Chapitre 20: Fainted
Aru's figure descended into the unknown depths below. But he was still tightly grasping onto the body of Dal.
On the cliff above, the wolf remained stunned by the unfolding events. After shaking its head twice, it resumed its journey to the south.
It never intended to hunt Dal for food. It was just enraged by what happening around it and tried to hunt the weakest creature instinctively. Now that its prey disappeared, it regained its sanity and began to head south.
—
At the same time, Aru was experiencing the thrill of his lifetime.
Although it may seem like it was the most foolish decision of his life, his heart was beating intensely like never before. For the first time in a while, he felt alive as he jumped off the cliff's ledge.
"AAAAaaaaaaa…."
Dal screamed and hugged Aru while praying for dear life. For a second, he even thought Aru was here to take revenge for the thing he had done by attempting a murder-suicide.
However, that thought was anything but correct. Aru had no reason to kill Dal, much less himself. Instead, he was trying to save him.
While Dal was praying for a miracle, Aru was slowly counting in his mind.
'One.'
'Two.'
'Three.'
Just after counting to three, he braced himself for impact, swiftly flipping his body to face upward and wrapping his legs tightly around the back of Dal.
"Thuck."
The sensation of something slamming against his arms was immediate.
"Crack."
Then, a force collided with his body, producing a distinct cracking sound.
"Thuck."
"Crack."
"Crack."
"Thuck."
In a split second, a barrage of hits and cracking noises echoed. Despite the pain, Aru instinctively thrust his hands around, attempting to catch onto anything within reach.
"Finally."
With determination, he managed to grasp onto something, abruptly halting his free fall to imminent death.
"F*cking Awesome!" he screamed, realising the gravity of his accomplishment.
'I have cheated death once again.'
Aru felt a surge of pride for the incredible feat he had achieved.
Currently, Aru was hanging from a small lateral branch of a pine tree while carrying Dal. His entire body was aching and his shoulder was almost dislocated. But still, looking at the bright side, he was alive and well.
What more could he ask for after attempting a stunt like that?
Although it may seem like he had done everything in the spur of the moment, it was not entirely the case.
Initially, Aru's body moved to save Dal by instinct. But after that, each step was carefully planned.
Once he realised that there was no going back when he overtook the wolf, he had already decided to jump off the cliff. The reason for doing this was exactly the trees beneath the cliff.
Due to his great memory and spatial awareness, he knew what was around the camp and its location precisely. And he remembered seeing the lining of the tree just beneath the cliff face.
He knew that if he could capitalise on that knowledge, he could save Dal and himself from the wind wolf.
That's why he jumped off fearlessly.
The reason for counting to three was just to measure the approximate distance he travelled and the time he would hit the trees.
'Even with all that planning, I would have seriously injured myself if not for the spirit energy that reinforced and strengthened my body. Anyway, it was a risk worth taking.' Aru thought as he looked at the fatty who was hugging his thighs.
"Hey, man. You are not dead, right?" He asked jokingly.
Although his entire body was screaming in pain and exhaustion, he lightened the mood as he asked.
"Hmm…" The shivering fatty, who had been screaming until now, nodded in affirmation.
"Then, stop holding onto me and latch yourself onto a branch. I won't be able to carry your weight for much longer."
"Hm…" Dal nodded, detaching himself from Aru, and scrambled onto a nearby branch. Clinging to it for dear life, he found himself in the dark, barely able to discern anything. Following Aru's directive, he awaited further instructions.
Though unexpected, the realisation that Aru had saved his life finally sank into Dal. He was wholeheartedly willing to obey Aru's orders.
Now that the fatty was off his body, Aru slowly moved towards the trunk of the tree and sat on a branch. The moment of relief came with the sharp piercing pain in his arms, legs and torso.
Fortunately, nothing in his body was bent or broken. The cracking and snapping sound that he heard was just the small branches snapping under his weight. However, it didn't mean he was unscathed.
Some of the broken branches left behind abrasions and bruises all around his body. He was barely holding on due to the immense level of adrenaline and spiritual energy that coursed through his body.
'I am in no condition to climb back onto the camp.'
'I am injured with a pretty big debuff called Dal.'
'I presume that we are stuck for the foreseeable future between the top of the mountain and the bottom part of the cliff.'
When he focused his ears, Aru could hear the cries of the animals intensify near the top of the mountain and at the bottom of the cliff where the Kurama Lake was situated.
'Should I call myself fortunate in this scenario.'
He knew that some intense battle was happening in both places. Fortunately, he could avoid it by staying in the middle of the cliff face for now.
"Sigh."
Finally, Aru heaved a sigh of relief. His mind relaxed and he felt his consciousness fade.
'No.'
'Not now.'
Aru was about to faint.
He knew it better than anyone.
'But I can't…'
However, his exhaustion was beyond what just willpower could handle. He felt his grip on the tree loosens. His body was going limp.
'If I fall, I will die.'
Suddenly, a small hand came from the side to support him. Fortunately, he will live.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone