Sollivan’s face froze for several minutes. His heart tightened, and his mind went blank, unable to think of anything.
He wasn’t angry or sad, but he couldn’t simply accept the situation. Although everything he thought of remained mere theories that couldn’t be confirmed, it turned his usually calm demeanor into chaos.
Despite being disabled and ostracized, living a bleak life in his world, that life had been earned through the sacrifices of many people, and he had come to accept it long ago. He had even clung to hope, believing that one day he might heal himself—or even find his family’s killer and take revenge.
Deep down, he knew his hopes and dreams were just fantasies that would never come true, but at this moment, he felt a profound sense of guilt.
He had regained his legs and physical health, but in exchange, he had been transported to a place far from his homeland, surrounded by wilderness and beasts that could kill him at any moment.
The feeling of emptiness lingered in his mind and heart for a long time, making him oblivious to his surroundings and the blood trickling from the wound on his forehead, flowing into his right eye.
The dark blood entered his eye, causing his blank face to twitch. He tilted his head in discomfort and raised his hand to rub his eye, which now had a faint burning sensation.
He shook his head in anger and looked up at the sky with bloodshot eyes, then let out a long sigh that carried all the negative emotions that had built up inside him.
His heart calmed, and his mind regained clarity. He lowered his head, but then froze for a moment, his eyes widening in suspicion. He gently rubbed his blood-filled eye, cleaned it, and looked again in a specific direction.
There, he saw a column of black smoke rising into the sky. Due to the pitch-black night and the distance, the smoke wasn’t entirely clear, but Sollivan wasn’t foolish enough not to recognize what it was.
"Campfires?! The shape and size of the smoke can’t be anything else. It’s clear there are people nearby." His sadness and confusion disappeared, replaced by caution and wariness.
Gulp!
He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, trying to moisten his dry throat.
"Should I go and meet them? But considering I’m in a different world, who knows what kind of problems I’ll face when I meet them? Maybe their appearance and language are different. And if I can’t communicate with them, I’ll likely be killed due to the misunderstanding that will arise from my sudden appearance in this place and time." After thinking about it, he shook his head. "This isn’t possible." His hesitation wasn’t unjustified.
Human nature is twisted, and the people nearby might be dangerous. Even if they were ordinary people, they wouldn’t trust someone who appeared suddenly in the middle of a desolate plain full of beasts.
"Let’s set aside the matter of these people. I need to find a solution for my thirst. If I don’t hydrate my body, my weakness will increase."
Despite his reluctance to leave his safe spot, he had no choice. Night was the best time for beasts to hunt, but it also provided Sollivan with cover to hide and sharpened his sense of hearing.
He gathered his courage, then bent down slowly, picked up some soil, and smeared it over his wounds and clothes to mask the pungent smell of blood that covered his body. His method wasn’t 100% effective, but it reduced the spread of his scent and made it more confusing.
After ensuring everything was fine, he began walking quietly and cautiously toward the stream he had seen in the morning. The distance between them was short, but his slow and careful pace made the journey take a long time.
His steps were silent, thanks to his use of the Light Steps technique, which eased the burden on his exhausted muscles and joints. His ears were working at full capacity, and whenever he heard a suspicious sound, he froze in place and held his breath.
After walking for several minutes, he began to hear the sound of fresh water flowing, making him lick his lips involuntarily.
Without rushing, he maintained his pace and finally reached his destination. The faint moonlight reflected on the water, making it shimmer with a mesmerizing white glow.
The sound of the flowing water eased his fear of his footsteps being heard. He walked quickly and without hesitation, like a hungry horse, plunging his head into the water that caressed his face and washed away the blood and dirt from his forehead.
Gulp!
Gulp!
He didn’t lift his head from the water as he began drinking quickly, swallowing some of his blood and the dirt scattered around his face. But he didn’t mind the metallic taste and continued drinking until he ran out of breath.
Then he lifted his head and looked around cautiously. Drops of water fell from his wet hair, making a faint sound in the lifeless area. But he didn’t feel at ease and continued listening intently. After a minute of stillness, he finally moved.
He scooped some water with his palm and cleaned the wound on his forehead, noticing that his blood looked dark under the moonlight.
He didn’t pay much attention to it and washed some scratches on his hands, ignoring the wounds that required him to remove his clothes, like the wound on his back caused by the beast’s claws. After finishing, he looked at the stream and followed its path with his eyes.
"If I continue walking along the stream, I might find some human settlements. Then, gathering information will be easier, and I won’t attract much suspicion."
Sollivan bent down again, took a few sips of water, and then headed back to his burrow with a refreshed body. After retracing his previous path, he reached his destination in slightly less time than before.
When only a few dozen steps remained, he suddenly stopped and felt a faint shiver in his body. His expression twisted, and his gaze froze on the back of the large beast that had chased him earlier, now standing in front of the intertwined trees.
Scrape!
Quickly and quietly, Sollivan hid behind the nearest tree and stole a quick glance at the beast, which was cutting tree branches at the entrance with its large claws.
The sound of wood scraping echoed in the area, accompanied by the beast’s faint growl, sending shivers down the spine of anyone who heard it.
He held his breath and took a step back, but he accidentally stepped on a small wooden branch, causing a faint cracking sound that made the beast stop and freeze in place.
"Damn it!" Sollivan couldn’t find enough words to describe his feelings at that moment other than silently cursing in his heart.
As expected, he saw the beast slowly turn and look in his direction. The beast opened its mouth full of teeth, forming a hideous smile filled with malice.
Run!
That smile was like a bell that alerted him. With frantic speed, Sollivan fled, using the Light Steps technique and unleashing all the energy he had saved. Because of this, he quickly put distance between himself and the beast, which was slightly delayed in pursuing him.
His initial speed was the result of his explosive burst of energy, but after covering dozens of meters, his steps slowed, and his breathing became erratic.
His body hadn’t recovered much energy, and because of this, he knew he couldn’t run as far as before. He turned his head slightly and looked at the beast chasing him closely, then suddenly changed direction, using the trees to make the beast stumble and slow down.
Seizing the moment, Sollivan changed his path and headed back toward the intertwined trees. But the beast regained its balance and ran parallel to him, unintentionally blocking his path to the trees.
His eyes widened, and his steps faltered, but he quickly regained his composure. A dark look appeared on his face, and he stared in a specific direction with tense nerves.
The beast was blocking his path while simultaneously closing the gap between them. It didn’t take long for him to realize he was trapped. His expression grew darker, and his heart boiled with intense anger. He turned and glared at the beast with dagger-sharp eyes, growling:
"You want to play rough? Let’s play, then!" He quickly changed direction, stopped conserving his strength, and unleashed all his remaining energy, running as fast as he could.
Although he was just an ordinary human, his running technique and the zigzag path he took made the beast, which was faster than him, fall behind by several meters.
But the zigzag path filled with trees began to thin, and after running a few more meters, Sollivan left the tree-filled area and emerged into the endless grassy plain.
But he didn’t stop. Although his breathing became ragged and his steps began to falter, his eyes remained fixed on the point of light burning in a specific part of the plain.
After they entered the open area, the beast became much faster than before due to the lack of obstacles. Within seconds, it closed the distance between them significantly.
Sollivan realized this, but he didn’t try to do anything. His strength had failed him, and all he had left was the power of will and hope driving him forward.
The burning fire was far away, but he kept running until he could see some small tents and what appeared to be people, their shadowy figures dancing in the flickering firelight.
Roar!
The beast, which had caught up to Sollivan, leaped and attacked him with full force, aiming to slash his neck with its sharp claws.
Sollivan realized this and, as usual, wanted to jump aside and dodge the attack. But his body hesitated for a split second, then he changed his mind, opened his mouth, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Help!"
The claws reached the back of his neck, but he didn’t stand helpless.
His body swayed like a slippery snake, and he twisted in a strange, curved motion, causing the sharp claws aimed at his neck to graze his thigh instead. But even that superficial blow was strong enough to knock him off balance and send him spinning like a ballerina before he fell and rolled on the ground.
Despite the intense pain he felt, his eyes remained fixed on the people in the camp, who suddenly stood up, armed with weapons, and looked in his direction.
The beast wasn’t stupid. Seeing a group of armed people looking its way, it sensed danger and froze for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, Sollivan quickly stood up and began running, shouting in a hoarse, dry voice:
"Help!"
His second shout alerted the cautious people, who then began running toward him, carrying their weapons. But his shout also caught the beast’s attention, and it began running toward him with frenzied speed, eager to kill him before the dangerous people arrived.
Sollivan realized this and, in a hurried and stumbling manner, began running in a zigzag pattern. But he was too slow.
The beast reached him and pounced on him with full force. A single blow from it would have been enough to cut Sollivan down and turn him into a lifeless corpse. But he wasn’t a coward or helpless, and he didn’t stand idly by waiting for death. He stopped running and turned around quickly.
His mind was clear, and he could see everything around him clearly. The people running toward him were still a bit far away, while the beast had reached him, with only a few feet separating them.
"There’s no choice but to fight." Sollivan let out a long sigh at his miserable self, then changed his stance. He clenched his fists tightly in front of him, and his frown and sadness disappeared, replaced by a sharp, deadly gaze that made him radiate a powerful aura, contrary to his exhausted appearance.
This aura wasn’t just an illusion, as the beast itself faintly sensed danger. But it didn’t stop or hesitate. It opened its mouth full of teeth and lunged at him, aiming to bite his head.
Sollivan moved with insane force, unleashing all the strength he had, starting from his feet firmly planted on the ground, which fueled the momentum of his powerful and swift punch.
Unexpectedly and suddenly, he punched the beast under its chin and near its windpipe.
Smash!
The sound of the powerful punch hitting the tough hide echoed in the area, accompanied by a faint scream and howl from both Sollivan and the beast. Sollivan’s fingers broke, and the muscles in his arm tore, while the beast felt a strange dizziness and pain in its head, causing it to freeze and howl in pain.
Its eyes became bloodshot, and its expression twisted, but despite the intense pain it felt, it attacked Sollivan and struck him with the back of its hand with great force, sending Sollivan, who was standing in place with a pained expression and a stiff body, flying like a feather and landing several meters away, hitting his head on a large rock protruding from the ground.
"Did I succeed?" His exhausted eyes and stiff body pulsed in harmony.
His consciousness began to fade little by little, but his vision remained fixed on the beast, which had regained its balance and began running toward him.
"This is the end, then." He muttered silently and resignedly. He no longer wanted to struggle and had accepted the outcome that would come.
But despite that, his eyes remained fixed on the beast, and then he saw it hesitate for a moment in place before leaping and dodging a long spear that fell and blocked its path.
"Huh." Sollivan smiled faintly, closed his eyes, and lost consciousness.