Strength and Ambition

The four of them found seats at a café not far from the main square.

"Hadn't you two already escaped? How did you die too?" Tapir asked Kalian and Martin after the server left.

Kalian sighed. "That Evil Beast was too fast. Once it caught up with us, I told Martin to go ahead while I stayed behind to hold it off..."

Everyone turned to Martin. He gave them an embarrassed smile.

"Don't keep us guessing. Spit it out," Tapir urged.

Martin scratched the back of his head. "The truth is, I don't know how I died."

He wasn't lying. He hadn't seen Hawkins's fight with the Evil Beast clearly, and the shockwave had killed him so quickly that he hadn't felt a thing.

"..."

The other three fell silent.

The server returned with a smile. "Your Heavenly Tribulations."

He set the drinks down one by one. As if by silent agreement, they each lifted a glass and gently blew across the nebula inside. Lightning immediately flickered among its stars.

All four drained their glasses, then quietly savored the taste of heavenly tribulation erupting within them.

"There's something I can't figure out," Tapir said suddenly, lightning still spilling from his mouth. "When I entered that cave, I had a hunch that bringing this kid along would turn misfortune into good fortune. Without him, we'd face terrible danger. But now..."

Kalian shot him a scornful look. "You'd be lucky if that half-baked intuition of yours was right once in ten tries. Stop showing it off."

"Heh." Tapir grinned sheepishly.

Yi Jie asked, "So... are we going back?"

"That Evil Beast was too strong. We probably wouldn't get anywhere if we did. Let's post what we know on the Forum," Kalian said, settling the matter.

Martin couldn't help speaking up. "Actually... that