Eventually, the poison won. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed into the dirt, sliding the young man off her shoulder.
"Run!" she shouted, her voice rasping. "Leave me! Save yourself!"
The young man was not a fool. He was a survivor who measured every risk. He knew he owed this girl his life, but he wouldn't throw it away for nothing. If leaving her meant he would definitely live, he might have done it. But as he looked around the dark, predator-filled forest, he realized he stood no chance alone. Saving her was his only path to safety.
He lifted her up into his arms and ran. Behind them, he could hear the heavy, rhythmic thumping of the giant's feet as it pursued them. His lungs burned and his muscles screamed, but he didn't stop.
After a desperate search, he spotted a small, narrow passage leading into a rocky mountain. He didn't know what was inside, it could be a den of something even worse, but the monster was closing in. With no other choice, he carried the dying girl into the darkness of the cave.
The darkness inside the mountain was absolute, a heavy void that felt like cold silk pressing against his skin. The air was dry, smelling of damp earth and ancient rot. As the young man stumbled deeper into the passage, the girl began to shiver violently in his arms.
Her skin felt like ice, and her breath came in shallow gasps.
Behind them, the sounds of the Voiceless Arbor grew louder. The rhythmic thump-thump of its massive feet shook the cave walls, and the whistling sound of its spear-like branches scraping against the stone told him they were nearly within reach. He had no choice but to push forward into the terrifying blackness.
The girl stirred, her eyes fluttering as she fought to stay conscious for just one more moment. With a trembling hand, she reached into the air, and a sparkle of light produced a weapon. She pressed it into his hand.
It was a dagger of breathtaking beauty. The hilt was carved from a single piece of midnight-black obsidian, wrapped in silver wire that felt warm to the touch. The blade was forged from a metal that looked like frozen starlight, sparkling with a faint, pale blue tinge even in the darkness.
As his fingers closed around the grip, the blue system screen flickered to life:
[ITEM IDENTIFIED: MOONLIGHT DAGGER]
[Rank: A]
[Special Effect 1: Celestial Glow]
[ The dagger can emit light upon the user's command. The brightness level can be adjusted to the user's preference.]
[Special Effect 2: Lunar Nova]
[By consuming 1 Point, the user can trigger an enormous explosion of lunar energy. Warning: Extremely high damage radius.]
The young man stared at the blade. For the first time, he had a weapon that wasn't made of wood or scrap stone. He looked back at the entrance, where the first of the giant's wooden "snakes" was already poking through the narrow opening.
"Glow," he whispered.
The dagger responded instantly. A soft, clean light erupted from the blade, pushing back the shadows and revealing the path ahead. He looked at the girl, her face was pale, almost gray from the poison,and then at the system message.
He had 1.5 points. If he used the second effect, he could end the pursuit in a single blast, but he would be down to almost nothing in this hostile world and not only that, the explosion may attract other monster or even more fierce beasts.
After walking for what felt like miles, the young man finally found a shelter deep within the mountain. The ceiling was low, and the walls were dry, offering a small sense of safety from the towering monster outside. He quickly gathered piles of dried moss and soft ferns he found growing in the damp corners, creating a makeshift bed.
He laid the girl down gently. She was still shivering, her body racking with violent convulsions as her system fought the toxic darkness. He stayed by her side, clutching the Moonlight Dagger, watching the shadows for any movement. He felt a strange pang of worry; he didn't even know her name, yet she was the only thing tethering him to this world.
Gradually, the convulsions ceased. Her breathing remained heavy, but her body grew still. It seemed her high level of proficiency was acting as a natural shield, fighting the poison's spread, though she remained deep in a feverish sleep.
Leaving her for a moment to secure their surrounding, the young man explored the nearby tunnels. To his relief, the cave was empty of predators. Even better, he discovered a hidden chamber where a small, crystal-clear pond sat settled in the rock.
The water rippled gently, fed by a narrow underground stream that likely connected to a river outside. In the pale glow of his dagger, he saw the silver flash of fish darting beneath the surface.
"Life," he whispered, his voice was harsh. "There's actually life here."
He returned to the girl and, with great effort, moved her closer to the water where the air was cooler. He used a scrap of cloth soaked in the chilled pond water to bathe her forehead, trying to break the burning fever that turned her skin scarlet.
Hunger eventually bited at his stomach. Using the razor-sharp edge of the Moonlight Dagger, he caught several fish with ease. He cleaned them quickly, eating his portion raw to satisfy his immediate need for energy. The cold, clean meat gave him a sudden surge of clarity.
But the girl couldn't eat solid food. He knew she needed strength to survive the night. He found a hollowed-out stone that looked like a natural bowl. He spent an hour meticulously grinding the fish meat into a fine paste. Using a few dry branches he had carried in and a spark from the dagger's magical edge, he started a tiny, controlled fire.
As the water boiled in the stone bowl, he created a simple, nutrient-rich fish soup. He sat there, stirring the steam, whispering to the flickering flames.
He murmured, glancing at her pale face. "Well, it turns out I'm also pretty good at making soup. So you'd better wake up. I still don't know who I am, and I have a feeling you're the only one with the answers."
The cave, once a place of terror, now felt like a small fortress of survival against the nightmare outside.