<h4>Chapter 505 Chapter506-The Temptation of Food</h4>


    "They''ve left."


    Below Rodel City, a group of people watched as Howard and hispanions departed into the distance.


    They were dressed in uniformly neat ck robes, the silver-embroidered lotus on their chests particrly conspicuous.


    "This is just the beginning," one of them spoke up.


    "Along the way, they will encounter even more cmities. This is his mission."


    "To witness, then to change."


    "This is the path to redemption."


    With that, the speaker turned and walked in another direction.


    N had her responsibilities, and they had theirs.


    Each person fulfilling their role is what keeps the organization functioning.


    If N''s duty was to guide Howard, their task was to discreetly handle all the aftermath in the shadows.


    Unnamed, that was their code name.


    They had no names, only identifiers.


    …


    "Ali! How much longer until we reach Sorona?"


    The hazy daylight cast shadows through gaps above, and the morning air still carried a hint of chill.


    Ali and Jelia, one tall and one short, ambled along an uninhabited pathway.


    Their pace was steady, imbued with an air of leisure.


    "Not long now, not long!" Ali waved his hand dismissively.


    "In half a month, we''ll see the walls of Sorona. Let me tell you, it''s a grand city, the walls are thirty meters high! Even the titans we saw a couple of days ago wouldn''t be able to climb them! And it''s not just about the height, the walls are five meters thick! Even a level 2 magus wouldn''t be able to breach them!"


    "You''ve told me this for the thirty-fourth time!" Jelia yelled, her voice rising.


    "But you''ve asked me that question fifty-five times!" Ali retorted, then yfully smacked Jelia on the head.


    She screamed, clutching her forehead and ring up at Ali''s chin, her nose twitching.


    After a pause, Jelia said, "I miss Howard."


    "Last night, I dreamt about him. I saw him covered in blood, but he still had that silly smile on his face. It scared me."


    "That''s indeed something to be scared about. That''s not a good sign in a dream," Ali nodded in agreement.


    "Don''t say bad things about Howard!" Jelia attempted a kick at Ali''s shin, but her young age andck of strength meant it didn''t hurt him.


    Instead, she almost ended up sitting on the ground herself.


    "Rx, that guy isn''t so easy to get rid of."


    "If he could survive Lorinda, he''s not going to just die that easily."


    "We''ll find him soon enough, once we get to Sorona."


    But as much as he said that, it was more of a reassurance than a certainty.


    Both Jelia and he knew the truth very well; they weren''t people who relied on significant powers.


    In a ce as chaotic as Sorona, finding someone was no easy task, especially when Howard was likely to hide his tracks deliberately.


    Making oneself disappear is always easier than making others vanish.


    Yet, they didn''t let on; they needed that hope, even if it was a false one.


    It''s not as if they couldn''t survive without Howard; they weren''t that melodramatic, and the world certainly doesn''t stop for anyone''s absence.


    But just as everyone has wishes, they simply wanted to help Howard.


    Companions ought to assist each other.


    This was not just for Howard''s sake but for theirs as well.


    Banding together signifies stronger power and better conditions for survival.


    This is a harsh world, never suited for ying the hero alone.


    You can choose solitude, but it also means endless difficulties and trouble.


    As time passed, the warm sunlight gradually spread across thend, awakening the world.


    The flow of people began to increase, noises from the sides of the roads grew louder, and asionally, wolf howls could be heard, causing Jelia to cling closer to Ali in fright.


    Shadows moved in the roadside bushes, Jelia looked towards them with a mix of fear.


    Glossy-furred grey wolves!


    "Wolves!"


    Startled, Jelia screamed, clutching Ali''s clothes tightly.


    "There are wolves!"


    Ali diverted his gaze to look, patting Jelia''s hair, "Just a pack of wild wolves, not even spellbeast subspecies. Nothing to be scared of. In two years, you''ll be able to take down such creatures with a single strike."


    It wasn''t a matter of Aliforting or deceiving Jelia; orcs genuinely possess such capabilities.


    Though theyck any special talent in mana, that''s because the majority of an orc''s strength is manifested physically.


    Among magi of the same level, having orc bloodline almost guarantees invincibility in closebat.


    Sharp senses, formidable physicality, coupled with an intuitive understanding of human nature, make orcs unparalleled in one-


    on-one meleebat.


    Few humans could defeat an orc in such confrontations.


    Though currently just a little one, Jelia''sbat prowess was beyond doubt.


    "But its mouth is so big!" Jelia pointed towards a grey wolf by the roadside, yawning widely, "It could bite off my leg in one go!"


    Perhaps sensing Jelia''s focus, the wolf''s icy gazended on her.


    This action made the little girl squeal softly, hiding behind Ali.


    With the girl clutching his clothes, Ali couldn''t move forward.


    Looking down at Jelia, who had hidden her head but not her backside, Ali sighed with a wry smile and patted her head, "Let''s go. There''s a vige up ahead where we can rest, and I''ll buy you honey bread."


    "Really?"


    Food has always been the best way to divert attention.


    This tactic was once again proven infallible; the mere mention of honey bread immediately shifted Jelia''s focus away from the roadside wolf.


    She looked up at Ali, eyes gleaming, almost drooling.


    Probably due to hunger, Jelia had virtually no resistance to such exquisite and tasty offerings at the moment.


    "When have I ever lied to you?" Ali said, patting his chest.


    "Once we reach the vige ahead, it''ll be just about lunchtime. We can stop to rest and eat something before continuing on."


    "But you lied to me when we left Breeze City!" Jelia eyed Ali suspiciously.


    "Back then, you said it was just half a month to Sorona! And now, you''re still saying the same thing!"


    Ali''s forehead creased with several lines.


    At that time, annoyed by Jelia''s constant questioning every few hours, he''d vaguely said "half a month" to appease her, not expecting Jelia to hold onto those words.


    Sometimes, what might be a careless remark to you can carry apletely different weight for someone else.


    "Stop nagging! If we don''t hurry, we''ll only have bread crumbs to eat for lunch!"


    Ali gave Jelia a yful thump on the head, and while she was busy covering her forehead, he walked a few steps ahead.


    Holding her forehead and letting out a yelp, Jelia nced at the roadside wolf, its cold gaze and bared, sharp white teeth sending shivers down her spine.


    With a shiver, she hurriedly caught up to Ali''s steps.


    "Wait for me, Ali!"


    …


    The vige Ali mentioned wasn''t far, at least, not on the map.


    However, two kilometers on a map and two kilometers under your feet are not the same; the former is just a couple of finger-


    widths on paper, but thetter trantes to more than half an hour''s trek.


    Though the distance turned out to be longer than anticipated, fortunately, neither of them was delicate.


    Despite the lengthy journey, they both persevered to the end.


    It was just a bit messy, that''s all.


    Perhaps motivated by the prospect of delicious food, Jelia surprisingly didn''t stop much along the way.


    However, once the vige was in sight and her enthusiasm began to wane, the soreness in her feet and legs brought her crashing back to reality.


    "I can''t walk anymore! My legs hurt…"


    Finding arge rock at the vige entrance, Jelia sat down with a pained expression, looking up at Ali.


    "Should I carry you in?" Ali suggested, rubbing his chin.


    "Wouldn''t that make you look like a kidnapper?" Jelia eyed Ali as if he were some kind of dangerous individual.


    "Do I look like that kind of person to you!" Ali''s face darkened.


    Throughout their journey, Jelia had pricked him with her sharp tongue more times than he could count, despite her young age.


    Ali thought to himself that Jelia would surely grow up to be adept at verbal sparring.


    With a wave of his hand, Ali said, "Eat or don''t, it''s up to you. Or you can just stay here, waiting to eat bread crumbs!"


    Bread crumbs certainly couldn''tpare to honeyed white bread!


    Jelia''s eyebrows shot up, and after massaging her legs, she suddenly hopped down from the rock.


    "I''m okay now!" Jelia grinned, patting her chest.