Through Unknowns

Chang Xiuying felt the temperature was getting colder. The walls formed a swirl at its center as if its being sucked by a black hole. Her vision contorted, and she felt an immense headache.

Suddenly, she saw an infinite chasm engulfing the place. She reached out her hand; it was identical to her palm in her previous life on Earth. She took on the appearance of a 16-year-old teenager. But she has an otherworldly physiognomy and a calm ambiance. Her entire being is different as she is in another body of an unknown teen.

Her body moved on its own as she carried a 12-year-old child in her back. The boy had a dirty countenance and wearing tattered clothes. She frantically run into the narrow and dark alleyway. There were bridges connecting each of the buildings. Her body jumped and climbed like an agile monkey to each of the structures. Swinging around her body while holding onto a metal pipe and landing neatly before running again.

Things are strange as she can't control her own body. It's like she's only there as an observer and there was someone who is completely in control. But what this body is feeling, she felt it too. What this body is seeing and hearing, as well as she. This felt like as if they are one.

Chang Xiuying just surrendered and see where this situation will take her.

She frequently ask the boy: "Are you okay?"

The boy tightly hugs her neck, but is careful not to choke her and said: "As long as you're with me, I am always okay."

She nodded before increasing her speed. There were shadows that keep on chasing them, throwing knives and axes along their way of pursuit. The pursuit became dangerous as flying objects might hit the boy in her back. She ripped a part of her clothes into a wide string as she quickly transferred the boy in front of her.

She tied the 12 years old boy as the string held him in his butt and the two ends of the string were tightly wrapped around her shoulders and torso. She checked if the boy is secured and patted him on his back.

"Things will get rocky from now on. If ever you get tired, rest. The string will support you."

A dagger flew and cuts her right ear into half. She bit her lip and smiled at the boy before running again. She gently held his head as her breathing became so ragged, feeling the throbbing pain in her ear keeps on draining her energy. She needed to endure, for the sake of the child's safety in her arms.

As she keep on escaping, you will only see the child's arms and legs wrapped around her torso. Daggers and arrows were in her back, however, not even a graze landed on each of the child's limbs.

She held the ax, which is stuck on the ground, and vigorously threw it towards a dark passage. It made multiple squishing sounds before hearing the loud collision between metals.

PSSSSHHHHH!! BOOM!

Smoke came out of that passage and a loud destructive explosion came next, causing large casualties to its neighboring buildings. One of the stone walls got a huge hole in it, cracks appeared as it slowly make its way throughout the building. It slowly collapsed as it quake the land in fear, half of the pursuers got caught in it and died.

However, a sharp glint came through her way as it targeted her legs. She quickly dodged it as she run again, hoping to widen the gaps between their distance. She felt the boy's warm embrace and felt relieve. Soon, she sensed a stinging pain in her left leg but decided to ignore it. Since her priority is not her life, the life of the boy in her arms is more important than everything.

Chang Xiuying wanted to exclaim to the body that her left leg has been pierced by an arrow that you can already see the leg's veins.

The boy naturally saw this and tears keeps on flowing from his eyes, hugging her waist tightly as they run. When they got out of the large foothold, they saw a group of people camping on the black sand 658 meters away from her position. The group have large hunting weapons and hundreds of arrows resting in front of them.

She carefully observed the group and felt relieved as she knew that they are travelers. She quickly approached them and stopped behind the leader of the group.

The leader still hasn't sensed the girl behind him and keep on sharpening his saber. The ranger saw it immediately and she kicked their busy leader. "Allen, if you continued sharpening that junk... you'll get killed."

The whole group laughed as it was ridiculous that someone can enter their leader's radar without being noticed. The ranger rolled her eyes and the whole group turned towards their leader. Their faces paled as they gaped their mouth. "L-leader... behind..."

"Huh? I don't feel anything behind my back at all. What are you talking about- GAH!"

The girl heavily patted Allen in his broad shoulders that caused his armor to bent. Her force cause him enough to kneel on the ground. She casually asked: "State where are you from? Keep it short."

The whole group readied their weapon as they aimed towards the girl. But the trembling child in her embrace caused them to retreat.

"T-triggor, one of the lands in the Ancient Alketran."

"Is it far?"

"V-very. We traveled for 3 years to get here."

"Purpose?"

"D-diamond armor."

"I have a favor to... ask." As she became relieved, she relaxed her whole body and untied the child.

"Please... what is it?" Allen nervously glance around his team.

"Protect this child." She released her grasp as Allen looked at the appearance of the girl who subdued him. He became speechless to its otherworldly beauty but her condition contradicts it as wounds covered her body. The ranger covered her mouth as she saw her ear that is split in half.

Allen turned his gaze towards the ragged little child that is tightly embracing the otherworldly beauty. He raised his eyebrows and asked: "What can you do in return?"

"Diamond armor..." She glanced around and raised her hand showing 5 fingers.

The whole group sucked in a mouthful of cold air. Allen is clearly satisfied with the number of Diamond armor he's getting without facing any troubles. "5 of them? Great, I accept."

The girl shook her head. "500 Diamond armors. In return, protect this child for one week."

The whole group, especially Allen, had cold sweats in their backs. One Diamond armor is hard enough to obtain, five of them is even more harder, but 500? Impossible!

They'll take many decades just to complete a fourth of that 500. The girl's reward is simply astronomical and illogical. No one would simply give a huge amount of rare Diamond armors.

Allen smugly answered: "It's just protecting this child, right? No problem! You also need protection? I'll do it for free."

"No, I will make a diversion. After I lure them out, you have to go towards the Cave of Reflection and seek help for the one that lives there, named Quentin. He will immediately know if you show this ring to him. You will take, approximately, one week to arrive there."

She threw two rings towards Allen and said: "The red ring signifies the identity while the purple ring is your reward. However, you are only permitted by the ring to use 8 armors for your group. The rest will automatically be available after it is checked by Quentin."

The group nodded continuously as they gave the girl revered gazes. The ranger stepped in, "When will we meet after you lure someone?"

The girl readied the boy and dressed him properly, throwing the tattered clothes into the fire. Now, the boy's countenance were just below the beauty of the girl. She ruffled the boy's head and kissed his forehead gently then turned her gaze at the ranger.

"No need. I might end up dead, you have to keep moving forward to avoid suspicions. Otherwise, you'll endanger the whole group. If that happened, you will never earn your reward."

"Ah... right."

The girl cupped the boy's face, wiping his endless tears away and said: "You are the next in line for the throne. Be true and decisive, treat your subjects just as how you take care of yourself. On how to improve yourself and climbed the ladder of success, teach them too."

The boy still cried and grasps the girl's trembling hands. "Don't leave me... please, don't leave."

The girl rubbed her forehead to the boy's forehead. "Aren, you have to be strong. You don't have to pretend to be at the bottom when you are destined to be at the top."

The boy touched the warm cheek of the girl and gently caressed her injured ear. "You have to come with us. Let me heal you... you're wounded everywhere..."

"No. It would be suspicious if anything changed." She suddenly sensed a large army of people thousand meters away that is slowly approaching their location. She faced all of the members of the group and commanded, "All of you, leave immediately! The reinforcements have arrived and is slowly approaching us now. You have to avoid them by any means necessary! Protect Elodiaren with all of your might!"

She dashed forward, leaving the group behind. Elodiaren ran after her but was stopped by the ranger. The child struggled in her arms as his tears keeps on trickling down his cheeks. He continuously shouted, "No! Come back! Please no!!"

The ranger hugged him tightly. But Elodiaren trembled, "She will be killed! Save her! PLEASE! SAVE HER! She had suffered enough because of me! I can't let her die because of me! Save her! Please!!"

Allen knocked the boy unconscious and led the group towards the Cave of Reflection without looking back.

Elodiaren muttered with his crinkled brows, "Save... her."