When I came to, my body was racked with pain as I floated slowly in the middle of the boundless ocean. The waves pushed me back and forth as saltwater licked my wounds making them sting with unbearable pain. But I was clearly helpless before this as my whole body felt numb, unable to move at all.

I wanted to swim to shore to get away from here. But it’s impossible with the state I am currently in. If sharks were attracted by the smell of my blood, then so be it. I’m already dead anyway. The poison coursing through my veins would make sure I do. I see that Shadow’s pretty thorough.

Siiiigh.

Helpless, I stared at the endlessly vast sky hoping to at least burn this scene in my head. A night sky filled with glittering stars, not a bad place to die at all. Although this kind of things never really crossed my mind in the past, I enjoyed it right now.

My eyes slowly closed as exhaustion overtook my dreary body.

. . .

The waves hitting my body mercilessly on and on again violently awakened me from my slumber. I tried to move but every fiber of my being refused to. My breath was shallow and although the numbness has mostly receded, the pain was still there.

I lied there for a few minutes until I was able to move a bit and slowly stood up. With shaky legs and arms hanging limply at my sides, I moved away from the ocean’s cold embrace.

Every step required strenuous effort but I managed anyway. Using the plentiful coconut trees as leverage, I was able to move a few hundred meters but I stopped. Just up ahead was a large and muscular figure of a Demonic Mountain Bear which were not only aggressive but are difficult to kill.

‘This is looking bad’.

The bear sniffed the air and turned its head towards me in a slow pace. It probably smelled the stench of my blood-covered body. It roared loudly and ran swiftly despite its bulky body.

I moved away from my original position and leaned on a nearby tree. My mana’s reaching close to empty but I tried to cast one more spell. The bear turned its body and roared again as it rushed at me at frightening speed.

My remaining mana flowed towards my left palm as I placed it in front of me.

Mana Flow Control. Concentration. Materialization.

The three steps in invoking magic. It was done in the blink of an eye as a ball of thunder was given form.

“Thunder Cannon!”

A resounding boom exploded as the spell hit the bear successfully. It rained blood and pieces of meat all around me as I fell down due to Mana Exhaustion.

. . .

The crackling of the fire greeted me. The smell of roasted meat made my empty stomach growl. I also felt rejuvenated like I was healed by healing magic.

Argggh.

I coughed up blood reminding me of the accursed poison that has been with me for so long. It is already a miracle how I’ve been able to live until now. But this didn’t stop me from reaching out for the food that’s in front of me.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

I picked up the one with the biggest meat in it and blew on it. When it was cold enough to eat, I slowly munched and cherished every single bite.

Looking around, I found myself inside a cave with not much things inside it. A bed, which I was lying down on, a few utensils enough for a single person, some neatly folded clothes stacked on the side of the cave opposite of me, and a large wooden chest with a medicinal smell.

No one was there but judging from the clothes, the one who treated me should be female. But what would a female doctor do in these parts? As far as I have known, nobody lived in these kind of places because of the remnants of the demon beasts from the abyss called Dementia that had fled in every uninhabited place imaginable.

To be able to live here, one must have enough strength to protect themselves and so I put my guard up. Even if she’s female and had fixed me up, I can’t take any chances. If by any chance she knew of me, the news of my survival would spur on another manhunt.

I touched my body to find any weapon to protect myself but came up with nothing. My clothes changed too. It looked like it belonged to the lady living in here as it was embroidered with flower patterns. It’s amazing how it fitted me considering I’m a bit muscular.

Moving on, I tried to get up and have a look around for my things when a lady came in from the entrance of the cavern.

She had long silky hair and a thin but curvy body. Her skin was delicate. Quite pale but not sickly giving off the vibe of nobility. Her long nose arched a bit and her round oval face suited it. A pair of emerald green eyes stared back at me when I was observing her.

The moonlight bathed her body in its splendor. Her good features became all the more noticeable with the dazzling glow of the moon illuminating her entire being. I was captivated at the very first sight of her. Despite having rid of my feelings many years ago, I wasn’t able to stop myself admiring this unparalleled beauty before me.

“You’re awake. Have you eaten already?”

Her voice cut me off from my stupor and I stuttered a bit when I answered.

“Y-yes. I’ve eaten. Why are you here all alone?”

She gently smiled and sat in front of me. She looked straight at me and inspected my pulse. Looks like she noticed the poison too as she brought various herbs with her.

“I’m here to pick up same rare ingredients. Never mind that, let’s prepare an antidote for you.”

I viewed the entire process of her concoction and was amazed at her astounding skill. She’s probably good at brewing potions too. My eyes gravitated towards her hands that were meticulously cared for.

“What’s a delicate and young lady like you doing in a dangerous place like this?”

Her expression changed and she glared at me. She must not like being probed seeing the once gentle and kind lady turn into a vicious dragon ready to eat me whole.

“What’s it to you?” she said coldly.

Ah. I’ve somehow gained her ire. I should have minded my own business.

“Nothing. I’m just curious, you see.”

She shrugged it off and continued her task. In a matter of minutes, it was done. She placed the green liquid inside a wooden mug and shoved it on my chest. Even when she’s angry, her beautiful face didn’t lose any charm and magnified instead.

I gobbled the antidote fairly quickly and she finally showed a satisfied expression. She nodded at me and pointed at the bed.

“Sleep”.

Left with no other choice, I placed my body within the confines of the wooden mattress and closed my eyes.

. . .

It took me a few hours of waiting to ensure she was fast asleep. I stood up slowly and silently moved towards the wooden chest full of tools. I took out a knife from inside it.

“Silent Steps”

A simple spell was invoked to mask my footsteps. In this silent night, every single small sound could echo and cause her to be aware of what I’m about to do.

No witnesses, no survivors. The Deathlist’s cruel motto. I wouldn't want to repay a debt like this but I'm desperate. With my wounds that haven't yet recovered, I wouldn't be able to resist if they sent some people to check this place for my body.

She might tell them. I reminded myself of how important it is to get rid of her. What a waste of a lovely lady. too bad I would have to kill her in cold blood.

Slowly but surely, I sneaked up on her and raised the dagger high up. I gave her face one last look and readied myself for a clean end. With a stabbing motion, the knife went towards her neck.