Chapter 68 - Day CCXIII

After waking up I quickly crawled out from under the cart and then ate to have enough energy for hunting. Then I grabbed the weapon and headed to the canyon. Maybe it was a dumb idea, but I wanted to face the orcs head-on. No clever tactics, no traps or maneuvers. Just me versus them.

I walked to the very edge and looked down. They were there. Eight. I was noticed pretty quickly, and the first arrows flew at me, so I had to take a few steps back. This time I didn't want them to rush all the way up, but instead to face them down there.

I rushed down the steep, narrow passage. They were already climbing up. Five of them. Three kept shooting with their bows. Arrows flew, swooshing over my head, and embodied themselves in the cliff.

Facing orcs in such limited space, while being under fire, was out of the question. I had to jump at some point, but it was still too high. Their accuracy was getting better with each shot, and I was forced to parry some of the projectiles. Few months before a situation like this would mean certain death for me, but things changed. I stayed calm, knowing I will be the winner in the end, not them.

After a short moment of sprinting, I clashed with the first orc, but just for a second. I didn't want to fight him. I wanted to jump down, but to not break my legs I needed to get as far down as possible, so the distance would be shorter. Even though it still was pretty high, but there was no choice. I knocked his ax to the side and went on with it. Arrow got me in the thigh, but I just ripped it of midair and healed the wound. Arrowhead didn't even fully disappear in my flesh. I was too tough.

The landing was kinda awkward since I never did something like that. The very moment my feet touched the ground, I rolled to the side to lose some momentum of the fall. It worked like charm. I didn't break my legs. But there still was a single problem. I dropped the pudao.

After avoiding a few more arrows, and getting the damned weapon back, I could finally charge at archers. The rest was rushing their way down the path.

Archers dropped their bows and grabbed whatever they had at hand. Knives, or handaxes. The first one charged at me, but I just cut off his hand before he was even able to attack. Second got his neck pierced. I was forced to finish off the first one by slashing him thru the chest, which allowed the third one to get me from behind. I parried his swing unconsciously with the handle of pudao, then turned around, kicked him in the stomach, and managed to squeeze another slash short after for a nice, and deadly combo.

There was still five more. Now charging thru the bottom of the canyon. My brain worked kinda in a separate way from me. I got answers to questions I didn't even ask. Like a battle instinct of some kind. I ducked under the first ax going for my head and stabbed the orc in the gut. Nex one swung from above, but I just stepped to the side, and cut across his face, thru both eyes. Blinding him, and enraging.

He hit one of his companions with the elbow, but the rest made it around him. I blocked the first attack, letting it slide on the blade, and smacked the orc with the handle. Hit was strong enough to break his skull and made it bend inside.

Others finally got to me and tried to swing from above with an ax, but I just grabbed the handle before he could cut me. My strength was enough to stop him. And with the other free, I could stab him a few times. Then I quickly dealt with the last one and finished off wounded.

The way I was able to deal with them made me kinda proud. I never thought I would be able to fight like this. Such a sharp, and calm way. No panic, even when your opponent is bigger, and has a numbers advantage. A coward like me would never be able to even face them, and on top of that win with such ease? If only fighting would be my only problem. I could finally feel like fish in the ocean, but unfortunately, there were more flavors to this dish called life.

Flavors I didn't like. Intrigue, deception, lies, deceit. Incoming war with many lives on the line. And me such incompetent dumbass in the middle. This thought made me laugh.

I gathered the crystals in one place and went thru the archway. The light at the end was bright, so it was kinda hard to see what's there, but using a hand and squinting eyes allowed me to see an empty path moving thru the canyon. Orange and yellow walls of rock, and sand on the ground. There was nothing more. No orcs.

Making it thru the short tunnel allowed me to see more, but there were just rocks around. I walked for a short while. The path was turning, twisting, and splitting apart. It was a labyrinth.

I somewhat regretted not having the cart with me. It would be an achievement to get it down that narrow passage at the cliff, but I would have food and water with me. I could even set up a camp if I would feel brave enough. The soul of an adventurer woke up in me, and I wanted to explore this place, but I was on the clock. Blue was waiting. Blitzkrieg was waiting. We needed to determine who will be on top of the food chain, even if for a short while.

One was certain. The Wuxia was done. The organization would either morph into something new or die, but what Zhang Yong created couldn't keep on living. Even now it was but an empty shell.

I kept pushing forward until I encountered another group of orcs. They got slaughtered in few minutes. It seemed like they are camping in groups, maybe across the whole canyon. I was unable to grasp if there was any sense in this, but that was not the first time I saw pointless behavior in this world.

I kept walking for few more hours killing orcs on my way until I eventually stopped. Not many things in the scenery were changing. I doubted I will be able to discover anything here in just one day. I needed to get my cart down. I also needed somebody to keep watch with, so we could switch and both get some rest. It was too risky to sleep here. Even with barriers. Those were not nearly as strong as they should be to prevent orcs from killing me during the night.

There was nothing for me to find here anymore. I needed to return. Too bad there was no way of communicating from afar, cause I really needed to contact Blitzkrieg. There was an opportunity to kill Blue. Maybe I even was able to do it, and somehow survive.

Then a thought struck me. I was thinking of killing another human being like it was nothing. Just another damn day. No emotions, no doubts. Like picking up a flower.

This world changed me. It was still changing me, and I started to fear what I'm gonna become it this was to keep on going.

I headed back, worrying about myself. I didn't want to become a monster capable of killing without even a flinch. I wanted to remain human. This world had a different plan for me. Different path. I could feel it.

I picked up all the crystals I left behind. Managed to get lost few times. And finally climbed my way up the cliff, then walked thru the forest in more or less the direction of my camp. After finally arriving I was tired. More mentally than physically. It also started to become dark, which only enforced my gloomy mood.

I grabbed some food and crawled under the cart to slowly chew on it. For the first time in this strange world of everlasting summer, I felt a bit cold. I could feel shivers climbing their way up my spine. I was so damn alone here. With no true home, no family, or people who truly cared for me. There was nothing to go back to.

Then Aisha popped up in my mind. She was counting on me. How could I ditch her? On top of that where else could I go? Who knew what was further around us. I needed to focus on the task in front of me, and not think about anything else. It was hard because I was used to overthinking everything. My mind would just go off on its own. I took a deep breath and tried to fall asleep.

Day ended with 54 342 points on my account and 39 orc crystals on the cart.