Now that he was out of immediate danger, Vaan could feel the full extent of his injuries, his body finally having time to pay attention to them.
His left shoulder felt like it was on fire. His right leg was numb, clammy to the touch. And moreover, he felt like a knife was constantly being stabbed at the back of his eyes.
In short, it wasn’t good.
He was alive… but two goblins got away and he didn’t know if they would be back with reinforcements or not. If there were reinforcements, then he could say goodbye to any chances of surviving.
But he also couldn’t leave.
While he managed to fight earlier, now that his body had cooled down from the frantic tension, he could barely move.
Realizing that, he wracked his mind to figure out a plan. And then he remembered the power that kept him alive. Glancing at the shield and sword in his hands, he muttered, “Spark of Creation, was it?”
From what he knew about it… mainly from the information that popped into his head, it was a process that let him make things with imagination as long as he had materials.
A vague concept. If he could find the person responsible for that information, Vaan would have wrangled the guy around the neck and demanded a proper explanation.
“Still, if that’s the case…” He glanced over at the goblin corpses.
His body was wounded. Not only that, but he had managed to survive mainly because he caught the goblins off-guard initially and created his sword and shield from… something?
‘Darkness and remnant steel.’
Right. He managed to create a sword and shield out of bits of steel and the shadows. That meant that it wasn’t a completely logical process.
Then… Would it work?
Out of curiosity… No, out of desperation, Vaan crawled over to the nearest goblin corpse and placed his hand on it.
Foul smelling blood filled his nostrils and he felt the eerie sensation of still warm and soggy flesh. But he ignored it and closed his eyes.
Imagination and base materials…
If that was the case, then he wanted it. A healed body- No, one that was at least as fast as the goblins he fought. The base materials were there, so as long as he focused just like how he made the sword and shield…
A faint spark of light. Vaan wasn’t sure if it was real or just his imagination, but he felt it flow throughout his body. At the same time, the foul blood and the feeling of flesh in his hands faded.
But it stopped.
Opening his eyes, Vaan saw that the goblin corpse was gone. At the same time, checking on his wounds, they looked a little bit healed. And his body seemed… a tiny bit lighter?
‘It wasn’t enough.’
It seemed like one goblin wasn’t enough to fulfill what he thought about doing. It wasn’t enough to turn that ‘Spark of Creation’ into the created result that he desired.
Still, it was enough to let Vaan move around. And since that was the case, he decided to keep going.
Moving over to the next corpse, he placed his hand over it and did the same thing. Well, this time he kept his eyes open for a little while out of curiosity.
And then he abruptly changed his mind when he saw the flesh melting away and showing the raw muscles and fat beneath.
Fighting back a retch and nausea, he pointedly finished using up the goblin corpses with his eyes shut.
An indeterminable amount of time. More than a few minutes, but definitely less than an hour.
With that, Vaan stood up, rolling his left shoulder. After that, he swung his right leg a few times.
No pain. Not only that, but the sensation of his body being lighter than normal had intensified.
He wasn’t sure if that was his imagination or not, but whatever the case, he was prepared.
A means to heal himself, equipment to protect himself… well, except for his bare torso.
But it was enough.
So, more assured of his success this time around, Vaan slowly made his way out through the passageway once more.
The skeleton from before had been completely destroyed, turned into white powder from the goblins’ charge earlier.
Seeing that, Vaan made a small prayer again and then advanced.
Darkness, with only faint illumination from the fungi.
A cavern that seemed to amplify every sound, his footsteps sounding like thunder and water droplets like explosions…
Okay. Maybe he was still a bit terrified.
Even so, Vaan carefully made his way through the underground area, sticking close to one side of the wall.
For a while, he was worried that the goblins would return and he’d have to fight again. But that worry never came to pass.
It seemed like he had lucked out and the goblins really did run away.
Of course, that still led to the problem of finding a way out… But as he walked further through the cave, he felt a faint breeze brushing across his bare torso.
So, trusting in that breeze, Vaan walked towards it, hoping it was the exit.
And then… Light.
Seeing it, Vaan started to run, relieved to finally escape from the cavern… but remembering the goblins that ran away, he slowed down and walked out, holding his shield and sword at the ready.
The first thing Vaan noticed when he stepped outside was that he was in a forest. Lush green undergrowth and towering trees with a thick canopy that revealed only cuts of a clear blue sky.
The second thing Vaan noticed was that he still had a long way to go to reach civilization. From what he could see, the forest continued a long ways into the distance, enough where light was blotted out completely in shadows.
The third…
“KEEEE!”
…Was that the two goblins were lying in ambush.
The screech came from behind Vaan, slightly above.
Spinning around, Vaan saw that the cavern had been part of a cliff, with a small alcove jutting out over the top. And one of the goblins had climbed up there waiting to ambush him.
The goblin fell down, a knife in both hands, eyes narrowed with killing intent.
Vaan quickly raised his shield to block, but at the last moment felt a slight breeze from behind him.
Instead of blocking, he stepped back and moved his shield to where he felt the breeze. At the same time, he lashed out at the falling goblin with his sword.
A flurry of thuds against his shield, followed by things falling to the ground. At the same time, a pair of clangs from the goblin striking Vaan’s sword, trying to send it flying.
‘Steady yourself.’
He breathed and brought his sword down, pushing against the goblin trying to send it flying.
The sound of metal screeching against each other echoed, followed by slight sparks. And then the goblin flew to the ground, rolling.
At the same time, he heard it. The faint sound of something being drawn back. A bowstring.
Vaan quickly realized it. He didn’t have the combat know-how to deal with both at once. And he didn’t know how long the mysterious knowledge and luck he had would keep going.
The goblin got to its feet, glaring at Vaan. But it didn’t engage again. Instead of trying another attack, it turned to run.
Vaan’s eyes widened.
He couldn’t let it get away.
His body moved before his thoughts kicked in. Vaan crouched low, hiding his head and torso behind his shield and then pounced, swinging his sword.
A familiar pose. Subconsciously, he imitated the way that the goblin had leapt at him.
And in doing so, he surged forward at a rapid speed, clearing the gap in an instant.
The black sword cut through the air and cleaved the goblin in half.
At the same time, a flurry of arrows collided against his shield again.
Spinning back, Vaan saw the goblin that attacked.
It was standing high in a tree, holding a worn-out iron bow and some crude wooden arrows. Even so, the goblin somehow made it work, aiming accurately at Vaan’s body.
In fact, as Vaan watched, the goblin nocked three arrows onto the bow, aiming at him again. Its face was also placed in a mocking sneer, confident Vaan couldn’t reach it.
In response, Vaan took a step back.
Seeing as it worked before, he copied what the goblins did against him when throwing their weapons.
While he was using a sword, the principle should be the same…
The goblin drew the bowstring back.
Vaan threw his sword.
Unlike before, when it spun in a circle to cut down the goblins, his body autocorrected itself and sent the blade flying like a javelin.
The black sword flew through the air and pierced the goblin’s skull, pinning its corpse to the tree. With that, its arms went limp and the arrows it nocked back flew randomly into the sky before it dropped the bow to the ground.
Vaan straightened his body and let out a sigh.
“…I guess it was a good idea to use those goblin corpses, huh?”
He wiped off a sheen of sweat from his forehead and then froze.
“…Wait. How am I going to get my sword down?”
