Lucky

Takeshi lay helplessly on the ground, trying with all his might to get up. But no matter how hard he struggled, his body refused to obey. It had taken far too powerful a blow. If it weren't for the physical enhancements granted by achieving the first stage of power, that hit would have left him on the brink of death.

Seeing him in such a miserable state, the rhino laughed as he slowly walked toward him, his massive hammer dragging behind him across the ground.

With a mocking tone still laced in his voice, he said, "Like I told you, human—you are no match for me. You were foolish to think this would end any other way but your death."

Takeshi watched helplessly as the beast approached. Just as it neared, something struck the creature in the back. The rhino felt no pain, but turned around to see what it was. Lying on the ground behind him was the old man's walking staff. He had thrown it at the beast in a desperate attempt to halt its advance.

Upon seeing this, the rhino gripped his hammer with both hands and growled, "So eager to die, you geezer? Very well, then—I shall grant your wish."

With that, he began advancing toward the old man, who was struggling to remain standing without his staff.

Even though he was powerless, seeing this unfold lit a fire inside Takeshi. He knew he had to do something. His body still refused to move, but his mind raced until it landed on an idea.

Quickly—while the beast was still within range—Takeshi unleashed his power.

Four ilusory threads instantly sprouted from the hammer in the rhino's hands. As soon as he sensed them, Takeshi began grasping at the threads with all the focus he could muster.

Every step the beast took brought him closer to the old man—and closer to leaving Takeshi's reach. Desperation set in, and Takeshi pushed all his will into seizing the weapon.

Just as the rhino reached the edge of Takeshi's range and stood before the frail old man, he raised his hammer to deliver the final blow.

But in that split second, the hammer vanished from his hands.

The rhino froze, staring in disbelief. Slowly, he turned to see Takeshi—still lying on the ground, barely able to move—now gripping the handle of a hammer far too large for him to wield.

The sight distracted him just long enough.

Seizing the moment, the old man pulled something from his robes—a long, sharp needle. With one swift motion, he slashed it diagonally through the air in front of him.

A blade-like arc of wind materialized, slicing forward with a whistling roar. In a flash, the arc closed the distance and struck the beast's back.

A gaping wound tore open, and blood gushed from it. The rhino let out a pained roar and dropped to his knees from the shock.

He turned to look at the old man, his voice trembling: "Y-you borrowed the Wind Sage's power!"

He let out another agonized scream before growling, "I should have known… You're not as simple as you look."

Then, staggering to his feet, he leapt high into the air—vanishing over the top of one of the towering passage walls.

After a few moments, once he was certain the creature had fled, the old man crouched down and retrieved his staff.

Using it for support, he made his way toward the wounded Takeshi. When he reached him, he knelt down and asked, "Can you move, young man?"

Takeshi shook his head, signaling that he couldn't.

The old man then removed a small gourd from around his waist and handed it to Takeshi. "Take a sip," he said. "It will help you feel better instantly."

Takeshi took the gourd from the old man's hand and drank a bit of the liquid inside. Within seconds, he felt the pain in his body ease, his torn muscles and wounded insides slowly mending.

Looking at the gourd in awe, he pushed himself into a sitting position and asked, "What's in this gourd?"

The old man chuckled.

"It contains the Blessed Water of Life. I collected it from the sacred pond on this mountain."

"Blessed Water of Life?" Takeshi echoed.

"Yes," the old man said quickly. "Certain bodies of water in our world have been directly blessed by the Heavens. That water is magical—it can heal wounds with just a single sip."

As Takeshi rose to his feet, still recovering, he remarked, "You really are well-equipped… What was that power you used earlier?"

The old man smiled.

"That was an item imbued with one of the Wind Sage's spells," he replied.

Then, with a dry chuckle, he added, "It was a one-time-use talisman. We were extremely lucky the rhino got scared off. If he hadn't... I don't know how we would've made it out alive."

As the two of them resumed their journey, Takeshi's thoughts wandered:

I got lucky again… That's far too many coincidences. Have I somehow become the Blessed of the God of Fate and Fortune? Is he arranging for me to escape these deadly situations?

No… It's too bold to think that I've drawn the attention of a deity after just a few days in this world.

Still, he couldn't deny he'd had more than a few encounters with some great power recently. Shaking off the thoughts, Takeshi focused once more on the road ahead.

After a few more hours of venturing through the mountain, Takeshi and the old man arrived near its edge.

As they walked through a forested path, Takeshi noticed stone walls in the distance—the same kind he had seen surrounding the temple of the Kageyama clan.

The old man raised his hand and gestured ahead. "We're here," he said. "The Stormwind Temple."

The two of them passed through the gates and climbed the stairs that led to the temple's main courtyard. The area was expansive, surrounded by numerous buildings, and filled with people going about their daily routines—cooking, cleaning, tending to gardens.

What struck Takeshi immediately was that these people didn't look like monks at all.

Is this a temple... or a shelter for refugees? he wondered.

As if sensing his thoughts, the old man said, "The god offers shelter to all His believers in need."

Takeshi nodded, understanding.

The old man then pointed toward one of the buildings that lined the lush courtyard. "Rest there for today," he said. "Tomorrow, I will take you to meet the great Wind Sage."

Why not now? Takeshi thought, but he didn't complain. This would be the first time since arriving in this world that he'd sleep under a proper roof.

With that, Takeshi bid the old man farewell and made his way toward the building.