Chapter 100 The Encounter in the Three-in-One Forest
After finishing tidying up the vegetable garden, Ray took Neil and Lamb to help out at Gug's house for a few more days.
After helping Guge tidy up the fruit trees, the farm work at home finally came to an end, and we could go and do other things.
In the small mountain village, most households have finished their farm work in the past few days, and more and more people are coming and going in the village.
Another thing worth mentioning is that Yiru and the other goblins set off a day earlier, before dawn, following the able-bodied men organized by the village.
Before setting off, Iru brought Kai to his house with two carnivorous magical plants. After getting acquainted with the place, Lai didn't refuse and warmly welcomed them.
Iru had intended to invite them in for a drink of water, but after handing the things to Lai, he left with Kai, saying he was worried about causing Lai any negative impact on the village.
Fresh soil still clung to the roots of the two magical plants. While they were chatting, Lai noticed that both Iru and Kai had injuries on their bodies.
The origins of these two magical plants are certainly not as simple as Iru claims; they were likely dug up from some dangerous place by the two of them. Now, Lai has planted them in flowerpots and placed them in his and Neil's bedrooms respectively.
Insectivorous plants prefer shade and emit a scent that attracts prey. Humans cannot smell it, but small insects are drawn to it.
Mosquitoes are not active at this time of year, so the food source for the magical plants has become a problem.
Lai left it in a shady corner of the room and didn't pay much attention to it, only watering it occasionally. The magical plant wouldn't die from the nutrients provided by the soil, it just grew slowly.
But it was tough on Neil—it was his first time raising a magical plant, and he didn't want it to die so quickly, so he would manually catch small insects to feed it.
The two of them kept the house very clean, so there were hardly any bugs. Neil would search in the wood storage shed, often getting covered in dust.
After the last shower, the weather was sunny and pleasant for several days in a row.
The sky was a deep, clear blue, without a single cloud; it was truly beautiful.
But because there were no clouds to block the sun, it shone directly on the earth, making people so hot that they wanted to just take off their long-sleeved coats.
As Ray and Lamb wandered through the woods, the intertwined branches blocked most of the sunlight. They only felt the temperature rise, but not the sun.
The forest is lush with vegetation, and because it has only recently grown, the tallest plants are not even knee-high, so it does not affect walking.
The tree leaves are very tender, a fresh, light green color. Although they haven't grown for long, they are already the size of a palm.
The air in the forest is fresh, and it instantly relaxes people's moods.
"Brother, what should we play today?"
Lamb asked with great interest.
"Hunting is prohibited in the village for the time being, so we can only hunt wild birds. I'll take you to other places where we can hunt next time."
"Look at my memory, I completely forgot about this. Brother, you must invite me next time."
"good."
Lai led Lamb along the mountain path, continuing deeper into the mountains even when the path ended.
His main purpose today was to explore the forest near the village to see how big it was and to find out why wild animals were appearing in the village.
It is said that wild animals, and sometimes even monsters, have frequently appeared in the village in recent years.
These wild beasts came from the forest, but where did the wild beasts in the forest come from? Didn't Iru and the others hide in this forest near the village back then?
The Lai family was the closest to the woods, and he had no plans to move for the time being, so it was still necessary for him to understand the situation here.
As they ventured deeper into the forest, it grew increasingly quiet. They passed many familiar places, seeing groves of Sichuan pepper trees and persimmon trees, but they did not stop moving forward.
"Be more careful as you go on, keep your weapons with you at all times, and don't let them go."
As Lei reminded him, Lamb touched the dagger at his waist.
"good."
Lai was not a talkative person, and in addition, he had to observe and record the surrounding environment along the way, so he remained silent for most of the journey.
Lamb initially tried to chat with Rye about various topics, but later, realizing that Rye was busy, he gradually quieted down.
The only sounds in the woods were the rustling of footsteps and the chirping of wild birds; for a moment, the two felt as if they had stumbled into some secret realm.
"Brother, it seems like we've come a long way. Haven't we reached the end yet?"
"There shouldn't be any."
"I've never been here before. Wow, there are so many wild vegetables and herbs here!"
"Want to collect some to take back? It won't take much time."
"No, brother, we still need to keep going. There will definitely be better herbs later. I'll dig some more later."
"OK."
We walked for another half hour. The further we went, the taller the trees in the forest became.
The vines and weeds grew wildly, creating a chaotic scene, and the two of them basically carved out a path by sheer willpower.
Although Ray had a great sense of direction, he didn't dare to be arrogant and dutifully marked the trees with the strips of cloth he had brought.
Gradually, the trees began to thin out, and the place always gave Ray a sense of déjà vu.
Sure enough, after walking about a hundred meters, the view suddenly opened up, and a ginkgo tree that was as thick as several people could hug appeared in front of us.
"Wow!"
Lamb couldn't help but sigh.
"So Rhys was right, there really is a ginkgo tree in the village that's hundreds of years old!"
A thick layer of dead leaves had accumulated around the ginkgo tree. The withered weeds from last year had not yet been completely decomposed naturally, and the withered yellow grass stalks were stuck obliquely among the dead leaves. There was hardly any new green growth on the ground.
The wood element here is still very strong. This time, Lei didn't act rashly to absorb energy. The scene of being scolded by that "little elf" last time was still vivid in his mind.
Lai casually picked up a twig to test the thickness of the fallen leaves and saw many fallen ginkgo trees. Some were already rotten, leaving only clean kernels. Some kernels still had dry, dark flesh hanging on them, but something had bitten them and thrown them away.
He bent over a few times, clearing away a patch about the size of a foot around his feet, revealing the black soil beneath the leaves.
The soil is loose and nutrient-rich, making it excellent humus soil suitable for planting all sorts of things.
A few tender buds were sticking out on the ground, and a centipede quickly darted into the nearby fallen leaves.
It seems that too many fallen leaves have begun to affect the growth of surrounding plants. No wonder there is so little vegetation around the ginkgo tree.
Lamb circled the ginkgo tree a few times, looking eager to climb it. Just as Ray was about to tell him not to climb, Lamb took a few steps back and suddenly leaped up.
"..."
As expected, he didn't climb very high. With too few footholds and insufficient stamina, Lamb cried out "Ouch!" and jumped down from the tree, landing flat on his knees.
"How are you? Did you break anything?"
"It's alright! The ground is covered in leaves, it's very soft, nothing's wrong with it!"
Lamb smiled broadly, revealing eight teeth.
Lei was somewhat helpless.
The trunk of this ginkgo tree is too thick to grip, and the closest branch to the ground is estimated to be ten meters high. It would be difficult for an average person to climb it without tools.
Lamb is hard to discipline, on the one hand, he listens to everything and will never argue with your requests; on the other hand, he's easy to discipline, but he always manages to do something unexpectedly naughty. Sometimes I really don't know what to do with him.
A gentle breeze rustled the ginkgo leaves as they swayed and collided with each other.
The shadows of the trees swayed, casting patches of light of various shapes on the ground. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, forming beams of light of varying lengths.
A sudden gust of wind broke the silence of the forest and brought coolness to Ray and Lamb.
As the light, which seemed almost tangible, appeared to change, Lai keenly sensed that the wood element in the century-old ginkgo tree was fluctuating, as if something was absorbing it and flowing continuously in one direction.
"Brother, what are you looking at?"
Lamb's tone was uneasy; he was worried that Ray was staring at the spot next to him because there was a snake behind him.
"nothing."
He followed Lai's gaze but didn't see anything dangerous, just an ordinary ginkgo tree branch.
"What's so interesting about this?"
Lamb was puzzled.
He dusted himself off, walked over to Lai Yi, and changed his perspective to look in that direction.
"elder brother?"
"Shhh."
Lai pointed in the direction of the branch.
Among the intertwined leaves, a cocoon-shaped, luminous object hung on a small fork at the end of a branch, like a large drop of water about to fall.
The final destination of the flow of elements from the ginkgo tree is the location of this luminous cocoon.
What is this thing?
Lamb frowned and asked in a low, whispered voice.
Ray shook his head, indicating that he didn't know what it was either.
"Holy crap, bro, that thing moved!"
The cocoon of light, connected by something unknown, swayed from side to side, as if something was about to break free. The light on the cocoon flickered on and off, constantly changing.
Finally, the light disappeared completely, and the cocoon stopped swaying.
Is he dead?
Lamb muttered to himself.
Things were definitely not as simple as Lamb thought; Ray could still sense the fluctuations of the elements inside the cocoon.
As if it had accumulated enough energy, the outer shell of the cocoon began to crack.
The thing that was originally hanging upside down inside the cocoon slowly slid down, like water droplets accumulating on a leaf. Due to the attraction of gravity, it slid uncontrollably to the ground at an extremely fast speed.
Where the two could not see, the humanoid creature, curled up with its knees drawn up to its chest, slowly opened its eyes and stretched out its arms and knees.
Just when Ray and Lamb thought the thing would fall to the ground, a pair of wings shimmering with a faint glow suddenly unfolded and stopped abruptly in mid-air.
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
The distance wasn't close enough to see His face, but we could see His humanoid body and translucent, golden wings.
Ray recognized it; it was a "little elf," the same fantastical creature he'd seen around the ginkgo tree last autumn. He never imagined he'd witness the birth of a "little elf" today.
Ray had seen and examined them, but Lamb had never seen them.
He was stunned by the scene before him, staring intently, his gaze following the flapping of His wings.
The shock in my heart was beyond words, and there was also a trace of nervousness.
As the two observed the newborn sprite, it was also observing them and this unfamiliar world.
His simple mind and the blankness of his being filled him with curiosity about the world.
"Brother, what is this?!"
Lamb instinctively asked Ray, as if he could answer all his questions.
"A fantastical creature born from plants, which, as far as I know, are harmless."
Lamb let out a long breath.
"Then I can rest assured."
The little elf, which was less than ten minutes old, did not stay long. It flapped its wings a few times and disappeared into the layers of leaves of the ginkgo tree, where only the rustling sound of the leaves rubbing against each other could be heard.
"Hey, it flies pretty fast."
Lamb jogged to the ginkgo tree and looked up at it.
The environment here is nice, and many birds have built nests in the trees. Luckily, Lamb was careful not to open his mouth and look up, otherwise it wouldn't be fun if something really fell down.
"You should have rested enough, let's go."
Without lingering, Lai crossed the ginkgo trees and ventured deeper into places he had never explored before.
"Brother, wait for me!"
Lamb searched for a long time but couldn't find the small, glowing figure again. In the end, he had no choice but to give up and quickly caught up with Ray's pace.
The two became increasingly close.
Free-growing plants undergo natural selection, resulting in unique growth states and patterns.
The overwhelming trees block out most of the sunlight; the taller you grow, the closer you are to the sun, and the better your advantage will be in this silent game. Therefore, the plants here are generally very tall, creating a visually overwhelming effect.
The air here is filled with the fragrance of plants, and it seems cleaner than anywhere else.
As Lai walked, he became increasingly alarmed. Based on their current pace, they had roughly calculated that they had covered at least ten kilometers that morning.
We still haven't reached the end of this forest. If we keep going forward, what is on the other side of the forest?
quack--
Strange bird calls echoed through the woods, and the leaves rustled in the distance. Then, a large bird, clutching a long, colorful snake, flapped its wings and flew into the air.
Colorful snakes are usually venomous. Lai and Lamb didn't encounter any danger along the way, but that didn't mean they were safe.
The calmer the lake surface, the deeper it is often.
"That's enough for today, let's head back."
Ray faintly heard the sound of flowing water and secretly noted its direction. He had already gone far enough today, and he felt it was better to go back.
"good."
Lamb also noticed the snake's color and felt that they had gone deep enough today and there was no need to go any further.
Ray marked several large trees with strips of cloth and began to walk back with Lamb, digging up various herbs in the forest as they went.
Although Ray didn't quite recognize it, Lamb could. Even without Lamb, he could still dig up something valuable by sensing the amount of wood element contained in the plant.
"Brother, we've finished digging!"
"Um."
Lamb was digging for medicinal herbs, while Ray was alert to the surrounding environment so that he could immediately spot any danger.
The two walked back to the ginkgo tree, and after looking around, they discovered new medicinal herbs.
"Wow, this Crimson Flame Grass is so big, it must have taken at least three years to grow!"
Lamb exclaimed excitedly upon discovering the rare plant.
Lai glanced at it and saw that the Crimson Flame Grass was not red as its name suggested. Its leaves were about half the size of a palm, grayish-green in color, and covered with many small white hairs.
What are the uses of the Crimson Flame Grass?
"It can stop bleeding, and the longer it's been used, the better it is."
As Lamb answered, he used a branch to whip the red flame grass and the surrounding weeds a few times to drive away any insects and ants that might be hiding there.
After cleaning the soil around the roots, I carefully pulled it out.
Crimson Flame Grass that retains its root system can fetch a higher price.
It was so close.
Lamb was so engrossed in processing the herbs that he didn't notice the centipede lying under the roots.
A golden light flashed, and a centipede as long as an adult's palm curled up and twitched on the ground, startling Lamb so much that he fell on his backside.
The thing was too fast. All Lai knew was that it had shot from the ginkgo tree, but he couldn't stop it in time, which annoyed him.
The whole thing happened in an instant. Lamb stared at the centipede's densely packed legs and sharp yellow mouthparts, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Although this centipede's venom is not very potent, a bite from it can cause pain for at least two days.
"Are you hurt? Get up quickly."
Ray helped Lamb up from the ground.
"I wasn't injured, I just fell, it's nothing serious."
"What was that just now? Did you see it?"
"It's a centipede."
Lamb pointed to the centipede, which was curled up in a ball and was about to die.
"I'm talking about that light."
"No, I didn't see it clearly."
Lamb shook his head.
That's strange, really strange.
Lei frowned slightly.
"Let's get out of here quickly, it's not safe here."
"Uh-huh."
Lamb looked at the Crimson Flame Grass that had been mostly dug out, somewhat reluctant to give up this precious medicinal herb that was so readily available, and tentatively asked Lai Yi.
"Brother, can I take it with me?"
"A swift and decisive victory."
"good!"
Lamb didn't hesitate any longer and plucked the Crimson Flame Grass out. Fortunately, the preliminary preparations were done well, and only a small section at the very bottom was broken off, which didn't have a significant impact on its appearance.
"Hurry up, hurry up."
After what just happened, Lamb found the place very frightening and urged Ray to leave quickly.
"Let's go."
The two returned the way they came.
The harvest this time was quite plentiful, so going back like this wouldn't be a loss.
Hearing that there was no more movement around, the small creature hiding in the bushes poked its head out.
It has a pair of golden wings, and if Ray were still here, he would definitely recognize this cute little creature.
"Brother~ Brother~"
He imitated the clear voice and uttered a simple word, with a cute little curve at the end of the syllable.
Swish—swish—
One by one, little heads popped out from unexpected corners. Some hid behind leaves, some lay in the grass, and some lay in flower buds.
They looked at their newborn companion with curiosity; His wings were a rare golden color, quite different from their own transparent wings.
"elder brother!"
One little creature shouted loudly, and several other little creatures followed suit.
"elder brother."
"elder brother?"
"Brother~"
The little creature with golden wings didn't look very happy. It flapped its wings and bypassed its companions who were all staring at it, quietly following Lai and Lamb.
The other little creatures looked left and right, some retreated to their hiding places, while a few flapped their wings and followed.
Because they were quite far apart, the two did not notice the little ones following behind them.
They followed him, Lai and Lamb, for about a kilometer before giving up.
From the very beginning, their activities were confined to the environment around the ginkgo tree.
The ginkgo tree is like their mother to them, or rather, they rely on the rich wood element provided by the ginkgo tree to maintain the energy needed for their bodies.
"ah!"
The little creature following behind the golden wings made a sound, trying to get the attention of its new companion, but it ignored them.
They had no choice but to flap their wings faster and fly to their new companion to stop him from continuing this dangerous behavior.
The elements outside the forest are too scarce to provide enough energy to sustain their lives.
The little guy frantically waved his hands, trying to stop his new companion's reckless behavior, but to his surprise, it ignored him, bypassed them, sped up, and flew into the tall, strange creature's basket.
"Ah! Ah!"
We can't go out, we really can't go out!
The first little creature to emerge, with its wings gleaming green, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, circling around in the air.
Finally, as if having made up his mind, he flapped his wings and continued to follow.
This time, He failed and was stopped by His companions who were quick to react.
"ah!"
no!
They held onto His hands and feet tightly, watching helplessly as the newborn little one followed the two strange creatures further and further away, until he disappeared into the forest.
Silently pray that He did not die on the first day of His birth.
Lai and Lamb hurried along the way, carrying baskets on their backs, until they reached the path worn by the villagers, at which point they slowed down.
"Brother, are we going out again this afternoon? Freshly picked herbs will fetch a higher price if sold while they're still fresh. If they're dried, the price will be 20% off."
"Go to town to sell?"
"Yes."
"Do you know any herbal medicine merchants or pharmacists? I'm not very familiar with this town, and the market has closed this afternoon. I don't know who I can sell to for a good price."
If this basket of medicinal herbs could fetch a good price, Lai wouldn't mind the trouble of hitching up a mule cart and making a trip to town. His only fear was making a wasted trip; in that case, he'd rather stay home and rest.
I walked quite a lot today. Lamb and I only had two rye breads for lunch in the woods. I'm not hungry now, just a little tired.
“Rice definitely knows, I’ll call him then.”
"That's fine. Let's go back and rest for a while, and set off once the sun has set."
"Okay, brother, you rest at home for now, I'll come find you later."
"Um."
The two walked and talked, and soon arrived at Lai's house.
The medicinal herbs were all mixed together. Before setting off, it was agreed that any money obtained from hunting or gathering would be split 50/50. So, the two baskets containing the herbs were left with Lai.
As Lai was seeing Lamb off, a small, glowing figure emerged from under the herbs.
He flew around the living room curiously, looking around furtively, filling the whole space with a playful atmosphere.
Tata was sleeping in the basket when the sound of Ray and Lamb talking disturbed his sleep.
The two humans didn't stay long before hurriedly leaving again, leaving behind only two full baskets in the living room.
Tata knew that this was prey hunted by Ray and another human named Lamb.
He stepped out of the basket, stretched out his front legs and pressed his back down, yawned, then pushed off with his hind legs, arched his body forward, and relieved the numbness in his front legs.
Shaking off its slightly messy fur, it walked to the basket and rubbed against it a couple of times, marking its scent and branding itself on it.
Just as I was about to go back to sleep, something glowing suddenly flew out of my basket.
It's a bird!?
Humans have finally decided to feed themselves live animals!
Tata's excited pupils narrowed into slits as she stared intently at the glowing little creature.
Something's not right, it's not a bird?
Animals' advanced sense of smell and more acute vision than humans allowed Tata to quickly discover its differences.
This creature was small in size, but had facial features and limbs similar to humans. When it still lived in the Great Forest of Eaton, it often saw its kind.
Uncle Elf once said that these little guys are a gift from nature, bringing vitality to the forest, and are an incredibly cute group of little creatures.
But Tata thought they were very noisy, always gathering together and chattering away, only imitating the sounds of other creatures, very mischievous and very bold.
While he was asleep, she would secretly pluck his tail hairs, and she would often bully him because she could fly.
How did this human bring Him back?!
Tata instantly lost all interest in hunting, became sullen, and crawled back into her basket.
He decided to ignore Lei for half a day, no, for a whole day!
The sound of the door opening startled the small flying creature, which quickly scurried back under the herbs where it had been hiding.
He didn't know why he was hiding, but he just felt that it was the right thing to do.
Perhaps it was because of a guilty conscience, or perhaps it was just for fun.
Neil was at school; only Rai, who had just returned home, and the sullen, unresponsive little monster were in the house. It was quiet; even the slightest sound was exceptionally clear.
Lei moved his chair aside and poured himself a glass of water to moisten his mouth.
The water in the kettle was warm, just right for drinking.
After resting for a short while, I started sorting through the herbs I had collected that day.
Their roots are covered in soil, and their leaves are mixed with weeds and dead leaves. Cleaning them up makes them easier to sell.
Two baskets of medicinal herbs were dumped onto the canvas-covered floor. A small, golden creature darted out from among the falling herbs and hid near a hook hanging from the ceiling.
Lei: "..."
When did He come here?! This place is not suitable for His survival.
Lei looked at the small creature above his head with a slight shock.
He had no intention of raising these magical little creatures, nor did he know how to raise them. The free and secluded environment of the forest was more suitable for them.
"Why did you follow us?"
Lei frowned.
As if having confirmed that the surrounding environment was safe, He leisurely flew to Lai's side and even boldly sat on his shoulder.
There was absolutely no sense of crisis about being caught by the person under their butt.
Awakened by the noise, Tata, who had been dozing off, squinted and saw the guy sitting on Lai's shoulders, and her temper immediately flared up.
He used the chair as a stepping stone to jump onto the table and began howling at Lei, or rather, at the little creature on Lei's shoulder.
"Awooo! Awooo!"
You rude jerk, get off Rye's shoulder!
"Awooo, awooo!"
How come you have other friends? And they're the ones I hate! Can't we have fun together anymore?
Lai looked at the furious Tata, bewildered, and waved his hand, trying to shoo the little creature off his shoulder.
Since we've decided not to keep them and to send them back, we can't be too nice to them.
For those who live in the wild, being too kind to them will only bring endless trouble.
Once a false perception is established, they will develop the mistaken idea that "all humans are safe."
If one day, humans with malicious intentions deliberately approach and capture them, what means will they have to protect themselves in the face of such cunning humans?
He must send it back.
Lei made up his mind.
However, I had already made an appointment with Lamb and Rhys to go to town to sell medicinal herbs that afternoon, and I couldn't break my promise.
Besides, it's getting late. If I go and take Him back to the ginkgo tree and then come back myself, it will probably be dark by then, which is really not safe.
"I'll send you back tomorrow. You'll have to make do here this afternoon. Tata, He's going back to the forest tomorrow, so don't bully Him."
Lai didn't know if the little guy could understand, but he explained it briefly and then went about tidying up the fresh herbs on the ground.
As long as he doesn't run away, let him do whatever he wants.
Hearing Lai call his name, Tata glanced at Lai and then at the annoying guy above him. Tata plopped down and stared intently at the creature flying around.
I have to keep an eye on this brainless guy and stay him for the night? Ha, who knows how much trouble he'll cause!
The glowing little creature seemed to know that there was a monstrous beast lurking below. It sat on the hook of the glass lamp hanging on the ceiling, swinging back and forth. Sometimes it would deliberately fly low to tease Tata, who was sitting upright.
The little monster was getting annoyed by it.
After a while, harmony finally returned to the living room.
Tata is an obedient and good child; he won't really bite her to death. Reassured, Lai focused on her work.
Time flies, and the sound of the door opening came from the entryway.
"Brother, we can pack up and leave now!"
Lamb pushed open the door, followed by Hagrid.
"Hello, Uncle Hagrid."
Ray greeted him politely, and Hagrid smiled and nodded.
“Rice went out on some business. I’ll go to town with you and buy some spices on the way back.”
"well."
Hagrid glanced at what herbs the two had picked and, having a general idea of what they were carrying, they set off together.
The little guy, who had secretly followed them back, had been hiding quietly on the roof. Hagrid and Lamb hadn't noticed him, so Ray didn't tell them about it.
Hagrid drove the wagon, while Ray and Lamb sat in the back. The three of them didn't return to the village until dinnertime.
The herbs were of excellent quality, and the town's herb seller offered a very good price. The Crimson Flame Grass, in particular, sold for twenty-four silver coins despite its roots being severed.
They sold thirty-four silver coins, which Ray and Lamb split equally as soon as they left the shop. The day's hard work in the woods felt especially worthwhile the moment they received the silver coins.
After buying what they needed, the three of them didn't linger and returned home before dinner.
Hearing the sound of tire tracks, Neil opened the front door to welcome the group home.
Rye invited Hagrid to stay for dinner, but he waved it off and took Lamb home with his things.
"Brother, I'm going back now. I'll come see you again tomorrow."
"good."
Ray waved goodbye and closed the door with Neil. Before they even got back inside, Neil mysteriously pulled Ray aside.
"Brother, there's a little flying person in the house."
Neil was wary and curious, but not flustered.
"That's a fantastical creature that I secretly followed when I went to the woods to collect herbs today. I'll send it back tomorrow morning. The human world isn't suitable for them."
"oh oh."
Neil breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, I discovered it early and prevented it from flying out."
"Have you got a meal yet?"
"Not yet, I want to wait for you to come back."
"Go inside first, your brother will cook for you later."
"No, brother, I'll help you unload the car."
Ray sensed that Neil was still somewhat worried about the little creature, so he didn't refuse Neil's request, only asking him to hand over some things and do some chores that were convenient for him.
After tidying up the yard and putting the mules back in the shed, Ray and Neil washed their hands in the jar in the yard before going back inside.
Tata curled herself up in a circle on the table and fell asleep sometime during the night. The little creature had left the ceiling and was hiding somewhere.
"Neil, find out where He is hiding. I'm going to cook."
"Okay, brother."
Lai picked out vegetables and meat and started making dinner. A little while later, Neil popped his head out from behind him.
“Brother, I found Him. He was sleeping in the pocket of the clothes hanging there.”
"Don't wake Him, let Him continue to sleep."
"Um."
Dinner was eaten quietly. After finishing, I cleaned the house, and it was getting dark.
Lai drew the curtains, and Neil, in perfect unison, took out a glass lamp, attached an energy stone, and hung it on a hook on the ceiling, using a stool as a base.
Ray took the book and the leather notebook and started making accounts on the table, while Neil also took out the precious notebook that Ray had bought for him and wrote something down.
Ray glanced at the notebook and noticed that Neil seemed to have drawn a picture.
"Brother, look!"
Neil showed his work to Ray; the notebook contained a lifelike little figure with wings.
It was that little creature that stayed at our house for one night.
"It's well drawn, very beautiful."
"I sincerely praised him," Ray said.
From that design on the paper bag to now, Neil's drawing skills have improved very quickly, it can be said to be a dramatic change.
Ray felt it was necessary to buy Neil a box of paints to support his hobby.
"Brother, why is He still sleeping?"
"I don't know, let's go check."
At least two hours have passed since dinner, and there's still no sign of Him, which is making people a little worried.
"Brother, it's right here."
Neil spoke softly, as if afraid of disturbing His sleep.
Ray looked into his pocket and saw the little guy curled up in a ball, hugging his knees.
"Wake up."
Lei didn't dare to use force, so he gently poked it with his fingertip. When it didn't move, he gently pushed its head again.
This time, the little guy responded, rubbing his head against Lai's fingertips a few times, and slowly opened his eyes, looking somewhat confused.
"You're awake. Get up. This isn't a good place for you to sleep."
"elder brother."
He responded softly, flapped his wings, and slowly flew to the table.
Ray noticed that the light on His wings had dimmed considerably, and the little creature looked listless, not at all like when he first saw Him.
What happened to Him?
Lei frowned.
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Author's note: 100 chapters as a bonus, which barely counts as an update of 10,000 words (facepalm).
P.S.: Merry Christmas! Did you have anything good to eat today?
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