Chapter 2: Leaving the cave
After a month and a half of training, Charlotte found herself sitting on a stone chair in the cave. It wasn't comfortable, but she had grown used to it. To make her training effective, she had little time for rest, taking only brief breaks for mental relaxation. She wondered about the difficulty of the journey ahead and whether she could return "home." She pondered these thoughts internally.
"Aren't you going to sleep? Rest would be beneficial," Sol Liang said as he floated nearby. Charlotte gazed at Liang, then shifted her gaze to the floor.
"Will I be capable of returning home?" Charlotte's voice trembled, and tears welled up. Sol Liang became concerned.
"Hey, hey! It's evident that with your determination, you'll succeed," Quilin reassured her, looking into her eyes. He paused briefly, considering his words.
"You may find this training difficult, but this is just the tip of the iceberg, just the beginning, if you want to give up before you even try, is it worth it?" Liang looks deep into Charlotte's eyes.
Charlotte reflects on why she wants to return: to survive, reunite with the people she values, go back to her cozy place, and relive her memories. These are her goals, and while they might seem selfish, she recognizes that in a place where no one is reliable, it's essential to value herself. The Quilin, Sol Liang, reminds her that not everyone in this new world is inherently evil; their actions are often driven by their beliefs, even if those beliefs seem flawed from their perspective.
Inspired by Sol's words, Charlotte takes a deep breath and slaps herself in the face to regain her focus and determination. She's committed to going home and becoming strong enough to protect herself. Sol, while initially surprised by her actions, returns to his usual demeanor.
"Thanks, Sol. I'll go home! Shall we continue training?" Charlotte quickly expresses her determination to continue her journey.
Sol Liang looks at her and sighs. "Take a rest first."
Time passes quickly, and soon the three months of training come to an end. Charlotte has grasped the basics of using her weapon, although she acknowledges that she's not yet an expert.
"Apparently, it's time for your final challenge," Sol Liang announces. "To continue with the first part of your real training, you must climb the wall and return to the surface," he says with a smile, looking upward.
"OK!" Charlotte started climbing the wall and finally reached the surface. She had everything she needed: a bottle of water, a canteen of water made from leather and plastic, an iron knife, a sturdy backpack of unfamiliar fabric, and three sets of clothes, all found in the cave.
"Wait! At least take the hood. Are you going to let others know you're human? With the hood, some less intelligent or less perceptive beings won't recognize you," Liang complained. Charlotte snorted, and she went back to retrieve the hood among the remaining clothes. She then prepared to climb back up but stopped and looked at Liang.
"Anything else, Sol?" Charlotte asked, hoping to avoid going back down for additional items.
"I don't think so..." Liang looked at the sky and the ground, contemplating if anything valuable was left in the cave. He couldn't think of anything more precious, as the cave had been his prison for a long time. He was eager to be back on the surface, experiencing the world beyond the mini cave. However, he couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia and longing for the outside world.
"Currently, you only have the dream of returning home, but I think we should address another matter first. We'll start with obtaining a star herb to enhance your power, allowing you to hold your own against ordinary citizens," Liang said, looking towards a specific location with a smile.
"What is a star herb?" Charlotte asked, intrigued by the term and why Liang was gazing into space with such a peculiar smile.
"The star herb is a plant that purifies power and helps it flow. It's a somewhat abstract concept, and its effects depend on the individual user. Beasts often ingest it for power growth or other purposes. However, since your race's connection to this power was sealed, we'll need to find alternative methods to awaken it. Consider it a shortcut to awakening," Liang explained as he continued to gaze into space.
"That's where your star herb is," Liang pointed to the area he had been looking at. His yellow eyes seemed to emit a subtle radiance. Charlotte followed his gaze, wearing her hood, which helped lower the hostility of the local creatures towards her. After an hour of walking, she arrived at the entrance of a forest, hesitated for a moment, and then entered the forest, following the instructions given by Quilin.
"Run, Charlie!" Charlotte heeded the Quilin's warning and dashed forward. She saw a menacing gargoyle in the direction he had pointed. The gargoyle prepared to attack her, and with the Quilin's warning, Charlotte narrowly avoided the attack, leaving a small crater in the ground. However, she scratched her arm on a sharp branch while evading.
Charlotte kept running as the enraged gargoyle prepared to attack once more. Liang shouted for her to turn right, and she followed his instructions. To her right, she found a rocky wall.
"Keep running! That wall is fake!" Liang's warnings spurred her to make a quick decision. Charlotte threw herself at the wall, passing through it as if it were an illusion.
Afterward, Charlotte began to calm down, and she noticed that the Quilin was gazing at something. She followed his gaze and saw a beautiful flower with yellow petals outlining it, bright white petals adorning its interior, and a round leaf.
"That's the star herb he left for you. What a good guy," Liang commented as he looked at the flower, then shifted his gaze to the fake wall.
"Now eat the flower!" Liang instructed, looking at the plant and then back at Charlotte.
Charlotte gazed at the beautiful flower and cautiously plucked it, holding it in her hand.
"How do I eat it?" she asked, looking at Liang for guidance.
"With your mouth, swallow it. Perhaps drinking some water might help a bit, but the water you have now is a bit dirty, so it's better to consume this flower directly. It's just a little dirty," Liang replied.
With trepidation, Charlotte placed the flower in her mouth and swallowed it quickly, trying to focus on positive thoughts while disregarding any concerns about the flower.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Peixe
Peixe No new characters for a while~
They exist, but for now they do not appear...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone