Chronicle of a Cursed Reincarnation Chapter 15: Chapter 15

Read chapter 15 of Chronicle of a Cursed Reincarnation by mrjapturk on NovelPedia.

Chapter-15 (Back to the town) The road leading from the Crimsonwood Jungle to the town was long and uneven. Renji leaned heavily on the stick the tiger had given him. Each step felt like dragging his body through fire. Crunch. Dry leaves cracked beneath his feet. His legs trembled violently. “Just… a little further…” he muttered under his breath. The tiger’s magic had healed his outer wounds, but the deeper damage remained. Every movement sent sharp pain shooting through his bones. Still, he kept walking. The trees gradually became thinner as he left the jungle behind. Soon the dirt path widened, and the town walls came into view. Or rather— The place where walls should have been. Renji squinted. “…Wait.” He stopped for a moment, confused. “There’s no wall?” In his world, towns were always surrounded by gates and barriers. But here, the settlement simply blended into the surrounding land. Houses stood openly along the road. Market stalls were already being set up. “…That’s strange,” Renji murmured. He continued forward slowly. As he entered the town, people began to notice him. A wounded boy. Covered in dried blood. Walking with a stick. Some townsfolk whispered quietly. “Hey… look at that kid.” “Did he come out of the jungle?” “Impossible… no one survives a night in there.” Renji heard them, but he was too tired to respond. Something else caught his attention instead. At one of the stalls, a merchant lifted several fruits into the air using faint magic. The fruits floated briefly before disappearing into a small glowing pouch. Renji blinked. “…What?” He stared. Another person placed tools into a tiny cloth bag. The bag glowed faintly, then shrank slightly as if absorbing the items. “…Pocket storage magic…?” Renji whispered. He had never seen anything like it before. For a moment, he almost forgot the pain in his body. “This world really is different…” But suddenly— The warmth inside his body vanished. The tiger’s magic had completely faded. “Agh—!” A sharp pain exploded through his legs. His body lost balance instantly. Renji collapsed to the ground. Thud. His reopened wounds tore apart again, blood slowly seeping through his clothes. He clenched his teeth. “Damn it…” He tried pushing himself up, but his arms shook violently. “How am I supposed to reach the guild like this…?” He looked ahead. At the end of the street stood a large stone building. A wooden sign hung above its entrance. Adventurers Guild “…There…” Renji forced himself to stand. One step. Then another. Each movement felt worse than the last. But he refused to stop. By midday, the sun burned high above the town. Outside the guild building, a young woman knelt beside a small garden. She gently watered the flowers planted along the stone path. Rika Aihara hummed quietly to herself. Her silver watering can sparkled under the sunlight. She tilted it carefully, letting droplets fall onto the soil. Then— She noticed something. A figure stumbling down the street. Her eyes narrowed. “…Huh?” The closer the figure came, the more familiar it looked. “…Wait.” Her eyes widened. “RENJI?!” She immediately dropped the watering can and ran toward him. “What happened to you?!” Renji barely managed to look up. His vision blurred. “Rika…?” She grabbed his shoulders quickly. “Why are you covered in blood?! And where’s that girl from the forest?! What happened yesterday?!” Her voice was filled with panic. Renji tried to answer. But his strength was fading. “It’s… it’s a long story…” His legs finally gave out. His body collapsed forward. But before he hit the ground— Rika caught him. “Renji!” She held him tightly, lowering him gently onto her lap. Her expression was filled with shock. His breathing was weak. His body felt dangerously cold. “How long has he been like this…?” she whispered. She quickly examined his injuries. Her face turned pale. “Both legs… broken…?” His muscles were torn apart. His body was severely damaged. “This is catastrophic…” She clenched her teeth. Without hesit