Chapter 442: Magical Beast Forest
The familiar aroma let the nearby neighbors know that Li Meng had returned.
Before long, doors to several houses opened.
One by one, small figures darted out from their homes.
"What are you standing there for? I raised you this big, and you can't even go get a few dried fish for your dad?"
The boy pushed out the door looked at his father with a resentful face.
Even if he was a kid, he couldn't be begging for food every day.
He still had some pride.
But under his father's stern gaze, the boy reluctantly walked toward the doorstep he'd crossed hundreds of times.
The commotion lasted for over an hour.
After the children left Li Meng's courtyard, satisfied.
Fish Dragon Alley finally quieted down.
Time passed bit by bit.
As the sun set and darkness fell.
Fish Dragon Alley got its name because it was a place where all kinds of people mixed together.
The poorest and worst people in town lived there.
Though a few years ago, the worst bunch somehow disappeared.
Leaving only the simple townsfolk.
That night, the aroma of dinner wafted from every household.
While families enjoyed dinner together.
A small figure appeared in Fish Dragon Alley.
Wearing tattered clothes, he staggered along the walls.
He walked back and forth through Fish Dragon Alley.
Every time he passed a house, he looked hopefully at the door.
"So hungry!"
The intense hunger left Yang Chen weak all over.
Even with the support of the wall, he felt like collapsing.
But Yang Chen knew he couldn't fall.
If he collapsed, he'd never get up again.
At that moment, he wished someone would open their door and offer him a bowl of rice.
Just one bowl, and he could survive.
Just one bowl, and he'd try harder to live on.
In Fish Dragon Alley, Yang Chen kept stumbling forward.
When he reached a courtyard gate.
"Click" — the gate opened.
A small figure walked out.
Seeing someone finally open the door, Yang Chen's body gave out, and he sat against the wall.
He was too weak even to breathe.
Yang Chen recognized the boy.
Like him, an orphan.
Only after losing his mother did Yang Chen realize how hard it was to survive alone.
He was seven years old and still couldn't fend for himself.
But the boy before him had lost his father at four.
How had he survived all alone?
The boy walked up to him.
Looking down at him from above.
Li Meng pulled a handful of dried fish from his pouch and handed it to Yang Chen.
"Want some?"
Yang Chen stared blankly at the younger boy.
Suddenly, he reached out with both hands and grabbed the dried fish.
Devouring them ravenously.
So delicious, unbelievably good!
"Yang Chen, do you want to become the protagonist of this world?"
"What?"
Yang Chen looked up in confusion at the boy before him.
Li Meng stepped forward and suddenly jabbed at Yang Chen's eye.
"Ah!"
Yang Chen screamed in pain.
Clutching his eye, he rolled on the ground.
The intense pain made him pass out.
Lying like a dead fish.
Li Meng stood beside him, looking up at the full moon.
"I'm sick of small yellow fish. Time to leave!"
Li Meng didn't return home but walked out of Fish Dragon Alley.
His footsteps grew more distant.
His small figure slowly disappeared into the alley.
A long time passed before Yang Chen stirred.
He opened his eyes and sat up in a daze.
His left eye had turned golden.
Glowing with holy light.
"What... what is this?"
Yang Chen suddenly noticed golden specks floating in the air.
The specks seemed drawn to him.
Like bees returning to a hive, they rushed into his body.
"What just happened?"
Yang Chen looked around, shaking his head.
He only remembered being too hungry and sitting down to rest.
Turning slightly, Yang Chen noticed the open door across the street.
That house had long been abandoned.
Rumor had it the family died in an ambush by demons while returning from visiting relatives.
All three perished.
Yang Chen struggled to his feet.
Staggering toward his home.
Why wasn't he hungry anymore?
The taste lingering on his lips felt familiar.
Like he'd smelled it somewhere before.
But he couldn't recall exactly where.
------
Holy City Alliance.
Magical Beast Forest.
The only beast habitat within human territory.
The Magical Beast Forest was vast.
Occupying two-tenths of human land.
To give beasts space to thrive.
The Holy City Alliance imposed strict protection on the forest.
People living on the borders were forbidden to clear even an inch of the forest.
The Alliance had good reasons for this.
Among the six major professions, knights and summoners could form life bonds with magical beasts.
A beast bonded to a human could grow alongside them.
And help speed up their cultivation.
Also, the six professions could hunt beasts to acquire "Crowns of Inheritance."
Absorbing a Crown of Inheritance granted the beast's abilities.
Thus, magical beasts greatly enhanced combat power.
This was one of the main reasons the Alliance protected the Magical Beast Forest.
Within the endless sea of trees, beast roars echoed.
Bioluminescent plants added dazzling colors to the forest.
Above a section of the woods, a water-blue figure flashed by.
She wore a water-blue magic robe.
With waist-length water-blue hair.
Flying gracefully over the forest.
Her staff was white.
Topped with a water-element magic crystal.
Near the lakeside forest, she gently floated to the ground.
"Strange, this is the heart of the forest. Where are the beasts?"
Walking through the forest, Weak Water frowned.
Not far ahead was the Central Lake.
Home to many ninth-rank beasts over one hundred thousand years old.
Yet today, Weak Water couldn't sense any beasts at the Central Lake.
Even nearby forests were deserted.
The forest was eerily quiet.
Only some glowing plants swayed gently.
As she walked, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
She reached the Central Lake.
It looked like a fairyland.
The lake water was crystal clear.
The bottom was full of colorful corals.
Rocky islets jutted from the water, forming a chaotic stone forest.
Suddenly, Weak Water's steps halted.
She quickly hid behind a big tree.
Because she saw a figure by the lakeshore.
A figure that absolutely shouldn't have been there.
Hiding behind the tree, Weak Water secretly peeked at the small figure by the lake.