Cries for help, interspersed with groans of pain, came intermittently from the southeast.
And as if hearing the rustling in the grass here, the groans suddenly grew louder, filled with obvious urgency and hope.
Murphy sneered inwardly. 'Quite bold, aren't they?'
Instead of quieting down upon hearing a noise, they deliberately raised their voice. It seemed they were truly desperate, forced to risk everything on a single gamble.
But what did that have to do with him?
Murphy hadn't forgotten how that follower had berated him during the recruitment test: "Worthless trash! Who said you could touch the training equipment?"
The contempt in his tone was still fresh in Murphy's memory.
'And now that he's in danger, he expects me to save him? What a joke.'
Besides, with his current strength, he could barely protect himself. How could he have the spare energy to save someone he had a grudge against in such a perilous environment?
With this in mind, Murphy prepared to turn and leave without hesitation.
Just then.
[O Seeker, adrift in the mortal world, fate manifests before you two vastly different paths to the heavens.]
[Option 1: Follow the sound. You will find a Martial Artist lying in a pool of blood, both legs crippled and unable to move. You then take branches to splint his injuries and apply medicinal herbs to his wounds. The Martial Artist, showing remorse, confesses his past transgressions and offers to recommend you to Lingyun Pavilion to become an Entry-Level Disciple and practice Martial Arts.]
[Reward: Breathing and Guiding Technique "Slightly Accomplished"]
[Option 2: Approach stealthily and find the Martial Artist on the brink of death. Recalling past humiliations, you realize that if a grudge is to be settled, why wait ten years? This desolate mountain wilderness is the perfect opportunity to end the feud.]
[Reward: Breathing and Guiding Technique "Initial Glimpse"]
'Good! Good! Good!'
'It seems even the heavens want you dead!'
Having experienced these choices twice now, Murphy understood that this Immortal Cultivation System was his personal safety radar.
During the execution of an option, there shouldn't be any unexpected accidents beyond what was described.
Moreover, Option 2 would succeed as long as he gave it his all.
Of course, if he didn't risk his life, he would fail.
Unlike the recruitment test, this time, if he failed against Tommy Han, death would very likely be waiting for him.
But was Murphy afraid?
If this had been right after he first transmigrated, he would have been terrified, perhaps even too scared to make a choice at all.
But the man he was now was a far cry from the person he had been back then.
Besides, the timing of the system's options was always uncertain. What if the next mission, like the one before, required a full year to complete? Wouldn't that be a whole year of wasted time?
More importantly, he didn't want to experience the humiliation from Carter again, nor did he want to relive the despair of last night, when all he could do was flee helplessly.
After everything he had been through, Murphy had come to understand one truth: in this world, you either get strong, or you remain forever at the mercy of others.
Since the heavens had given him this chance, since the system was guiding him down this Path, what was there to hesitate about?
Rather than just barely surviving, it was better to risk it all!
Thinking this, Murphy took a deep breath and walked with determined strides toward the source of the sound.
...
Waves of excruciating pain washed over him. Tommy Han leaned against the rough trunk of an ancient tree, every breath tugging at the wounds in his legs.
His legs, once as swift as flight on the training grounds, now had two broken arrows sticking out of them.
The images of last night's escape were still vivid in his mind. He had initially relied on his years of experience to weave nimbly through the dense forest, thinking he had shaken his pursuers.
But just as he paused to catch his breath, a two-meter-tall suit of Activated Armor suddenly emerged from the shadows of the trees.
A suit of Activated Armor of this size might be nothing to an Official Knight, but for a follower like him, it was a deadly threat.
The Activated Armor fired its longbow in rapid succession, arrows whistling through the air as they flew toward him.
Tommy Han swung his sword to parry, but each impact sent a numbing shock through his arm.
Just as he was growing weary of fending it off, the suit of Activated Armor inexplicably stopped its pursuit.
The moment Tommy Han breathed a sigh of relief, the Activated Armor drew its bow again, and two cold arrows, one after the other, precisely pierced both of his legs.
Tommy Han clearly remembered the CRACK of the arrows piercing his bones, and the excruciating pain that followed.
Now, he sat leaning against the tree, his clothes soaked with cold sweat.
As an experienced follower, he knew all too well.
With injuries like these, it was absolutely impossible for him to get out of the Twilight Mountain Range alive on his own.
Even without the Activated Armor, this forest was still teeming with wild beasts and other unknown dangers.
His survival instinct drove him to keep crying for help, even though every shout courted danger.
Just a moment ago, he had keenly detected a rustling in the nearby grass.
Relying on the sharp hearing he had honed through years of training, he was certain it was the sound of human footsteps. Perhaps a surviving follower, a surviving groom, or even a hunter from the mountains.
But right now, no matter who it was, they represented his only hope for survival.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Tommy Han raised the volume of his cries.
He knew this might attract other dangers, but it was his only choice.
Just then, the bushes in the forest were gently pushed aside, and a figure slowly walked out.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the person's face, but Tommy Han recognized him at a single glance.
It was Murphy, the groom under Yor.
The reason he remembered this groom wasn't because he had once berated him, calling him "worthless trash!"
Tommy Han remembered Murphy mainly because he belonged to Yor.
As a follower who was also just a step away from becoming a Knight, Tommy Han had always kept an eye on Yor.
So, when Yor had taken Murphy in, Tommy Han had extinguished any thoughts of retaliation.
As for worrying that Murphy might seek revenge after becoming a groom? The very idea was laughable.
He was a high and mighty follower, while Murphy was nothing but a lowly groom.
Over the years, he had humiliated countless grooms; when had he ever seen one dare to retaliate?
In this world, it had long since become an unspoken rule for superiors to casually humiliate their inferiors.
Not every world, not even every nation, could produce the cry, "Are kings and nobles born to their station?"
Once this concept of hierarchy became a deeply ingrained rule, so-called humiliation became a matter of course.
Even those who were humiliated often felt it was only natural and would never entertain the thought of revenge.
Because of this, Tommy Han, as a follower, had never given Murphy a second thought, even though he was a rather outstanding groom.
He had long since forgotten about such a trivial matter.
Now, watching Murphy approach calmly, Tommy Han actually felt a trace of relief. At least it wasn't a wild beast or an enemy.
"Murphy!"
Tommy Han endured the intense pain and barked in his usual commanding tone, "Quick, carry me on your back and get me out of this place!"
His voice, though weak from pain, was still filled with an unquestionable arrogance, as if ordering this groom around was the most natural thing in the world.
Murphy stopped, bowed slightly, and replied in a respectful tone, "Yes, Lord Tommy Han."
He stepped forward but didn't immediately crouch down. Instead, he wore a troubled expression, his gaze sweeping over the Armor on Tommy Han's body.
Murphy's voice was filled with genuine difficulty. "My lord, the Chain Armor you're wearing, plus this Leather Armor... it's all just too heavy. With my strength, I really can't carry you. If we continue like this, I'm afraid neither of us will make it out of the Twilight Mountain Range."
He paused, lowering his head, but his tone was unusually clear. "I implore you, my lord, to remove your Armor for now. Otherwise, neither of us is going anywhere."
Hearing this, Tommy Han's brow furrowed. Murphy was right.
This heavy suit of armor was normally his protection, but now, it had become a burden to his escape.
Without a horse, a single groom truly couldn't carry such a weight through the dangerous mountain forest.
'But a Knight's armor is his life...'
"You're right..."
Tommy Han said, panting heavily, "Quick, help me take it off."