First encounter

【 Rei, Somewhere 】

“We are off to a good start” I searched around me for any clues on what to do. Just a bunch of trees everywhere. The light was covered by the branches up above my head and the sun was hidden behind them. Even if I wanted to try and navigate using the Sun I wasn't sure the same principle in my memories would suit this place.

I was glad to have been teleported on the ground and not in the clouds, underwater, or in a desolated desert. I had asked too much hoping to find myself in a city or even near some kind of civilization. Just the fact that my feet touched the ground was enough for me to be happy. Before parting from the white room I would have liked to ask a bit about the geography of this place, maybe a stickman-like map drawn by Aurora might have helped.

“Guess I’m alone again” being there was way better than my short stay in the void. I already missed the company of another living person and the conversation with Aurora felt like a distant past already. That Goddess...She helped me a lot considering how her hands were tied but she could have at least given me some directions.

*Growl*

The sudden noise scared me and for a second I thought of a wild beast jumping out of a bush to attack me. Another sound similar to the first followed and I was reassured to notice that they both came from my empty belly. My mouth was dry even after nearly dying from drowning. I needed to get a hold of myself and search for something to eat or drink in order to survive my first day. Once that was done I could have begun thinking about what to do next.

"I better find some food around here"

All the bushes in the area were full of berries of any color. I closed in and tried picking some, they looked tasty but I still decided to avoid eating them, not knowing if they were poisonous. It wouldn't have been cool to agonize on the ground.

The rest of the bushes were quiet. Strangely enough, I hadn't seen any wild animals in the woods. They had probably fled hearing my stomach complaining.

I started moving in a random direction hoping to find something better. I could have come back later if I needed to. The chill grass under my feet faded away leaving the cold hard ground in its place. I realized I didn't have any shoes on. Maybe crafting some with leaves might have been a good idea. Not knowing where to start I decided to reject the thought deeming it a waste of time.

To compensate, I carefully avoided stepping on branches or sharp-looking rocks to avoid cutting my feet. The beaten ground kept on going traversing the green, the brown dirt expanded as I walked turning into something that traversed the tress. I had luckily encountered a path.

"If I follow this, it will eventually lead me somewhere, right?" I asked out loud hoping the forest answered.

I began hearing a gurgling sound of water coming from somewhere behind the bushes. I diverted from the path and headed towards the noise. I found myself in front of a small river, it was shallow enough to be able to cross it by foot and it wasn't strong enough to wash me away if I tried to walk into it. I decided to take a small break and sat on a big rock on the shore.

The melody of running water helped me get a better hold of myself. The fact that I didn’t panic knowing that I was lost in the middle of nowhere had been the best thing so far. Good job me!

After a few minutes and another couple of growls, I reached for the water flowing in the river to have a drink. It was clear enough that I could see small fish trying to go against the current and different colored rocks on the river bed. That transparency was a good sign that it was drinkable. Using both my hands as a cup I got some water in and finally took a sip. The coldness flowing down my throat reminded me of the black pool and a sudden shiver crept down my spine.

“Now I need something to eat”

On the other side of the river, the trees nearby were abundant with strange fruits I didn’t recognize. They hung from thick branches just above my head. It was easy for me to reach them with ease. I chose the one that looked the best and pluck it from the tree. A round red fruit was now in my hands, its skin was smooth and shined a little under the light. The color faded into yellow towards the stem and was big enough to fill my hands when I grabbed it. For a fruit that big it was oddly light.

“Here goes nothing” I took a bite. I was surprised by the crunch, the had a hard texture that tore apart under my teeth. The piece I ate immediately melted in my mouth. I was surprised by the sweetness and juiciness of the pulp. If every food in that dimension was as good if not better than that, I had been blessed to be reincarnated in a world of delicatessen. I gulped down the fruit in quick bites. I then decided to pluck some more and shove them in my pockets for later.

Leaves rustled behind my back and one of the bushes moved. As I turned around, fearing for the worst, a little creature came out of them and looked at me without moving. Its fur was white, its bright red eyes were fixated on mine. The size was slightly bigger than the fruit I just ate.

“Huh, a rabbit” As soon as I pronounced that word, a similar picture appeared in my head. I recognized the animal and understood at that moment that some of the knowledge I had gained in my previous life was still there, it wasn’t that bad as I had previously thought.

The only difference the rabbit had from what I remember were two curved horns, one bigger than the other, that grew from the head. Was this an example of the reused ‘assets’ Aurora talked about?

The wild animal sniffed the air and moved again only to go back into hiding. Now that I knew about their existence I could have hunted them if things were to go south. Something told me that rabbit meat was a thing I used to eat.

I decided to divert from the beaten path I had taken until now and started following the river. If there was any living being around here it needed water to survive, if I was lucky I could have come across a house in maybe even a small village sometime soon. I started walking.

Horns grew on species as means of defense against predators, looking at the rabbit there could be something dangerous roaming around the forest. I would have liked to avoid meeting that thing but it was a possible event regardless.

Now that I was good with supplies I had to find something to defend myself with.

A thick branch of a tree was hung dangling off the trunk. Something big had snapped it. Placing my foot on the bark and pushing usint it as a lever, I broke the branch and decided to use it to protect myself until I found something better. To break something of that size wasn’t an easy task, the creature roaming in the forest might have been way worse than I had imagined. A bear-like creature could be the culprit.

I found myself back to square one when the river ended in a waterfall. The water that came from above was splashing on some rocks emerging from the bed. I took the chance to free myself from all the sweat I accumulated during the walk. I let my clothes and improvised bat on a rock and got under the cascading water. In a matter of seconds, I was relieved from the heat of the sun under that cold rain. The pressure of the water on my shoulders was relaxing even though it was freezing cold. A natural massage was just what I wanted. In that tranquility, I lost myself in thought.

Attempting to climb the waterfall is a stupid thing to do. I don't even wear shoes and I'm already tired from the stressful day. The ground doesn't look like it can support my weight and even if I fall in the water I might break something.

Back where I left my stuff another path traversed the forest. Taking it was the best and only solution.

“I hope to find someone before it gets dark” I guessed the sun was still up in the sky since the rays filtrating in were bright. If the time in this dimension worked the same way as my previous it should have been around midday. Or at least that was what I believed, not being sure of my memories was troubling.

I wore my gifted clothes again, grabbed my trusty stick, and plunged into the forest once again. The water left on my body quickly evaporated under the heat.

As I traversed the forset, more broken branches were welcoming my presence. Trails bigger than my foot were impressed on the ground. 

Why am I walking this way? 

There were a lot of flags that invited me to turn on my back and escape, yet I was captivated to find out what was going on. Other smaller trials appeared along traces of blood on leaves and bark. In the distance, a white mass stood in front of a tree, its fur stained crimson. Pointy white ears sprouted from the top of the head. I couldn’t see its face because he was facing the opposite direction as the one I had come from. 

This rabbit was way bigger than the one I saw before. It was roughly as tall as me and twice as large. Seeing the blood, It must have been attacked by other wild animals. Looking at the poor creature, my inner self determined there was nothing wrong in trying to help a wounded creature.

I reached the rabbit and tried to call its attention. I took one of the fruits I had stored in my pockets and offered it, trying a friendly approach. For some reason, my other hand was holding the branch tightly and didn’t let go. Part of my brain was screaming at me to run.

I felt a sharp pain in my right leg. A cramp? I had walked a lot since I got teleported. I slowly looked down and to my surprise found a smaller rabbit gazing at me with its red eyes.

“What are you doing here bud?” I tried talking to it. The pain was starting to get stronger “What…”

The bunny was indeed looking at me. Its red pearls sunk into my eyes. Its mouth was wrapped around my calf and its sharp teeth were stuck in the flesh. A river of blood seeped from its mouth. I didn’t remember bunnies having sharp teeth.

Without thinking twice about it my arm moved and hit the bunny with the branch. I heard the sound of small bones breaking and the animal was sent flying into a trunk nearby. He let out a feeble cry before falling to the ground.

Red gore was pouring from my leg.

Having heard the loud noise, the big boy in front of me turned his head. He was nibbling on another animal which was now an indistinguishable carcass, followed by the crushing sound of bones. On the pair of horns meant for defense, a wolf-looking animal was impaled. The bunny let go of his chew toy and stared at the fruit in my hand. I retracted my arm as fast as I could as the animal’s maw closed near me. My brain didn't process that move fast enough and I could imagine my hand detached from my body.

Completely in panic, I threw the fruit at the rabbit only for watching it smash between his eyes. The pulp juice ran down the middle of its eyes, soiling the already bloodstained fur. I was almost certain that the thing I just made had worsened the situation and possibly enraged the rabbit. I smiled trying to brush off what had just happened and dashed past the white creature with the highest speed a man could reach. 

I didn’t care anymore if my feet got hurt in the progress, it was way worse than letting that monster close and taste me. Without looking back I was still sure to be chased since the sound of branches snapping wasn’t stopping. Leaves crunched under its paws, the ground shook and small trees were crushed under its sheer size. The wolf cadaver on it head bounced up and down as that strange duo chased me.

I hoped Aurora wasn’t watching me run for my life from the comfort of her White Room, it would have been pretty embarrassing.

“Note to self: Avoid getting in contact with anything that breathes” it was the right time to set some basic rules in order for me to survive in the future.

It was a miracle that my right leg, even though it was bitten, was still holding on without causing any problems. I was still running at top speed, I could feel the adrenaline pumping into my veins. Small rocks and sticks cut the sole of my feet. A light shone in front of me, the sound behind me was getting quieter. I had outrun the monster.

I came out of the woods scared to stop running, and found myself in an open space encircled by trees and halted my escape when I got in the center of it. I held up my branch with both hands facing the way I came from...the rabbit was not following anymore.

The grass absorbed my fall as I laid on it. Panting relentlessly from the fatigue I tried to calm down taking deep and controlled breaths. I place a hand on my chest feeling my heartbeat decreasing pace. During my escape, I had lost every fruit I had and was now out of food. That could have been why the rabbit wasn't chasing me anymore.

I tore a piece of cloth from my tank top and used it to bandage my leg as best as I could. The wound wasn’t deep but it could have gotten worse if I just let that sit untouched.

A few minutes later I was back on my feet ready to leave that place and avoid it for as long as possible. Since I was in an open space I could finally see the Sun in the sky. Watching where it was standing, at that moment, I made a mental compass to find my way around. I had come from the west, any other direction was good enough if it meant not meeting that beast again. I closed my eyes and spun around, pointing in a random direction as I stopped. Chance wanted me to go north.

Is there a diety for "chance" in this dimension's Pantheon? Maybe she's a cute Goddess just like Aurora. If we encounter later in my life I would like to shake her hand.

Just as I was about to set off, the bushes in front of me moved frantically.

“I don’t want to meet another monster right now” my branch was ready to strike.

From the leaves, a girl came out running towards me. She could barely stand on her feet, she struggled to keep her balance and was staggering at every step taken. The only thing she was wearing was a piece of worn cloth that covered her till the knees. She had shackles on her arms, legs, and neck. The only thing telling them apart was the fact that the lover chain was broken in half. The iron rings bounced on the ground. 

Her hair was hazel, extremely long that also covered her eyes. She looked up noticing my presence and headed in my direction. Her feet stumbled in a rock and I caught her in my arms breaking her fall. She threw herself on me squeezing my clothes in her fists. I could see bruises, cuts, and scars covering the majority of her body. The skin under her chin was red and the mark had the shape of a hand. She was dirty and emanated an unpleasant smell. Her nails were torn apart and her cheekbones almost cut the skin. Her thin figure weighed almost nothing in my arms. She was malnourished.

“Pl-please...please help me” her voice was so low and dry that I had difficulty hearing what she was saying.

Her hands let go of my shirt and the girl fainted on me. I tried to wake her up again but nothing worked. I carried her to a nearby tree and let her rest. 

Who could have done these things to her? This amount of cruelty on a living being is uncalled for.

Another figure exited the same bush as the girl. It was a man this time.

“Hey there!” he greeted me with a smile.

This was my first encounter with other humans, I could understand perfectly what both of them said. Aurora had done a good job with her only gift.

He wore peculiar clothes. A blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a black gilet over it. Leather gloves at his hand with the fingers cut off. Black sleeves came from under the shirt cutting at the wrists. Brown pants tucked into calf-high leather boots, the toes covered in mud. A cloak covered the front of the man until the end of the sternum while the back part was almost touching the ground. I couldn’t see his face clearly as it was partly hidden under a hood. A belt with pockets wrapped around his waist and another one connected over his right shoulder. A pair of keys hung from a metal ring on the belt and ringed as he walked.

He was carrying what looked like a sword in its leather sheath. If I were to fight him, I’d have to be wary of his weapon. I had a strange feeling this was turning to be a difficult situation.

A sword seems a little old-fashioned. Is he the one that hurt the girl?

“Not that talkative, are you?” he kept on speaking while closing in on me. I couldn’t see signs of danger in his approach.

“You are the first person I see in a while, I am kind of lost” I wanted to see where this was going "I was just a bit surprised"

“So you do speak! Lovely” he smiled and pulled his hood off. His face wasn’t one that inspired trust at first sight.

Black narrow eyes reminding that of a lizard, a scar crossed the left one reaching his upper lip. His black hair slicked back, you could see he used something to hold them together as they unnaturally shined under the sunlight. He wore a nasty grin on his face.

“Would you be so kind as to help me for a second?” he asked politely with a hint of irony behind that.

“What do you want?” he was also being cautious seeing me wielding a mossy branch.

“You see...that girl behind you” he pointed, obviously trying to bait me into turning around “She’s my girlfriend. We got separated during our date in the forest and I just now found her. He fell on a rock the last time I was her. Will you help me bring her to the city to see if she’s okay?”

I now knew the direction of a city. After I was done with this I would have headed there. Thanks, shady-looking man.

"I didn't know rocks could choke people"

"Neither did I"

“Is it a kink of yours to treat a girl like that?” we both knew where I was going.

His grin faded and a displeased expression took its place. He sighed as he lowered his head. A hand slapped his forehead.

“Man, why are these things always sooo complicated” he shook his head “Look kid, I am a busy man you know? I have places to be…”

“And?” his busy schedule wasn't something I cared about.

“You are wasting my time right now. Can you just...I don’t know...leave? Let me do my work” he shooshed me away with his hands. Seeing I wasn’t budging he let out another sigh “Someone always tries to imitate the Heroes, when a damsel is in distress you can find a loser trying to protect her. What a pain in the ass”

"Don't blame me for what comes next, kid" 

He raised his fists and moved. The man was fast. He had managed to close the distance in a moment and before I could react he was already in range to hit me. Noticing his left shoulder move, I parried a hook coming straight to my face with my weapon. The branch exploded in shards on impact flying everywhere. He could have possibly put up a fight with the rabbit if he wanted to. That was something I wanted to see.

I evaded another hook last second and blocked a jab with my arms. I could feel the recoil of the fist in my whole body. My bones acted as shield but I trembled at every hit.

“You are one quick-thinking bastard! We really need people like you...how about you join us?” he talked while not letting me rest a second.

If he landed a clean hit on my face I would have fainted for sure. I had to protect the girl at all costs. Where was this sense of justice coming from? Just hours before I was running from an animal and now I was putting myself on the line voluntarily for someone I didn't know. I could have just turned a blind eye but something made me stay. Something in my head told me this was the right thing to do.

The fight was still going on and didn't look like it was going to end soon. The man didn’t seem to get tired from all that punching and I could start to see a pattern repeated in his attacks. After another series of fists, the man lifted his shoulder again going for a hook. I lowered myself just enough to evade the blow over the head and used the opportunity to punch his chest. The hit landed with a thud and the man stepped back.

He didn't even feel the pain but retread because he was surprised.

“You punch was lame, but the fact that you managed to hit me was enough for me to reevaluate you” he brushed his finger under his nose “I’ll just put a bit more effort in this fight, try to keep up”

He moved again, this time faster than before. He caught me completely off guard and hit me in the same place as I did. My solar plexus took the punch and my lungs stopped working for a moment. I missed a breath and coughed from the pain in my chest.

“This was just to repay you back” he had enough confidence to smirk again.

If this fight would have kept on going I wouldn’t have lasted long. Trying to call for help was useless and hoping that a giant bunny entered the scene was even crazier. 

I withstood the following swing and hooks by putting my all into defending myself. My arms hurt and were getting tired by the second. My body shook every time his fists touched me. I wanted something to use against him but I had nothing. Even if I managed to use an opening and punch him again I couldn't defeat him.

A fuzzy memory came to my mind: a specific movement that led to a kick. I could have pulled it off, I just needed the right moment. I wasn't sure this was a winning move but I wouldn't know unless I tried.

The man was getting more and more through my defenses but I noticed his pace was slowing down, even he was getting tired. The punches were not as heavy but still hurt like hell. I was on the verge of fainting. My eyes barely stayed open and my arms were about to fall.

The blows suddenly stopped and my opponent tried to catch a breath. The bandit wiped away the sweat on his forehead with an arm and covered his eyes for a split second. 

Not wasting any time, I took a step forward. Standing on my right leg I spun and sent all my remaining strength to the other leg. My foot managed to hit something hard. My heel felt cold as it rested on something.

My relief died when I realized my move had been blocked. My foot had hit the blade of the sword the man had just unsheathed from his scabbard.

“We have an aspiring martial artist here” his hand moved to grab my ankle. I was stuck with my left leg up.

The man noticed the piece of cloth around my standing leg and hit it with a low kick. My whole body went in flames. I collapsed on the ground while screaming in pain. My back arched lifting from the ground as I shouted in the open sky. I felt like my teeth could pop off at any moment from the force I was using to keep them tight. I rolled on the grass still holding my calf, the pain wasn’t going off any moment soon. It burst through my body and not even squeezing the wound with all my might and both hands helped in reducing my suffering.

The man closed in and kicked my leg again. Another scream left my mouth. He kicked again, and again.

“Look! The Hero has fallen” the man laughed seeing my body under him.

A kick hit my chest, my ribs absorbed the impact. I felt my breath missing for a second. A kick in the abdomen then another one, and another one. I could only hear the man’s laugh and the sound of his muddy boots hitting my body.

*Thud* 

*Thud*

I coughed blood on the grass.

“I want to give you a lesson, Hero” he leaned on my body whispering in my ear “Never bring fists to a swordfight”

He left me on the grass and went to the fainted girl who was still lying unconscious on the trunk.

“My, my, what do I have to do with you, sweetie?”

I couldn’t move my body anymore. I couldn’t even lift a single finger. My leg was burning like crazy. What an unlucky day this had been...I died, then came back to life only to risk dying again a second time, and now I was closing in on the third one.

“We have to go back home now, I need to put you in your birdcage with your friends...you know the Boss needs you”

So he wasn’t acting on his own. I got involved in something big. I was angry. Angry that I couldn’t do anything.

I don’t want to die again. 

I don’t want to throw away the chance Aurora gave me. 

I don’t want that man to harm that girl. 

So many things I wanted but nothing I could accomplish.

I am so useless.

“It’s still early, we have some time before going. I’m sure we could find another way to repay me for the time I wasted with you” the man giggled.

Those words. I felt like I had heard them somewhere else already. The anger that was dwelling in me turned into resentment, then into hate and rage. A switch flipped inside me. My mind shut down. My heart stopped. I gasped at the feeling of something clenching my heart inside my chest, immense pain even greater than the one on my leg spread through the entirety of my body. My mind was clogged by countless desires, but the wish of making the man pay for the harm he caused me ruled over all the others.

My fingers sank into the ground. Every energy I had was gone but bloodlust run in my veins replacing it. I used my shoulder to give myself a thrust off the ground and managed to roll myself face down on the grass. I grabbed the remains of the branch I had fought with. My hands open on the ground, I began using everything I had left to push myself up, using what remained of my branch as support. With the same slowness, I moved my legs and stood up again.

My body was moving on its own. The brain that used to have control over it was now somewhere else. I didn't have enough strength to stay like that for long.

My vision made everything around me blurry and doubled, but I could still figure out that the man was trying to lift the dirty cloth off the girl. One of his hands was under it trying to reach for her breasts. The girl couldn't oppose.

The man hadn’t even noticed I was behind him. The lust had blinded him and gave me the upper hand. I moved my feet to get closer, I slowly raised my arms in the air bringing the branch with them, and with all the force I had left, I aimed at the man’s head and swung.

*Thump*

My weapon broke entirely. The body of the man stood still for a second before falling down next to the girl, unconscious. Foam was coming out of his mouth but checking his chest he was still breathing. I had put him out of the fight without killing.

Before fainting, I found the keys that opened the shackles and freeing the girl, used them to immobilize the criminal. I fell on my knees and my mind went blank. I crushed face-first into the ground.

I did it.

I woke up a few hours later. Leaves had stuck to my face during my unannounced nap and I even ate some of them. I spit them out and cleaned my mouth. I rolled over facing the sky. The sun was beginning to set. From down below the orange-colored sky looked way prettier.

I had seen it before with someone important. A shock hit my brain trying to remember. It was a lost cause. The sooner I adapted to that aftereffect, the better.

Blades of grass moved by the wind were caressing my face. I had regained some of my forces during the time I had been out. I could feel my body burning but it wasn't as bad as before.

I sat up with a bit of difficulty and waited for another bit before standing up completely. The other two were dead silent, in the same position I had left them before fainting. 

I had to move and get to the city before the sunset, there would be someone willing to help...at least I hoped so. I just wanted a place to heal my leg and sleep soundly. I got back on my feet. 

My right leg was not looking good but I could walk nonetheless. My clothes were dirty and torn to shreds, if I presented myself like that while searching for help, people would have deemed me crazy and chased me away.

“I don’t think you will need these” I said as I stripped the bandit of his clothes.

They were a bit big, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.

I left him with only my shorts on and closed the shackles again. I chose to use the gilet and the cape to cover the girl. I had to bring her with me in some way. I couldn’t leave her alone. Her condition was worse already.

Her face looked familiar for a second and an unknown name popped into my head. I got that thought out of my mind. 

I can’t lose myself right now. 

Before leaving the area I glanced at the man one last time.

I had been too merciful to give him my shorts, so I took them off and shoved them in one of the pockets around my new belt. 

I checked the sword he was carrying. The hilt was completely black, it seemed like it was cast with a unique metal. It was cold at the touch. An intricate design was chiseled in the material creating a rather unique pattern. A white cross-reminding jewel was embedded in the hilt and from its end emerged the steel blade. Seeing the complexity of the hilt, the simplicity of the blade looked out of place.

I put the sword back into the scabbard and checked every pocket in the belt hoping to find something useful. Crumbles of bread and a rolled-up piece of rope were the only things in there. He had nothing on him that looked like money or maps.

“I will have to find some way to make money eventually. I even have to worry about that now” I expressed my feelings towards the sky hoping that my despair had reached someone and made them feel bad.

“If only I had some of those fruits left, I could have tried to sell them for something” I sighed.

I slowly got the girl laying on my back trying to give her an impromptu piggy ride. She was pretty light and carrying her was definitely easier than running from a giant killer bunny. Putting her arms around my neck to not let her fall, I grabbed her legs under the thigh and lifted her.

As soon as I had been comfortable with the transport I began walking towards the city the man, now naked behind me, had pointed out. There was a chance that he might have lied to lure me into his trap but I that was the only piece of information I had.

My new life, after a couple of unforeseen events and new faces, had just begun.

Hey! Ecspo here. Hope you liked this chapter!

Since this is my first serious work and also my first work in English I would very much appreciate any tips, critiques, comments of any kind. Tell me if the chapters are too long, short, or whatever, it would mean a lot to me.