11
Chapter 11
Baldic looked at the Goblins surrounding them and spoke in a voice bordering on despair.
"There are too many of them. Our rear is blocked too!"
He gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly.
Drek was already holding his shattered Shield, blocking the entrance.
"We're going straight ahead."
"We don't even know where that leads?"
"It's better than turning back!"
As soon as he finished speaking, we dashed forward.
A faint forest path that looked like someone had walked through it continued, but Goblins were appearing one by one on both sides.
"Keep moving! If we stop, we die!!"
As we continued to flee, stones and spears flew after us.
I raised my Shield to block, but the thin Water Shield shattered to pieces from just a single impact.
For a moment, my ears went numb.
The nosebleed that had stopped burst forth again, and hot blood flowed down my lips.
'Why are they throwing so much stuff, you crazy bastards!'
Drek took the lead and shoved three Goblins away with his Shield, while Baldic followed behind, slashing the ones jumping out from both sides with one hand.
Right when I was completely out of breath, our vision suddenly cleared up.
"...Where is this?"
The moment we stopped, a strange sensation rushed over us.
It was a chilling presence and fullness, like stepping into a cold bath after being outside in the summer.
"...Water?"
"Hey, this... is a river!!"
A dark blue current with unfathomable depth. It was a river.
Looking down, the river's current was stronger than we expected.
"Don't step back! You'll fall!"
Baldic shouted.
We were standing on a cliff by the river.
Behind us was the deep and fast river, and in front of us, the horde of Goblins was swarming in.
"Damn it, we're completely trapped!"
Drek held up his Shield and shoved the Goblins back again.
Then, he began to unfasten something he had been carrying on his shoulder.
"...Chainmail?"
"My Shield is at its limit, and this armor will be useless now."
Drek took off the worn Chainmail, grabbed one end of it, and spun it around above his head.
Then he swung it right at them.
The chain whip sliced through the air with a loud clank, striking the Goblin horde.
Two of them fell with a scream, and Drek swung the chain once more.
Flinching at the unexpectedly strong power, the Goblins backed away.
"Alright, the path is open-!"
However, the Goblins were still great in number, and they kept pushing toward us.
Baldic swung his sword with one hand, panting heavily.
"Pant- Pant- I can't take this anymore...."
"Me too, gasp- I'm out of mana now."
"If we hold out any longer here-."
Before he could finish his sentence, Drek stumbled and fell to his knees.
Blood was flowing from his head; I didn't know when he had been hit.
"Drek!"
"Ugh, damn it......"
But at that moment, the Goblin horde roared and surged forward.
"Damn it! We can't do this anymore!"
Baldic cried out as if he was screaming in agony.
His breathing was rough, and his face was covered in dirt and blood.
"...."
Drek took something out with trembling hands.
It was an old Ring with a blue gemstone.
"Take this...."
"Why are you giving this to me...."
I took the Ring in a daze and gripped it tightly.
Just then, Baldic shouted desperately.
"We have to jump! It's now or never!!"
We looked into each other's eyes.
There was no other choice.
"Jump!!"
The three of us threw our bodies toward the cliff at the same time.
The ground disappeared from beneath our feet.
The sensation of falling, as if being sucked into the air.
"Aaaaaah-!"
Splash-!
The cold water enveloped my body, and I sank deep underwater along with my consciousness.
***
"Gasp!"
I gasped for air and suddenly snapped to my senses.
A pitch-black space... Could it be... am I dead?
Right, it would have been hard to survive a fall from a cliff.
Then, a familiar voice echoed in my head.
[You have reached a milestone. Please select a perk.]
"What?"
I hadn't even gone to sleep, but a system message?
My hazy mind cleared up instantly, as if splashed with cold water.
Whoosh-!
Three cards popped up before my eyes with a brilliant sound effect.
___________________________
[Maximum Strength Increase]
[Maximum Health Increase]
[Maximum Agility Increase]
___________________________
'What kind of garbage choices are these....'
I was expecting something related to magic, but they were all physical ability cards.
Was it even possible for it to show up like this?
The only relief was that two of them were green uncommon tier.
The glowing green cards were [Maximum Strength Increase] and [Maximum Health Increase].
I clicked on the description, wondering if something amazing would appear.
[Your maximum strength slightly increases.]
[Your maximum health slightly increases.]
'...Slightly?'
The only thing that changed in the description was that single word.
It seemed better than just a minor increase, but I couldn't help feeling I had gotten my hopes up for nothing.
'Didn't they just change the color of this?'
I would only be amazed if my health or strength went up dramatically.
Anyway.
'Why does strength keep showing up?'
Seeing as Blue Magic appeared before, the system should definitely know that I am a Magician.
Despite that, there seemed to be an intention behind the strength options constantly appearing.
I am absolutely not choosing that.
I immediately selected [Maximum Health Increase].
I had to survive. At the very least, my body needed to be intact.
The absorbed card glowed and disappeared.
Surprisingly, this was not the end.
[You have reached a milestone. Please select a perk.]
The voice was heard once again.
"Twice?"
A second perk?
I haven't done enough to earn that, though?
Could it be some kind of party hunting compensation?
I had barely contributed, but it would make sense if Drek and Baldic were recognized as party members.
Either way, it was something to be thankful for.
Whoosh-!
Three cards unfolded before my eyes once again.
This time, they were white, white, and green.
[Maximum Mana Regeneration Increase]
The first card felt familiar for now.
Being familiar also meant it was a safe choice.
But from the second card, it was different.
[Wealth Increase]
'...Huh?'
A sudden 'Wealth Increase'?
Out of curiosity, I checked the description first.
[Five silver coins will be provided.]
It was real money.
To be exact, a cash reward.
I didn't know how it would be provided, but as someone practically acting as a beggar, it wasn't a card I had any reason to refuse.
'...But as expected, it's the third one.'
The last card.
It caught my eye, shining not with a white light, but a vivid green one.
[Blue Magic: Water Bullet]
It was an unfamiliar phrase, but I felt like I roughly understood the name.
'This is it.'
There was no need to doubt.
It was meaningless to weigh which card was more practical.
This was a Magician's sense, no, an instinct.
I immediately reached out for [Blue Magic: Water Bullet].
The card was absorbed, and I waited in anticipation just in case, but there were no more perks.
Now, it was time to wake up.
***
Splash-! Splash-!
The sound of cold water slapped against my ears.
My eyelids felt heavy as the chill pierced through my entire body.
"Ugh-"
I was sprawled on the gravelly riverbank, my lower half submerged in the water.
'...I survived.'
Whether it was thanks to the Maximum Health Increase or the recovery reward from leveling up.
Anyway, my body was in better shape than I thought.
But what if I had been swept away by the river and sucked into a deep whirlpool?
That... was something I didn't even want to imagine.
'Anyway, where exactly am I?'
Even when I looked around, there wasn't a single shadow of a person.
No Drek, no Baldic, and no horde of Goblins.
It was just me.
'Did I really cross over to the other side all by myself?'
The silhouette of the forest visible across the river looked familiar.
It seemed I had been swept quite far downstream.
I might have ended up further away than I thought.
The face reflected in the river water was incredibly unfamiliar somehow.
A youthful face, black hair, blue eyes, and a skinny body.
It matched the description that the Soldier had given perfectly.
It's a bit awkward to say this myself, but... it was a pretty good-looking face.
'Well, it's better to be good-looking anyway.'
I threw off the wet Leather Armor clinging to my thin body.
Drooping like a rain-soaked cardboard box, the leather felt more like a restraint than protective gear now.
'Drek, Baldic... They must be safe.'
The time we spent together was short, but we had fought and fled side by side.
I couldn't just pretend not to know them now.
The moment worry crossed my mind, I felt an unfamiliar sensation at my fingertips.
"...This is."
It was the thumb-sized Ring with a blue gemstone that Drek had handed to me.
Did I unconsciously slip it on the moment we fell?
I didn't know the reason why he handed it over, but his trembling eyes from that moment remained in my memory.
Someone had to survive, and for whatever reason, that was me.
I carefully placed the Ring into my pouch.
It was an item I would have to return someday.
Wringing out the hem of my wet clothes, I stood up.
My body felt heavy, but I had to do what I could.
A riverbank. A forest. An unfamiliar landscape.
There was nothing familiar, but I couldn't stop just because it was strange.
I checked my belongings to prepare to leave.
I had left my Backpack at the camp, so all I had right now was a Dagger at my waist and this single pouch.
'...This sensation, it's familiar.'
The feeling I had when I first fell into this different world.
It reminded me of that time when I was unfamiliar, anxious, and knew absolutely nothing.
In truth, it wasn't much different from back then.
However, there was definitely something that had changed.
Now, I had magic.
[Water Bullet]
Swish- Mana seeped out and permeated the surface of the river, causing a single droplet of water to slowly rise into the air.
The water droplet soon approached the palm of my hand.
It was small, but I could feel a peculiar sense of weight.
When I focused my consciousness, the water droplet responded as smoothly as my own fingertips.
I carefully fired the water droplet toward a nearby tree.
Swoosh- Thwack!
Rather than the sound of a water droplet bursting, a dull thud of striking something could be heard.
Upon stepping closer, I saw that the tree bark had been deeply gouged out.
'...It's surprisingly useful.'
With this level of power, as long as I could hit the target, it could certainly be used as a weapon.
Of course, there were clear limitations as well.
The mana consumption for firing a single shot was quite high.
It was fortunate that there was a river nearby; if there was no water, three or four shots would have been my limit.
Ultimately, this magic was also conditional.
Even though I had acquired offensive magic, it was still ambiguous to call myself a Magician.
Still, it would be better than when I had nothing.
Because now, at the very least, I wasn't powerless.
I looked around my surroundings once more.
I knew what I had to do from now on without even needing to think about it.
'I should go look for Drek and Baldic.'
It was too early to call them friends, and our relationship was a bit too awkward to call them comrades.
However, they were the only people I knew in this strange world.
***
I directed my steps upstream.
If I went further up, the village of Garnian would be there, and above all, I strongly wanted to check the location where we first fell.
Walking while scanning the riverbank, I suddenly realized something.
Even though I had been walking for quite a long time, my body wasn't getting tired at all, which was strangely surprising.
'A health increase... It's better than I thought?'
To be honest, I didn't expect much from the word slightly, but the more I walked, the more real it felt.
If it were like before, my legs would have already given out, but it was much better now.
As I followed the path up, I pondered over various possibilities in my head.
There was only one crucial point.
'What if I can't find them.'
We might have crossed paths, or... they might have taken a different route; there could be many reasons.
Or in the worst-case scenario, they might have lost their lives.
If that were the case, this journey of walking to find them like this would lose its meaning entirely.
'In that case... I'll have to go to Garnian on my own.'
Perhaps this could actually be an opportunity.
I had crossed the river by pure luck, and if I could keep this momentum to find a village and settle down, I could gather information and secure my safety.
I filled my mind with as many positive thoughts as possible.
I raised my head and looked around.
And not long after, a somewhat familiar landscape came into view.
It was a cliff.
The very place where we had finally jumped.
I approached and searched around the riverbank.
Broken branches, old footprints stamped into the dried mud, and a single piece of cloth that looked like it had washed ashore.
But that was all.
There was no sign of Drek or Baldic.
"...Is no one here."
I looked around like that for a long while, but not a single shadow could be seen.
Seeing as there was nothing atop the cliff either, it seemed even the Goblin horde had already retreated.
Thinking that Drek and Baldic might return to this place just in case, I left a small mark.
Then, I quietly turned my steps away.
'...Let's head to the village now.'
There was nothing to gain by staying here anyway.
Surviving was my first priority right now.
Going in the opposite direction of the river's flow, I started walking along a small path leading into the forest.
***
The forest path was quiet.
Only the thin rays of sunlight piercing through the dense trees, the chirping of small birds, and the rustling of leaves indicated that this forest was alive.
It had been quite a while since I left the riverbank and started walking this path.
My stomach burned with hunger, and my wet clothes had dried stiff in the sunlight.
The forest was definitely more humid than near the river, and the tall grass constantly hindered my ankles.
'......When will I get there.'
The journey was farther than I thought.
I had no map, not a single proper signpost, but there was only one path anyway.
The fortunate part was that I didn't have to worry about being thirsty, at least.
I was walking for a long time.
Up ahead, past the forest path, I felt a presence.
I quickly hid my body behind a tree and observed carefully.
There was someone there.
An old man wearing a gray Cloak was crouching by the roadside, carefully retying a worn leather strap.
'......Is he a Traveler?'
His armament didn't look particularly strong.
He was leaning on a cane, and he only had a few small pouches at his waist.
But... the problem was that he was an old man walking this path alone.
"Who's there?"
While I was holding my breath, he spoke first.
It was a low but clear voice.
He straightened his body and turned his head toward me.
"If you're going to hide, hide properly. Your footsteps were quite loud."
I smiled awkwardly and stepped out from behind the tree.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't hiding on purpose, it just happened without me realizing...."
The old man chuckled lightly.
"Anyone traveling alone is bound to be cautious. You have an unfamiliar face. Are you a Traveler?"
"Well, something like that. I crossed the river... and I'm on my way to the village now."
"Are you talking about Garnian?"
I nodded my head.
"Yes. Is this the right direction?"
The old man nodded quietly and said.
"It is. If you keep going along this path, you'll arrive before sunset. However, you'd better be careful. I heard that Thieves are swarming near the village these days."
"...Thieves?"
"Perhaps because Garnian is quite a prosperous village, there are many bastards flocking outside."
My lips stiffened on their own.
A Thief... This was definitely the story Dardan had told.
If I encountered a Thief in my current state? I'd probably have to fire a single [Water Bullet] and run away.
If I couldn't escape right away, it would be the end.
I should travel more carefully....
"Still, don't worry for now. I just passed through this road, so it should be safe for the time being."
...There could be Thieves, yet he came alone?
As expected, you have to be careful of old men and children traveling alone.
I bowed my head.
"Thank you. By any chance... do you have any thoughts of walking together?"
The old man smiled and shook his head.
"I appreciate it, but I have to go in the opposite direction. It would be troublesome for both of us if we traveled together only to go separate ways."
Leaning on his cane, he turned around, then suddenly stopped and looked back at me.
"I won't ask your business. Please don't ask mine either. But be careful. If you travel alone, those bastards will set their sights on you."
Those bastards... He must be talking about the Thieves.
I nodded.
"Thank you for the advice."
After he disappeared, I started walking the path again.
The forest soon led to an open clearing, and far beyond the hill, a faint pillar of smoke was rising.
Garnian.
Finally, the village was in sight.