012

While the three went in to investigate, Gina and Walter were waiting outside, guarding the carriage.

It was roughly fifteen minutes before they saw a panicked Aagon rushing towards them holding someone.

“Walter! Walter! Hurry, he doesn’t have much time!”

Walter didn’t know what was happening but the urgency in Aagon’s voice prompted him into action.

He went out to receive Aagon and also help carry the man he was holding.

Gina went towards the back of the carriage, where there was an extended portion large enough to lay a tall man down. She put the stuff aside quickly and made some room.

As Walter saw the state the man was in, his actions sped up by themselves.

‘He doesn’t have much time!’ He immediately thought.

Aagon himself was horrified looking at those injuries, he rushed back as fast as he could or the man really wouldn’t survive.

Walter laid Grant down and started cleaning up the wounds. Gina was quiet while looking at all of this. But her mind, her mind was in a complete mess.

She, as a hunter had seen a lot of things in her line of work. Being a hunter, she has hunted many monsters and beasts, and she has had her share of trouble with humans as well, but this was her first time when she had seen someone in such a state.

Not only that, but the man was still living. It was a miracle to say the least.

As the wounds were cleaned, all of this became more apparent. Multiple scratches all around the body, especially the torso area, right hand completely mangled below the elbow, legs looked like he had torn his muscles in them long ago, and the worst injury of them all was the gaping hole in his stomach that the man was still holding onto despite being unconscious.

And to top it all off, he was almost naked in this bone-chilling cold where normally a man would freeze to death.

“What happened?”

Gina couldn’t help but ask. Walter also looked at Aagon for an explanation, he didn’t stop his hands though.

Aagon then told them what he saw just before he left the duo to fight.

“Hundreds of snow wolves and even a Silver wolf..!”

Both of them exclaimed.

Gina was in a daze after hearing that, but Walter didn’t have the luxury of time on his hands.

Walter first patched up the hole in his stomach with the help of a green paste. It was made using the Spring Life Herb which only grows during spring.

It is the essential herb when talking about healing medicine, no healing medicinal paste can be made without it.

There is also another herb, the winter Flower, that can be a replacement for the herb, but that is even harder to find as it only grows in areas that are so cold that no human can possibly survive.

There was a job relating to finding that sponsored by the Medicine Circle in town.

Walter, being a healer was naturally interested in taking that request.

The green paste worked wonderfully as the wound that was open a few seconds ago seemed to be closing up, but Walter wasn’t done yet.

He then used another similar kind of paste, but this was a shade lighter than the previous one, only half as effective. He used this paste to cover the multiple scratch wounds on the man.

‘They will take a while to heal, but after it is done, the scratches should be very hard to notice.’

For the last thing, he covered his arm after properly cleaning up the dirt and bone fragments in them, then used a straight piece of wood that was in the carriage to hold the hand together as it healed. The best he could hope for him would be that his arm should at least be usable when he completely recovers.

With nothing left to do on his side anymore, he finally took out a pearl white pill and placed it in the man’s mouth.

All they could do now is wait.

It wouldn’t be until a few more hours before the duo came back anyway.

…

I was warm all of a sudden. I remember falling on the ground, I also remember my body going cold, but the voice I heard at the end, although I didn’t understand what it was saying I still heard something.

Was I saved?

I don’t know. I lost consciousness a few moments later.

I suddenly recalled my previous world, I don’t know why but it was similar to seeing my life flash before my eyes. So maybe I was going to die.

It wasn’t a hunch, I felt closer to death each passing second. My body had gone cold, without taking into account the weather outside, my body was still cold, and this type of cold cannot be erased by a simple skill.

I don’t know what was happening outside but I could feel that this was it for me. I had fought as hard as I could, I also struggled as hard as I could, but despite all of that, I still failed.

HP: 1/117

Despite the number on the HP counter, I still held onto my life. I have been through a lot, I’m not going to give up now. My struggle seemed to have an effect as,

HP: 3/117

HP: 7/117

I felt a new tingling sensation in my stomach area and I could suddenly feel again. I couldn’t move my body properly but I could feel that I wasn’t on the hard ground anymore.

Looks like I really was saved.

A fresh feeling passed my entire body few moments later and I could feel a cold touch covering my wounds. I could feel them healing.

I felt so comfortable that I involuntarily went to sleep. I felt safe after a very long time.

When I got the control of my body back, I tried to pry open my eyes but had a lot of difficulty doing so.

But when they did open, the first thing I saw were three people all looking at me.

“awijld awfdha aijwfn? ”

What..?

“awijld awfdha aijwfn?”

The same thing again. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Wait. I see.

I should have known, this was a new world, there was no way I was going to speak the same language as them.

I tried to get up but the blonde haired woman wearing green leather armour among the three stopped me from doing so. I look at her closely and notice the huge bow strapped to her back, she also has a small scar below her right eye but given how faded it was, it was probably very old.

The white robed man who was wearing an oversized fur coat of the same colour was probably responsible for saving me. I could see him preparing something on a small stove-like device, strangely I couldn’t see a flame on the thing but only a small reddish crystal on the base.

If there wasn’t steam coming out of the utensil placed above, I wouldn’t even consider it a stove.

Now that I notice it, they have covered me in warm clothes as well. I tried to get up but,

“usafjha afha l ahjsflh ahfjnjansf jlha fjna”

Again, I don’t understand what they’re saying but I do know that they want me to rest, so I lay back down.

I wanted to say something but my thought process was blocked by a message at the very next second.

[Origin, the god of life, has taken an interest in you.]

[Origin has granted you a Blessing.]

[Blessing of Understanding has been awarded.]

[Health increased by 50.]

[Skill: Qi Manipulation has levelled up.]

[Qi increased by 20.]

[Skill: Awareness has levelled up.]

[Qi increased by 5.]

Name: Grant Steele

Lv.6 [990/2500]

HP: 25/167

MP: 0/0

BA: 0/0

QI: 299/311 [0.3/sec]

DEF: 50

Skills:

Sprint Lv.5

Quick Dash Lv.-

Qi Manipulation Lv.4

Cold Resistance Lv.3

Qi Regeneration Lv.3

Awareness Lv.3

Blessings:

Blessing of Understanding

“You shouldn’t try to get up, you’re safe now, just rest.”

I could suddenly understand what the red-haired man was saying.

But more than his words, I was more concentrated in the messages.

‘So there are gods in this world…’

I cannot be thankful enough for the blessing, so I thanked him in my heart and focused my attention on the next set of messages.

With that much increase in health, I can safely survive now, I think with that much physical strength, I can probably fight the Silver Wolf again and this time maybe, just maybe I can win.

The two skills which levelled up were also very helpful. But I’ve understood now, if I want to use [Qi Manipulation] properly, I need a good amount of health or else it will only hurt me every time I use it.

I looked at the three whose attention was still focused on me and I said.

“Thank you very much for saving me.”

The white robed man who was still facing the stove just gave a thumbs up and the blonde haired woman just smiled sweetly.

“Don’t worry about it.” said the red-haired man.

Before we could continue our conversation, I smelled a sweet and savoury aroma fill up my nose as I saw the white robed man carrying a small clay bowl filled with a light green soup.

The soup smelled of fresh herbs and healthy filling of vegetables and some meat.

Looking at the first proper cooked meal in who knows how long, tears filled up my eyes and for the first time ever since I came here, I cried.

The other people were at a loss looking at this, but seeing me gulping down the soup, they all just smiled.

I talked with them a little as I ate, they asked me about my name, where I was from, I told them the story I had prepared before about not remembering how I got in the forest and place of birth being a far-away small village. We did this while we waited for the remaining two to come back.

I also asked them about themselves.

Apparently, the red haired guy, Aagon is a merchant, even though he looks so young.

“I’m just continuing my father’s business, nothing more.” He said as he awkwardly laughed.

“Continuing his business? Don’t make me laugh. You work like you’re being forced like a slave and you say you’re continuing his work? Bah!”

“Walter!” exclaimed Aagon.

I could see Walter grinning through his thick beard. The woman had also covered her face while she lightly giggled.

Walter himself was the healer of the hunting party that was protecting this carriage.

The quiet woman’s name was Gina. She was an experienced hunter and a very good archer.

“Nice to meet you.” That’s all she said when Walter introduced her.

“Don’t mind her, she just doesn’t talk that much.” He continued.

Looking at them I can tell that they’re pretty close, they must’ve known each other a long time.

There were two other members of the party, Kyle, the party leader and Jacob, the newbie swordsman that they had just recruited. Both of them were the people responsible for my rescue.

While Aagon carried me back, these two were holding back the Silver wolf.

“What about the other wolves?”

“Oh, I chased them away.” Aagon replied matter-of-factly.

“How?” I couldn’t help but ask.

“With my fire magic [Fire Manipulation].”

Saying that, he took out a small red pill, the pill glowed for a fraction of a second and I suddenly noticed a small spark in the pill itself as a fire grew out of it.

Then the flame as if being led by reigns, followed the finger held out by Aagon as he moved it around.

I was stunned and fascinated by this, but just as I was about to say something, I heard a loud and angry Walter’s voice.

“How many times do I have to tell you? No fire inside the carriage!”