Chapter 103: Shu Li’s choice to leave the Fairy Forest.

The Elven King led Shu Li to sit on the grass. Taking his right hand, he examined the spider-shaped mark on its back.

Shu Li allowed the king to hold his hand while his pointed ears twitched anxiously.

The moment he and his companions returned to the divine tree, they had sought out Siet and Aisha and told them everything that had happened. When Siet and Aisha saw the curse mark on the back of his hand, they were greatly alarmed and frankly admitted that they could not break it.

“Not even Saint Mages can break it?” Shu Li had asked, dumbfounded.

Siet and Aisha were both Fairies more than five hundred years old and possessed strength at the pinnacle of the Saint Mage rank, yet they could not break a curse cast by a Grand Mage.

“This is a high-level dark curse. Only a Mage who practices dark magic can break it.” Siet shook his head.

“We can only ask the king for help,” Aisha said with a sigh.

The moment Shu Li heard that they would have to trouble the Elven King, he wilted.

He had originally intended to ask an adult Fairy to break the curse, then turn the treasure chest over to the Elven King and let him handle the matter of the letter.

Siet and Aisha consulted Elder Fedro. Using mind-transmitted magic, Fedro informed the Elven King of the details and asked him to come to the divine tree.

Shu Li had waited anxiously, expecting the Elven King to reprimand him. To his surprise, the king had not scolded him at all and had instead comforted him gently.

As Shu Li gazed at the Elven King’s handsome face, his admiration for him deepened even further.

“My king, can it be broken?” Fedro asked respectfully.

He had examined Sperien’s curse the moment he learned of it. However, because he did not practice dark magic, he had not dared attempt to break it recklessly for fear of harming the Little Fairy.

The king possessed Seven-Element Magic and was proficient in the supportive and curse-breaking applications of dark magic. They had no choice but to ask for his help.

Now, seeing the king hold Sperien’s hand in silence for so long, Fedro could not help worrying. If even the king could not break the curse, would they truly have to let the underage Sperien leave the Faerie Forest and travel to the Dalia Empire?

Ever since the king sealed the Faerie Forest and cut off contact with outsiders, no underage Fairy had entered the Human World.

Disio and the other three Little Fairies lay atop Siet’s and Aisha’s heads, watching the Elven King nervously.

The Elven King ran a finger over the spider-shaped mark and said, “This curse was created through the sacrifice of the caster’s own soul. It is a death curse of the highest order.”

“A death curse!”

The Fairies were shocked.

“Aaah! That Mage called Claude Boer is horrible!” Disio took flight and angrily punched the air.

“My king, please, you must save Sperien!” Angel clasped his hands together, mist gathering in his amber eyes.

“With the king here, Sperien will be fine.” Budno placed blind faith in the powerful Elven King.

Lois sat on Aisha’s shoulder and prayed silently.

Shu Li stared blankly.

Ever since he had been cursed, his body had felt perfectly normal. He had experienced no discomfort whatsoever, so he had not thought the curse particularly frightening. Now, after hearing the Elven King’s words, his little face abruptly turned pale.

A death curse?

Was he... going to die?

Ilio sat cross-legged beside Shu Li and reached out to stroke his head. “Don’t be afraid. No curse can defeat the king.”

Shu Li immediately looked at the Elven King with hope.

The Elven King’s green eyes were unfathomably deep. “I can indeed break this curse. However...”

“However what?” Shu Li asked urgently.

“If I break it by force, the caster’s soul will be destroyed. He will disappear from this world forever and lose any chance of reincarnation.” The Elven King gazed deeply at the golden-haired young Fairy and asked solemnly, “Sperien, do you believe this caster deserves to cease to exist?”

Shu Li tilted his head slightly and met the Elven King’s profound gaze, falling into thought.

The homeland of the Mage named Claude Boer was suffering through a terrible war. To fulfill the queen’s mission and save the people, he had fled across the continent, surviving countless brushes with death before boarding a ship bound for the Dalia Empire. Yet disaster had struck without warning. The ship encountered a hurricane, and everyone aboard perished. Claude Boer had been no exception.

At the brink of death, with no other options remaining, he had resorted to this method and sacrificed his soul on the strength of his final conviction.

Viewed from an outsider’s perspective, his actions were worthy of admiration.

But from the victim’s perspective, his curse had harmed an innocent passerby.

Shu Li was now a Fairy and had nothing to do with humans. He bore no responsibility or obligation to help a human Mage who had harmed him.

But...

Shu Li lowered his eyes and involuntarily bit his lip.

He had once been human too.

Or rather, his ultimate reason for wanting to become stronger was to return to his original world, become an ordinary human again, and reunite with his family.

If his country were invaded by a foreign enemy and his family, relatives, and friends were placed in danger, what would he do?

He would undoubtedly make the same choice as Claude Boer. As long as the slightest hope remained, he would willingly sacrifice his life.

Heroes would always inspire admiration.

Claude Boer had been willing to sacrifice himself to fulfill his mission, even for the faintest glimmer of hope. He was a true hero.

The Elven King had asked whether such a person deserved to cease to exist.

An answer arose in Shu Li’s heart.

“No.” He raised his eyes and said firmly, “My king, I want to help him fulfill his final wish.”

A brave adventurer had to be willing to face danger.

Although he was only ten years old, he was already a Senior Mage and had reached the minimum requirement for traveling across the continent.

“Sperien!” the Little Fairies cried. “It’s too dangerous outside! Humans might capture you!”

Some humans were wicked creatures who had always coveted Little Fairies and took pleasure in keeping them captive. If Shu Li fell into their hands, he would never be able to return to the Faerie Forest.

Siet and Aisha exchanged glances, while Fedro remained silent.

The Elven King asked seriously, “Are you certain?”

Shu Li nodded earnestly. “I am.”

“Even if you encounter danger, you still intend to travel to the Dalia Empire?”

“Yes.”

Shu Li turned toward the perfectly composed Ilio and grinned. “The king wouldn’t let a Little Fairy leave the forest all by himself, would he?”

Ilio raised an eyebrow.

The Elven King nodded with a smile. “I will have Ilio accompany you.”

“My king!” Fedro exclaimed in astonishment. “Is that appropriate?”

Never before had a ten-year-old Little Fairy left the Faerie Forest to adventure across the continent.

Even with a powerful Elven warrior accompanying him, the risk would be considerable.

Ilio rose and bowed solemnly to Fedro. “Elder, I will protect Sperien. I will not allow the slightest harm to come to him.”

Besides, Sperien possessed the Elven King’s blessing. No matter where he went, he would remain under the king’s protection.

Fedro sighed softly.

In truth, he should have guessed the king’s intentions when he saw Ilio accompany him to the divine tree. Ilio was the youngest Elf among his people. He had become a Mage Sovereign a hundred years ago and was also their finest warrior, possessing exceptional mastery of both magic and martial combat.

With his strength, he could roam the continent unhindered.

There was only one thing Fedro did not understand. Why had the king allowed Sperien to make the decision himself?

What was more, the king appeared to have anticipated Sperien’s choice and had deliberately brought Ilio to the divine tree.

After hesitating, Angel flew to Shu Li’s side. He bowed to the Elven King and said, “My king, I have a question.”

The Elven King replied patiently, “What is it?”

Angel asked, “What if... the empress of the Dalia Empire has passed away? If Sperien cannot fulfill Claude Boer’s final wish, will the curse still break automatically?”

“It can still be broken,” the Elven King answered.

He extended a finger and lightly touched the mark on the back of Shu Li’s hand. A beam of light emerged and shot into the air, making the Little Fairies’ eyes widen.

When the white light dispersed, a translucent figure appeared. It was a middle-aged man dressed in rags.

Although he looked utterly disheveled, his eyes shone brightly with unwavering resolve.

Facing the Elven King, he offered the most reverent of bows.

“This is...” Shu Li stared at the apparition in astonishment.

“Claude Boer’s soul.” The Elven King touched the mark again. The figure dissolved into starlight and returned to the back of Shu Li’s hand. “He will know everything that happens. Once his lingering obsession is resolved, the curse will break automatically.”

Shu Li breathed a sigh of relief.

Angel was still worried. “What if his obsession remains?”

“Then I will destroy his soul,” the Elven King said.

Shu Li blinked.

The king’s tone as he said that... had been so indifferent that it seemed almost heartless.

Late that night, Shu Li returned to his small Fairy form and went back to his little house. Leaning over the table, he wrote furiously, recording everything that had happened that day in his notebook.

[...Dad, Mom, my brothers, I’m about to take my first step as a brave adventurer. Wish me luck!

After writing the final sentence, he closed the notebook.

He had lived in the Faerie Forest for ten years. It would be a lie to say he felt no curiosity about the outside world.

He had originally planned to wait until he grew stronger before setting out to gain experience. By a strange twist of fate, however, he now had no choice but to depart early.

Shu Li lay in bed with a trace of anticipation in his heart.

Early the following morning, Shu Li assumed his larger form and sat on a unicorn with Ilio. He waved to the Elven King, Elder Fedro, Siet, Aisha, and the four companions who knew about their journey.

“I’ll be back soon!” he said confidently.

“Sperien, you must come home safely!”

The four Little Fairies threw themselves into his arms and nuzzled him reluctantly.

Their rubbing tickled Shu Li, so he affectionately squished each of them in return. “Don’t worry. Ilio will be with me!”

Ilio folded his arms and looked down at the four Little Fairies, the corners of his mouth curving upward. “I promise I’ll bring Sperien back safe and sound, without so much as a hair out of place.”

Only after receiving his repeated assurances did the four Little Fairies fly back to Siet’s and Aisha’s shoulders.

Ilio patted the unicorn lightly. The unicorn spread its wings and abruptly soared into the sky.

Shu Li repeatedly looked back. Only when the Elven King and the Fairies disappeared from sight did he face forward and gaze into the unknown ahead.

Ilio stroked his hair reassuringly. “Cheer up. You’re the only ten-year-old Little Fairy in the last ten thousand years to leave the Faerie Forest for the Human World!”

The corner of Shu Li’s mouth twitched.

That did not seem like anything worth being proud of.

But whatever the case, there was no turning back now. He would forge ahead bravely!

Beneath the divine tree, Fedro watched the unicorn recede into the distance before slowly asking, “Why did my king insist on allowing Sperien to leave the Faerie Forest?”

“This is a necessary step in his growth,” the Elven King murmured.

The wind lifted his golden hair, revealing the brilliant, exquisitely crafted ornament on his forehead.

Ilio took Shu Li eastward on the unicorn, crossing the entire Faerie Forest. Upon reaching its edge, they descended from the sky and landed on the grass.

“Get down.” Ilio landed easily and urged the bewildered Shu Li to follow.

Shu Li obediently dismounted and asked in confusion, “Aren’t we going to fly directly into the Dalia Empire?”

Ilio pinched his cheek. “Of course not.”

Shu Li slapped his hand away, covered his cheek, and glared at him. “Why?”

The unicorn was fast. They could fly straight to the imperial capital of the Dalia Empire, saving both time and effort. How convenient would that be?

Ilio regarded the fledgling who had never left the forest, gestured for him to follow, and walked into the woods. The unicorn that had carried them flapped its wings and flew away alone.

“Hey—” Shu Li reached dramatically toward the departing unicorn.

How could it just leave?

He had studied the map. An enormous mountain range separated the Faerie Forest from the Dalia Empire!

Without the unicorn’s help, were they supposed to cross the mountains on foot?

“Keep up,” Ilio called over his shoulder.

With no other choice, Shu Li flapped the wings on his back and quickly caught up.

Ilio led him to a wooden cottage covered in climbing plants and said, “Put away your wings.”

“Oh.” Shu Li landed lightly and concealed his wings.

Ilio pushed open the cottage door and went inside.

Shu Li followed in confusion, curiously examining the interior.

There was a wooden bed, a table and chairs, a stove, and a basin. The furnishings were extremely sparse.

Ilio moved a finger and uttered a short spell. Wind magic swept the dust out through the door, and the cottage was soon spotless.

He took two sets of clothing from his storage ring, tossed them onto the wooden bed, and gestured to Shu Li.

“Change your clothes.”

Shu Li froze for a moment. Then he picked up the drab clothing from the bed and understood.

Of course. Since they were entering the Human World, they naturally had to disguise themselves as ordinary humans. To human eyes, the clothing of Fairies and Elves was far too ornate and exquisite.

Without hesitation, he changed into the hideous outfit made of coarse cloth.

“Ah!”

He let out a small cry.

“What’s wrong?” Ilio, who had also changed into coarse clothes, came closer.

Tears gathered in the corners of Shu Li’s eyes. He rolled up his sleeve to reveal his arm and said aggrievedly, “It hurts.”

His skin was too delicate. The coarse fabric had already chafed it red.