Chapter 4: The first battle of life and death

Théoden kept walking at a slow pace in one direction hoping to find the light at the end of the tunnel. It was of little hope but there was nothing else he could do besides waiting to be rescued. That condition depended on where he was, thus, that possibility was close to null. He was on a battlefield in the middle of nowhere with not a single survivor except him.

He willed himself not to lose hope, for when he did that, it would be the end. In the span of walking, his body had gotten used to the terrain, and he could navigate without too much focus on the ground. With nothing, but himself, his thoughts began to wander. The mysteries he had faced could not be well explained yet. Like how he was alive? What caused his body to live? Why didn't he possess someone much more fortunate? Why did the system he could only read about in fantasy novels possess him?

With all the unanswered questions, his head began to ache. The sun shone brightly in the sky thus it was hot and he was sweating profusely. Théoden found some shade behind a hilly place and lay down to replenish his energy under its shade.

[Gained strength: 1 ]

[Gained stamina: 1 ]

[Status: Fatigued and dehydrated]

He drank a bit of water and forced down a food grain in his mount before taking a mouthful of water again.

'How did things come to this?'

He still vividly had the memories of his former life, despite still retaining the former host's memories. They didn't align at all. He still felt like he was himself at all times. He slowly remembered the memories he had when he was on Earth. His name was the same just the surname was excluded. Maybe, because it was a family name? He had no clue.

Théoden was a quiet kid growing up who liked being at home. He loved games and anime and reading fantasy. He could drown himself in folktales and mythologies of all kinds. He loved imagining the impossible.

'Maybe my life has turned into a fantasy. How Ironic.'

Théoden never got to meet his father. He was raised in a single family by his mother. His mother loved and cared for him dearly. He wished he could have acknowledged it sooner before she died, leaving him in an endless loop of depression.

This memory haunted him for a long time but he kept living. Trying to find meaning in life. This was the last wish left for him by his mother. "Live. No matter what. Just live." She looked at him and said it with such a pained expression. She still smiled at the end so the last memory was her radiant smile.

That was before she never came back. She disappeared and left him. Her last words were a curse that tied him to the desire to live. Thanks to that he strived to live. A life she would be proud of.

He grew up to be a middle-aged office worker otaku. He led a stable life with only the things he needed. He fell in love multiple times, but never married. His life always felt somewhat empty. He gave up on ambition and led a life in the majority class of the capitalistic community. He didn't have huge riches but he wasn't poor. He achieved the ideal lifestyle of any middle-aged man.

Théoden had no regrets about his former life. This was because despite being social, he never made any personal connections with others. At most he had acquaintances. He liked being a lone dog.

He wasn't isolated as many may think. He was popular due to his handsomeness and excellent social skills. Théoden simply never cultivated anything to a serious level. He built high walls that no one ever managed to cross. Maybe this was his form of defense.

Thinking more about his life, he felt pathetic.

'I wasted my sweet youth.'

However, now he had another chance. He wasn't going to make wasteful choices anymore. He thought more about it and it would be a lie to say he could have climbed up the social circle. With his wits and qualifications, it wasn't hard to be the richest or the most influential person back on Earth. He had avoided it in his past life, but there was nothing wrong with ambition despite the high-risen walls of his heart.

'Let's make the best of this life. First of all, I have to survive in this wilderness.'

After having rested enough he got up.

[Status: weak/normal]

The status was a bit too accurate. He was very weak at the moment as the body was not well taken care of. He was missing a lot of essential muscles to partake in the long journey ahead of him. His bones were visible and his fingers were very thin. Théoden pushed himself with a great will to move with each step. All while carrying a heavy sack of necessities.

The sky had grown darker and he was able to see mountains from afar. They seemed to have some vegetation. Maybe he could get some food there. Anything, other than the dry and unappetizing food grains.

With the new motivation, he began to walk faster with much more steady steps. His scrunched expression softened a bit. The sun set very fast. It was evening and only a bit of rays from the sunlight illuminated the area. They caused shadows to be elongated twice as much. He needed to find a safe place to make camp as it was no longer in his capabilities to see at night.

The sky despite being beautiful, was nothing more than that. The ground remained pitch-black and one could only see a short distance from oneself. With that in mind, he searched and found a huge rock that could make up for a resting pillar. As well as a blockage to the wind.

Grrrrr! Ah! Grrrr!

While moving, Théoden heard a peculiar sound. He quickly turned around to find a species of some kind near him.

'What is that?'

He was too focused on the big bolder to have noticed the creature. It was more like a demon to be precise. It had ebony dark skin with no fur. It took a humanoid figure as it stood in the front. Its eyes were hollow with a red glow in them filled with killing intent. Its sharp claws grew longer than its palm. Just looking at the thing, Théoden was already intimidated.

'What demon is that? Is it even a ....'

Yes, he was very intimidated. His heart beat fast, and his hands trembled. He was, however, breathing very calmly. Too calmly. He was sure that he was intimidated, scared, and wanted to run away. However, his feet were planted on the ground. His lips formed curves with a small smirk that only seemed to grow into a bigger smile. His eyes kept eye contact with the demon. Observing every movement the creature made. His body was moving on its own and not listening to his thoughts.

He was in a situation where he should have been scared, instead of so calm. He remembered he was excited instead of feeling scared in the face of danger.

'I want to run away. Why doesn't this body move? Come on move already. Why do you feel excited, you dummy?'

His thoughts were only filled with his desire to run. Ran far away. He regretted coming in this direction, then possibly he would not have met that thing. It was too late to regret. The thing had gotten even closer that running was giving your back to it. If he turned away he felt like he wouldn't even know how he died.

He could only face it head-on.

'I have no choice.'

He had decided not to be a coward anymore. This was a decision he had just made a while ago. Not to run from life anymore. Théoden wouldn't break that vow only a day into making it.

'What do I do? What can I do? Think, damn it. Think. How do I get away?'

That answer was quite obvious. He had to defeat the monster. At the very least immobilize it so it couldn't follow him. That was the only way he could get away with his dear life.

Observing the creature better, he saw that it had black stains running down its body. It looked like liquid. Seeing the many torn parts on its skin Théoden knew the thing was injured. The blank stains would then be its blood. However, the pressure didn't diminish as it got closer but only got heavier and more suffocating.

'What luck is this? The first thing I get to meet just happens to be a demon. I just got to this life and it seems to not want me already.'

He didn't dare break eye contact. He knew what the creature was trying to do. To first dominate the opponent by fear and access the opponent's strength. The second Théoden showed weakness or fear, his head would go flying. The sharp claws were as threatening as they probably looked. He didn't want to test the waters with his life on the line in a gamble he was not sure to win or lose.

He gulped. He felt the caress of the saliva as it went down his throat. It was true he felt nervous but his small smile began showing teeth. He tried to consciously control it but to no avail.

'I wish I could cry for help like a damsel in distress. How I wish I could.'

Stupid thoughts began to fill his brain as if having forgotten what was in front of him now, not more than ten meters away. He cursed this issue of not feeling the need to fear when his life was in danger.

He was still thankful for it since it was maintaining his calm in the face of danger. From the start to now, Théoden's face never aligned with his thoughts, but his feelings. He had to say he was feeling very excited. Every gland and hormone facilitated this. He was sure his Adrenaline levels were at the max.

His hands found their way to the hilt of the sword he had hanging on his belt. It felt a bit familiar holding it like this. Mallory's body was accustomed to the sword. He was, however, fragile and nothing could be done about it. Maybe it was because the person holding it was different but the sword felt at home in his hands.

Once it was in his grip, he felt things more sensitively. With it as the medium, his emotions, thoughts, and even movements had aligned. He felt the slightest movement of his fingertips.

Théoden's eyes gained a new conviction. A new confidence was awakened as he faced the monster in front of him.

'I must defeat it. Running is not an option.'

THE OMNIPOTENCE SYSTEM

[Name: Théoden Andras][Race: Human][Age : 16 years]

[Authority: None]

[Attributes: Strength:3 Dexterity:3 Stamina:2 Mana/Magic:2 Intelligence:1]

[Luck:???][Locked]

[Skills: None]

[Status: Weak/Normal]

[Newbie package.]