[Lancelot]

AaArRgH!

A loud shriek made me look over at Rodrick and his group. It was not even a minute that I was fighting with the two skeletons, but Edgar was already dead, pierced by the many bone tentacles.

Lilian was flat on the floor like all her bones were gone, and she was turned into melting flesh. Her once beautiful face crumpled and sagged like an old woman

While Rodrick was standing with half HP, sword pointing at the monster.

This wasn't looking any good.

I stared over at Soarsie, and she was still inside the cocoon of her shadow. Her body was obscured by a veil of darkness that seemed to writhe and pulse.

I never knew that these two minutes would be the longest two minutes of my life.

At the other end of the hall, I could make out the faint silhouette of the Bone Splinter, a towering monster with jagged bones jutting from its body. Its red eyes gleamed with malevolence, and I could hear the sound of its heavy footsteps as it approached.

My heart raced as I realized the gravity of the situation. My fate hung in the balance with Soarsie, and I was the only one standing between her and the Bone Splinter.

Rodrick was currently engaged in a fierce battle with the creature, but I fear he won't last much longer.

With gritted teeth, I steeled myself for the fight to come. I drew my weapon and braced for the Bone Splinter's onslaught. The hall was filled with the clashing of steel, the roar of the monster drowning our shouts.

Despite my fear, I fought on, driven by a fierce determination to protect Soarsie and survive this perilous encounter. Time seemed to stretch out endlessly as I dodged and parried the creature's attacks, hoping against hope that I could hold out for just a couple of seconds left.

One hit from that Bone Splinter's attack, and it would be all over for me. I couldn't lose focus even for just a fraction of a second.

As I battled against the Bone Splinter, my heart was pounding with adrenaline; I heard a sudden rustling behind me. Before I could react, Rodrick appeared out of nowhere and grabbed me from behind, using my body as a shield against the Bone Splinter's deadly strike.

"Y-you . . ." I choked with my own blood.

Rodrick's face twisted in a hideous grin. "Be still and buy me time. You're dead anyway."

I felt a sharp pain in my side as the creature's claws rip through my armor and dug into my flesh. I cried out in agony, struggling to break free from Rodrick's grasp. But it was too late — the Bone Splinter's blow had landed, and I felt my strength ebbing away.

As I sunk to the ground, my vision blurring, I saw Soarsie emerge from her cocoon of shadows; one of her eyes was bleeding. With a wave of her hand, she unleashed a burst of dark energy that sent the Bone Splinter reeling backward, its bones shattering under the force of the blast.

I felt my life slipping away as darkness closes in around me. I heard Soarsie's voice, urgent and commanding, but it seemed to come from far away.

And then, there's nothing but darkness.

I thought I saw Nanally in the distance. She was smiling and waving at me. I probably had died and joined her.

I ran into her arms and wept on her shoulder, telling her how sorry and useless I was for not avenging her.

But she only shook her head, pushed me gently away, and said in her low sweet voice, "It's not your time yet."

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a dimly lit room filled with strange things and unfamiliar symbols etched into the walls. I felt a dull ache in my side, and as I looked down, I saw the bandages wrapped tightly around my wounds.

The bleeding had already stopped, and my HP was already full, so I didn't see the point of the bandage there.

As I struggled to sit up, I heard a soft rustling sound, and I turned my head to see Soarsie sitting beside me. Her left eye was covered with a patch, and there were dark circles under her remaining eye as if she hadn't slept in days.

She looked tired and worn out.

"You're awake," she said dully, her voice low and unconcerned whether I live or die. "You've been unconscious for a day. I thought you'd never wake up."

I took in my new surroundings and realized that I was in some kind of a stone hut with straw roofs arranged in a rough circle. The air was filled with the scent of burning incense, and I could hear the distant sounds of animals and voices.

"We're in Honoka Village," Soarsie explained. "Yuko found us on a nearby farm and brought us here to heal our wounds."

As I tried to process this new information, Soarsie continued to fill me in on what's happened since I last saw her. She told me about the battle with the Bone Splinter, how Rodrick had turned against me, and how she had used her powers to defeat the creature and save our life.

However, she didn't know how exactly we got transported from the west to east, teleporting near Honoka Village, miles and miles away from Castle Rock Town.

As far as I know . . . Honoka Village was under House Larachel.

I felt a mix of gratitude and confusion, unsure of how to process everything that happened. But one thing was clear. "I owe you my life."

"You owe me nothing." Soarsie was quick to reply. "You have succeeded with your end of the bargain, and I only did my part."

I didn't know how to answer her. I felt like I didn't succeed in anything. I was so sure that she would leave me for dead.

Just to break the awkward silence between us, I asked without thought, "What happened to your eye?"

Soarsie gently caressed the patch on her left eye, face a mask, but the grief in her voice was apparent. "The price I must pay for getting us out of there alive."

I didn't want to expound on what happened because it seemed like she was bitter, angry, and sad about losing her eye to gain whatever power she had now.

Understandable. I would be too.

"What happened to Rodrick and the others?" I asked, shifting the topic.

Soarsie's face darkened. "That asshole managed to run away. But the rest of his crew . . . they're dead."

I frowned. "How? I thought [Blink] and other related teleportation skills are nulled in there?" 𝘣𝑒𝘥𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝑙．𝘤𝘰𝘮

"Apparently, he had a lifesaving item with him. He used you as a shield to buy time for him to activate it and teleport himself to a safe distance."

". . . So he was alive," I only muttered, anger rising in the pit of my stomach.

Good. I would be the one to end him. I promised.

"You managed to survive a blow from that monster. Is it one of your skills?" Soarsie asked, breaking the short silence that lingered between them.

I only nodded and didn't expound more. It was my [Brave Heart] skill that allowed me to take one HP when I was hit with a critical blow. But it only works one time a day.

I didn't know I had it, to be honest, until I thought I was dead. There was so many skills in my skill slots that I forgot almost half of it – mostly my passive skills.

I guess I wasn't allowed to die just yet without taking my revenge.

"Oh. You're awake."

A new, energetic voice pulled my attention to the newcomer at the door. I saw a figure approaching from the entrance of the hut. She was beautiful, with long white wavy hair that cascaded down her back like a waterfall. Her skin was pale, almost translucent, and she had a pair of fox ears and tails, which twitched with curiosity as she took in our presence.

Soarsie turned to me and began to speak about the woman who saved our lives. "Her name is Yuki," she said, "and she's the one who tended to your wounds and brought you back from the brink of death."

Yuki was dressed in simple robes of white, adorned with intricate embroidery in silver thread. Her eyes were a piercing red, and they seemed to hold a depth of knowledge and wisdom beyond her years.

I knew of those beastfolk. They were a fearsome race and plenty in this Kingdom. Though a one-tailed fox was considered a weak race, I felt no weakness in this woman.

As she approached, she offered a small smile, her lips curving up at the corners. "I'm glad to see that you're awake," she said, her voice soft and melodic. "You gave me quite a scare, appearing out of the blue like that."

I felt a sense of calm wash over me in Yuki's presence, and I realized that there was something special about her. Something otherworldly and powerful, like a force of nature.

"You have my gratitude," I said, my voice still hoarse from the fight before. "Thank you for everything you've done for us."

Yuki's smile widened, and she nodded her head in acknowledgment. "It was only right to help people in need," she said, her voice sounding like a child playing with another.

I opened my mouth to speak but stopped when something blinding suddenly flashed from the window, enveloping everything in glaring white light. The sky thundered, and the voices outside grew frantic and panicked.

"W-what . . . what happened?" Soarsie asked, rushing to the window.

"Hmmm . . . that's odd. It shouldn't have appeared this early," said Yuki, voice strangely calm.

"What appeared again?" I asked, not understanding what was going on.

Yuki was silent for a moment before she smiled her brightest.

"Looks like a new batch of players are transported near here."