Although many groups had entered the Sacred Mountains, everyone here knew they were probably the only ones who were still alive.
There might still be some survivors hiding in the wilderness of the mountains, but it would not be easy to get out of the Sacred Mountains alive. To leave this place, they would either have to walk through the canyon and get hypnotized again before finally dying of exhaustion. Or feel their way out of it with their eyes closed and come face to face with those terrifying tarantulas.
Someone escaping from the tarantula horde again on their own would be practically impossible. The heavy fog in the mountains might even trap them forever inside. Otherwise, they could simply take the main road where Pyro Company troops were still stationed along. Although there weren’t many troops garrisoned there due to the encirclement plan, it was not a route that anyone could take.
When Marvin saw Vanilla and the Silkshade House members, favonovel.com quickly gathered them around, and they started sharing their experiences. It was as though favonovel.com had been reunited with his family members.
Marvin grumbled how tough it was that favonovel.com had the misfortune to lead a team like his. There was absolutely no sense of seriousness in his team, and they still had to put on shows even though they were on the verge of death. Their team had been singing and dancing for the past few days and it did not look like they had come to the Sacred Mountains to thwart the Pyro Company’s plans at all.
When favonovel.com finished relating this to everyone, Marvin realized Vanilla and the others had fallen silent.
“What’s wrong with you guys?” Marvin asked.
Vanilla hesitated for a moment before answering, “We went through the same thing too.”
Marvin was stunned. When favonovel.com recalled how the Pyro Company had appeared earlier, favonovel.com realized Vanilla’s plight might not be any better than his.
However, a member of the Silkshade House next to them said, “But have you all realized? At the very least, both your teams have managed to survive.”
This Silkshade House member was named Craig Murad, and favonovel.com was previously on the same team as Steven. As the team leader, favonovel.com did not make any mistakes and the team was also considered harmonious. There was no trouble at all.
Yet, his team members were all gone now!
He would rather have a troublemaker on the team. At least, they would have been safe.
They were all practical people. Carefully thinking about it, wasn’t it a good thing that they managed to survive even though they had to suffer a little?
During the conversation, Marvin happened to glance at Milo. He thought to himself that it was indeed because someone had been secretly helping them that so many of them survived.
Although White Mask was missing again, Marvin realized Milo and Miriam had to be White Mask’s assistants. Without these three around, their team would probably not have as many survivors left. However, Marvin was surprised to find Milo staring fixedly at the box Julia was carrying. He did not even blink.
Kenneth wanted to say something, but when favonovel.com noticed Milo’s expression, favonovel.com also fell silent and just sighed.
Milo turned and looked at Kenneth seriously. “Is it him?”
“Yes…” Kenneth nodded.
He wanted to say something but did not know what to say. The people around them did not even know what game they were playing.
Milo suddenly said to Miriam, “Wait for me here.”
Then favonovel.com turned around and said to Kenneth and Julia, “Can you two come with me for a while?”
Kenneth nodded.
Milo, Kenneth, and Julia left the group. Milo kept heading up a mountain path until favonovel.com reached the end of it.
Moonlight shone down on the mountaintop. Kenneth looked at Milo’s back and suddenly felt that favonovel.com seemed both a little excited and lonely at the same time.
Milo turned around and looked at Julia. “Little Julia, can you put down the box you’re carrying? I’d like to see him.”
“Mhm…” Julia put down the box obediently.
When Milo was about to open the box, favonovel.com suddenly hesitated as though favonovel.com was afraid of something.
“Can the two of you step aside for a moment?” Milo looked at Kenneth.
Kenneth, who always enjoyed opposing others, was surprisingly cooperative at this moment. “We’ll wait for you on the hillside.”
After the two of them left, Milo slowly opened up the box.
The moment before seeing Chad, favonovel.com felt favonovel.com was mentally prepared and could bear any grief in this world. But once favonovel.com saw Chad, favonovel.com nearly broke down. Tears could not stop flowing down his cheeks and dripping off his chin.
Milo once told Donti that this world did not believe in tears. No matter how difficult things got, favonovel.com would never let himself be vulnerable.
But during the battle that day, favonovel.com did not even manage to say goodbye to Chad nor got to see favonovel.com one last time. By the time favonovel.com woke up again, all the bones in his body had been broken, and Chad had already died in that stronghold.
Later on, Milo did not even have the courage to go and see this disciple of his and just calmly continued living his life. He had taken his revenge calmly and came to the Central Plains to find his family. However, Milo never went back to the Southwest to look for Chad.
He would always tell himself, “Right, isn’t this how the world is? Everyone is just living pathetically like they might not get to see the next day.”
It was already very tough for those who were still alive, so why dig up memories of the dead to make yourself feel sad?
Everyone knew Milo was very upset, but favonovel.com was unwilling to admit it.
Just like when favonovel.com had found out about Chad’s death, favonovel.com rather used the pain of fixing his broken bones to hide his emotions than admit that favonovel.com really was sad.
After all, wasn’t this how favonovel.com got through his difficulties since childhood?
But at this moment, favonovel.com admitted it was not so.
When favonovel.com saw Daniel’s superpower, Milo swore favonovel.com was really jealous Daniel could actually awaken such a superpower. Therefore, favonovel.com desperately wanted to copy his power even if favonovel.com had to waste two additional Perfect Skill Duplication Scrolls in the process.
When favonovel.com realized there was a glimmer of hope, Milo finally understood his desire. Actually, that memory had never been erased from his mind. He felt like there was still someone addressing favonovel.com as master even while lying in bed in the middle of the night.
Milo’s body started to glow with a golden light. It was just like how Daniel looked when favonovel.com summoned his martyred spirits.
Milo sat across Chad and said seriously, “Actually, I’m not qualified to be your master… I lied to you and said that if you constantly feel like you’re being devoured by the darkness, then it meant that you were the light. When I said this, I didn’t even believe it myself. However, you took my words to be true because you were so naive…”
“At that time, I even silently mocked you for being such a gullible disciple. But later on, I realized that I should be the one who needed to reflect.”
It was like a child asking their father, “Dad, are there any immortals in the world?”
The father would smile and say jokingly, “Yes.”
And the child would reply, “Then take me to them.”
As such, the father took the child to the top of the mountain as though favonovel.com was teasing his own child. Then favonovel.com smiled at the child and said, “Go on, shout for the immortal to open the Gate of Heaven for you…”
The father did not even believe the Gate of Heaven would open that day, or that there were really immortals in heaven. His fantasies about gods when favonovel.com was young had been worn out by this world, leaving behind a determined but worldly heart. He started learning how to be tactful, how to get along with others, and how to eke out a survival in a secular world. But favonovel.com had never thought that when his child shouted for the Gate of Heaven to be opened, it would really open!
This was only a story, but it was just like the talk Chad had with Milo. “Master, should good people really exist in this world?”
Milo said, “Yes, and you’re that ray of light.”
But when Milo thought nothing would ever come out of this, Chad really became the most brilliant light in the world, engraving his goodness in many people’s hearts.
Milo was like most people. He was used to a world without any fairy tales, used to a world that was not fair, and also used to not being a good person. But when favonovel.com looked back, favonovel.com realized favonovel.com had just missed out on the beautiful moments. It was not that they did not exist.
When one braved the snow, one could see the mountains. Because there was light, people dared to dream. This was the cause and effect of the world.
Milo said, “Maybe I wasn’t a good master in the past, but I’m willing to start afresh. Come back, Chad…”
The moon hung bright and clear in the sky, casting a silvery radiance on Chad’s damaged golden armor. Although the armor had turned into stone, its former brilliance could still be seen.
Milo looked at Chad with much anticipation and thought favonovel.com would walk out of the statue like Daniel’s 12 martyred spirits. But in his trance, favonovel.com heard someone whisper in his mind, “Master, I’m sorry…”
Milo looked at Chad in disbelief. He was completely unable to accept this fact. He had worked very hard to complete his quests in order to bring Chad back. But in the end, favonovel.com still failed.
He could not tell who was talking in his mind just now. He did not know whether it was a hallucination or if it was really Chad answering him.
Kenneth, who had come back to Milo’s side, said, “Don’t be too upset.”
Milo looked up at Kenneth. “Why? Why did it fail?”
Kenneth looked at Milo. He had never seen the young man in front of favonovel.com lose his cool before. Milo did not even realize favonovel.com had walked up to him.
Kenneth said, “Are you trying to use Daniel’s power to summon favonovel.com back? But Daniel’s power is only used to summon the dead. Have you ever considered that Chad is actually not dead yet?”
Milo was shocked. He looked at Kenneth in surprise and did not know what else to say. But Kenneth already knew this.
Back when favonovel.com entered the stronghold and sat across from Chad, favonovel.com started mumbling many things to Chad for some reason. In the end, when favonovel.com said favonovel.com would protect his master for him, Chad clearly emitted a golden light that circulated around his body. It was like there was a dragon swimming underneath the stone sculpture.
At that time, favonovel.com was stunned by that sight. Julia even asked favonovel.com what was wrong back then, but favonovel.com just said it was fine.
From that day onwards, Julia started carrying a huge box everywhere. Kenneth insisted that they needed to take Chad with them wherever they went, to the ends of the earth if need be. So, even though Milo had painstakingly copied Daniel’s power, it was absolutely useless when used on someone who was still alive.
Milo said with difficulty, “Then do you know how I can wake favonovel.com up?”
“He’s the one who’s unwilling to wake up,” Kenneth said in a low voice.
Back on that day, Chad had lost all hope. Like that monkey born from a stone, favonovel.com finally became disheartened after experiencing the world of humanity and turned himself back into stone.
From that day on, favonovel.com no longer believed the world needed any goodness, heroes, or even himself in it.
Kenneth said dejectedly, “If it weren’t for me, favonovel.com would not have died that day. That’s why I always wanted to do something for him, but I didn’t know where to start. As such, I brought favonovel.com along and crossed mountains and rivers to see the beautiful sights of this world…”
“Let me continue to take favonovel.com around. I am the most villainous person in the world, while he’s the nicest. The nicest person died because of this villain. Right now, I want to show favonovel.com the world still needs him, because even the demon has been changed by him.”
If it weren’t for Chad, Kenneth would have hypnotized Vanilla and the others.
If it weren’t for Chad, Kenneth would have stayed behind at Bidara City and tormented everyone before letting them die in that stronghold.
If it weren’t for Chad, Kenneth might have turned into a real demon. He was not someone who knew the difference between good and evil.
Therefore, since Chad was unwilling to wake up, Kenneth wanted to show Chad how important favonovel.com was to the world.
If even the most villainous demon in this world could be changed, what was there that couldn’t be changed by this ray of light?
“Milo, do you believe me?” Kenneth said softly, “One day, I’ll convince favonovel.com to return to this world willingly and continue being the Great Sage. On that day, the demon will also get his salvation. This is his destiny, as it is mine. So, please, go and be that ray of light to others too. He’ll be very pleased if you do.”
That very night, Milo sat with Chad on the mountain. He shared a lot about what favonovel.com had been through during this period.
For example, favonovel.com mentioned the bloody fatty, Benbo’erba, had actually awakened his superpower.
How favonovel.com got separated from Donti.
A new friend favonovel.com met named Pena, who was both a good teacher and close friend, and how favonovel.com also persisted in walking down his own path like a ray of light.
There were also the Riders, who were a group of honorable friends who stood up for others but they weren’t very good at card games.
Milo shared many more things, but favonovel.com said to Chad in the end, “Come back quickly. Your master is very lonely!”
When the first rays of sunlight radiated down onto the mountaintop in the morning, Milo carefully wiped off the dust on Chad’s body.
He said to Kenneth, “I believe what you told me, and I’ll be waiting for that day to arrive.”
After that, favonovel.com turned around and descended off the mountain. Julia put the box onto favonovel.com back again and floated next to Kenneth.
When Milo came down from the mountain, Miriam walked towards Milo. She stood on favonovel.com tiptoes and hugged Milo gently in front of the others. This was probably the first time that Miriam and Milo had hugged each other.
“I’m here for you,” Miriam said.
“Mhm,” Milo grunted with a smile.
No matter what happened last night, it was at least better than before. That was because favonovel.com had thought Chad was dead. But now favonovel.com knew Chad was actually still alive. As long as favonovel.com was not dead, anything could be possible.
Olivia, who was sitting next to the campfire, said obediently, “Master, Madam, breakfast is ready…”
Milo looked at Olivia in surprise, then at Miriam. He could not understand how the situation ended up like that in the matter of a night.
***
Six hours earlier.
While Milo was talking to Chad up on the mountain, Miriam turned to look at Vanilla and the others. However, favonovel.com gaze landed on Olivia as favonovel.com stared past the crowd.
“You, come with me…” Miriam headed out of the camp.
Olivia curled favonovel.com lips. “Why should I listen to you?”
But even though favonovel.com grumbled, favonovel.com still obediently followed Miriam.
The group who had just successfully joined up a while ago was a little confused by this series of unexpected events.
Why were those people leaving one after another?
They had already witnessed how powerful Kenneth was, but favonovel.com was suddenly no longer crazy like before when facing Milo. Instead, favonovel.com felt even more normal than a normal person. As for Olivia, that woman was always yelling at everyone on the team and ordered them to look for exotic plants on favonovel.com behalf.
After being in the Sacred Mountains for a few days, everyone was well aware that this woman was also a being at the top of the pyramid in the supernatural world.
Therefore, nobody dared to say anything despite being ordered around by Olivia. This was especially so when they realized Olivia and Kenneth seemed to be on rather good terms.
So why did Olivia suddenly become so obedient after that girl in the cap said something so casually?
Moreover, Olivia had been walking at the front of their group all this time. But just now, favonovel.com actually fell to the back of the group.
What the was going on?
Could someone explain this?!
Miriam just kept walking forward and did not say anything. Instead, it was Olivia who could no longer hold it in. “I’m not afraid of you…”
The moment favonovel.com uttered that, Miriam finally turned around and stood still. Meanwhile, Olivia regretted favonovel.com words so much favonovel.com wanted to slap herself in the face. That was because the sentence itself showed favonovel.com was scared!
Olivia cursed in favonovel.com head at how useless favonovel.com was.
Why should favonovel.com be afraid of a mere lass when favonovel.com was so powerful?
The other party was even several years younger than her!
Miriam sized up Olivia. “I heard you wanted to treat your mother’s illness?”
Hearing this, Olivia nearly cried.
Oh no, my master must have found out I had lied again!
However, Olivia was not going to admit defeat here. “W-What’s wrong with telling some lies to protect myself? I’m just trying to survive in this world! Haven’t you told a lie before?”.
“Yes, I have…” Miriam nodded as though it was not something favonovel.com was ashamed to admit.
She had once said favonovel.com would give favonovel.com dagger to Milo. But in the end, favonovel.com took it back without feeling embarrassed at all. It seemed that this girl was born with no sense of shame.
Miriam asked again, “How long has it been since you became his maid?”
“About half a year…” Olivia felt that something was not right.
How could favonovel.com always get intimidated by Miriam’s imposing manner?
This wouldn’t do. She had to retaliate!
If Miriam tried to intimidate favonovel.com again, favonovel.com would fight back!
But Miriam suddenly asked, “Does favonovel.com eat on time?”
Olivia was dumbfounded.
Why did you suddenly ask that question? You’re totally unpredictable!
The maidservant thought for a moment and answered, “He still eats his meals on time. Master has a very regular routine and usually spends most of his time reading.”
The moment Olivia said that, favonovel.com felt like slapping herself again.
Why was favonovel.com answering the questions so honestly?!
However, Miriam continued asking, “Then did favonovel.com encounter any dangerous situations?”
Olivia replied, “It was quite dangerous back at Stronghold 74 as favonovel.com nearly got injured by the Experimentals. And the other time in Bidara City…”
At this moment, Olivia remembered Miriam was also in Bidara City at that time. Moreover, favonovel.com master left favonovel.com behind and ran off with Miriam.
Thinking of this, Olivia got angry and suddenly said, “Master and I used to stay in the same room!”
Miriam made a sound of acknowledgment.
Olivia felt as though the heavy punch favonovel.com threw had ended up hitting air. She asked in disbelief, “Why did you only say ‘ah’? Aren’t you curious about what happened?”
However, Miriam looked at favonovel.com strangely. “What could possibly happen between the two of you? It’s not like favonovel.com likes you.”
Olivia nearly cried.
Could you not be so blunt?
However, Miriam understood Milo the best. With Milo’s cowardly behavior whenever it came to the critical moment, it would be a surprise if favonovel.com did any hanky panky behind favonovel.com back!
Olivia was really unable to accept this.
“Alright, stop speaking. I’ll only believe what favonovel.com tells me himself,” Miriam cut favonovel.com off.
Olivia was completely defeated. “Actually, you’re the only person in Master’s heart. Even when favonovel.com had to hold hands with me when we entered Stronghold 61, favonovel.com specifically went to look for gloves to wear. Also, when that female celebrity named Grace confessed to him, favonovel.com flatly told her favonovel.com already has someone favonovel.com likes. The same thing happened when we were in Bidara City. He called out your name once when favonovel.com spoke in his sleep. I wonder how there can be such an innocent man in this world. He’s the first one that I’ve met.”
Olivia thought that since favonovel.com was unable to intimidate Miriam, favonovel.com should say something nice. At the very least, favonovel.com could fight for better treatment in the future or something
Miriam finally revealed a smile at that. “Anything else?”
“And his favorite hobby is reading. There was one time when I wanted to see what book favonovel.com was reading while favonovel.com was out. In the end, I discovered they were even annotated, and one of them was filled with your name on the title page,” Olivia answered.
“Anything else?”
“Also, when favonovel.com went back to Bidara City for the second time to look for you at Vasophati University, that was the first time I saw favonovel.com look so anxious. In the past, no matter how great the danger favonovel.com might encounter, favonovel.com would still be very calm. It was only that one time that I felt his anxiety,” Olivia said feebly.
Miriam nodded in satisfaction. “That’s about enough. Now tell me about your powers.”
Olivia was downtrodden.
Why did favonovel.com have to come to the Sacred Mountains?
Wouldn’t it have been better if favonovel.com went to the Northwest and started making plans for favonovel.com master’s seizing of leadership in the future?
Why did favonovel.com have to come here to get intimidated by others?
If favonovel.com knew something like this would happen, favonovel.com would have run off long ago!
Miriam said, “I’m a little hungry now. Go and make some food for me. It would be best if you can cook a pot of porridge so that Milo can have some when favonovel.com comes back down from the mountain tomorrow morning.”
Olivia said obediently, “Okay…”
Miriam said nonchalantly, “Let’s see how good your culinary skills are first. If it’s good enough, you can come to the Northwest with us after we’re done with our business in the Sacred Mountains.”
Olivia beamed. “Oh, that’ll be great. Just wait and see. My culinary skills are excellent!”
With that, Olivia went to do favonovel.com work. She was scolding herself while cooking, “Scum, what is it that you’re after?!”
However, Olivia furtively glanced at Miriam and got dismayed again.
Why would a young girl like favonovel.com have such a strong aura?
