Chapter 22: As if Reborn

Neo was in a poor mood, and his physical condition was even worse.
The battle was over, but Neo’s nerves remained tense. He forced himself not to relax or rest.
Though he had won, this victory meant little more than surviving a little longer than the loser. He had to keep fighting against his injuries and the cold of the winter jungle.
Without maintaining the habit of cleaning up the battlefield, Neo tried to orient himself and staggered onward toward the Hidden Valley.
He didn’t even glance at Datha’s body, letting it fade into the woods behind him.
A being with knightly strength, capable of projecting combat energy to harm enemies—such power was highly attractive. Even though Datha’s life force was exhausted, that fundamental energy might help Neo master combat awareness and even basic use of combat energy.
But Neo restrained his greed, as this battle had made him realize the dangers of the “life absorption” skill.
Sweat, understanding, accumulation…
Neo saw that the corrupted had avoided these conventional ways of gaining power. They seized by force and squandered recklessly, ultimately paying a heavy price.
And his act of absorbing life energy from others could be seen as the corrupted using energy potions. In fact, this skill drew away the opponent’s life force along with their fundamental energy—regardless of whether it was needed or compatible—without hesitation. It was even more ruthless than the effects of energy potions!
The tragic deaths of the corrupted were deeply etched in Neo’s mind as a stark warning of the consequences of recklessly manipulating the rules of power acquisition.
A wind arose, causing snowflakes to drift from the tree branches. Everything around him exuded cold. Through the gaps in the branches, he could see the sun had moved slightly westward in the sky. Perhaps due to the cold, the sun during the end of the Wind Moon month (early winter) emitted the most comforting warmth, warming one’s body.
Yet this little sunlight was insufficient for Neo at the moment. The cold kept draining his body heat through his sweat-soaked clothes. Once his body temperature dropped too low, his organs would fail completely, and no life energy could save him.
Neo began to take off his clothes, a difficult task for him now. He was removing not only his sweat-soaked clothes but also his blood-stained garments stuck to his wounds, making it feel like peeling off his own skin.
The only advantage was that he could strip down completely—no girls would suddenly appear and scream at him.
The clothes were coldest right after being taken off; it took time for the cold wind to carry away the excess sweat from his skin before he felt better.
But Neo couldn’t feel better, as he had over a dozen wounds, large and small.
The worst wound was between his chest and abdomen, a deep gash. Without sewing it with needles, even his “Wolf Clan bloodline” wouldn’t allow it to heal in a few days.

The most troublesome injuries were on his left ribs and left armpit—two penetrating wounds caused by splinters from Datha’s dark evil light blades. Compared to cuts, such penetrating wounds were more disruptive to movement and harder to heal.
Neo needed to reach the Hidden Soldiers Valley as soon as possible. His physical condition no longer allowed him to keep running naked in such cold weather. Yet he couldn’t go too fast, as intense movement would reopen his wounds, which had only just begun to clot. He had to conserve every drop of blood, even though he was a werewolf with innate healing abilities.
As for the skin and flesh at the injury sites, which were now more fragile due to the damage, making them more susceptible to frostbite and death and thus worsening the injuries—Neo couldn’t even think about that right now.
There were no girls screaming because of his nakedness, no medical staff carrying stretchers. Moreover, the place where he should be right now was the operating table in a hospital or the sacred healing altar in a temple, not wandering around like a stealthy ghost monkey.
“The losers erase all their debts with death, while the winners must savor the pain of their prize—living. This world has always been fair, hasn’t it?”
Neo still had the mood to say such self-mocking words because he was trying to distract himself from something even more painful and infuriating—his anxiety and worries.
It had been 48 solid hours since the sudden attack by the demons on Solis City.
Hiding alone for 48 hours, without water or food, in a cold hiding place with no heating, yet unable to move to warm up for fear of attracting enemies…
Neo couldn’t help but think about how unbearable that time must have been. He could almost see Melian’s pale, frozen face and her eyes filled with growing despair.
“Melian…” Neo murmured in pain.
He wanted to rush back to Tulip Town right away to save his lover. But doing so would only kill Melian and himself, or even result in something worse.
Walking on the street, he stopped a random person and asked, “What would you do if captured by the demons? What if caught by the dark minions?”
Generally, the person would look at him like an idiot for a few minutes before suddenly realizing and saying, “You must have just arrived from another world, right? Let me tell you—if captured by the demons, you can negotiate with them. The outcome depends on your skills in dealing with people. But one thing’s for sure: you’ll be proud of your choice, especially after seeing what happens to those who try to survive while waiting for rescuers.”
The demons themselves were extremely evil, and the dark minions added two parts creativity and three parts imagination to that. The vile methods they used were enough to make one shudder just by hearing about them.
The image of Melian suffering like a haunting nightmare kept eroding Neo’s heart.
Over and over again, he whispered to himself: Stay calm—calmness helps you choose the right path; be rational—recklessness isn’t true courage; save yourself first, then you’ll have the strength to save others…

Tibetan Soldier Valley, the forging chamber—where the furnace fires still burned. There was food and water, dry clothes, and spare medical kits. He needed to eat, rest, endure, and wait…

A difficult journey, painful stitches to heal wounds, simple drinking and eating, sleep without dreams.

Neo opened his eyes again. The first thing he saw was a small copper mirror reflecting the light outside—it was already dusk; he had slept for at least five hours. Then he smelled a pungent stench.

“The smell of darkness!” Neo scrambled to his feet, cautiously staring at the furnace. He had some confidence in the warning bell system he had designed, but it was usually items related to magic that made him uneasy.

The Soul Tomb, though melted down, had condensed into an unknown substance. Neo didn’t know what it was, but as a blacksmith, he at least understood what kind of material could survive such high temperatures in a furnace for so long.

“Surely, this isn’t ash!” As he spoke to himself, Neo had already located the source of the stench: himself.

Greasy black-gray filth covered his entire body, from head to toe, even the clothes he had worn while sleeping were stained. It looked extremely disgusting.

“Is this… seeping out of my body?”

He was shocked to find so much dirt hidden within his body. But his attention quickly shifted again because he realized he had healed!

He felt refreshed and strong, with no discomfort or pain. Since he was falsely accused and imprisoned in Solis City, his condition had never been as good as it was now. Instinctively, he checked his wounds. Not only were the minor injuries gone, but even the serious wounds stitched up a few hours earlier—those on his chest and abdomen, as well as the two penetrating wounds in his armpits and lower left abdomen—had all healed. More precisely, they had miraculously disappeared, without any scars or new red flesh. After wiping away the grime, all he saw was smooth, healthy skin, exactly like his own.

Neo noticed his skin had become softer, and even the “medals of manhood” left from past battles were gone. Even a nobleman’s son might not have such perfect skin as he did now.

Neo entered a meditative state again to examine his internal condition. This time, he entered the state very quickly. With a mere thought, all distractions dispersed, leaving only a pure mind and a clear, peaceful heart.

The dark spiritual energy and those black deposits had vanished. This matched Neo’s guess: the filth on his skin was the result of the waste from the corrupting substances within his body that were harmful to life.

As he continued to examine his interior, Neo soon discovered other things he had never noticed before—a strange “liquid,” a tender green energy that flowed like blood, attached to his circulatory system yet forming its own network throughout his body. Its quantity was small; if blood was a river, these tender green “liquids” were merely streams. Yet they were full of vitality. Looking at them was like seeing an entire forest in spring.

“Is this the legendary Druid ‘River of Life’? No, it should be called the ‘Stream of Life’ now!”
The “Veins of Life” are said to be a power unique to Druids, a reward for their belief in nature and their commitment to maintaining its cycles and balance. The closer one is to nature and the greater one’s contribution to it, the thicker these Veins of Life become; terms like stream and river merely describe different degrees of thickness.
Long ago, ancient demons dug deep abyssal pits to create evil monsters, and the entire world was consumed by darkness and corruption. The ancient Druids, who were closely connected to nature and shared its fate, were the first to be affected and change.
Later, the Divine Lord came to Aemera, found a few remaining pure lands at the depths of the earth, and saved the ancient Qin people, the “Seeders of Life.” Thus, the way of the Druids was revived once again, with the Veins of Life being the bloodline of the Qin people.
The way of the Druids reappeared on the surface because the elves went underground in search of the Qin people to inherit this way and save their own clans. Those elves were later known as the “Wood Elves.”
Centuries ago, humans rose to become the rulers of the Aemera continent. Other races either migrated to remote areas or sailed away. The Wood Elves, with their long lifespans, retained the ship designs created by the Divine Lord, allowing them to go the farthest. Thus, the true way of the Druids disappeared from this continent forever.
“What have I missed while I was sleeping?”Neo was truly astonished this time.
The “Wolf Bloodline” possesses the ability to heal through sleep, and he had indeed made some adjustments before going to bed, but it was absolutely impossible to achieve such a healing effect.
InNeo’s limited understanding, such a miraculous recovery could only be achieved through the advanced healing arts of the Glorious Temple, combined with the Great Purification Ritual. He believed that a bishop like Terles would never come to such a place and sacrifice 10 years of his life to save him. Not to mention him, even Viscount Edrith wouldn’t receive such favor.
Moreover, the people of the Glorious Temple wouldn’t help him activate the Veins of Life. Anyone who could read could recite a few lines from “The One Way”: In this world, only the path of our faith is the truest, most authentic, highest, and most sacred… Just these four words alone overshadow all other systems. It would be impossible for followers of the Glorious Temple to help someone inherit their way, unless the Divine Lord appeared or the sun rose in the west.
Of course, having the Veins of Life doesn’t necessarily mean one is a Druid. Their way and their laws are vast and profound. Even ifNeo wanted to pursue this path, it would be impossible without guidance. To this day, there’s no indication thatNeo is some extraordinary genius that appears once in ten thousand years—he’s well aware of that himself. (In fact, he isn’t; all the differences stem from that little extra in his mind.)
Progress requires effort; without nourishment, the Veins of Life will eventually dry up and wither. Yet,Neo still felt happy. The ancient heritage of the wolves worshipped the Sky, which represented the world and nature. The Sky had four children: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air…
Human theologians said, “This is a simple belief in elements, an primitive faith born out of ignorance and awe.”

Neo thought there was some truth to this claim, but not entirely. His father had told him when he was very young: We are children of this world, children of nature. She loves us and gives us everything we need to survive. We love her as we love our own mother. This is not merely a belief in elements; it is a faith that embodies the most precious emotions in the world. Love is the true essence of this faith.

The druids’ commitment to maintaining natural balance and cycles shared many similarities with Neo’s own beliefs, so acquiring this thread of life felt like a natural gift and blessing to him. Even if it couldn’t enhance his strength in any way, he would still be happy, though somewhat ashamed that he had given so little in return to this natural mother.

Regaining his strength as if reborn, Neo believed this miracle came from an external force, not from himself. So when his gaze fell on a golden feather on the anvil, he was stunned.

With incredible disbelief, Neo slowly stepped forward, hesitantly reached out to pick up the feather, and dragged it across the anvil. The feather remained unharmed, leaving a clear scratch on the anvil. He gently stroked it, and it returned to its original state instantly, smooth and free from any dirt. He held it in tongs and dipped it into the furnace, then took it out to examine it—unharmed despite the intense heat.

“By the heavens! It’s truly the crown feather of a mature Golden Crown Solazar Eagle!”

Legend has it that the god Brynnus once stumbled upon a fossilized egg of a raptor, activated it, and hatched it. Upon seeing the bird that emerged, he said, “A Sea Eastern Eagle?” Even the most learned saints of that time didn’t understand what the combination of those three words meant. Brynnus said it was the fastest and highest-flying bird, known as the “God of All Eagles.” Based on this, the abbreviations of ancient Aemera words combined to form Solazarma—namely, the name of this divine bird.

It was said that the Golden Crown Solazar Eagles possessed the bloodline of Solazarma, though this could not be verified. But Neo knew that a mature Golden Crown Solazar Eagle was roughly equivalent in strength to a level 15 professional, meaning even 100 people like Datha would have no chance in a direct confrontation. The significance of its crown feather was thus evident.

“This is clearly a token. A powerful being saved me and left this token as a sign that we would meet again someday.”

Neo carefully stored the crown feather. He wasn’t a sentimental person, and such a life-saving grace couldn’t be repaid with just a word of thanks. He silently vowed that whenever he had the chance in the future, he would do his utmost to repay this powerful being’s kindness.

With his lover on his mind, Neo quickly calmed down from his excitement. He told himself there was no longer any reason to delay—he had to set off right away.

While briefly checking his equipment, Neo discovered that the grinding rune attached to his right wrist had shattered into dust inside the bandage. On the outside of his arm, about ten centimeters from his wrist, there was a symbol marked “Fal”—resembling either a tattoo or a birthmark.

“Is this… have I fully gained the power of the rune?”

Neo moved his fists and feet, and indeed, the effect of the power enhancement had not disappeared—it was even more seamlessly integrated with his natural abilities.
“Thank you! Great one! You have shown me the direction for my training. I truly love the art of runes; from now on, I will strive in this direction!” Neo prayed softly, his heart filled with gratitude. (Someone: It wasn’t me who did this. Go uncover the truth inside your own mind!)
On a twilight day with howling winds, Neo set out on his journey once again, determined, persistent, and full of confidence.