Chapter 3: Unyielding Cadaver

Bryce lay plastered on the wet mud like a stubborn bandage.

He was barely breathing, each shallow breath barely keeping him alive.

For the past two days, Bryce had endured countless dangers, overcoming numerous obstacles, miraculously surviving until now.

Since escaping the crocodile, he had wandered aimlessly, like a headless chicken. His life, like a tiny pea-sized flame, constantly attracted moths the size of fists, diving headlong into the fire.

As a result, he was forced to witness many sights (encountering many newly loaded mods), meeting the enthusiastic hospitality of zombies, skeletons, ogres, pythons, and poison frogs.

He no longer remembered what it felt like to be full. The more he ran, the more tired he became; the more he ran, the hungrier and thirstier he got, until he had no energy left even to walk. Eventually, he collapsed in this swamp.

But Bryce felt proud. He had seen a glimpse of this world, and for some reason, he had managed to stay alive.

"Hardcore mode, huh? Just a walk in the park," Bryce thought with a faint smile, though he lacked the strength to curl his lips.

If someone checked Bryce 's stats panel right now, even a seasoned MC player would feel pity.

[HP: 1/20]

[Status: Poisoned, Darkness, Nausea, Weakness, Slowness, Fatigue, Blindness]

Bryce was extremely fragile at this moment. If a mosquito bit him now, it might set a Guinness World Record for the first kill.

His life hung in a delicate yet miraculous balance. He was starving but could still burn fat; he was poisoned and dizzy, but the poison wasn't lethal enough to kill him outright; he was covered in wounds, but most of them had scabbed over, stopping the bleeding.

As for the dangerous creatures that could lurk in the swamp, like crocodiles or venomous snakes, none were in sight.

So Bryce lay there, half-dead. He had no idea where he was.

…

"Whistle—clop-clop—clang-clang—"

The sound of a cheerful whistle echoed over the swamp, accompanied by the clatter of hooves and the creak of a wagon.

A middle-aged man lay leisurely on top of the wagon, his long, black hair framing a face with sharp features. He stared at the clouds, whistling merrily.

A sturdy black horse pulled the wagon, which was lavishly decorated with mahogany inlays and various gemstones, exuding a faint glow. Even the least discerning person wouldn't underestimate its value.

However, a closer look would reveal fine scratches and cracks on the wagon, suggesting it had seen combat or had been attacked by monsters.

The horse neighed softly.

The man stopped whistling and leaped off the wagon, which came to a halt.

"What is it, Black?" He patted the horse's back. "Don't like this place? The swamp is quiet, no monsters, even the poison frogs are barely audible... Oh! There's a young man's corpse…"

The man approached Bryce, drawing a modified gun with a barrel twice as long as usual.

He looked around warily, listening for any signs of danger before concluding they were alone.

"Hey, kid, are you dead?" The man knelt, tapping Bryce 's skull with the gun barrel.

No response.

He rolled Bryce over, finding nothing but a thin garment. He checked for breath and detected a faint but persistent airflow.

"How odd..."

The man frowned, debating whether to take Bryce with him.

He didn't want to leave the poor soul to die, but he also didn't want to risk letting Bryce into his wagon, especially given the slim chance that Bryce might be a trap.

Finally, he sighed and decided. He lifted Bryce onto the horse's back.

"Alright, Black?" He patted the horse.

The horse neighed.

"Good, let's go. Let's hope this kid survives."

…

"Cough... cough..."

Bryce woke, choking on water.

"Awake?" The man who had saved him was there, using a wet cloth to wipe Bryce 's face, letting the water trickle into his nose.

"Cough... Where am I?" Bryce sat up stiffly.

"I must have died again," he thought.

Bryce 's vision was hazy, as if looking through cataracts. "No way, did I respawn but not recover fully?"

"How do you feel?" The man pointed at Bryce 's body.

Bryce instinctively looked down but saw nothing but a white blur, as if a plastic bag covered his head.

Then a sharp pain shot through his throat, as if sandpaper had been taken to it.

"Water... I'm thirsty," he rasped.

The man whistled and handed Bryce a leather water pouch. Bryce fumbled, drinking deeply.

Soon, the burning in his throat eased, and his vision cleared.

He checked his status, noticing the "Dehydration" debuff had vanished. The blurry vision had been due to severe dehydration.

[HP: 20/20]

[Status: Weakness]

He looked down, finding himself sitting on the grass, leaning against a tree stump.

His body was covered in bandages, thick enough to make him look like an Egyptian mummy. Clearly, the man had been generous.

He felt his backside, noting a missing piece of flesh.

[New mod detected: First Aid]

[Item: Bandage]

[Description: A simple yet practical medical tool]

Bryce saw the notification.

"Eat something." The man returned with a piece of cold cooked meat and a drink.

"Th-thank you," Bryce said, his stomach rumbling like a frog before a speaker.

[Status: None]

Having eaten and drunk, the "Weakness" effect disappeared.

Bryce smiled gratefully at the man and activated the information check function, revealing two lines in his mind.

[Lucas]

[HP: 40/40]

"The info from this mod is a bit sparse," Bryce thought.

He scanned the surroundings, seeing a vast wasteland dotted with patches of grass, sparser than some people's hair.

"I threw away your old clothes," Lucas said lazily, leaning against the horse. "You're mostly healed now, so why don't you tell me what you were doing in the Leia Swamp? When I found you, you looked like a dead dog."

"I... I don't know how I got there," Bryce admitted, feeling a pang of sadness.

"Hm?"

"I was grabbed by a giant eagle but managed to escape. I remember... monsters chasing me, running for my life. Then I ended up here."

"It must have been a Griffin Eagle. You probably passed through the western plains; they often hunt there."

Bryce nodded.

"What's your name?" Lucas asked.

"Bryce."

"Alright, Bryce, I'm Lucas." Lucas approached, staring into Bryce 's eyes. "But I noticed your clothes don't look like they're from around here. So, which kingdom are you from? And where are you headed?"

"Uh? I don't know," Bryce shrank back from Lucas's piercing gaze. "I don't know about any kingdoms, and I don't know where I'm going..."

"Hope you're telling the truth. Got anything else to say?" Lucas drew his modified gun, raising an eyebrow.

"Feels like a last request..." Bryce thought, eyeing the gun, which seemed familiar from some mod.

"So... ready?" Lucas pressed the gun to Bryce 's forehead.

"Ready for wha—" Bryce 's face went pale as Lucas pulled the trigger, "No, wait—"

Bang!

Bryce 's body lay flat on the ground.