Chapter 118: The Hidden Waterfall and the Winter Rose

The next day, after having breakfast with his family, Victor made his way toward the backside of the mountain peak.

The morning sun was already climbing into the sky.

Its warmth brushed gently against his face as he walked. A cool breeze followed soon after, slipping through the trees and playing with his long black hair.

Victor didn’t bother to stop it.

He simply continued forward.

Behind the mountain peak stretched a vast jungle that covered tens of miles. It was an old, untouched forest, filled with towering trees and thick vegetation.

But there was nothing particularly special about it.

No famous treasure.

No rare spiritual herb.

No powerful beast that people came searching for.

As far as ordinary people were concerned, it was simply a huge stretch of wilderness.

That was why hardly anyone came here.

Victor entered the forest alone.

The moment he stepped beneath the canopy, the atmosphere changed.

The sounds of the outside world seemed to disappear behind him.

Crunch.

Crunch.

The only noise for a while was the soft sound of fallen leaves beneath his boots.

A thick canopy spread overhead, blocking much of the sunlight. Still, thin beams of morning light managed to slip through the gaps between the branches.

They fell across the forest floor in scattered patches.

Gold and green danced together with every movement of the leaves.

The air was noticeably cooler here.

Victor took a slow breath.

The scent of damp earth filled his lungs. There was also the faint smell of moss, wildflowers, and freshly washed leaves.

Somewhere deeper in the forest, a bird chirped.

Another answered from farther away.

Small creatures moved through the underbrush whenever Victor passed.

Sometimes he caught the brief rustle of leaves.

Sometimes a tiny shadow disappeared between the roots before he could even see what had made the sound.

Victor didn’t pay much attention to them.

There was something calming about this place.

No voices.

No crowds.

No unnecessary disturbances.

Just the forest.

For once, Victor wasn’t in a hurry.

He walked deeper into the jungle.

After several minutes, the trees began to thin.

A faint sound reached his ears.

Water.

Victor’s footsteps slowed.

He followed the sound.

A moment later, the forest opened into a small clearing.

And there it was.

A waterfall.

Victor had discovered this place by accident some time ago while wandering around the mountain.

He had never told anyone about it.

There was something strangely beautiful about the secluded little paradise.

The waterfall dropped from a rocky cliff into a clear lake below.

The lake stretched roughly twenty meters across.

Its water was so clear that Victor could see the smooth stones resting beneath the surface.

The waterfall itself was even more beautiful in the morning light.

Water rushed down the smooth rocks in countless streams, shining like liquid silver whenever the sunlight touched it.

The sound wasn’t loud enough to be unpleasant.

Quite the opposite.

Its steady roar blended with the surrounding forest until it became almost soothing.

Victor stood there for a moment and simply listened.

Mist floated above the lake where the falling water struck its surface.

And whenever the sunlight passed through that mist, a rainbow appeared.

It hovered above the water like a bridge made of light.

Red.

Orange.

Yellow.

Green.

Blue.

Violet.

The colors shifted whenever the mist moved.

For a few seconds, Victor simply stared at it.

Even after seeing this place before, he couldn’t deny that it was beautiful.

Towering trees surrounded the clearing on every side.

Their thick branches and leaves concealed the waterfall from anyone passing through the forest.

Unless someone deliberately searched for this place, they would probably walk right past it without ever realizing it was here.

That made it perfect.

It was secluded.

Quiet.

Far away from everyone.

A good place to practice martial skills without worrying about disturbing anyone.

Or, if he didn’t feel like training, it was an even better place to simply sit down and relax.

Victor took another step forward.

Then stopped.

His golden eyes narrowed slightly.

Someone was here.

He hadn’t noticed them at first.

But now that he had focused his senses, there was no mistaking it.

There was already another person beside the waterfall.

He didn’t move forward.

Instead, he remained where he was and quietly observed the figure standing some distance away.

His golden eyes narrowed slightly.

Curiosity flickered through them.

It was a young woman.

She wore a royal-blue robe that flowed around her body like water. The fabric moved gently with the breeze, revealing only the faint outline of her graceful figure beneath it.

Her waist was slender.

Her posture was straight and proud, giving her an almost regal presence even though she stood alone in the wilderness.

Her long, shapely legs were mostly hidden beneath the flowing robe, occasionally revealed whenever the wind shifted the fabric.

Her figure was mature and striking, balanced by an elegance that made her beauty feel natural rather than deliberate.

Her hair was perhaps the most unusual thing about her.

Long strands of purplish-green hair fell all the way to her waist. They swayed softly behind her whenever the breeze passed through them, catching the light with subtle changes in color.

Her face was exquisite.

Her skin was smooth and pale, almost porcelain-like beneath the faint light.

Her eyes were a beautiful shade of purplish-pink.

Yet despite her beauty, there was something distant about her.

Cold.

Indifferent.

She reminded Victor of a winter rose.

Beautiful enough to make someone stop and stare.

But with thorns hidden beneath the petals.

Even from this distance, Victor could tell that she carried herself with considerable pride.

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Creator of Supreme Daily Login System

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