Butterfly's Wings

Mountain Battlefield

A violent wind swept across the battlefield in the Western Hemisphere, as though a butterfly in the distant Eastern Hemisphere had gently flapped its wings, setting off a chain reaction that caused the storm here. At this moment, only crumbling ruins and dying soldiers remained on the battlefield.

"Ang... Ang?" A man in battered armor knelt on the ground, gently shaking his comrade lying in a pool of blood. His voice was filled with despair and unease.

"Captain Lika, stop shaking him." A pale-faced soldier beside him said helplessly, "Someone struck in the head by a demon probably can't be saved."

Lika shook his head firmly. "Ang is still breathing. He's still alive! Hurry, get some men over here and carry him onto a stretcher."

Several soldiers immediately sprang into action, carefully placing Ang on a stretcher and racing toward the military camp.

"If Ang hadn't blocked it in front, that demon was never something we could have handled. We might all have died," one soldier said between gasps as he ran.

"These demons are truly terrifying. If it hadn't been for Ang, I might be the one lying on that stretcher right now," a thin soldier murmured with a complicated expression.

They soon returned to camp and rushed straight to the wounded soldiers' tent. A small soldier shoved through the crowd and shouted, "Move aside! Make way!"

"Shamat Mage, please take a look at Ang! A demon struck him in the head. He's still breathing, but he hasn't regained consciousness," the thin soldier said anxiously to a young mage in a long robe.

Shamat Mage checked Ang's breathing, touched his carotid artery, then pried open Ang's eyes with his fingers to inspect his pupils. He frowned and said, "I can't see any external injuries. What exactly happened?"

Lika raised his head and explained, "Our squad encountered a lone demon in the mountains. Ang was struck in the head while blocking it at the front. There are no visible wounds, but no matter how we called to him, he wouldn't wake up, so we hurriedly brought him back to find you."

The mage pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "His brain suffered a severe blow. He may never wake again. His eyes show no response to the outside world, and his breathing is extremely weak."

Hearing this, Lika and the soldiers around him fell silent. Every face was incomparably grave. "Captain, what should we do about Ang?" a bearded soldier asked hesitantly.

"We can't abandon Ang," Lika said firmly. "He's one of us. As long as he still has a breath left, we can't leave him behind. Let's take him back to camp first."

Several men carefully carried the stretcher back to their small camp and settled Ang inside a crude tent. Lika ordered, "Nota, go fetch some water and give Ang some to drink."

Nota quickly replied and left the tent. The remaining soldiers either sat on the ground or stood there, staring at Ang on the bed with helplessness and sorrow in their eyes.

"Even the mage said there isn't much hope. Captain, why did you still bring Ang back?" a short soldier wearing a round helmet could not help asking.

"Ang saved all of us. As long as he has a breath left, we can't give up on him," Lika answered angrily. The other soldiers looked at the short man. He forced out an awkward smile and silently lowered his head.

After Nota returned, he carefully fed Ang some water. The others also took turns drinking, and Lika then announced, "Now that everyone is here, let's hold a short meeting."

"According to the merit standards, killing an ordinary demon earns one Gold Wack. I've already cut off that demon's head, and I'll collect the reward from the quartermaster later. Ang was our Shield Warrior and stood at the very front, so the demon's hand axe belongs to him." The others nodded in agreement, but everyone understood that if Ang did not wake up, the hand axe would sooner or later be assigned to someone else.

Once the spoils had been distributed, the soldiers left the tent one after another. Lika gave the unconscious Ang one last look, sighed, and walked out.

Ang awoke amid chaos. The world before his eyes was a riot of colors, as if he were inside a spinning vat of dye. He did not know how long he had been immersed in that state when a sharp pain suddenly burst from the back of his head, dragging him from the hallucinatory dream back into reality.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a worn canvas roof above him, while the surroundings were strange and desolate. He wanted to speak, but no sound would come out. His body was like a rusted machine, difficult to control.

Ang tried to move, only to discover that his entire body ached and he could barely budge. He forced his eyes open and saw a soldier beside him maintaining his weapons, completely unaware that he had awakened. Ang tried to cough, but could not make a sound and could only fall unconscious once more.

When he woke again, he heard indistinct voices echoing near his ears. "Ang still hasn't woken up?" That was Lika's voice.

"Not yet. He's been unconscious for almost five days," another voice replied. "Other than giving him some water every day, there's nothing we can do. If this continues, he may truly not hold on."

"I'll check the merchant caravan traveling with the army to see if they have any Healing Potions," Lika said resolutely.

"Captain, you're going to buy Ang a Healing Potion?" someone beside him asked in surprise. "That stuff is too expensive. It's not something we can afford."

"Take good care of Ang. I'll be back soon." Lika said no more and hurriedly left the tent.

Not long afterward, Lika returned to the tent with a small bottle filled with red liquid in his hand. Looking at it, the soldier caring for Ang asked in surprise, "Captain, did you really buy a Healing Potion?"

"Yes. A diluted Basic Healing Potion," Lika answered tiredly.

"How many Wacks did this potion cost?" the soldier could not help asking.

"Three Gold Wacks." As Lika pulled out the stopper and slowly poured the potion into Ang's mouth, he said softly, "Ang, whether you wake up or not depends on your fate."

The red liquid flowed down Ang's throat and quickly seeped into his blood. To someone who had been unconscious for days and had not eaten, the potion was like sweet rain, bringing a trace of vitality to his nearly exhausted life.

A burst of commotion came from outside. Lika walked out of the tent, and Ang fell into slumber once more.

Late at night, the Goddess of Night's gentle light blanketed the battlefield. Ang woke again, and this time, he finally felt that he had returned to reality. Though pain wracked his entire body, he still struggled to open his eyes and look around.

Where am I? Wasn't I unconscious? How did I end up here? He was filled with doubt.

Suddenly, a stabbing pain surged from the back of his head. Ang furrowed his brows and muttered, "Ang? Transmigration? War? Did I really transmigrate?"

Ang tried to remember, but the intense pain made it impossible for him to focus. He could only set aside his doubts for the moment, close his eyes, and silently endure the pain.

Noisy footsteps and horn calls came from outside. A soldier suddenly rushed into the tent, grabbed his weapon, and hurried back out, not forgetting to glance at Ang lying on the bed before leaving.

The sounds outside grew louder and louder. Ang vaguely heard Lika speaking with the other soldiers. Lika told the team, "A demon squad has been discovered in the mountains five gonte ahead. We must eliminate them as quickly as possible. Move out!"

As the horn calls gradually faded away, Ang was left alone in the tent. He lay there by himself, quietly staring at the tent roof, his mind in complete turmoil.

On this battlefield, demons were a race from another plane, and their arrival had brought destruction and fear. Although demons were suppressed in this plane and could only wield sixty or seventy percent of their strength, their power would gradually recover over time. Human forces, however, were constantly being depleted in battle. As the war developed, the balance of victory and defeat began to tip.

This battle was a fight to the death between humanity and the demons. If they could not destroy the demons before they recovered their full strength, humanity's future would fall into endless darkness.