---Chapter 1 Recap:

After dying in an unfortunate event, I was transported to a location where a being named Revenant resides. He told me who he was and what he wasn't while also making a deal for me to be transported to another world. I was found by a beautiful knight with her guards and I was captured to be questioned in the kingdom of Aurora. It was a rough start, but hey! Let's do our best!

End of recap----

After being captured, I was forced to walk while the knights rode their horses. How rude. As I trudged along, the beautiful knight rode up beside me and asked, "Hey, what's your name, boy?"

"Aaron Stranezza, ma'am," I answered, feeling annoyed that she was addressing me like a child.

"I see. Never heard of that surname before," she commented, her authoritative voice making me feel even more insecure.

I walked alongside her horse, feeling like a slave being dragged along by its master. I was scared and confused, having no idea what was going on in this fantasy world where elves supposedly existed. The knight had mentioned a place called "Underwood" where there were supposedly elves, but I knew nothing else about this place.

As we moved deeper into the forest, the knight called out to her men, "Be watchful! We are close to the Kingdom, but trouble can be everywhere." She then turned to me and said, "You there, boy. Keep your eyes wide open. Orcs hunt this time of the month."

Despite the dismissive way she kept addressing me, I couldn't help but feel grateful that she was at least trying to keep me safe. "Yes, ma'am!" I replied, determined to stay vigilant.

As we walked, I couldn't help but wonder who this mysterious woman was. She seemed so calm and confident, and I knew I had to ask for her name. "Excuse me, ma'am," I said, trying to sound as polite as possible. "Is it okay if I ask for your name? I'm not from around here, so I don't know anyone."

She turned to me with a look of understanding, but also a hint of assertiveness in her voice. "Of course, it's not appropriate for a knight not to introduce themselves. My name is Claire Legalos, and I am a Captain of the Knights Asfalis."

As I listened to her speak, I couldn't help but be struck by the beauty of her name. It seemed to fit her perfectly, and I found myself thinking, "Claire Legalos, huh? What a beautiful name for a beautiful woman."

But before I knew it, the words had slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. "W-what did you say, boy?" Claire asked, clearly flustered.

I realized my mistake too late and panicked. Oh no, did I really just say that out loud? I thought to myself. I'm in so much trouble.

Claire looked at me with a mixture of surprise and confusion, as if she had never heard a compliment before. "How dare you talk to me like that!" she said, her voice dripping with anger. "I don't even know who you are, and you're already being so forward with me."

But then, something changed. She seemed to soften a little, and I could see a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her lips. "But thank you," she said, almost sheepishly.

I was surprised by the change in her demeanor. Could it be that the strong and confident Claire Legalos actually liked receiving compliments?

I quickly apologized, not wanting to upset her further. "I'm sorry, ma'am. I didn't mean to disrespect you, I just blurted it out without thinking."

She didn't seem to hear me, however, as she turned her attention back to the path ahead. "After we pass through this forest, we'll reach Aurora. You'll be questioned at the Knights Asfalis' headquarters," she said, her voice all business once again.

After what felt like hours of walking, we finally reached near the edge of the forest. But just as we thought we were in the clear, disaster struck.

Bam!

A tree suddenly fell in front of us, blocking our path and causing everyone to halt their horses in surprise.

"What happened?" Claire asked, her voice filled with concern.

"A tree just fell in front of us, ma'am," one of the knights explained. "It looks like it fell due to old age."

"Go take a closer look," Claire ordered, her voice firm.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The guard obeyed and moved closer to the fallen tree to investigate. But before he could even get a good look, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the forest.

"AHRRG!!"

We all turned to see the knight being slashed by an orc, and it was then that we realized we had been ambushed.

"Everyone, it's an ambush!" Claire shouted. "Get into defensive positions!"

As the orcs jumped out of the trees and began attacking us, Claire's thoughts raced. "What are greater orcs doing here? They shouldn't be this close to the kingdom, even during hunting season. They're too intelligent for that."

I was terrified, my breathing heavy as I watched two of our people being cut down right in front of me. This was a mistake. I shouldn't have asked Revenant to bring me here. This place isn't what I had hoped for. I just want to go home.

Suddenly, I felt a cold object hit my chest, and I looked down to see an arrow sticking out of me. The coldness quickly gave way to pain as I fell to the ground, my consciousness fading. Is this it? Am I going to die just as I was reborn? As my eyes closed, the last thing I saw was Claire, glowing like a beacon in the darkness. In that moment, I knew I was safe, even if I wasn't sure I would ever wake up.

"Kid, wake up," a familiar voice called out to me.

I slowly opened my eyes and tried to stand up, but as soon as I saw the person's feet, I fell to the ground in fear and started trembling.

"Hey kid, it's been a while," the voice said. "It's me, Revenant."

I was relieved to hear that it was Revenant and not the devil come to claim my soul. But even though I knew it was him, I couldn't shake the fear that had taken hold of me.

"I'm sorry, Revenant," I stammered. "I can't seem to look up after I saw a glimpse of your body."

"That's because you couldn't fathom my true form," he replied. "Something as great as I am cannot be fathomed by someone like you. You just saw a glimpse of my form, and yet you tremble in fear."

"So that's why when I first talked to you, I never really saw you," I said, "I just saw a great emptiness. Hey, am I dead?"

"No, kid," Revenant answered. "Far from it. You just got knocked unconscious and are now bleeding, but if you're treated, you can still be saved."

"What kind of world was that?" I asked, still in shock. "People died right in front of me."

"People like you die all the time," Revenant said nonchalantly. "I see it all."

"I see," I said, my voice heavy with sadness. "I don't know if I want to go back to that place. I'm scared. I thought everything would be okay after I was transported."

"You're still a young kid," Revenant said. "It's good that at an early age, you already have regrets. That proves you know you made a mistake."

"But is it really a mistake?" he asked. "You can still get back. Besides, you haven't even used the power I gave you yet – the power to adapt in any situation."

"Yeah, I forgot about that," I said. "What do I need to use that power for, anyway?"

"It'd be boring if I told you right away," Revenant said with a chuckle. "Sometimes curiosity is exciting."

"What? I need to know," I begged. "Come on, tell me."

"Hahaha, it's too late, kid," Revenant said, his voice laced with amusement. "You're getting conscious again. Just remember, you can do great things in this world. Don't worry, we'll meet again."

"What? Do I need to experience death again to see you?" I asked frantically. "Wait, hold on!"

"Take care, kid. Bye," Revenant said, and it felt like I was being dragged down as I slowly lost sight of him. Still, I couldn't really look at him directly. I slowly closed my eyes and heard noises start up again before I woke up.

As I woke up, I was panting for air and vomiting. I was confused and scared, and then I saw her – Claire, bloody and bruised, surrounded by orcs. I could see dozens of orcs slain around her. Did she do all this?

"Where are the other guards?" I asked, trying to catch my breath.

She looked at me in surprise. "You're awake?" she said, her voice filled with shock. "We got separated. I put you on my horse and we charged straight at them, making a path to safety. But you fell off my horse."

"I couldn't let my men be in danger, so I jumped off and got you, but we got separated from the group," she continued, her voice filled with worry. "Hopefully, they went back and got reinforcement. But then again, I don't think they'll be fast enough to get to us."

I could see the fear in her eyes, but she was still trying to be brave and reassuring. Despite the dire situation we were in, she was still talking to me as if to say, "Everything will be alright."

I looked at my chest and saw that the wound was gone. I stood up and stood behind her.

"What are you doing?" Claire asked, her voice laced with concern. "You're in no condition to fight!"

"Thank you for worrying, ma'am," I replied. "But I can't let you fight alone. I've already been a drag too many times now. I will help."

We stood back to back as the orcs started charging towards us. But I didn't know what to do. Claire, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what she was doing. She started slashing and cutting down every orc that came into contact with her.

She was hit multiple times, but her sturdy body could take every hit.

"Damn it! I'm just standing here looking like a fool," I thought, frustration bubbling inside me. "I need to help her. I don't want to be a drag anymore," I continued, determination setting in.

Bang!

It sounded like something had been hit really hard. Then I saw it – Claire was knocked unconscious and was covered in blood.

"She tried to save me, but because of me she's going to die," I thought, filled with frustration and regret. "I want to save you. I want to be stronger!" I shouted.

As I struggled with my emotions, everything around me seemed to slow down.

"What's happening? Everything is slow. Adrenaline? I think this is one of the side effects," I thought, trying to make sense of what was happening.

As everything slowed down, I felt stronger. I felt every fiber of my body urging me to move and save Claire.

Suddenly, an orc appeared behind me and tried to slash me. But I could sense its presence. I avoided every attack the orc made. My thoughts became faster, and everything else seemed to slow down even more.

I rushed over to Claire's sword and picked it up. I could feel myself growing and adapting. At first, I felt slow and clumsy, but now everything felt like I had fought a hundred battles.

I slashed my way through most of the orcs, leaving only a small number remaining. I felt great – like I could take on anything. I saw Claire unconscious but still breathing, and relief flooded through me. But then exhaustion kicked in. My sight became blurry, but I stood strong, determined to protect her just as she had protected me.

I stood there with the sword in my hand, ready for my last stand as the remaining orcs charged towards me. I looked at them, standing strong and holding my ground. As they got closer, I began to walk towards them, ready to fight. And then they came – reinforcement from Aurora. I guess the guards had returned safely after all.

As the knights charged and battled the remaining orcs, I stood there, relief washing over me.

A knight who looked important got off his horse and approached me. He got closer and told me, "Everything is alright now," and made me put down my sword.

I slowly walked towards Claire and fell to the ground unconscious right beside her. Maybe I'll see Revenant again. I'm so tired.

As I closed my eyes, I could still hear the battle raging on. My mind slowly drifted into the void of nothingness. I was happy and relieved. I could hear people panicking that Claire had been hurt. She must be really important to them. Hopefully, they'll take care of her.

End chapter