Elegy from Another World

The icy rain relentlessly lashed the forest, and the muddy ground made the escape exceptionally difficult. My fractured right leg severely slowed me down, and every movement was accompanied by the subtle friction of my dislocated bones. Fortunately, my body transformed what should have been excruciating pain into a strange, blush-inducing surge of pleasure, preventing me from fainting from the agony and allowing me to remain conscious and continue this desperate escape.

I used water magic to create a wet yet strong rope, which I used to barely secure my injured right leg. Then, almost crawling on the ground, I used my hands and my intact left leg to move forward through the mud and water. This posture was humiliating and strenuous, but it was indeed a little faster than hopping on one leg.

However, misfortune seemed unwilling to let me go so easily. In the darkness, I lost my footing and instantly tumbled down the slippery, steep slope. In the dizzying spin, my abdomen slammed against a protruding rock, and an indescribable dull pain (or rather, some kind of twisted, intense stimulation) exploded within me. My vision went black, and I completely lost consciousness.

When I regained consciousness, the blinding sunlight replaced the cold, damp rain. I struggled to sit up from the mud, coughing violently, blood with a metallic taste gushing from my mouth. Internal injuries—the thought surfaced clearly. In the past, such a severe injury would have been fatal, but now, I felt not fear, but an almost manic joy. I looked down at my abdomen, where the bruises were visibly fading, and the internal "pain" was receding like a tide.

Immortality! This is no exaggeration! Severe injuries can heal themselves in a short time, which means that as long as I am not completely destroyed in an instant, I am immortal! Overjoyed, I checked my right leg. Although the fracture has recovered to some extent, it is clear that the bone will take longer to heal, and I can still only move around by dragging this leg.

I looked around and found many messy footprints. It seemed that the bandits had indeed tracked me here. They probably saw the blood I had vomited and my gruesome state of unconsciousness, and concluded that I was too badly injured to be "reclaimed," which is why they didn't take me back. This "luck" was based on my abnormal physical condition.

For the next few days, I struggled forward in one direction. My provisions ran out quickly, but the hunger seemed to be somewhat masked or transformed by the "constantly burning" state, replaced by a yearning for some more primal need. When a wide river appeared before me, I almost wept with joy. Not only because I had found water, but also because I could finally wash away the mud and grime, and—see myself clearly.

I stumbled to the riverbank and leaned down to look at the water. Amidst the ripples, an unfamiliar face gradually came into focus. Sure enough, it was just like the most classic isekai setting I'd imagined: a face of a near-perfect anime girl. Her long, golden hair, even stained with dirt, couldn't hide its luster; her pale yellow skin was smooth and delicate; and her azure eyes were like the purest gemstones. But what was most striking was that, deep within those blue pupils, was a tiny, yet clearly visible, pale blue heart symbol, like some kind of mysterious mark.

I stepped into the river; the water was icy cold, but my "eternally burning" body felt almost no chill, only the sensation of water flowing over my skin. I carefully washed my body and long hair, and at the same time, I clearly felt that the fire of desire originating from the depths of my soul had not diminished with the washing of the water; on the contrary, it seemed to intensify as my body cleansed and my mind relaxed. My thoughts began to become viscous and ambiguous, the boundaries of reason gradually blurring, and sometimes I would even uncontrollably fall into a drowsy "sleep" state for several hours, my body spontaneously seeking some kind of comfort to barely maintain control.

I had to find civilization as soon as possible. With my remaining knowledge of wilderness survival, I trekked upstream along the river. A few days later, as the setting sun painted the sky orange-red, wisps of smoke finally rose in the distance—a small village nestled against the mountains and beside the river appeared on the horizon.