Alator flew through the air and crashed into the river.
"Splash!"
Alator gasped as he quickly pulled his head out of the water. He shook his head roughly, trying to fling out the water that had entered his ears. Alator wiped off the water from his face as he stared at the spearhead. It hovered in mid-air, glowing faintly and vibrating with a low, steady hum.
Alator checked himself. He didn't find any new injury on his body, nor was he feeling any pain on his chest where the energy struck him. It seems the weapon wasn't targeting him.
"maybe it was just reacting." He thought.
Moments later, the glow faded, and the spearhead dropped to the ground with a metallic clanging noise.
Alator soon got out of the water. He walked towards it and picked it up. He smiled as he gave it one last look before walking towards his clothes. It seems he had found something useful, or maybe something that would transform into a powerful weapon in the future. From the Mana outburst earlier, Alator was sure that it wasn't an ordinary weapon.
He wondered if he would find the spear shaft if he checked inside the water again. But he soon dismissed the idea and shifted his attention towards the tattered pants on the rock. He sighed and picked up the leather pouch and sat on one of the rocks with a smooth surface.
He opened the pouch, but this time, he checked thoroughly, trying to see if he could find anything useful, more especially clothing, or at least anything he could use to cover his naked ass.
Alator pulled something out of the pouch, and it turned out to be a dagger. His eyes narrowed slightly. The blade was unlike anything he had seen before. The dagger has a black curved blade with a sharp silver edge that runs smoothly along the curve. The point that connected to the handle has several sharp jagged edges, giving it a very unusual, dangerous appearance.
The silver edge caught the sunlight as Alator brought it closer.
Looking at the handle, it was wrapped tightly with a dark cord, the kind that felt rough but still comfortable in the palm. Two thin red strings hung from the hilt, swaying slightly as he turned the weapon over. A complex circular metal pattern was engraved near the guard with a carved skull staring out from the center.
His expression shifted slightly. The dagger looked more like it belonged to some strong group of bandits instead of a Noble House, considering that the owner was a Scriper. Of course, Alator was familiar with bandit symbols, and the skull on the dagger looked like one.
Nevertheless, Alator was happy that now at least he has a weapon to defend himself in this godforsaken place. But still, he needed clothes more than anything else right now. The cold wind whipping against his balls wasn't funny at all.
A smile suddenly appeared on his face as he finally found what he was looking for. Alator pulled out a few clothes from the pouch. There were other useful things he saw there, but he just didn't have time to go through them now.
Not long, Alator finally got dressed with the clothes he found from the pouch.
He was dressed in a rugged, practical outfit that looks like it was meant for combat or traveling. He was wearing a brown leather jacket over a loose, gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, giving him an easy range of movement. The jacket looks worn in places, the kind of leather that has seen both weather and work, and it fastens at the front with simple stitching rather than ornate buttons.
The trousers were dark brown and fitted as if they were his, and tucked neatly into black sturdy boots that reach just below his knees.
...........
The sun was at the edge of the horizon, and it was already getting dark. Alator stood there, his eyes darting around the place and far beyond.
Alator took a step forward, but he suddenly lost his balance, almost crashing to the ground, but he managed to steady himself. He had just forgotten that he was injured.
"Tsk... damn this leg."
He limped towards the nearby forest. He cut a branch of a tree, making it a staff. Using his newfound dagger, he sharpened one edge of the staff like a spear. Alator looked around. The forest was thick with lush green vegetation and tree branches forming a huge canopy above, preventing daylight from coming in and making the place appear darker than it should.
As Alator went further into the forest, he could hear strange noises and growls of some strange creatures coming from the depth of the forest and far beyond. He gathered a few firewood pieces to make a fire and quickly left the place. He didn't want to encounter a demonic or wild beast now; with his broken state, he would be like a sitting duck waiting to be butchered.
Alator finally got back. He dropped the firewood and made his way towards the river for spearfishing. Of course, he was hungry and it was almost dark, so he needed to find something to eat.
After some minutes of thrusting and stabbing at the shallow areas of the river, Alator managed to catch a few fishe.
...............
Soon, the shattered wilds finally turned dark. Alator picked up the firewood and made his way inside the canyon. This time, he found a better place without the annoying smell of the stagnant water.
Alator wanted to make a fire, so he picked up two dry sticks and sat close to the ground. He placed one flat piece on the dirt, then set the other stick upright on it. Holding it between his palms, he started spinning it back and forth quickly. The motion was rough at first, but he kept going, faster each time.
But nothing happened. Alator kept on spinning the stick, but there was no single spark at all. His palms were beginning to turn red, and he was already frustrated. Five more minutes later, Alator was covered in sweat. But there was no fire yet.
"Come on, you bastard!"
Alator was about to throw the stick away in anger when a thin smoke began to rise from the spot where the sticks met. He stopped for a second, and a smile stretched out on his lips. He leaned in, and blew gently. The small black dust at the center glowed red. Then he dropped it onto a bundle of dry grass and blew again until the grass finally caught fire.
The fire lit up the dark canyon a bit, casting several dancing shadows across the colossal stone walls of the canyon.
Alator began to roast his fishes. He wasn't entirely bad at doing these kinds of things; after all, he didn't grow up in luxury. As the fire blazed through the fishes, he turned the fish from time to time to avoid getting burnt. Looking at the numbers of fish on the fire, it seems like he only managed to catch three of them.
"I think it should be okay now."
Alator picked up one of the sticks holding the fish and took a bite. He chewed it for a while, and his face suddenly turned ugly.
"Damn...it tastes terrible. I wish I had some ingredients."
Right then, his eyes suddenly lit up as he seemed to have realized something. He kept the fish down and checked through the spatial pouch to see if he could find some ingredients. The first thing he brought out was a small green box made of iron.
Alator opened it, and there was a white powder inside. He brought it closer to his face and took a sniff. He coughed vigorously and quickly closed it. Alator recognized the content; the white substance inside the box was a Null Dust. People usually used it to erase their scent, either from beasts or enemies, and that's not what he was looking for. So, he threw it back into the pouch.
After going through the pouch, Alator found five small bottles with different colors of powder.
He stared at them with his left hand on his chin. He didn't know what these powders are or what they are used for, but since it's in the pouch of a Mage who usually goes out in the wild, then that means the powder must be something used for cooking.
Alator concluded and randomly picked the bottle with the red powder. He sprinkled half of the powder over the fish and saved the rest for later. He did the same with the rest of the bottles, sprinkling each and every one of them on the fish.
"That should be enough, I guess."
After a while, Alator took the fish from the fire and brought it closer to his face as he took a sniff. His face beamed in excitement.
"Smells great."
Alator went ahead and took a huge bite off the fish. He chewed it for a while, his face turning ugly with every single second. This time, the fish was tasting a bit strange. But still, it was better than before. Alator continued to eat, ignoring the weird taste, and soon finished one.
He leaned back, patting his stomach, and suddenly let out a loud burp.
"Burp!"
A cloud of red smoke blasted out from his mouth in a rush,
and he was pushed back from the force. His eyes went wide in shock as the strange haze drifted into the air.
"What the hell is this?"