The journey back home to the Yaw-Yan tribe had been pretty smooth so far. Some beasts occasionally ambushed their group and tried to attack, but they were easily taken care of by the trio, who used the opportunity of guarding the boy to hone their combat skills. Due to a series of unfortunate events, Amika, Suina, and Ayato hadn't had much experience battling beasts during their time in Silao Valley. So when the trio finally found a group of beasts to fight in Silao Forest, they spent the entire day letting loose, fighting the bloodsuckers until they tired themselves out. Eventually, they fell victim to the Blood Collector's purple mist and had to be saved by Minona and her friend. In the end, their time in the valley was cut short, and they were sent back to the academy.
Thus, the trio had no problem being put on guard duty and fighting off all the beasts that intercepted them on their way to Yaw-Yan's tribal settlement.
While the trio was busy demolishing the beasts in front of the group, Yaw-Yan and Minona were walking in the back, casually conversing about whatever random topics came to mind. It was also noticeable how different they were acting toward each other compared to the day before.
Unlike yesterday, when there was a noticeable wall between them—which was understandable, since Yaw-Yan and Minona had technically been strangers before the events of last night—they hadn't had a reason to treat each other like friends. unlike Yaw-Yan and the trio who had grown closer over time while spending time together.
Minona and Yaw-Yan were just two people who had met for the first time, so the distance between them yesterday was only natural.
But now, the atmosphere was different. Unlike yesterday, Yaw-yan and Minona were walking side by side, talking and laughing with each other, completely ignoring the world outside their little bubble.
"So you can use the beast cores that way? Now I feel bad about all the beast cores I've wasted. We literally just used them as charcoal in our tribe," Minona giggled, seeing the slumped and pained expression on her friend's face.
"I mean, not all beast cores can be used as refining tools," Minona said, patting Yaw-yan's head. "The quality and grade of the core are big factors. Most of the beast cores you can get in this Manaland are lower grade with little to no quality. So using them as charcoal is actually a smart idea, instead of just tossing them away."
The boy looked at Minona and nodded. "Yeah, discarding them everywhere is a no-go for us. If other beasts eat those cores, it can make them stronger and more aggressive. And if beasts become stronger than humans, it could lead to our downfall. That's actually the reason why my fellow tribesmen were tasked with following the students during their field training—to collect the beast cores of the slayed beast and to prevent such an outcome to happen."
Hearing that, Minona made a mental note to convey the information to Vice Principal Oscord. Everyone had just assumed the reason locals were following their students was to scavenge for fallen beast meat. It turned out there was a much more important reason behind it.
"I'll let Vice Principal Oscord to know about this," Minona said. "So for any future expedition to a remote Manaland, the academy will be extra careful not to cause any major problems for the locals living there."
Yaw-Yan smiled and thanked Minona for doing so.
"So, where are you guys heading after you leave Silao Valley?" Yaw-Yan asked, watching as Amika jump in the center of a beasts horde, and spun herself like a top while brandishing her giant war hammer, hitting and sending the creatures flying through the air as her joyous laughter echoed all around the valley.
"We'll probably return to the capital for now and do some field exercises here and there. We can't really cross the border of Infant Flow with our current strength, so we'll just spend the year strengthening our soul cores. Then, once the year ends, we'll find out if the students and I have earned the qualifications to cross the boarder of Infant Flow."
"Sounds like you're in for some serious work," Yaw-Yan said.
Minona giggled and nodded. "It can't be helped. The only way for me to see the rest of the world is to become strong—strong enough to sail against the current of Endless Flow."
Her smile faltered, and she turned to look at the boy beside her. "I hope Vice Principal Oscord can find a way to grant you a soul core, Yaw-yan. I'd love to see the world with you."
Yaw-yan stopped in his tracks and looked at Minona. With a bit of heat rising in his cheeks, he asked her softly, "Do you really want to do that? To see the world… with me?"
The girl nodded and walked toward him, grabbing his hand to pull him along since the trio was starting to widen the distance between them. The boy just let himself be dragged by Minona.
"Yes, I would like to see the world with you, Yaw-yan. It's unfair that you're trapped here in this land, unable to forge your own path in life." He could feel Minona gently squeezing his hand as she walked a few steps ahead of him.
"And I want you to be by my side." Her words were soft—almost whispered—but Yaw-Yan heard them clearly, and something about them short-circuited his brain. He couldn't form a proper reply. Only one word came out:
"W-Why!?"
Minona stopped walking and looked back at the boy she was pulling along, allowing Yaw-Yan to see the adorable pout on her face and the rosy blush coloring her cheeks, making her look even more beautiful than she already was. Yaw-Yan's heart skipped a beat seeing her like that.
"Yaw-Yan, you dum-dum," Minona giggled cutely, amused by the flustered expression of the boy she was still holding hands with. Though she quickly turned around to hide her own flushed face, she tightened her grip and continued pulling him along.
It didn't take long before the group of five reached Safe Valley, and in the distance, they could already see Yaw-yan's tribe settlement.
Yaw-yan noticed that something was different—something new. For one, there was a large vehicle parked beside the camp, and several boxes were stacked nearby, each marked with the Lincad Academy logo.
Overall, the tribe settlement looked more reinforced with the new additions. It seemed Vice Principal Oscord had been quite generous when it came to thank-you gifts.
"Yaw-yan, this is for real—an actual goodbye. Don't do anything to ruin this moment again. It was embarrassing to cry when we said farewell last time, only for you to show up at our academy the very next day," Amika said, turning around to give the boy a judging look. "I'm not crying for you this time… but I'll give you a hug. One more for the road."
Amika opened her arms, inviting the boy in. Yaw-Yan chuckled at her antics but stepped forward and gave the smaller girl a hug for a few breath before letting each other go..
"Yaw-yan, bro… looks like you lost the dagger I gave you last time," Ayato said, pulling a knife from his belt and handing it to Yaw-yan. "Please hold on to this one a bit tighter so you don't lose it. Unlike the dagger I gave you last time, this one is my favorite. I've had this knife since I was a kid—so please keep it for me."
Hearing that, Yaw-Yan hesitated to accept the parting gift. But with Ayato's insistence, he was eventually forced to take it. "Don't worry, Ayato bro. I'll hold on to this one like my life depends on it. I won't lose it—promise you that." Ayato nodded and gave Yaw-Yan a quick hug.
Suina gave him a hug and playfully poked his cheek while pretending to be angry. "You're gonna behave yourself this time, okay? Or else I'm going to spank you if I find out that you ignore my words and get yourself in serious trouble again!"
Amika burst out laughing at Suina's threat, while Yaw-Yan could only awkwardly scratch his head and promise to behave from now on. The others chuckled, and Suina nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, you two, let's start heading back to Lincad Ark. Time's running out—we'll be left behind if we don't make it in time," Ayato said, pulling Amika away from Yaw-Yan and Minona.
While Suina understood what Ayato was doing, Amika didn't, leaving the smaller girl confused.
"W-Wait! We still need to see him enter his tribe settlement! Why are we leaving now? Are you two tired of looking at Yaw-yan's face? What's with the rush?"
Minona giggled as Ayato and Suina dragged Amika away giving her an alone time with Yaw-yan, and mentally thanks the two for reading the mood. She turned to look at Yaw-Yan, who was watching the departing trio with an awkward smile.
Minona bit her lip, then lifted both her hands to gently hold on Yaw-Yan's cheeks, guiding his gaze to meet hers. She could feel her own cheeks heating up, but she pushed through, offering him a warm smile.
"Yaw-Yan, you have no idea how grateful I am to have met you. I only had one friend—Yuleng. So I'm really happy to have found a new one in you. I never told you how afraid I was that day, lying motionless in front of those men... but then you showed up. You came back for me. You carried me in your arms, and you made me feel safe—protected. You erased all the ugly thoughts they left in my head and replaced them with your warmth and comfort."
She pulled his head down so their foreheads touched.
"I hate that I have to leave right after meeting you, but I can't afford to stay here. My family is waiting for me beyond the Infant Flow… I have to go out there and forge my path."
"But don't ever think I'll forget about you. It might take 2, 5, or even 10 years, but I promise—I'll come back for you. So please, be safe… and wait for me, okay?"
When she pulled her head back, she saw tears flowing down Yaw-Yan's cheeks. Her lips wobbled at the sight, but she smiled and gently kissed his cheek.
"My reckless, brave, dum-dum."
She pulled him into a hug. The two swayed gently at the top of the hill, making the most of their final moments in each other's embrace. Neither of them knew when they would see each other again—but both were willing to wait for that day to come.
Minona let go of the boy and looked at his face. Seeing that he was still in tears, she took out her handkerchief and gently wiped them away. Then, with a soft smile, she used the same handkerchief to tie Yaw-Yan's long lilac hair into a ponytail.
"Be careful out there, Minona. Don't worry about me—I'll be safe and wait for you."
Minona smiled and nodded. He wanted to say more, but something inside him held the words back.
He stood alone at the top of the hill, watching until he could no longer see the fleeting silhouettes of his friends and Minona. Once they were gone, he unconsciously grabbed at his chest—he had never felt so empty in his life.
He felt sad, angry, and frustrated. But all he could do was watch everyone leave.
"Yawboi! You're back!"
Yaw-Yan smiled as the old chief ran up to him, fussing over his condition and asking if he was alright. Soon, the other tribesmen arrived and surrounded him, all asking questions and showing concern. It made Yaw-Yan truly happy; it warmed his heart to know that he still had a family who cared about him
It took a few minutes for him to explain to the old chief and everyone else what had happened to him. They were relieved to know that he had survived such a dangerous predicament and returned home alive.
Yaw-Yan, on the other hand, was more interested in the supplies that Lincad Academy had given to them. It turned out that the large vehicle ran on something called a beast core furnace—you just needed to feed it with any kind of beast cores to power it. Aside from the vehicle, there were also tools designed to improve the living conditions in the tribe.
Yaw-yan also talked to the old chief about the Blood Collector. Apparently, old chief and the elsers already knew of the blood collector existence, and it was the sole reason why they had been struggling to collect Silao Grande's blood.
Yaw-Yan's talk with his fellow tribemens was cut short when the entire Safe Valley shook from a huge explosion. The air blast sent Yaw-yan and his fellow tribesmen to the ground, clinging to each other to avoid being swept away by the strong gust of wind.
When the ringing in his ears disappeared, Yaw-Yan shakily pushed himself up and looked around. Everywhere he looked, there was a storm of dust covering the surroundings.
He was about to ask if everyone was okay when suddenly, the entire Manaland shook, when the enrage roar of the Silao Grande echoed through the air.
End of Chapter 18