Chapter 3: Surviving Together

The fire crackled softly in the night, illuminating Alex's tired face as he kept watch over Lyria. After gathering firewood and lighting a small makeshift campfire, he had spent the rest of the afternoon making sure she was stable. The knight was resting leaning against a rock, her armor half open to allow makeshift bandages to cover her wounds.

Although Lyria was awake, she was still weakened. Her steady gaze seemed to not fit her state, but Alex could see the pride and determination in it.

"So," Alex said, breaking the silence, "do you want to explain to me how you ended up on the brink of death in the middle of the forest? Or is this something I shouldn't know?"

Lyria glanced at him sideways. "I don't usually give explanations to strangers."

"Perfect, because I'm not very good at interrogating injured knights either," Alex replied with a sarcastic smile, trying to lighten the mood.

To his surprise, Lyria let out a short, almost imperceptible laugh.

"Let's just say I had a mission that didn't go as expected," he finally confessed. "I was ambushed by bandits near the river. I thought I could handle them, but there were too many of them. I managed to escape, but not without cost."

Alex nodded, impressed. "Sounds… intense. I, on the other hand, managed to nearly die several times in a single day. So I'd say we're even."

"Are you an adventurer? You don't carry weapons or armor…"

Alex shook his head. "No. I'm not even from this world, really. It's complicated."

Lyria looked at him skeptically, but something in his tone made her not dismiss him entirely. "So… what are you?"

Alex hesitated, but decided to be honest, at least in part. "I have a strange ability. Something like a 'system' that allows me to analyze things. It already saved me once against a monster that looked like a giant wolf."

"A magical ability?" Lyria frowned. "That would explain how you survived without equipment."

"I suppose so." Alex shrugged.

Lyria closed her eyes for a moment, her expression softening slightly. "If you're telling the truth, I might be useful. I don't have to trust you, though."

"Great, thanks for the vote of confidence," Alex replied wryly.

The next day, Alex woke up early, only to find Lyria struggling to get up.

"What are you doing? You can barely walk," he said as he reached over to help her.

"I can't stay here. The bandits might come back," she replied, her voice firm but cracking with effort.

"Then let's go together. Two are better than one, right?"

Lyria hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Fine, but stay alert. I don't want you to become a burden."

"Easy, princess. I'm not the type to wait to be rescued."

"Knight, not princess," she corrected and Alex chuckled.

As they walked down the river, Alex's panel activated its analysis function, scanning the terrain and pointing out nearby points of interest.

Environment analyzed:

Herb Cure: Medicinal plant useful for stopping infections and speeding up recovery. Noctis Mushrooms: Edible, but cause hallucinations if consumed in excess. Recent Trail: Bandit tracks detected 500 meters to the east.

"This could be a problem," Alex muttered, stopping.

"What's wrong?" Lyria asked, noticing his change in expression.

"My ability detected footprints. It seems the bandits aren't that far from here."

Lyria gritted her teeth. "I knew they wouldn't let me get away that easily."

"We have two options: avoid them or confront them," Alex said, thinking quickly. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not die today."

Lyria leaned lightly on her broken sword. "If we let them go, they might follow us later. It's better to finish them off now, while they don't know where we are."

Alex sighed. "Do you have a plan? Because honestly, I'm not very good at fighting. I barely managed against a giant wolf."

"I'll tell you what to do," Lyria replied. "I just need you to follow my instructions and use your ability to give us the advantage."

"Great. I love being the bait in improvised shots," Alex said sarcastically.

The bandits were five in number, camping in a clearing near the river. From behind some bushes, Alex used his ability to analyze each one:

Bandit 1: Level 7, armed with short sword.

Bandit 2: Level 6, armed with bow.

Bandit 3: Level 8, armed with spear.

Bandit 4: Level 5, unarmed (probably wounded).

Bandit 5: Level 10, leader, armed with greatsword.

Recommended strategy: Neutralize the archer first to reduce ranged threats.

"This looks bad," Alex whispered. "The leader is level 10. I can barely handle a level 8."

"Then let me take care of the leader," Lyria said, with a slight confident smile.

"Are you crazy? You can barely hold your sword."

Do you have a better idea?

Alex sighed. "Fine. But if I see that you're going to die, we're out of here."

"Deal."

Following the plan, Alex threw a rock at the archer, distracting him long enough for Lyria to move stealthily. Despite her condition, she managed to cut the archer down accurately before he could fire an arrow.

The camp erupted into chaos.

"Intruders!" the leader shouted, rising with his broadsword.

Alex ran towards the unarmed bandit, confident that he could at least immobilize him. Meanwhile, Lyria faced the leader with quick and accurate movements, although her weakness was beginning to show.

Alex barely dodged a blow from the third bandit's spear, using a Wolf Fang to counter the attack. His soul reacted, guiding him to a weak point in the enemy's armor. With a precise blow, he knocked him down.

"Alex, back!" Lyria shouted.

The leader charged at him, but Lyria got in the way just in time, blocking the blow with her broken sword. The force of the impact sent her reeling back, but Alex took advantage of the distraction to throw a rock at her face.

The fight ended with Lyria running the leader through with her sword as Alex, exhausted and covered in sweat, watched from the ground.

"This was... the worst," Alex gasped, lying down on the ground.

"We survived," Lyria replied, with a slight smile. "Not bad for someone who doesn't know how to fight."

Alex sits down weakly. "Thanks... I guess."