Regret

'What happened?'

My eyes opened slowly as I felt the cool rocky floor of the cavern pressed against my face. I felt lightheaded as I woke up next to the stone pedestal that had the Combat Manual but now just had a piece of paper with some writing on it.

'Everything feels... clearer?'

I wasn't sure how to describe it, but everything felt so much more detailed. The colors of the world appeared more vibrant and the scents that I could smell felt sharper. Even looking outside the cave, I could see faraway objects with surprising detail.

==============================================

Learnt Ishikawa Bow Art (★★★★★)

Added to Combat Arts

Reward has been bestowed for using an original copy of manual.

==============================================

'A reward?'

I didn't expect this, but I think I have an idea as to what the reward was.

========= Basic Status ===========

Name: Ajax

Age: 16

Species: Vessel (Incomplete)

Completion percent: 1%

Attributes: Dark, Wind

Rank: G+

Strength: G-

Agility: G+

Constitution: G+

Perception: F

Mana capacity: G+

==========================

My perception stat had raised by two whole sub ranks by simply using a Combat Manual? Even if it was ranked at five stars, this kind of change was unprecedented.

Bringing my right hand up to my face, I realized that the liquid that I had felt trickling down my eyes were not tears but blood. Backlash from experience such drastic change suddenly and the headache was probably from an overload of information caused by the thousands of pages being absorbed.

However, right now I could only access what felt like the first page of the one thousand which simply taught me the proper form and technique for basic archery.

I could already tell that raising the mastery of this Combat Art would take a lot of time but what came first was getting out of this danger zone and getting a bow and arrow to practice with.

Getting up, I took out a water bottle from my bag, using it to wash my face and left hand to remove the blood. I then used a cloth rag to wipe my face and bandaged the cuts on my left palm.

However, before leaving I decided to look at the parchment paper that was placed behind the manual. The writing on it was in Jōmon, the language commonly used in the Cerezo Empire, but I could understand and began reading.

' 2nd March 20 EM

The emperor has commanded us to remain in position and keep fighting till the very end.

I would be beheaded for saying this, but he is a fool because in reality the war is already lost. The men of steel are numerous and difficult to kill, especially their leader Adonis Steele, I question if that man is even mortal.

I will obey the emperors command and fight to my death because I am too much of a coward to live.

I cannot bear to live with what I have done, how many young men, sons and husbands I have guided to an early grave. If there is a hell then I am certain that I will be going there and for that I have no regrets, I deserve to be punished for what I have done.

My only regret is not being able to see my son Yun ever again. Although he never said it, I knew he never wanted to be a warrior, he hated killing and considered all life sacred, but I forced him. I forced him to become a warrior and now ravens feed at his corpse.

I write this to be at peace with myself as I head into my final battle, to leave something behind after my death as is the wish of all foolish and selfish old men.

To the wounded fledgling warrior reading this, I hope that my life's work is of more use to you then it was to me. I hope that you can protect yourself with this, so that your father may not have the misfortune of outliving their child.'

The end of the parchment paper was covered with marks of water droplets, what were undoubtedly the tears of a father mourning his son.

The fact that this Combat Art was used to slaughter hundreds of innocents was even more disturbing now. I had prevented that future, but I also had selfish reasons for using this Combat Manual.

It would seem that the Combat Manual would never be used for its intended purpose after all.

'!'

Almost as if the parchment paper knew that I had finished reading, it burst into flame and the dried-up paper was mostly consumed by flames before I could do anything to put it out.

Now, there truly was nothing in the cave and I decided to leave, being in the cave simply stirred up feelings of guilt and doubt.

Running back, I used my enhanced perception to scan the terrain for threats. Flying serpents provided no challenge as I could see them from quite far away and was able to avoid them with ease.

I began closing in on the location of my first fight, I was going to take a slight detour to avoid the area, but I saw something very strange a couple of meters away.

'A lone Mephit?'

They were beasts that usually travelled in groups of at least 2, seeing just one was unusual.

It also seemed to be afraid of something, it constantly looked behind itself as it flew on alert for something approaching, which made it completely oblivious to my presence behind a rocky pillar.

Seeming satisfied that there was no one around, it cupped it hands around its mouth to amplify its voice.

'No!'

That was the motion Mephits did before calling for reinforcements, I couldn't allow for it to complete the call and dashed out of my hiding place.

Appearing behind it, I grabbed its horn with my left hand and pulled it backwards to interrupt the call and startling it.

I made a deep cut with the knife, slitting its throat before it could react as blood and a piece of the creature's larynx spewed out as it made gurgling noises as blood filled up its mouth.

I kicked the lifeless body forward, to prevent more blood from getting on my clothes and quickly retreated to my hiding place.

The Mephit was clearly afraid of something, proceeding carelessly would get me killed and so I waited for a few seconds.

After a few seconds I saw something approaching at breakneck speed that would have been difficult to sense without my enhanced perception.

*WHOOSH*

A violent breeze blew by as a large figure now stood over the fresh corpse of the Mephit, about 2 meters tall while on all fours with blue green fur covering the entirety of its body and razor-sharp claws and fangs was a Windstepper Hound.