Alator felt his body heating up. Red smoke began to puff out of his ears as well. He had no idea what those powders were or what they were actually meant for. Within a few seconds, his whole body started turning red as a result of the intense heat brimming inside of him.
The heat wasn't just on his skin; it was burning deep inside his chest and stomach. It felt like fire was filling his veins, making his heart hammer against his ribs. He gritted his teeth and tried to stand, but the pain in his ankle flared up, sending him tumbling back to the ground. The smoke around his body grew thicker, dense, and strange, almost feeling as if it was alive.
"Ugghhh!...what the hell did that son of a bitch put in these bottles?"
Alator cursed at the man he had stolen the pouch from. He could feel his skin stretching, pulling tight over his muscles as the red glow grew brighter and radiated heat into the cold canyon.
Alator rolled and tumbled on the dirt from the intense pain. Coupled with the injuries on his body, Alator really felt like he was set ablaze.
After one good hour of anguish, the heat finally subsided, but Alator was already at his limit. There were traces of blood from his mouth and nose. He just lay there on the ground for a moment as his chest heaved up and down. After resting for a while, Alator finally managed to get up from the ground and slowly moved towards a flat rock beside his campfire while clutching his side. He climbed up and carefully lay down on the rock. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, with sweat still rolling down his side.
Life was indeed tough for someone like Alator. Right from childhood till this day, he has been living a miserable life. No one cared about him; even the refugee camp, which was a place that sheltered the homeless kids, had kicked him out.
Alator opened his eyes as he stared at the dark sky, and a tear slid out of his eye. He had just thought about his family. He didn't know if they were still alive or if they were looking for him. Well, probably not. Alator was sure that if they were looking for him, they should have found him a long time ago.
Honestly, Alator didn't have any grudges against his family. He didn't even know who they were to begin with. He just wished them well and hoped they were fine if they were still alive.
The canyon was silent, with only the sound of the burning fire buzzing in the space. Not long, his eyelids became heavy. Alator tightly held his dagger beside his legs. He knew perfectly well that he wasn't safe here; hence, he was on alert and ready to strike if anything went wrong. As time passed by, the cold hands of sleep finally overpowered him.
.........
The next morning soon arrived, but inside the canyon was still dim. One could hardly notice that it was daytime due to the high stone walls blocking the daylight from reaching the bottom of the canyon.
Alator's eyes suddenly snapped open. He blinked a few more times before finally regaining his clarity. The burning heat was gone now, replaced by a deep, throbbing pain that made his whole body ache. Alator muffled a groan as he slowly pushed himself up. He sat on the flat stone for a moment and swept his gaze around.
The fire was long dead, leaving behind cold, gray scattered ashes. He then got down from the stone and stood on his feet, but he suddenly noticed that his injuries were healing faster than he had expected. And not only that, his skin somehow seemed to have gone through some kind of changes. He could feel that his body had become stronger than before.
Alator glanced at the five bottles that were still laying on the ground.
"Wait... don't tell me..." Alator paused, "Nah... that's not possible, these things are poison instead."
Alator shook his head and picked up his pouch and dagger. He didn't know what the content in these bottles were, but at least, he was glad that he was still alive. Alator picked them up and put them back inside. He hooked the pouch and the dagger on his waist, then picked up the staff he used for spearfishing, using it to support his injured leg. Then, he made his way out of the canyon.
Alator stood outside the canyon and his gaze wandered around the place.
"I think it's time to go," he muttered and made his way to the forest, towards the Southern region. He just hoped he would meet someone along the way.
Alator traveled through the forest, avoiding all kinds of wild beasts. Even though wild beasts can't wield Mana like demonic beasts, they are still aggressive and physically strong. Alator knew he wouldn't come out unscathed if he dared to engage one, especially in his current condition. In spite of that, he was glad he hadn't met a demonic beast along the way; that would have been a death sentence for him.
Just as Alator was limping along, using the staff to support his leg, he suddenly heard a rhythmic thud, like something heavy running through the ground. He stopped in his tracks for a moment and glanced over his shoulder. But then he suddenly froze. His eyes went wide as he saw a wild beast bursting through the trees, with dirt flying beneath its paws. To be specific, it was a massive black panther, already charging straight toward him.
Its face was broad and tense, with two yellow eyes staring straight at him, glowing faintly in the dim forest. The eyes didn't even blink; it just locked on him like a pointer.
As it opened its mouth, Alator caught a glimpse of the sharp, white fangs. They weren't huge, but they looked clean and strong, the kind of teeth that could easily crush through bone without effort.
Alator quickly snapped out of it, but the beast was already too close. Without thinking any further, as the black panther lunged forward, Alator just jumped aside. Its claw swung past him, accompanied by a strong gust of air. It was close enough that he could actually feel it rush through his clothes.
The claws missed and slashed through a tree near him, leaving a deep mark on the trunk. Alator stared at the claw mark on the tree in horror; he was sure that if that hit had connected, it would have surely crushed his ribs.
The panther skidded to a stop, its claws digging into the ground and the force sending dry leaves flying around. At the same time, it turned immediately to face him. It was quicker than Alator had expected. Before he could stand properly, the panther pounced on him again. He rolled to the side, feeling the ground tremble as the panther landed on the exact position he was a second ago.
Alator pulled out his dagger and swung it wildly. The blade scraped across the panther's shoulder, making it snarl in pain. The cut wasn't deep, but it was enough to make it back off a bit.
With the little opening, Alator scrambled to his feet and fled the scene. The black panther growled furiously and chased after him. But with Alator being injured, he was clearly falling behind. In truth, he was never anywhere near the black panther in terms of speed to begin with.
Alator ran through the forest with everything he had, but the black panther was closing in fast. Within a few seconds, it was already right behind him, and then it leapt forward. But this time, Alator was ready for it. As he caught sight of the beast from the corner of his eye, he twisted mid-stride, his boots leaving the ground as he spun around to face the beast in mid-air.
The panther was already on him with its claws crashing down toward his face. Alator brought his staff forward. The panther's claws caught the shaft instead, and in that same instant, Alator used the momentum, turning with force and slammed the beast hard into the ground.
"Bang!"
Alator quickly rolled up onto one knee, the other foot planted firmly on the ground as he stared down at the panther with a killing intent in his eyes. He was pissed. Alator was someone who wouldn't take it lying down if someone tries to kill him. Alator has one ideology, which is.
"anyone who wants to kill me, should never miss, or else you will never leave to tell the story"