Hill sat in the more secluded domed cabin on Purvi's back and gave Oaisis a gentle wave.
To the sound of the little black ball hopping as it said goodbye, the little whale flicked his tail and plunged straight into the Random Teleportation portal ahead... Oaisis had worried that if Hill used it in the Astral Plane, Aoskar, who was trying to flee, might accidentally latch onto him. So he had directly granted Hill permission within his domain.
Although he had encountered many vexing things in this world, Hill was still deeply satisfied.
Even finding one being he was willing to befriend wholeheartedly was worth cherishing.
And this was the rare sort of friend he could contact at any time, which made Hill even happier.
He now understood why many long-lived races tried to avoid forming deeper connections with ordinary people.
Their lives passed without much concern for time, while mortals needed to treasure every single minute.
Sometimes, Hill also thought of friends from the past, such as Bourne.
He did not know how fortunate he felt that he had chosen to let Bourne walk his own path rather than remain in Hill's Mage Tower as originally planned... Fortunately, at the time, Hill had considered only Bourne himself.
Otherwise, what would it have mattered even if Hill had found every possible way to extend Bourne's life to the limit of a mortal's lifespan?
What were a few centuries to Hill, who was bound to begin his journey of exploration?
Even if he returned in the meantime, he would only be left speechless before an aged Bourne.
Even if Bourne could have married, built a career, and established his own family within Hill's Mage Tower, the intention that had first kept him by Hill's side would have lost all meaning.
Even