When the scarred man got caught in the chaos—slaves diving after the scattered coins—I saw my chance.
I sprinted toward the young man, pulling potions from my inventory mid-run. First, the red one. I downed it in one gulp, heat blooming through my limbs as strength surged back. Then the orange potion followed, its tangy flavor hitting my tongue just before the world seemed to sharpen—every movement around me clearer, faster.
Surprisingly, they tasted sweet—like freshly squeezed apple and orange juice, if fruit juices could somehow pack a punch.
[Successfully consumed F-Rank potions. Strength and Agility stats temporarily increased by 20 points for 30 minutes.]
[STRENGTH: 1 (+20)]
[AGILITY: 2 (+20)]
[Note: Consuming the same potions again during the effect duration will have no additional effect.]
Kneeling beside the young man, the full extent of his injuries became undeniable. Small cuts and bruises marred his body, but the worst was the deep purple bruise around his neck and the large, gaping wound on his stomach. The sight twisted my gut, panic flooding my chest.
"Hey! Wake up!" My voice trembled—ragged and desperate—as I lightly tapped his face.
But the coldness on his skin sent a jolt of terror through me. His complexion had turned ghostly pale. My eyes darted to his chest—it was still rising and falling. 'He's still breathing.'
But the blood around his wound was pouring out too fast.
As someone who only gave importance to things he was interested in, learning first aid wasn't one of them. I had only glossed over it. But now, I was in a position where I needed to help someone.
Relying on nothing but common sense and shaky instincts, I pressed my palm against his open wound, trying frantically to stop the bleeding. But it was useless. The wound had gone straight through from his back.
"Come on, don't do this..." I whispered in panic, shaking him once, twice—no response.
"Am I doomed?" Cold sweat trickled down my spine.
No. There's no way... No way.
A sharp smack cracked through the air as my palm struck his cheek—too hard—leaving a red mark on his pale skin and a smear of blood from my hand. But it worked. His eyes flickered, then slowly opened—dazed, unfocused—just staring blankly at me.
"Boy, open your mouth—now!" My voice cut through the haze, sharp with urgency.
But he didn't move. The silence stretched. His gaze was distant, as if the words hadn't even reached him.
He already looked like a lifeless doll that still breathed.
With no other choice, I pressed harder on his wound. He flinched, a low groan escaping his lips. That was enough. Without hesitation, I shoved a health potion into his mouth.
He struggled to swallow, some of the liquid spilling out—but I didn't stop. He had to drink it all.
[Target successfully consumed an E(+) Rank HP Potion. HP increased by 500. Can only be taken once a day.]
[Drinking twice will have no additional effect.]
[Target's HP: 710 / 10,000]
"It's still too low." The words slipped out, heavy with disappointment. My eyes locked on the red numbers, then back to him. The bleeding hadn't stopped. His body was still cold, and the wound kept leaking—steady, relentless, showing no signs of slowing.
[Target's HP: 708 / 10,000]
"Come on…" Frustration tugged at my lips. If only I had a high-rank potion. But all I had left were F-Rank boosters and a few E(+) rank or lower health potions—none of which could help now.
Thinking quickly, I tore the sleeves off both our shirts and wrapped them tightly around his wound, binding them as best as I could. The fabric soaked through with red almost immediately, but at least it slowed the bleeding.
"You're going to make it," I whispered, more to myself than to him. "You have to."
The young man coughed again, weakly. His cracked and pale lips parted intermittently, as if trying to speak.
Leaning closer, I brought my ear near his mouth—just in time to catch his faint whisper, like a breeze rustling through leaves.
"...R-run…"
That one word sent a cold shiver down my neck.
And then—I felt it.
A sharp pressure against my back—cold, thin, and dangerous.
A knife. Pressed to my spine.
The person yanked me upward, one arm locking tightly around my neck, the weapon pressing against my back.
"I was wondering what your plan was after landing that cotton-like fist of yours," he said with a low chuckle. "Heeh~ pretty stupid, huh?"
That low, raspy voice—I knew it well.
The crazy one was awake.
It hit me then—I wasn't who I used to be.
My fearsome strength had vanished, reduced to a joke. That punch earlier? It hadn't knocked out this crazy guy. He'd pretended. Played unconscious just to toy with me.
An F-Class hit couldn't take down someone like him—an E-rank. He was just enjoying himself, watching me struggle.
'Stu—…' The urge to curse rose, but I bit it back, clutching the empty bottles in my hand.
Just then, my body tensed as the blade pressed deeper, the cold bite of steel sinking in. I braced for the pain—prepared for it—but it never came.
"Huh?"
The system beeped, and a bluish window flickered before me.
[An attack to the vessel has been detected. Defense of the Cloak of Narda activated.]
The crazy man's eyes widened in disbelief. "Why can't I wound you?!" He stabbed again, then again. Each strike met resistance, no blood, no damage.
"Bro, luck's not on your side." A grin tugged at my lips as I said it. His expression shifted to annoyance, the blade shifting in his hand as he tried again.
I grinned wider, knowing it had no effect, while his sweat nearly soaked through his headband. 'Hoho, I've got a legendary muddy cloak on me.'
"Done?" I said, trying to sound cool and collected, like my protagonist.
My reaction made him grit his teeth. An F-Rank gaining confidence against an E-Rank? Yeah, well...
"My turn."
My punches might hit like cotton balls, but this—this is going to sting.
Gripping the empty potion bottles, I jabbed them straight into his eyes.
He screamed, his hands flying to his face as he rolled on the ground in agony. He looked like a kid, crying loudly.
If you're at a disadvantage in a fight… play dirty to survive.
Before he could recover, I moved quickly—yet carefully—carrying the young man as I ran.
But with my third step, a strange weight pressed into my chest, causing me to veer sideways. At the same moment, the scarred man appeared beside me, stopping just in front—like a shadow dashing through the air.
'He runs fast!'
A sharp sting slashed across my cheek, blood trickling down my face. If I hadn't dodged, the dagger he was twirling in his hand might have pierced my skull. His strength... was greater than what my cloak could block.
He wielded the smallest weapon he had, not even bothering to unsheathe his sword.
I glared back.
"Where are you going?" he asked, his voice rumbling low, amused—like a cat toying with its prey.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to tear my gaze away, glancing back, wanting to see what had happened to the people with him.
My heart sank.
They lay scattered on the ground—motionless. Even his minion was knocked out cold. With the faint glow of the torchlight left on the ground, I noticed something strange: ember-like particles floated above them, glowing soft purple as they drifted through the air..
'Dust?'
No... something about it made my skin crawl.
Squinting, I saw it—those strange purple particles, slowly swirling back toward the scarred man, slipping into the bandages wrapped around his arm, like they were being sucked in. Alive.
I froze. 'That's what knocked them out?'
Adjusting my grip on the young man, I instinctively pulled him closer. My arms felt bound—literally. Holding him like a princess. There was no way to outrun the scarred man. No way to dodge. No weapons to draw, no way to fight back.
A sick feeling crawled through my gut. 'Didn't he say those were the boss's merchandise? Why would he—?'
'Wait… did I even create someone like this?'
My mind raced through every character, every stat, every ability I'd ever written.
But came up empty.
'Who is this guy?'
Every slaver I'd ever written before had been predictable—simple enemies who fell quickly to Kaiser's swordsmanship and strength. They were easy to defeat. But this one… this slaver was different. He didn't just rely on brute force. There was something more to his abilities—something dangerous.
"Interesting," he said with a smirk, casually tapping the flat of his blade against his palm, playing. "Your mind still wanders... even while standing on the edge of death."
When his purple eyes met mine, a tension crackled in the air. Every muscle in my body coiled, bracing for his next move.
But before anything happened, the crazy one piped up.
"What? Why, big bro? Why'd you use your power?" he whined, blinking as his vision cleared, noticing the others sprawled like ragdolls. "How are we supposed to deliver them to the boss if they're all sleeping?!"
"Shut. Up."
"But—"
He didn't get to finish.
A blur—a single kick slammed into his face. He was meters away, but in instant the scarred man appeared before him.
The crazy man flew through the trees like a ragdoll, crashing into trunks before finally slamming into the ground, unmoving. Out cold.
Stunned, I blinked. His face—twisted, limp—looked almost... pitiful. His luck had truly run out.
The scarred man showed no mercy, not even to his own. His attack had been swift, without a hint of hesitation.
My gaze flicked back to the unconscious captives. The crazy one's words echoed in my mind. 'Sleeping,' he had said.
So... 'they're still alive.' That small realization loosened something in my chest—just a little.
But the relief was fleeting. The scarred man was already in front of me, inches away.
"So, you don't fear death?" he asked coldly, almost amused, tapping my shoulder lightly with the flat of his blade.
Was he blind?
My entire body trembled uncontrollably.
He glanced at the slaves and then back at me, saying, "You're still worried about others when you're this close to losing your head?"
My throat tightened. I swallowed hard, the words hanging in the air like a death sentence. That's a warning, isn't it?
'System, can I wish that Kaiser would hurry up and show up? I'm running out of luck. I don't want to end up like that crazy man.'
As if the system had heard my prayer, it responded.
[
[Luck: 1]