"I think I'm about to throw up."
Who would have thought that being a ragdoll around the room through learning swordsmanship would be my biggest regret upon coming into this world?
I could feel sweat dripping down my—well, everything—as I lay there like a starfish on the training ground's floor. The sword that was supposed to be in my hand plunged deep into the wall of the training ground.
Though all the injuries I receive are self-inflicted, would it kill somebody to go easy on me on my first practice battle?
"Um..."—My ever-greatest decision approaches my limped figure before crouching down, her voice faltering slightly as she looks me in the eyes.
"I did warn you about my skill level beforehand, " she said as she took my hand and pulled me up into a sitting position with ease. Instead of looking like the mess that I am right now, she still looks like she just walked out of a salon with only a few strands of hair out of place, and not like she just flicked my sword through the wall MULTIPLE times.
I could almost strangle her for saying that, but let's not resort to violence just because I underestimated the power level of someone I met by chance, especially a side character in a book.
"Ahhhhhh..." I managed to let out a low whine as I accepted the water canteen she passed over, feeling grateful. In the background, I could even hear the knight commander laughing as I chugged the water.
How did things turn out this way?
Is my decision-making ability really that awful, or is this a good thing? I have no idea at this point.
Let's rewind a bit to show what led up to this scene; I'm getting ahead of myself.
***
For now, my name from the past is irrelevant, so let's not touch on that.
I have always dreamt of being a professional scriptwriter after junior high. It is just exhilarating to see, create, and visualize a whole different world where I can see everything with the tip of my pen.
The idea of being a god controlling the story and fate of different NPCs and characters doesn't fall under my scope of interest(though it does sound rather enticing:33). Still, I like placing myself in other roles and fully emerging in the minds of those I created, experiencing all of their up and downs with all the twists and turns of fate.
My dream began as a tiny seedling, growing larger with time. My family dismissed my aspirations and eventually kicked me out of the house, saying that I'm ruining my future by chasing a half-baked ambition.
Undeterred and unwilling to give up, I worked hard year after year, pushing my limits to earn a scholarship to a renowned private university in the state. Coming from a low-income household, I took on part-time jobs late into the night to afford tuition after my scholarship ended, in case I couldn't secure another. I was determined to give it my all to achieve my goal.
"All our dreams can come true if we dare to pursue them."
"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness."
"If you can dream it, you can do it."
"Hard work pays off if you're patient enough to see it through the"
What a load of bullsh** !!!
The scholarship that I aimed for was taken away by another student who used their parent's connection to secure the spot for it.
Different professors who teach my class also brought up the topic to me. The people who snatched the scholarship from my hand never even reached the top 100 scorers with their results and took the scholarship for the sake of having a pretty profile.
They were even mocking the other students who failed the test on the school website without facing any consequences for it.
All of the students could only keep silent for fear of expulsion because a few people had tried intervening, which resulted in them getting kicked out, fired, or even charged for a crime they didn't commit.
Money and power are scary things.
Saying that I was devastated at that point is an understatement. I struggle to get any shut-eye for days before I can sort out my anger. The school advisor could only help out by giving me a suggestion for places to find reasonably paying jobs to cover the tuition fee for the next few years.
And oh boy am I working my ass off.
Teaching assistant, tutoring, coffee shop waitress, babysitting,... I worked day and night to be able to live from paycheck to paycheck while keeping up with the tuition debt.
***
The door creaked as I entered the small apartment at midnight, closing the door behind me. My tired body could barely drag itself on foot to the lonely mattress in the corner with a dirty blanket messily draped over it.
I plopped down tiredly on the stiff surface, looking at the white ceiling as a frosty breath escaped my nose, blurring the world for a moment.
'Taking on four jobs for the sake of my future is a fair price to pay.'- I mentally cheered, not entirely convinced.
I take out the phone from my pocket, tapping on the broken screen of the old device, ignoring the rumble in my stomach asking for food. The screen glows brightly in the dark, empty room.
Several notifications popped up as I held back the tired sigh from work, and money-related texts have been popping up nonstop since this morning. I slowly scroll through the jumble of unimportant messages and answer them one by one.
*Ding* A notice popped up, the multiple cracks blocking the top half of the screen made it difficult to see the notification.
~ Internetstory: The story "Flower of Eden" has been updated to Vol. 7 Chapter 23. Come and read the latest update (≧▽≦) ~
Reading web novels is a habit that started when I discovered the Internet and its bountiful materials for creation. I couldn't stop reading, but now I don't even have much time to eat, much less take time to relax.
"Flower of Eden" is one of the series that I have picked up lately to relieve some stress during the break period of classes. It is a story with detailed world-building and an engaging storyline that makes you keep coming back for more.
I have only gotten through over half of the updated chapters up to the beginning of Vol. 6 until now. Upon reflex, I push on it as the blinding white screen turns into the familiar homepage with a dark background.
- I guess... one chapter won't hurt.
Every thought of reality got shoved to the side, placing my full attention on the novel. After realising that my disconnected memory has made me forget most of the names and plot points, I decided to refresh the story plot in my memory by going back a few chapters or maybe volumes to remind myself how far the story has progressed.
One chapter turns into two, two turn into ten. The number only increased as my hand kept scrolling when I decided to reread from the beginning because many details in Vol. 6 are related to past references, hints, and hidden plots from the first three volumes. By the time I got back to Vol. 6, my sleepiness had won over.
The phone fell out of my hand and landed on the mattress with a light bounce as my vision gradually grew blurry. Darkness consumed my sight as my mind fell into a deep slumber.
'I guess I'll continue reading tomorrow, it is a free day after all.' That was my last thought as my consciousness slipped away.
***
Strangely enough, I awoke to see a dark space all around me. My body suddenly felt hot, and a burning sensation spread from my core, numbing my mind. The abrupt fever raged violently, burning me alive. I could feel the sweat trickling down my forehead and down the mattress below. A pained groan escaped my lips as I tried to move my body, which felt like it was getting weighed down by bricks.
A soft hand touched my forehead as cooling energy flowed into my body, slowly but steadily repressing the scorching heat.
" She should be fine after drinking the medication. "- My body slowly cooled down as I listened to the calming voice that seemed to belong to the hand on my head.
Did the apartment manager find me and take me to the hospital? But this voice doesn't seem like hers, maybe it is the doctor? I tried to pry my eyes but my eyelid had never felt so heavy.
"Thank you %∆¢#¶£, I am..., no, we are forever indebted to you "- A hoarse voice rang from a second figure at the bedside, placing their hand on mine. The first mysterious voice pulled up the thin sheet to cover my body.
They sat down on the mattress next to me, dipping it slightly, and stayed silent for a moment. The two figures didn't make me feel alarmed at all. Their presence felt strangely comforting. The hand on my head patted softly, putting me back into a deep slumber.
***
I slowly sit up from her bed, stretching my body before letting out a groan of satisfaction. I have never felt so refreshed waking up from her sleep. The comfortable mattress and fluffy pillows might be the reason for this, since my hands were still wrapping themselves around it, drowning in the comfortable embrace of the bedding. It must be a good sign of fortune. Patting down my messy hair, small fingers making it hard to... Wait, what?
An ominous feeling washes over her, and she quickly rubs her blurry eyes to get a clearer look at the surroundings. The feverish haze slowly cleared out of her vision.
A medieval European-style room with sophisticated decorations and a shining marbled floor, yet filled with a heavy medicinal smell. On the bedside table lay a basin of water, and the damp towel fell flatly on the ground, having been knocked down by me in the effort to fall back asleep.
The neatly arranged line of pillows next to her is in a state of slight disarray as a result of her twisting and turning as she refused to wake up just moments ago.
She let out a heavy breath as she took in the sight, which was heaven and earth compared to the usual broken-down apartment that could barely contain two grown adults, let alone store daily necessities.
'Where in the hell is this place?!'
Her mind was running miles trying to make sense of this situation, questions rapidly being thrown around in her mind, trying to recall what she was doing the night before.
This is going to be a huge problem.