Why can't humans do it too?

"Maybe," Su'er said, raising his head with a flourish, not even noticing that the back of his head bumped into Xin Ke's forehead. He continued walking step by step. "During the Long March, many people thought it wouldn't succeed, but we achieved final victory. You only know the result after you've done it."

"...The Long March?"

“...Ha, ha…”, panting heavily, Suer squeezed out the answer through gritted teeth: “Wait…wait until we all survive before I tell you.”

Until then, just keep living with your curiosity.

The land was so flat that it resembled a cement wall smoothed by a bricklayer, with even the few remaining edges appearing exceptionally sharp, and hardly any cracks visible.

There are no plants, no animals, and no life. Only the relentless cold wind roams through this world, taking away all the warmth it passes through.

Hunger, so much so that he could barely feel the pain in his abdomen. Suer felt as if his stomach had burst, digesting him from the inside out—yet every time he subconsciously looked down, he saw only the same unchanging robe. There was no acid or dissolved intestines flowing out from below; the feeling of being devoured was just his hallucination.

He could still walk, searching deep within his body for a strength from which even he himself did not know where it came from.

However, his body felt incredibly heavy, as if he were wearing a thick leather suit. Every command was separated by a thick membrane, making it difficult to reach. Even the forest elves that he had initially felt incredibly light on his back became heavy, no different from heavy stones.

As he walked forward, his legs couldn't lift properly, causing his shoes to rub against the rock surface and making him stumble. He hurriedly tensed all his muscles to barely maintain his balance, and Su Er was thankful that he hadn't fallen to the ground.

He knew that if he fell, he would never be able to get up again.

Although he hadn't actually fallen yet, a premonition in his heart told Suer this.

Once you fall, all your muscles relax, and you can no longer support yourself to stand up. Your brain, afflicted by drowsiness and fatigue, might fall asleep within five seconds and enter an eternal slumber.

To sleep forever... that doesn't seem so bad...

As if startled awake in the middle of the night, Suer clenched his eyes, trying to clear his head. A constant stream of noises emanated from the depths of his mind, from vague whispers to increasingly clear words, as if there was another version of himself deep within his heart, constantly saying the opposite.

Almost there, almost there! The abandoned city has grown considerably larger than it had been when it was just a blurry dot. Sull could even see the outlines of the buildings that were unique to the Forest Elves.

It's getting closer, so close that it seems like it will only take half a day, no, even less time, to get there.

Apart from that hazy silhouette, there was nothing else in his mind. Like a lamp that brought warmth and light in the darkness, it occupied Suer's entire world and entangled all his thoughts.

That was the only thing holding me together.

"...Put...down..."

"……significance……"

...It's so noisy.

There seems to be something making a racket behind me. Can't it be quiet? Speaking of which, why am I carrying such a heavy thing? Wouldn't it be easier if I just let go?

The temptation emanating from the deepest part of my heart, the increasingly righteous words, gradually drowned out the sounds from the outside world... That must be me too, right? How could I possibly lie to myself?

He was obsessed with the idea, yet he was also instinctively resisting it. Even Suer himself didn't understand why he was resisting it.

The sharp pain emanating from the numb cheek awakened the world, and even that pain seemed to disappear through a thick membrane.

"So what if you send me here? Is there some kind of magic binding our agreement?"

Finally, he heard the words coming from behind him completely and barely managed to regain his senses... even if only a little. It took Su Er a few seconds of hesitation before he could even realize what he was doing and who was speaking.

"Why should the great Nirbalian bother with those beast-like monkeys? Help them live better in this wretched world? And without being discovered by them? Do you think I'm some kind of loving saint?"

"It was just a promise made offhand, nothing more than deceiving an ignorant monkey..."

"A contract without magical constraints is a joke in this world. You know that yourself, you just don't want to think about it, monkey, you've gone mad."

Xinke on his back was still chattering away, but Suer could no longer understand what she was saying.

"So what if you deliver me? So what if you fulfill your so-called promise? The great Nirbalan would never work for you, nor would he ever help those trashy monkeys—hey! Did you hear me?!"

The shouts that rang directly in his ears and the pain in his eardrums jolted Suer awake.

Subconsciously, Suer lifted Xinke, who had slipped slightly off his back, up a little more. Suer's hand slid across Xinke's skin, which was charred black like dry old tree bark... A faint heat was seeping into her tired body, moving upwards. His dry eyes were also sore, but nothing appeared.

He was muttering indistinct words, which Xin Ke couldn't catch even when she tried hard to listen, until the voice gradually grew louder.

"...I'll just take you there...that'll be enough..."

"...I can do it...I can do it..."

"...Once it's delivered...you have to help them make the tools...and also tell them how to increase production even without elves..."

He repeated this to himself over and over again, a numb smile even appearing on his stiff face, as if he could already see that beautiful vision.

"...Oh right, right...we can also use magic to help them farm...one acre of wheat...one acre of rice..."

"...Do you know wheat?...In autumn, it's like ocean waves...golden yellow...when the wind blows, it's like the tide..."

"...Then we'll have noodles to eat...and steamed buns...white steamed buns..."

"...then everyone can have their fill..."

"...No more risking my life to gather food...and Nona, Nona needs to eat two..."

"...Children...need to eat more..."

He kept repeating it to himself, and it seemed as if Suer could already see those wonderful days, bright and full of hope. Just imagining it made him smile and gave him a burst of energy.

"...We will all live on...live on..."

"...plant two mu...two mu...four mu..."

"...one mu of wheat...one mu of rice..."

"..."

He murmured repeatedly, even though his voice had gradually become just the noise of his lips touching, it was still hoarse from his throat.

Clinging blankly to Suer's back, Xinke raised her hand and placed it in the air, as if facing a fragile and easily broken piece of porcelain, afraid that she would shatter it if she exerted the slightest force.

She didn't dare to move even slightly, for fear that the man carrying her on his back would lose his balance and fall completely, turning into a real statue.

unbearable.

This feeling of being unable to do anything except keep his mind clear, he could only watch helplessly as the monkey carrying him walked step by step toward the end of his life... His body had become extremely withered.

It wasn't that she had never experienced the feeling of others dying for her; rather, during the long time she had been a Flower Crown Lord and had fought against the goblins, such things had become so numerous that Xin Ke was bored. The words about those attentive males or dying to protect the so-called hope of the forest elves... had never touched her in the slightest.

Ultimately, everything she did, including becoming the Flower Crown Minister, was for her own benefit, which is why it's incomprehensible.

But now it's different; this feeling resonates deep within my heart...

Unable to bear it, unable to understand it, even someone as intelligent as her could not describe the emotions she felt at that moment, and even discerning them was incredibly difficult.

Step by step, we are moving forward slowly but steadily, and the distance we have covered is by no means illusory.

I've forgotten how to think, forgotten everything outside that city, even forgotten the pain and the exhaustion... All that's left in my mind are those beautiful images.

Her consciousness had become blurred. It was as if Suer had escaped that cold and cruel world. Was it a hallucination or not? Even the air had become sweet, with the long-lost fragrance of flowers... Flowers?

That could only be a hallucination...

How could flowers still exist in this world?

With an unconscious, bitter smile, Su'er could no longer feel her body...

Is this the end of the road...?

'……sorry……'

As if apologizing to someone, Su'er slumped forward, and in the last glimmer of light in this hazy world, he vaguely heard something—

"Here we are."

“...Sul”.

Chapter 124 Awakening

When Suer woke up again, he was soaking in the water. The warm water flowed over his skin, and the tingling, itchy sensation spread from the wounds all over his body, making him want to scratch them. However, this thought remained just that—a thought.

The man simply turned his head and stared blankly at a scar on his arm, too lazy to even move his fingers. The warm and soothing atmosphere gradually lulled him to sleep.

Feeling no hunger, Sul squinted at the 'sun' above his head, his gaze lazily sweeping over the broken and collapsed domes and walls. Despite their dilapidated state, which was unbearable to look at, there was not a trace of desolation in them.

With just one deep breath, he could inhale all that sweet air into his lungs. Even though he had repeated this action many times, Suer never felt bored. It felt wonderful not having to think, and he relaxed in accordance with his instinctive comfort.

Surrounded by green grass, vibrant flowers, and the long-lost breath of nature, Suer truly felt a sense of happiness.

Sul was leisurely playing with the blooming flowers beside her, watching the pink petals twirl and dance on her fingertips. She wanted to pick one and smell it, but stopped when her fingers touched its stem.

Having taken pity on the poor little flower, Suer squinted his eyes in satisfaction and gave himself a thumbs up for his kind act.

"Looks like you're recovering well! Mr. Monkey seems to be in a lot of energy!"

The sudden sound made Suer shudder—wait, are there other people here?!

Following the sound, he easily found Xin Ke, who was also soaking in the water. This woman had been sitting in a corner on the other side of the pool for some time now, without making a sound. To be honest, it was no different from a ghost movie.

Suer's gaze had swept over that spot several times before without noticing Xin Ke. This woman blended perfectly into her surroundings. But none of that mattered. The important thing was, why the hell wasn't Xin Ke wearing any clothes?!

Startled, he sat up abruptly from the water. The sudden fright brought Suer back to his senses—wait, why wasn't he wearing any clothes?!

She lay back down forcefully, the water splashing up from the force causing the nearby flowers and plants to sway. The water then covered her again. Suer raised her head, wanting to talk to Xinke, but her gaze was forced to look away before it even lingered for a second.

The opponent was simply too dazzling.

Even through the faint refraction on the water's surface, he could see...

The unspeakable. (This chapter was rejected; I posted the original draft in the group chat, so I'll leave it at that.)

No! I can't think about it anymore! If I do, the forest elves will kill me!