Chapter 303: The Hero Who Fears Darkness and Thunder

"Am I being followed?"

The very first thought.

This idea jumped into Xu Xi's mind.

But this thought was quickly dismissed.

Xu Xi did not know the Hero; they had only met briefly on the day the undead invaded the village.

They could not be called acquaintances, let alone have any conflicts.

Besides.

Along the way, Xu Xi's route had been winding and erratic. He went wherever the undead were most numerous, sometimes even doubling back, with no fixed itinerary.

Trying to track Xu Xi like this was truly pointless.

So, it must be a coincidence.

…

[Just like usual, you clear away the undead encountered on your journey, harvesting crop after crop of Soul Fire for your own use.]

[You are preparing to leave, but unexpectedly discover the arrival of the Hero; he seems to be traveling the same path as you.]

[No, more accurately speaking.]

[It is you who have arrived at the Hero's location.]

[The heavy rain pours down, a thick curtain of water. You see the Hero, in a body of steel armor, ignoring the violent, pattering rain as he walks toward an old ruin.]

The rain was falling heavily.

It poured down like a waterfall.

Every falling raindrop splashed into the muddy pits on the ground, forming dense sprays of brown water.

Soon after, the water falling from the sky would form even larger, muddier puddles.

"Plop—"

An iron boot stepped in with a heavy stride.

As it stomped into the puddle, the feet sank into the mud, but quickly, through brute force, they were ripped from the mire, beginning an endless advance.

Even though muddy water surged in along the gaps.

That walking figure.

Remained completely unaffected.

As if it had no sensation, not caring about any obstacles.

Xu Xi watched from afar, observing that metal-covered figure walk into the dilapidated ruins where beams had collapsed and vines were tangled.

That had once been a magnificent residence, but under the erosion of time, it had long since devolved into an uninhabited, broken-down place.

The "Hero" seemed to be using it as a shelter.

Braving the howling wind and rain, he sat down at the entrance of the ruin where he could find shelter.

"It actually looks like something," Xu Xi exclaimed.

From his perspective, the sky grew increasingly gloomy, the storm sweeping through the torrential rain, forming a massive downpour that covered a vast area.

The world was tyrannical.

Only the roar of the rain remained.

The "Hero," whose body was covered in rust and scars, sat at the entrance of the ruins, calmly watching the heavy rain, possessing quite the air of a master where silence speaks louder than words.

Although he knew the "Hero" was not strong.

Xu Xi still raised his estimation of him in his heart.

"BOOM—!!"

Suddenly.

A thunderclap tore through the sky.

The deafening sound reverberated extremely far, as if striking right next to his ear, shaking the wind and rain to a standstill.

Xu Xi felt nothing; he had seen more spectacular scenes and heard even more terrifying sounds, so he remained expressionless.

But the Hero—

Seemed to shiver?

Xu Xi chuckled, thinking he had misread it.

The essence of the Hero was a non-human existence, and he was a warrior who fiercely hacked at the undead with a sword; how could he possibly fear mere thunder?

"BOOM—!!"

Another thunderclap, this time even louder, with more overwhelming momentum.

Xu Xi saw it clearly.

The "Hero" sheltering from the rain in the ruins had truly, definitely shivered.

Furthermore, as the rain grew heavier and the sky became darker and devoid of light, the "Hero" slowly moved backward, legs trembling noticeably.

Xu Xi: "Hmm?"

"Wait, what's happening?"

That "Hero" who protected numerous villages, clad in sturdy armor, wielding a sharp sword, and battling countless undead skeletons.

Was actually afraid of the dark and thunder?

Even knowing the armored person was not a Hero in the true sense.

Xu Xi still fell silent.

"I just feel… this is too absurd…" Xu Xi sighed, his mood even more complicated than when he first taught the witch.

…

[You have seen another side of the Hero.]

[It is a little-known scene, one that would make the villagers' jaws drop.]

[Shivering at the sound of thunder, curling up when faced with the coming darkness—there is no courage to speak of, no fearlessness to display. When alone, the Hero appears extremely fragile.]

[Not until the rain cleared and the sky turned sunny did the Hero walk out of the ruins again.]

[Raising his head.]

[Looking at the sky.]

[Facing the outside world, which remained gloomy but was no longer resounding with thunder, the Hero seemed to heave a sigh of relief, then walked into the distance with his long sword in hand.]

[He walked very far, very, very far.]

[You silently observed the Hero's movements and discovered that the Hero was indeed not following you. In the time that followed, the Hero cleared a few more waves of undead, helping the villagers eliminate threats.]

[Some were moved to tears, offering various items, claiming they wanted to thank the Hero.]

[Some were disgusted and resentful, feeling that it was the Hero who attracted the undead, and were unwilling to let the Hero approach the village.]

[Facing the villagers' reactions, the Hero did not stop at all, his steps heavy but firm, until he climbed the nearest small mountain.]

The sky was hazy and dim.

A breeze carrying the smell of earth stirred up withered grass and broken leaves.

The leaves spun around, brushing against the edges of the dented, rusty armor, flying off toward the infinitely high and distant sky.

The Hero did not care.

He was only holding freshly picked, pale flowers.

Walking forward step by step, he did not stop until he reached the summit.

The summit was very empty, but two tombstones were exceptionally striking. Due to the passage of time, the inscriptions on them could no longer be clearly seen.

Laying them flat.

Dividing them into two bouquets.

In the silent stillness, the "Hero" divided the flowers into two parts and placed them in front of the two tombstones respectively.

"Father, Mother."

"I've come to see you again."

The Hero said this as he removed his steel helmet.

Xu Xi saw it—it was a face in ruins, with human flesh on one side and the appearance of a skeleton on the other.

Where the teeth were, there was no sign of blood color.

Closing and opening when speaking.

It looked eerie and terrifying.

"This is… Undead transformation?" Xu Xi was surprised. The Hero's face was clearly divided; the human part was soft and beautiful, while the undead part was pale and colorless. This should have been impossible.

Life and death are opposites.

The Soul of the living carries all emotions and every memory.

The deceased undead have their pasts washed away; even if they retain their original memories, they are merely brand-new individuals possessing those memories.

This is contradictory and conflicting.

The strong might be able to ignore this, but the weak "Hero" was clearly not in that category.

How exactly was it done…

While Xu Xi was deep in thought, the "Hero" made a new movement. She slowly crouched down, letting her body, covered in heavy armor, sit huddled between the two tombstones, her left and right shoulders each leaning against one side of the tombstones.

Such contact seemed to make the "Hero" feel at ease.

A half-beautiful, half-terrifying smile appeared on the young girl's face.