Why can't humans do it too?

The choice she made.

Her giving up, her... failure.

In this desolate place, shrouded in black ash.

"So... if my life depends on monkeys to survive... then I might as well end it here."

Her dry, lifeless summary sounded like a withered branch that had lost its moisture. She abruptly stopped speaking and pressed her lips tightly together.

She wanted to maintain her pride and dignity, which might seem ridiculous to others, but for her it was the bottom line of her personal integrity.

I cannot bear to be a mere burden.

I can't accept myself being so worthless.

If she still retained two or even one level of magical power, that would be good. That way, she could comfortably deceive herself, telling herself that she wasn't simply relying on wild beasts like monkeys to survive, that she still possessed power, power that could be used.

Strength—this weighty word is deeply ingrained in the marrow of every individual of every race that has survived this great war to this day, even if they never utter a word about it, even if they consider themselves different from others.

That is the standard by which the value of a life is measured.

An invisible standard that is universally recognized.

With her eyes closed, Xin Ke could no longer bear the irritation of meeting those eyes. However, the darkness and silence with only the sound of the wind lasted only a few seconds before she broke the silence—why not say something?

Why aren't you saying anything?!

Are you looking down on me?!

"Monkeys probably don't understand, do they?" Xin Ke said through gritted teeth, her eyes wide as she stared at Su Er, who was leaning against the rock, motionless as a statue.

"The complex emotions that only such advanced beings possess—my pride, my soul, and things more precious than life itself!!"

Unlike Xin Ke, who was gradually becoming agitated, all that responded to her was the air filled with the sound of wind... and a gaze that gradually turned to pity.

It felt as if flames were burning in her chest and lungs; anger was burning within Xin Ke's cold body.

Finally, with a slight cough, he responded to the anger. His weak voice carried an undeniable determination; even weakness could not change his will.

"Not a monkey."

"It's human."

He coughed incessantly, but had no strength left to cough. Suer's body trembled as if he were having a spasm. With trembling hands, he slowly pulled a small piece from the pocket on his side of his leg, then slowly pulled Xinke's hand and placed the small piece into her hand.

Suer tried to forcefully pull Xinke's fingers back, wanting her to hold the thing she had given her. She pressed down with all her might, but she couldn't get her fingers to close.

Between her fingers, Xin Ke could see what Su Er had placed in her palm. It was the little food the two of them had brought out from that outpost. In such a cold temperature, it had been frozen harder than steel, enough to break teeth—but it was still hope, the hope to continue living.

"I really... cough cough... don't know how you... non-human races think... about souls..."

The soul and such is a bit too complicated, isn't it?

Suer inexplicably wanted to laugh, but his body did not move accordingly.

He lowered his head and tried his best to get close to Xin Ke. His voice was even softer than a whisper, but thankfully it was quiet enough at the moment.

She could hear it, and she was listening attentively.

"After all... I'm just an ordinary human being... I feel pain, I cry, I break down because of disasters... but I wipe away my tears and stand up again, enduring suffering and moving forward..."

"...It's a person..."

With a long sigh, Suer was utterly exhausted.

Responding to her family's expectations, she carries on with her pain...

This has been true from ancient times to the present.

"If we fail, we fail..."

"We are indeed currently in a slump..."

She tried hard to smile, but her frozen face was too stiff to even move. All Suer could do was numbly tug at Xin Ke's hair, letting her feel the pain.

"There are indeed things more precious than...life..."

"But... in matters that are done out of spite..."

"...Isn't that a waste?"

His voice was barely audible, and Suer's words were broken and hoarse, existing only between the clatter of his lips and teeth.

His golden eyes still seemed to hold a smile as his cold fingers suddenly slid across Xin Ke's cheek, landing on his own body with a dull thud.

Vision had become blurred, and the sky and earth seemed to have turned into a white world. Pure white halos floated in her still open eyes. Xin Ke seemed to be calling out something, and her mottled figure flickered in the shadows under her eyes.

Even the ceaseless sound of the wind in my ears was gradually fading away.

He tried hard to listen, but Sue could no longer hear anything.

silence.

--------------

Embraced in a silent ocean, tranquil and peaceful, even thoughts cease to flow.

Just enjoy this sweet comfort, forget all your worries, forget all your troubles...

Worries...right, what are worries?

Like a chick yet to hatch, or a cat curled up around a warm fireplace—what is a cat? And what is a chick?

Slow thoughts were stretched into a long thread, with no end in sight.

But... there are still some places that aren't warm enough...

dissatisfied.

When this thought arose, sound broke out in this tranquil world for the first time.

Crackling sounds.

Noisy.

However, no matter how impatient they were, these voices never stopped, and even became louder and more frequent over time.

As if struggling to lift his head from a sea formed of glue, the tranquil ocean desperately pulled at him, unwilling to let him go. One side of his body was burning hot, and there were even specks of pain on his arm, while the other side remained icy cold.

Suer slowly opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused, as if he had lost his ability to concentrate, and all he could see was a blurry world.

Crack!

Ah, so that's the sound of firewood burning... Such thoughts drifted through Suer's empty mind. In this world that had lost its benchmark, he also saw golden-red sparks flying up, streaking past his eyes like shooting stars.

Really? It landed on your arm?

Suddenly realizing the source of the pain in his arm, and the warmth that was enough to keep his body warm, Suer finally understood.

With difficulty, he moved his fingers, then slowly moved his body. Suer wanted to turn his head and look for that woman... that forest elf.

It didn't take much effort for Suer to see her, so close—Xinke was sitting right next to his hair.

They are still alive.

He hadn't frozen to death beneath that cold rock; instead, a huge and warm campfire had been lit, warming his icy body and making his blood flow again. Sul could already smell the delicious aroma of meat.

Did she save me?

When he collapsed from exhaustion.

Staring blankly at Xin Ke beside her, Su Er's thoughts drifted.

"...Did he wake up after all?"

"Mr. Monkey's vitality is truly excessive!"

Although Suer's movements after waking up were not large, they were still immediately noticed by Xinke next to him.

The voice of the forest elf with long, pale golden hair was as elegant and full as ever, with a hint of pungent spiciness that Sull was familiar with... but it couldn't be better.

Even though it might sound like a complaint about why you're still alive—it couldn't be better.

"...Perhaps...because I can't let go of...this world?"

When he spoke again after an unknown amount of time, Su'er's voice was extremely hoarse, as dry as a spring that had run dry. He had to pause and rest in the middle to finish his sentence. However, the man's spirit was surprisingly good, and he even had the energy to make a joke.

"After all, it's a rare opportunity to come to another world... wouldn't it be a huge waste to die like this?"

His face, which had been frozen stiff, finally softened, and Suer managed a weak smile.

He had so many questions he wanted to ask Xin Ke.

And his gratitude.

Although Xin Ke never told him about her injuries, Su Er could tell her condition from her difficult movements and the way she involuntarily slowed down.

And that thigh, so badly injured that it couldn't be lifted.

How did she get him from under that cold rock into this cave?

How did she manage to gather enough firewood to ignite this flame that warmed the hearts and souls of two people?

How did she...?

There were too many questions, too many doubts. Suer tried his best to support himself, wanting his still cold body to feel the warmth of the flame. He also wanted to make a joke and tease this hypocritical forest elf.

However, as he managed to turn over, Suer's movements froze, along with the smile that had been etched on his face—he finally saw the scene that had been obscured by the flames.

Things hidden in the shadows.

Where her beautiful pale golden hair fell, and where Xinke's tattered robe could not cover her legs, her once fair and tender skin was now blackened and wrinkled like charcoal, having lost its luster... Suer knew what this was.

These are the marks left on the fragile flesh after it was contaminated with black ash. Even a small amount of that highly toxic ash could cause excruciating pain, as if it were being ripped into the bone marrow. Yet now, Xin Ke's entire leg is covered in this grime.

The charred marks extended towards the base of the thighs, but were concealed by the robe, so the full extent of the marks could not be seen.

His eyes stung, and even his breath caught in his throat. Su Er stared blankly at everything. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't squeeze out even a single tear... All that remained in his heart was a silent scream.

"What kind of expression is that?" Xin Ke chuckled and picked up the water bottle that was leaning against the campfire. "Here, have some water."

Without any emotional fluctuation, Xin Ke simply and calmly placed the spout of the kettle against Su Er's lips.

Business as usual.

Chapter 119 Living