To Alligator and the others, Chris was not just their leader-he was their everything. Without Chris, they wouldn’t have the lives they had today. It was Chris who had pulled every single one of them, including Alligator and Tiger, out of obscurity and given them purpose.
Now that Chris was missing, the group made a collective vow: no matter what, they would find him. If Chris were truly dead, they swore to avenge him at all costs by killing Daniel Williams.
Lynx glanced at the group and said, “We’ve searched everywhere we could, but there’s still no sign of the boss. Based on the river’s current, if he fell in, he could have been carried hundreds of kilometers downstream.”
Alligator shook his head. “Hundreds of kilometers is too far, but we have no choice. Starting tomorrow, we’ll keep searching along the river. We won’t stop until we find the boss!”
—
Meanwhile, hundreds of kilometers away from Middleton, in a quiet and picturesque mountain village, life was peaceful. The village, surrounded by the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers, was a secluded haven. Its residents were busy working in the fields when a sudden scream shattered the tranquility.
“Ah!”
A villager pointed toward the river. A man was drifting downstream, carried by the current.
Dozens of villagers rushed to the riverbank to investigate. This remote village, nearly cut off from the outside world, wasn’t used to such disturbances. The appearance of a man floating in their river caused a stir.
Several men waded into the water and pulled the unconscious man onto the shore.
“This is bad-he’s seriously injured!”
“He’s still breathing! He’s alive!”
The villagers examined him with curiosity and concern. Who was this man? Why had he drifted down the river in such a state?
“What are you all standing around for? Take him to Dr. Raymond!”
“Yes! Quickly! If we don’t, he’ll die!”
The villagers hurriedly carried the unconscious man to Dr. Raymond’s clinic.
Dr. Raymond was the village’s only doctor, a mysterious figure who had moved there over a decade ago. No one knew where he came from, but his medical skills were extraordinary. Whether it was a fever or a serious illness, Dr. Raymond’s treatments were almost always effective. Over time, he gained a reputation as a miracle worker, and the villagers revered him as a godlike figure.
When they arrived at his wooden clinic, the villagers shouted, “Dr. Raymond! Are you home? Someone is seriously injured-come quickly!”
After a moment, the wooden door creaked open, and a young woman, about eighteen years old, stepped out. She was strikingly beautiful, with an air of calm maturity.
“My grandfather is out gathering herbs in the mountains,” she said. “What’s happened?”
“Ellis, you have to help! A man floated downstream-he’s badly injured and might die if we don’t act quickly!”
Ellis, Dr. Raymond’s granddaughter, had learned much about medicine from her grandfather. Though her skills weren’t as advanced as his, she was still an accomplished healer.
She knelt beside the man and began inspecting his wounds. His injuries were severe, with deep knife wounds across his body. On top of that, his prolonged exposure to the water had left his body weak and fragile.
Ellis couldn’t hide her astonishment. “It’s a miracle he’s still alive. Most people wouldn’t have survived injuries like these, let alone days in the water.”
Taking a deep breath, she instructed the villagers, “Bring him inside.”
The villagers carried the man into the wooden house and laid him on a bed.
“Leave him to me. I’ll do what I can,” Ellis said.
The villagers nodded and filed out, leaving Ellis alone with the patient. She carefully removed his wet, bloodied clothes and began treating his wounds.
—
A few days passed. Inside the wooden house, the man lay pale and motionless on the bed.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
He sat up, scanning the unfamiliar room. Confusion clouded his face as he muttered, “Where am I? How did I get here?”
The man was Chris. He had fallen from a cliff after being struck by Judge’s pen, narrowly avoiding death by landing in the river.
Although unconscious, the river had carried him far away, and he had ultimately been rescued by the villagers and brought to this secluded place.
“Someone must have saved me,” Chris murmured with a faint, bitter smile.
He recalled the battle that had brought him here. The three assassins had joined forces against him. Though he had managed to kill Alice, Judge’s strength had overwhelmed him, sending him plummeting off a cliff.
Chris clenched his fists. His eyes burned with fury. “I survived this time, but when I return, Judge and Kameda Taro will pay with their lives!”
He surveyed the simple wooden house, noting its sparse furnishings.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Chris looked up to see a young woman entering the room. She was the same girl who had treated him-Ellis.
“You’re awake!” Ellis exclaimed, her face lighting up with relief. “Wait here-I’ll get you some water.”
She returned moments later with a bowl of water, which Chris drank eagerly.
“Thank you,” he said.
Ellis smiled. “You’re welcome. My name is Ellis. This is Peace Village. The villagers found you in the river and brought you here. You were badly injured-most people wouldn’t have survived. But your body is… unusual. Your recovery is astonishing-almost unbelievable.”
Chris frowned. “Unusual?”
He had long noticed that his body healed far faster than normal. After reading a letter left by his mentor, Archer Wintersong, he had learned the truth: he was an Aragosti, just like the legendary Lord Dragon from centuries past.
Though Chris didn’t fully understand what being an Aragosti meant, he suspected that his extraordinary healing abilities were connected to it.
“How long was I unconscious?” he asked.
“A week,” Ellis replied.
“A week?” Chris was stunned. He hadn’t realized he had been out for so long.
His thoughts immediately turned to the people he had left behind. What had happened to Esther? Had Tiger and the others been searching for him?