Chapter 80: Dangerous
Reinhard blinked at the ear-splitting sound. As he turned, he first saw Joseph’s expression shift instantly, with his eyes widening. Then he felt Joseph tapping into the Herald Mark, which shined around his neck.
Drasil Step.
Joseph simply blurred into motion impossibly fast.
Reinhard watched as Arondight appeared in Joseph’s hands, the grey lance moving in arcs too rapid to track. He slashed through incoming tree trunks that were being hurled by the new wind blast. Punctured through massive roots that would have crushed them. Swept aside branches with killing edges where they’d been torn from parent trees.
Dozens of obstacles were eliminated in the space of a second. Joseph’s lance never stopped moving, creating a protective sphere around them. Reinhard could only blink once more before he felt Joseph standing behind them.
Reinhard and Marie turned around to see sweat pouring down Joseph’s face and him slightly panting, but also the faint smile he had. Reinhard and Marie glance at each other blankly, but then Reinhard blinks as he glances up.
He saw the other debris falling around them, too much for him to really count. But they were falling like falling stars, it was both stunning and amazing.
All around, crashing sounds rang out as debris struck the ground around them. Reinhard raised his hand to block some of the dirt and stones scattering out towards them. But they were so focused on the debris around them that they missed the couple rushing towards them.
Joseph caught this before he quickly rushed forward and crashed into Reinhard from the side, the impact driving them both sideways. His other arm hooked Marie, pulling her with them as they tumbled away from where they’d been standing.
As he was being pulled to the ground, Reinhard saw multiple pieces of bark, each one as large as a shield, struck where they’d been moments before. The impacts drove grass, dirt, and rocks up into the air from the impact. But then he saw three pieces of bark blasted from the debris and struck Joseph.
One pierced Joseph’s waist on the right side, punching through flesh and muscle. Another caught his right chest, driving deep between ribs. The third was embedded in his left arm, tearing through the bicep and nearly exiting the other side.
Joseph’s face went white as his jaw clenched so hard Reinhard heard teeth grinding. But he made no sound while Reinhard and Marie’s eyes widened with horror, their expressions transforming from relief to terror in an instant.
"Joseph!" Marie’s voice screams with bits of it cracking. She grabbed Joseph’s body, her hands carefully grabbing around the bark pieces impaling him. Her face was pale with bits of tears already forming despite her efforts to maintain composure.
Drasil Steps.
Time slowed down around Reinhard before he moved in the frozen moment. He grabbed Marie, who was holding Joseph’s body, and then pulled them both toward a pile of fallen trees that would provide shelter.
Reinhard began covering the distance quickly while glancing at Joseph in worry. He had to be careful, or he might accidentally make the wounds worse or have the barks still inside move more.
They reached the fallen trees just as time returned to normal.
Reinhard immediately positioned himself and Marie behind the largest trunk, pulling Joseph’s body close. The bark pieces were still embedded, but removing them now, while they were still dealing with the debris, was a bad idea.
And some of them were still inside his body.
The extreme gust of wind continued its assault, howling over their shelter with fury that shook the massive logs protecting them. Smaller debris struck their shelter while something massive crashed nearby, spraying them with dirt and splinters.
Twenty seconds had passed, but it felt like hours.
But the duo didn’t pay attention to the wind as they were too focused on Joseph. Reinhard held pressure around the bark pieces, trying to minimize bleeding without making the damage worse. Marie gritted her teeth as she pressed down on Joseph’s other wounded area while saying reassurances that were lost in the wind’s roar.
Joseph’s breathing was rapid and shallow, making Reinhard frown. Normally, the bark shouldn’t have been able to pierce his flesh, but he knew they were low on magic and materials of the Monster Zone were stronger than normal.
Then, finally, the wind began to die down as the howling diminished to a roar. Then, after a couple more seconds, the roar faded to a breeze, and then it weakened into a gust.
Then silence descended over the forest as if what had happened before was just an illusion.
Reinhard’s voice cut through the silence with urgency. "Do we have any supplies to help stop the bleeding and help with the pain?"
Marie nodded, her hands already moving to her knapsack. She pulled it around, fingers working the clasps quickly, but as she opened it, her expression crumbled. Her shoulders sagged, and her jaw tightened with visible frustration.
"The explosion and impact made them shatter." Marie said through her gritted teeth. "The only thing that can still be used are bandages. Fortunately, the elements are helping to delay the blood loss and trying to help, but..."
Reinhard’s face darkened while his mind raced through options, discarding each one as insufficient. Then his eyes lit with sudden realization.
"Let’s contact the Information Institute. Hopefully, they have some medicine on hand."
Marie’s head snapped toward him, hope flooding back into her face. She nodded sharply and reached for the necklace around Reinhard’s neck, her fingers closing around it while he maintained pressure on Joseph’s wounds.
The projection materialized instantly.
A shimmering display that resolved into the figure of a woman with silver hair and matching silver eyes, Vanna. Her expression was composed, but her eyes were already scanning their surroundings before she even spoke.
Those eyes landed on Joseph’s prone form, and her entire demeanor shifted. Her spine straightened, and she spoke swiftly. "How bad is it?"
"He was pierced by branches when an explosion happened in the Monster Zone," Marie said quickly. "Do you guys have any medicine that can delay the bleeding right now?"
Vanna nodded once. "I will send the Wound Delay and some Cleansing Water. This will help with delaying it, but you guys need to head to the nearest town or-"
"We can reach Phane City," Marie interrupted with a serious expression. "It should only take thirty minutes if we run all the way."
Vanna’s eyes narrowed. "So you guys are near the exit of the Monster Zone...Good. I’m sending them now. Hurry and apply it. I will try to contact Phane City, so the city guards won’t hold you up for longer than a minute."
Marie’s face displays a relieved smile. "Thank you, Vanna!"
Vanna didn’t respond, the projection simply faded.
Space twisted beside them, leading Reinhard to look up to see a swirling silver portal open, and a hawk emerged. It flapped its wing while having a small bundle hung from its talons. The hawk descended smoothly, dropping the bundle into Marie’s waiting hands before dissolving into fragments of light.
Marie moved immediately, uncorking the Cleansing Water that was perfectly clear. She then had Reinhard pull out the bark from Joseph’s body before she poured it over Joseph’s wounds, washing away blood and debris with careful thoroughness.
Once the blood and bits of debris were gone, the wound displayed clean skin. Marie quickly put down the bottle before picking up the Wound Delay, which was a thick greyish-white paste.
Marie scooped generous amounts and spread them across the wounds on Joseph’s front where the bark had entered, then carefully around the protruding pieces themselves. She worked efficiently, her training evident in how she ensured complete coverage without disturbing the embedded debris.
"Help me turn him." Marie said quietly.
Reinhard carefully shifted Joseph’s body, supporting his weight while Marie accessed the exit wounds on his back. She applied the paste there too, her movements gentle but fast and smooth.
Joseph’s face was pale, sweat rolling down on his forehead despite the cool air, but his eyes remained open with a faint smile.
Reinhard grabbed the bandages, unwrapping them before wrapping them around Joseph’s torso. First to cover the wound and then the second to help keep the bark pieces stable, prevent them from shifting and causing additional internal damage.
Marie packed away the remaining supplies, her movements automatic while staring at the north.
Reinhard then turned around and presented his back to Joseph. "Quickly, put him on my back."
Marie nodded, moving to help Joseph sit up. Joseph grimaced but made no sound as they maneuvered him, getting him positioned on Reinhard’s back before his arms draped over Reinhard’s shoulders.
Reinhard stood smoothly, his legs absorbing Joseph’s weight without visible strain. He adjusted his grip, ensuring Joseph was secure.
"Let’s go."