Boom.!!
Kogan landed forcefully, sending small rocks flying in all directions.
Blood poured from his mouth onto the ground like a waterfall.
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed Hinako's hand, and they started running uphill.
Hinako couldn't understand the nature of these sounds or what was happening, but from Kogan's reaction, she knew it was something dangerous.
Both of them were pushing beyond their limits—though their conditions were hardly comparable.
She was just a girl with a frail body, yet reaching this stage was truly admirable.
With every step Kogan took, blood burst from his mouth, and his mind grew hazy.
Throughout the entire climb, he kept repeating one thing.
"There wasn't much left."
Swooosh!!
A raging flood suddenly burst forth like a wild beast, slamming into them with icy waters that knocked them off balance.
Their bodies were swept away violently by the relentless current.
Hinako screamed, but the rushing water filled her mouth, turning her voice into strangled bubbles.
Kogan struggled desperately to catch his breath, but how could he in such a state?
He pulled Hinako to his chest, shielding her head with his hand, surrendering to the current.
The mighty torrent swept them away like helpless dolls.
***
Cough... Cough...
Darkness wrapped around him, as if he were drowning in a boundless sea. Slowly, specks of light began piercing through the abyss, heavy, as if dragging him up from the depths of an endless well.
He forced his eyes open with difficulty, his heavy eyelids feeling as though they carried weights. His vision was blurry.
A hazy figure loomed before him, and soon, its features started to take shape—a pale, pale face, streaked with blood trickling from the forehead down to the nose and cheeks.
It was Hinako.
Her lips were moving, worry evident on her face, but all that reached Kogan's ears was a constant ringing.
A faint smile formed on his face before he lost consciousness once again.
"Kog... cough cough" Blood splattered from Hinako's mouth as she tried to call out to Kogan, who lay collapsed before her.
"If only I were as strong as you... maybe... I could have made a difference."
Her eyes slowly closed as she collapsed beside Kogan, losing consciousness.
Beneath the dark sky, on the quiet riverbank, two motionless bodies lay side by side on the grassy ground.
***
In this dark night, a medium-built man with short black hair and a woman with long brown hair tied behind her head rode two black goats atop the mountain, carrying flaming torches to light the way.
"I'm tired of this job," the woman sighed.
"This is our last night, and then we can finally rest," the man said.
"Do you think we'll find anything this time?"
"I know my luck—of course, we'll run into a vicious beast on our last night on this job," the man scoffed.
After the river had filled up, they went out on a night patrol along the bank.
"Let's head back. There's nothing out here tonight—no need to keep going," the woman said as she prepared to descend the mountain.
"Since it's our last time, let's do it perfectly."
"A temporary break doesn't mean it's the last time we'll work here," the woman scoffed.
Cough… cough…
They looked at each other, eyes wide.
"Who's there?" the man called out loudly.
Cough… cough…
"Let's check it out," the man said as he dismounted his goat.
"Wait, what if it's a trap?" the woman spoke anxiously.
"And what if it isn't?" The man extended his torch forward and headed toward the source of the coughing.
The woman sighed and dismounted as well, following him with her torch.
Two bloodied faces lay motionless on the grassy ground.
"He's breathing," the man checked Kogan.
"She's breathing too. She was the one coughing," the woman checked Hinako.
"We're really lucky, but this young man looks like he's on the verge of death. Go and bring some water."
The woman grabbed a leather pouch and headed toward the river to fill it before hurrying back.
He washed Kogan and Hinako's faces from their dried blood.
"It looks like they've been here for a while. Treat the girl, and I'll take care of him." The man extended both hands toward Kogan's body.
The woman did the same toward Hinako.
A white light shone from their hands onto Kogan and Hinako.
"I'm done with her," the woman lowered her hands.
Hinako seemed to have regained her breath, but she was still unconscious.
The man's face was covered in sweat. "This is strange… I used ten on him, but he doesn't seem to be getting any better."
"The girl only took one essence from me, and her condition is stable now. She's just unconscious, probably due to exhaustion," the woman said as she looked at Hinako's pale face.
"I can't continue—it'll drain me. We'll take him to the captain; he's the one who can afford the cost." The man stopped treating Kogan.
They carried them toward the goats. The man placed Kogan in front of him before mounting as well.
The woman did the same with Hinako, then they set off, descending the mountain.
A pair of blue eyes stared at them from between the trees.
***
After 40 minutes of swift movement, they arrived at their destination.
Torches began to appear among the trees, dozens of them scattered throughout the area.
Tents were spread out in a roughly triangular formation, and at the center of the triangle stood a few horses and goats tethered around the lone tree.
Several individuals were stationed in pairs, keeping watch here and there.
"Call the captain quickly!" the man who brought Kogan shouted at the top of his lungs.
They were riding black goats, slightly smaller than horses.
"Go and call the captain, I'll assist here," one of the guards said to his companion before stepping forward toward the duo who had brought Kogan and Hinako.
"Are they alive?"
"If they weren't, I would've thrown them back into the river."
They stopped in front of their tent, a square-shaped shelter standing three meters tall.
Carefully, they carried Kogan onto a bed inside the tent, then did the same for Hinako.
"You two are really lucky. You'll return to the city and even get rewarded on top of that," the guard said, feeling envious of the pair before him.
"Stop talking, or they'll die from your bad luck," the man said in annoyance.
A man with his hair tied in a ponytail emerged from the tent at the tip of the triangle, accompanied by the woman who had been on guard earlier.
They walked swiftly, nearly breaking into a run.
After about two minutes, they reached the tent where Kogan and Hinako were.
The captain swiftly pulled back the tent flap and stepped inside.
"Where are they?" he asked directly.
"Captain"
The pair who had found Kogan and Hinako, along with the man who had assisted them, stood up and bowed their heads slightly out of respect.
The captain knelt on one knee between Hinako and Kogan.
"I treated the girl, and she's fine now. She's just exhausted," the woman said calmly.
"How much did it cost you to heal her?" the captain asked.
"Almost two."
"That man cost me thirteen, yet he shows no sign of improvement," added the man who had treated Kogan, his tone filled with regret.
"Thirteen?" The captain's eyes widened.
Of course, it hadn't actually cost him thirteen—only ten. But he lied, adding three more in hopes of receiving a slightly greater reward.
He didn't want to exaggerate too much, as the captain would eventually find out, and that would be the end of him.
The captain placed his palm on Kogan's chest, and a bright white light radiated from it.
After several minutes of treatment, his face paled, and sweat covered his forehead.
'Impossible… 150… I'll add 50 more and stop.'
Moments later, the captain ceased his treatment, and the light from his hand faded.
"Alright, his injuries have finally healed. Since you were the ones who found them, stay here by their side until they wake up. Call me again when they do."
"Understood." The duo bowed their heads.
The captain exited the tent, lost in thought.
'His treatment cost 213 essence, yet he hasn't fully recovered…'
'He must have refined Two-Tenths of First Tier.'
'But why is his partner still ordinary?'
'I need to test him later. He might be a suitable asset for my ascension…'
'But I must keep this a secret.'
A subtle smirk appeared on his face.