Chapter 80: The One Who Stayed Beside Him

A week later, Chris and Aelonen approached the territory of Ael’Zoria before slowly descending toward the ground.

Their journey had taken considerably less time than expected, mainly because Azreon had become much faster after his latest evolution. What would have previously taken them several more days had been covered in just a week.

Once they landed, Chris looked toward the distant territory of the elves before turning to Aelonen.

"Why did we stop here, Big Brother Chris?" Aelonen asked curiously.

Chris remained silent for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. Eventually, he shook his head.

"I won’t be going inside. You can send my regards to Aelia."

Aelonen blinked in surprise.

"Eh? But what about the saddle I promised you? I told you I would have one made for Azreon!"

Chris shook his head with a smile.

"Don’t worry about that. I’ve gotten used to riding without one, and I don’t really need it anymore."

"But why don’t you want to come inside?" Aelonen asked, tilting his head.

Chris simply smiled and shook his head without giving him an answer.

There were actually two reasons behind his decision.

The first was Aura. She was still accompanying him, and he had no idea whether the Sage had noticed her disappearance or if anyone in Ael’Zoria had started looking for her. He didn’t particularly feel like walking into Ael’Zoria and having to explain why he was traveling around with a little fox who had disappeared from their territory.

The second reason was a little more complicated.

Aelia.

Over the past few weeks, he had found himself thinking about her more often than he would have liked to admit. Sometimes, he even dreamed about her, which was something he hadn’t expected at all.

After witnessing her entire past and experiencing that strange ritual together, he had developed feelings that he couldn’t quite explain. It was almost as though something had connected them, creating a bond that neither of them fully understood.

He wasn’t sure whether those feelings came from seeing everything she had experienced, the strange connection formed during the ritual, or something else.

What he did know was that if he saw her again, he would probably end up staying for a while.

And right now, he didn’t want any distractions. He had already wasted enough time and needed to focus on becoming stronger.

Aelonen looked at him for a few more seconds before eventually sighing.

"Alright. If that’s what you want, I won’t force you."

He jumped down from Azreon’s back and adjusted his clothes.

"The tribe isn’t far from here. I’ll go on my own."

Chris nodded before giving him a friendly smile.

"Be more careful in the future, and don’t forget to train. If you don’t increase your strength, I’ll have to personally take you through some training."

Aelonen’s expression immediately stiffened.

He remembered all too well what Chris’s training could be like, and the thought alone made him shudder.

"I-I promise I’ll become stronger!"

Chris chuckled at his reaction before turning toward the dragon.

"Let’s go, Azreon."

*ROAR!*

Azreon spread his wings and took off, quickly gaining altitude before changing direction.

Chris glanced toward Ael’Zoria several times as they flew away. Eventually, he let out a quiet sigh and turned his attention forward.

"So, you really are leaving without even greeting me?"

A familiar voice suddenly came from behind him, startling him so much that he nearly jumped.

Turning around, he found a familiar elf standing there with a gentle smile on her face.

"A-Aelia!? How did you..."

Before he could finish his question, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug.

"You’re making me sad," she complained softly, resting her head against his chest. "You came all this way and were planning to leave without even saying hello?"

Chris looked down at her, momentarily unsure how to respond. After a brief pause, he awkwardly placed a hand on her back.

"Sorry."

Aelia slowly pulled away, though she kept her hands on his arms for a moment longer.

"I expected something like this from you. That’s why I came here to wait."

Chris scratched his cheek, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Well... I’m glad to see you, but I really need to travel and grow stronger. I can’t afford distractions."

Aelia nodded, showing that she understood.

"I know. That’s why I’ll go with you."

Chris stared at her.

"...What?"

She smiled as though she had just suggested something completely ordinary.

"I said I’ll go with you. I want to spend more time together, and I also want to become stronger."

"Wait a minute. Did the Sage and the others agree to this?"

Aelia laughed softly.

"They probably wouldn’t. That’s why I left them a letter before coming here."

Chris’s eyes widened.

"You just left a letter and decided to leave?"

"Yes."

He stared at her for a few more seconds, trying to understand whether she was serious. Judging by the calm expression on her face, she clearly was.

"But aren’t you supposed to become the new ruler of the elves? You can’t just leave your village like that."

Aelia tilted her head.

"I’ve already completed the ceremony. I’m much stronger now."

Chris raised an eyebrow before activating his Dragon Vision and checking her level.

His eyes widened.

"Level 65?!"

He checked again, just to make sure he hadn’t made a mistake. She was already higher level than him, despite the progress he had made inside the Royal Dungeon.

Aelia smiled at his reaction.

"It’s because of the ceremony. It greatly increased my strength."

Chris couldn’t help but feel a little surprised. He had been working hard to improve himself, yet she had advanced even further through the ceremony.

"So, are you already the ruler of the elves?" he asked.

Aelia nodded. "Yes."

Chris sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"That’s even more reason for you to stay in your village. You have responsibilities now."

"I know."

"Then why..."

"I’m still going with you."

She looked directly into his eyes, her expression calm but determined. It was clear that no matter how much he tried to convince her otherwise, she wouldn’t change her mind.

Chris could only sigh helplessly.

Aelia suddenly leaned a little closer and sniffed around his shoulder.

"By the way, I can smell another woman’s scent on you."

Chris froze.

"...What?"

She looked up at him with a curious smile.

"Did you find a lover while you were away and forget about me?"

He stared at her in disbelief. Even after an entire week, she could somehow recognize Lilith’s scent.

"That’s... complicated."

Aelia giggled at his response.

"You don’t have to explain it if you don’t want to. You can take your time."

She then stepped back and gave him another gentle smile.

"But I won’t give up on going with you."

Chris looked at her for a moment before letting out a helpless laugh.

"You’re really stubborn, aren’t you?"

"Perhaps."

He shook his head, finally giving in.

"Alright. You can come with me."

Aelia’s smile widened.

"Thank you."

Chris sighed once more, though he couldn’t hide the small smile on his face.

It seemed his plans to travel alone had already fallen apart.

...

A year later...

Chris let out a long sigh as Azreon flew above the vast forest below them. He was sitting on Azreon’s back with a depressed expression.

Beside him, Aelia gently wrapped her arms around his right arm and rested her head against his shoulder.

"Don’t worry. It’s alright," she said softly.

Chris glanced at her before looking down at the endless stretch of trees.

"We’ve been traveling through the Wilds for an entire year, yet we’ve barely managed to increase our levels."

He wasn’t particularly happy about their progress. After everything he had experienced, he had grown accustomed to advancing rapidly, but things had become considerably more difficult recently.

He was now Level 64, while Aelia had reached Level 67.

Aelia gently squeezed his arm.

"It’s normal. The stronger we become, the harder it is to advance. You can’t expect to keep growing at the same pace forever."

"I know..."

Chris shook his head and leaned back slightly.

The problem was that beasts around their level had become increasingly difficult to find. Most of the powerful ones lived in large groups, often ruled by even stronger beasts.

Attacking one of those groups would be practically suicidal. Even if he managed to defeat the beasts he initially targeted, the stronger ones would eventually notice and hunt him down.

And he had no intention of throwing his life away just to gain a few levels.

After a moment, he sighed and adjusted his thoughts.

He had grown incredibly quickly in the past. It was only natural that his progress would slow down eventually.

He simply needed to be more patient.

Turning his head, he looked at Aelia beside him and smiled.

Over the past year, he had gradually realized just how good she was to him. Bringing her along had turned out to be one of the best decisions he had ever made.

Although they hadn’t crossed any lines in their relationship, she had become someone he could rely on more than he had initially expected.

She was always thinking about his well-being, and whenever he became frustrated or annoyed, she would calmly comfort him.

He remembered seeing her memories and learning that elves were generally far more patient than humans. They rarely became angry or irritated over small things, and Aelia was no exception.

There had been several occasions when he had become so frustrated with their slow progress that he nearly lost control and attacked groups of powerful beasts despite knowing how dangerous it would be.

Each time, Aelia had been there to calm him down, gently reminding him that there was no need to rush.

She also took care of many things he had never paid much attention to before.

Every day, she prepared their meals, made sure their clothes were clean, and looked after him whenever he needed rest. It was something he had never really experienced during his previous years in the Wilds.

Before meeting her, he could spend months wearing the same clothes without bothering to change them. His meals usually consisted of whatever wild vegetables he could find and poorly cooked meat that often tasted awful.

Now, he had grown accustomed to having proper meals and clean clothes, and he couldn’t deny how much he appreciated it.

Little by little, his feelings toward her had changed.

He didn’t know whether it was because he had witnessed her entire life, because of the strange ritual they had gone through together, or simply because of the care she had shown him during the past year.

Perhaps it was a combination of all three.

Whatever the reason, he had started accepting those feelings instead of trying to push them away. He also found himself opening up to her more than he did with anyone else.

"Thank you, Aelia."

She raised her head and looked at him in confusion. "Hm? What for?"

"For everything." He smiled. "You’ve always been there for me, and you’ve taken such good care of me. I don’t think I’ve thanked you properly until now."

Aelia stared at him for a moment before her expression softened.

She moved a little closer and gently kissed his cheek.

"I’ll always take care of you."

Chris was momentarily surprised by the gesture. He turned his head toward her, only to find her smiling innocently as though she hadn’t just done anything unusual.

His cheeks warmed slightly, and he scratched his face.

"Well... I appreciate that."

Aelia giggled and rested her head against his shoulder again.

For a while, the two enjoyed the peaceful flight, with only the sound of Azreon’s wings cutting through the air.

However, that peaceful moment didn’t last long.

Chris suddenly felt something strange in the distance.

His expression changed as he turned his head toward the surrounding forest. It was an unfamiliar sensation, something he had never experienced before, yet he could clearly feel that something was out there.

He activated his Dragon Vision and squinted into the distance.

A moment later, his eyes widened.

"Azreon! Dive!"

*ROAR!*

Azreon immediately folded his wings and descended toward the forest at great speed.

Once they reached the ground, the dragon rapidly shrank and jumped onto Chris’s shoulder. Chris grabbed Aelia’s hand and pulled her toward the nearest tree, leading her into the cover of its thick canopy.

Aelia looked at him in confusion but didn’t ask any questions. She trusted him completely and followed without hesitation.

They remained hidden for a short while before a loud flapping sound echoed above them.

Something enormous flew over the forest, its shadow briefly covering the trees before continuing into the distance.

Only after it had passed did Aelia turn toward Chris.

"What was that?"

Chris narrowed his eyes, watching the distant figure.

"A Fallen."

He could still see a massive corpse bird, with a cloaked figure standing on its back.

During the entire year they had spent wandering through the Wilds, he hadn’t encountered a single Fallen. Not even a trace of one.

At first, their absence had confused him, but he had eventually stopped thinking about it. After all, he wasn’t particularly eager to run into them.

This was the first time he had seen one since leaving the dungeon.

He watched it disappear farther into the distance, his expression growing thoughtful.

He wasn’t entirely sure why he had sensed it. The feeling had been too unfamiliar to identify, but he had a suspicion that it was related to the demonic energy inside his body.

Perhaps it was because he had inherited part of a demon’s power.

Over the past year, he had become much more familiar with that part of himself. His Gwenor had completely merged with his demonic energy, transforming into something different.

He had simply started calling it Dark Gwenor.

He wasn’t particularly creative when it came to naming things, and since nobody had given this new power a proper name, he figured that would do.

So far, the main difference he had discovered was that Dark Gwenor was considerably more deadly. Its destructive power was much greater than before, and sometimes he didn’t even need to use his fire mana when fighting beasts. The energy alone was enough to kill them.

However, it seemed he had discovered another ability.

He could sense demonic energy from a distance.

Chris remained silent for a few seconds, thinking about what this might mean. Then, a determined expression appeared on his face.

"We should follow it."

Aelia looked toward him.

"Why?"

"I find it strange that we haven’t encountered a single Fallen for an entire year, and now one suddenly appears in front of us." He glanced toward the direction it had disappeared. "I want to find out where it’s going."

Aelia nodded without hesitation. "Alright. I’ll go wherever you decide."

Chris smiled and gently patted her head.

"Good girl."

She puffed her cheeks slightly at his words, but didn’t move away from his hand.

Azreon then enlarged himself again, spreading his wings as the two climbed onto his back.

Chris looked toward the distant forest before turning to his dragon.

"Follow him, buddy, but keep a big distance."