《Howl of Creation》


 Chapter 1 - Your dream

    Deafening. A massive explosion blasted half of the mountain apart. All sounds of the world seemed to have completely vanished and the blue clear sky turned into a black gate of hell in an instant. Endless chunks of rocks, trees, carcasses along broken corpses kept raining down on the enormous crater. Hundreds of people were jumping and flying around, screaming in each other''s faces. Yet no one could hear anything due to their temporary hearing loss and that made them roar even more furiously.


    "A bunch of retards."


    Ridiculed a male youth with hideous beast skulls on his back. He swung his right arm over his head and a huge orange, half-oval translucent shield appeared in the air, covering him and his group of around 30 people. They surprisingly have a totally different clothing style from him. All wore neat, blue tunics and each one of them held a big book under their left arm.


    Suddenly the youth felt a chill on his back and turned his head. Far on his right side, next to the edge of the crater, there was a group of eight bulky men, wearing similar animal hides like his. Immense power radiated from their muscular body, creating an oppressive aura around them. Like eight sleeping beasts, they were just floating there, not even caring to dodge any of the falling debris. One of them was an old man with long, silky white hair. Heavy stones bounced off his big shoulders and a broken corpse got squashed to mush upon landing onto his head. Black, venomous liquid ran down slowly on his forehead, dropping from his eyelashes. His gaze focused on the male youth and became gentler.


    "If you''re ever tired on your journey, or feeling lost in the outside world, just come back home, child."


    Told the old man.


    The male youth glanced at the eight men''s sturdy bodies and a hint of envy flashed in his eyes. The old man''s warm voice made his skinny body tremble but he closed his eyes and slowly turned his head away from them. He took a deep breath and abruptly opened his eyes. His gaze was sharper and more determined than ever.


    Not far above from the two groups in the sky, there was a party of around 50 people. They all wore shiny, golden robes and stood on various flying cooking utensils.


    "Woah sis, is this the infamous skinny pig?"


    Cried out a young girl on a flying pot and pointed at the male youth with beast skulls on his back. Her pot was abnormally big for her own size, compared to the other people next to her. It seemed quite unstable, as she kept jumping repeatedly on it.


    "Don''t be mean. He is just a sad kid, running away from home."


    An older girl on her right side smiled and held the young girl''s hands.


    "I heard it''s because his body is different from his brothers. They said he eats double as much like them but is still only half their size and his strength doesn''t even match that of a baby cyan wolf."


    Sighed the young girl. "But how come he went to those scrawny bookworms?"


    She burst out in laughter.


    "What I can''t understand is, how can he use their magic? I haven''t thought it''s possible for anyone of his bloodline."


    The older girl glanced at the middle age man on the young girl''s left side.


    "He should have come to me instead. I bet he just couldn''t get a decent meal at home. With my culinary skills, even the skinniest monkey will become the fattest bear. Like that one over there."


    Laughed the young girl heartily and pointed to a huge man sitting on the edge of the crater far on their left side.


    "Show some respect to your elders, or you will stay home next time."


    Glared the middle-age man with wide-opened eyes at the young girl and turned in the direction of the huge man to make an apologetic smile.


    "Aye aye, dad."


    The young girl giggled and waved energetically with her right hand high in the air, towards the huge man.


    "Old man, be careful. More forces have arrived and are lurking in the shadow."


    Smiled the huge man and even though he spoke quietly, his voice reached the ears of the middle-aged man''s group as if he were right next to them.


    The huge man''s body was enormous like a small mountain. Actually, every single one of his group was. They were just sitting there on the ground and scanning the whole crater vigilantly for something. Sitting his left side was a young man, even though not quite as big as the huge man himself but his body seemed to be carved out of stones and his skins gleamed like steel. His gaze was resolute and yet his knitted eyebrows showed a hint of unwillingness.


    "Have you found it yet?"


    Asked the huge man and looked kindly towards the young man.


    The young man kept his gaze straight ahead and remained silent for a moment.


    "Father, should we really be here? Am I doing the right thing?"


    His voice was so quiet, as if not asking his father but only himself.


    "Whether we interfere in this war or not, he will lose IT this time. Instead of leaving IT to the hand of those corrupt factions, why not keep it in our protection."


    The huge man''s gaze wandered on the thousands of people moving around the crater and their greedy expression. He could sense powerful energy fluctuations behind those black clouds high in the sky and heavy breathing coming from the vast forest around their groups.


    "And why not offer help instead of looting a burning house? Why mobilize an army of cowards to corner a lone man? Why call it protection when it''s obviously a robbery?"


    The young man spoke faintly but his low voice sounded with each word louder and heavier. When the last word left his mouth, a huge sound wave expanded abruptly with his group as the centre and blasted everything around them away. Many people were caught off guard and received severe injuries from the massive air pressure.


    "What the fuck are y¡­"


    An old man wearing a white tunic not far away from the huge man''s group cried out fiercely. He couldn''t erect a stronger barrier fast enough and five disciples of his clan had suffered life-threatening injuries from the sound wave earlier. Yet before the old man could even finish his sentence, an enormous rock crashed against his head and reduced his whole body to blood mist in a glimpse of an eye. Everyone around him glared with shocked expression towards the direction, where the rock came from. A gigantic young lady was going back to sit behind the young man with steel-like skin. Her eyes were fixated on the young man''s broad back. He was her mountain, her sky pillar and the future leader of her clan. Anyone disrespecting him would be crushed personally by her. The turmoil instantly calmed down and everyone cast their hatred glance at the huge man''s group before moving back to their places.


    "How great it would be if we can hold on to our pride, to our principles. But we aren''t acting for our own here. We do it for our whole clan. Millions of our clan members are struggling every day, trying to survive in this harsh world. We can only speak about honour if we have the power to protect it. So what if they call me a disgraceful bastard. So what if my remorse is devouring my soul every night. To make the future of my clan a little brighter, I''m willing to even sacrifice myself. That''s the destiny of a clan leader, my child."


    The huge man sighed and his mind seemed to be lost in thoughts.


    The young man grabbed tightly on the handle of his great hammer. All the muscles in his arms seemed to be popping out at any second. The rain of debris had stopped. The black mist over the crater was gradually fading away and the faint outline of a man''s figure slowly appeared in front of everyone. The young man looked intensely, with his now blood-red eyes, at the figure. He could finally see that face clearly. He remembered those heroic stories about that man. His unfathomable strength, his outstanding glory and his unyielding courage. Coming from this forgotten forest, the man became the brightest rising star in the world and earned admiration from people of all generations. And yet, in the end, he stood here alone, surrounded by hundreds of thousand enemies. The ones he once called friends were driving him to his death. The woman he loved was now pointing her own sword at his throat.


    "I''m sorry."


    The young man gnashed his teeth and murmured. His voice was filled with anger and shame.


    All people halted their movement and glanced intensely at the man''s figure in the middle of the mist. The winds seemed to be too scared to blow and all the beasts didn''t dare to make a sound. Only the slow and heavy breathing of hundreds of thousand people dominated the silent battlefield. The man in the middle of all that attention was very calm. His long, loose black hair was wet and stuck on his shoulders and back. Every now and then, thick red blood drops dripped from his hair and landed on his tattered clothes. Mixed with the dirt, they made the original colour of his clothes become unrecognisable. Even though his body trembled from pain, he still stood firmly in the air with his head high and his face emotionless. In his right hand was a broken sword with only half of its blade remaining.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!In front of him was a young woman with a gracious figure. Her eyes were sharp like those of a hawk. Not a single of the man''s movement could escape them. She watched his facial expression closely and the grip on her sword became tenser.


    "Just give up already. You have no power left to protect it. We can let you go after you hand it to us."


    Said an old woman, leading a group of around a hundred people.


    "What right do you have to hold on to it. You can''t even protect your miserable self."


    Shouted a middle-aged man angrily. He and his several hundreds of men would have already flown over and killed the injured man if there weren''t so many other factions around. He didn''t want to fight mindlessly, only to let other people get that thing in the end.


    All people on the battlefield knew the injured man was on his last breath, alas even then he could still bring a lot of them down before his death. His power was monstrous. Just the thought about his resistance during the last several months brought a chill down their spines. Only one-tenth of his pursuer had survived the recent battles. Of course, it wasn''t just due to his power alone but also because all the participating factions were fighting secretly against each other. Nonetheless, the current situation was too dangerous for them to act impulsively. Especially at the end moment like now. The injured man didn''t answer. No one continued to talk. Everyone seemed to be forging their own plan and waiting for the right moment.


    "How long does she want to point that sword towards him? Does that dirty snake still want to humiliate him one last time before his death? How can such a despicable woman exist in this world?"


    A young woman from a group of over a hundred females couldn''t bear with long silent anymore and complained impatiently. Her eyes were widened from anger and if her gaze could have real power, it might have pierced through the back of the gracious young woman in the sky a thousand times.


    "What can''t you have with absolute power. To be powerful, to be respected by other people, a woman has to be able to forgo of nonsense like this love. It''s his own fault that he isn''t strong enough. He says he wants to protect his homeland, yet his foolishness has destroyed it. He says people are greedy, yet after seeing all his fellow villagers were killed, he still can''t let go of that power. He is just a hypocrite, who only loves himself. What love dares he to expect from her?"


    Answered a young woman next to her righteously. She had always admired the gracious young woman in the sky since she was a child. She wanted to wield heaven shaking power, to be as beautiful and to have just as many admirers like her.


    Leading their group was a middle-aged woman. She was not an outstanding beauty like them all but her deep eyes seemed to possess boundless intelligence. She looked at the gracious young woman in the sky, then at the other factions. She saw the hostile atmosphere between every participating parties. Her gaze landed on the destroyed landscape. Only half of the enormous mountain remained. Crackling sounds could still be heard from the burning forest. The rivers were now filled with blood and decayed corpses. It was a forgotten land when they came. It was peaceful but somehow lifeless. She had sensed that something was missing from this land but she still hadn''t figured out what it was. She glanced back at the gracious young woman and the injured man. She knew there was more to this war than it seemed but it didn''t matter. The mission of her group was to secured that power and to not let it get into the hand of those evil factions, even if they have to destroy it in the end.


    "Power only belongs to the destined one."


    Said the gracious young woman softly. Her voice seemed to be out of this world and let everyone soul enter a mysterious state of tranquillity. Even the most powerful cultivators on the battlefield still need a second to reclaim their clarity. Many of them broke out in sweats. They couldn''t believe she had become even stronger during this war. Many young girls'' eyes brightened up as they looked at her. Their admiration transformed into reverence.


    "You don''t have the right to keep it."


    "Hand it over. Our patience is limited."


    "What use is power, if you die because of it."


    "Give it to us and we promise to fulfil one of your wishes."


    "You will lose it anyway, so let it be with us. We are the only one worthy of that power."


    "Give up already."


    ¡­


    People started to break the silence and began to shout at the injured man. Some tried to threaten him. Some tried to persuade. Their voice was even louder than the roar of hungry beasts. Yet he didn''t look at anyone of them, not even at the gracious young woman in front of him. His gaze rested on the black sky. His heartbeat had been slowed down even more, with every second since that last explosion. His vision was getting blurry. Only the gracious young woman''s voice resounded in his mind.


    "Where my voice resounds, none shall invade.


    Where my shadow covers, lands shall be safe."


    The injured man said quietly with his last strength. His voice was so weak that only the young woman in front of him could hear it. That special power within him, the one that so many coveted, began to tremble restlessly. Despite feeling the injured man''s critical condition, it didn''t want to leave and tried to hide deep within the man''s soul. The man took a heavy breath and sorrowfully looked one last time into the young woman''s eyes and slowly opened his mouth. However, before he could say anything, the last beat of his heart ended and his eyes became dull.


    The young woman''s face, which was emotionless during the entire war, changed drastically at that moment. Her clear, blue eyes became blood-red all of a sudden and hatred filled her heart. A shrill scream shook the heaven and blazing blue light dazzled everyone''s eyes. The sword in the young woman''s hand finally moved and a wave of blue energy burst out from her sword. Another thunderous roar resounded through the sky as the blue energy wave transformed into a gigantic cyan dragon after piercing through the injured man''s chest. Everyone present took in a deep breath and their gaze was filled with greed. The dragon was carrying a dazzling golden something in its claws. The young woman chanted some unknown words and the dragon let out a vicious cry before dashing through the black clouds in the sky and flying far away from the battlefield.


    "After it!"


    "Hurry, don''t let those bastards get it first."


    "What is the meaning of this? Why did you let it escape?"


    "And why is that stupid dragon flying towards that direction?"


    "Wow, today is really our lucky day. That dragon is flying towards us. Grab it for me!"


    The battlefield broke into chaos instantly. Everyone tried to fly as fast as possible after the cyan dragon. Some didn''t forget to glare viciously at the gracious young woman before leaving. It was obvious that the woman had planned it from the start. Even though many of them were chasing, about a third of them was still floating around the gracious young woman and the now-dead man. They knew they weren''t a match against those mighty factions in the race for that power, so they stayed here in hope of looting something from the dead man and his homeland. They didn''t forget what a powerful cultivator the man was. There were definitely more secrets to find. Yet before they could make a move, the gracious young woman chanted another line of words. Ten other men and women appeared and chanted the same words. Together with the gracious young woman, they formed a mysterious formation. Golden flames rose from the ground and engulfed the entire forest and mountain. Few people were caught by surprise and were reduced to ashes after touching the fire.


    "What the heck are doing? Do you want to destroy everything?"


    Everyone was furious and shouted angrily at the young woman''s group. Looking at the burning forest, they know it''s too late to stop the fire and for it to be able to expand so rapidly, meant that the young woman''s group came with thorough preparation. She had never intended to let them roam this land since the beginning.


    "Fellow cultivators. The power you all seek has escaped. Hurry up and you might have a chance to obtain it. This is a forgotten land when you came, so let it also remain forgotten in the future."


    An old man smiled and spoke slowly. His clothes had the same style as the gracious young woman''s and appeared to be her senior.


    "This is all we can do for you. Remember your promise."


    After giving the young woman a short glance, he swung his arm and left with his group.


    The remaining people looked at each other, then at the young woman in the air. They grabbed their weapon tight and sniggered. Just as they wanted to make a move, a colossal translucent dragon appeared in the air and smashed its claws against them. Blood splattered everywhere and people were fleeing for their life. The dragon flew up into the sky and swung its tail against the black clouds. After clearing them all, it let out a content roar and started to chase after everyone again. Agony screams resounded in the forest.


    "Where my voice resounds, none shall invade.


    Where my shadow covers, lands shall be safe."


    The gracious young woman looked at those remaining cultivators with her emotionless eyes while her ethereal voice reverberated through countless lands, far beyond the forest itself. Like an empress declaring her edict, she left a deep imprint in the mind of every one hearing it.


    Many people didn''t fear the translucent dragon, but their mind trembled when they think about the young woman''s tremendous growth potential and what monstrous power she will possess in the future. They sighed and left unwillingly after considering what trouble would have been waiting for them. They could hunt down the dead man floating in the forest this time, only because he was alone and had no one backing him up. Against the young woman, however, it was suicide for them.


    The sky was clear again and silence returned to the forgotten land. The dusk sun cast its sorrowful light upon the blazing forest. Only the crackling sound of fire could be heard every now and then. In the sky were two lonely figures. The young woman was still looking at the man''s lifeless face. Her sword was still stuck in the man''s chest. No, it was holding his body, preventing it from falling. It seemed like he still stood tall and firmly there. His voice might not be heard any more in this world but his shadow still covered his homeland, showing his will to protect it, even after his death. There was red light flickering around his chest. Blue energy wave continued to flow out of the sword into the man''s dead body. After a while, a red glowing sphere formed in front of his chest. The young woman raised her left hand and gently stroke the man''s cold cheek. She grabbed the red sphere and let it hover above her palm. She sighed mournfully and look at the man''s bloodless face, then at the lifeless forest down below them. Her gaze became determined and a blue sphere slowly floated out of her chest. She gazed at the man''s dull eyes affectionately. Her last sentence to him resounded in her mind.


    "Power only belongs to the destined one."


    Everyone could hear it but none knew there was a second part of this sentence. The part only he and she knew.


    "But the destined one can create power."

 Chapter 2 - Resilience

    A bright sunbeam landed on the flat golden leaf and revealed several dew drops resting on it. With the gentle breeze, they wobbled slightly back and forth, seemingly still being in a deep slumber. Every now and then, a shy chirping sound rung out in the serene forest, signalizing the beginning of a new day. A light vibration shook the golden leaf and let the clear dew drops roll swiftly to its edges. One after another, the dewdrops shone dazzlingly as they felt down through the air and landed in a big brown flask. A child¡¯s giggle could be heard while a small hand was putting a lid on the flask. Quick steps resounded in the misty forest and the silhouette of a young child faded away.


    ¡°Grandpa, look how much dew I have collected today.¡±


    A small boy dashed out from the forest towards a shabby wooden house next to a narrow river. He was only around five years old but incredibly quick. Splashing sounds came from the river and a man¡¯s figure suddenly emerged from the under the water. He was very old with long white hair tied up in a ponytail. Even though his face was covered in deep wrinkles, his bare upper body revealed firm muscles like being carved out of stone.


    The old man left the water and walked slowly towards the flat ground in front of the wooden house. He was not as nimble like he was in the water. His left leg seemed to be quite stiff. In his left hand, he was still tightly grabbing on a weird looking fish. It was glowing bright red and was almost as big as the boy. After throwing the fish on the ground the old man looked at the running child and let out a heartily laugh.


    ¡°Be careful Reli, don¡¯t trip over anything.¡±


    ¡°Woa, grandpa. You caught a big fish again. You¡¯re so awesome.¡±


    The boy promptly put down the big flask from his back and crouched down next to the fish. He quickly rolled up both of his sleeves and clapped his tiny hands a few times together. Then he breathed in deeply. A flashing light flickered in his eyes and he abruptly grabbed the big fish with both arms. With all his strength he tried to lift it up. Looking at the boy¡¯s puffed red cheeks and widened eyes, the old man smiled slightly and scanned its posture sharply with his eyes.


    But the big fish was just too heavy for the young boy. After a while, he let loose of it and felt with his back on the soft green grasses.


    ¡°Hahah, your stand was much more stable today. I saw the head of the fish rose slightly from the ground this time.¡±


    The old man cheered up the young boy and put down his cup of tea on the small wooden table in front of him.


    ¡°Really grandpa? Did you see that? I do feel I¡¯m stronger today¡±


    Still out of breath, the boy leapt up from the ground. He smiled widely and his eyes sparkled with joy.


    ¡°Now show me what you have brought back from the forest.¡±


    The old man waved towards the boy, signalizing him to come closer.


    ¡°Oh right, I almost forget. Look, grandpa, the dew is especially clear today. I waited patiently under that huge golden tree for a long long time.¡±


    The boy went back and picked up the big flask, before carrying it to the old man.


    ¡°Be careful. Slow down. You¡¯re so strong, hahah. Let me see how the dew tastes like today.¡±


    After standing up, the old man hastily walked towards to running boy and caught him on his way. He gently patted the young boy¡¯s shoulder and opened the lid of the flask. An invigorating wave of energy entered his nose and gave his body and mind a refreshing feeling. This was the special dew, that existed only in this forest. The old man had found out its special quality after living here for a while.


    ¡°Reli, go make a fire. I will prepare the fish and cook some delicious dishes for us. As you know, your grandpa¡¯s cooking skill is unrivalled in the whole wide world. Hahah.¡±


    ¡°Yay, grandpa dishes are the best.¡±


    Both the old man and the young boy laughed out loud. High in the clear blue sky, a flock of birds was circling under the warm sunshine. Chirping sounds resounded in the air and mixed with the lazy howling of some beasts on the high mountain not far away from the river. It was a very odd-looking mountain. Like gigantic beast had bitten a huge chunk out of it.


    The air behind the mountain flashed brightly every now and then. A closer look revealed that there was an enormous translucent barrier behind it. Actually, from the top of the mountain, one could see the barrier covered a huge circular area with the mountain at its middle. The forest inside the barrier is incredibly colourful. All the beasts and trees possessed different colours with the most dominant ones of them glowing golden.


    The old man looked at the enormous barrier in the horizon and a troubled expression appeared on his face. He went into the wooden house, grabbed various herbs from a wooden chest and began mixing them with each other. A fragrant smell flowed out of the wooden house, attracting many wild beasts. A huge, black golden-paw bear crawled carefully towards the river. Its bright eyes scanned the riverside vigilantly for something. Upon seeing the young boy stacking dry branches together to make fire, it lay down on the green grass a bit far away from him and tucked its golden paw under its big belly. Of course, it looked like a huge furry ball from afar and caught the boy¡¯s eyes. It seems the boy was familiar with this occurrence so he didn¡¯t care about it. More and more beasts arrived but they all behaved like the bear and kept their distance from the wooden house.


    Grabbing tightly on the dew flask, the old man sighed. He knew there wasn¡¯t much time. Legend said this land was created by a mighty empress with unparallel power. But It was too long ago since someone had seen her. So long that none could be sure whether the legend was true or not. He only knew one for sure. The indestructible barrier, which had been protecting this land, couldn¡¯t last longer. Normally only ordinary people with no cultivation energy inside them could enter this land and none could leave. Even people with special bloodlines were prevented from entering. But the barrier will disappear soon and chaos will descend upon this peaceful forest.


    The old man¡¯s hand moved in a mysterious pattern while he added the special dew to the herbal mix. In order to enter this land, he had to cripple himself and lost all his cultivation level. He was running from his enemies and had no other choice. He wasn¡¯t even sure if the legend about this land was true. After receiving lethal injuries and fleeing for months, he finally found this forest and gambled for his life, hoping his enemy couldn¡¯t follow him through the barrier. It was the right choice. He still remembered his enemies¡¯ last hateful words for him, saying they would patrol this whole area till the day they see his corpse. He had no doubt they would do that. That bunch of psychos was insane. He wasn¡¯t the only one seeking refuge in this place.


    To live in here was a blessing but also a curse. After entering this forest, many of his injuries were cured instantly but he would receive another mysterious illness instead. After meeting other people, he found out it happened to everyone. He remembered meeting Reli¡¯s parents five years ago. The young couple just entered the barrier and the young woman was pregnant at that time. He didn¡¯t want to get in touch with them but they were running after him, asking for help. He felt pity for the pregnant woman and told them everything they need to know in order to survive here. He also warned them about the mysterious illness and that the more people they have around them, the more grievous the illness would become. Seeing how expectant the young couple was for their soon to be born baby, he couldn¡¯t bring it about the heart to tell them that no new-born could survive the first week after its birth in this forest.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    One month after leaving the couple, he heard a baby¡¯s helpless cry when he was hunting a beast. Following the cry, he reached a small brook and found a new-born, wrapped in a dirty scarf. He saw a woman¡¯s silhouette moving next to the trees far ahead of him. He recognized her. It was the young woman he met not long ago, but the young man was now not with her. He wanted to call for her but suddenly she turned her head and looked shortly at the new-born. Her face was sickly pale. Her lips were dry and chapped. There was no motherly love in her gaze, only pure hatred. He halted his steps and sighed deeply. The woman disappeared shortly after that and he never saw her again. He slowly picked up the new-born and saw its tiny hands throwing in the air as if trying to grab something. He lay his bony index finger into its hand and let it hold on to it. Seeing the baby calmed down, he furrowed his white eyebrows and his breath got heavier.


    What a pitiful faith for a child being born in this place. It was not its fault that its parent suffered endless pain. Why did this forest want its life? He was powerless in front of that invisible might. He couldn¡¯t even heal his own curse. Stroking the baby¡¯s pale cheek, he let out a sad smile. Since it only had a few days left to live, he would try to give it the love it deserved. Since that day, the silhouette of an old man carrying a baby could be seen everywhere in the colourful forest. He brought it to the most beautiful places he knew. Even though the baby hadn¡¯t opened its eyes yet, he still wanted to let it witness the marvellous sights of nature. He collected the freshest morning dew and crushed the most delicious fruits to let the baby taste all the flavours, this forest had to offer. And when the night came, when the damn curses started to rampage again in the baby¡¯s body, when its cry tore his heart apart, he stood at the top of the high mountain with the suffering baby in his arms and screamed with it through the night. This forest wanted the baby¡¯s life so he let the baby ate its life essences. This cursed night sky didn¡¯t want to give the baby peace so he let his scream destroy its tranquillity. At least his old bones could do that much.


    Time flew by and one day he realized that it had been three weeks since he picked up the baby and it was still alive. Its health was getting even better and so was his own. After months of trials, he finally found out that the mysterious illness could be treated with a mixture of certain herbs, fruit and the morning dew. However, there was a catch: this herbal mixture was only effective for the baby and himself. He didn¡¯t know why but other people¡¯s condition would get worse after consuming it. He even got hunted down onetime cause people thought he fed them some vicious poisons. The old man woke up from his memory and shook his head. He rubbed the herbal mixture onto the sliced fish and carried it to the fireplace.


    Reli and the huge black golden-paw bear were laying on their belly in front of each other. Reli rested his left elbow on the soft grass and held a small dry branch in his right hand. The bear¡¯s dilated pupils closely followed the movement of the branch as Reli waved it gently back and forth. Suddenly he halted the branch and tapped on the bear¡¯s soft nose with it. The bear looked at the branch on its nose, then at Reli¡¯s bright eyes, then back to its nose again. Reli slowly removed the branch and tilted his head. He and the bear stared at each other for a while before Reli abruptly raised his branch again. This time the bear quickly covered its nose with both of its big golden paws and looked at the branch with widened eyes.


    ¡°Hahah, you sure are quick this time, fatty.¡±


    Reli rolled on his back and laughed heartily. Then he saw his grandpa carrying the big fish and quickly leapt up from the ground.


    ¡°Woohoo, time to watch grandpa¡¯s masterful cooking skill.¡±


    He dashed towards the fire and crouched next to the big fish.


    ¡°Hahah, are you hungry yet? No worries, it will be quick.¡±


    The old man stuck a pointed rod through the fish and placed it on the fire. He glanced at the beasts laying not far away from them and shook his head helplessly. Those beasts were pretty smart and had also discovered the effect of the herbal mixture. He didn¡¯t mind share it with them since the beasts became much friendlier towards them because of it.


    ¡°The fish still need a bit more time. Let¡¯s give the beasts something to drink, Reli.¡±


    ¡°Yes, grandpa. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    There was a big pit next to the fire. A lot of beasts had gathered there. Some flying beast even landed on top of other huge beasts on the ground but all of them were waiting peacefully. The old man collected the river waters in huge jugs and threw the herbal mixture into them before pouring them all into the big pit. The beasts howled in a low voice at the old man and Reli. After doing all this, the old went back to the fire and turned the fish. A fragrant smell spread through the air and a faint growling could be heard from Reli¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Hahah, here take this part, Reli. It¡¯s done.¡±


    The old man laughed kindly. He placed a generous portion of steaming fish flesh on a big green leaf and handed over to Reli.


    ¡°Thank you very much, grandpa. You should eat some too.¡±


    The boy received it with both hands and the joyous smile on his face became even wider. Seeing the Reli happily gulping down the hot flesh, the old man smiled contently. He was sure Reli will be fully cured in just a few more days. During these five years, he had tried to teach Reli the most important knowledge he possessed. He even wrote down all his experience about his own road of cultivation. When that day came, they needed to be prepared for the worst scenario.


    A cool wind blew over the calm forest, letting a few loose leaves fall down from the trees and landed on the steadily flowing river. Some fishes leapt out of the water to catch clueless, tiny beasts, flying over them. The noon sun shone brightly over the humid forest and the faint smell of wet cool earth rose up in the air. The old man closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as he meticulously analysed the various smells of the forest, entering his nose. All of them were familiar to him.


    Except for that one.

 Chapter 3 - Reasons

    The old man slowly opened his eyes and turned the fish over the fire like always. Only the slightly pushed down earth under his feet revealed how much power he was gathering in his legs at the moment. Reli had finished his meal and was now laying lazily next to the black golden-paw bear.  Hectic footsteps came from the forest. From the corner of his eye, the old man could see two faint silhouettes appearing in the distance. They stopped right before the open ground, where many beasts were resting after they had drunk enough out of the big pit. No one talked and the silence seemed to cool down the air around them significantly with every second passed. The old man¡¯s eyes sparkled dangerously and just as he was ready to burst out with all his might against the strangers, one of the strangers finally spoke hastily.


    ¡°Hahah, old cripple. It seems that you¡¯re still doing pretty well since the last time we met.¡±


    The strident voice of a middle-aged man rung out and attracted the attention of the all beasts, laying around the old man and Reli. A small troop of golden-ears monkeys looked curiously at the two strangers and circled around them. The monkeys were only half as tall as a grown man, yet their muscular arms were bursting with strength. Seeing how small rocks easily shattered under the steps of the monkeys, the two strangers nervously took a small step back. Next to the middle-aged man was a woman fully covered in black clothes. Only her visible brown eyes showed that she was a bit younger than the man.


    ¡°Oh teacher Khasas, it has been a long time indeed. Why are you wearing such ragged clothes?¡±


    The old man turned his head towards the two and smiled warmly with a surprised expression. He took a big bite of the fish flesh and didn¡¯t show any intention of inviting the newcomers over.


    Reli tilted his head and leaned on the furry belly of the black golden-paw bear. The bear seemed to want to take a nap and turned his head in another direction before closing its eyes. Reli recognized that teacher Khasas. The old man once tried to explore an underground cave with that man but for some reason, they broke up that attempt. Just there is something strange about the woman next to teacher Khasas. Reli was sure, he hadn¡¯t met her before and yet the woman had been looking at him most of the time since their arrival.


    ¡°Ah, you see. Life in this damned place isn¡¯t easy. At least I can still find food every day and that stupid illness seems to lose its effect lately. This must have something to do with the barrier. If the legend is right, then this place will be opened in a few days. Oh, how wonderful it is. Finally, we can escape this cursed land and be free. Hahah, don¡¯t you agree, old cripple?¡±


    Teacher Khasas let out a loud laugh and sat down on the wet grass. He didn¡¯t mind talking to the old man from this far distance.


    The woman stood still and kept her eyes on Reli. That makes the boy feel very uncomfortable and he in turn also looked intensely back at her. Not only into her eyes but also at every single corner of her body and clothes. The Woman gaze became weird, pending back and forth between the old man and Reli. How could she know what the old man had taught Reli.


    ¡°If you ever feel a threat from someone¡¯s gaze, be vigilant and keep track of every movement they do. Find their vulnerable spots. When you have a chance, strike!¡±


    The boy always took the old man¡¯s word to his heart and did exactly like what the old man had always told him to do.


    ¡°Are you really happy that the barrier will disappear and everyone can enter this land soon? Even your old enemies? Hahah, but yeah. Maybe we are already forgotten by history and no one care about our worthless life anymore.¡±


    The old man let out a carefree laugh as if the coming event didn¡¯t matter to him. He shot a glance at the woman, then looked meaningfully at teacher Khasas.


    Sensing the old man¡¯s gaze, teacher Khasas smacked lightly on his head and laughed.


    ¡°I almost forgot. This is lady Kim. We have met just a few days ago while hunting for the same beast. The illness has got her pretty bad, so she can¡¯t speak or expose her skin under the sunlight. Since the barrier will disappear soon, we thought it will be a good idea to team up and leave this place together. That¡¯s why we come looking for you. Do you have any plan yet? Let¡¯s go together. It will be safer for us all this way. What do you say?¡± A harmless smile appeared on teacher Khasas¡¯ face, while he leaned forward slightly and clapped on his thick thigh. Next to him, lady Kim nodded with her head as a sign of approval.


    ¡°You sure have faith in me. What advantage can a sack of old bone like me offer? Not to mention I even have a young child with me. We will probably only be a hindrance on your journey.¡±


    The old smiled faintly and shook his head. He continued to eat, seemingly not paying much attention to his surroundings.


    ¡°What are you saying? Hahah, who in this forest doesn¡¯t know of your strength. Even if you have lost the power of a Sage, your plain fist can still smash a huge beast into mincemeat. By the way, the boy isn¡¯t ordinary either. Someone who can survive the death curse of this forest is destined to become extraordinary.¡±


    When he mentioned Reli, teacher Khasas smiled kindly, yet his eyebrows twitched faintly for fraction of a second.


    ¡°Reli, do you heard what teacher Khasas said? Hahah, he is right. You¡¯re destined to become a formidable figure in the future. Come and eat some more, so you can grow up even faster.¡±


    The old man waved gently at Reli and sliced a big portion of fish flesh for him. Reli looked in the old man''s kind eyes and understood his intention immediately. Even though the little boy¡¯s tummy is still full from the meal before, he sat firmly next to the old man and gulped down as much as he can.


    Looking at how the pair of the old man and young boy barbarically devouring that big fish, teacher Khasas clicked his tongue and shook his head. He knew almost everyone developed bizarre behaviours after living here for a long time. Even a sophisticated person like himself ended up looking like a homeless beggar. Well, he was indeed homeless and pitiful in some sense. But all this suffering would end soon in a few days and this young boy over there would be his key to glory. All these years he had been exploring this forest. It was too big and there were many dangerous places he couldn¡¯t reach. Despite all that he had found many clues about the secret of this mysterious forest. He knew for sure that the legend about it was very true and there was even more behind the story.


    ¡°Those beasts are really obedient to you, old cripple. You must have trained them very well. I wonder which one is your favourite?¡± Teacher Khasas watched all the beasts moving around for a while before asking the old man in a respectful demeanour.


    ¡°Oh, they are here on their own will. I¡¯m not powerful enough to tame them. We need to be careful. They are really wild sometimes.¡±


    The old man nodded at teacher Khasas and showed an earnest expression like someone, who couldn¡¯t hurt a fly.


    Teacher Khasas¡¯ mouth twitched and turned his head to lady Kim. She was still standing, not moving even a single muscle. A helpless smile appeared on teacher Khasas¡¯ face. The old man was very on guard against them so he needed to think of a different approach.  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    A shrill scream of a flying beast resounded through the air. Nore dark clouds were forming in the horizon. Some beasts started to howl and went to find cover under big trees. Every now and then a freezing wind blew over the big open ground next to the river.


    ¡°Grandpa, it¡¯s getting cold. Please wear this.¡± Reli ran into the wooden house and brought out thick animal hides. He covered himself tightly and quickly sat down behind the old man¡¯s back.


    ¡°It seems like heavy rain is coming. My wooden house is small but at least it can give it us a dry place to rest. You¡¯re welcome to join us.¡±


    The old man waved at Teacher Khasas and lady Kim, before bending down to unfold the animal hides.


    Seeing the groups of beasts moving far away from them, lady Kim and teacher Khasas let out a sigh of relief. Their mind was on guard the whole time, knowing they would have only little chance of surviving the collective attack of those beasts.  ¡°


    Aya, old cripple. Finally, I can see some humanity in you. I thought you would leave us sleeping in the rain this time.¡±


    Teacher Khasas walked quickly towards the old man and the woman was following him closely.


    ¡°What about the rest of the fish, Grandpa?¡± When they were passing by the fire, Reli¡¯s childly voice rung out behind the old man.


    ¡°Ah right, I almost forget about it. Teacher Khasas, please pick up the fish. You can have some of it later if you like. And lady Kim, please put out the fire.¡±


    The old man looked up with a kind smile before crouching down next to the animal hides again.


    Teacher Khasas and lady Kim looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Lady Kim bent down to gather some sand while teacher Khasas carefully reached out to the hot fish.


    Right at that moment, a faint light flashed through the air and red blood splattered over the fire. Lady Kim turned her head abruptly after hearing teacher Khasas¡¯ shrill scream behind her back. Meeting her gaze was a sharp blade, closing in with unimaginable speed. She hastily bent her legs and leaned backwards. The blade passed her nose by a hair¡¯s breadth, leaving a stain of warm fresh blood on her face. She knew it was teacher Khasas¡¯ blood. And soon her own would dye this cold earth if she couldn¡¯t regain her balance. But there was no time to think. The sharp blade changed its path and sliced down towards her left leg. Lady Kim swiftly bent her waist to the side and supported her whole weight on the right arm, while pushing her body away from the path of the blade. However, when her body was still upside down, a vicious kick landed straight in her face, blasting her through the air. With a loud bang, she crashed headfirst against a thick tree-trunk and rolled down on the muddy ground. After kicking lady Kim away, the old man redirected the force in his legs and jumped towards the still screaming teach Khasas.


    Meanwhile, Reli had distanced himself from the fighting ground and hid behind the still sleeping black golden-paw bear. The moment the old man told him to eat more, he knew they would have a cruel fight waiting for them.


    ¡°Always eat as much as you can before fighting against someone. You don¡¯t know how long the fight will last, how many enemies will appear in the end and when you will be able the refill your lost energy.¡±


    That was what the old man always said to him and made sure that it became Reli¡¯s habit.


    Teacher Khasas has lost both hands from the old man¡¯s sneak attack. Yet after suppressing his pain, he was now fighting intensely against the old man and showed no sign of losing. It turned out he had hidden a weird weapon in his shoes. It had many ironlike strings and he could manipulate them to greatly increase his moving speed.


    ¡°I was right. You¡¯re from the same faction as them. I should have killed you in that cave back then.¡±


    The old man glared at teacher Khasas with an emotionless face. In his right hand was a curvy thin sword. It was hidden in the animal hides, which was brought to him by Reli from before.


    ¡°So what if I¡¯m from the same faction like those bastards. I couldn¡¯t care less about the feud between you and them. But how did you find out? I¡¯m sure I haven¡¯t used my weapon once after entering this place.¡±


    Teacher Khasas shouted furiously. Even though he had bandaged his handless arms quickly with his clothes, fresh red blood still sipped through them and dripped on the wet green grass.


    ¡°I only broke through to the Sage level during their last pursuit. No one else knows about it, except them.¡± A bitter smile appeared on the old man¡¯s face. If only he had reached that level sooner, the story would have ended differently.


    ¡°Hahah, so that was it? I can¡¯t believe that small detail has exposed my identity. But whatever. Old cripple, even if I¡¯m from the same faction as them, I have no ill intention towards you. I only want the boy. No, we both can benefit from the boy. Listen. No new-born has ever survived in this place. It was a miracle that the boy survived but, in a sense, it was destiny. That herbal mixture you have fed him. The places you have bought him to. All of that was a lucky coincidence. I have explored almost every corner of this forest. I have read every book containing stories about this forgotten land. I came here with a theory in my mind and with the boy, I can finally confirm its validity.¡±


    More and more cuts tore open teacher Khasas¡¯s but he didn¡¯t stop to persuade the old man. His weird strings tried to grab the old man¡¯s sword but he had a hard time keeping up with the fighting pace.


    ¡°None will get the boy.¡±


    The old man rotated his body and created a whirlwind of sharp blades, pushing teacher Khasas away from Reli¡¯s direction.


    ¡°When the barrier disappears, let¡¯s hand him over to the faction and you will get rewarded handsomely. I can guarantee you a high position within the faction. The feud between you and those bastards will mean nothing and the faction might even grant you a portion of that new power.¡±


    The action of the old man agitated teacher Khasas madly. He couldn¡¯t understand why the old man was set on protecting the boy. His wide red eyes stared intensely at the old man¡¯s stern face but all the responses he got was a series of vicious sword strikes.


    ¡°What the fuck is your problem? He isn¡¯t even your child. Just a random baby. Unwanted by its parent. Left to die in this cursed forest. I knew your old ass is crazy when I heard you screaming with the baby on the top of that mountain. But don¡¯t you want power? Don¡¯t you want revenge? Wasn¡¯t it the reason why you wanted to kill them all? I know you have found out the secret of this forgotten forest. The boy is the key.¡±


    Teacher Khasas clung to the sharp sword blade with both arms while the old man slowly pierced the sword through his chest. With his bloody face leaning forwards, teacher Khasas stared intensely at the old man¡¯s emotionless eyes. Their eyes were almost touching each other as he ferociously roared at the old man, spitting bloody salvia all over his face.


    The old man raised his left hand and slowly grabbed teacher Khasas¡¯ pale neck. He shifted it slightly to his left side and whispers word for word in teacher Khasas¡¯ ear.

 Chapter 4 - Who is Johann?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    These were the last words teacher Khasas heard as his neck was crushed by the old man¡¯s bare hand. Before his death, he was cursing lady Kim nonstop in his mind. She had betrayed him and left him fighting the old man all on his own. He was sure, they could have defeated the old man together and grabbed that young boy.


    The old man twitched the sword and pulled it out from teacher Khasas¡¯ corpse. He swung it briefly into the air to get rid of all the blood still sticking on the blade. Quick steps could be heard coming from his side.  Seeing the hesitant expression on Reli¡¯s face, the old man sighed faintly and clapped on the boy¡¯s small shoulder.


    ¡°I know you have questions but let¡¯s talk later, alright my child?¡±


    Reli smiled and nodded firmly. He heard what teacher Khasas said during the fight. It made his innocent mind waver but he would always listen to his grandpa. As if they had done it endless time before, he swiftly climbed on his grandpa¡¯s back and tied his own animal hide firmly to the old man broad shoulders.


    The riverside was utterly silent. Just the calming sound of water flowing could be heard in the background. More and more dark clouds had gathered in the sky, preventing the last sunbeam from reaching the earth. The ominous darkness gradually cast over the whole forest and hid the old man¡¯s silhouette within it. Spreading through the air by the cold winds, only the faint smell of warm, fresh blood reminded of the brutal battle a moment ago.


    ¡°How many are they?¡±


    The old man¡¯s low voice rung out from the riverside. Reli remained quiet cause he knew the question wasn¡¯t for him. No answer came from the darkness but right after his sudden question, the slight sound of someone taking a short deep breath was detected by the old man. He smirked. Within a second his figure disappeared in the gloomy shadow of the forest.


    Small raindrops bounced off a thick leave. Quick steps over broken dry branches resounded in the air as two blurry shadows flashed by a large tree. Suddenly the figure leading them came to a halt. The other figure didn¡¯t stop and quickly closed in. A metallic sound rang out as the old man¡¯s calm face emerged from the darkness. Meeting his gaze was a pair of sharp eyes. Those, that could only belong to a woman with stunning beauty.


    She stayed motionless. Her hand was feeling numb from blocking the old man¡¯s last sword strike. His sword blade was still vibrating intensely just a hair¡¯s breadth away from her neck. His face was so close to her, she could feel his warm breath on her thin black face cover.


    ¡°They can¡¯t see or hear us now.¡±


    Lady Kim spoke quietly. Her voice was hoarse but still soft and pleasant to the ear. Yet her furrowed eyebrows showed how much she disliked it. She watched the old man closely, trying to catch something with her eyes. To her disappointment, his facial expression remained emotionless.


    ¡°I know. Continue.¡±


    Still holding tightly on his sword, the old man gave a short answer. He knew from the moment when the unexpected duo appeared, that more people were hiding in the forest behind them. That fat black golden-paw bear had a typical behaviour. Instinctively or maybe forged by experience, before going to sleep, it would always change its lying position, with its head facing in the direction of the biggest threat. Normally it didn¡¯t fear any beast or man but it was extremely cautious against unknown newcomers. Since it ignored the direction, where teacher Khasas and lady Kim were standing, the old men knew they didn¡¯t come alone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to team up with them, but I had no choice. My strength alone is not enough to resist their combined force so I pretended to join their group. I have heard stories about you. I have witnessed your power long ago. So, when they planned to contact you, I knew this will be my only chance of escaping. Not just from them but also from this land. I don¡¯t want the boy. I don¡¯t want the secret of this forgotten forest. I have explored this place by myself and I¡¯m fully aware of that power. My own ability is not enough to get tangled in its affair, nor is it my destiny to be the chosen one.¡±


    Lady Kim said everything in one breath. Her glance was determined and her voice was serene. She had seen the old man¡¯s decisive actions. She knew she only had limited time to convince him of her own goodwill.


    ¡°Please take me with you. After escaping from this forest, I¡¯m willing to accompany you on your journey. That¡¯s it if you see me as worthy of a companion.¡±


    Even though she had only interacted shortly with him, her instinct told her that the old man is a man of his word. Someone she could trust.


    For the first time lay Kim saw a hesitant expression on the old man¡¯s face. Even though it lasted for only a short moment, it gave her hope.


    Just as she wanted to say something, the old man raised his face to the sky and let out a loud painful cry. Some sleeping beast were scared awake and flied nervously up into the dark sky. After that, the old man lowered his head again and looked at the stupefied lady Kim. His eyes were still calm as ever and it didn¡¯t seem like he was hurt anywhere. Grabbing the woman¡¯s shoulder, he lifted his left foot and stomped brutishly on ground. A forceful vibration spread through the earth and threw all the trees around them along with their roots into the air. Huge cracks appeared under the old man foot as the earth was split apart.


    ¡°Pretend to chase after me and when the time comes, ¡­ KILL THEM ALL.¡±


    The old man whispered into lady Kim¡¯s ear. His last three words sent a chill down her spine. She turned her head and looked deeply into the old man clear eyes. Would he help her to ambush that group or would he flee away and let her perish together with the pursuers? She knew this was the old man¡¯s test for her. She wanted him to believe that she meant no harm for them, so now she had to believe that he will aid her in the coming fight. She wanted to accompany him on his journey and now was the time to show that she had the required strength to do so.


    Explosive sounds of something breaking through the air were closing in from the darkness behind her. Lady Kim looked pensively in that direction and grabbed tightly on the hidden weapon under her black robe. As she turned her head back, the old man had already vanished. A few trees away, his figure appeared again on a thick branch, looking at her. She nodded and started the chase. Shortly after she left, several figures appeared on the destroyed ground.


    ¡°What a mad power. That old cripple is still as dangerous as ever.¡±


    A bearded man with a corpulent figure landed on a huge fallen tree and exclaimed in admiration. He had always been in awe of the old man¡¯s power. In the past, there were many occasions, when he wanted to test it himself, yet he was not stupid enough to confront the old man alone. However, this time was different. The barrier was about to disappear, along with his mysterious illness. His strength had recovered greatly and his side had more people.


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    ¡°I thought that young girl would have died for sure but judging from this destroyed area and the scream earlier, the girl must have gravely injured that old cripple.¡±


    After picking up some wet earth and sniffing carefully on it, a small old woman voiced her opinion.


    ¡°Let¡¯s catch up with them. That girl is good at ambushing but in a direct confrontation, she is no match for that old cripple.¡±


    The other people nodded and disappeared from their spots. They were sure everything went as planned. They didn¡¯t care about teacher Khasas¡¯ death. As long as he could weaken the old man somehow, it was good enough. The old woman just didn¡¯t realize that the blood she smelled on that chunk of we earth wasn¡¯t from the old man but lady Kim. The rain was getting heavier every second and it was difficult to analyse the scene correctly.


    Big, cold raindrops hit rapidly on the old man face. His old skin was used to the pain but the dense rain was blocking his sight.


    ¡°How are you? Be careful and keep yourself dry.¡±


    He asked in a low voice and a kind smile appeared on his.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, grandpa.¡±


    On the old man¡¯s back, Reli stuck his small head out from under the thick animal hide. He smiled brightly as his tiny hand reached out to the old man¡¯s wet chin and tried to wipe away the dirt sticking under it. Feeling Reli¡¯s clumsy stroke, the old man¡¯s facial expression became soft for a moment before his gaze grew resolute again. Because of those people¡¯s unexpected arrival, he had to change his original plan. He wanted to do it alone at first but since they delivered themselves to him, he might as well use them to his advantage. His eyes sparkled dangerously as he spoke to Reli.


    ¡°Did you grab some fish flesh before? Feed me a bit of it and you eat some too.¡±


    ¡°Aye, grandpa. I have picked up as much as I could. I¡¯m still full but you have fought a lot so you should eat more.¡±


    Reli grabbed a huge chunk of fish flesh from the big leaf under his clothes and stuffed it carefully into the old man¡¯s mouth. After that, he covered himself with the thick animal hide again.


    They had been running for only a while but she could already hear other people¡¯s voices behind her. Lady Kim looked back and met the old woman¡¯s stinging gaze.


    ¡°Good job, lady Kim. It seems like your ambush was pretty effective for him to not dare to fight against you.¡±


    The old woman nodded at lady Kim as they were getting closer to her. Lady nodded back at them and reduced her speed, falling behind the bearded man with the corpulent body.


    The man raised his eyebrows in surprise before letting out a loud laugh.


    ¡°Hahah you¡¯re right, lady Kim. You already did a good job of ambushing him. He ran away cause, he wasn¡¯t sure of your real fighting power. Your assassination skills are excellent but for face to face combat, just leave it to me. I will show you all today, what the peak of physical strength is.¡±


    With that said, he accelerated his speed and claimed the leading position in their group formation.


    The old woman glared at the bearded man¡¯s back and a scornful smile flashed over her face. Lady Kim glanced at the other group members from the corner of her eyes and realized that despite talking nicely on the surface, everyone was keeping a safe distance from each other. That made it much easier for her to ambush any of them.


    A faint silhouette with long, loose white hair swiftly jumped over a big bush, catching everyone¡¯s attention. With no hesitation, they dashed towards that direction and spread themselves along the way to form a semi-circular formation.


    ¡°Hahah, old cripple, long time no see. How have you been? What is with this buckle on your back? Aya, you¡¯re too old already. Don¡¯t run so fast, you might slip and hurt yourself. How about we stop and have a drink together? I have always wanted to have a chat with you, to show you my deepest respect.¡±


    While they were running, the bearded man shouted nonstop at the old man. Even though he was laughing recklessly, his eyes carefully followed every single of the old man¡¯s movement. Suddenly he stopped his shouting cause in that same moment, the old came to a halt. He saw the old man slowly turned back to face them.


    There was no fear or pain on the old man¡¯s face. Only an unconcerned smile as he spoke:


    ¡°Let¡¯s have a nice chat then. How about having some fun with my little friends first?¡±


    With his faced raised high in the rainy sky, a shrill whistle sound left his mouth.


    Surprised by the old man weird action, the bearded man¡¯s group vigilantly scanned their surroundings. All of a sudden everyone¡¯s body became tense as their feet felt a faint vibration, which was getting stronger and stronger. The old woman turned her head nervously towards the darkness behind them.


    The roaring sound of thunder shook the heaven and a pair of red glowing eyes was closing in on their spot with unimaginable speed. With a thud, a small golden-ears monkey landed behind their group. The old woman let out a relieved sigh while the bearded man laughed out loud. Just at this moment several bolts of lightning flashed through the sky and brightened up the gloomy forest. The bearded man almost choked on his own laugh and everyone¡¯s eyes widened. Behind that small monkey was a troupe of at least a hundred others rushing towards them, with some thrice as tall as a grown man. They wondered if the old man really had tamed them all.


    Right when everyone was stupefied by the absurd sight, a desperate scream brought them back to their sense. The bearded man swung his arm forcefully backwards but he missed the old man and his fist smashed into a big rock instead. The rock shattered into sharp pieces, shooting in every direction. Just as the others turned their head and wanted to rush towards the old man, another scream rung out behind them. This time a member of them was twitching on the ground with an exploded chest.


    ¡°Lady Kim!¡±


    The old woman hollered ferociously to the figure next to the corpse. But before she could do anything, a whistling sound rang out from her left side. She hurriedly jumped away and landed on the other side of the group.


    ¡°Johann, I leave her to you.¡±


    The old man shouted at the person on the right side behind the old woman before ignoring them and rushed towards another direction.

 Chapter 5 - Smart men

    <div>


    The old woman broke out in sweats as she remembered the scene of lady Kim standing next to the corpse. Within a split second her eyes were filled with madness. Her hand moved hastily while she was turning back to confront the person behind her. Cracking sounds of broken bone could be heard when her steellike fingers drilled into the person¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Stupid old hag. Really?¡±


    The person grabbed the old woman¡¯s arm and stared with widened eyes at something behind her. The reflection of an incoming sword blade in the person¡¯s eyes scared the old woman witless. She wanted to dodge to the side but her hand was stuck in that person¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Die with me then, you dumb shit!¡±


    That person cried out frantically before both of them being chopped in half by the sword blade. Blood spurted out from the old woman¡¯s corpse as it felt on the muddy ground. On the other side of the fight scene, lady Kim was swiftly dodging the combined attack of other attackers. The old man looked shortly at the incoming monkeys and jumped to the side, dodging the bearded man¡¯s heavy palm strike. A big pit was smashed in the ground where he stood.


    Due to the old man¡¯s sneak attack at the beginning, the bearded man only had his right leg left. He cursed himself for being careless. With only one leg available his accuracy was a mess. Looking at the troupe of savage golden-ears monkeys dashing over them, he narrowed his eyes pensively. Those monkeys seemed to be in a trance. Everything hindering their path will be crushed ruthlessly. The bearded man had a crazy idea and his eyes turned blood red. He threw his sturdy body at the old man again and again. Unfortunately, he only seemed like a mad meatball ramming big pits in the earth.


    The old man easily evaded those clumsy attacks and grabbed the bearded man¡¯s ankle. With a big swing, he hurled the bearded man against the other attackers, shooting them into the troupe of brutish monkeys. Desperate screams rung out in the air but were quickly drowned by the steady sound of bouncing raindrops on the now flooded ground. A small stream had already been formed and gradually washed away the evidence of the fight. The monkeys had left the scene. They never intended to take part in the clash between those humans. The old man knew that the monkeys would always take this route at certain times of the month, so he had lured the pursuers to this place to create a few seconds of surprise. Few seconds was all he needed.


    Next to the old man, lady Kim was crouching on one knee, still trying to catch a breath. Heavy raindrops were falling mercilessly on her back and her soaking wet robe stuck closely onto her skin. Surprisingly no visible injuries were seen on her body. She had a slim feminine waistline yet her defined shoulder muscles indicated an athletic physique. Suddenly she got goosebumps all over her body as she no longer felt the pressure of falling raindrops but instead only gentle fingertips stroking slowly on the sensitive skin of her back. Lady Kim took a deep breath before raising her face to meet the old man¡¯s meaningful eyes.


    Not far away from them, someone¡¯s fat belly was sticking out from under the murky water. The old man waded across the flooded ground towards it.


    ¡°I will dislocate your shoulders.¡±


    With the pointy tip of his sword touching the belly skin, the old man spoke indifferently.


    ¡°Why? ¡­ WOOOHHH!¡±


    A dirt-covered head abruptly rose from under the water and the bearded man surprised voice rung out before turning into a painful howl. He couldn¡¯t move a single muscle in his arms after the old man was done with him. His wrists were now bound together tightly behind his back with a ripped cloth.


    ¡°Hey wait, wait! A hero can die an honourable death but never lives a disgraceful life. You can kill me but don¡¯t you dare to torture me.¡±


    The bearded man shouted frantically as his nape was grabbed by the old man and his dirty body was dragged over the muddy ground. The old man raised the bearded man¡¯s head before slapping him soundly on the cheek.


    ¡°We will leave this forgotten land together and you will be our meat shield.¡±


    They stared in each other eyes as the old man calmly spoke. The bearded man scanned the old man¡¯s face suspiciously with his narrowed eyes. He couldn¡¯t believe the old man would let him leave this place with them. However, they wanting to use him as a meat shield did sound convincing. The old man threw this called meat shield over to lady Kim and led the way.


    ¡°Woa lady Kim. I see you¡¯re a really smart woman after all. It was a good choice for you to follow brother cripple. He even acknowledges my extraordinary strength. Don¡¯t worry, with me here it will be a child¡¯s play to leave this land. I will protect you with all my might. It¡¯s a hero¡¯s duty to take care of the beauty. ¡­ Ack?¡±


    The bearded man widened eyes were fixated on lady Kim¡¯s soft hip movement as he was dragged behind her. Seeing his lecherous expression, lady Kim glared angrily at him. She stuffed the bearded man full with a lump of dirty cloth and tied up his eyes.


    The forest was absolutely silent. Only the chilling humid air in the lungs after every breath reminded of the heavy rain not long ago. Over the high tree branches, two swift silhouettes were dashing under the clear night sky. The enormous translucent barrier soon appeared before them. With an elegant movement, the old man landed in front of a small cave entrance. It was at a discreet area between several sand dunes. Reli looked curiously over the old man¡¯s shoulders and recognised this place. It was one of the few caves the old man told him to remember by heart. Quickly their shadows vanished inside the cave entrance.


    Hurried steps resounded in the darkness. Since she couldn¡¯t see anything and the old man was moving so fast, lady Kim had a hard time trying to follow him. The bearded man she dragged behind her even banged into the solid cave wall a few times. Finally, they reached the end of the cave. The cave actually went on much longer but there was a blue glowing barrier cutting right through the tunnel, hindering them from going any further. The whole cave section was illuminated in bright blue light and gave it a mysterious appearance.


    Sensing the old man¡¯s gaze, lady Kim nodded. She threw the bearded man on the ground and set him free. The bearded man looked curiously at his surroundings and his eyes widened when he saw the barrier.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s the very barrier protecting this forgotten land. Only this part is far under the ground and none knows about it. We can wait here till the barrier disappears in a few days and leave this land through the tunnel.¡±


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.The old man¡¯s calm voice rung out behind the bearded man. They couldn¡¯t see how every muscle on the bearded man¡¯s face twitched intensely and a manic smile appeared.


    ¡°Since we will spend a long time in here, we need to prepare enough food for our escape. Lady Kim, please go back to the surface and hunt some beasts. Also gather various fruits, just enough for us to last a few days.¡±


    Seemingly not paying attention to the bearded man, the old man spoke carefree to lady Kim. The woman nodded and disappeared in the darkness of the tunnel. She had remembered the way and could find the right direction even with her closed. However, just a few moments later, a slight vibration spread through the tunnel section where they were waiting and lady Kim¡¯s faint desperate scream could be heard.


    ¡°What happened? I will go to take a look. You stay here and don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    The old man jumped on his feet and dashed in the direction of the scream.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    Still facing the blue barrier, the bearded man answered in an honest voice. None could see how his eyes formed an excessive crescent moon shape with his small pupils still visible. His wide smile became even more distorted when he heard the sound of the old man running further away.


    ¡°I will do something very smart.¡±


    The bearded man suddenly turned his head and slammed his sturdy body into the cave wall. Even though his attacks seemed wild, they all followed a certain pattern. Huge cracks spread along the wall while the whole tunnel began to shake dangerously. The old man halted his steps and looked back with a shocked expression.


    The bearded man¡¯s shoulders weren¡¯t dislocated anymore and he stood strong in front of the barrier with his arm muscles tightened. His chest heaved as he breathed heavily. The maniacal expression was still on his face and his hysterical laugh seemed to shook the cave even more.


    Huge stones broke off from the cave ceiling. More of them kept falling down on the ground and gradually blocked the path between the two men. The whole tunnel seemed to be on the verge of collapse. Realizing the rapidly expanding cracks towards his direction, the old man quickly moved and look for his way back to the cave entrance.


    ¡°Hahah, be careful on your way back, old cripple. Too bad that little boy is still in your hand, but you have given me an even better gift. I will pray for you after I leave this place unscathed.¡±


    The bearded man shouted playfully after seeing the old man¡¯s silhouette vanished in the darkness. One last rock felt down and the tunnel was completely sealed in front of the barrier. Before they had reached the cave entrance the bearded man had already managed to relocate his shoulders. That stupid lady Kim was so reckless with her movement and slammed him against almost every corner of the cave. However, it gave him the chance to secretly manipulate the cave wall, letting it become more likely to crumble.


    When he saw the blue barrier, he almost burst into laughter. None would have expected a brute like himself actually had certain knowledge about barriers. He knew the actual barrier is translucent. For that one to be blue meant that this part had lost almost every connection to the main barrier and was much weaker. Furthermore, he could detect tiny white lines across its whole surface. This part of the barrier didn¡¯t have much energy left to sustain its form. Hearing the old cripple wanting them to just wait for the barrier to disappear by itself, he knew the old man had no idea about the secret of this blue barrier. He only needed a few days to drain its energy and totally destroy it, even before the main barrier disappeared. It was heaven¡¯s will when the old man told lady Kim to leave. She then got hurt by his trap, leading to the old man running after her too. It was the perfect time for him to break down the whole cave and lock them out of this place. He was aware they would dig their way back here, but that required a few days. He would have long since destroyed the barrier and fled this place. His plan was perfect and his luck seemed unimaginable.


    Countless clouds of dust were blasted in the air while thunderous rumble shook the whole area. A faint silhouette shot out from the collapsing cave entrance at the very last moment.


    ¡°How are you, Reli?¡±


    After a few short coughs, the old man asked in a hoarse voice. They are standing on a thick branch of a huge tree, far away from the collapsed area.


    Reli¡¯s small head stuck out from under the animal hide on the old man¡¯s belly and scanned alertly their surroundings. The old man had switched Reli¡¯s position from his back to the front, for fear that some random rocks from the ceiling might hit his little boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m super fine, grandpa. Are you hurt somewhere? You¡¯re so awesome. I couldn¡¯t even see a thing in that cave but you manage to bring us out with ease. Your face looks so funny now though.¡±


    His cheerful voice rung out as he stared with bright eyes at the old man¡¯s face. The man¡¯s head was fully covered in dust, except his clear wise eyes. Reli raised his tiny hands and clumsily wiped his grandpa¡¯s face clean.


    ¡°You were great today, Reli. My child is the toughest boy in the whole world. Hahah.¡±


    Seeing the tired smile on Reli¡¯s face, the old man glance grew soft and he let his little boy lie comfortably on his lap. After placing the child¡¯s hands back on its own tummy, the old man clapped gently on its small shoulder and whispered:


    ¡°It¡¯s all over for now. Let¡¯s take a rest and sleep for a while.¡±


    His grandpa¡¯s soft voice made Reli feel safe. It only took a few seconds before he fell into a deep sleep.


    The first light of dawn slowly found its way through the dark sky, bringing a little warmth to the quiet forest. The old man leaned his back on the tree trunk with his eyes slowly closing. He, too, felt sleepy. His shadow blended into the one of the huge tree and united with that of the forest. A peaceful atmosphere emerged silently.


    Just as silently like a faint silhouette behind them.


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 Chapter 6 - Trust

    With her face raised to the sky, lady Kim¡¯s gaze seemed to be lost between the countless stars. Some were brighter than the others. Some were smaller or just further away. But all of them were doing the same. They were shining. Even if the sun would eventually rise and dominate the boundless sky, they were shining. Even if they were invisible at day, they were shining. They waited patiently every time till the night came so the whole world would recognize their existence again. Was she also just like one of those stars? Should she also just have to wait? Lady Kim let out a short sigh. She sat down on the thick branch and leaned her back on the tree trunk. The different scenes of Reli on the old man¡¯s back appeared in her mind and she seemed to be lost in thought again.


    Hearing the breath from the other side of the tree trunk became slower and steadier, the old man slightly opened his eyes. None of lady Kim¡¯s movement could escape his sharp sense. He was awake the whole time and would remain alert until Reli woke up.


    A group of single-horn squirrels ran vigorously on the branches around the old man. Every now and then a bright sunbeam shone through the shaking leaves on Reli¡¯s face. The young boy suddenly squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his face on the old man¡¯s clothes before slightly opened them. It was already noon.


    ¡°Woa grandpa, how long have I been asleep?¡±


    Reli stretched his arms and leapt out from the old man¡¯s lap. His sudden movement scared few single-horn squirrels. Their tiny body quickly disappeared as they jumped onto another tree.


    ¡°The time was just right as it seems. How are you?¡±


    Hearing Reli¡¯s lively voice, the old man opened his eyes and inspected the emerging figure behind the boy. Lady Kim was standing there silently with a green bamboo water holder in her hands.


    ¡°It was only a scratch. Nothing serious. I have gathered freshwater from a small waterfall not far from here. Do you both wanna drink some?¡±


    She shook her head slightly before crouching down in front of Reli and asked in a gentle voice. Reli turned his head to the old man instead of answering. Sensing the old man¡¯s sceptical gaze on the green bamboo water holder, lady Kim opened it and took a small sip of the freshwater.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t eaten for a whole day. Let¡¯s go back to the house and prepare some food.¡±


    The old man stood up and signalised Reli to climb on his back. After giving lady Kim a short nod, his body vanished from the tree branch. Looking at the old man¡¯s fading silhouette, lady Kim had a calm expression on her face. She stored the green bamboo water holder back under her clothes and quickly followed the duo.


    A refreshing breeze blew over the riverside. On the wide green grass area next to the wooden house was a huge black, furry ball. The head of the black golden-paw bear raised abruptly as the sounds of quick steps were coming closer. Upon realizing who the newcomers were, the bear lowered its head again and continued to chew on something in its hand.


    ¡°Wow, fatty. You have brought so many herbs this time. You can¡¯t wait to get your daily herbal water, can you? Oh right, it¡¯s already past noon now.¡±


    Reli¡¯s childish voice rung out when they arrived next to the bear. He quickly climbed up on the bear¡¯s back, peeking over its shoulder. The bear raised its jaw in the air and growled in low voice before dropping its head again


    ¡°For now, please always stay 50 steps away from Reli and the wooden house. I will go to catch some fish.¡±


    The old man spoke to the arriving lady Kim. He still needed certain pre-emptive measures against her. Lady Kim nodded. She didn¡¯t mind his instruction since it was only natural in their situation. After inspecting her surroundings, she chose a clean spot with dense fresh green grasses and sat down.


    Various herbs were lying on the ground next to the black golden-paw bear. Most of them had the bear¡¯s favourite flavour. The old man had a weird feeling that the bear was getting smarter every day. Not only did it know which herb to gather but each herb was also cut cleanly and sorted out on the ground. Even the bear¡¯s behaviours while hanging with them were strange lately. It often looked dazed. Not that look of stupid animal but more that of a human child studying the world around it.


    The old man smiled and shook his head. It didn¡¯t matter as long as the bear was still friendly with Reli like now. He was glad his young boy had someone to play with. Picking up all the herbs, he brought them into the wooden house and called to Reli.


    ¡°Reli, make a hugeee fire. Cause your grandpa will catch a hugeee fish this time. Enough for us all. Even that fat bear will also get some.¡±


    ¡°Woohoo, fatty. You heard that. Let¡¯s do it.¡±


    Reli raised his arm and jumped happily in the air. He quickly ran over to gather dry branches from behind the wooden house. Lady Kim sat still on the soft green grass. Her serene figure seemed to have merged with the background, concealed in the calmness of the riverside. The whole world in front of her eyes appeared to be moving in slow motion. Not a single detail escaped her observation and were all captured in the sheer bottomless darkness behind her slowly widened pupils.


    Reli¡¯s naive laughter rung out in her ears, resounding in every corner of her mind, reaching out to the high sky. The sun shone so brightly. Its intense light weighted down on the whole riverside, almost trying to compress everything underneath it. Lady Kim felt as if her blood flow had slowed down. She felt her heartbeat shaking the oppressive air around her and she also felt the old man¡¯s heartbeat. His image seemed to suddenly be enlarged in her eyes. He was wading in the river. It was as if she was right behind him, following his precise steps. She could almost feel the warmth of his skin as the hot sunlight shone down on his muscular back. A light breeze whistled over the surface of the river, following its wave. Cool, humid air blew gently on her face and brought her sense slowly away from him, back to her original spot.


    A heavy thud resounded underwater. The huge fish was blasted against the river ground. Before it could regain its sense, the old man swiftly closed the distance between them and delivered another deadly punch, ending the fight eventually. Grabbing the fish body tightly he took a big swing. An explosive sound rang out from the river as the fish broke through the surface of the water and landed next to the wooden house. It was as huge as three grown men together.


    The loud noise caught the attention of the black golden-paw bear. In front of it, Reli was wielding a short, broken branch. He quickly moved close to the bear and struck softly on its furry belly. The bear lazily lowered its head towards the young boy. This time Reli looked behind it and spoke in a stern voice to someone.


    ¡°Johann, I leave it to you.¡±


    This caused the bear to turn its head and scanned its surrounding, but no other person could be found. It felt a soft pressure on its big belly again and cast a confused glance at Reli.


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    ¡°Hahah, caught ya.¡±


    The boy laughed out loud while running joyfully around the big bear. Crackling sounds could be heard from the big fire next to them.


    After chopping the fish in many parts, the old man marinated them in the special herbal mixture. Lady Kim closed her eyes and curiously examined the various scents spreading out in the air. The smell this time was very faint as the old man didn¡¯t want to attract the attention of other beasts. He threw a big portion of the fish in front of the bear and spread the rest neatly over the huge fire. Every now and then, big drops of fat dripped in the fire creating lively sizzling sounds.


    After giving Reli a cup of the special herbal tea, the old man prepared another hot cup and walked over to lady Kim.


    ¡°This is the special herbal tea we always drink. It will not only help you recover quickly but also strengthen both your body and mind.¡±


    His calm voice rung out as he carefully placed the cup of tea in front of her. With a straight back, Lady Kim sat firmly on the green grass while looking deeply in his eyes. Her hand slowly reached out from under her clothes and a green bamboo water holder appeared. Still keeping eyes contact with the old man, she placed the water holder next to the cup of tea.


    There was only absolute silence. Right when the old man wanted to say something, lady Kim hand moved like lightning and grabbed the cup. She drank all the tea in one go. After that a haughty smile appeared on her face as she looked playfully at the old man¡¯s shocked expression.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the tea too hot to be drunk like that?¡±


    Glancing at her now flushed cheeks, the old man asked in a concerned manner. His words made lady Kim glared at him angrily. She widened her eyes before tapping a few short times on the green bamboo water holder and pointed towards a tree. The old man lowered his head a bit to avoid her eyes. He covered his mouth with one hand and cleared his throat.


    ¡°You see, Reli¡¯s tummy is very sensitive so he can only drink water from this river. Yes, that is it.¡±


    He looked back at her and spoke in a serious manner. He even nodded a few times as if trying to show that his words were true. Seeing his attempt to explain the situation, lady Kim followed his actions with amused eyes.


    ¡°I will eat here. The soft green grass is quite comfortable and it¡¯s not too windy like next to the river.¡±


    She spoke gently after laying the cup back into his hand. The old man nodded slightly and stood up.


    Just before he left, the old man turned his head and looked warmly into her eyes.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He spoke sincerely in low voice.


    There was absolute silence again. A light breeze came from the quiet forest, letting a few loose leaves gliding over between the two unmoving figures. Under the warm sunlight on the vast green grass next to the river, he was still standing and she was still sitting. Her long eyelashes fluttered slightly a few times upon realizing how long she had been captured in his charming eyes. She quickly averted her eyes from his and repeatedly rubbed her delicate fingers on her black robe, trying to flatten some invisible creases. Only after seeing his figure disappeared from the corner of her eyes, did her breath slowly calmed down.


    ¡°Woohoo, the fish was so delicious. Even lady Kim had eaten so much hahah.¡±


    Reli rubbed with both hands on his full tummy and waved merrily at lady Kim in the distance. The old man lifted a big leaf full with hot roasted fish flesh and looked at her. She shook her head signalising she already had enough. He nodded and finished it all by himself.


    ¡°I will stay in the house for a while.¡±


    The old man shouted over to lady Kim before closing the door of the wooden house. He was grateful for her understanding of their current situation. They had to trust each other if they want to escape this place together but it was easier said than done. He couldn¡¯t allow any mistake regarding Reli¡¯s safety.


    Some white clouds idly floated in the sky, casting small shadows over the forest. The sunlight felt much milder on the skin now and from time to time a refreshing breeze came down from the upstream. It was peaceful at the riverside. Lady Kim watched calmly at the lively Reli. He was playing around with big black gold-paw bear. The bear was surprisingly gentle and patient toward the young boy. Even though its real speed was unmatched, the bear still kept the same running pace with Reli. It would hold still if it wasn¡¯t sure where Reli would climb down next from its head, so not to accidentally hurt the boy.


    Reli¡¯s happy laughter also brightened up lady Kim¡¯s mood. She looked at the clear water of the calm river, then at the quiet wooden house. The old man¡¯s figure appeared in her mind. The first time they met in person. The fight they fought together. She knew he was awake the whole time on that tree branch. That was why she decided to sleep at that time. He didn¡¯t say it but right now he was probably sleeping inside that wooden house. Seeing the bear and boy duo playing next to the river, she knew Reli was safe as long as the bear was around.


    After thinking about it for a moment, lady Kim went to a calm river part not far away from the wooden house. The water was flowing very slowly at this spot. Big branches of a huge tree were leaning over the water. The many big leaves created a perfect natural barrier to block unwanted glances. She placed her shoes on a flat rock next to the river and stuck her right foot slowly into the water. The temperature felt just right for her. She waded deeper into the water as she gradually undressed herself. When the water reached her shoulders she calmly took off her headscarf and headcover. With a small thud, they landed neatly on the flat rock, along with her black clothes.


    Warm sunlight reflected on the calm water surface and landed onto her long, silky black hair. She ran her fingers gently through the loose hair. Every now and then small water drops would land on her smooth skin. No one knew that her appearance was completely normal and she had always made sure to hide that fact. But now she didn¡¯t seem to care anymore. Was it because the barrier protecting this land would disappear soon and she might die in the upcoming chaos? Or was it because of him? She softly stroked her shoulders thinking about his gentle touch as he wrote the message on her back. It was about how they would deceive that bearded man into destroying the cracked blue barrier. Would she be the one in that cave instead if none of the pursuers was alive? What was his original plan? And what would he do next?


    She was lost in deep thoughts as her hands kept rubbing gently on her soft skin, revealing the delicate curves of her body. Yet she didn¡¯t know she wasn¡¯t the only one.

 Chapter 7 - Dont look

    Just like her, the old man was lost in his own thoughts. There wasn¡¯t much time left for them. The barrier sill had a few days left before disappearing completely but Reli had to leave before that. The old man¡¯s eyes sparkled dangerously. The forest seemed silent yet he was sure there were already numerous groups of people camping outside the barrier. Whether driven by greed or thirst for revenge, one was sure. Like hungry beasts, they wouldn¡¯t let anything or anyone escape their fangs.


    Peering out of the crack on the wooden wall, the alluring back of a carefree woman came into his field of view. Her hands were gliding playfully over the water surface. Just the vague outline of her face from the far distance was enough to hint at an extraordinary beauty. It would be easy for him to take a closer look yet he closed his eyes and slowly turned away. He didn¡¯t dare to watch that scene any longer. Within the darkness inside the wooden house, he stood there silently and waited.


    The sun was sinking quietly into the horizon. Only the lazy howl of some beasts occasionally resounded from the gloomy forest. Lady Kim had already put her clothes back on and was slowly making her way back to the riverside. As she came closer, a tall figure stepped out the wooden house. Seeing the two big sacks on the old man¡¯s back, lady Kim cast a questioning glance at him. The old man looked deeply into her eyes and nodded firmly, confirming her guess.


    ¡°It¡¯s time. I will need your help.¡±


    He closed the door and walked calmly towards the ground next to the fading fire. Reli was sleeping soundly next to the big black golden-paw bear. After carefully tying the boy onto his own back, the old man extinguished the fire and waved at lady Kim, signalising her to follow him.


    Standing now at the edge of the forest, he turned his head and took one last glance at the familiar riverside. A cold wind blew over the large area of wet, green grass and through the shabby wooden house. The river flow is getting unusually stronger at this moment. Blended in with the continuous sound of churning water, the faint whistles coming from the wooden house resounded sorrowfully through the air, as if to say goodbye to good old friends. It had been more than five years since they settled down at this riverside. The old man sighed and as the last sunbeam was devoured by the night, his figure vanished into to dark forest. The black golden-paw bear looked at the spot where the old man stood and a hazy expression appeared in its eyes.


    Lady Kim followed the old man closely. She was curious about his plan but she didn¡¯t ask. Her instinct told her that the old man wouldn¡¯t harm her. After a long run in the darkness, she could hear the sound of babbling water becoming louder. A huge waterfall slowly emerged in front of them. With swift movements, the old man climbed up on a steep rock wall and disappeared behind the waterfall. Lady Kim strangely inspected the small cave entrance. No wonder she had never noticed it even though she had passed this waterfall many times in the past. The old man had covered the entrance with various plants and rocks the whole time.


    The tunnel leading through this cave looked almost the same like the one where the bearded man is locked in. An absurd thought crossed her mind as she glanced at the old man¡¯s back. Were they all created by him? If so, how many caves like this existed? As expected, they arrived at a tunnel part, which was also blocked by a blue barrier. The only difference to the last one was, that this barrier was riddled with thick white line and the blue glowing was pulsing nonstop.


    ¡°This barrier is much weaker than the other one. All you need to do is to strike at those spots in a certain periodic pattern. Please watch closely.¡±


    The old man placed his hand on the barrier and let them glide along the white lines. Whenever his hand reached certain spots, he would strike with his palms against them. Every time with a different amount of force. After a moment he backed up from the barrier and turned his head towards lady Kim.


    ¡°For how long should I do it?¡±


    She nodded and took a step closer to him.


    ¡°There exist other barriers like this one and I will take care of them. Since you and that mad man are attacking two barriers, we can weaken the main barrier much faster than I originally planned. Even though these blue barriers have lost most of their connection to the main barrier, their existences are still linked tightly together. If one of them breaks, so will the others. Six hours. I want to destroy the main barrier in six hours. When the first sunlight shone down on the earth, the forgotten forest will finally reappear in the world. Heaven will crumble. Earth will collapse.¡±


    The old man raised his voice as his breath grew heavier with each word. There was a madness rising in his eyes but they still remained clear and determined as ever.


    ¡°Hide in here till you hear my scream. After that, just follow your instinct. The legend is true. There are unimaginable powers hidden in this forgotten land. But they are only meant for the chosen ones.¡±


    Looking back into lady Kim¡¯s gentle eyes, he regained his calmness and his tightly clenched fists loosened up.


    ¡°What about you and Reli?¡±


    Observing his changing expressions intently, lady Kim had a bad premonition. They could silently escape from this place together right when this blue barrier disappeared. Why did it seem to her that the old man wanted to ignite perilous chaos instead? She doubted the old man would let Reli get caught in dangerous situation unnecessarily.


    ¡°Reli will be fine.¡±


    The old man took a deep breath and straightened his back. He nodded firmly as if to reassure her. Or maybe himself.


    Lady Kim could detect a strange atmosphere. She really wanted to ask him more questions but she knew there were times when a man had to make hard decisions and stick to it. The old man had already made his.


    ¡°Any liquid stored in it for long enough will be purified. It¡¯s my gift to Reli.¡±


    She lowered her head and pulled out the green bamboo water holder from under her robe.


    He could feel her soft fingertips on his palm as she put the water holder into his hand. It was unclear how much time had passed but their hands still remained in the same position in the air. Coming back to his sense, he looked up from the green bamboo water holder and met her hesitant eyes. Just as she was about to tell something he averted his eyes and stored the water holder under his shirt. While still avoiding eye contact, he hastily walked back into the dark tunnel.


    ¡°Take care.¡±


    He halted his step and slightly turned his head.


    Hearing his warm voice slowly fading away, lady Kim raised her hand in front of her as if to attempt to hold back his slowly disappearing figure. She lowered her head and touched with her fingertips gently on her other palm.


    ¡°If only we have met at another time, at another place.¡±


    A quiet sigh resounded in the air. Just her lonely figure remained in the blue illuminated tunnel part.


    Standing in front of the waterfall, the old man could still feel the warmth of her hand on the water holder in front of his chest. He took a deep breath and shook his head strongly. Touching Reli¡¯s small head on his back, his eyes became determined.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    It was deadly silent as the crescent moon shed its poorly light on the murky forest. The rustling purple leaves of an enormous tree woke up some beasts sleeping on the ground next to it. The old man figure appeared on a hidden spot of the tree. His eyes scanned every single one of its branches meticulously. After some time he struck out with his sharp sword and cut off a big part of a thick branch. A purple, pulsing tube-like something was revealed under the bark. He crushed some fruits and draw with the juice some mysterious pattern on the tube-like something. Reli was earnestly observing everything from behind the old man.


    They repeated the same procedure at many other enormous trees across the whole forest. Every time another tube-like something was revealed, the beasts in the whole forest seemed to sense something as more and more of them were waking up from their deep sleep. Countless howls rang out from every corner, waking up other survivors in this forgotten land. Everyone was extremely nervous. Such occurrence had never appeared before. Many of them were wondering if this had to do with the weakening barrier.


    Hearing the agitated cry of various beasts, a decisive expression appeared in the old man face. He smeared his sword blade with a special herbal mixture and sneaked towards a sounder of black needle boars. He waited patiently in a bush till one black needle squeaker was moving a bit far away from the rest. Within a second his figure leapt out and disappear into the darkness. A huge female boar sensed something and turned its head, only to discover the lifeless squeaker on the ground.


    Furious growls rung out from behind him as the old man quickly dived into another group of beasts. This time he didn¡¯t bother to hide and directly killed one of the youngest in that group while throwing a big potion of herbal powder at the adult beasts. Everything happened so quickly that before all of them could chase after him, the black needle boar had already arrived and angrily attacked everyone.


    The group of beasts chasing him grew larger with every minute. Thunderous roars rung out far and wide as the battle between the raging beasts let the earth tremble. The forest was now not only covered in fear and fury but also soaked with blood and saliva. After making sure the turmoil would keep growing by itself, the old man accelerated his running speed and shook off his pursuers.


    ¡°Reli, when I count to three, take a deep breath.¡±


    He spoke sternly to Reli as they arrived next to a small lake. Reli nodded and clung his arms tightly on the old man¡¯s shoulders. Soon their figures silently disappeared.


    Just a short moment later, the old man shot out from the water and landed on soft earth. He gently let Reli down on the ground and dried him up. The young boy was still catching his breath frantically. After he calmed down, the old man brought him through a long dark tunnel till a blue barrier appeared in front of them.


    Looking at the glowing barrier a heavy feeling weighted on the old man¡¯s chest. He crouched down to Reli and embraced the boy tightly. Reli had always liked to be hugged by his grandpa. He rubbed his cheek on the old man¡¯s warm neck and smiled naively.


    The old man let loose of Reli and took a deep breath to control his emotion. He inspected the young boy in front of him closely. Reli is standing firmly there. His body was still small but strong and nimble. His cheeks were a bit chubby but his eyes were sharp. He had a calm expression on his face along with a faint smile, just like how the old man looked like most of the time. The old man nodded and tied Reli damp hair to a ponytail.


    ¡°Always wear your clothes and hair neatly, so they won¡¯t hinder your movement.¡±


    He then took one of the two sacks and opened it.


    ¡°Aside from usual stuff, there are also the few books I have shown you before. Try to study them when you have learnt how to read. Keep this small knife strapped to your thigh and hide it under your pant like how I taught you. And this green bamboo water holder is from lady Kim. She gifted it to you. Its real form is actually quite exquisite but she had disguised it in a green bamboo culm. Everything stored in it will be purified. Normal poisonous wild fruit will turn edible instantly. It¡¯s an unimaginable treasure. Don¡¯t ever let anyone know about it. With this, we can change our plan a bit.¡±


    Touching the green bamboo water holder, a wistful feeling rose in his heart as her lonely figure in that cave came to his mind.


    ¡°Wow, lady Kim is so lovely. Here, please gift her my animal hide. And you will gift her your sword.¡±


    Reli smiled brightly and took off his animal hide as the old man was startled by his action.


    ¡°Silly boy. Why would she want those?¡±


    The old man had an amused smile on his face and put the animal hide back on Reli.


    ¡°She gave us her most valuable treasure so we should give her our most valuable too.¡±


    Reli nodded while answering earnestly.


    ¡°Hahah, you¡¯re right. I will talk with her about it. But for now, keep your hide on.¡±


    Pinching Reli¡¯s chubby cheek, the old man laughed heartily. He thought it might be good if Reli could keep such a pure mind.


    ¡°Yes, I know you like to talk to her and she likes to talk to you.¡±


    Reli spoke in an agreeing manner.


    ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s get back to our topic.¡±


    Feeling a bit awkward, the old man cleared his throat and smoothed the wrinkles on Reli¡¯s clothe. The small figure in front of him would start his own journey soon. He had tried his best to prepare the boy for all the dangers awaiting him out there in the boundless world. Five years was not long enough to pass all of his experience onto Reli but fate is merciless.


    ¡°Reli, remember what I have been telling you all these years. We have been preparing everything just for this moment. After going to the world outside, don¡¯t look for me and don¡¯t try to learn about my past. If you ever feel threatened, run. If you ever feel sad, run. If you ever feel unsure, just run. Don¡¯t be scared to be alone. You were born by nature, and nature will always be by your side.¡±


    The old man felt Reli¡¯s tiny fist in his hand tightened. They both looked at each other and their eyes shared the same sharpness. The old man stood up in front of Reli. His figure was tall and strong. Nothing under heaven could shake it. His gaze was calm and wise. Nothing on earth could escape it.


    The old man¡¯s posture was imprinted in Reli¡¯s eyes and the young boy subconsciously mimicked him. He slowly turned towards the blue barrier. His back was still straight and his gaze still resolute. He seemed just like a small version of the old man. His lips trembled slightly but he stood firmly there. He wanted to show that he was alright and the old man didn¡¯t have to worry about him. He wanted to make his grandpa proud.


    Only after the old man had left for a while, did Reli¡¯s eyes slowly turned red as small teardrops occasionally dripped from his long eyelashes.