I think I’m dead, everything is so dark, and… Nah, I’m hurting way too much, Malor’s silent realm is supposed to be calm and peaceful.

So I open my eyes.

Yeah, that helps.

I don’t even know where being dead came from besides the darkness. The rock and dirt I’m lying on are hella uncomfortable, itchy, I'm tired, and my leg hurts to a worrying degree, really not how I’d imagine the afterlife.

Even with my eyes open the world isn’t that much brighter, despite the three dames in the sky are doing their best to make us not live in complete darkness. Not that I can see much of them through the foliage, only the parts where the branches were ravaged by all the stuff falling from the sky.

Speaking of-

I turn my head sideways and the sight makes me wish I never did something this stupid.

I’ve seen animals being butchered and even done the vile deed when my stomach overruled my disgust but this… Two bodies absolutely demolished by the impact and even if the knight's organs and… everything inside the human body are mostly contained by the armor the same can’t be said about Milara.

Without thinking about the pain in my arms I lift a hand to cover my mouth as tears begin to cascade down my face. I want to scream and howl and demand answers from the Gods, anything to ease the feelings inside me, yet I know I can’t. If I wish to live that is.

For a few moments, I continue sobbing silently and praying for all the Gods there are to keep the others safe. I can forgive them for now, all that matters is the others making it to safety. After the sorrow abates I take a number of deep breaths to calm myself before concentrating on the task at hand. But first…

How did I even live?

I remember trying to slow my fall with wind magic but it failed to get any grip. Then I tried levitating chunks of earth to keep me afloat, which worked pretty well. It didn’t last long though, ate through my mana supply too quickly. The last thing I remember was a flash… An explosion, is that why my arms feel like a herd of bearbulls trampled over them?

Well, better pitiful than dead I guess.

[Your group has triumphed over the enemy [Gallant Protector - Life lvl 598]-[Tidal Sundering Sword - Water lvl 326]-[Faithful Shadow - Dark lvl 122.]

Ah, so that’s why that fucker just refused to die.

[Your Class [Mystical Daredevil] has reached lvl 72, +1 Free Points, +2 Speed, +2 Endurance, +10 Intelligence, +10 Focus, +8 Mana, +8 Willpower, +2 Fortitude.]

[The Class Skill [Arcane Mastery] has reached lvl 68 ->71.]

[The Class Skill [Armory of the Arcane] has reached lvl 65.]

[The Class Skill [Mana Perception] has reached lvl 65 ->71.]

[The Class Skill [Arcane Focus] has reached lvl 60 ->62.]

[The general Skill [The Art of Movement] has reached lvl 56 ->58.]

[The general Skill [Dodging] has reached lvl 55->57.]

[The general Skill [Pain Tolerance] has reached lvl 25->26.]

[The general Skill [Premonition] has reached lvl 62]

[The general Skill [Serene Spellcrafting] has reached lvl 50.]

[Your class [Mystical Daredevil - Arcane] has reached lvl 72. Class advancement is now available, would you like to start the class up?]

Heh, I should be overjoyed but the timing couldn’t be any worse. Get away from me you gorgeous message, I need to find a safe spot first. Something I doubt this forest is teeming with.

I don’t know which one is closer to dying, almost not surviving it, or almost meeting Malor… it’s like that glass is half empty, the glass is half-full problem. Anyway, I got close.

Now comes the part I’m really not looking forward to, namely checking how bad my condition is. First the arms. They’re slightly swollen, a bit red, and a little painful to move, and… that’s it really, surprisingly still functional. Next the torso. Neck good, chest good, ribs-

“Argh!” I quickly slap a hand on my mouth after touching one of my lower ribs.

Not great not terrible. I’ll be able to move and maybe even run if I grit my teeth but I’m really not gonna enjoy this. And the legs…

One is in pristine condition, besides some dried blood and dirt, however, the right one looks like someone mixed my blood with blueberry juice. It’s bad.

I really can’t stay here, yet at the same time I need rest, a lot of it. Besides, it’s already too late to look for a proper place to spend the night, things that hunt in the dark are only alive because they’re good at their job and I don’t plan on testing that.

That leaves building shelter here.

“Here goes nothing.” I mutter before pulling myself free from the clutches of the soil with a muted groan.

I can’t waste mana here, I’ll need everything I have to build a bunker, especially since only about two-thirds of my reserves have replenished. That means I’ve been down here for… six hours. How the hell am I even alive?

With great difficulty, I finally reach the side of the cliff after crawling like a worm in the dirt, an embarrassing sight that’ll go to the grave with me. Once there I pull the dirt and rocks scattered all around a little closer before shaping them into a protective mound with small holes so I don’t suffocate in my sleep. A pretty important addition.

“Man, I’m thirsty.” I whine. “And hungry and so… so alone.”

Even though I’m not the most sociable person and can spend days with barely any interaction, the fact that it’s only me around here is a bit unnerving. Add to that how weary I am and the pretty significant odds of something eating me in my sleep and… and things look even worse than I thought about a minute ago.

Way to go Elyssia.

Maybe I should just… stay… awa-

***

I rarely dream, and hardly ever remember the events of said dreams. I close my eyes and open them again in the morning well rested and ready for the day. Not this time though. I can clearly remember being chased by figures shrouded in darkness and red eyes looking into my soul. It was a nightmare, one with some pretty recent material to work with.

Saying I slept well in this cramped little space with my body aching relentlessly, empty belly, parched mouth, and this unneeded cherry to top it off… I hope my bad luck has run out already.

I should look for some-

“Nothing here, maybe she’s buried deeper.” I hear an unfamiliar voice yell relatively close.

“Or she’s alive.” Another answer from somewhere up high judging by the echo. “Leave a party here, comb the woods! You have three days to make sure that one is either ours or Malor’s to take!”

I quietly tremble in my hole as the people who I can only guess are another wave of shadows talk about me. There’s no need for me to try and stay quiet with even the air stuck in my throat, even so, my hands clamped hard on my mouth just to make sure.

One wrong move, a single loud breath and I’m done. Please don’t let it end like this.

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Maybe my prayers got heard, or maybe these people just can’t imagine me being stupid enough to hide right where I fell, I don’t know.

“You heard the boss, either something already had a nice dinner last night or we’ve got a runner on our hands!” The first voice reaches my ears again, this time from even closer than before. “Spread out and look any for tracks we can’t waste much time here.”

Even though the sound of footsteps quickly disperses I stay quiet and motionless for a few more seconds. Then a minute, then an hour… Finally, I get betrayed by my stomach roaring furiously for some sustenance just when I feel I’m about to go crazy any second now.

The thought that someone might still be around and the things that might happen after I’m captured have been haunting me constantly like a pack of hyenas playing with my sanity.

Not that it matters now that I’ve made so much noise, even if involuntarily. A small hole appears in the dirt just at eye level, letting some light in and allowing me to take a proper look at my surroundings, just in case.

It’s deserted and besides a pretty normal forest, a bunch of rocks shattered on impact and two corpses I can’t seem to find anything worth investigating, not even with Mana Perception. And still, I stay put for a little longer.

I’m not this hesitant usually but this time I just can’t help it.

Staying in my hidey hole for a little longer wouldn’t be a bad idea, another day or so maybe. The odds of anything finding me should be pretty mediocre. I know I’m supposed to be able to survive that long without any food or water easily and hopefully by that point the forest would at least be rid of the shadowy bastards if nothing else.

That is if I’m willing to take on this wilderness in a weakened state after starving myself for so long. Getting back up where I came from can only be accomplished by a suicidal climb, a Skill giving one the ability to fly or going around the whole cliff. Not that I’d want to head back to where we got ambushed, that sounds like the worst choice possible.

I could also wait and hope for the Fist to send a search party… Yeah, even if they do I doubt I’d still be alive at that point.

That leaves me marching through this uncivilized land of beasts on my own. If I remember the map correctly then going northwest should lead me to the… I can’t recall the name of the sea. From there I just need to follow the coast all the way to Sereban and I’m golden. In theory.

With that determination, I shed my earthen shell and emerge like the most miserable butterfly the world has ever seen. Even my legs give in for a second when I try to stand after being cooped up for half a day in that uncomfortable position.

All I have on me is Dad’s bracelet, my clothes, and… that’s it. Not much of a survival kit.

I wonder what happened to the pocketwatch after the explosion. The older I got the more I understood the meaning behind that gift and truly… time is worth more than any treasure.

I know the first rule of survival is to find water, then shelter then food, even Survival agrees with me on that, but there’s one more thing I need to do before that. I gulp down my disgust and take a few more breaths before approaching the corpse of the knight and crouching down beside the bloody pile of meat with flies already swarming around the feast.

“C’mon Eli, anything can help. Just- urgh.” I mutter before nausea takes the reins.

At first, I touch the body without even looking, but I soon realize that blindly patting it down won't lead anywhere.

Think of something funny, no, something really irritating, something that’ll make you go ballistic. Be too pissed to care!

And I do just that.

A few seconds later I’m on my knees crawling away from the body with a waterskin and a simple knife in my hands, breathing deeply to remove the stench from my body.

“That went pretty well.” I sigh and push myself up. “One more thing to do.”

I step over to what once was Milara, this time without averting my eyes. Seeping my mana into the ground I make the earth embrace her in a gentle hug, slowly dragging her down, back to Aelion where we all came from.

“May Malor bring you peace.” I mutter as it is tradition before falling silent for a few seconds.

I played with the thought of losing a comrade many times throughout the year, the simple fact that people would die chasing their dream… never did I expect to bury a friend this early. Life is unfair, the world is unfair and it was a little more unfair to her than to me, that’s all this is.

At least this way it’s the maggots that eat her and not the wolves, not much better.

With that done I finally begin to walk towards what could only be north, moving as carefully as possible. Not that it’s difficult with a leg I can barely stand on.

A few minutes of wobbling later I still haven’t found any water or food, and although I know this isn’t supposed to be easy I’d at least expect animals to live here so I can eat them. That’s when I find blood, a lot of blood.

Following the trail of crimson liquid dripping down the bark of a tree reveals the owner pretty quickly in a state just as gruesome as I found my less unfortunate passengers down the cliff. I know this person, she helped us dig out Victor and Kayla, and she fought to protect us, but she never returned after falling off the cliff.

The woman is impaled by a branch as thick as her arm sticking through her stomach and keeping her midair like a distasteful scarecrow. When looking more closely I notice several other broken branches, much lower than where she hangs with a visible crater beneath them.

Either the one who dragged her down survived or these shadows might actually care for their comrades. Or beasts. I should really get used to that option now that I’m stranded here.

“How do I get her down?” I mutter to myself again.

I try my luck with a blade of wind however it only nicks the wood, leaving a pretty shallow mark despite the amount of mana I used.

“Just as I guessed, not a simple forest.” This time instead of trying to get her down I start climbing.

I’m in no position to disregard potential loot. Climbing up there is the hardest part, especially with my leg, because… how to say this without sounding like a psycho? Looting is a lot easier with the corpse hanging straight like this and a stake through the stomach is a lot less sickening than bones shattered to pieces. For me at least.

Thankfully I find just what I’m looking for. No miracle gadget, nor my ticket out of here, just a simple round white rock the size of my palm. That’s huge for a personal Hadron crystal.

Actually, this is probably enough to knock me out if I were to go through its entire mana reserve. Won’t win me the fight against an opponent of overwhelming strength but at least I’ll have a little more resources to work with.

“Now, let’s find something to eat.”

***

For hours, and I’m not exaggerating, hours I walked this forest looking for even a squirrel to eat and found nothing but berries. I don’t count berries as food, they’re below appetizers and barely even snacks. With that said I did find a small creek gently running through the myriad of trees which on paper should be something way more important than a few bites. Not to me though.

Speaking of trees… I’m not well versed when it comes to nature but the variety here is apparent even to me. Some barks are glowing metallically, others seem to be moving like they’re taking deep breaths, while a few are… humming. Yeah, it’s hard to miss and pretty eerie.

But seriously is a little food too much to ask for? I thought animals preferred forests because it’s much easier to find something to eat here yet here I am, hungry and grumpy. Not even Mana Perception could locate a single bug no matter where I look.

And then there are my sandals… They’re cute and absolutely the best when going for a stroll in the city. But fuck me are they uncomfortable when jogging in the middle of nowhere.

“What is this even, like, at least have a beast eat me or something, let me die with dignity.” I stomp the group furiously. “Starving to death is so slow and lame.”

I don’t want to die but I’ve never been this hungry before and it’s taking a toll on me, even more than the tension. Anything could ambush me, and let’s not even mention the shadows.

I follow the water just to have a stable source of hydration and because every living thing has to drink. That means prey.

“Maybe I should just call it-” As I’m about to give up and look for a spot for the night the sound of something rushing through the underbrush catches my ears.

By the sound of it, the creature is fast and relatively small, just what I’m looking for. I rush to intercept preparing a wind blade in hopes of finishing the fight as quickly and silently as possible because making a lot of noise might invite beasts I’m not ready to face. My injuries make running painful and tedious but food takes priority over comfort.

Before the creature could even burst through the bush separating it from me I unleash my attack, tearing through leaves and branches and… I aimed way too high.

[Fawn]

I couldn’t have asked for a better gift for dinner. Except…

“Why are you so cu~te?” I coo while holding myself back from cuddling the little thing to death.

It’s small, it’s frail and it’s frightened beyond belief, staring at me miserably with its big black eyes. Its brow fur is adorned with light blue streaks running through it and its legs are snow white which makes the baby even prettier and even harder to kill for my own survival.

“It’s okay little one, you won’t get hurt.” I haven’t decided yet if I’m lying or not.

As if to prove me wrong something growls from the bush the fawn came bursting through just seconds ago along with a pair of bright yellow eyes appearing between the leaves. I take a few steps back with my instincts screaming at me to escape except I doubt that’s an option anymore.

Out of the bush walks one of the smallest bears I’ve seen in my life. This is the first one actually but it’s about the height of a fox yet it looks way more threatening than what its size would suggest. It has weirdly spiky-looking green fur and dagger-sized claws all hinting at close combat prowess yet the thing that frightens me most can’t be revealed by the naked eye.

[Bear lvl 87]

It’s stronger than me and not just a bit stronger.

“Run little one.” I mutter before taking off myself, ready to sacrifice the fawn if it means I live.

Before I can take a second step however the bear swings its clawed paw and three blades of wind just like the one I usually throw cut off my path. It seems the beast is not content with only a single prey anymore.

I’m injured, I haven’t eaten in almost a day and my opponent has quite a few levels on me not to mention an entire Class.

“I asked for this, didn’t I?” I sigh, preparing to fight for my life.