Ch 22: Another Survival

As Emrys lay by the stream, so exhausted that he had no idea what was happening around him.

Splash~

Suddenly, his body slipped down a little further, and he fell into the stream.

The stream was cold and the current was strong, but the coldness and strong current touching his body were unable to wake him up.

The water current was fast and strong, swirling and rushing around him. The current caught his body and pulled him along with it.

Just like that, Emrys started drifting away along with the water current as it carried him further and further to somewhere unknown.

It can be said that Emrys was truly lucky.

He participated two times and both times he was the only survivor.

Even now, not long after he was swept away by the strong water current, a group of insectoid creatures appeared beside the stream. These creatures were huge, with bodies like giant mantises. They had sharp blades instead of hands. Their bodies were dark and covered in scales, and they moved quickly, as if they were on the hunt. They had long antennae that twitched as they searched the area.

They seemed to be looking for something or someone.

Looks like Emrys's painful shout had already attracted the attention of many insectoids. It is just that they were so far away from the stream that it took them some time to come. By then. Emrys was already gone, drifting along with the stream.

The insectoids stopped when they found the spot where Emrys's blood had soaked the ground.

The smell of blood caught their attention, and they began to hiss and make strange sounds.

"Hisss!"

"Grrre~"

Some of them made noises like "Hisss," others let out "Prrr" sounds, and a few growled, making "Grrre" noises that filled the quiet air. Their sounds were sharp and eerie, echoing in the air as they crowded around the bloodstained ground.

One of the insectoids leaned down, touching the red-stained earth with its claws. It sniffed the blood carefully, and then its antennae started twitching wildly. Soon, the other insectoids joined, pressing close and sniffing the blood as well. They seemed to recognize something about it.

This blood... It was human blood, but there was something different about it. It was as if... As if this blood carried a strange trace, something that reminded them of a special type of insectoid.

This made the insectoids even more excited and curious, as if they couldn't understand why human blood would carry the scent of their own kind.

"Grrrr~"

"Putaaak~"

"Yuhshuaaa~"

The insectoids started crying out louder, their voices filling the air with hisses, growls, and strange clicking noises. They seemed angry and confused, not sure what to make of the blood they had found.

One of the creatures then lifted its head and let out a loud, angry screech, as if calling for others to come.

The other insectoids picked up on the signal and began to screech as well, creating a loud, chaotic sound that echoed far into the night.

Chaos erupted among them as they sniffed and clawed at the blood-soaked ground, desperate to find the source of the strange scent. They moved in circles, searching and sniffing, looking in every direction, but there was no sign of any human.

This also puzzled them. They didn't understand where the human, the owner of the blood that stained the ground, had gone. Why were they unable to find the human?

What they didn't know was that the stream had already carried the human they were searching for far away. Due to the stream, Emrys and his blood's scent were also hidden from the insectoids' sharp eyes and senses.

With no trace of him left, the insectoids eventually began to spread out, moving around the area with frustration. Some of them stayed by the stream, still sniffing at the ground and making strange noises. Others wandered off, but they kept looking back, hissing and growling as if they could still smell the strange blood that confused them.

.....

After an unknown period of time, Emrys slowly opened his eyes after what felt like a long and endless sleep.

The first thing he noticed was that he was covered in muddy water. It clung to his skin and clothes, making him feel heavy and uncomfortable.

He tried to blink the sleep away, feeling confused and tired.

"Where… where am I?"

Emrys muttered in a low voice while frowning deeply. His head felt foggy, and he could barely remember what had happened. For a moment, he just lay there, staring up at the sky, which looked grey and dim above him. Slowly, he pushed himself up a little and tried to sit down before looking around.

He noticed that he was not far from a wide river. The sound of rushing water filled the air, and the river's current looked strong and fast. He glanced down at himself, covered in mud and water, and tried to piece together what had happened.

"I remember... I was by a stream before. How did I end up here, by a big river?"

Emrys was puzzled and couldn't help but scratch his head. The last thing he remembered was lying by a small stream. He was exhausted, hungry, and was in pain. He felt puzzled, trying to think hard.

"Did I… fall into the water while I was asleep?"

Emrys stood up slowly. His entire body aching. He felt as if his body was cracking with every movement. His muscles felt sore and weak, and his head throbbed. He felt bruised all over, as if he had been tossed and turned by something strong. He looked down at his body which was covered in mud and scratches.

"It makes sense. I must have fallen into the stream. The stream probably flowed into this river. The water must have carried me here. The current was strong enough to pull me along. Fortunately, I didn't drown to death."

Emrys pieced things together bit by bit and heaved a sigh of relief.

But then again, he shook his head. He still felt a bit confused but his thoughts were getting clearer with each passing second.

"So the river brought me all the way to this unknown place," Emrys muttered while glancing back at the fast-moving water.

Taking a deep breath, Emrys steadied himself, trying to ignore the aching in his body.