…the boy finally slowed.
The village around him remained dark and silent beneath the night sky.
Simple wooden homes stood clustered together behind rough fences, while faint lantern light leaked through a few shuttered windows. Most of the villagers had long since retreated indoors.
Only the distant hum of insects and the soft whisper of the night wind remained.
The injured boy moved carefully along the narrow dirt paths, clearly trying not to attract attention.
His breathing had grown increasingly uneven during the journey back.
Blood still stained the side of his torn clothes despite his attempts to wrap the wound tightly. The heavy bag hanging from his shoulder swayed weakly with each limping step.
Beneath the earth below—
the invisible white lizard followed silently.
Golden eyes calm.
Throughout the journey, every creature drawn toward the scent of blood had died instantly.
A wolf creeping through the brush—
CRACK.
An earth spike pierced straight through its skull.
A spiritual snake slithering among the roots nearby—
PIERCE.
Dead before it even realized danger had arrived.
None reached the boy.
None even saw their killer.
The lizard moved effortlessly through the underground soil while observing the village above.
The same village near the valley.
Interesting.
He had seen it before, but never paid attention to it.
Now—
he observed quietly.
The boy continued deeper into the village until he finally stopped before a small, worn wooden house near the settlement's outer edge.
The structure looked old.
Poor.
Part of the roof had been patched unevenly with straw and mismatched boards. A faint light still glowed from inside.
The boy hesitated for a moment.
Then carefully knocked.
Three soft taps.
Silence followed for several seconds.
Then hurried footsteps sounded from within.
The wooden door opened quickly.
An older woman appeared.
The moment she saw the boy—
the color drained from her face.
"…Lian?!"
Fear instantly filled her voice.
The boy lowered his head weakly.
"I'm back…"
Before he could finish—
her eyes fell upon the blood covering his clothes.
Her breath caught sharply.
"Oh heavens—!"
She grabbed him immediately before he could collapse.
"What happened?!"
The boy winced in pain as she hurriedly pulled him inside.
"I-It's nothing…"
"Nothing?!"
Her voice trembled.
"You're covered in blood!"
The door slammed shut behind them.
The dim light vanished behind the wooden walls.
Outside—
the village fell silent once more.
And beneath the nearby earth—
the invisible white lizard remained completely still.
Watching silently from below.
Inside the small wooden house, dim lantern light flickered weakly against the walls.
The interior was simple.
Old furniture.
Worn blankets.
A single wooden table stood near the corner beside a clay stove that had long since gone cold for the night.
The older woman hurriedly helped the boy onto a rough bed near the wall.
Her hands trembled as she inspected the blood soaking through his clothes.
"…How bad is it?"
The boy clenched his teeth as she carefully lifted the torn fabric near his side.
A deep gash stretched across his ribs.
Not fatal—
but severe enough that an ordinary person could easily die without proper treatment.
The woman's face paled further.
"You fought a beast again…"
The boy avoided her gaze.
"…I had no choice."
"No choice?"
Pain and fear mixed within her voice.
"You went back into the forest at night for herbs again, didn't you?!"
Silence answered her.
That silence alone confirmed everything.
The woman closed her eyes briefly.
Exhaustion.
Helplessness.
Fear.
All of it settled visibly across her face.
"…Lian…"
Her voice softened.
"…You're going to die one day if this continues."
The boy lowered his head quietly.
After several moments, he slowly opened the carrying bag beside him.
The dim room immediately filled with a faint blue spiritual glow.
The older woman froze.
Inside the bag—
glowing blue berries rested safely beside harvested beast materials.
Fangs.
Claws.
Fresh spiritual meat.
Her eyes widened.
"…A Blue Spirit Berry plant…"
The boy nodded weakly.
"…Mid-grade."
Shock immediately crossed her face.
"That beast was guarding a mid-grade spiritual herb?!"
The boy's hands tightened slightly.
Then quietly—
"…I almost died."
The room fell silent again.
Only the lantern flame crackled softly nearby.
The older woman stared at her injured son for a long moment before lowering her gaze.
"…But you survived."
The boy became still.
His thoughts drifted back toward the forest.
Toward the invisible "immortal" who had saved him.
The earth spike.
The unseen protection afterward.
Every beast that should have hunted him during the journey home—
never appeared.
At first, he thought it was luck.
Now—
thinking back carefully—
he wasn't so sure anymore.
His expression became complicated.
"…Mother."
The woman looked toward him while preparing fresh bandages.
"…What is it?"
The boy hesitated briefly.
Then spoke quietly.
"…I think a cultivator saved me tonight."
Her hands froze instantly.
"A cultivator?"
The boy nodded slowly.
"There was a Rank Two beast…"
His face paled slightly at the memory.
"…I couldn't even move."
"…Then suddenly…"
His eyes drifted downward.
"…An earth spear pierced through its head."
The woman stared silently.
The boy continued in a low voice.
"I couldn't see anyone."
"No footsteps."
"Nothing."
"But someone saved me."
The lantern flame flickered softly between them.
Outside—
the night wind passed through the silent village.
And beneath the earth several meters away—
the invisible white lizard remained motionless.
Golden eyes calm.
Listening quietly to the conversation above.
Inside the small wooden house, the dim lantern continued to flicker weakly against the walls.
The older woman wrapped fresh cloth tightly around the wound along the boy's ribs while the scent of blood and medicinal herbs filled the room.
For a while—
silence lingered.
Then the boy looked toward the glowing blue berries resting inside the bag nearby.
Despite the pain on his face, a faint light appeared in his eyes.
"…With this herb…"
His voice was quiet, but hopeful.
"…Old Man Wa Shi should finally agree to teach me cultivation."
The woman's hands froze instantly.
The room became still.
The boy continued softly.
"A mid-grade spiritual herb and Rank Two beast materials should be enough."
"I can trade them."
"Then maybe…"
His fingers tightened against the blanket beneath him.
"…I can finally become a cultivator."
The older woman lowered her head.
Her shoulders trembled faintly.
"…Lian…"
The boy looked up.
Tears had already begun forming in her eyes.
"Will you finally stop going into the forest now?"
Her voice cracked painfully.
"I know why you keep doing this."
The boy fell silent.
Tears slowly slid down the woman's face.
"…Mei is gone."
The name settled heavily within the small room.
The boy's expression stiffened instantly.
The woman continued shakily.
"She's gone…"
"I tried stopping you so many times…"
"But you never listen."
Her hands clenched tightly around the bloodstained cloth.
"You keep risking your life over and over because of her."
The boy lowered his gaze quietly.
The lantern flame flickered softly across his face.
"She wouldn't want this."
The woman's voice trembled harder now.
"…And tonight…"
Her breathing hitched painfully.
"…Tonight you almost died too."
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks.
"I already lost one child…"
The boy's eyes widened slightly.
"…Mother…"
"I don't want to lose you too."
Silence filled the room afterward.
Heavy.
Painful.
The older woman covered her face briefly as quiet sobs escaped her lips.
The boy sat motionless.
His expression was complicated.
Guilt.
Pain.
Determination.
All tangled together behind his eyes.
Outside the house—
the night wind drifted softly through the sleeping village.
And beneath the nearby earth—
the invisible white lizard remained perfectly still.
Golden eyes calm.
Listening silently from below.