6 First Kill

Zeph was running with all he had through the forest, but two of the men never gave up pursuit. His left shoulder was burning in pain and he didn't even want to imagine how his feet were looking right now. On the top of it, he had to remain alert to the crossbow shooter. He definitely did not want to get another dart stuck on his body.

Although he couldn't tell who would run out of stamina first, he didn't want to find out either. All he wanted to do now was get away from their sight and try to find a place to hide.

The men were still shouting, probably hurling abuses and threats, but he had no way to know for sure. The language of the people here was completely different from anything he had ever heard.

Zeph started to wonder how difficult it would be to get by on this world without being able to understand anyone, but he needed to escape first to worry about that.

Zeph's mood turned better when he noticed the sound of running water. Maybe he would be able to lose them if he took advantage of the current. He kept running towards the direction the sound came from.

There were many animals visible during the pursuit, but none big enough to be a threat, so they could be ignored. They didn't seen too keen on approaching either.

The river was finally on sight. Zeph threw the bag to the other side and jumped without blinking, still hoping there was nothing there that would consider him lunch.

He dove underwater to avoid the darts that were coming his way, then he swan in favor of the current while also trying to get to the other shore.

The marksman stopped shooting. He was either out of ammo or waiting for an opportunity, but he chose to not enter the river. The swordsman, on the other side, removed his boots and upper armor before jumping inside the river carrying only his sword.

Zeph had already reached the other shore and resumed running. He didn't go far though, he took advantage of the head start to increase the distance and decided to climb a tree. He found a branch thick enough to hold his weight and sat there to catch his breath. He took the boning knife he got from the tents and waited there.

The swordsman arrived fast. He was gasping for air and had a murderous look on his face. He looked to the ground, searching for traces.

Zeph tightened his grip on the knife and got ready to attack. He knew he would probably had one chance so he waited for the perfect opportunity. He had to either kill the man right away or wound him badly.

The man kept walking, but he was more cautious now. He was about to reach the point where Zeph climbed the tree. The traces on the ground had suddenly vanished. He was first confused, and then became alert. He crouched a little a removed the sword from the scabbard, getting ready to defend himself from an ambush. He looked around and knew there was no place to hide. It downed on him when he saw the tree. He tried to look up, but it was already too late.

Zeph jumped when the swordsman had crouched. The fall would hurt him too, but he had to be fast. He fell right on the back of the man. The knife was plunged until the handle, right between the man's neck and shoulder.

The swordsman roared like a beast and hit Zeph with his elbow, throwing him off.

Zeph lost air from the hit, but he managed to stand up. He was honestly surprised the man hadn't fallen when he jumped on him. Even though he was not heavy, he had jumped from a considerable height. The swordsman mas a lot stronger than an average adult. It didn't matter anymore, it was over already.

The swordsman was standing up but his steps were very unsteady. Blood continuously escaped from the wound, even though the knife was still there. He stared at Zeph in fury and disbelief. He tried to get closer but Zeph would always keep the distance. He was not running nor trying to finish the fight, just waiting for him to bleed out.

The man finally lost his strength and toppled over. Zeph quickly reached him and kicked the sword away from his hand. He went over and grabbed it for himself, then returned to the man.

The swordsman had managed to turn his body. He was staring at Zeph's cold eyes. It was the most terrifying thing he saw on his life. That kind of look in the eyes of a child. He started shaking his head, mumbling, probably begging for his life, but the blade still fell.

The head rolled just a short distance from the body. The eyes still opened in shock.

Zeph searched the body, but he didn't find anything useful. He was tempted to grab the man's boots, but they were too big for him. He took the scabbard and sheathed the sword. He also took the knife back.

Zeph wanted to go back to grab the bag by the river, but decided it was not worth the risk. The other man should still be there or might even be coming here with the other one.

He kept walking until he found an abandoned hut on the forest. Everything was covered in dust, so there shouldn't be a problem to rest here for a while. When the adrenaline was finally down, Zeph could feel just how much his body ached. His was exhausted both physically and mentally. He laid on the floor since there was no bed.

The images from the things that happened since he arrived in this world started playing on his head. He knew he was too apathetic to things. Whether it was his originally translucent body, his indifference towards that woman's plight, or his complete lack of hesitation in killing the man. None of those things had managed to move or shock him. He knew something had changed when he arrived in this world, or maybe even sooner, when he died. Zeph knew there was something wrong with him.