Chapter 108: The Water Spirit
The four of them avoided discussing what had just happened.
"Come, little brother. Let me cook you something delicious," Vivian said with a smile as she went to gather firewood.
The group, having shed the gloom that had weighed on them for days, happily sat around chatting while Vivian prepared the fire to cook a hearty meal.
The moon hung low, and stars dotted the sky.
The four of them sat around the campfire, laughing and talking.
"Han, why don''t you show off your cooking skills? I''ve never tasted anything you''ve grilled before," Charles said with a grin.
Han Ming felt awkward. His cooking skills were far from impressive. The last time Charles had tried Han Ming''s grilled meat, he had spat it out after one bite. Han Ming remembered it vividly.
"It''s okay, Han. Just give it a try," Charles encouraged.
"Ha, yes, Han. Give it a shot," Marlon, the old man, chimed in.
Queen Vivian smiled encouragingly at Han Ming.
Han Ming gritted his teeth, stood up, and shook his arms. "Fine, here goes nothing."
Half an hour later.
Han Ming stared at the charred lump in his hand, feeling utterly embarrassed. He wished he could disappear into the ground.
"Ha, let me try it," Charles said, snatching the grilled meat from Han Ming''s hand and taking a big bite. "Delicious, delicious."
Han Ming grimaced, rolling his eyes. "Come on, you can''t possibly think this is good. How can you even eat it?"
Vivian and Marlon each tore off a piece and tasted it.
Marlon''s eyes widened as soon as he bit into it, his mouth frozen as if he had just bitten into something disgusting.
Queen Vivian covered her mouth, giggling.
"Uh... okay, fine. I know it''s terrible," Han Ming admitted defeat.
"Who said it''s bad? I love it," Charles said, grabbing the remaining meat and taking another big bite.
"Idiot, it''s awful. Stop eating it," Han Ming tried to stop him, but Charles dodged, running away while devouring the meat.
"Who said it''s bad? I think it''s the most delicious thing I''ve ever tasted. I can taste the sincerity in it. Food made with emotion is better than any fancy seasoning."
Charles''s words stunned Han Ming.
A long silence followed.
Everyone knew it was time for Charles to leave.
But no one had the courage to bring it up first.
Charles wolfed down the charred meat, tears streaming down his face.
"Idiot... it''s time to go," Han Ming said, seeing Vivian and Marlon silent.
Charles nodded heavily. "Yeah, okay."
"Little brother!" Vivian burst into tears, hugging Charles tightly.
Charles gently stroked Vivian''s hair. "Sister, being your brother has been the greatest happiness of my life. But I''m useless. I couldn''t protect you or Father, and now I''m making you worry again."
Vivian sobbed. "No, that''s not true. You''re the best brother anyone could ask for. You''re the bravest person in the world. I''m so proud of you."
Charles patted Vivian''s shoulder, then turned to Marlon.
Marlon quickly took Charles''s hand, smiling kindly. "Little one, I once had a dark past, blinded by hatred. My heart was filled with nothing but revenge and the desire to grow stronger. But you, your father, and your sister showed me the warmth of family. You helped me let go of that hatred. Now that your father is gone, and you''re leaving too, I can''t bear to let you go. My only concern now is you and your sister. I wish I could leave with you, but I must stay to help your sister rule the kingdom. Little one, I will never forget what you''ve done for me. You''re a good boy, and I''ll miss you dearly."
If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
Charles smiled, patting Marlon''s shoulder. "You''re not my real grandfather, but I''ve always treated you as one. Being with you has been the greatest honor of my life."
Han Ming knelt beside Charles, turning him around. "Kid, you''re lucky. You have so many people who care about you, who are willing to share their lives with you. Do you know why people live? No one can say for sure. For us, from the moment we''re born into this strange world, it''s like stepping onto a dark, endless road. We don''t know where to go, what to do, or how to do it."
"We feel lost, confused. We don''t know if we should keep walking. But then, a few people appear, willing to walk with us, to care for and love us without reason. They''re willing to include us in their lives. When you look back, you''ll see that you''ve shared experiences with these people. Your life has them, and theirs has you. That''s a beautiful thing. Some creatures live only a day, yet they still live strongly. I think something gives them the will to live."
Han Ming smiled softly. "And you, you play that role too. Your sister, Marlon, and your late father—they all lived strongly for you. I don''t know if there''s an afterlife, but if there is, I believe they''d want to be your family again."
Charles nodded heavily.
"Thank you, Han. Though you didn''t say it, I can guess how much you''ve sacrificed for me. We were strangers, yet you''ve done so much for me. I''m so grateful to have met you in the final days of my life. I feel truly blessed."
The four of them hugged tightly.
After a long while, they slowly separated.
Charles smiled brightly. "Sister, Marlon, Han, it''s time for me to go."
Han Ming nodded encouragingly.
Charles walked onto the leaves of the Tree of Life.
A green light enveloped Charles, the glow seeping into his body, pushing out the dark spots within.
His body began to fade.
"Sister, goodbye. Thank you for being with me all my life."
Vivian wailed, lunging toward Charles, but Han Ming held her back.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
Han Ming said firmly, "Do you want him to leave in peace?"
Vivian collapsed to the ground, sobbing into her hands.
"Marlon, thank you for always protecting me. But a bird must eventually leave the nest and fly on its own. If there''s an afterlife, I want to be your real grandson."
"Of course, of course. I''ll be your real grandfather," Marlon said, his eyes red, tears streaming down his face.
"Han, you''re a good person. I''ll watch over you from above, wishing you happiness and a family as loving as mine."
Han Ming smiled brightly, nodding firmly at Charles.
"And Han, your grilled meat is really awful, hehe."
Charles made a face at Han Ming as his body slowly disappeared.
"Goodbye, everyone."
Charles''s bright, pure smile lingered in the sky.
"If every star in the sky is a person''s soul, Charles''s will surely be the brightest."
Han Ming, who had held back his tears until now, finally let them flow.
He didn''t want Charles to see him cry before he left.
He knew Charles saw him as strong and brave, and he didn''t want to tarnish that image.
The leaves of the Tree of Life, having driven out the darkness from Charles''s body, began to burn.
The flames lit up the sky, and Han Ming looked up, as if seeing Charles waving at him with a smile.
"Let''s go, Queen Vivian. Let''s take Charles''s body home."
Marlon, hunched over, patted Vivian''s shoulder. Vivian, still sobbing, followed Marlon out of the ancient forest.
"Oh, Han, the mark of slaughter on your head will disappear in a hundred days. I have a few things for you. If you ever return to the Monte Empire, come find me. If you need anything, I''ll do my best to help."
Marlon tossed Han Ming a small storage bag, then disappeared with Vivian, who was still crying.
People always leave. They do everything to protect those they care about, and so can I.
Han Ming stood silently for a long time.
It was time to move on. The road to protecting his homeland was still long.
"The demons... they must have appeared by now," Han Ming said, looking up at the sky as he walked into the dark forest.
The storage bag Marlon had given Han Ming didn''t contain much, but to Han Ming''s delight, aside from a few small weapons, there were three orbs.
One seemed to be a fourth-stage water-type magical beast core, another a fourth-stage wind-type core, and the last was the fourth-stage fire-type core he needed.
The small weapons weren''t suitable for him, so he tossed them into his own storage bag without much thought.
The wind-type core, also fourth-stage, could be given to his second brother, Li Chengfeng.
The fire-type core would be used to gather materials for hunting the Xuantian Ice Silkworm.
And now, he had a fourth-stage water-type magical beast core left.
It seemed that before hunting the Xuantian Ice Silkworm, he should acquire a beast soul of his own. It would boost his strength and help in hunting fire-type magical beasts and the fourth-stage Crimson Flame Eagle.
Standing at the edge of the ancient forest, Han Ming faced a world ravaged by violent storms.
He strained to see through the howling winds—a world of rolling boulders and rounded stone mountains, eroded by the relentless gales.
This place was fraught with danger, hiding fierce magical beasts and the mysterious temporal storms, one of the most perilous areas.
If he could safely cross this storm-ravaged land, he would reach his final destination—the Blazing Wasteland.
He could only hope for good luck, praying to avoid the temporal storms.
Han Ming sat cross-legged in a corner at the edge of the ancient forest, holding the fourth-stage water-type magical beast core.
He closed his eyes, focusing his mental energy on the core, channeling his magical power to envelop it.
A powerful aura surged from the core.
Ding... a soft chime echoed.
In Han Ming''s mind, a small figure appeared.
"Ah!? This... this is... a fourth-stage rare water-type magical beast, the Water Spirit?"
Han Ming''s eyes snapped open in shock. It was the core of a Water Spirit.
The Water Spirit, along with the Fire Spirit, Wood Spirit, Wind Spirit, and Earth Spirit, were among the top five beings below the sixth stage.
The sixth-stage Wood Spirit that Marlon had given Gurgle was an evolved form of the Wood Spirit. The order of "Spirit" and "Spirit" indicated a difference in level. "Spirit" referred to a soul state, while "Spirit" had fully transformed into a magical beast. In other words, magical beasts were rarer and more powerful than ordinary beasts.
Though the Water Spirit he now held was only at the fourth stage, it was far stronger than ordinary fourth-stage magical beasts, nearly rivaling fifth-stage ones.
Marlon''s gift was indeed valuable.