Chapter 64 Emotions

"...I take it back." The words came out as nothing more than a quiet murmur.

Xue Yao let out a small, bitter laugh and slowly walked toward the stone beneath the ancient tree. Every step felt heavier than the last.

"You can talk as much as you want," she said softly, the smile on her face carrying more helplessness than amusement. "Really... I won’t complain anymore."

She lowered herself onto the edge of the stone and folded her legs beneath her, quietly studying Tian Lan’s sleeping face. Without that mischievous grin tugging at the corners of her lips, without her constant chatter or the sparkle in her bright eyes, she looked much younger than usual. Wisps of pale blue energy drifted lazily around her tiny body.

Xue Yao sat there for a while before slowly reaching out. Her fingertip hesitated just above Tian Lan’s forehead, as though she was afraid even the smallest touch might disturb her, then she lightly poked her.

"...Hey."

Tian Lan remained unconscious.

Xue Yao waited another moment before giving her forehead another gentle poke. "You’ve slept enough. Wake up already."

Tian Lan remained completely still.

The smile on Xue Yao’s face slowly faded. She let her hand fall back onto her lap and sighed quietly. "I didn’t think you’d sleep this deeply."

The breeze drifted through the endless grassland, carrying the fresh scent of grass and earth as it gently brushed past them. The long grass swayed like soft green waves beneath the ancient tree.

Xue Yao hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin against them, staring absentmindedly at the horizon for a long while before speaking again.

"You know..." Her voice was much quieter this time. "I don’t think I’ve ever properly thanked you."

She lowered her eyes with a faint smile.

"I spend most of my time complaining about you. I call you a glutton every chance I get, I get angry whenever you steal my food, and I don’t even remember how many times I’ve threatened to strangle you." She couldn’t help letting out another quiet laugh. "Thinking about it now... I really wasn’t a very good host, was I?"

Her fingers absentmindedly reached down and plucked a blade of grass from the ground. She slowly rolled it between her fingertips.

"...But yesterday..." The smile disappeared from her face. "Yesterday, you protected me."

She could still remember it so clearly...The elders reaching into her memories, that terrifying pressure crushing down on her soul. The golden rune. And then... That tiny figure throwing herself in front of it without stopping to think.

"You knew you couldn’t win against them...." Her voice gradually became softer until it was almost carried away by the breeze. "You knew all of that... and you still rushed in front of me when I called for you."

Her grip around the blade of grass slowly tightened. "You really are an idiot."

The grass snapped between her fingers.

"I was the one who got us into trouble. I was the one standing there. If anyone should’ve gotten hurt, it should’ve been me." She lowered her head, staring quietly at the broken blade of grass resting in her palm. "So why... why are you the one lying here instead?"

The silence stretched on, gentle yet unbearably lonely.

Xue Yao turned back toward Tian Lan, looking carefully at her sleeping face. It was strange. Just a few days ago, she would have given anything for a little peace and quiet. She had sometimes wished Tian Lan would stop talking for one whole day.

Now that she finally had it... She hated it.

"You know what’s funny?" she said after another long silence. "I’ve only been in this world for a few days, but somehow you’ve already become the closest friend I have."

She laughed softly, shaking her head at herself. "I don’t even know whether I should feel touched or embarrassed."

Her gaze lingered on Tian Lan’s peaceful face, and before she realized it, her eyes had begun to sting. She quickly blinked a few times, trying to chase the feeling away.

"...Look at me." A helpless smile appeared on her lips. "I’ve only known you for a few days, and you’re already making me feel guilty."

She slowly reached over and gently brushed a few loose strands of Tian Lan’s red hair away from her face. Her movements were slow and careful, almost afraid of waking her, even though she secretly wished she would.

"When you wake up, I’ll catch stronger beasts for you. I’ll collect all the beast cores you want, so you won’t have to keep stealing my food anymore."

She paused for a moment before letting out a quiet laugh. "...Well... maybe not all of it."

Her eyes dropped to Tian Lan’s tiny sleeping figure. "You still eat way too much."

A tear quietly slipped down her cheek before she noticed it. She froze for a moment, then quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand, letting out a small, embarrassed laugh.

"...Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m only crying because you’ve been too quiet."

She looked up at the endless blue sky above them and took a slow, steady breath before turning back to Tian Lan with a small smile.

"So hurry up and wake up...I miss hearing you complain."

The breeze gently lifted a few loose strands of Tian Lan’s hair before carrying them back down again.

Xue Yao stayed beside her for another moment before slowly pushing herself to her feet. She looked across the endless grassland, and although nothing around her had changed, it didn’t feel as empty as it had a few moments ago.

"Alright," she murmured, brushing the grass from her clothes. "No more feeling sorry for myself. Crying won’t make you wake up any faster, and it definitely won’t make those old wolves any nicer."

She stretched her arms over her head before letting out a long breath.

"I’ll go now to become stronger. I’ll catch stronger beasts, earn more beast cores, and pile them into a mountain so ridiculous that you can sleep on those instead of beside dead rabbits." A small smile returned to her face. "Knowing you, you’d probably eat the mountain before using it as a bed."

She had barely turned around when a crisp mechanical chime echoed through the Beast Taming Space.

[Ding.]

Xue Yao stopped in her tracks and looked around in confusion. "...Hm?"

A familiar blue screen slowly unfolded in front of her. Unlike every mission she had seen before, this one flashed with an urgent red warning.

Her smile gradually disappeared, as she lowered her eyes to the first line.