The moisture present in the air makes breathing difficult. One of my main concerns is to avoid entering in shock. I always had breathing issues but in this world, they simply vanished. I am not aware if it’s for good or it’s just a coincidence and they simply didn’t act up until now.

My body is still in terrible condition. My left leg is soaked in my own blood.

With Soleil on my back, I duck beneath the entrance of the safe haven. It’s the last time I will ever see this place. We either leave this place and never look back or we simply die on our way out.

No monster was in the area. The body of the orc may have kept them away. The putrid smell on the area would make anyone leave that place.

I have to make this quick but I still need to be light on my feet to avoid drawing any attention towards us.

The nape of my neck is soaked with Soleil’s blood. I feel her hands shaking while she is grabbing the front of my shirt to avoid falling due to unexpected movement.

Walking slowly, we finally reached the huge room where our last entourage happened. This time, no monsters were around. The sound of water drops was the only thing that could be heard.

I was getting chills. This situation that would appear to be ideal really isn’t. The lack of danger is making me feel way too nervous.

I can see the stairs clearly. I can almost taste the outside air. We’ve been down here for so long that we grew used to this humid, heavy air.

“Are you okay?”

Whispering so we don’t get spotted, I try to check on Soleil’s condition.

The only response I receive is a tight grip and a nudge on my neck.

Guess that’s a no if I ever felt one. I need to get her to a real doctor. I’m seriously considering going back to the Royal City of Astax and ask Harlow for a favor.

Maybe guessing what I was thinking, I feel hot air next to my right ear.

“I’m fine. Stick to the plan.”

The raspy voice that I heard made me bite my lower lip.

She really is a proud one.

I blame myself and I probably always will for letting her get to this point.

I don’t trust anyone. Not after Ciara abandoning me.

The slave in the city left me nauseous. The way demi-humans were treated disgusted me to the core. Yet, there I was. Being a god damn hypocrite with a slave of my own. She hadn’t done anything to me.

20 kids from another world came in, were pronounced heroes. And yet, if someone deserves that title, it’s her. Killing slave merchants who took from her. And if this world really needs a hero, there’s no way I’m letting her die.

We finally reach the ground floor of the dungeon. The entrance is so close I can already feel a soft breeze coming.

Yet, there it is. A small horde of goblins sat there. If I didn’t know any better, I could compare this to a first-person shooter and I would say they were camping for someone. And that would be us.

I feel my leg gushing out a tad bit more blood. If I focus enough, I can feel a rusty scent in the air. I’m drenched in sweat, I feel a bit drowsy and by just looking at my hands, I am pale. I need to hurry.

I give one last tight adjust on the rope that is gripping me and Soleil together.

“Here goes nothing.”

Unsheathing the knife that was attached to my completely broken belt, I hold it like it was an amazing dagger. Because it has to be. This flimsy knife is going to make sure I survive. We survive. We are making out of this alive.

The 4 goblins I saw were sitting in a circular formation yet all of them were staring outside contemplating the sun that was rising through the clouds. A quick shake on my leg to make sure I can still move it and I’m off.

Running towards them without a care if I am making noise or not, the goblin that was near me was decapitated fairly easily. Guess all that experience I got from the orc was now coming in handy since I had difficulty just killing them last time. Or perhaps this was just a one-time thing and this was a fairly weak goblin.

The other 3 goblins noticing the commotion quickly ran towards me and moving faster than I can think, I sidestep fast enough to avoid getting bitten on the arm that has the knife.

I don’t have to kill the goblins. I just need to pass through and make my way outside. But as I was lost in thought and only focusing on what was in front of me, I feel a sharp pain in my right leg.

An imp approached me from behind and stuck his claws deep into my calf. My immediate reaction was to use my left leg and kick the monster away but as I did that, not only his arm was separated from his body, both my legs started to splurt even more blood.

I can’t waste time by removing the claws from my leg. I need to focus on what is in front of me and I am pretty confident that if I were to do that, I would probably bleed out. I can feel the soft and warm breath of Soleil on my neck. The poor dumb elf fell asleep once again. On my back, while I’m moving like crazy. And her hands are tightly gripped on my shirt and I can’t understand why.

I decide to make a run for it. One of the goblins came close and I simply Hammer Kicked him. Blood splurted on the ground as I did so. Both mine and the goblin’s blood combined making a gnarly color.

Avoiding the other 2, I finally step outside.

The breeze, the rustling of the leaves, the sun hitting my face. It felt like a dream. Only to be disrupted by the growl of the goblins and imps that banded together chasing after us.

From what Soleil told me, the storm draws the monsters outside but as soon as she finishes, the monsters either go back inside or wander through the forest only to be killed either by adventurers or the wolves that roam in this area.

But at that moment, I can’t even count the remaining monsters that stood outside the dungeon entrance. If the blood loss from both my legs didn’t kill me, they will. I have to stick to the plan. Move towards the Royal Otter Grove and lay low. Lick my wounds and live to fight another day.

Sticks and stones were passing through my head. I realized that imps are more intelligent than I gave them credit for. They knew we were hurt. They knew that a solid hit and we would both go down and they would feast on your flesh and bones. Using my hands, I cover Soleil’s head to the best of my abilities.

I ran. Ran. Ran. Ran. Ran. My body was giving in. My mind was going blank. But I wasn’t letting them go down. Not here. Not now. Without looking back, we finally lost them.

I could feel the difference in where we were. The trees looked denser. Sturdier. If anything, they looked alive. What contradicted everything that I have read from the Royal Otter Grove. It was supposed to be filled with trees that resembled eucalyptus. Instead, they resembled pine trees.

Cough. Cough.

I felt movement on my back. Looks like she is up.

“Morning.”

“Hey.”

“I got to handle it to you, you really are amazing at falling asleep. And drooling all over.”

“Shut up. Where are we?”

“Yeah… about that. How good are you at geography?”

“Meaning?”

“I have no idea.”

Untying the rope that bonded us together, she was on her feet. My spine is a complete mess. My breathing is irregular. Every time I breathe in, I feel something stabbing me. Something is broken. Or out of place. Something is very wrong. I can’t have my back straight. I’m slightly curved since it’s the only way I feel sorta comfortable.

“Yurem, your legs!”

“Don’t worry. Let them be. Let’s just… go.”

As soon as those words left my mouth, a treant, a tree-like monster was about to hit Soleil on the back. My body moved on its own and I pushed Soleil towards me and I quickly turned my back on the monster so I would get the full-blown instead.

Blood gushed from my mouth. The pain was overwhelming. I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t feel anything. My vision was fading in and out. I saw Soleil spinning with the knife I had and cutting the creature’s limbs. Without having a mouth of their own, you couldn’t hear anything but every time Soleil sliced, the leaves rustled. The more she cut, the wilder the leaves got.

I heard a loud impact. The treant was dead.

“… rem.”

Who’s there?

“…rem! Wa…. up!”

Is any of this for real?

“Yurem! Yurem!”

Oh, it’s you again.

The beautiful elf that moments ago was sleeping so peacefully on my back without a care in the world isn’t making a pretty face. I never had the chance to tell her and I will never say it to her face but she is stunning. A real beauty. I am honestly glad that if I am to die, this is the last thing I see.

“Don’t you dare give up on me.”

I can’t… hear you.

Her lips were moving. I felt the concern. I feel my eyes burning. I’m going to rest a bit. Forgive me. Soleil.