### Chapter Seven: A Moment of Peace
My vision went dark for a moment.
A short sword had stabbed into the left side of my lower abdomen, but thankfully, the part that actually pierced the flesh wasn’t too long. In a nail-biting instant, an explosive ice spike blocked most of the Knight Leader’s force, and the freezing mist had already made his body stiff at the last moment; otherwise, it would have gone clean through me.
With one hand clutching my wound and the other gripping the sword’s hilt to prevent it from falling and causing a second injury, bright red bl**d trickled down as I gasped for air, terrified that I might faint from a wrong breath.
The knights who rushed to my back were close enough for me to see their faces.
It’s alright, I can escape. Just hold on a bit longer.
The Knight Leader sprawled on the ground was helped up by someone. I gritted my teeth, and black smoke surged up from beneath me, “Boom!” It blasted me a good ten meters away. The moment I exerted force, my wide movements tugged at my wound, causing me to nearly topple over, agony shooting through my lower abdomen like I couldn’t breathe.
My face turned pale, tiny beads of sweat forming on my forehead.
“Ah…” I couldn’t help letting out a painful groan.
But at least this move managed to widen the gap again, though it wasn’t enough. At my current speed, I’ll be caught up again soon.
Without even checking behind me, I swung my hand, summoning a wide expanse of ice spikes that erupted into the sky with a series of crackling sounds. The air suddenly thickened with freezing mist, frosty frost coating the ground around me.
Once formed, the ice spikes could only melt naturally; I hoped they would buy me some time against the pursuers.
Suppressing the pain, I moved forward a few steps, unleashing black smoke to leap ahead again, continuously releasing freezing mist behind me during the jump.
As I soared through the air wrapped in black smoke, it felt as if some force was pulling me along at high speed. To ensure a safe landing, I had to make large adjustments. After several leaps, my face was void of color, my teeth chattering, cold sweat dripping down my cheeks, and I was in so much pain that tears streamed from my eyes.
Keep going, just one more time.
bl**d dripped down my thigh onto the ground. I didn’t care and certainly had no intention of hiding the evidence.
I had already entered the forest; just a bit longer, just go a little deeper. I couldn’t afford to fall now; I had to ensure they wouldn’t find me.
But I really couldn’t jump anymore.
I limped deeper into the forest, every step tugging at my wound, almost unbearable, forcing me to stop to catch my breath. After a while of staggering forward, I glanced back again; the dense foliage behind me showed no signs of the knights.
I should have completely shaken them off now; I finally felt relieved.
This jungle reminded me of a tropical rainforest, with all sorts of bizarre, gigantic trees that looked intimidating. The damp ground was covered with leaves and grass. Every step I took either landed on mossy, jagged rocks or slippery mud and rotten wood, which was uncomfortable for my barefoot self.
The air around was humid and hot, with vines tangling everywhere, making progress even harder.
Well, I might as well take a break.
It was nearing dusk; soon, the sun would set completely. The complex terrain, combined with the cover of night, was perfect for me.
I found a piece of bluestone to sit on and took off my cloak. I didn’t know what material it was made from, but it felt incredibly exquisite. I hadn’t paid close attention before, but suddenly noticed that this cloak wasn’t completely white. It had a beautiful pale golden flower printed in the middle, surrounded by intricate patterns, though the colors were light, making it hard to see without looking closely.
The Bearded Swordsman’s cloak was too long for me; it was just right to tear off a piece to bandage my wound.
I quickly grabbed the hem, measured it against my calf, then ripped it off.
I ripped it off!
…What kind of lousy cloak is this, how is it so tough?
Tilting my head in confusion for a moment, I conjured a sharp ice spike in my right hand and stabbed and sliced at the cloak. After a long struggle, I finally managed to cut off the hem.
So exhausting! The quality of this cloak is way too good; it seems fabric technology is very advanced in this world.
Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I twisted the torn fabric into a strip and bit down on it, taking a deep breath and gripping the hilt of the short sword.
“Whoo—”
I slowly exhaled, my eyes determined…
I took another deep breath.
I took several deep breaths.
“……”
What to do? I dared not pull it out.
I had seen on TV that whenever someone encountered a similar situation, there’s always another person screaming for them not to pull it out! They’ll d*e! Then, the injured person seemed fine, but once they pulled it out, they really fainted!
What if I pull it out and bl**d sprays out like in the shows, and I completely lose consciousness, never seeing the sun again?
I felt a bit scared.
But not pulling it isn’t an option either.
Time was running out, the sky was almost dark, so after some agonizing deliberation, I finally decided—pull!
I shut my eyes, gritted my teeth, and with a forceful tug, pulled out the short sword.
“Umm—!!”
The sharp pain made me let out a muffled groan, large beads of sweat dripping down from my forehead.
The wound, which had originally stopped bleeding, opened up again, but it wasn’t as dramatic as I had imagined. I quickly spat out the fabric I had bitten, wrapping it tightly around my waist to dress the wound.
Knights in this era are still quite honest; their weapons don’t have deadly designs like barbs or bl**d channels, and the stab didn’t go deep; I shouldn’t have damaged any organs. So as long as I stem the bleeding, I should be fine—just hurts a lot.
After bandaging my wound, I put my cloak back on, lay back against the bluestone, and rested for a while, finally feeling some strength return. Now, I was ready to keep moving.
Struggling to stand, I glanced at the cloak, which now reached just to my ankles, and nodded with satisfaction. Although the hem was torn and uneven, making it look a bit shabby, it was the only clothing I had to cover myself, so I didn’t mind anymore.
Breathing in the natural air, I felt no enemies around. The dark cloud named d*ath that had hung over me dissipated, and my tense nerves finally relaxed. Only then did I realize I was both thirsty and hungry.
The forest had plenty of edible things, but the immediate priority was to find a water source. Just thinking about water made my mouth feel even drier.
So I gathered my spirits, closed my eyes, and listened closely. For a moment, the gentle sound of the wind rustling through the leaves, mingling with the chirping of birds and insects, felt like a symphony in my ears, with the sound of flowing water serving as a sweet accompaniment, faintly coming through.
To the left!
Following the sound, I moved forward, pushing through a mass of tangled vines. Soon, my vision opened up, revealing a clear creek.
Having gradually adjusted to that overwhelming sensory ability that had been bothering me, it finally paid off. If I hadn’t had this unusually sharp sense, I probably wouldn’t have made it here or found water so easily.
I hurried over, startling two resting fawns beside the creek, who jumped away but didn’t run far—more curious than scared, they watched me, their unexpected guest.
The creek water was crystal clear, and after taking a sip and finding no strange taste, I gulped down several more mouthfuls. The icy water slid down my throat, leaving a slightly sweet flavor behind.
Having quenched my thirst, I washed the mud off my feet, stood up, and looked at a large tree nearby, which bore green fruits. Using my agile body, I climbed up in a few swift moves, plucked a fruit, wiped it on my hand, and took a bite.
The fruit wasn’t particularly sweet or tasty, even a bit sour and astringent, but it didn’t spoil my peaceful mood.
The giant tree had thick, sturdy branches extending in all directions. Leaning against one of the trunks, I slowly munched on the fruit, humming an unknown tune.
Night had fallen; the moonlight filtered through the leaves, and the stars twinkled in the night sky like dazzling gems.
In this world, there were two moons, one large and one small hanging in the sky, casting a serene glow over the night.
Ah, I have truly arrived in another world.
This moment felt incredibly real.
The night in the jungle was filled with a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere. Deep fatigue from the battle washed over me, and I tossed aside the leftover fruit pit, finding a comfortable position, preparing to rest well.
Then I noticed flickering torches glowing not far away.
