Liam remained kneeling within the shallow river as the current flowed around him quietly.
Cold water passed around his hands, washing away the blood dripping from his mouth while broken branches floated downstream beside him.
For several long seconds, he simply stayed there.
Breathing.
Thinking.
The pain rushing through his torso was sharp enough that even inhaling too deeply became uncomfortable. Every slight movement caused pressure to spread violently through the right side of his ribs, sending dull pulses throughout his chest and back.
He had definitely broken more than just one rib.
Liam slowly raised a hand toward his side and pressed against it lightly.
The moment pressure touched the area, another violent wave of pain shot through him immediately.
"...Yeah," he muttered quietly. "Definitely more than one."
Even so, his expression barely changed.
The dark mage remained calm as he analyzed the damage the same way he would analyze a battlefield, a weapon, or an enemy.
