Chapter 19: The weak experience pain
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I crouched low in the bush, my breath shallow, my fingers numb against the cold steel of my dagger. The branches scraped against my pale, slightly shivering skin, and the quiet night made me feel like I had waited for hours. The river murmured beside me, its surface a ribbon of silver under the moon's glow. The night air was crisp and almost serene—if not for the gnawing hunger twisting in my gut and the frost biting at my exposed skin.
Then something moved.
A slow, deliberate crunch of snow.
My pulse quickened. The scent of wild musk and damp fur drifted toward me—thick and pungent. I stayed perfectly still, barely daring to breathe.
A bear emerged from the trees.
It was massive, its fur thick and matted with dirt, its ribs faintly visible beneath its hide. A starving beast. Desperate. Dangerous. My fingers tightened around the dagger's hilt.
I had no clue when an animal would become a "Magical Beast," but that bear fit the description of a normal-looking one.
If I had the chance to kill it, I would have enough skin for a blanket and mattress. I would only lack grasses to fill the mattress with.
I needed that fur. That meat.
I took a slow, steady breath. Moonlight Veil.
A soft hum resonated through my bones as the magic settled over me like a whispering mist. The cold no longer touched me, the wind no longer tugged at my frame. The world seemed to hush in response.
The bear lumbered forward, dipping its head toward the water, its breath curling in the night air.
Now.
I moved.
A ghost in the moonlight, I slipped across the snow and leapt.
The knife found flesh. A wet, sickening slide as the knife buried deep into the bear's neck. My curved dagger followed, slashing across its throat in a swift, decisive arc.
The beast roared.
Pain exploded in my side before I even registered the swipe. A blur of movement, a glint of claws, and then—agony.
The force sent me tumbling. Snow swallowed me whole, the world spinning as I crashed against the frozen ground. My vision blurred, the cold suddenly sharper, digging into my flesh like a thousand tiny knives.
I couldn't breathe.
I pressed a trembling hand to my waist. Warm. Wet.
Blood.
A guttural scream ripped from my throat before I could stop it. My body curled inward, instinct taking over as my mind reeled. The pain was blinding, swallowing every thought, every rational impulse. Tears stung my eyes as I gasped, struggling to force air into my lungs.
Get up.
My fingers clawed at the snow. I bit down hard, tasting iron. The bear's heavy form lay still a few feet away, its life spilling out onto the ice, steaming in the frigid air. But I barely saw it.
All I could think of was the warmth leaking from my body. The darkness curling at the edges of my vision.
Heal. Heal. Heal.
I gasped the words like a drowning man grasping for air. Nothing happened.
Panic seized my chest. I was going to die here. Alone. Stupid. Weak.
Then—
A gentle warmth. A presence. The moonlight pressed against my skin, soft, comforting. It wasn't magic. Not quite. But it was there.
Calm down. Think.
I forced a ragged breath into my lungs. The pain was unbearable, but I had no choice.
Cauterization.
My stomach twisted. I had read about it before. Seen it in movies. But now, faced with the reality of burning my own flesh, the idea felt impossible.
But there was no other way.
Gritting my teeth, I summoned a flicker of flame to my palm. My mana was dwindling, my core barely responding. The fire wavered, unsteady, but it was enough.
I pressed it to the wound.
The world went white.
A strangled, raw sound tore from my throat as my body seized. Every nerve screamed in protest, my vision flashing with spots of searing light. The stench of burning flesh and iron choked me, nausea rising thick and fast.
Then, nothing except pain assaulted my body.
I slumped back, breath ragged, my entire body shaked uncontrollably. The fire died in my hand, my mana spent.
I was alive.
The pain was still there—searing, throbbing—but the bleeding had stopped. The wound was closed. My waist bore a charred, ugly mark, but it was better than death.
Slowly, I dragged myself upright. My limbs felt like lead, my breath shallow and uneven. But I had no time to rest. The scent of blood would bring predators. I had to move. Now.
I turned to the bear's corpse, swallowing the bile in my throat.
Every movement was agony, but I forced myself to keep going. I couldn't afford weakness. Not now.
Not ever.
With that in mind, I decided to act the same as I did with that wolf. I had to skin it first. This time, my cut at the belly wasn't straight. I simply couldn't muster enough strength anymore after the straining pain. The hide alone was hard enough to carry, but I also had to take some meat with me to fill my storage in case something took the rest while I wasn't here.
Equipped with a full load, I made my way back in pain. Rest might have been best for my body, but I needed to gather more from the corpse to avoid starvation another day.
It was true that Alvin had promised food for a week, but could he truly guarantee that he would find prey? Surely not, and I would prefer not to depend too much on him.
After some time, I finally arrived at the area of my campsite. The sound of an axe striking wood echoed through the surroundings.
Alvin had made great progress with his hut, as only the ceiling remained unfinished.
He turned around and was startled to see me. His mouth opened as he lost his grip on the axe. He quickly approached me.
"You are... hurt. What happened?" he asked with uncertainty.
I motioned toward the fur on my shoulder. His expression became pale as he seemed to recognize the creature's hide.
His mouth opened and closed again, his eyes flickering with something.
I didn't know why, but suddenly, he burst into laughter.
"HAHAhahaHaha!"
He startled me, and I took a step back.
He caught his breath, hunching, while exclaiming: "A bear! You killed a bear! Amazing. You had the assistance of magic, right?" His breath was more ragged than mine.
I awkwardly nodded to confirm his conclusion.
His hands clenched into fists. His expression turned into one of anticipation as he hurried toward his incomplete hut, the sounds of striking wood becoming more frequent.
Exhausted, I threw the bear's skin into my hut and put the small amount of meat into my fridge. My legs trembled, my waist burned, and my head throbbed, but I needed to gather the rest of the meat before I could rest.
I felt my mana pool within my Magic Core still had some reserves, so I decided to retrieve the rest of the meat.
The moon was no longer at its peak when I finally finished. My whole body screamed with every movement. I collapsed onto the hard wood of my bed frame.
I had sustained that wound because I was too weak. Only Moonlight Veil was useful in a fight. My hands would have turned into fists if I could have mustered an ounce of strength.
It was only logical. Until now, I had built up a place to stay. I wanted to use it as a foundation to grow stronger.
But so what if I had a place to stay, if I didn't even have the power to protect it—or myself?
My eyelids grew heavy. My body could resist no longer. And with a need to acquire strength, I drifted into slumber.