This is bad.
[MP: 37/65]
Not enough MP for many more edits
My eyes swept the road, looking for anything I could exploit.
The carriage. The horses. The forest on both sides. The scattered weapons from the fallen bandits.
Think. What can I edit that changes the entire situation?
Then I saw it.
The carriage horses were already nervous from the commotion, ears pinned back, shifting their weight anxiously.
If I could push them over the edge...
[Target: Horse stress level]
[Change: 65/100 → 95/100]
Both horses suddenly reared, eyes rolling white with panic. They threw their weight against the harnesses, pulling the carriage violently.
The driver, still standing nearby, dove out of the way.
The carriage lurched forward, directly toward the cluster of bandits.
"Move!" Garl shouted.
They scattered, their careful formation breaking as they dove aside to avoid being trampled.
I used the chaos.
Sprinted toward the forest edge, putting distance between myself and the bandits.
"Don't let him escape!" Garl roared.
Two bandits peeled off to chase me, one with a sword, one with a crude spear.
I crashed into the underbrush, branches whipping at my face. My lungs burned, injured arm throbbed.
The bandits were faster, more experienced in rough terrain, getting closer.
I turned my head and focused on a low-hanging thick branch directly in the lead bandit's path.
[Change: 1.7m → 1.4m height]
The branch dropped just as the sword-wielding bandit reached it.
Crack!
It caught him across the forehead, his momentum carrying him straight into it. He went down hard, unconscious or stunned.
But the spearman was still coming, and I was running out of forest to retreat into.
I spun to face him.
The spearman thrust forward—
I executed an Angle Shift, pivoting away from the attack and coming in from his blind side.
My blade caught his arm, drawing blood. He cursed and stumbled back.
But he didn't go down.
And now we were in close quarters.
The spearman advanced again, testing my defenses with short jabs.
I parried, deflected, tried to create an opening.
But he was not falling for feints.
And I could hear more bandits crashing through the underbrush, coming to support him.
This isn't going to work.
I needed—
Then a desperate idea formed.
Risky. Possibly stupid. But I was out of better options.
I focused on my own perception of time.
Not actually slowing time, that would cost MP I didn't have and probably require way higher MC.
But I could edit my own neural processing speed. Make my brain work faster, perceive incoming attacks with more clarity.
Dangerous. Messing with my own body's systems could backfire.
But—
[Target: Host neural processing speed]
[Change: Normal → Enhanced (120%)]
[Warning: Prolonged use may cause neural strain]
The world... shifted.
Not slower, exactly. But clearer. The spearman's movements became more readable, I could see the micro-adjustments in his stance before he committed to attacks, track the tension in his muscles.
His next thrust came at what felt like a manageable speed.
I deflected with a Parry, the counter-strike landing cleanly on his wrist.
His spear dropped.
I followed with a rising strike that caught him under the chin with the sword's pommel.
He went down.
[Neural Processing: Enhanced state active]
[Duration remaining: 45 seconds before strain]
Had to make it count.
I turned and sprinted back toward the road, my enhanced perception making the navigation through underbrush significantly easier.
Emerging back to the road, I saw the bandits regrouping. The panicked horses had bolted, taking the carriage with them down the road. The driver was gone, probably ran during the chaos.
Garl saw me and his expression twisted with rage. "Enough games. Kill him. NOW."
All four charged at once.
I could read their attack patterns, see the openings, execute counters with precision I'd never managed before.
Parry the first sword strike. Pivot away from the axe. Duck under the club swing. Counter-thrust catches someone's shoulder.
But there were four of them and one of me.
And enhanced perception didn't make me faster or stronger, just more aware.
Which meant I saw the club coming at my ribs but couldn't quite avoid it entirely.
Thud!
Pain exploded through my side. Probably cracked a rib.
Saw the sword coming at my head. Barely deflected it.
Axe coming low. Jumped back.
Not far enough.
The blade caught my calf, opening a gash.
"Argh!" My leg buckled. Blood soaked into my boot.
[Enhanced Perception: 20 seconds remaining]
Garl pressed the attack.
Every one of my parries was desperate now. Reactive instead of controlled.
This is it.
I am going to die on this forest road.
All the training, all the preparation, all the goddamn survival instinct that had kept me alive through poisoning and family abuse...
Going to end because of bad luck and nine bandits.
The irony was almost funny.
Garl's knife slipped past my guard, heading straight for my throat.
But then—
THUD!
An arrow sprouted from his shoulder.
He screamed, stumbling back.
"WHAT—"
More arrows followed.
One caught the axe wielder in the leg. Another hit the club-swinger in the chest.
The remaining bandits scattered, running for the forest.
I collapsed to my knees.
[Enhanced Perception: Ended]
[Neural Strain: Moderate]
I groaned as pain exploded behind my eyes. My vision swam. Nausea rolled through my gut.
Side effect of the neural edit. Should have expected that.
Though through the pain-haze, I saw figures emerging from the forest. Five people in traveling gear, one with a bow, others with various weapons.
"Check the boy," a woman's voice commanded. "Make sure he's alive."
Footsteps approached. Someone knelt beside me.
"He's breathing. Injured but stable."
"Lucky we came along," another voice said. "Few more minutes and he'd have been dead."
Lucky. Yeah. That's one word for it.
I tried to speak, but my mouth wouldn't cooperate.
The world tilted sideways.
Someone caught me before I hit the ground.
"Easy, kid. You're safe now."
Safe.
What a strange concept.
My eyes slid closed, consciousness fading.
The last thing I thought before darkness took me was...
The academy examination is tomorrow.
And I can barely stand.
Perfect.
Then nothing.