"You have a lot to ask for, Mister," Lulunaka grumbled as she stood up, rubbing her head.
Costline ignored Lulunaka's words. "Since you've dealt with the trial, they're the last batch of people to accept the trial?"
"There won't be any more people to accept the trial in the future. I think they're the last," Lulunaka said. "Unless there's a genius lunatic who can fix this trial.
But even I, the one who dismantled it, don't know how to fix it. I think there's probably no one in this world who can do it. I can't be too sure, at least no one at the moment. "
"How curious," Costline said. "There aren't many people who can make you put in so much effort. Have you taken in a new student?"
"I hate students." Lulunaka's answer was simple and direct.
Costline laughed out loud, and the fog that formed his body spread out with his laughter, almost unable to take shape again.
His laughter made the air tremble. If there were ordinary people here, this laughter would probably be able to hook their souls away and make them a part of Costline.
Gostleen laughed for quite a while before he stopped himself.
"It seems that you've been hurt by your former students, Alchemist.
Let me think, is it the batch from more than a hundred years ago, or the old monsters from earlier? "
"They're almost all dead. Those who are still alive now don't give me a good look, and they ignore me."
Lulunaka sighed and said helplessly, "I've raised a bunch of ingrates … You're still the best, Costline. At least you're still willing to talk to me."
"I'm not your student."
"But we're friends, aren't we?" Lulunaka laughed.
The flames in Costline's eye sockets twisted into two horizontal lines, looking like he was squinting his eyes. "You and I don't have many friends, lonely Alchemist."
"I'm not lonely, friend."
Lulunaka smiled and stretched out her right hand. "There are many interesting things in this world waiting for me to do. What about you?"
Costline stretched out a finger and touched Lulunaka's hand gently. "The dead don't have the emotions of loneliness and boredom. Death is like that."
Lurunaka and Gaustlein had reached a subtle consensus because of their wonderful friendship.
The two … or one human and one ghost, didn't talk too much and soon separated.
Before the spirit dissipated, Lulunaka said to him, "Goodbye, friend.
Don't indulge yourself too much just because you're free. "
Ghostline left only a sentence and disappeared. "You too, Alchemist.
Don't forget yourself because you're free. "
The fog disappeared along with Gostleen's disappearance.
The fog dissipated, and the place returned to its original state. The surrounding was a dark green forest, and the ancient buildings were still standing here.
But there was no longer any value to speak of here.
Lulunaka glanced at this place and finally turned to leave, walking in the direction where Olga and the others had gone.
There was no one else in this nameless ruin.
Maybe one day, someone would set foot here again, but there wouldn't be any fortuitous encounter. Before that, there would be a long time here, a world of the dead.
In the middle of the night, Lulunaka, who was walking slowly, finally caught up with Olga and Padding.
When she appeared in front of the two of them, as well as the tired Julius who had just lain down to sleep, the campfire was burning, illuminating a small space in the dark forest.
Flames could burn people, but this fire always made people feel at ease. Especially in the Forest of the Dead, wild beasts would always be afraid of fire.
Padding and Olga sat by the bonfire, looking at Lulunaka.
"I thought I wouldn't be able to see you for a while," Padding said.
"Spirit Body Demons are indeed difficult to deal with, but as long as you can talk, there's a chance.
But if you didn't leave quickly, it probably wouldn't have been so easy to talk to.
That guy doesn't like living people, but this is a natural rejection. It's not strange, you can't blame him. "
Lulunaka also sat by the bonfire, stretching her hands forward, rubbing her palms to warm them. "It's so cold that it makes people shiver …"
"In order to let us escape, you seem to have spent a lot of effort."
Olga said, "If that's the case, perhaps you shouldn't have brought us there in the first place.
Especially this guy. "
"You feel dissatisfied, and I feel the same, Master Olga." Lulunaka smiled.
Although she was smiling, she didn't seem to be as happy as she appeared.
"I originally wanted to do something out of the goodness of my heart so that you could gain some insights, but it ended up like this: Mr. Edgar aside, Mr. Olga, the Crystal Heart and the power of the Crystal that you obtained with great difficulty shattered into pieces just like that … Why?"
Olga looked at Julius, who was lying on the side.
Julius was sleeping soundly. He looked exhausted, and even if someone shouted in his ear, it would probably be difficult to wake him up.
"If I didn't do this, what would have happened to that guy?"
Lulunaka rubbed her hands and replied, "Who knows? Some people are like you, giving themselves a new life and standing at a higher level; some people go crazy, leaving their souls in their dreams, never to return; there's also a kind of person whose fate is passable, becoming a cripple. Don't think about doing anything in the future, just living as a farmer."
After hearing Lulunaka's words, Olga was silent for a while before saying, "This isn't his fate."
Lulunaka looked at Olga. Under the illumination of the fire, half of her face was in the darkness, while the other half was in the golden light.
"He said that he wants to be a hero, so I'll give him the path of a hero.
If he can't walk down this path, then it's his own problem. If he dies, it's his own fault.
If he's lucky, he can return to the village and live as a farmer for the rest of his life.
Wait, why can't we think that he has the ability to survive the trial by himself? "
Olga didn't think that Julius could really survive the so-called trial by himself in that state. After he intervened, he was even more convinced of this point.
"That's too early for him," he said.
"Is this why you put yourself in danger?"
Lulunaka shook her head and stood up. She didn't seem to have any intention of continuing the conversation with Olga. "This is your choice. I respect your opinion, Master Olga.
But for me, this kind of squandering makes me regret bringing you all here. "
Lulunaka found a tree and climbed up. She sat on the branch and leaned against the trunk, looking down at the people below.
This was the last batch of people who had accepted the trial and the favor — if this was the legend of heroes, it was indeed so.
But for Lulunaka, was this a favor or a curse?
Regardless of which it was, Lulunaka wouldn't tell them.
The person keeping watch tonight was Olga. After the light of the bonfire dimmed a little, Padding leaned against a tree and closed his eyes. Soon, the sound of sleeping breathing could be heard.
Olga sat by the bonfire and looked at the dim yellow flames in front of him. He put his fist to his mouth and coughed a few times.
It was already late. Under the cover of the dense foliage above, the stars in the sky could be vaguely seen.
If there were no obstacles and no dark clouds, they should be able to see the countless stars in the sky.
When Olga coughed, Lulunaka's voice came from above. "I've told you many times that you can't take care of him for a lifetime."
Lulunaka said, "His problems, his mistakes, if you always clean them up for him, one day, he will make a bigger mess.
At that time, you probably won't be by his side. Then, who will save him?
No one will save him, and he will still be finished. "
Olga looked at the fire in front of him. For a moment, a trace of absent-mindedness appeared on his face, but he quickly recovered.
"I know that people will eventually make mistakes. The price of some mistakes is the life of a person or even a group of people."
Olga paused for a moment before continuing, "But sometimes, I really can't bear to see a young life lose everything because of a mistake.
Making a mistake is not terrible. What's terrible is not having the opportunity to regret and reflect. Even the opportunity to grow is lost … If a person like me, who has made mistakes for half of my life, can do some good things in my old age, then if a young man like him is destroyed like that, then all the possibilities will disappear. "
Lulunaka quietly listened to Olga's words. When Olga didn't intend to continue, she slowly opened her mouth. "You will die, Olga."