17. A: Weakness

Gripping the dagger in my hands, I attack the puppet’s neck

Thud. Thuds.

“hardwood, really ?”

But it’s a really hardwood. Not like it can stop me.

Thud. Thud.

Stabbing the neck of the puppet, it starts to flail its limbs around, as if trying to escape my restraining sword in its chest.

“that’s futile wood-brain. You started, you get it.”

After all, this is my revenge on that series of one-sided attacks of before.

“Geee. Geee.”

Thud. Thud.

Dammit, this thing is really hard. That means is it also has some defensive skill.

But as I said, it’s futile, as now

Thud. Crack. Break.

“GEEEEE...”

Is your last moment.

Finally succeeding in breaking the puppet’s neck, I stay ready, in case it is still alive, but surprisingly in an anti-climatic ending, it seems that even a puppet will die if its head is cut off.

-Conditions have been met.

Lv5 have been reached.-

-Conditions have been met

Skill: Defence Lv1 has become Lv2.-

-Conditions have been met.

Skill: Health lv1 has been acquired.-

“Ah, now I am sure it died.”

As I don’t think I would level up if it’s still alive. But again, It’s not like I have proof, so I should forget this and get going. Otherwise, I will be finished this time if I were to be targeted by some other monster.

“Yosh.”

Taking my sword back from the monster’s remains, and putting it to my side once again, with my dagger in its place too, I get ready to move.

“But well, this is going to be hard.”

Looking at my broken left arm, and bleeding left shoulder. Not forgetting my tired body, I can conclude that running is impossible for me now.

“and with this bleeding wound, I can’t last long anyway. I should just quickly find a place to hide, and if it’s not found, I will just make this place my safe room’s entrance.”

Though such a thing may be dangerous as seen from me being attacked the only second from entering the forest. Having my entrance door in an easy-to-find location can turn me into a target for ambushes. It’s still better than starting all of this again.

Having summarized my thoughts, I pressure my wound with my right hand and start to slowly jog, as I don’t want to stay here.

Breathing hard, I start to increase the pace, but not enough to pressure myself.

Looking around, I am still in the same place that I was ambushed at, but I can’t recognize the direction from which I have come.

Looking around, I just take a random direction and start walking.

“it’s better to take a random direction and start moving than to stay looking around hesitantly with no choice.”

As I can’t waste time, I just keep moving. No need for thinking when your blood is literally being lost by the second.

And like that, I started searching for a safe place inside the woods. Though I had seen some buildings when I was on the rooftop before, my distance from them is unknown, they being the habitat of some monster species is not impossible, and the main problem is...

“I am lost.”

Totally. I can’t differentiate between directions anymore, as everything is almost the same. So I am currently unable to get out of this forest, with my only way of knowing the direction, which is climbing the trees high enough, being impossible to achieve in my state as of now.

And like that, I can only randomly look for a structure that can hide me, even if it’s just to get in and out of the door.

“Huff. Huff.”

Feeling tired, I sit on the ground with a tree to rest my back on.

“walking while injured, bleeding, and tired is not a fun experience. Sigh.”

Sitting like that for a while, I rest.

“seriously, this is too much. If I don’t find a hideout soon, then I will just make my entrance in here. Who cares for ambushes? leave that till next time. Huff.”

I mean, yeah, procrastination and postponing work for later is not a good habit, but hey. I am dying here, metaphorically, and literary. Inside the game and outside at that. Can you believe that?

“Pffft. Truly, how unfair. Hahaha.”

Smiling, once again I stand.

And start looking around for a second time.

“a building is too dangerous, not like I can find one. So anything, even with one or two walls can be a luxury.”

And in a place like this, I don’t think I can find anything else anyway.

With all of my search time being proof.

“well, better finish quickly while I still have some HP.”

Looking around, I only walk as my SP is on the low side. And I can’t really move faster.

Like that, I kept looking around, until ...

“hmm. Is that a house? for real? only now when I am close to crawling ?”

As I am reaching my limit, I got a glimpse of a two-story house, or more precisely what was a house.

As I can see a giant tree, directly in its side, breaking through its roof to grow. And some walls on the other side are broken.

But even so, I am sure that it can still work as a protection, and so I start to head there.

But really, it is just...

“Far. Huff. Huff. This ... Huff ... is tiring ...huff ....dammit.”

Resting with my hand on a tree, I look at the house about a hundred meters ahead. Even though it is so close, I can barely walk.

Leaving the tree I was resting on, I take a step then another, but with everyone, I feel how weakened I have become.

“too much blood loss. Ha.”

Walking a little and then resting on a tree close by. Doing such a thing repeatedly, even though the house is close by, I finally reach it.

“really, Huff.. hope...it’s ... empty...”

Stabilizing myself by using the wall, I walk inside even as I tremble from weakness.

Walking inside, I take a look around. But all I see is a house that is severely damaged.

Ignoring that and walking inside, I find a room to make it my safe room.

“fuuh. Finally...”

Thud.

Relaxing I end up falling to the floor. Trying to stand, I end up unable to. As it seems, only tension was enabling me to stand before, with both my HP and SP being so low.

Giving up the tries to stand, I summon my safe room’s door. Seeing the door, I barely open it, and just crawl inside, without standing.

Getting inside, I lie on my back and relax.

“damn, what a day.”

Feeling my state being restored, and my body healed I just lie relaxed.

-Conditions have been met.

Skill: Hp auto-recovery lv1 has been acquired.-

“disconnect.”

And after a while, when I could finally think again, I just disconnected.

As I still have things to finish today.