A message echoed inside my head as I woke up.

[Nights survived: 2/3]

I paid no attention to the message, as a familiar comfortable warm sensation clouded my mind, and I couldn't get up. I brought my left hand up to my face and rubbed my eyes. Surprisingly, I couldn't feel my hand touching me face, but I wasn't too worried about it.

However, after rubbing my eyes, I found out something that bothered me. I looked at my left hand, that was wrapped in bandages, and noticed that it had four and a half fingers instead of five.

'Huh? That's... not supposed to be like that.' I thought in confusion as I cautiously touched the stump of my pinkie finger with my right hand.

As I touched the stump, I felt something. The feeling was a little tickle, and as I kept touching it, the feeling grew more intense. However, it didn't stop me. I kept examining and irritating the little stump until the feeling started to resemble a sting. That was when I stopped, but that didn't stop the feeling from growing more intense. I had gone too far. Then the feeling started to move from my pinkie, to my entire right arm, from where it spread to my torso, and then the rest of my body.

I was in agony, the feeling was everywhere. I turned my attention from my left hand to the rest of my body, and again my curiosity backfired.

What I discovered were legs, arms, and a torso, covered in leaves with blood flowing from underneath and ugly bite marks.

I put my hands onto the platform I was laying on and painfully pushed myself into a sitting position. The stinging on my back was reduced by my pain was still immeasurable.

Out of curiosity, I put my hand on one of the leaves on my right legs and pulled. The leaf sticked to the skin tightly, but it was still easy to pull off, and after I did it, what I discovered was a relatively mild flesh wound. In relief, I put the leaf back on the wound.

I then looked to my right and discovered an opening in the wall that resembled the shape of a door. I decided to get out of the room to see where I was, and started to stand up. I put my feet on the floor and pushed myself up with my arms.

However, when I thought my legs would start supporting my weight, I felt intense pain from my legs, and they immediately gave up on trying to stand up, which made me fall face first onto the ground with a loud thump.

"Aargh" I groaned as I accepted my fate and didn't even make an effort on standing up.

My mind was still so clouded, falling asleep on the ground didn't seem like a bad idea.

However, just as I was about to fall asleep, someone came into the room and helped me up. I got back onto the platform and sat with my back leaning against the wall.

"What's wrong with me." I mumbled in an almost inaudible voice as I tried to remember where I had seen the elderly woman in front of me before.

"You have a lot of serious injuries and your muscles are way too strained for you to move right now. And about the finger, I'm sorry, but I can't heal it. I'm afraid you'll have to live the rest of your life with 9 fingers." the woman said with a grave expression.

With hazy, tired eyes, I looked down at my left hand and my expression turned into a deep frown. I then looked up and breathed out in exasperation.

"Akir, I think it's best if you keep resting. I don't know how long you have to be here for, but you can stay in the pocket dimension for as many nights as you want."

I nodded, and got back into a laying position.

Without saying another word, the elderly woman left me alone. My mind was clouded, and I couldn't form thoughts properly, but I could sense an emotion that plagued every cell in my body. The emotion drained my energy, pushed me down, and reduced me into a pathetic, hopeless state.

Compared to the emotion that eroded my being, my injuries were nothing. I even wished the pain would have been greater so that I wouldn't have to pay attention to that low, pathetic emotion of mine.

However, I knew that there was no amount of pain that could make that feeling disappear. I had to face it. The emotion I felt was sadness.

***

After a few hours of laying down, my mind had cleared and the pain had lessened.

However, my hands couldn't stop shaking. My mind was full of anxiety and I couldn't do anything about it. I was mentally and physically completely helpless.

Interrupting my thoughts was Angus, who walked inside the room without saying a word, and threw a set of clothes onto the ground before walking out.

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I was relieved that he didn't start a conversation, but my relief didn't last for long, as the man came back a few seconds afterward.

"I have to say, I'm surprised you called for help." the man said, leaning on the side of the entrance.

I didn't meet the man's eyes, but instead just stared at the roof as I laid down.

"Okay. Anything else?" I said as nonchalantly as I could.

"No, I was just wondering how you managed to swallow your pride."

"I do what I have to in order to survive. I can get my pride back, but I can't say the same for my life."

"I guess that's true. I just thought you would be the type of guy who would rather die with his pride intact. I guess that makes you even weaker than I thought you were."

I rose up into a sitting position, without feeling any pain for some reason, and turned to look Angus in the eyes.

I stared straight at Angus with my eyes exuding pure malice, "I hate you. I never really talk about my feelings, but I want you to know. I would do anything to kill you. I loathe you. I want to rip your face off. I hate you more than you can imagine. Did you hear me? I hate you. I hate you. I hate you..."

"Hey, you awake?" I heard Angus' voice, but the figure I was staring at didn't more his lips.

Suddenly, I found myself looking at the roof again. It didn't take me long to figure out what happened, and I quickly calmed myself down.

"Angus, could you tell Amelia that I could use some water?"

"Hah, go get it yourself." Angus said and walked away.

I really hadn't expected him to do it, so I wasn't really bothered by his rudeness, but I could still use some water. With this in mind, I got up, but unlike in my little daydream, I felt pain.

Nevertheless, after deciding to dress up later, I walked out of the room with the assistance of the wall on my left, and headed towards the water station that was located in the corner of the room.

I drank some water using a bowl I formed with my hands, and then walked back to my room. On my way, however, I gazed at the staircase leading to the cellar with a grave expression.

***

"You son of a bitch." Angus spat an insult at me after he rushed down the staircase to see me with a pentagon shaped black object in my hands.

I shrugged nonchalantly, "I do what I have to in order to survive. I can't fight the undead with my current strength, but if I don't fight them, I'll die in the next ruin because of a lack of strength."

Angus smirked, "Hah, you think you will be able to activate that armor?"

"You did it when you were my age, so I don't see why not." I said, and then I put my focus into activating the armor.

I prepared for Angus to rush at me trying to prevent me from equipping the armor, but he just stood there watching me.

Soon after beginning to focus, I felt the object heat up to the point it burned my hands, still I kept holding onto it. Then, I felt a shock of electricity.

I gazed at Angus, who was standing still with a neutral expression, and felt satisfied.

'I win.' I thought as I readied myself to be enveloped by the armor.

However, nothing happened. The object cooled down, and the exhilaration I felt was gone.

"What?" I said, me eyes wide, horrified by the result.

I looked up from the object in my hands, and found Angus dashing at me. He covered the distance between us in an instant, and I had no time to react before his fist hit the left side of my chin. Undoubtably the hardest punch I had ever received, but I knew he wasn't even going all out.

I was about to fall to the ground and lose my consciousness, but he didn't allow it. He grabbed my left hand, wrapped his right hand around my thumb, and proceeded to break it.

"Graah!" I groaned as sharp pain overwhelmed me.

"You get it yet?" Angus asked.

Even I would've wanted to answer the question, Angus didn't give me the chance. Instead, he kicked me in the stomach. Angus let go of my arm and I fell onto my back while gasping for air.

Angus stepped on me, "Fine, since you seem to be unable to figure it out, I'll tell you why you're the one who's about to die." Angus said, and the ends of his lips curved up into a sadistic smile. "The condition for the armor's activation wasn't fulfilled. In conclusion, you're weak."

I raised my head in order to say something, but a kick to the face made me lose consciousness before I could say a word.