Infinite Rebate: I Get Richer Every Time I Spend

Lucas’s grip finally gave out.

The broken tree branch beneath him shattered completely, and both he and Kristine plunged into the darkness below.

The cold wind howled past his ears.

His heart skipped a beat.

He instinctively looked down~

Then his eyes caught something.

Growing horizontally from the cliffside several yards below was a thick, twisted tree jutting out over the rushing river.

A tiny chance.

Without hesitation, Lucas twisted his body in midair.

He wrapped both arms tightly around Kristine, pulling her against his chest so that his own body would absorb the impact instead of hers.

"If anyone’s getting hurt..."

"...it’s going to be me."

His eyes locked onto the tree.

As they dropped to its level~

Lucas reached out with his free arm and grabbed the trunk with everything he had.

CRACK!

An agonizing pain exploded through his shoulder.

It felt as though the entire joint had been ripped apart.

His shoulder instantly dislocated.

The rough bark shredded the skin on his palm, leaving deep bloody gashes as his hand desperately clung to the trunk.

For one brief second...

Their fall stopped.

Then~

CRACK!

The already weathered tree couldn’t withstand the combined weight.

The trunk snapped clean in half.

Lucas and Kristine were thrown downward once again.

SPLASH!

They slammed into the freezing river below.

Fortunately...

The broken tree had absorbed most of the impact.

Otherwise...

The fall alone would’ve killed them.

The moment Lucas hit the water, the icy current swallowed him whole.

Freezing water rushed into his nose and mouth.

The powerful underground river immediately began dragging both of them downstream.

Lucas forced himself to stay calm.

Don’t panic.

Think.

He instinctively looked around.

The pistol he’d taken from the kidnapper...

Was gone.

The river had already carried it away.

"Damn..."

Fortunately...

Even underwater, his hand was still firmly gripping Kristine’s wrist.

He refused to let go.

Not even for a second.

Lucas pulled Kristine against him, kicked hard with his legs, and fought toward the surface.

His injured shoulder screamed in pain with every movement.

Each stroke felt like someone was driving a knife through his arm.

Still...

He didn’t stop.

Just as his lungs were about to burst~

Splash!

His head finally broke through the surface.

Lucas inhaled desperately.

"Haah..."

"Haah..."

Every breath burned his chest.

He immediately looked down.

Kristine lay limply in his arms.

Her eyes were closed.

Her soaked hair clung to her pale face.

She showed no reaction whatsoever.

Lucas’s heart tightened.

"...Kristine?"

No response.

The underground river wasn’t giving them time to check.

Using his remaining strength, Lucas slowly swam toward the rocky riverbank.

The current was incredibly strong.

Combined with his injured shoulder, every yard felt like a mile.

After what seemed like forever...

He finally reached shallow water.

Lucas dragged himself onto the muddy bank before carefully pulling Kristine ashore.

Both of them were completely drenched.

Lucas immediately leaned close to her face.

For several long seconds...

He listened.

Then...

A faint stream of warm air brushed across his cheek.

She was breathing.

Lucas finally let out a relieved breath.

"...You really are lucky."

He looked at the unconscious girl lying beside him and muttered helplessly,

"For someone so hopelessly love-struck..."

"...you’ve got incredible luck."

Only then did Lucas finally notice his own condition.

His entire left arm had swollen noticeably.

The shoulder hung awkwardly at an unnatural angle.

It had definitely dislocated during the fall.

Without hesitating...

Lucas clenched his teeth.

He braced one hand against the ground.

Then suddenly twisted his shoulder back into place.

POP!

The sickening sound echoed through the quiet forest.

A wave of unbearable pain shot through his body.

Cold sweat instantly covered his forehead.

Lucas let out a low groan but forced himself to stay quiet.

A few seconds later...

The pain gradually subsided.

He flexed his arm carefully.

Still painful...

But usable.

Lucas slowly stood and scanned the surrounding darkness.

The rushing river echoed through the canyon.

The forest above remained eerily silent.

His expression quickly became serious.

"This isn’t safe."

"If those kidnappers make it down here..."

"We’ll have nowhere to run."

He looked at the unconscious Kristine.

"We need to find another place."

Lucas carefully lifted the still-unconscious Kristine onto his back.

Her body was light.

Much lighter than he had expected.

He adjusted her securely against his shoulders before taking one last look toward the direction of the cliff.

"We can’t stay here..."

"If those kidnappers make it down, we’re finished."

Lucas quickly recalled the rough map of Lanai Island that Lilith had shown him.

On his way into the forest, he had paid close attention to the terrain.

If he continued deeper in this direction...

He would eventually reach the untouched heart of the primitive forest.

Getting out from there would take at least two days.

Maybe longer.

Unlike open ground...

The forest wasn’t somewhere you could simply walk in a straight line.

Steep hills...

Rocky cliffs...

Dense vegetation...

Underground streams...

Every mile here felt like walking three.

And now...

He had an unconscious girl on his back.

His pace would be much slower than usual.

Fortunately...

After falling off the cliff, the kidnappers hadn’t immediately caught up.

Lucas guessed they were still searching the upper cliffs.

Even if they discovered where he and Kristine had fallen...

It would take them a long time to climb down.

That bought him precious time.

His immediate priority wasn’t escaping the forest.

It was making sure Kristine woke up.

Carrying her the entire way simply wasn’t realistic.

As Lucas continued moving through the darkness, the moonlight finally broke through the treetops.

Just ahead...

Half hidden behind thick vines and moss-covered rocks...

He spotted a natural cave.

It wasn’t large.

But it was secluded enough that someone would never notice it unless they walked right past the entrance.

Lucas’s eyes lit up slightly.

"Perfect."

He carefully carried Kristine inside.

The cave was surprisingly dry.

The ceiling blocked the cold night wind, while the rocky walls helped retain a bit of warmth.

Compared to the freezing river outside...

This place felt almost comfortable.

Lucas gently lowered Kristine onto a relatively flat patch of stone.

Only then did he finally allow himself to sit down.

He leaned against the cave wall and let out a long breath.

His entire body ached.

The scratches on his hands still burned.

His shoulder throbbed from being forced back into place.

His clothes...

Were completely soaked from the river.

Cold water continued dripping onto the cave floor.

Lucas frowned.

"If I keep wearing these..."

"I’ll freeze before sunrise."

Without overthinking it, he removed his soaked shirt, jacket, and trousers, wrung out as much water as he could, then spread them over several nearby rocks to dry.

Now...

He was left wearing only his black boxer briefs.

The cool cave air immediately sent a chill across his skin.

Lucas crossed his arms and rubbed his shoulders.

"Hopefully they’ll dry before morning..."

Exhaustion quickly caught up with him.

Between running through the forest...

Fighting armed kidnappers...

Falling off a cliff...

And swimming through an underground river...

Even with his enhanced physique, his body had reached its limit.

Still...

He forced himself to stay awake.

Someone needed to keep watch.

...

Time passed quietly.

The only sounds inside the cave were the distant flow of the underground river and the occasional chirping of insects outside.

Eventually...

Kristine’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Her fingers twitched.

A soft groan escaped her lips as consciousness slowly returned.

"...Mmm..."

She slowly opened her eyes.

At first...

Everything was blurry.

The unfamiliar cave ceiling.

The dim moonlight filtering through the entrance.

Then...

Her vision gradually focused.

The first person she saw...

Was Lucas.

Sitting only a few feet away.

His upper body completely bare, with only a pair of black boxer briefs on, while his damp clothes were spread across nearby rocks to dry.

Kristine blinked several times.

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