Chapter 53 – Near-Death Gambit

Joshua could not allow himself to become a slave. He had to jump. He had to take a leap of faith. Not because he wanted to die. But because he knows that he had the QuickTime event ability he had to avoid death. The ability doesn’t work unless he was nearing death. That’s why he chooses to near himself to death, despite the chance he might die if it didn’t work.

Hence he started falling down this chasm. He felt his face flapping as he falls from the great height. Below him was a river of mists. And as he falls down he resisted the urge to faint. He waited for the floating words that only appeared when he was about to hit the water.

He focused his mind. His body moved on its own as he straightens his legs only to feel his right ankle twist. He felt his leg tighten in pain as his body tries to hold on only for his right wrist to break as well. With his arm and leg useless, Joshua could only flap his left arm and his left leg like a madman unable to swim. He felt the water enter his throat. He was being carried by the river. He could not see anything due to the mist. But there are times he would see the floating words in front of him, allowing to him dodge the pointy rocks that would definitely carve his chest.

Joshua struggled for too long. He didn’t lose consciousness since the floating words made him see through the turbulent river ride until he was able to hold on to the banks of the river. Crawling, with his right arm and leg broken. Joshua sat up and lean his back on a tree.

“HA HA HA HA HA!” A maddened laugh escaped from his mouth. “Take that you son of a bitch! Ha ha, sob...hic it hurts!” As he then breaks down, crying in pain. He looked at the world. He was seeing red veins. As if someone put a red filter on his eyes.

He was injured and putting strength to both right leg and arm caused him pain. He didn’t have anything on him. Not money or medicine. He had nothing the moment he was forcibly taken by Dolce. So healing himself up or making some bandages to wrap his injured arm and foot was something he could not do. He could rip his clothes off but he was just too weakened to do it. He could not find the strength to rip through the tough fabric.

“Damn it,” he curses as he tried to move, yet the pain made him stop. He could feel that his right shoulder was aching. He was having a hard time to breathe and was coughing. He looked dully at the sky. “At least I am not a slave,” as he comforts himself with that thought.

He was tired. He felt like he just made use of all of the strength he had. His eyes were getting heavy as his eyelids slowly close, fainting from the exhaustion.

...

Joshua suddenly woke up coughing. He clenched his chest while trying to gasp for air. He looked around him. There were mists and it was obvious that night had already come. He wanted to stand up. He wanted to get away from this place, but his body didn’t listen to him. His nose was clogging up. His body was feeling so fatigued that it was hard to move. His chest was in pain too.

There was only silence around him. There were noises of animals coming from the distance. There were cricket noises while the only thing he could see was the white mist that gathered near the bank. It was cold and humid. Joshua was shivering but he could only endure it. He was still seeing red. And as time passes his ability would remind him to stay alive. The floating words would tell him.

>Stay Alive?

He had no choice but to stay alive. He could only wait while in pain. He could only endure the ache that he was feeling. He did not have the strength to stand. He did not even have the power to make a fire to warm himself up. He was just sitting with his back leaning on a tree. Shivering, coughing, moaning, and mumbling. He was beaten and battered by the gamble he made.

Indeed, he was free but his condition was so poor. Sleeping seemed so wonderful to him, but the floating words would tell him to stay alive without his own will.

The surrounding noise makes him alive.

There were fireflies that would occasionally fly by the river. They were in groups and Joshua could only stare at them in wonder. The school of fireflies flickered blue. They played around the banks of the river before dispersing like stars. They were like the only lights in the area. The mist that gathered made it hard to see the raging river that battered him.

Joshua looked at the trees. There were tall and solid, they had a greenish yet gray color as if there was a rain of ash that happened. Their dews were falling from the tips of the leaves. Joshua was thirsty so he opens his mouth, trying to catch any water to drink.

He was getting tired. He was slowly losing all strength he had. He truly wanted to give up right there, but the sound of footsteps made him slightly open his eyes. His vision was blurry but he could see someone with a hatchet approaching him. He doesn’t know if this figure was friendly or not. But right now, he could only close his eyes, hoping that he wouldn’t have to react to his ability. He wanted to at least hope that the figure in the mist would save him, not turn the edge of his hatchet to his head.

So, Joshua closes his eyes. There was only the silence and footsteps, and their rhythm made Joshua slowly feel like his consciousness was moving away from him. The footstep was getting closer. It was heavy, and he could tell that it was wary too.

But...Joshua wanted to believe that there would be hope.