Lament of the Slave

Chapter 64: Worries

I tried, I really did. It still wasn't enough. All it took was just one moment of distraction, a small hesitation, for my leg to end up in the maw of the mossbear. There it was torn by sharp teeth and crushed by massive jaws while I struggled screaming to break free from the beast's grasp.

That I eventually managed to get mossbear to let go of my leg was of little use to me. My mobility, the only thing that kept me out of its tooth and claw reach, was gone.

It wasn't until too late that I realized my legs were what the beast was after, well aware of my advantage. And since I wasn't a gymnast, or whoever it was who walked on their hands, without my legs, I had become easy prey to the beast, whose only defense was a flimsy shield and the ability to roll aside.

So how did the rest of it go? I wouldn't even call it a fight and rather not talk about it. Too pathetic. I don't even remember parts of it.

After a brief blackout caused by blood loss, I found myself lying on the ground covered in moss again. At least this time, I didn't panic and see myself as fertilizer.

Instead, I took a breath, and for the first time during my stay on Eleaden, I looked up at its night sky. Even though surrounding trees limited the view, it was breathtaking. The sky was full of bright stars with two moons floating in it, the big one the color of sapphire with a hint of green, the smaller one violet. It was like I was looking at a painting or something I would normally only see in fantasy or sci-fi art, quite a difference from the night sky on Earth. Still, I missed it.

A tad sad that I had been denied this view during my confinement in the basement, and regretting not having looked up at the night sky sooner after I got out, I wondered why that was. What kept me from doing it?

I spent my first night of freedom in the company of an old merchant named Scoresby in the middle of the woods. In Castiana I worked in the brothel until the evening, and then I was either in the inn's kitchen or holed up in my room without a thought of looking up at the night sky.

Now, thanks to the cloudless sky that showed me its beauty in full, I saw it was a mistake by which I deprived myself of an incredible spectacle. Clear skies and two moons were also the reason my concerns about fighting at night were unnecessary, as the clearing was bathed in more than enough moonlight.

This picturesque moment had only two flaws.

The first was the ongoing battle between an adult and the last of the men. Whether it was Shadowbreaker or mercenary, I couldn't tell just by the noise of the fight and honestly didn't care. The second flaw was my hunch that this idyll would end as soon as I was combat capable, forced to face the mossbear again.

I wasn't so sure the three skill level-ups I got from my last beating were worth the pain and effort.

(ding) Painless Agony reaches lvl 12

...

(ding) Tireless Machine reaches lvl 14

...

(ding) Swift as a Whip reaches lvl 13

Yeah, I know, I shouldn't be complaining. After all, in a few minutes, I got three skills to the next level. I just felt bitter about the defeat and tired. I was so exhausted that if I closed my eyes for one more moment, I'd fall asleep. The thought was so tempting I couldn't get it out of my head. Just take a nap for a few minutes. What was wrong with that, right? Deckard or Esu would wake me up when they saw fit to torture me more.

So what kept me from closing my eyes? [When you feel tired, it is the best time to try harder and push your limits.] Looking at the description of [Tireless Machine], I had to admit that this was the best time to practice the skill. Well, I think I was pushing my limits pretty damn hard.