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Ugh.

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Why the hell am I in so much pain?

Nothing should have happened today at school though…Wait, no. Was I beaten by my master again? No, no. I already died there.

Wait, which person am I now?

Kai, Kai, or Kai?

I tried standing up, propping myself up by my hands.

A tremendous amount of pain shot up my right arm as it hit the ground, as the hand I expected to be there wasn’t.

That’s odd. When did I lose that?

Wait, no. I remember, I think?

A skull—No, a lich. There was a lich.

Ugh, I hate liches. Ever since I died that one time.

But I didn’t this time—Did I somehow kill it?

No no no. I remember running. Combat?

I think I stopped it, or wounded it somehow. It’s not dead though. I’m fairly certain.

Now, why was there a lich in the first place?

I tried to think back, the only thing I got was that there was a lich at some point.

It’s hard to think over all this pain.

Well, at least it looks like anything that could bleed has stopped. And my stumpy right hand was covered in a thick cloth, keeping the blood in, and the dirt out.

I tried to get up again, but this time, my left leg stopped me. It was thoroughly broken.

I should have realized that just by looking at it, since it’s bending in a place no leg should.

There was a trail of dried blood leading off to the distance, where I could see a crater, still smoking from something.

Around me, there were trees growing between stones obviously shaped by the hand of man. Or Dwarves. Maybe Demi-humans. Let’s not jump to conclusions here, Kai. If I still go by that name.

Wait, isn’t there an easy way to find out which person…no, not person. That would imply that I’m always a person.

Anyway. I looked around for a reflective surface, and found one.

It was the broken hilt of a sword, along with a good fifteen centimeters of blade.

Well, it certainly looked familiar. Is it from Earth?

Right, reflection.

I grabbed onto the hilt of the sword with my left hand, since my right was slightly out of action at the moment. I might need a hand with this. Tee-he. I giggled at that little joke, though it reminded me that I needed some water. My throat was dry as a bone.

Oh well. Not like I needed to speak for this next part.

Or, the part I had been intending to do after seeing my reflection.

Wow, I’m in worse shape than I thought.

Well, at least my face looked familiar. I think I’m regaining my bearings somewhat now.

Anyway, my face was full of scratches, like it had been dragged across the ground violently.

I also seemed to be missing a horn. Reaching up with my left hand, I found the base from where it had been sheared off somehow. Luckily, it felt like a clean cut.

Or unluckily, that it had been lost in the first place. Ah! Not lost!

It was in my pocket.

Hastily, I placed the displaced horn against the base, and cast a more advanced healing spell. It fused with the base, and stayed. I’ll have to be careful in the near future, to make sure it doesn’t fall off again during the mending process.

It also looks like there’s a rather big gash on my chest, right above where my heart is. Any deeper, and hello again, reincarnation cycle.

Though, speaking of chest...It seems this body is female.

Huh. Second time’s the charm, I guess.

Seeing how I didn’t last too long the first time, well maybe this time’ll be better.

No wait. I’ve been in this body a while now.

I think….Katariah?

Quickly, I used that one skill that all worlds have,〖Analyze〗, while looking at my reflection.

Status:Name: Katariah Nadine SilverTitles: (5 Hidden)Race: Demon/ElfAge: 13Gender: FemaleMain Class: MageSub Class(es): Smith; SwordsmanLevel: 74Health: 1260Mana: 96480Strength: 231Stamina: 129Dexterity: 252Intelligence: 337Wisdom: 251Luck: 1

Abnormal Status: CursedThe holder of this status will not be able to advance in level for the period of time equal to one year. Alternatively, killing that which had given the status will release the curse.Cursed By: Grand Lich Toledo

I must have done something really annoying to that lich to make him give me such a petty curse. Other than that, I think I’m beginning to remember some basic things about my current life. 

Only dimly though. Like, I can remember spending quite a bit of time in a grove of some sorts, but I can’t remember what put me there in the first place. I also remember a city, and...swords?

Ah, right. I was interested in them that one time, and must have decided to pursue that interest.

Then I guess the broken sword I’m using as a mirror was made by me?

It’s not bad, actually, for a broken thing. The edge is still razor sharp, and has some usability.

Like cutting bark off the tree I’m lying against, and strips off the old-looking coat I’m wearing.

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I tied a crude splint around my broken leg, but only after going through the agony of resetting the bone. Looks like studying to be a doctor came in handy for once, right Sarah?

Ugh. She’s probably dead by now, though.

Looks like I lucked out again, since I also had the scabbard for the broken sword. I placed what remained of the sword in there, and used it as a crutch for now.

It took a few minutes to properly stand after ignoring the throbbing sensations of both the broken leg, and the missing hand.

You might be wondering why I had used heal on the horn, but left the leg, right?

Actually, I did use heal on the leg, after resetting it. However, that only acts as a patch for now, keeping it in place. I would have to use a better healing spell to completely fix it, but I had already used my best one.

I’ve never been very good at healing spells, for whatever reason. Guess even I have to have something I’m bad at.

As far as the hand goes, I’ll just have to keep missing it for now.

I’d have to find the original to heal it myself, and no way am I going back to where that lich was. I have heard tell that a talented enough healer could regrow limbs, so I’ll just have to keep hoping to come across someone like that. Slightly depressing, but it’s the truth.

I decided that the first place I should check is that smoking crater. Especially since I left a blood-trail from there.

Disappointingly, it was exactly what it looked like. A smoking crater.

Hmm. It looked like there might have been remnants of a rune or inscription at the bottom of the crater, but I might just be seeing things that aren’t there. The area had evidently been hit with quite the large explosion, since the crater was fairly wide, and had little glass particles at the bottom of it, the dirt having melted briefly by the heat.  

Actually, there was a rune here before. I must have arrived on it, teleporting in though the other end, where the lich was.

Now then. The big question, where the hell am I?

Ostensibly, in a forest. I could see the tops of mountains all around me, so I’m in a valley, and a fairly large one at that.

Also, it seems like there was once a civilization of some sort here. As evidenced by the stone walls of varying height all around me. There was nothing standing intact, though.

It looked like these stones have been out here awhile, what with how beaten up and weather-worn they are. Even more, the stones could be seen everywhere, forming geometrically straight lines and boxes.

Sometimes the boxes and rectangles were close together, clumped in odd ways. Then, there were long, wide stretches were no stones stood. I’m thinking that these were roads, and that all these boxes and lines were once buildings, long, long ago.

It’s sad to think of how things, even things as large as the city that had once stood here, decay and are forgotten.

Normally, I would go about trying to find my way out of the valley, and reconnect with society, but my leg’s going to prevent me from moving too far at the moment. And, I think I need to get used to the whole ‘no-hand’ thing. It’s the first time something like that’s happened.

Or, well, the first time the missing limb hasn’t been reattached.

So, I guess I’m left-handed now.

I really shouldn’t laugh at that, but oh well. Gallows humor seems fitting at the moment.

After all, this is a pretty shitty situation.

I have no food nor water, and likely haven’t for a while now, if the gnawing hunger and urgent thirst is any indication. I have no idea where I am, nor where to find food and water...Wait. Deer.

Well, now I have food. How about water? Huh? What’s that noise?

...And there was a stream nearby. Has my luck turned around for once?

Now that I’m somewhat satiated, I can continue.

I have no idea where I am. I’m in a valley, but there are many valleys on these continents, if memory serves me properly. And I don’t recall hearing about the site of an old city in a valley. Though, since I seem to be having memory problems with this life, I might just not remember it at the moment.

I also can’t raise my level for a year. I mean, the alternative is that I face the lich again, but the first time had already turned out so badly. I’m no masochist.

I have no idea, or I can’t remember if anyone would be looking for me, so I have to find my own way out. To do that, I first have to wait for me to heal.

Which would likely take months.

Also, I kind of want to explore this place, see if I can find out more about the city that had been here. I couldn’t remember why yet, but there was definitely a great sense of caution when I considered exploring an abandoned city—or what was left of it. I would attribute it to bad memories, except I can’t remember anything yet.

That was another problem. Why couldn’t I remember anything? Well, most of anything.

It disturbed me to have black spots in my memories, especially since it wasn’t voluntary. There are some things I’m perfectly willing to forget, and have—mostly.

I try not to think about it.

Well, I guess I can look at this as being a year of rest and relaxation.

And to start it, I’m going to the center of the forest, to see what I can find. 

I tried to not expect too much, since I seem to be in the middle of nowhere, even though it had once been somewhere. 

I was right to do that, since it made it all the more sweet when I had finally hobbled my way to the center, and found some thing...unexpected.  

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