~ Chapter 66: The battle in the forest ~

[Zoreya’s point of view]

After I left Prince Reginald’s room, I took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

Melkuth’s light guided me through thick and thin whenever I found myself at a crossroads in my life. My prayers as his Apostle were always heard and replied with his Divine Voice. At heart, I felt free and unburdened by a mortal’s man daily worries.

As long as I carried Melkuth’s Holy Shield and remained as his pure, untouched Apostle, I would retain my youth and strength. Death was of no matter to me. As one who served her god, I knew I would fall when Melkuth asked me to. Until then, not even the wrath of other Gods or Apostles would put me down. This, however, did not stop people from thinking that I was ready to lay down my sword, after all, I was 98 years old, and for a human… that was a very long life.

The reason I requested to part ways with the prince was also as a result of Melkuth’s desire. If it was up to me, even if I found out about the existence of the Godlike Dungeon who killed my brother, Dankyun, I wouldn’t abandon my post and give chase after him. My loyalty with the Order was flawless. Unless they told me to, I wouldn’t dare to move.

Even so, at heart… I felt conflicted, so before coming to visit Prince Reginald, I went to Melkuth’s Temple and prayed. There, he answered me and told me that my time in this country was over. I had the choice of either returning to the Order or following the Dungeon Lord.

I chose the latter, but I was thankful Prince Reginald thought the same. This way, I wasn’t forced to use my authority to part ways with him. As a leader, he had much to learn. As a human, his life was still at the beginning. I taught him and helped him as much as I could. Babysitting him any longer would have had a detrimental effect on his growth as a strong and charismatic individual.

Thus, I was relieved to know I could end this chapter of my life without feeling a bitter taste in my mouth.

“I should make haste.” I said and went to my room to pack my things.

A Storage Crystal was all I needed for all of my baggage. Spell Crystals were stored in another one. When dealing with other Supremes, Apostles, or Dungeon Lords, I had to always be sure to have an extra Spell Crystal on me to both heal my wounds and restore my gear. Even so, they were for emergency use only.

Two hours later, I left the capital and traveled North, following the words of a traveler who claimed to have been saved by a Demoness and a draconian with red hair and golden scales. Those two were part of the Dungeon Lord’s group. Where they were, Illsyore was as well.

The following day, I arrived at a small village located not that far away from a newly discovered Dungeon. The guards told me it appeared overnight, but so far, the Adventurers Guild issued no quests for it. Considering its possible age, I wouldn’t be surprised since it would yield no profit in terms of drops. At most, they would send either a subjugation party for the first few floors or a small scout group to gather information about it.

Inside the village, I stumbled upon an elderly woman who told me about Illsyore’s deeds. She was sitting down in front of the inn and petting a Merion. The furry thing was probably her pet.

“There was a bandit attack the very first day he arrived.” she said with a nod.

“Any chance he was the cause of the attack?” I questioned.

“No, my dear. Those scumbags were well known around the area, but you see… we are too poor to pay for a subjugation quest, and they didn’t do enough damage to warrant the attention of the kingdom.” she shook her head and let out a sad sigh.

The Merion opened an eye, looked up at me and then went back to sleep.

“Then… you’ve just been enduring it?” I asked furrowing my brow.

If they are still a problem, Melkuth would want me to take care of them… I thought.

“Yes. Every month, we paid a protection fee. Every year, we gave them a part of our harvest. Our lads were taken to be recruited by them, while the women were used as they pleased. Not even I escaped them.” she said with a sad smile.

She’s over 60… They even touched an old granny? I blinked surprised, but then again, what was more surprising was the fact that the kingdom didn’t act already against them.

If they were simply robbing a few travelers and spending the gold at the inn, I could understand, but they were literally raiding the village. Acts such as these could not go unnoticed by the kingdom for too long even if they bribed an official or two.

“When that man heard about this, he gave an order to one of his wives to go and taunt them. She was an exceptionally beautiful el’doraw with silver hair and good manners too.” she nodded in agreement.

“Wives?” I asked squinting my eyes.

“He had three and a slave. A beautiful blond woman with blue eyes, who could crush a boulder with a punch. A tall, redhead draconian who carried a two-handed sword in one hand. The el’doraw I mentioned, and the slave was a cute nekatar who loved fish and milk.” she giggled and looked up at the sky “I have to say, but if she didn’t confess to be a slave and show me her collar, I would have thought she was lying.” the old lady looked back at me and showed me a kind smile “The girl was full of energy and always smiling. Her master didn’t even act like a master at all, more like a big brother or father of sorts.”

“To have three wives… shameless.” I expressed my disapproval.

“For us it’s not normal, true…” she nodded “But from where he comes from, maybe it’s not such an unreasonable thing? Either way, they all loved him, and I know a woman in love when I see one!” she winked at me.

“There is no way a man can love three wives at the same time! Shameless… Illsyore must certainly be a shameless and perverted man!” I squinted my eyes. He must have tricked them somehow… Forced them maybe? He’s certainly the enemy of all women! I thought.

[Somewhere far away from the village. Nanya’s point of view]

“ACHOOO!” Illsyore sneezed and scared the magic out of all of us.

“Nya?! That scared me!” Tamara said as she trembled a bit.

“Hiii! Tamara, please get off… your claws! Your claws!” Ayuseya cried.

The nekatar jumped right on top of her chest, hanging for dear life.

“Ah! Nyu… Sowwy!” she let go and looked back at her with upturned eyes.

“It’s alright…” Ayuseya said as she pressed a hand over her chest and patted the nekatar’s furry head with the other.

“I didn’t know Dungeon Lords caught colds.” I raised an eyebrow at him.

“Neither did I…” he said rubbing his nose.

[Back to Zoreya’s point of view]

“So, what happened to the bandits? And there is one thing I don’t understand, did he witness an attack first or did you tell him about the attacks?” I asked.

“Oh? I didn’t say?” she looked at me surprised, and the Merion in her lap yawned, opening its four jaws.

“No.” I shook my head.

“Sorry, my dear, my memory is a little rusty at my age.” she laughed “He wanted to spend the night at the inn, but one of the bandits was there. The man tried to get his hands on his draconian wife, but Illsyore did not let him and punched him through the roof, literally.” she shook her head.

“What happened then?”

“The man landed outside of the village more dead than alive.” she shrugged “We then began to panic. After we calmed down, I was the one who told him about who that man was and his friends waiting in the forest. I told him all that I told you, my dear.” she smiled.

“And then he sent his wife out.” I assumed.

“Yes.” she nodded “They came… all of them. The bandits were very very furious! That wife of him practically destroyed most of their base on her own is what I heard. Even so, they were a stupid bunch. Illsyore destroyed them before they even entered the village. I have no idea how he did it, but all of us could hear the screams and cries of the poor fellows as they were hunted down one after another.” she nodded.

“What happened to those kidnapped from the village?”

“Only three boys were returned, the others came to love the bandit life too much and refused to surrender. Illsyore gave them a chance, they refused, and they were beaten half to death as a result.” she laughed.

“He didn’t kill them?” I asked furrowing my brow.

For a Dungeon Lord not to kill his prey was both curious and unheard of.

“Only the dangerous ones. The leader and the most vicious criminals among them. We knew very well who they were, and we told him how to spot them.” she told me and then let out another sigh “He’s a good lad. He helped us poor villagers when there was no need to. He could have left, he could have ignored us, but he didn’t…” she showed me a smile.

“I see… What of those captured?” I asked.

“Locked away in a prison he built overnight. He said it was a special skill of his. It’s over there.” she pointed out.

Looking in that direction, I spotted a small stone building where two men were placed as guards.

He built it? Why would a Dungeon Lord go through all this trouble? I wondered.

“Do you happen to know where he was headed after he did all of this?” I asked the old lady.

“Yes, North of here. I think he mentioned something about a desert?” she scratched her head trying to remember.

“Thank you for your help. May Melkuth be with you!” I smiled and then left.

“We follow the teachings of Sertan the God of Harvest here, but likewise, may the gods show you favor, young traveler!”

The following days, I continued to travel on the same path as this Dungeon Lord and heard of many of his exploits. Wherever he arrived, he didn’t mind helping those around him if he deemed it necessary. Those who attacked him were defeated without a problem, but he rarely killed, and I was starting to believe he was actually avoiding spilling any unnecessary blood.

Illsyore’s behavior made no sense. He was a Dungeon Lord, but he was saving and helping people left and right. On another hand, I began to suspect he was the one behind the sudden apparition of dungeons near human settlements. Although they were weak and small, they appeared only AFTER he spent a night or two there.

Thus, one week later, I finally managed to catch up to him. When I first saw him, he was walking ahead of me together with his wives. The nekatar was playing around, chasing a moving red dot on the ground, while the Dungeon Lord was laughing. The draconian and el’doraw talked with each other about something, while the blond human woman looked terribly bored.

For the time being, I decided to keep my distance from them and merely observe their actions.

Melkuth was with me, and his light guided my path. There was no need to act rashly.

[Illsyore’s point of view]

“Is she gone yet?” I asked and peeked my head out of a bush.

“Nya… I don’t know?” Tamara replied.

“Why are we hiding?” asked Nanya who glared at me while holding up two broken branches above her head.

“I don’t know, but I have a feeling she’s bad mojo for us.” I replied and squinted my eyes to see if I could spot the mysterious walking tank.

“You know, Illsy, for a Dungeon Lord, your skills at hiding are terrible, but not as much as hers…” Shanteya told me from above.

She was a natural, a genius at hiding. None of us could see her, and as a result, I was deprived of peeking under her skirt.

“Why did I have to climb a tree?!” Ayuseya complained while hanging for dear life on top of a nearby tree.

The branches were hiding her well, but barely keeping her up there. Of all the trees, she could find, she jumped on the skinniest one of them all. Unfortunately, there was only one big bush around here, and we were using it. As for why I did not just build a hole under us… erm… I had brain lag.

“Nyahaha! That’s funny!” Nanya laughed as she pointed a finger at the draconian.

“Mou!” she pouted.

“Keep quiet, all of you! I think I see her!” I said, and the moment I caught glimpse of her shining shield, I ducked for cover.

[Zoreya’s point of view]

Where are they? I definitely saw them entering this forest… Did they spot me and tried to hide from me? I thought as I walked looking around for the Dungeon Lord’s group.

“No, that can’t be…” I shook my head in denial.

I was confident in my hiding skills.

Stopping next to a big bush, I leaned my shield on it and sat down.

“Omph!” a strange sound was heard from behind me.

I blinked surprised and looked back. There was nothing there.

“Hm?” I got up and pulled back my shield.

There did not appear to be anything wrong with it, so I let it drop back on the bush.

Bonk!

When it hit the bark, or maybe it was a rock, it made a strange sound. I furrowed my brow and looked back at the shield. Pressing on top, I verified that it was stable and then sat on top of it.

“Ugh…” the bush groaned.

Maybe I’m stressing the bush a bit too much? But I’m not that FAT! Well, I hope it doesn’t break… I thought as I looked down at the shield.

Letting out a sigh, I began to wonder where they could have hidden. I was certain they were around here somewhere, but I couldn’t figure out where.

“Did they find a cave or something?” I thought out loud and then let out a sigh. “I shouldn’t have lost track of them! How could I?” I scolded myself.

Picking up a nearby rock. I tossed it at a nearby tree. It bounced back and went flying into the bush behind me.

Bonk!

“Huh?” I was surprised by the sound.

This was one strange bush.

While trying to figure out where they were, I heard a crack in front of and a branch fell on the ground.

Startled by it, I jumped up on my shield and unsheathed my sword.

“Huh?” I said surprised.

Another crack was heard, and another branch fell. Several cracks followed and then I saw the redhead draconian woman sliding down the bark of a tree. When she touched the ground, she was still holding her arms around it. The tree had turned into a pole.

“Hello! Beautiful day, isn’t it?” she said with a forced smile.

“You… You are the Dungeon Lord companion, aren’t you?” I asked squinting my eyes at her.

“I guess our cover is blown. Good job, Ayuseya!” the voice of a woman was heard from my left, and when I turned my head, I saw the blond companion walking out.

“Nya!” the nekatar jumped out from my right, landing next to the draconian.

Huh? They were here the whole time?! I thought and looked at them surprised.

“Don’t put the blame on me! Why did you make me climb a tree in the first place?! Dragons don’t climb trees!” complained the draconian woman as she finally let go of it.

“With your monstrous strength, why couldn’t you hold on to it?” the blond questioned her.

“Erm…” she looked down.

“Where is the Dungeon Lord?” I asked as I lowered my sword.

“You are STANDING ON HIM!” someone shouted from under me.

“KYAAA!” I screamed and jumped off, taking my shield with me.

“Kya? SERIOUSLY?” the Dungeon Lord said as he got out of the bush rubbing his head. “You first drop that shield on top of my head, not once but TWO times! You sit on top of me, then you hit me with a rock, and lastly, you JUMP on top of your shield with me under it, and YOU are the one acting surprised?!” he pointed a finger at me.

He was a tall man wearing weird clothes and a hood that hid his green hair.

“I-I didn’t know you were there! I apologize!” I said and quickly lowered my head. “Wait… Why am I apologizing to a Dungeon Lord?” I said and then lifted my shield and sword up, entering a battle stance.

“Now I see why you said you had a weird feeling about her. She’s nuts!” the blond said raising an eyebrow.

“I am quite sane, and my name is Zoreya Eleanor Alttoros! I am Melkuth’s Apostle and top crusader of his Order!” I announced myself.

“I see. I see…” the Dungeon Lord nodded.

[Illsyore’s point of view]

Never underestimate the weight of a fully armored woman who drops a shield the size of a door on top of your head!

I learned this lesson the hard way. Then again, thanks to me lowering my Magic Armor a bit so she didn’t detect me allowed me to feel the full blunt force of her ‘attacks’. Now, I just stood there wondering if I heard right or if she was making a fool out of me.

Not only did she not know I was there, but she was a full-blown idiot when it came to hide and seek!

Even so, the most mind-shattering, insanity-inducing thing she could possibly say had just escaped her pretty lips.

“Pardon me… what did you say your name was?” I asked with a small smile.

“Zoreya Eleanor Alttoros! And I know very well that you are a shameless pervert who tricks women!” she declared again while glaring at me.

I nearly fell over struck by those words.

“I’m not a pervert who tricks women!” I shouted back at her.

“Ara! But you loved the way we played last night… Such movements, they simply drove me crazy!” Nanya joked and exaggerated beyond needed.

“Illsy never tricked any woman… Although…” Ayuseya was looking at me with worried eyes.

“Master tricks women? I should hide my tail!” Tamara said as she hid behind Ayuseya.

“Don’t worry, we’ll protect you from the pantie-snatcher pervert.” Nanya said petting the cat.

“What’s this? Are you all ganging up on me?!” I shouted.

“See! I knew you were a pervert!” said the mysterious woman as she pointed her sword at me.

“It was a joke! A joke! Wait… who are you, no you already told me your name. WHY are you chasing after me?!” I asked pointing my finger at her.

“Maybe he went behind our backs and secretly impregnated her?” asked Ayuseya as she looked worried at Nanya.

“I pity her then, such a cold-blooded husband we have.” the demoness giggled, and the draconian followed suit.

“Ugh… you two.” I lowered my head.

Looking back at the armored woman, I saw her blushing so hard, the tips of her ears turned completely red.

“I-I-I… I’m an Apostle! No man ever laid his filthy hands on me! Especially a filthy and shameless Dungeon Lord who tricks women to make them his wives!” she shouted at me.

“What? HEY!” I shouted back at her.

This woman was too much, she was speaking all sorts of nonsense. Was she damaged in the head?

“Leaving that idiot husband of mine aside, you said your name is Zoreya Eleanor Alttoros, right? Why are you after us? Speak or else we will make you speak… in… various ways.” Nanya said and licked her lips at the end, looking at the woman with a gaze in her eyes denoting sexual hunger.

Feeling her chastity in danger, the armored woman jumped back and pointed her sword at Nanya.

“Hehe!” the demoness giggled.

“I-I heard Illsyore defeated Dankyun Alttoros. Is that true?” she asked.

“Huh? Who? Ah! The overwhelmingly annoying Supreme idiot who tried to rape and kill Ayuseya, rape Nanya, and kill everyone who stood in his way? Yeah, I gave him a beating to remember until his next life. I do not know if he’s alive though, but I destroyed his armor, took his weapon, which rightfully belonged to Nanya in the first place, and then mentally terrorized him. What about him?” I asked with a calm smile as I looked back at her.

Given their family names, I could only suspect that she was either his illegitimate wife or maybe some sort of adopted family member. But I didn’t hear of him having any sort of siblings, and last I remembered, he was a draconian Nazi who believed in the purity of his own species. There was no way in Hell that man took a human as his wife.

When she heard my ‘subtle and modest’ description of what happened to him, Zoreya squinted her eyes at me and raised her shield up.

“Dankyun… Dankyun was my brother.” she said.

“Ah! Is that so?” I nodded.

“I suggest you don’t move.” Shanteya said as she appeared from the shadows and pressed the cold blade of her dagger on the woman’s neck.

Her magic armor was partially cut by the enchant on the weapon I made for her, but her ridiculous strength and speed from the boost of my [Bond of Trust] allowed her to slip it through the rest and move it very closely to the woman’s throat.

Zoreya realized she was in danger only when it was already too late for her to do anything, however, what happened next was unexpected. The woman moved to the left and struck Shanteya with her shield. The blade slit her throat, but that shield pulsed with a powerful light and sent my el’doraw wife flying backwards.

“Shanteya!” I shouted.

“I’m alright!” she announced as she got up from the ground.

Meanwhile, Zoreya was bleeding badly, but not for long. She placed her hand over her throat, and a white light flashed over the wound.

“She healed herself?” Ayuseya remarked and furrowed her brow.

“If she is here to take revenge, then we shall fight!” Ayuseya said and pulled out her sword.

Tamara ran off to hide behind a tree. I took a stance and summoned the two Roman swords I created one night out of complete boredom. They were made from super alloys and enchanted with powerful spells. They could cut through Magic Armor and also Paralyze the victim. They were more of a Godlike ranked item than a Supreme one.

Squinting her eyes at us, Zoreya used a spell of sorts, and a bubble of Magic Energy surrounded her like an extra shield. The sword in her hand was coated in a white light, and the symbols carved on her shield began to glow.

“May Melkuth watch over my battle and guide my sword! My shield is yours, and I am yours to command!” she declared to her god.

I gulped as I looked at the shield. It gave me some rather weird vibes, and I knew it was bad business for me, but I had no idea why. Taking a step back, I prepared myself for battle.

“Guess stupidity runs in the family.” Nanya said with a smirk as she took off her ring, revealing her true form as a demoness.

“I am not like Dankyun!” shouted Zoreya and jumped to attack her.

The demoness snickered and threw a punch at her. Knowing her strength, I thought it was going to break the shield, but when she hit it, there was a very loud BANG, and Zoreya was sent sliding back on the ground. The Apostle did not fall on her back, she remained standing on her feet and glaring back at Nanya.

“By Melkuth… what strength.” she said.

“And there’s more where that came from!” Ayuseya said and charged at her with her sword.

The blade came crushing down on the crusader but was blocked by the powerful shield. A crater was formed around her, and a wave of air was sent towards us.

“Melkuth! Grant me strength!” Zoreya shouted and then pushed back.

The force was powerful enough to send Ayuseya flying back, smashing through the trees. She let out a small scream, but when this happened, I charged at the woman.

“HAH!” I shouted, and my swords came crushing down from the sides, but did not go past that stupid bubble of hers.

With her sword, she attacked me, and I caught it with my bare hand. It cut through my Magic Armor but didn’t shatter it. A trace of blood flowed from my palm as we locked eyes and glared at each other.

“Melkuth’s Judgment.” she said, and the shield glowed in a bright white light.

What happened next was rather confusing because I found myself flying back through the trees, smashing through them like Ayuseya did.

What the? I thought after I reached at a stop face first in the trunk of an incredibly old tree.

“[Hell’s Flames]!” Nanya shouted from afar, and a powerful explosion was heard next.

The heat wave traveled all the way here, followed by a powerful shockwave. I saw Tamara flying through the air, trying to grab hold onto something, and I jumped up after her.

“Tamara!”

“Master!” she cried.

I caught her hand and absorbed her to keep her safe.

“Tch! What’s up with that mad woman?” I thought as I fell on the ground and then dashed towards them.

The forest was burning. Monsters and animals alike were fleeing from the scene where we were fighting. Upon arriving there, I saw Ayuseya, Shanteya, and Nanya attacking the Apostle from all sides. The bubble around her held up against their attacks, and so far… none of us managed to injure her, but unlike her, we had our resilience and almost unlimited use of Magic Energy.

Nanya’s punches are the only ones working on her… I thought and then remembered that she could use a boost to increase her strength.

It was sort of her trump card, but in this situation, we could either make this a battle of attrition, which we would inevitably win, or we could go on the offensive.

“Wait… I didn’t try my lasers yet!” I told myself before I called out to Nanya.

With a smirk, I pointed my palms at Zoreya and released the beams of amplified red light. They hit her full-on, and I increased the intensity, pouring more Magic Energy into the crystals in my hands while trying to dissipate the resulted heat as fast as possible. Steam was flowing out of my arms.

“Ugh!” groaned Zoreya as she fell on one knee.

“GIVE UP!” I shouted at her as I kept pounding her shield with the two powerful beams of light.

There was nowhere for her to run. If she stepped back or jumped to the side, she could risk a direct hit from my attack. Although it wouldn’t shatter her armor or kill her instantly, it would be enough to force her defense down and receive a blow or two from my wives.

Attacked from all sides by all four of us, there was no way for her to counterattack. We also surpassed her in strength, or at least Nanya did. We simply overwhelmed her, and we did not even take out the big guns yet, meaning a certain demoness’ punches strengthened through [Boost]. If I pulled out my Gatling Laser Turret, it would end up squashed by that insane shield of hers. I had no means yet to protect such a weapon.

Still, she wasn’t going down… She refused to give up. Well, Dankyun was the same until I pounded his face into the ground enough times to make him regret he was born.

[Zoreya’s point of view]

All of this happened too fast. First, they attacked me with embarrassing words and strange gazes and then they put a dagger at my throat. Before I knew it, I was already struggling to keep myself alive. If not for my shield, I would have died already, but these people were insanely strong. If they went full-out against the Aunnar Kingdom, they could have destroyed the entire country in mere days.

If they went against the Melkuth Order of Crusaders, then they could wipe them out without a problem. Illsyore and his wives were powerful, maybe too powerful…

What have I gotten myself into? I thought when I heard the one called Nanya cast a spell at me.

The Shield of Melkuth was a Divine Weapon capable of repelling most Magic and Physical Attacks, so the spell didn’t even touch me when it detonated. The force of the explosion was incredible. It reduced a good part of this forest into nothing but a burning waste, a giant crater. Still, I remained untouched by it.

Then they attacked me again. All of them were very fast, and I had to constantly recharge my [Divine Shield Bubble] to keep their attacks from touching my Magic Armor directly. Without it, I would have received a lot more damage. Unfortunately, I wasn’t capable of doing more than this.

Melkuth was the only one protecting me, yet he didn’t seem to allow me to counterattack. I didn’t even see the opportunity to use a Spell Crystal to recover my strength.

When Illsyore returned to the battle, I was struck by those rumored beams of light of his and pushed down on my knees. The damage, it wasn’t of the Magic type. It felt like I was being struck by burning coals constantly. The weight and heat were terrible, but I was protected by Melkuth. His grace didn’t leave my side, but he didn’t offer me the chance to attack either.

“GIVE UP!” he shouted at me.

Give up? Me? Melkuth’s Apostle? The one who carries the Shield of Melkuth? No… but… I thought and then closed my eyes for a moment.

Melkuth was the God of War. His fury and rage were shown in true battle, but he refused to fight, his defenses were unbreakable. Like a living fortress, nothing could touch him. The way I was right now imitated exactly this scenario. I wasn’t able to attack, no opportunity showed itself, but I was able to survive even their most powerful onslaught. My shield didn’t allow me to falter and fall down.

Like a stubborn mountain, I faced the wrath of the elements and kept my ground, but I had no way of stepping forward or back.

“I give…” I said.

“WHAT?!” Illsyore asked.

“I GIVE!” I shouted.

“Seriously, WHAT?” he asked again.

Could he not hear me?! I started to worry.

“SHE SAID SHE GIVES UP, YOU OAF!” shouted Nanya as she punched him in the face.

The beams of light stopped, and I was saved…

In that moment, I dropped the shield from my hand and fell on top of it. I had run out of Magic Energy.

It was beautiful how Melkuth’s grace protected me. One more moment, and I would have died. With a smile on my lips, I closed my eyes and allowed my body to rest.

Melkuth protects me… I thought.

[Illsyore’s point of view]

Being punched in the face by a raging demoness with over 2000 points in strength wasn’t a fun thing to experience… I was sent flying three kilometers away.

“Ouch… Ugh… It hurts…” I groaned as I laid flattened on the side of a sturdy cliff.