Chapter 48: Rest

Noah wasn't in the mood to celebrate this, he leaned against the rock formation and breathed in and out repeatedly. He did this for five minutes, his heartbeat decreased and the exhaustion threated to knock him unconscious but he couldn't allow this. Still, a quick rest would not be bad. As he closed his eyes for a momt, the sound of rushing water nearby caught his atttion.

Curiosity piqued, he stood up slowly and made his way towards the sound, eager to discover its source. The cool breeze that accompanied the sound refreshed him, making him feel more alive than he had in days.

Noah's determination to find the source of the water grew stronger with each step he took, his fatigue momtarily forgott in the face of this new mystery.

Noah stumbled towards the small pond in the middle of the cavern, the promise of cool water a beacon in his haze of exhaustion.

Every step st waves of pain crashing through his side, the adraline fading just ough to let the full brunt of the fight hit him. Reaching the shore, he dropped to his knees, gasping. He cupped his hands, scooping the clear water to his lips. It tasted faintly sweet, a life-giving nectar that revived him on a cellular level.

He drank deeply, washing away the grit and grime of battle. Each gulp was a tiny victory, a defiance against the fatigue gnawing at him. With rewed strgth, he dipped his hands again, filling his cupped palms.

Gtly, he began to clean his wounds. The cool water stung against the torn flesh, but it was a welcomed sting, washing away the grime and blood, offering a sse of cleansing both physical and mtal.

The water mirrored the setting sun, turning crimson as it flowed over his injured side. The reflection wasn't just of blood, but of his own determination, the unyielding will that had carried him through the fight. He traced the line of the wound, wincing but not flinching. It was a reminder, a scar he would carry, but also a badge of honor, a testamt to his survival.

He stopped thinking about those things to truly rest.

Meanwhile, the magical stones nestled safely in his backpack and the healing herbs working their magic on his body filled him with a sse of confidce and strgth.

After 30 minutes of rest, Noah stirred from his nap he didn't need any alarm because his biological alarm was working wonder. After this quick nap he was feeling refreshed and ready to continue his journey. With a rewed sse of ergy and determination, he rose to his feet, his mind focused on the path ahead and the mysteries that awaited him in the world beyond.

With a deep breath, he set off once again, prepared to face whatever challges came his way, he was back to his feet, not completely healed but ough to keep up.

He was on the hunt for his next target. In order to shake off the exhaustion that had built up, he needed to swiftly advance to the next level. Although leveling up wouldn't provide a full recovery, it could effectively cleanse away his weariness in addition to tding to his wounds, albeit only partially.

Speaking of leveling up, Noah could not help but to be curious about the others progress, he wondered if one of them had catched up and maybe surpassed him. Because of this place vastness, it was easy to counter others or maybe he was that unlucky, well it doesn't matter because his currt goal was to increase his level quickly. To prepare for what was coming.

Before leaving Noah checked his weapons, they're truly worn out, meaning their durability have greatly decreased. He didn't need an appraisal skill to know this.

'Well, I'll buy one later. For now let's move on.'