Chapter 2:
The Sudden Beginning of My Survival Life:
Day 3
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I SUDDENLY FELT LIKE I was floating—no, like I was falling. I braced myself for impact as I snapped awake.
“Grargh!” I didn’t know what I hit, but my body hurt and it knocked the wind out of me. I rolled over instinctively and put my hand down to try to stand up.
“Oof?!” I immediately felt a sharp pain in my hand.
Ow! That hurt! That really hurt?! What the—what’s going on?! I looked up, but there wasn’t much light. All I saw was the rapidly approaching outline of a foot.
“Gwuf?!” I felt faint from the shock of the kick as it connected, barely present for the pain. I had never been attacked like this before. I’d only ever gotten into scuffles that led to an exchange of blows as a kid, like a normal person.
I’ll die if I don’t fight back. And I do not want to die.
The moment those words popped into my head, a voice came that sent chills down my spine.
“Resist and I’ll kill you.” Something heavy pressed down on my head. The owner of the voice was probably stepping on me. “What’s a human doing in a place like this?” From what I could tell, it was a woman’s voice.
I didn’t know how to answer her. Maybe I could just tell her I had gotten lost?
“Why are you silent? Answer me.”
“I don’t know. I just got lost.” It was hard to speak with the copious nosebleed I just developed.
“Tch. O Life Spirit.”
A pale green light lit up the gloom, and my body didn’t hurt so much anymore. Even the stab wound in my hand stopped bleeding. I could still feel some bumps and bruises, but I certainly felt better than before. Was this some kind of magic?
“Now you should be well enough to talk. Speak.” Her voice was cold as she kept her foot firmly planted on me.
Wait, her voice? We could communicate?
“I don’t really know what happened myself. All I know is that I was suddenly standing at the edge of the wasteland and the forest, and the only things I had with me were my clothes. I have no idea where I am! I pushed my way through the forest to survive and then I looked for water and food; that’s it. I burned green wood since I was hoping someone might find me. In other words, I’m lost and in distress.” I ignored my doubt that she’d be able to understand me and just spit it all out. As I spoke, I frantically tried to come up with a way out of my current situation. If could take her by surprise for just a second… But maybe that was beyond all hope.
She seemed like the type who was used to scuffles—battles, probably. She could use something like magic, and she had that sharp weapon she’d stabbed my hand with. If she wanted to kill me, I had no doubt that she would have in the first place. I didn’t need to prepare myself for the worst quite yet.
“Do you really think I’d believe something so ludicrous?” the woman demanded.
“It’s the truth. Look, don’t believe me if you don’t want to. You’re free to just go on believing what you want to believe, averting your gaze from the truth, plugging your ears, and attacking me nonsensically.”
“I don’t like the smooth way your tongue waggles.”
“Look at that, we’re just two peas in a pod here. I don’t much care for how barbaric and violent you—grph!”
With a creaking sound, she increased the pressure on my head.
She’s gonna break my skull. She’s gonna break my skull. She’s gonna break my skull. My brains are gonna come spilling out! But I’ll put on a brave front. I really don’t like this woman. Even if she overpowers me physically, she’ll never break me mentally! Oh, is this one of those situations where you shout, “I’d rather you just kill me now, then!”? She’s planning to assault me, isn’t she?! Like in those doujinshi I used to read?! I’m not even into dubcon, let alone non-con!
“Did a human—a human of all things—just call me violent and barbaric?” the woman said.
“I-I have no idea what you even are! But you must be pretty narrow-minded if you think all of us humans are the same. Then again, I don’t know how violent and barbaric the humans of this world are, but you shouldn’t just assume I have anything to do with them. I only just came here the day before yesterday!”