeches are here.

“Land leeches,” she screams again, loud enough for the bandits to hear her. “Get them off! Get them off!”

Right, today’s the do or die day.

“Calm down. I’ll help you.” I start taking the slimy things off of her when I spot one on my hand.

Right. This happens too. I suppressed the memory of the leech in my pants, but it came back biting for more.

“You have them too,” she screams, and I start handling my own problems.

I take off the one sticking to my hand and squish it. The feeling is just as nauseating as it was the first time.

“Hey, Leandra, are you all right?”

“I am not all right,” she shouts. “I am dirty, I want to go home, and these, these… things! Are crawling all over me.”

She puts her hand into her dress, then looks at me. “You probably have some in your pants.”

I take a deep breath, and look. Seven slug-like things hang off me. I expected it would be easier, but it isn’t. I’m breathing hard, and sweat is pouring down my brow.

This is what I chose to do last night. Trying to recreate the day and eliminating the bandits instead of letting them chase us is the plan.

But it’s hanging off my… A part of me whimpers, but I man up. I squish the six mobs, and only the boss monster is left. Leandra is digging through her torn clothes, growing more indecent by the second, and strangely enough, I hardly have a reaction to a pretty young woman bearing herself in front of me.

“How about you let go on your own?” I ask, and in the corner of my eye I see Leandra glancing at me. “Please? I won’t squish you.”

Begging aloud didn’t work. The thing utterly lacks survival instincts. If it had a shred of self-awareness, it would have jumped and squirmed its way to freedom.

What if I pull it off?

I can’t believe the same fucking irrational question pops up. I know I won’t. I’ve done it before.

What if?

I pull it off, and the same funky bodily chemistry as last time hits me. My head is spinning, and I’m grinning. I incinerate the leech, barely holding back an applause as it squirms in agony before dying.

‘Take that,’ I almost shout, but stay quiet. Leandra is gaping at me though, and she’s not looking into my eyes.

I’m not saying it bit me, again.

“It bit me.”

What the hell brain? I’m even pointing my finger at the cremated worm.

Leandra stares at me, looking me in the eye, and I stare back at her.

Like last time, she bursts into laughter, and I chuckle, pulling my pants up.

“I’m sorry you had to see that, but—”

“It bit you?” she finishes my sentence and bursts into another fit of hysterical laughter.

I’m neither as shocked, nor as embarrassed as last time, and I check her out. I think she’s more naked now than the last time. She seems to have followed my lead and started undressing to get rid of the leeches more easily.

I’m not as gentlemanly as last time. If she doesn’t mind undressing in front of me, I sure as hell don’t mind observing and appreciating. The crease of my pants grows bigger, and she finally notices me and my keen interest.

She blushes and turns around, but doesn’t call me a pervert or anything else.

“You are beautiful,” I say.

It’s a cheap line, but women love it if it’s sincere enough, and she really is beautiful. Most women are, if you look at them right.

Her ears turn even redder, and my heart races.

I would make a move right now if I didn’t know that bandits are coming. But if they interrupt me, things will be awkward later.

“It came from over there,” a bandit shouts right on time, and I gulp.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Follow me. We have to get away.” I grab her hand, and she blushes.

She holds my gaze, and I’m staring right back at her, my eyes not drifting an inch down. We stand frozen like that for a moment, then she kisses me. My eyes grow wide with shock.

Why now? It’s a really bad moment to do something like this. I would understand if I did it. I want them to catch up…

The kiss ends. She blushes, but I smile.

“Hurry,” I say, just a bit louder than necessary.

“It’s that way,” another voice shouts. Louder, closer, and Leandra shakes.

“Follow me and stay close,” I say into her ear. “They will catch up soon, but don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

I snatch a fist-sized stone I spotted last night. I don’t really need the extra weight when hitting people, my fists alone are enough to kill an adult, but having the most primitive ranged weapon just in case can’t hurt.

I had a good opener last time, and I repeat the feat. I behead the blonde, and my stolen sword sinks deep into the ginger’s chest. Deeper than last time, but this time I leave the sword where it is. It served its purpose.

Instead, I throw the rock at the further bandit’s head just as terror and realization dawn on his face. He doesn’t even see the rock before it bursts his skull, but the fourth bandit has the time to react.

“Garal!” An unintelligible scream escapes his mouth. It sounds like he had a bunch of things to say and tried to cram them all in a single word.

He draws his sword, and I push his palm down, slamming the blade back into its sheath. My right hits his the temple and he’s down.

Four on one without a scratch.

Five left.

“Gabe!” an unknown voice shouts from twenty yards behind me, close enough to reach me in two to three seconds. I grab Gabe’s sword and pull it free just as I hear a bunch of swords coming out of their sheaths. The bushes rustle, and I stand.

Five. As expected.

I’m a poor swordsman, and I know it. So, I throw the weapon. It spins through the air, whizzing towards the closest bandit. In the movies, badass pros impale whoever they throw the sword at. I’m an amateur. The sword catches him with its blade.

The sight is ghastly. Flesh parts and blood sprays, instilling terror as I run to fight them one against four.

Even with all the advantages, things spiral out of control quickly. An electrical pain burns my flank, and I twist away. The sword following the pain only scratches me, but to avoid the slash I forfeited my punch. A moment later, my shoulder and my torso buzz. The damn Sense of Danger makes me hesitate and dodge every blow at the cost of landing hits myself.

Finally, I can’t evade anymore. A sword slashes my back, and Rage takes over.

I’m panting, but after a moment, I know I did much better than last time. For starters, I killed five of them before Rage took over.

F1.

[Name - Aang Ree

Class - bodyguard level 4

Health 11/18, Strength - 20, Agility 19, Physique - 21, Wisdom - 20, Intellect - 21, Willpower - 21, Presence - 20, Charisma - 21, Composure - 15

Abilities - Literate, Select Principal [selected], Initial Grappling, Bargaining, Sense of Danger, Initial Rider

Attribute points remaining - 0

To level up, intercept an arrow about to strike your principal

Statuses - bloody, wounded]

Wow, I don’t even have a penalty. The thought is extremely reassuring, especially given the sharp pain pulsing from all over my back, and the two slashes I have suffered on my upper arms.

I’m going to be full of scars one day. And I need a weapon with reach, maybe a good reinforced staff? If I had proper equipment, I could have killed them without getting hurt.

“It’s safe,” I say, my voice more strained than I wanted it to be.

“Ree? Are you all right?” Leandra rises from the bushes some thirty yards away, right where I left her. Then she screams. Again.

“God! Don’t move,” she blurts out, running towards me, as decent as her ruined clothes permit. “We need to bandage you.”

Where are you going to get bandages? Wait! This is the perfect chance.

“’Tis but a scratch; I’ve had worse,” I say, grinning like a fool.

“Really?” She doesn’t get the reference, but I don’t care.

“Nah, just kidding. We should search them for food, water, and spare clothes. Anything that might be useful. We’re out of wolf meat.” I draw a deep breath. “I’ll do it. I just need a minute or two so that the world stops spinning. Could you give me some water?”

“I’ll do it.” She passes me the canteen and smiles when I nod in thanks. Then she rushes off to scavenge.

“Holy anthems! You killed nine of them,” she says after several minutes.

“I can ambush four or five without getting wounded,” I say. “I can fight an armed man one on one, maybe even one on two without significant risk. But one on nine is… well you see what I look like.”

I sit down and take off my bloody shirt, cracking open the freshly coagulated wounds on my arms.

I’m healing really fast. Thank you, Physique!

“And I kept my word. You are unharmed.” I try to sound as macho as I can, but she’s not thrilled.

“And you are very much harmed!”

“I’ll make it. Don’t worry.”

“Well, I am worried.” She walks over to me, then drops the sacks when she sees my injuries. “Those look horrible. Are you really all right?”

“I just need to eat and sleep for several days, and I’ll be as good as new.” Stitches would be nice, but I have no idea whether they have proper doctors here.

We pick up our new belongings and move away from the corpses, deciding to eat breakfast a bit later today. I lead the way to the pond where I washed up last time after getting brutally stabbed by nine bandits.

“You can fill the canteens and take a bath while I make camp. I’m sorry, but I’ll have to rest today.”

She nods, and by the time she brings back the water, a small fire is already burning.

“Do you mind if I take a bath, too?”

I ask her, and she looks down, then shakes her head.

I take her chin between my thumb and forefinger, gently raising her head. Her face is red. She’s dirty, in the prime of her life, and afraid. I inch my lips towards hers, slowly to give her enough time to bail if she wants, or to increase the tantalizing expectation if she doesn’t.

Our lips meet, followed by our tongues. I wrap my arms around her and my hands slide lower, but she doesn’t flinch. Instead, she wraps her arms around my neck and opens the wounds in my back.

I don’t care.

I love you, Physique!