An unknown object had destroyed the right shoulder part of my jacket.
A bruise was already forming on it.
I rose to my feet and ran.
I didn't want to fight anything with that type of destruction capability.
*whoosh* *Crack*
"GAH!"
Another object hit me on my lower back, making me tumble to the ground.
I was lying on my back, staring towards the canopy, when I saw something walking.
It was slender and dark, almost entirely blended into the darkness.
I couldn't fully make out its shape, but it was small.
The left side of my body tingled, causing me to roll to my right.
*whoosh**Boom*
Another object hit the ground where I just was.
I glanced over at it and saw a long, dark, jagged spike protruding from the ground.
What the hell is that?
I glanced around as I lost sight of the creature lurking in the canopy.
Screw it!
I jumped to my feet and ran in a random direction, ducking below branches and weaving between trees as several spikes went past me.
My fatigue was finally catching up with me. My legs ache and feel they could give out at any second.
*whoosh**crack*
My left forearm screamed in pain as a spike scraped down it.
The hit made me stumble, causing me to crash into a tree.
My vision faded as I collapsed, but it returned after a couple of seconds.
Exhaustion had taken over my body.
I tried to move, but my body wouldn't listen.
Is this how I die?
Icy fear gripped my heart.
Ashley was right. It was too dangerous for me to wander around at night by myself.
I'm so stupid!
*whoosh*
"ARHHH!" I screamed as I barely brought up my left arm to block the spike.
*Crack*
My left arm went numb as it fell limp.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
I cannot die here! Ashley needs me!
I clenched my teeth as I strained my body to move.
CMON BENJAMIN, MOVE!!
GET UP AND RUN!!
DO SOMTHI-*shiiieeee*
A force raised me to my feet.
I roared in agony as a burning sensation spread throughout my body, starting from my sternum.
My body felt like it was on fire, but I also felt refreshed at the same time.
The burning sensation seemed to energize my tired muscles.
My senses seemed sharper. I could make out the darkness more clearly, even without the mask.
*whoosh* *whoosh*
My body told me where the spikes would land, my left leg and shoulder.
My right hand pulled out my blade and deflected them, but the vibrations almost made me drop the sword.
The two spikes bent my blade.
I didn't know how many it could take before it broke, so I needed to hurry and finish this.
I glanced around me, looking for any signs of the beast.
*rustle*
I twisted my head towards the sound and saw the beast's figure before it disappeared again.
I closed my eyes to concentrate on my hearing fully.
It was quiet for maybe ten to twenty-second before I heard the rustling again.
I dropped my sword, whipped one of my daggers out, and threw it towards the sounds.
Painful screams echoed through the forest as it fell towards the ground.
I picked up my sword and ran towards it as it hit the ground.
The beast was a meter-long black-haired, looking cat, but its tail was long and narrow with its end opened like a four-leafed clover.
My dagger had hit its left hind leg.
It shot another spike at me from its tail, but I defected it, causing my sword to become even more damaged.
Its yellow slit eyes stared at me with fear.
"Not so tough on the ground, are you?" I taunted as I slowed my pace to a walk.
The cat-like beast tried to escape by climbing back up a tree but fell back down onto the ground as its hind leg was useless.
"Don't run away. You need to pay for the damages you have done to me."
*Meoww* *Meoww*
I stopped where I was to see two smaller cat-like beasts climbing down the tree next to the injured one.
They walked around the injured cat-like beast with worry and glared back at me.
I lifted my sword, ready to take them on, but the injured cat-like beast limped in front of those two, blocking them from me.
What is it doing?
Whatever, I'll kill all three of them.
I walked a few steps closer when I realized it was their mother and stopped again.
I faced a moral choice: kill the mother and her kids or kill the mother and leave the kids alone.
The injured cat-like beast almost killed me. I should at least kill it.
I resolved myself to do it. I again began walking toward the injured cat-like beast as it tried to usher its kids back up the tree.
After the two smaller beasts left, the injured cat-like beast looked back at me.
I readied my sword, but the cat-like beast showed me its neck.
Was it letting me kill it? I looked up at the tree where the two smaller cat-beasts were and saw them pacing around.
Is the injured cat-like beast sacrificing herself for their survival?
I stared back down at the injured cat-like beast, but it didn't bare its teeth.
I have never read nor heard of a beast that would give its life for others.
I was angry at the cat-like beast, so angry.
I brought up my sword and swung down but stopped halfway.
My resolve had faltered.
I couldn't bring myself to kill it.
"Go," I whispered.
Confused, the cat-like beast looked at me, but I roared, "GO!"
It barely climbed the tree next to us and ran off into the darkness with its kids.
"Ha, I am stupid, aren't I?" I mumbled to myself
I dropped my sword onto the ground as my right arm became numb.
There's something wrong with me. The burning sensation kept the increase in its intensity, and it replaced the refreshed feeling I had felt with agony.
I walked towards where I thought home was.
I can't let Ashley worry about me.
The pain was only getting more intense by the second.
I walked for an hour when I saw my home.
The bag fell off my back, but I didn't care. I needed to see Ashley.
I reached our front door and busted it open, and as loud as I could muster, I yelled for Ashley.
She busted through her door in her PJs and ran towards mine when she saw me in the living room.
I collapsed, but she caught me and held me up.
"Benjamin, what's wrong?" She asked, worried.
I could only manage a whisper. "It burns. My body feels like it's on fire."
I saw her eyes glance me up and down before she gasped.
"You... What did you do!?"
I couldn't muster a response as I tried my best to stay conscience.
She carried me to the kitchen and laid me down on the table.
She ripped off my jacket and sheath with force and pressed her right palm onto my sternum.
"It will hurt bad, Benjamin, but you must stay awake no matter what."
A frosty cold sensation flowed out from her hand into my sternum. It felt nice at first, but then it merged with the burning.
I was cold, then hot.
My body tensed up and spasmed as it couldn't handle the constant temperature change.
I groaned in agony.
"Benjamin, stay awake. I am almost done!"
A new type of cold poured in from her hand.
I clenched my teeth.
Endure it, Benjamin!
The burning sensation was overwhelmed and slowly disappeared, leaving only the icy feeling, but Ashley sucked up the coldness she put into me.
Sweat beaded on her face as she put a lot of effort into what she did.
She sat down on one of the table chairs and sighed in relief.
Once my body went back to its original temperature, I felt nothing besides the pain from the wounds the cat-like beast had given me and fatigue.
"What happened to me?" I questioned.
I turned my eyes over to Ashley and saw she was furious.
"You idiot! You forcibly opened your mana pool when your mana veins weren't ready!" Ashley roared.
"I'm sorry that I did that, but I had to, or I would have died."
Ashley brought up her hand and slapped me.
"You shouldn't have gone into the forest at night, as I told you, Benjamin. I wasn't kidding around when I told you it was dangerous!"
My left cheek stung, but I couldn't even move my hand to rub it.
We spoke no words after she did that.
Ashley wrapped me in bandages soaked in healing ointment and carried me to my bed.
I know she is right. It was stupid of me to go into the forest at night when I was this weak. I must become stronger.
The gentle warm morning sunlight made me more tired than I already was.
My eyelids closed, leading me to the sweet sleep I needed.