Return Journey

After they had settled everything, Yuan Chen and Nedeli began preparing to leave.

Before they left, Nedeli nodded toward the jar beside them. "When are you going to give it to me? It's not pleasant being so weak I can't even use any strength when my bones are broken."

"Not just yet."

At that, Nedeli narrowed her eyes—

She could understand why Yuan Chen didn't want to let her use the thing right away. Even someone as clueless about identifying treasures as she was could feel the magnificent, pure Order Power within it.

But how to put it... understanding was one thing, but Nedeli wasn't Yuan Chen, and it didn't feel good to be treated as untrustworthy.

Still, she and Yuan Chen had only met by chance, so she said nothing. She simply nodded in silence, though that alone had already created a little distance between them.

Noticing Nedeli's attitude, Yuan Chen shook his head and said helplessly:

"It's not that I don't want to give it to you. It's that the lucky idiot who got it didn't know how to use it and wasted seven chances.

"This flame can only be activated three more times at most. The way to awaken the Dawn Bringer class-change trial is to activate the flame's power itself."

"This flame can suppress a dragon's power, so I was thinking of using it once the hunt officially begins...

"The moment you use it, you'll recover completely, so it won't affect the battle."

Hearing Yuan Chen, Nedeli tilted her head suspiciously, then said, "Put the jar on the ground."

"Okay."

Yuan Chen had no objections and personally set the jar down on the ground.

Seeing that, Nedeli closed her eyes. A cool breeze rose across the wilderness, unlike the cold, repellent wind that had stirred when Yuan Chen revealed he was a demon. This breeze was soothing.

The wind drifted around the jar, and vines even sprouted from the ground where they could be seen with the naked eye.

Yuan Chen knew that Nedeli was communicating with the will of the wilderness itself. But he was puzzled. Could an Epic-grade trait really have such powerful effects?

Never mind the support it could offer in battle; it could even guide the way, distinguish good from evil, and now help identify treasures... It seemed less like a blessing and more like having a wise old man at your side.

By comparison, his own Demon's Blessing let him control Water Element, but its effects seemed nowhere near as versatile as Nedeli's Wilderness Blessing...

And there was no need to mention Mordas's Excellent-grade Aura Concealment trait. All it did was strengthen his stealth and add a damage-boosting ambush attack.

No... It wasn't that his Demon's Blessing was inferior to Wilderness Blessing. It was that Nedeli could trust the wilderness completely. She had been born and raised in it. But he...

Whether innate or acquired, traits that remained dormant for too long would disappear. And if an awakened blessing wasn't used regularly and better understood, its abilities couldn't be fully developed.

Realizing this, Yuan Chen shook his head helplessly—he had to find a way to take out Oshirresh.

A moment later—only a few dozen seconds had passed—Nedeli nodded in understanding, then gave a soft snort and said:

"I misjudged you. This flame really has suffered serious damage. But you can't blame me; you described its power as far too wonderful."

"Uh... sorry?"

"...You didn't have to." Hearing Yuan Chen's straightforward apology, Nedeli coughed awkwardly and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, who was the lucky idiot who got this flame?

"Using it seven times in a row—that's a terrible waste! The Order Power inside could restore an entire desert to life!"

"You'll see him in a bit~" Yuan Chen relaxed and picked up the jar.

"Has he awakened?" Nedeli asked curiously.

"Even the tiniest bit of talent should have been enough to awaken as a Dawn Bringer after seven tries, right?"

"No."

Yuan Chen felt it was a shame, too—

He actually liked Mordas quite a bit. Not in some furry-loving way; rather, he sensed in him the spirit of an idealist willing to keep his feet firmly on the ground.

But character was one thing, qualification another. Mordas simply hadn't had the luck to become a Dawn Bringer.

"That's a shame, then," Nedeli said indifferently—

She didn't know Mordas. All she knew was that some lucky idiot had wasted seven precious chances.

According to what the Wilderness Mother had told her, if those chances had been used properly, they could have turned seven righteous souls into guardians of Order.

After they finished talking, Yuan Chen and Nedeli prepared to set out.

Noticing Yuan Chen's return, Milio ran over from nearby, his face alight with delight.

"Master! You're back! I thought you'd left me behind!"

When Yuan Chen had left yesterday morning, Milio had still been asleep, so he hadn't known where Yuan Chen had gone. The only thing he'd heard was what Nedeli had told him: "Don't follow your master. You're too weak and you'll only hold him back."

Wild creatures knew nothing about politeness or tact.

Nedeli had never dealt with human children before, and she had no idea how badly her words had hurt Milio's young heart.

They had even made him doubt himself. Was he always holding them back? Was that why Master Yuan Chen had left him behind to go on an adventure alone?

Now, seeing Yuan Chen, Milio's eyes filled with joy. "Master, don't leave me behind! I'll work hard! You said I could become a great hero, and I'll do my best!"

"Who said I was leaving you behind?" Yuan Chen looked at Milio and blinked in confusion.

"I went ahead to scout. The problem's taken care of now, and our adventure is only just beginning. But first, we need to return to the village and resupply."

Yuan Chen didn't tell Milio about the Dragon Hunt—

Something that important was better discussed directly with Lupe and the others.

"Don't rush into becoming a hero. You have the talent and the ability. More importantly, you have to believe in yourself. Don't let other people's words or doubts shake you. The heart that believes is your magic."

As he spoke, Yuan Chen felt a little regretful. He had told Milio about his talent and abilities ahead of time, thinking it would help him awaken sooner. But now it seemed to have made Milio even more fixated on doubting himself.

"Calm down and think carefully about how you cast your spell," Yuan Chen said.

"Your idea of using firelight to illuminate the jungle during our last adventure was a good one, but you lost control of the flames and wasted a lot of magic power. That's why you slept so heavily yesterday."

"I..." Hearing that, Milio scratched his head and said self-consciously, "I couldn't control the Axiom Constraint... I'll work hard. I'll do my best to control them—"

"Don't try to control them."

"Huh?"

Milio was taken aback. That was quite different from what he had been taught before.

In Ixialia, the Yuan Chu Axiom was strict and precise, allowing no mistakes. The Axiom Constraint was an ironclad rule above all others, and in Ixialia, failing to master it was even considered a congenital defect.

"Feel it. Get close to it," Yuan Chen said. "Think of it as... your friend."

"My friend?" Milio murmured, as if something had occurred to him. "...My... Elemental Friend...?"

Nearby, Nedeli raised her eyebrows with interest at Yuan Chen's gentle words. "I didn't expect you to be so patient."

"I'm more curious about what you said to Milio," Yuan Chen replied, glancing at Nedeli helplessly. "You've got him doubting himself."

"Tch. It's just something every wild creature knows."

Nedeli didn't think she'd done anything wrong. She had grown up with a cougar mother who taught her that way.

Yuan Chen merely shrugged, then picked up his machete and went off to chop some branches—

Nedeli had broken both hands, and her other injuries hadn't fully healed either. Since they weren't going to use Azure Starfire to restore her right away, they could only make a makeshift stretcher to carry her.

It didn't take long. Yuan Chen soon put together a simple stretcher from branches and strips of cloth.

He padded the four handles with dry grass and leather, called out to Nedeli, and then the cougars lifted the stretcher and carried Nedeli, Yuan Chen, and the others toward the village.

Four cougars carried the stretcher through the jungle at an unhurried pace. It was a first for them, and hardly comfortable for Nedeli, but the sight did make her look like some wealthy landowner's concubine.

Leading the way, Yuan Chen glanced back now and then at Nedeli resting on the stretcher.

Well, Nedeli was too weak right now. Otherwise, she could sit upright on the wooden frame and survey the forest as four cougars carried her around. Just imagining it looked imposing, if a little vulgar.

If this were a cultivation novel, before long there'd probably be some legend in this primeval jungle about a Lion Mother Goddess.

And if it were Strange Tales, there'd probably be a scholar and a fox spirit making cameo appearances, too.

Yuan Chen and the others didn't travel quickly. They didn't head straight for the village, either, but took a detour to reach the main road through the forest. They waited beneath the shade of a tree at the crossroads, and about two hours later, Yuan Chen spotted the Fleshfang Hunters.

Fleshfangs were natural hunters. Their bodies were built to move through the forest far faster than humans. Even with mud everywhere, their feline, backward-jointed legs were more than enough to let them race and leap along the branches like they were in Naruto.

The main reason they had fallen behind Yuan Chen and the others was the hunting supplies they were carrying.

At the sight of the Fleshfangs, Nedeli narrowed her eyes instinctively. The cougars nearby raised their heads and bristled, taking on hunting stances.

Nedeli's family consisted of six cougars. There had once been the cougar mother, too. Before Nedeli became the Lion Pride Leader, her mother had been the Beast King of this forest. But after poachers killed her, Nedeli had taken over as leader of the beasts.

Perhaps because Nedeli wasn't truly a cougar, she hadn't driven away her former siblings. Instead, she had turned these solitary cats into social creatures. They were more like a feline Wolf Pack than a group of cougars, though this "pack" was limited to Nedeli's family.

As now, four cougars carried the stretcher while two others patrolled the perimeter to guard against attacks from wild beasts.

"Don't worry. They're not enemies."

Seeing the pride on guard against the Fleshfangs, Yuan Chen reassured her. "See that Fleshfang at the front? He's the one who got the flame. If you become a Dawn Bringer, you'll have him to thank."

"So he's the lucky idiot?"

Hearing Yuan Chen, Nedeli raised her head with curiosity and looked at Mordas. Watching the tall man approach from a distance, waving at them with a smile, she couldn't help wrinkling her nose. "A Fleshfang?"

"You look down on him?" Yuan Chen couldn't help laughing. "Aren't you a Vastaya?"

"They attacked me first," Nedeli said with a cold snort. "The campsite they picked was my den. I just taught them a harsh lesson... A bunch of ill-mannered brutes."

Clearly, Nedeli had a poor opinion of the Fleshfangs. Even though she knew they'd be working together, she couldn't help grumbling about them.

Meanwhile, Mordas arrived from the distance with the supply wagons and laughed heartily. "Haha! Yuan Chen! I didn't expect to run into you again so soon! How did things go on your end?"

"Here."

Yuan Chen nodded toward Nedeli.

Mordas was taken aback, then asked hesitantly, "Is this... the Lion Pride Leader? Why is she here? You said that Dawn Bringer... wait."

Mordas seemed to realize something.

Yuan Chen nodded. "That's right. She's the helper I told you about, the one who's qualified to become a Dawn Bringer."

"Then her injuries..."

"Uh," Yuan Chen said, awkwardly rubbing his brow. He stammered, "The day before we met, I ran into her first... Anyway, things got a little heated during our introduction."

Hearing that, the other Fleshfangs couldn't help staring at Nedeli in shock—they knew how powerful she was.

Because of the hunting camp, they had clashed with Nedeli before Yuan Chen arrived. In the end, Nedeli had driven them off with ease.

Fleshfangs really were natural hunters, with exceptional Wilderness Combat abilities. But Nedeli was the wilderness's own beloved daughter...

If Nedeli hadn't wanted to prevent the conflict from escalating and drawing more enemies, then even if this band of Fleshfang Hunters had managed to occupy her den for a while, she could still have hunted them down one by one within three days.