Yulan looked around a little, trying to understand where she was. Remembering the recent events, she turned her head toward Lin and asked:
"What happened? Why did you suddenly disappear when we ran into the forest?"
"It's all because of the violet flowers. They can Distort you, but they also create hallucinations. The whole time I went deeper into the forest, I realized it wasn't a forest at all, just ordinary trees growing behind some kind of building."
At Lin's reply, Yulan frowned and asked further:
"And what happened to me? After you disappeared, I suddenly blacked out and only woke up just now..." she grabbed her head with one hand, feeling a stabbing sensation, as if something inside her had been opened up and taken away.
"It's simple." Lin pointed at the house where Yulan had been lying. "A Distorted creature with a strange ability lived here. It could pretend to be anyone, using the violet flowers. You were under its influence. It used your image to do something to me. But luckily, I was alert and killed it."
The girl listened to Lin submissively, but then her expression suddenly changed when she realized she had been lying right next to countless violet flowers. She quickly wanted to check her condition:
[Status:
— Physical health: 94%
— Mental health: 85%
— Distortion: 45%]
Seeing her condition, Yulan sighed and asked:
"I have 45% Distortion... If it were over 90%, I'd have a chance of becoming a Distorted creature. But according to your words, you killed that creature first, and only then came to me. Were you really that fast to kill it and find me?"
Lin clenched his fists and replied:
"No. It took about half an hour between your disappearance and finding you, and you would've already become a Distorted creature by then. But I had to use a Low Soul Shard that I took from a wolf to save you," he said, then turned away and started walking down the path, saying: "Get up. This place is very strange, and I don't want to stay here any longer."
Yulan sat in a daze, but after realizing what Lin had said, she smiled and muttered:
"Thank you..."
Lin naturally heard it and bit his lip. He kept walking forward, not paying attention to any buildings or Distorted creatures. He just wanted to get away from this place as soon as possible and reach the Fort Post from which he would return home.
Yulan quickly followed him, and together they walked through the village. While examining the houses, Yulan said:
"A ruined village... In the Magic World they find so many structures from the past, and they all turn out to be destroyed, as if a real war happened on the last day of this world..."
"That has already been confirmed," Lin added.
"Hm? Really?" Yulan was surprised, but had never heard of this before.
"Yes. Some historians studying the Magic World confirmed that in the final months of this world, a war really did break out between three countries." Lin looked at the ruined houses and continued:
"At that time, there were only three kingdoms: the Kingdom of Noen, the Kingdom of Rav, and the Kingdom of Shan. They occupied all the land of this world and ruled over it. Conflicts often occurred between them — at least, that's what's written in the ancient texts that survived." Lin explained slowly.
Yulan listened closely and asked:
"So, when the Distortion came to this world, those countries declared war on each other?"
"The ancient texts say that it was indeed so. But many people claim there were other reasons why the three kingdoms declared war on one another, even though they should've united against the Distortion." Lin walked slowly, eventually reaching the exit of the village. He had noticed it back when he was watching the fiery figure.
"Let's go," said Lin, leaving the village. He chose the direction they had originally intended to follow.
Yulan followed him and also left the village.
...
Days passed one after another. During that time, Lin constantly taught Yulan how to use feathers. He even crafted a homemade bow and began training her. Along the way, they often encountered wild animals, as well as rivers where they could rest and spend the night. After a whole week had passed since entering the forest, they finally saw the silhouette of a great wall on the horizon.
Upon seeing the silhouette of the massive walls on the horizon, a bright smile appeared on Yulan's previously blank face, and she shouted:
"A wall! Lin! There's a wall ahead! That's the Fort Post! We finally reached it!"
Standing off to the side, Lin smiled and sighed.
"Yes, we've reached it."
He was truly exhausted.
They had spent nearly two weeks in this world, without proper food or clothing. They constantly faced dangers: lack of food and water, sudden attacks, Distorted creatures, unknown villages. But they endured it and managed to reach the Fort Post.
Even though Lin was a strong person who had faced great hardships in childhood, he had to admit that this journey had been tough — especially considering he was a city person, not some forest hunter.
Yes, he knew how to survive in the wild and how to stay safe. But that didn't make it easier — he still had to relearn everything through actual practice, where a single mistake could cost him his life. So this journey was not easy for Lin. He felt how weak he truly was and what he needed to improve to become better.
"After all — a person grows due to their environment. When living in full comfort, a person gets used to it and stops trying to improve. Even if they know how to act in a given situation, it doesn't guarantee their survival. Only by being in that situation will they realize their shortcomings and try to fix them." Lin reasoned slowly, observing nature.
"Now I understand — I stopped improving. After I left the fights, I didn't have to think about it constantly, so I stopped developing my skills. But after spending time here, I realized that even though my combat and other skills are relatively good, they are not... elite." He clenched his fists.
"I wanted to use my laughable skills to take revenge on one of the five strongest families in the world — the Matrix family. My own family. But I didn't even realize how much my abilities had degraded and stopped evolving. I was truly foolish..." Lin slowly closed his eyes. "So foolish that I had the ambitions of a dragon but the capabilities of a fish."
"Ha-ha..." Lin chuckled softly.
"Ha-ha!"
I'm a fool.
"Ha-ha-ha!"
I'm truly a fool.
"Ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha!" Lin laughed loudly, and tears slowly began to flow from his eyes.
"Mom. Dad. Forgive me... I truly am a fool."
Standing to the side, Yulan saw Lin's reaction and smiled.
"He's not a monster. He just wanted to go home." she left Lin behind and began slowly descending the hill.
After a while, Lin joined her. But his eyes were completely different from before.
If before, they were cold and distant — now they showed determination and desire, as well as a murderous intent...
So strong that even Yulan felt uneasy, even though she knew Lin wouldn't kill her. But those eyes and that killing intent...
She didn't envy those who became Lin's enemies...