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***
'Dying to win and risking death to win are two completely different things, aren't they?'
Joseph hesitated no more and pointed his hand at the man, his trembling fingers splayed toward the mage. The Ki in his chest pulsed weakly, nearly depleted, but he forced what little remained, channeling it from the orb to the palm of his hand. "Spirit Cannon!"
A small sphere of Ki, no larger than a coin, formed in his hand, glowing with a faint, unstable golden light. With a final effort, he fired it. The shot traveled through the air, weak and flickering, but precise, flying in a straight line until it struck the mage's throat.
It was not the devastating attack the name suggested, but it was enough to make the man choke, his eyes widening as he clutched his neck, his breath momentarily cut off in a daze.
Joseph seized the moment. Ignoring the pain screaming in every muscle, he lunged forward, his feet kicking up dirt as he rushed toward the mage. The man was still struggling to regain his breath, his staff trembling in his hands, when Joseph leaped like a beast. He struck the mage's neck with both arms, knocking him to the ground.
Without thinking, driven by pure instinct and exhaustion, Joseph sank his teeth into the man's throat with all the strength he could muster. His teeth tore through flesh, the metallic taste of blood flooding his mouth as he bit down with animalistic ferocity, a desperate attack to end the fight once and for all.
The mage let out a gurgling scream, his hands beating uselessly against Joseph's shoulders, his staff rolling aside as his body convulsed in spasms.
For a few seconds, the world was only the sound of struggle—the muffled grunts of Joseph, the strangled groans of the mage, and the rustling of the earth beneath them. Then, the man stopped moving, his body going limp under the boy's weight.
Joseph released his grip on the mage's throat, panting, his face stained with blood as he pulled away, collapsing to his knees beside the corpse. Silence fell over the camp, broken only by the crackling of the fire and the quiet sobs of the elf, still standing near the cart, the stones slipping from her trembling hands.
Joseph's relief lasted only a second. With no more enemies, exhaustion crashed over him like a wave. His arms gave out, and his body fell forward, unconscious.
***
His eyes opened slowly, his blurred vision adjusting to the dim morning light filtering through the trees. The scent of earth and the faint traces of dying embers filled the air.
Right in front of him, almost pressed against him, was the elf. She slept deeply, her pale little face relaxed despite the dried tear tracks on her cheeks. Her silver hair fell messily over her face, and one of her small, shackled hands clung tightly to the torn edge of Joseph's shirt, as if even in sleep, she feared letting go. Her small body was curled up against his, her chest rising and falling in slow, exhausted breaths.
Joseph blinked, his mind still hazy, but a realization began to take shape as he looked at her. The numbness in his body wasn't just exhaustion—there was a lingering warmth, a comforting sensation mixed with the weakness, something he recognized.
"She healed me again," he murmured to himself, his voice hoarse, barely escaping his dry throat. It must have been right after he blacked out, and judging by her current state, she must have passed out from exhaustion soon after, draining herself to save him.
With difficulty, Joseph pressed his hands against the ground, the cold earth beneath his fingers, and forced himself to sit up. 'What a damn struggle,' he grunted softly, his face twisting in pain as he straightened up.
For a moment, he just sat there, panting, letting the cool morning air calm his unsteady breathing.
Closing his eyes, Joseph turned his focus inward, concentrating on the flow of Ki. He needed to know the price he had paid for pushing his body so hard in the fight. The orb in his chest was still there—he could feel it—but it felt unstable, with tiny cracks through which his Ki slowly leaked away.
He then probed the internal channels and immediately noticed that the cracks that had already existed before were now wider, some nearly broken. A dull pain echoed from them, pulsing slowly up to his head.
'Really, I pushed too hard,' Joseph concluded, furrowing his brow. The "Spirit Cannon," weak as it had been, had pushed his limits beyond what the orb and the damaged channels could withstand.
It wasn't irreparable damage—at least, Joseph hoped it wasn't—but it meant that any attempt to use Ki now would be risky. Forcing it further could shatter the orb completely, and that... that he wouldn't survive.
"Haa... if someone saw me in this pathetic state, I'd be a laughingstock until the end of my days," Joseph muttered, opening his eyes and looking around. The camp remained untouched, the mage's body lay just inches away from him, dried blood staining the ground.
Joseph frowned, realizing he had been moved from the spot where the fight took place. 'She dragged me before healing me.' His gaze shifted back to the sleeping elf beside him.
"Well, time to move." With a low grunt, Joseph pressed his hands against the ground and began to push himself up. He stumbled for a moment before steadying himself. 'Okay, that was a bit tricky.'
Letting out a sigh, he scanned the campsite. It was simple, with only a single rudimentary tent swaying slightly in the breeze—probably where the mage had slept—and three piles of rags and furs marking the spots where the other men must have spent the night under the open sky.
The cart was still in the same place, and a few meters away, four horses rested, their ropes tied around the trees as they grazed on the grass.
Joseph took a deep breath, the fresh air filling his lungs, and decided to search for anything useful. He needed something like a map.
Moving toward the mage with slow steps, he knelt beside the body with some difficulty and began rummaging through the man's robes, searching the inner pockets. His fingers found something cold and metallic—a dagger with a short blade and a hilt wrapped in worn leather. He held it for a moment, testing the weight, before tucking it into his waist.
Continuing his search, he found a folded letter tucked into a seam of the robe. The paper was yellowed and rough, covered in lines of strange symbols. 'Is this the writing of this world? …Illiteracy awaits me,' he grumbled, turning the paper over, unable to make sense of it.
Still, Joseph carefully folded it back and tucked it away. Alongside the letter, a small cloth pouch jingled as he moved it—inside, there was a handful of coins, some silver and two gold. 'This must be the currency of this world.'
His gaze then landed on the staff lying next to the body. He reached out and grasped the twisted wood. It was heavier than it looked, marked with carvings he didn't understand.
Slowly turning it in his hands, struggling with its weight, Joseph thought about the attacks the mage had launched at him. 'I've never seen a Sorcerer controlling two elements, and he used words for his spells,' Joseph mused, frowning. 'Is it like Harry Potter movies? Do I have to say a spell for it to work?'
'Let's see... how did he say it again? Hmm... Ah!' He lightly tapped the staff on the ground and shouted, "Vethar ignis shal!"
...
...
...
But nothing happened.
Joseph stood still, the staff still in his hands. "Great… that was kind of pathetic," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck with an embarrassed grimace.
"Luneth!"
A sudden scream shattered the air, making him spin around in alarm. The elf was awake, her silver eyes wide with fear as her small, shackled hands trembled while she tried to get up.
Without a second thought, Joseph dropped the staff and rushed toward her, his steps unsteady but determined.
"Hey, calm down! It's just me!" he said, crouching beside her with his hands raised in a soothing gesture. The elf blinked, fear giving way to recognition, and she nodded, her gaze locked on him.
"Sorry about that. Now…" His eyes dropped to the chains still binding her wrists. "Let's get this nasty thing off you."
Carefully, his hands wrapped around the metal. The elf watched him, curious and unmoving, seeming to trust him completely.
Closing his eyes, he focused, calling upon the Ki that faintly pulsed in his chest. He guided it to his hands, a sharp pain shooting through his damaged channels.
"Just a little," he whispered, forcing the energy to flow. A golden aura flickered around his fingers, making the pain intensify, as if his arms were being pierced from the inside. He ignored it, focusing solely on the metal.
For a few seconds, the effort seemed useless, the silence broken only by his heavy breathing and the faint clinking of the chains. Then, a crack echoed, and fractures spread across the iron. With one final push, the chains shattered, the broken links falling to the ground.
Joseph opened his eyes, panting, his arms trembling as the Ki retreated back into the orb with a painful throb. "You're free now."
The elf stared at her now-unbound wrists, her eyes wide with surprise. Her trembling hands rose to touch the raw skin where the chains had been. Before Joseph could say anything, she let out a squeal of pure joy and flung herself at him, arms wide in an embrace.
The impact caught him off guard, and he lost his balance, falling backward with an "Oof!" as she landed on top of him, laughing loudly.
"Shaleth Luneth! Vethka!" she exclaimed, her voice bursting with happiness as she rubbed her face against his chest, her pointed ears twitching with excitement.
Joseph blinked, stunned, before laughing as well, the sound mixing with hers. "Alright, alright, I think I get it." He raised a hand and ruffled her hair, letting her laugh on top of him for a moment longer.
And for the first time since waking up in that place, Joseph felt something akin to lightness.