Chương 43: Awakening from the Slumber

Falling, endless falling. That was the only thing Arthur currently felt. He was unable to open his eyes. It felt like a fever dream he used to get in his childhood. He tried to move his body, but he could not. His head swayed like a drunkard. It was a strange feeling.

'Is my life force being forcibly absorbed by the vines?' Arthur speculated. There were changes that could happen when life force was leaving a body; how else would he feel? Suddenly, someone called out. His ears sharpened. It was calling his name. Was it his mother or his sister? He could not know. He struggled to open his eyes again, but he had no success. Soon, he returned to the endless falling. Arthur remained in this state for a very long time. He forgot the duration of the falling.

It might have been a day or two since they were all trapped by the vines.

'I would have preferred a quick death instead of this torture,' he thought to himself. Arthur closed his already-shut eyes, hoping this torture would soon end. However, before he could find a moment of peace, someone called out his name. This time, there were multiple people.

"Arthur…"

"Arthur…" He heard his name from afar.

"Arthur…"

"Who is it?" he asked. The voices were trying to tell him something in gibberish. Arthur concentrated hard. Using all his strength, he opened his eyelids.

"Are you… okay?"

"Can you… sit?"

"I don't think… he will… open his eyes…"

"Arthur… Arthur… open your eyes." Arthur's eyelids parted slightly to make a small gap. A white flash of light assaulted him, swinging him sideways from his fall. Now, the sensation of falling had changed into flying sideways. He did not give up. He kept his parted eyelids in the exact same position, allowing them to get used to the flashing light. Next, he tried to move his hand. However, he could not even feel his own body. It was a strange feeling that he had never experienced before.

Arthur, however, did not rush. He simply continued to fly sideways with his eyes parted by a small gap, maintaining this state for a very long time. Meanwhile, the voices he heard before continued to echo.

'Could it be the voices of Nickolas and the team?' A thought suddenly occurred to him. Did they survive? Damn it, what is happening? Arthur was frustrated. However, he suddenly thought of a possibility. Could he summon his Skeletons now while flying? He had dismissed the Skeletons when the vines were about to engulf them whole, as there was no longer any chance to fight. He could try to summon Coburn to see if he could use it to stabilize his flight.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. He closely concentrated, willing the summon. In the next second, he established a connection with Coburn in the real world. However, he did not know if Coburn was currently flying with him as well. Hence, he quickly ordered it to grab his hand. Clack! While he was flying, something grabbed his hand. Instantly, the numb feeling in his body faded away. Now, he could sense his body.

He had stopped flying, instead floating in empty space. With his body back under his control, he could feel his eyelids. He tried to open them, and he succeeded. He completely opened his eyes, finally able to see where he was. What he expected to be empty space floating in the sky was actually a cold stone floor; he was currently laying on it. His hand was currently held by Coburn's bony fingers. Shifting his gaze, he noticed a few more figures kneeling beside him.

He could recognize a few of them, but the rest were strangers. One of the people he recognized was Nickolas. Currently, Nickolas's face was hovering directly above his own.

"Arthur, are you awake? Thank god you are finally awake," Nickolas said.

"Move aside, let him breathe freely," Susanne reprimanded.

"Arthur, are you feeling okay?" she asked. Hearing this, Arthur tried to speak. However, all he could currently do was nod his head. He tried to lift his body, but he could not do so. Even though he could feel his body parts, the sensation of falling still lingered throughout his entire body. He commanded Coburn to help him sit up. Following the command, Coburn pushed Arthur's upper body off the ground.

"How is this possible?" while Arthur tried to stabilize his body in a sitting position, someone muttered in a tone of disbelief. Arthur lifted his head to see who it was, since he could not recognize the voice. Seeing the person who spoke, Arthur became confused because it was a stranger. Before he could ask who this person was, more strangers gathered around him, constantly muttering amongst themselves.

"How could you wake up from that slumber? It is impossible," the same man asked again, directing his question at Arthur this time. However, Arthur was currently incapable of speech. He simply sat there, recovering his senses as his brain constantly made him sway sideways. The endless sensations of falling and flying from before had left his mind completely numb.

"Please, let him recover. We have plenty of time to ask questions," Susanne requested of the crowd. Arthur's mouth felt like dry land, and cracks had begun to appear on his lips. He quickly willed Bathory to appear. He still had a few provisions left, and he needed to drink some water to stabilize his body and mind. Soon, the Skeleton emerged from a magic diagram. The crowd's murmurs increased after seeing yet another Skeleton being summoned.

Arthur inwardly commanded Bathory to take out a water bottle and feed him. Following the command, it rummaged through the package and retrieved a bottle of water. The instant the water bottle was taken out, the crowd entered another round of commotion and murmuring.

"Hey, you have water. Give some to me. I haven't drunk a single drop of water for the past five days," one of the people standing at the front of the crowd ordered in a demanding tone. He quickly took a step forward, intending to snatch the water directly from the package. With great effort, Arthur shifted his gaze to see who dared to lay a hand on his package. It was a burly, middle-aged man with a greatsword strapped to his back.

However, before he could lay his hand on the package, an imposing Skeleton emerged from the ground, pointing the tip of its solid iron spear directly in front of the burly man. The man instantly halted his steps, startled by the sudden summoning of yet another Skeleton. His face quickly turned crimson with anger.

"What…" Arthur spoke his first word with great effort.

"What do you think you are doing…" he finally managed to form a sentence, his eyes locked onto the middle-aged man.