The sun was rising on the horizon; drunkards slept drooling over outdoor tables, many sprawled on the ground.
"Everything okay? You didn't forget anything?" I asked Euphy beside me at the village exit.
"Everything's fine, I didn't forget anything. But are you sure you don't want to stay a little longer? They even said the regional lord heard about the battle and was going to come here to give you a reward—and besides, the food is good."
"Exactly why we should leave. I don't want to see any lord's face or receive any kind of reward."
"But did we really have to leave so early? I'm sleepy~" she said in the middle of a yawn, having not slept since yesterday.
I huffed and entered the woods once more as she followed with a sigh.
Slowly we moved away from the rustic countryside village, resuming our journey—slightly different from when we had arrived.
"Are you really going to keep it?" I fixed my gaze on the feathered snake coiled around her neck.
"Of course—why not?" she shrugged. "With the right help, it can become very strong, and its ability has already proven its worth. Right, little guy?"
She patted the snake's head, and it seemed to enjoy the gesture.
"It surprises me that you don't want to keep it—your powers complement each other perfectly."
I rolled my eyes in response.
"External power is never completely reliable. I prefer to prepare myself for the next battle. Besides, it's not like I can't learn its ability."
Euphy frowned before speaking, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Speaking of which, where did those powers come from? You didn't rank up—you shouldn't have abilities, much less understand how to properly use Primordial Force—though I can let that last part slide if you're a genius."
"I'll tell you my secret," I said with a wide smile. "Then you can judge for yourself whether I'm a genius."
Euphy listened attentively, her fluffy ears turning toward me as her large eyes watched closely.
"You know how, usually, our instincts guide mutations?" She nodded quickly. "Well, I simply ignored that and altered my structure at will using my knowledge of Primordial Force—which included absorbing and placing a flame inside my heart and veins."
"Oh," Euphy murmured as if in pain, her whole face tightening. She took a deep breath.
"You really did that. You really performed a flawed evolution… it's going to be hard to fix…" she said, pain still in her voice. "This is going to be a lot of work… why the hell did you do it?"
"And do you see any flaw?" I asked, offended.
Euphy quickly looked me up and down, then placed her hands on me, feeling around in several places.
Before long, she frowned.
"What exactly did you redo?" she asked, dissatisfied at not finding flaws easily.
"Circulatory system and paws, basically," I said plainly as she continued to examine me superficially.
But superficial should have been enough—after all, rebuilding your own heart from scratch should have caused a chain reaction, which didn't happen.
"Your paws are different," she pointed out, still trying to find something wrong. "But they work perfectly… they shouldn't!"
She clenched her teeth, still confused.
"Actually, I have to admit there is a flaw," I said gently. "But it's just one, it hardly matters."
"And what is it?" she asked, intrigued.
"Black tears… my blood is fused with flames, which burns the rest of my body that wasn't adapted."
Euphy immediately looked more closely at my face, where the black tears were visible—like those of a cheetah.
"If you bleed, you hurt yourself with your own blood," Euphy laughed, amused. "That's pretty bad, but a small flaw for someone who's learned to heal and something that can be fixed later with evolution."
"See? A perfectly functional evolution," I laughed, amused, as Euphy's eyes stayed fixed on me.
"Indeed… it's something outside the norm. I've never heard of anyone doing this—just as I've never heard of anyone capable of healing among demons, at least not with Primordial Force."
"Are you sure?" I asked, finding her tone strange.
"No, I've never heard of anything like it. At least not in the real world… in myths, though… well, in that case I know a few."
She took a deep breath before continuing.
"I've heard many legends, Kai—many of which I've even met the characters of. After all, legendary figures are merely idols of their generation. However, the last time I heard of someone capable of creating abilities, creating their own evolution, and much more, it wasn't in legends, but in myths—things everyone doubts the seriousness of and considers either exaggeration, illusion, or a lie. I'm honestly left speechless seeing you do this."
She swallowed hard before looking at me seriously.
"Perhaps the right word for your evolution is no longer legendary, but mythological."
I swallowed, feeling my shoulders suddenly grow heavier.
"It's still too early to say, but I truly believe in your potential—and that perhaps you really are a genius."
I coughed several times in a row, uncomfortable.
"Anyway," I said suddenly, "I've been thinking about this for a while, but what did you mean back then when you said, 'If it calms your heart, I'll embrace all the shadows of this whole wide world so that you can only see the light.'? It sounded beautiful at the time, but I was a bit confused."
Euphy giggled a little, dropping the serious tone.
"I just wanted to be romantic, at least once."
My eyes widened as my jaw dropped.
"Oh, how strange," she said suddenly, patting her waist. "My bag isn't here. Damn it! I must have forgotten it in the village."
"You forgot your bag?" I asked, frowning as I looked around for it—which indeed was gone.
"Yes. We've already walked quite a bit, and it's going to be a pain to go back and get it. But there are many important things in there. You don't need to come with me—just wait here. I'll be back soon."
"I can go with you; it won't be a problem," I said sincerely.
"No, no," she waved her hands. "It was my mistake—I'm the one who should go back. Just rest in the meantime."
"All right… I guess," I said, lying down as she quickly headed back to the village, the feathered snake still coiled around her neck.
Slowly, the sun moved across the sky as time passed unhurriedly.
It was already night.
Eventually, I saw smoke rising from the direction of the village, and shortly after, I saw Euphy approaching me with calm steps—a bag at her waist and the serpent fast asleep.
"You took a while," I pointed out, and she just laughed.
"I took the opportunity to wash some clothes."
"Are they still celebrating?"
"Of course—they're roasting pork."
She smiled broadly.
"So then, shall we go?"