People often long for the chance to be a Disney prince, a knight in shining armor riding their high horse to rescue a damsel in distress.
Lucy's hair was pinned to the ground by an arrow, rendering her helpless, much like Rapunzel trapped in her tower.
However, I was no prince; if faced with the choice between her life and mine, I would choose my own a thousand times over.
My eyes strained to their limits as I ran, stealing a snapshot of Lucy, who was five feet behind me, her hand desperately attempting to free the arrow entangled in her hair and pinned to the ground.
Lord Henry readied his arrow, closing one eye as he aimed his bow toward the twilight sky.
My knees trembled, and my breath hitched in my throat. Cold sweat trickled down my neck as Lord Henry tightened his fingers around the bowstring.
'Lucy is a fictional character in a game,' I rationalized, looking away from her. 'Even if she dies, I didn't have a choice.'
Suddenly, a realization struck me: I was the type of person who would gladly accept Luffy from One Piece dying over a side character like Nami.
The worst thing that could happen to me in a movie was for a hot female character to die. I was not the type of guy who would sit still and let Lucy succumb to her death.
"AAAH!"
I emptied my lungs and turned back, running toward Lucy with a dead body hoisted above my head.
I slid across the dirt and knelt beside Lucy. A violent sound reverberated through my body as I managed to intercept the arrow aimed at her.
The dirt I had stirred enveloped our surroundings, creating a temporary shroud that made it impossible for Lord Henry to spot us.
Lucy rested her hand gently on my shoulder and leaned in, bringing her lips close to my ear.
"What do you think you're doing?" Her voice was a venomous whisper, as if she were addressing a cockroach.
"I saved your life," I retorted, my voice strained. "The least you can do is say thank you."
She scoffed, her fingers digging into my shoulder just enough to make me flinch.
"Saved my life?" Her laughter was sharp and bitter. "Don't flatter yourself. If I had relied on you, I'd be dead already."
"We don't have time, Lucy," I insisted, my voice urgent. "Do as I tell you."
"How did you know my name?" she demanded, tightening her grip on my shoulder.
"At the count of three, we will run to the forest. Approximately 300 meters to the east, there is a massive tree with an entrance resembling a gaping mouth formed by twisted roots. We shall take refuge in its cave."
Lucy brought her face closer to mine, her crimson eyes narrowed. "Answer me, how did you know my name?"
"Get ready," I warned, ignoring her question. "Lord Henry will release his wolves to chase us. Every second counts."
Ignoring Lucy's continued demands, I sprinted toward the forest, carrying the lifeless body of the deceased slave on my shoulder.
Lucy, surprisingly, ran past me, honoring my request.
At that moment, Lord Henry muttered, "Release my children."
The guards flanking him unshackled the chains that restrained the wolves.
I was not a prophet; I had foreseen his actions due to the memory fragment I had acquired from the system.
The scenario I found myself in resembled the opening scenes of Blades of Destiny. Although I had played the game from start to finish, a fog seemed to settle over my mind, leaving me able to recall only the opening scene.
The weight of the corpse I was carrying felt as heavy as a truck. My muscles throbbed, threatening to rupture under the strain as I ran toward the cluster of trees.
The trees resembled towering redwoods, standing tall like five-story skyscrapers.
They were dry, their branches resembling twisted, skeletal garments.
"WRAFF-WRAFF!"
The wolves were chasing us. Lucy entered the forest first, heading east, while I ran westward.
The sun was golden as I ran, while the sound of dry leaves rustling heightened my heartbeat.
The wolves pursued only me because of the blood dripping from the corpse I was carrying. After running for some time, I abandoned the corpse and ran further into the forest.
The wild beasts halted abruptly and parted their jaws to devour the corpse. Their green eyes glowed with a faint green aura.
Seizing the opportunity, I tore the left sleeve of the roughspun tunic I was wearing and divided it into three pieces.
I ran northwest and dropped one of the rags. Then, I proceeded north and hid the second rag. Finally, I placed the last rag in the northeast, far from the location of the giant tree where I had instructed Lucy to go.
'This should buy us some time,' I murmured.
Lastly, I sprinted toward the tallest tree in the forest located in the east. When I got there, it was encircled by red flowers that glowed under moonlight.
The tree looked like a giant foot. Its back was rugged, and the entrance resembled a gaping mouth.
As I stepped inside the tree, it felt cool and damp, and the scent of moss filled the air.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed me and pushed me against the inner wall of the cave. Crimson eyes emerged from the shadows, revealing Lucy's face as the moonlight illuminated her features.
"Who are you?" she demanded, her voice a low growl.
Her grip tightened against my neck, making it harder for me to breathe.
"Liam Becker," I answered, my voice strained.
My hands grabbed onto her forearm, and I made an attempt to pull her hands away from my neck but failed.
"Do you know that it's bad manners to harm the person who saved your life?" I gasped, sweat trickling down my face, dripping from my chin and landing on Lucy's hands.
"If you try anything funny, I will kill you," she clicked her tongue, her gaze unwavering.
Her hands let go of me, and I reclaimed my freedom, gasping for air.
Lucy retreated and seated herself against the inner wall of the cave, the cold moonlight barely illuminating her face.
"I ask questions, and you answer," her voice said, firm and clear.
I brushed the dust off my brown tunic and seated myself, leaning against the wall nearest to the entrance.
"Why did you risk your life to save me?" she asked, her voice surprisingly soft, as if she were a completely different person.
[Alert: Two new quests are now available.]
[Alert: The system has detected that you are a virgin.]
[Quest Details 1: Have sex to unlock the aura farming system.]
[Quest Details 2: Kill 15 Dire Wolves.]
[Reward: Unlock Ocean Eyes: Your Mark of Divinity.]