episode_0029

A foggy landscape where everything is frozen…

Left alone there, I pick up the dagger she was holding until the end.

The danger of the bitter cold, which felt like it was sticking to my flesh, was approaching, but even so, I just braced myself to survive.

Fight.. fight..

That moment..

A pair of rings, which he was holding along with a dagger, touched his feet as if indifferent.

“This..”

Yes.

The mysterious ring that Janes had been holding on to for so long…

I immediately recognized who this pair of rings belonged to, so I carefully picked them up and started digging a small hole next to Janes’ body.

Wow.. Wow..

It was so cold that my joints and joints broke.

The skin on the back of my hand had already been exposed to the cold temperature, turned red, and soon began to crack little by little.

Of course, it was painful and it was a natural symptom, but…

＇Janes..＇

Still, more than this physical pain…

The psychological pain of being left alone was even more severe for me.

Wow.. Wow..

Nevertheless, I silently dig into the frozen ground.

Tears no longer come out. Is it because I faced the reality of my current situation?

Just dig it up.

My emotions, which seemed like they would collapse at any moment, turn cold.

Continue digging.

Memories of past days with her.

Every moment, I think of memories from the past that we spent together…

It creates a small hole like that.

Of course, the hole was too small to bury Janes’ body, but it seemed large enough to fit a pair of rings believed to belong to her parents.

Ssss..

I peel away the frozen tears from the corners of my eyes and look at Janes’ half-faced face, unable to even close his eyes.

“I will forgive you. Janes…”

Her tragic end is clearly reflected in her eyes.

“I will let go of you, who was warmer and more grateful to me than anyone else.”

I gently close her eyes that she couldn’t close.

“So, don’t worry and go in peace.”

＂My knight.. Janes.＂

Janes, who has always been by my side from the moment I was born and realized I could recognize someone.

I couldn’t easily accept the feeling that I had to let her go, but…

If she couldn’t close her eyes with the heavy heart that I had to carry, I wanted to make her feel comfortable by letting go of my burden.

Just so she can sleep comfortably.

***

Although it was clear that the feelings of the young me who had lived this life were still intact in the process, as the memories of my past life returned, I was able to make a somewhat rational judgment in this situation… holding on to my two shaking hands. Slowly starting to wake up.

＇I have to move..＇

Eyes that have become sharper and heavier…

After facing reality like that, I picked up Janes’ armor and leather armor that were scattered around and began to take refuge in the cave I had been in a while ago.

It seemed like that place would be able to thaw my frozen body just a little.

Sobok… Sobok…

I felt that moving with heavy armor while the snow was up to my ankles was too much for a child’s body that had not yet fully grown, but I tried to keep going.

These heavy steps walking through the rough forest clearly showed the uncertainty of the future.

‘Think rationally…’

‘For now, let’s make the most of what we have and find a way out..’

It was a problem for a 14-year-old boy to survive alone in a harsh forest with no idea where he was from the threat of monsters that could come out at any moment, but even this harsh weather was cruel. To be honest, I had no confidence that I would survive.

Sobok… Sobok…

This psychological pressure was constantly blocking my path, but even so, I could not give up.

He just didn’t want to break the news to his parents twice that his child had died first. Of course, it is true that the survival instinct to want to live comes first.

“Surely it was here?”

After overcoming the thick snow and walking for a while, I was able to reach the cave I had been in before.

It was certainly less cold than outside, where the cold air blew in from all sides, but it was not warm, so make sure to quickly thaw hands and feet that are on the verge of frostbite.

dump..

After putting down Janes’ armor, which she had worked hard to pack, next to her bag, she decided to take a break by entrusting herself to the [portable hand warmer] filled with her magical power.

The sensation in my fingertips was tingling as if I had been shocked by electricity, but only after it had melted for a while did it begin to return to its original form.

‘Your hands and feet can move to some extent..’

‘thank god..’

‘But there’s a cave in this forest…’

Only then did I become curious about the inside of the cave, so I put all of Janes’ armor in a leather bag so I could move around comfortably. Then, I used her dagger to recycle the leather armor into a long strap and secure it so that it could be integrated with my body so that the bag wouldn’t move around. Fix it.

So that if something goes wrong, you can run away quickly.

I slowly began to move through the cold, raw cave with no traces of people in sight.

Of course, with Jane’s dagger in one hand.

Fondant… Fondant…

So after a while…

As the sunlight shining from the cave entrance disappeared, a refreshing but welcome sound stimulated my ears.

‘Is there more road?’

As the sound of water drops coming from somewhere told me, I realized that there was a further path inside, so I slowly began to move towards it.

Rather than blindly heading towards the forest outside the cave and looking for traces of other people, I needed to know for sure whether my current physical condition was normal or whether this was a safe place.

And since I had to prepare everything in order to head outside in the future, I needed to figure out what was going to happen to my current belongings.

＇First of all, a safe place comes first..＇

With difficulty, I carried the leather bag that Janes had left behind and her armor, and began to move toward the dark, unknown territory in front of me.

It relies solely on the sound of falling water drops.

Clatter..clatter..

just as expected. As I, who had the body of a child, walked carrying such a heavy load… the armor made of steel clashed with each other in the bag, making a loud noise that echoed countless times inside this dark cave.

Of course, when I first heard the sound, I couldn’t help but be nervous, covering my mouth hastily, but after walking for a while and seeing that there was no sign of anyone, I decided to move faster.

If it had been me, the right choice would have been to leave all my luggage for a while and quietly scout out the interior, but as I don’t have the stamina or leisure to do that, I had no choice but to proceed in this adventurous way.

I was quite nervous, so I held on to Janes’ dagger with both hands in preparation for an unexpected attack, aimed it forward, and just… silently moved forward.

‘That.. light..??’

As we followed the sound of water drops and went deeper into the cave, we found a mysterious green light that gradually became brighter. Soon, we heard the welcome sound of flowing water, and our steps gradually became faster.

“W… This is…”

The glow of green moss reminiscent of dreamy yet beautiful lighting.

And the water flowing through them gathered together to form a small spring, and it was so clear and transparent… it looked like groundwater that could be consumed.

‘Strange..’

Moreover, for some reason, after arriving here… the trembling and cold that had been relentless until just a moment ago have gradually subsided.

‘It’s cold.. isn’t it??’

A mysterious warmth that is felt slowly. As I was feeling this strange phenomenon in real time, I could not easily accept the rapid environmental change in the cave.

In some ways, it may have been a natural symptom for me, who retained memories of my past life.

Of course, the existence of huge trees with green leaves and the presence of unknown beasts… no, monsters were understandable aspects of the providence of nature, but to feel such disparate climate changes in real time that seemed to go against the providence of nature was like this. It was just unfamiliar.

‘water..?’

But that’s only when rational judgment is possible…

Right now, I am already exhausted both physically and mentally.

As soon as the moment of hesitation was over, I couldn’t hold back the thirst that was building up and I put my mouth towards the water from the spring.

gulp..

After taking a few sips, I finally came to my senses and hurriedly put on my clothes. Using my {Check Information} ability, I confirmed that it was drinkable spring water. I roughly unpacked everything and started drinking with both hands.

I just hoped that this thirst and hunger would go away.

***

How much time has passed?

After drinking a large amount of cool spring water, I leaned on the leather bag I had unpacked and fell asleep in a faint. Soon, I was able to open my eyes to the sound of falling water drops.

＂Hey.. this place..!＂

Green moss that brightens up the dark cave.

Unidentifiable plants were growing luxuriantly around the entire rock, showing off their vitality.

＇First of all.. is it a safe place?＇

After letting go of my tension for a moment, I took out the contents of the leather bag one by one and began to check it.

In a cave that is quieter than expected…

Only the small sounds that came from these small movements began to echo quietly, so I had no choice but to move more carefully.

‘What’s in it… extra money… beef jerky… a few slices of cheese and a water bottle…’

If you drink it sparingly, it would be enough to last you for about two weeks, but if you didn’t have this spring water, you would run out of water in just a week.

The moment I was examining my belongings…

Slurp…

A strange friction sound coming from somewhere…

Assuming that it was not a naturally occurring sound, I raised the dagger I was holding in one hand and looked at the direction from which the sound came.