Chapter 185: The Road Ahead

The morning of the thirty-second day arrived quietly.

A thin layer of mist hovered above the lake, drifting across its surface as the first rays of sunlight appeared beyond the distant hills. The surrounding woodland remained peaceful, with only the occasional chirping of birds disturbing the silence.

Jet had woken earlier than the others.

After carefully stepping out of their parked vehicle, he stretched his arms and took a deep breath of the refreshing morning air. The temperature was pleasantly cool, and the faint scent of damp grass reminded him how much he had missed spending time somewhere peaceful.

He walked toward the shoreline and stopped a short distance from the water. For several minutes, Jet simply admired the scenery. It was difficult to believe that only a month had passed since his regression.

In his previous life, he had been an ordinary human struggling to survive in a world where strength determined almost everything. Providing for Inez had been difficult enough, and the thought of giving her a comfortable future had often seemed like an impossible dream.

Now, however, his circumstances were completely different.

Nevertheless, Jet understood that his current strength was nowhere near sufficient.

The world contained countless powerful individuals, and the dangers awaiting him were far greater than anything he had encountered.

He still had a long journey ahead. His thoughts briefly turned toward their destination.

He remembered several important events that would eventually take place there, including opportunities that had attracted enormous attention in his previous life.

Back then, he could only watch from the sidelines. This time, he intended to make full use of what he remembered.

A faint smile appeared on Jet’s face before he turned away from the lake. By the time he returned to the vehicle, Mikhail was already awake and preparing their breakfast.

"Morning, Jet," Mikhail greeted him, placing several food containers on a portable table. "You’re up early. Did you sleep well?"

"Pretty well, actually," Jet replied, approaching him. "The fresh air helped. Need a hand with anything?"

Mikhail shook his head with a smile. "I’ve got everything under control. Although you could wake our sleeping prince before breakfast gets cold."

Jet glanced toward the vehicle and chuckled.

"Good luck with that," Jet replied, folding his arms. "You know how Frey gets when someone interrupts his beauty sleep."

As though summoned by their conversation, Frey emerged from the vehicle several moments later, looking thoroughly miserable.

His usually well-maintained hair was slightly disheveled, and he stretched his stiff shoulders while releasing an exaggerated groan.

"Never again," Frey declared, rubbing the back of his neck. "I swear, I’m never sleeping like that again. My entire body feels like someone used me as a training dummy."

Mikhail turned toward him with an amused expression.

"That’s interesting," Mikhail remarked. "Weren’t you the one who enthusiastically supported staying here yesterday?"

Frey immediately frowned.

"I supported resting," Frey corrected him, raising a finger. "There’s a considerable difference between enjoying a peaceful afternoon and spending the night in a vehicle."

Jet struggled to suppress his laughter.

"Nobody forced you to agree," Jet reminded him, leaning against the portable table. "You could’ve supported my suggestion to continue traveling."

Frey gave him an offended look.

"And abandon such a beautiful location?" Frey demanded. "Absolutely not. I simply expected our sleeping arrangements to be more civilized."

Before Jet could respond, Inez appeared beside the vehicle, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

"Brother, why is Uncle Frey complaining again?" Inez asked innocently, looking between the three men. "Does he always complain this much?"

For a brief moment, silence descended.

Then Jet and Mikhail burst into laughter.

Frey stared at the little girl in disbelief.

"Princess Inez!" Frey exclaimed dramatically, placing a hand against his chest. "How could you wound me so deeply? After everything I’ve done for you!"

Inez blinked before tilting her head.

"But Uncle Frey, you complained yesterday too," Inez pointed out, looking genuinely confused.

Jet laughed even harder.

Mikhail nearly dropped one of the food containers.

Frey slowly turned toward Jet with an expression of utter betrayal.

"You’re enjoying this far too much," Frey accused him, narrowing his eyes.

"Not at all," Jet replied, struggling to maintain a straight face. "I’m simply appreciating my sister’s remarkable observational skills."

Frey shook his head helplessly before taking a seat.

Their breakfast continued amid playful arguments and occasional bursts of laughter.

Once everyone had finished eating, they began preparing to resume their journey.

Mikhail gathered their supplies while Frey checked his phone, leaving Jet to help Inez collect the small belongings she had scattered around their resting area.

"Brother, can I ask you something?" Inez suddenly asked, holding her little bag against her chest.

Jet turned toward her with a gentle smile.

"Of course, Inez," Jet replied, crouching slightly to meet her eyes. "What do you want to know?"

Inez hesitated briefly before looking up at him.

"Will the place we’re going have beautiful parks like this?" Inez asked hopefully. "And playgrounds? I want somewhere I can play outside."

Jet nodded reassuringly.

"I’m sure we’ll find plenty of beautiful places," Jet answered, gently brushing a strand of white hair away from her face. "There’ll be parks, playgrounds, and lots of interesting things for you to see."

Inez’s expression brightened immediately.

"What about schools?" Inez continued excitedly. "Will I get to go to a really nice school? And will there be other children I can play with?"

Jet smiled at her enthusiasm.

"Of course," Jet replied warmly. "I’ll make sure you attend a good school. You’ll get to meet other children, make friends, and learn all sorts of interesting things."

Inez seemed delighted by that answer.

She had spent much of her childhood surrounded by uncertainty, and Jet knew how much she deserved the opportunity to enjoy ordinary experiences.

After thinking for another moment, she tugged gently at his sleeve.

"Brother, will we have our own house?" Inez asked, looking up at him expectantly.

Jet paused briefly before nodding.

"Yes, we will," Jet assured her. "We’ll find somewhere comfortable where we can live together."

Inez clasped her hands excitedly.

"Really? Then can I have my own bedroom?" Inez asked, practically bouncing on her feet. "And maybe a big window so I can see outside when I wake up?"

Jet chuckled softly.

"You can have your own bedroom," Jet promised, gently patting her head. "And we’ll see what we can do about that big window."

Inez immediately wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Thank you, Brother!" Inez exclaimed happily. "You’re the best!"

Jet returned her embrace with a warm smile.

However, her excitement reminded him of something from his previous life. Jet’s smile deepened slightly as the memory faded.

Perhaps this time, things would be different.

"Brother, what are you smiling about?" Inez asked curiously, pulling away from his embrace.

Jet chuckled and gently tapped her forehead.

"Nothing important," Jet replied affectionately. "Come on, let’s finish packing before Frey starts complaining again."

Inez giggled and obediently followed him.

Meanwhile, Frey had been examining accommodation options on his phone. His expression grew increasingly unpleasant with every passing minute.

"Are these people serious?" Frey suddenly exclaimed, staring at the screen. "Do they charge people just for breathing the air over there?"

Mikhail looked up from the luggage compartment.

"What’s wrong now?" Mikhail asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Hotel prices!" Frey replied indignantly, turning his phone toward him. "Look at this! These aren’t even the most expensive establishments, yet they’re charging ridiculous amounts for ordinary rooms!"

Mikhail examined the screen before whistling softly.

"That’s certainly expensive," Mikhail admitted. "Maybe we should look for somewhere cheaper."

Frey immediately shook his head.

"Absolutely not," Frey declared firmly. "We’re traveling with Inez. I’m not putting her somewhere uncomfortable just because we want to save a little money."

Jet approached them with an amused expression.

"Well, look at you being responsible," Jet remarked, folding his arms. "I’m impressed."

Frey shot him an irritated glance.

"Don’t start," Frey warned him. "You’re the one who dumped this responsibility on me."

After several more minutes of comparing prices, locations, and customer reviews, Frey finally selected a reputable hotel in a convenient district.

He reserved accommodation for several days before putting away his phone.

"There," Frey announced with satisfaction. "At least we won’t have to worry about sleeping arrangements immediately after arriving."

Jet nodded appreciatively.

"Thanks, Frey," Jet replied sincerely. "I knew I could count on you."

Frey narrowed his eyes.

"Don’t thank me yet," Frey warned him. "Remember, this is only temporary. We’re going to need somewhere permanent eventually."

"I know," Jet answered calmly.

Frey studied his expression.

"You actually have something planned, don’t you?" Frey asked suspiciously. "Because you’ve been suspiciously relaxed about this entire situation."

Jet merely smiled.

"Don’t worry," Jet replied confidently. "Everything will work out."

Frey stared at him for several seconds before releasing a helpless sigh.

"Somehow, that doesn’t reassure me at all," Frey muttered, shaking his head.

With their preparations complete, Mikhail performed one final inspection of the vehicle and confirmed that their supplies were properly secured.

Inez walked toward the lake one last time.

"Goodbye, pretty lake!" Inez called cheerfully, waving both hands toward the water. "I’ll come visit again someday!"

Jet smiled as he watched her.

A few minutes later, everyone climbed into the vehicle.

Frey settled into his seat and immediately stretched his legs.

"You know, we could’ve reached our destination much earlier if someone had simply agreed to take a plane," Frey remarked, casting Jet an accusing glance.

Jet rolled his eyes.

"You’re still complaining about that?" Jet asked incredulously. "You were the one who wanted to stay here overnight."

"That was completely different!" Frey protested, folding his arms. "I was appreciating nature!"

Mikhail chuckled from the driver’s seat.

"Of course you were," Mikhail replied dryly. "Especially when you spent half the morning complaining about sleeping arrangements."

Inez giggled from beside Jet. Their familiar argument continued as the vehicle pulled away from the rest area and returned to the main road.

As the hours passed, the surrounding landscape gradually changed. The quiet roads became increasingly busy, with freight convoys, passenger vehicles, and commercial transports appearing more frequently.

Distant settlements gave way to larger developed areas, while enormous transportation structures and sprawling industrial facilities began appearing along the horizon.

Jet watched everything through the window.

His companions saw an unfamiliar future filled with uncertainty. But Jet knew that somewhere ahead, countless opportunities were waiting.

And this time, he had no intention of letting them slip through his fingers.