Becoming Legend

"Hey, hey."

Ned hurriedly ran over to Katolin, his boots scrape the dry ground. If at first, she was running out of blood, then this time, she ran out of air, and her mana was constantly leaking.

Upon reaching. With all of Ned's strength, what he did first was to try to rip apart the remaining threads wrapping her neck. But to no avail, added with him in a state of surprise, the threads stayed intact over her neck.

Ned then saw the broken Butterfly right beside Katolin's body. Although faint, the broken Butterfly emits green light. But Ned's thought brushed it off and reached for the Butterfly and hurriedly, but precisely, cut the threads.

The thread snapped right after the tip of the broken Butterfly sliced through it.

Shards of crystals under her body, and soil, and rocks. Liquid draining from Ned's body.

Ned tilted his head closer to Katolin's chest. She was warm, but not too warm as how living creatures should be. Leaning his ear to her chest, Ned heard a faint dub-dub sound. But it was not the kind of sound that emits by the living. It was the sound of a life about to end. Ned's eye narrowed. He should have been smiling hearing her heart, but instead, he clicked his tongue. He needs to hurry.

Katolin wasn't a friend, nor a companion, nor a family, but she got life. And life was Ned all about, ever since he grew up with his master and knowing his past, he never took life again. Not even once. He doesn't want for someone to die. Particularly in front of him.

Ned grabbed Katolin's wrist. He frowned. No pulse.

Ned checked again, this time he focused. Trying to be oblivious of the noises around him.

"There," Ned said. Feeling the pulse on her wrist. It was faint, and slow, and dying.

"Think, think," he said under his hurried breath. "ICE. Can I give her my mana? Will it work?"

Time is running, but Ned had to ask. He needed to make sure that Katolin wouldn't be burden by his mana.

Mana was like blood. Some were compatible, others weren't. If he injected his mana into Katolin and if it wasn't compatible, Ned would cause more harm than save.

[Possible.]

[But you need to make sure.]

[Give her air first. Even if you two are compatible with mana but if she can't absorb it, it is still useless.]

"Air, air." Ned puffed his chest.

Without giving much of a thought, Ned blew air in Katolin's mouth. He pulled his head up. Inhaled air, and blew at her once again. This process came three times until Ned shook his head in finality.

Katolin's not breathing. No matter how Ned tried, she rejected Ned's air.

But Ned wasn't the one to give up easily. So instead, Ned rests his hand between her breasts. And guided his mana to reach for the tip of his fingers and to Katolin.

Katolin laid on the ground like a puppet cut with strings, and having lost her master.

Even after Ned injected his mana, she rejected them. Her body was rejecting Ned's mana.

Yet, Ned kept on injecting her mana even though his mana pool was depleting tremendously.

Ned was almost at his limit. He shook his head, and shrugged, and stopped injecting his mana. Aside from liquid, beads of sweat formed over his forehead.

"I'm sorry," Ned said. "I'm late. Leaving you was a mistake, I'm sorry. If only I listened enough."

Sorrow met Ned but no tears formed at the tip of his eyes. It's not that he wasn't affected, but simply because, he couldn't cry. He had enough of people leaving him, that sometimes, crying wasn't even a part of it.

Ned looked at the dying Katolin. His hand touching her wrist. Her pulse was weak, and Ned couldn't do much about it. He tried. Giving her air, and mana. It didn't work.

Now, Ned on his knees must wait. Wait for the adventurous arachne to fell with her last breath.

"Maybe," Ned said as his eyes wandered the face of Katolin. Her face was rather imposing with her thorns. "Maybe if we're on the surface, you could be saved, Katolin. Maybe you have anticipated all these. But this isn't right. This wasn't how you should die. Be it humans or beasts, you're not supposed to give up—"

Ned jerked from his thought. His eyes swept the surrounding around him and Katolin. Precisely, his eyes swept looking for the Butterfly.

There, beside Katolin, the broken Butterfly shimmering with a faint light. But Ned wasn't just after the Butterfly.

He crawled and reached for the sword.

[Ned.]

But before Ned could reach the broken Butterfly, ICE's voice resounded in his mind. Surprised, and panic was hinted in her voice. But she was a system, and she could barely do anything to stop Ned from what he was about to do.

[Stop it, Ned.]

This was the first time Ned heard ICE's voice in panic. She was supposed to be calm, she was supposed to be Ned's logical backup. But now, all thoughts of her being calm were lost.

"I will try to save her, please."

This was also the first time, after the incident about his Master, that Ned tried to beg for someone. And it was his system that he was asking.

"I have to do this."

Ned grasped the hilt of the broken Butterfly, then threw himself back beside Katolin.

After he used up his mana, Ned was left with almost down to zero. His head started to spin. Even the thick mana around him wasn't enough to make himself better. Still, he must try.

Ned knelt beside the female arachne. Butterfly on his right, and empty hand on his left.

"This better work."

Ned raised the broken Butterfly and pointed the tip to his empty hand. He must be quick, and precise.

Ned gritted his teeth and with a swoosh, he attempted to stab his left hand.

Midway, his arms stopped, his body stopped. Like time stopped itself, Ned didn't move. Not that he didn't, but he couldn't.

An inch more before the tip of the sword reached his hand.

"D-don't," Ned said. His struggle produced veins from both his forehead and jaw like spiderwebs. "D-don't do this… s-she nee… s-save!"

[I will not let you, Ned.]