Birth

Alice’s POV:

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Everything is dark. It feels warm here. I like this place. This thing has an oval shape, what is this? I can feel my limbs. Hehe~ I can move them! Let’s touch this thing, which is covering my body. Body? But what is a body? I wonder…

As I thought that, pieces of information started flooding into my mind, covering many themes, like how to fight, combat skills, how am I born, what do I have to do when I leave this thing, called an egg, and my race! So I’m a dragon! Now I know what I have to do. I have to break out of this warm place and eat the egg I was born in. My instincts started flaring up and they were inciting me to break out of my shell.

Following my instincts, I’ve done as told. It was hard to crack this thing, but after a few fist strikes, it finally broke! I saw something shine through the hole, I’ve just made. It felt warm, just like my egg. Maybe the outside world wasn’t bad either!? – I thought. Using my whole body, I quickly made the hole bigger on my egg and jumped out of it.

The world seemed to be more interesting outside. There were green trees and bushes all around me, and there was also a little lake nearby. I quickly ran over to it and saw my own image in it. I looked like a three years old human, little girl. I had long blonde hair, and green eyes, which seemed to radiate light. I liked my eyes very much! I was only about sixty centimeters tall, with porcelain white skin. Considering that I was just born, it’s no wonder.

I touched the water and it felt started waving. As I saw the water, I felt my thirst raising in my dry throat. I quickly drank a mouthful of it, but suddenly I started feeling something else. It was the feeling of hunger. Luckily for me, I had my inherent memories, which told me what to do. I’m a dragon, but not a normal one. I’m something called True Divine Beast, which is the ’god’ of its race. In the future, when I grow up, it’s likely that the lesser dragons are going to listen to me. I’ll be able to boss around! Hehe.

There are at most ten of such beings in the whole universe, and there can be only one of each of us! Fufu~ I’m a real rarity, I thought as I stuck out my chest proudly, but my growling stomach made me remember my original plan. Unfortunately, I can’t turn into my real body for now because I’m not powerful enough. I quickly ran over to my egg and started eating it. Interestingly enough, although it was hard to break, but as I put it in my mouth, it dissolved by itself, and it also had a good taste, like meat!

From my inherent memories, I know of its taste, and it’s great! As I was eating this huge, black egg, which had green stripes on it, I started thinking about the universe. From what I know, it’s a collection of circles, which divides the whole universe into TEN levels or it can be called realms by its other name. The outermost level or realm is called the Mortal Realm. I’m in that one at the moment.

The higher level you reach in your cultivation, the more powerful you become. You have to advance nine Stages each time if you want to reach the next level. Now what is funny, is that these realms, are also divided into many parts, called Sectors. (AN: Look at the info page for clear understanding. There is a stupid painting of mine, which explains it in an easier way.)

When we advance and reach the next level, we are going to ascend. The planets and the sectors are becoming much, much bigger than the one before by at least four times! From my inherent memories, I also know the names of each level, but the higher ones are irrelevant to me because it’s going to become harder and harder for us to step even a single stage higher than before. This level is called the Foundation Realm, where we will have to sense the Universe Energy and start cultivating it.

I finished eating the egg, and I felt my sleepiness growing, even though I awoke not long before. Now that I think about it, I have no idea, how was I able to eat such a huge egg... Whatever, I guess it turned into energy inside me. Before I felt my sleepiness completely overtake my eyelids, I quickly ran to a bush and made clothes from its big leaves and then I fell asleep on the spot. My consciousness became hazy as I fell unconscious. In my dreams, I felt even more information flooding into my mind. I started to understand the language, the cultivation, the world, and everything.

True Divine Beast’s eggs are made up of pure Universe Energy so we have a naturally high aptitude for cultivation. When our eggs are born, they start constructing our bodies and they are also creating formations around themselves to protect us, hatchlings. The formation makes the beasts or any other kinds of animals turn the other way. These are low-level formations, so anyone powerful could easily break them, but that is unlikely because our eggs are for some reason, always appear on the outskirts of forests, which makes it impossible for us to meet with anything powerful.

Since that was the case, I thought that I’m going to wake up at the same place where I laid down on that lush moss, but my thoughts were denied by a little boy, who had a similar attire as me. He too had clothes made out of leaves, just like me.

„Hi! I’m sorry that we are meeting in such a shape, but I don’t have anything better to wear...” Said the boy with a sad face while looking downwards.

He is speaking way too fluently for a human boy... I can speak fluently only thanks to my memories. I could be looked at as a three-year-old little girl, with the mind of a thirteen years old! Realizing that I was still silent, I quickly answered him. „O- oh, don’t worry about it, but how did I get here?”

„I brought you here. I was walking in the woods when I suddenly saw you lying on the ground. I don’t know what has happened to you, but I hope that you are alright. Anyway, my name is Hiro and yours?” Was what he said upon hearing my question, and he also asked for my name. Now that I think about it, I don’t have a name. But to be honest, there are many points I could argue on in his statement, but before that let’s think of a name!

„M- My name is Alice! Now I’m also going to put up a few questions. Firstly, why would you walk in the woods when you are at most three years old. Secondly, how did you know about this place? – and lastly, what are your intentions with me?” Hearing my questions, his eyes started darting all over the place nervously. I know that probably he doesn’t have ulterior motives, but I’m interested in his answers!

„*Sigh* You are indeed clever for your age so I could ask the same questions from you.” He said with a long sigh as he dropped his shoulders. He looked up, straight into my eyes and spew the beans. „Okay, I’ll be honest. I know that you aren’t a human, and I’m not such a creature either, okay? I was born not long before finding you. Considering that you have a similar intelligence to mine, I have a feeling that you might be of the same kind as me, but I’m not sure about that. I don’t have any ulterior motives or thoughts. I’ve just wanted to speak with someone who might be similar to me.”

After hearing him saying that, I was quite surprised, but he indeed said the truth. I was the same as him. He too was about three years old like me, with more intelligence than we were supposed to have. He had short, brown hair, and the same green eyes as mine. I think that he is also going to be quite handsome, but that’s irrelevant. ”So are you saying, that we are alike? Then tell me your race!” I questioned him, trying to make him fall into my trap.

But he indeed wasn’t stupid. He told me his race, but not his kind! „Haha- You are thinking that I’d fall for that? I’m not supposed to tell this to others, but since I believe in you that much, I’m going to tell you that I’m a True Divine Beast!” Hiro said proudly. What? Two of us? In the same sector? That’s really odd!

I mean there can be only ONE! of our own kind. I’m a dragon. I don’t know if he is a phoenix, bear or any other kind of True Divine Beast, but that means that two of them have died at almost the same time, and we were born as a result.

From what I know, every True Divine Beast have reached the tenth level, which makes it hard for me to believe that they were killed. Even my case is a rare one, but two of such monsters being born at the same time was a miracle! Our bodies are growing much quicker than other intelligent beings’. We can grow up to look like eighteen years old humans in at most three years! And now he is telling me, that he is also such a creature, like me?

It is no wonder that I’m surprised! „Are you serious? But what is your kind?” I asked curiously with my eyes opened widely, but he answered with a smirking face while saying-

„Fufu- Would you like to know? But I’m not going to tell it to you so easily! We have to know each other more!” He said with a stupid face, which I wanted to smash!

Eh? He is so cruel! Now he made me curious... Stupid Hiro! „If you are a True Divine Beast, then have you started cultivating?” I questioned him, but I was quickly denied as he started shaking his head sideways.

I stood up and stretched my body. It felt sore from sleeping for who knows how long! To be honest, I don’t really know what to think of this boy. I believe that he is a True Divine Beast because not even a normal three-star divine beast would speak as fluently as him, and I dare to say that he is even wiser than me! He started walking away, without saying a word.

I quickly followed after him as I asked. „And what do you think, where should we go?” He answered my question as he looked into my eyes. „To be honest, I don’t know. I don’t even know where we are, and if we were to meet with a monster, then I’m quite sure that we would be screwed up. If you are a True Divine Beast like me, then you ought to know, that we should start cultivating to be able to hunt some small animals or beasts.”

„This place is where I was born, so that’s why I brought you here.” He finished his sentence as he sat down on a lush moss. I’ve seen a small pile of roots, which seemed to be edible.

„Did you collect those?” I questioned him, and he answered with a nod and a shrug of his shoulders. „If you are hungry, then you can eat them. It was there.” Hiro said as he pointed towards a tree trunk which had the ground under its trunk dug out.

„To be honest, it’s not very tasty, but it’s still better than nothing. We can hunt soon enough, but before that, we have to get by this thing if you don’t have anything better in your inherent memories?” He explained with a slightly unhappy face with a question at the end of his sentence, while his face also brightened up, hoping for a good idea. Sadly, I had to shook my head sideways because I had nothing better either. I quickly sat down, following his example, and started cultivating.

I closed my eyes and started concentrating on my surroundings. Thanks to my race, I didn’t have much problem with it. I soon started feeling the energies of the universe. There were many colorful dots, called Elemental Energies, but I didn’t need those at the moment because my body wasn’t powerful enough to collect those. What was weird, was that the normal, gray universe energy was really lacking at this place... I started collecting those nonetheless.

As I started pulling the universe energy towards my body, it quickly entered it, and I controlled those particles to move towards my cells. I filled all of my cells, my pores in such a way. While we are meditating we need less food, so we were able to continue on meditating for two days straight. I soon felt my energy rising as my strength kept growing at an alarming rate. I was about to break through! Soon, the awaited moment has come.

I felt a bursting energy in my body and something black flowed out of my pores. The first purification of my body has started! I quickly opened my eyes and spat out a mouthful of black blood. My body was covered in this thing, which had a terrible and putrid smell. I realized upon standing up, that Hiro was standing in front of me, in the same position as me, with a disgusted face. It seems like he is indeed a True Divine Beast.

If the things before didn’t, then THIS proved it for me, that he is indeed a creature like me. There is no way that any other creature could keep up with a True Divine Beast’s cultivation speed. He indicated with his fingers for me to follow him. He didn’t dare to open his mouth, fearing that it would go into his mouth. I nodded and he started jogging towards a place. I soon saw a lake and I sprinted past Hiro to jump into it.

Fufu~ Don’t underestimate women when it comes to cleanness! I soon felt the water splash behind me as he also jumped into it. Under the water, we met face to face, and both of us started swimming up to the surface while looking at each other. We quickly reached the surface and Hiro said with a small smile as the water was dripping down on his head: „It seems like that you didn’t lie about your race either. Hehe~”

„*Chuckle* You are right,” I answered him with a similar smile. I’m starting to like him. He isn’t a bad guy or I should say, boy. We swam to the shore and got out of the water. We went back to the place we cultivated at and ate the roots that Hiro has collected.

„Thanks for making it easier to me,” I said with a smile. as I flung my wet hair over my shoulders.

Hiro opened his eyes widely for a moment as he remarked on my actions. ”Alice, believe me, you are going to be a beauty in the future!” Hearing him saying that, I couldn’t help but blush slightly as I looked down. I was still a little girl in my mind so I was quite weak to such things, I guess.

This feels really weird. I mean, why is it that I’m feeling this connection with him? I feel a tugging at the deepest parts of my soul, telling me that I should get closer to him. I'm not an easy girl, woman, whatever! This is annoying! Not to mention that me, a proud dragon is being led around by someone else! This doesn't feel right! But I'm still liking him! ARGH! I'm going crazy!

"Are you alright, Alice? You are looking like as if you would be in pain." Hiro said with a worried tone as he looked at me with worried eyes. Why does he have to be so nice to me? He is only making it even harder for me…

"*sigh* Nothing. I was just thinking about something, but it's nothing important. It was annoying me, but in the end, I decided to ignore it for now." I answered him with a sigh as I dropped my shoulders.

He had a questioning look on his face as he said. "If you say so. Tell me if you have any problems, though I can't imagine what is it, that's bothering a 'newborn' like you. Haha~" I almost blurted out loudly that it's because of you, but I was able to keep silent. He isn't bothering me with his presence or with his personality. He is bothering my heart! I feel like as if he would have been made for me!

---------------------------- Hiro's POV ---------------------------------

(AN: I'm not really going to change POVs IN the chapters, but I have to this time to show the MCs POV too, though I'm not going to repeat known information...)

I was born in an egg, just like my inherent memories said so. I don't know what to think because I have most of my memories from my past, yet some of them are missing as if they would have been deleted out. I don't know its reason, but I'll be sure to find out once I grow up. I also had memories of things that I should do to find my other half. After going towards the way, my inherent memories pointed me, I indeed saw her.

She was as lovely as I thought. I don't have an exact picture of her personality, but I think that I can shape her a little bit. I'm not saying that I want to manipulate her. She is my other half so she would turn into a woman I could love dearly anyway. I'm just quickening the process slightly. From her expressions, I'm thinking that she isn't disliking me, which is already good! Okay, okay... I'm not such a terrible person that she would start disliking me over a single day, am I?

But I believe in my other half! I know that she is going to love me in the future! I hope. It would become quite weird and awkward otherwise... She made weird faces and she even started hitting her head as she sat in front of me. I don't know what's on her mind so I asked her about it, but she didn't tell me too much. Well, it's no wonder. I wouldn't tell my things to some random strangers either. But her struggling face was really cute.

She started tapping her fingers on a stone, next to her with her face still being as cute and frustrated as before. Not really knowing what to do, I thought of something. Since we were at the first stage of the Foundation Realm we had quite a lot of strength. An average adult human had one point two horse of strength, which is about seventy-five kilograms of punching force. Of course, this was without using any kind of skill with our brute physical strength.

At the first stage of Foundation Realm, a normal cultivator has five horses of strength, while we as True Divine Beasts had seven! Our races are already starting to show unfairness even though we were born not long before. This Foundation Realm is about purifying our bodies and shedding our mortal shells. We are going to advance and then ascend quickly because this level is a joke for us! Of course, that's not going to be the case later on because the higher we go, the harder it becomes to advance. That's like that everywhere. It doesn't matter what you do or where you are…

Others would gain fifteen horses of strength after each stage, which means that they would have one hundred and twenty-five horses of strength at the ninth stage, or one hundred and forty-three in our cases since we would gain seventeen. (AN: 7 + (8*17) = 143) Our life expectancy would also increase with fifteen years after each stage, reaching two hundred and twenty years adding to the average lifespan of eighty-five years.

I can only laugh at imagining how I'm already stronger than any human on the Earth. I could lift up motorbikes as a three-year-old looking little boy! Just how the hell would Earthlings look at me? I have to go back there and make that sector into a funnier place! But that's for later as I don't know where it is at the moment... Cultivation sure is wonderful~

The weather was warm even though it was already dark. I don't know for how long this formation would stay here, but I plan to drag Alice with me to hunt. She doesn't look to be the timid type or someone who would be afraid of blood. More like the other way around... When I think about how a little girl would go around killing animals with bloody hands, I can only think of one thing. Just how screwed up are the rules of nature and the jungle!?

"Alice, shall we go to sleep? I mean we should go and hunt tomorrow, or so I planned..." I voiced my thoughts. When I start talking with strangers, I always have this feeling that, am I going to be laughed at or looked down upon, or am I going to be denied? But strangely enough, I don't have such feelings at the moment. I feel much more at ease with my other half, and I think that my racial instincts are backing me up as well.

"Uhn! Let's go to sleep. Should we climb up to a tree? Just in case." Alice said with a thoughtful face.

"I don't know, but I'm going to protect you~" I said jokingly, but her reaction was quite... colorful. A tint of red has appeared on her face as she turned her head sideways. I'm really not on Earth... Something like this would have been impossible there.

Alice jumped up on a tree and I followed after her. With five hundred and twenty-five kilograms of strength in my legs, it was nothing. This feeling, this feeling of growing, and this feeling of strength in my muscles, and this energy flowing through my Energy Veins. This is what I've been missing. I'm already loving it, and I can only imagine what might the universe hold for me, for us, in the future.

We picked a tree branch for ourselves and hoarded some leaves on it, to make it comfier, though it didn't really help... Whatever, let's sleep!

-------------------------- Alice's POV --------------------

I woke up to the shining sun, which penetrated my eyelids and blinded me... This stupid sun. I like its warmness, but it's so stupid sometimes! I raised my head and turned towards the branch, Hiro was laying on. He was sleeping with a content and happy face, which I don't know why, but made me too happy. Why the hell are we being born exactly when our minds are falling through puberty?

Suddenly, I had an idea. Should I do it? After thinking about the result, I couldn't help but want to do it! I climbed over my branch and crept up to Hiro. He still had his stupid face on when I put my mouth close to his left ear. I was about to scare him by screaming into it, but everything went wrong! He suddenly turned and coiled his arms around my back. This was a big tree with thick branches and considering our small bodies, there was enough place for such things.

He hugged me to his chest as he continued to sleep with an even happier face. Stupid Hiro... and stupid me!!! Now how am I supposed to wake him up without him thinking that I'm a pervert? I'm such a shameful dragon! Suddenly Hiro opened his eyes and upon seeing me, his eyes opened widely and even his mouth went into an 'O' shape. "Huh?" Was what he said...

"H- Hello... This isn't what you think! I was just-" I wanted to continue, but he suddenly tried to turn once more, and both of us fell down from the tree. I landed on my butt and Hiro fell right before me, face first towards the ground. I originally hoped for my prank to bear such results, but it was funny in the end, even like this. I started laughing at him, but he didn't move or say anything which startled me for some reason.

"H- Hiro! Are you alright?" I shouted with a despaired face, feeling scared.

He raised his head out of the ground and looked at me with a smirking face as he said. "What was that worried tone. Could it be that you were afraid that I was hurt? But you know, it indeed hurt!"

"S- Stupid Hiro! You scared me for a moment!" My little body started shaking slightly as I felt that I was about to cry. N- Now seriously? Me? A proud dragon? Crying over such a thing? Seeing my expression Hiro quickly got up and hugged me. Feeling his warmness I felt my raising sadness go down the drain. I felt home, I felt a strong connection with him, which reason of I don't know. Whatever, I'm not going to fight against it anymore.

Hiro backed up and looked around us. "Come, we should really hunt, and make some food," Hiro said as he extended his arm out to help me up. I grabbed onto it and nodded as I said. "You are right. I feel a bit hungry." Even though it might not look like that. Hiro started jogging, then running towards a random way, but we found nothing even after running for more than a kilometer. You have to know that our running speed was about forty kilometers per hour, and it was not even our maximum speed!

After running for twenty minutes, we finally started sensing some monsters nearby. We didn't have Mind Powers yet, but that's going to change in the future. For now, we had to use our Qi to sense our surroundings. But the truth was that Qi was an incorrect concept. In some of the sectors, it was called Qi, while in others it was called Mana, Chakra, Chi, etc. But in truth, all of them were the same! But since we are in the Foundation Realm, let's call it Qi for now.

We soon found our first prey, but it was a real letdown. It was a gray colored lion and its whole body was made of stone. I wanted to feel the thrill of hunting something, the thrill of being a predator, the thrill of blood, yet what do I get? This, this thing!? It was only at the first stage and considering our superior strengths it was nothing dangerous. "Do you want to fight with it?" Hiro asked, but I saw it in his eyes clearly, that he wanted to do it.

"I don't really care about such a monster, you can kill it. I want an enemy which has some blood." I answered him with a shrug while I was pouting. "I want to fight such a monster too, but you have no idea how long I've been waiting for to live through even a single battle myself." He answered with a bloodthirsty face. Even I felt affected by his emotions. Strangely enough, he is affecting me way too easily in anything he does.

He charged at the monster who also noticed us and was running towards us. Hiro slid under the slow and stupid monster and kicked its stomach with his leg. I- I want to join! I quickly ran towards it and jumped into the air and kicked its head after a somersault. Its front body crashed into the ground, while Hiro jumped out from under it, onto its back and pierced its back using two of his fingers.

I heard a cracking sound as Hiro pulled out his hands from the monster's back, leaving a hole in it. The monster collapsed to the ground, and in Hiro's hand was its core. What was weird was that Hiro's hand was also covered in stone. "Interesting, I'm sure that you have noticed that the Universe Energy is scarcer than what our memories are telling us, right?" He said as he looked at me with a questioning look with his brows raised.

"Yes, did you find out something?" I asked curiously, and he answered with a thoughtful look. "Yes, I think. When I pierced its stone skin, I found a hollowed out space inside it, but what was weird was that earth element was swirling inside its body, and its core is completely made up of earth element! I suppose its body is made of stone because of that reason." Hearing him saying that, I understood what he meant.

If you start cultivating elemental energies while being at the Foundation Realm, then you are probably going to die or turn into an element because your body isn't strong enough to bear its power. You are supposed to cultivate elemental energies only from the second level called Space Founding Realm, where you also have to convert your 'Qi' into Space Energy. If this monster had elemental energy inside its body, that meant that it was cultivating in the wrong way, which was weird.

It's probably related to the lack of Universe Energy in the area, which is quite a big problem. If it's so scarce in the whole sector, then this place is quite screwed up. Unfortunately, we can't sense the Universe Energy so perfectly yet because we are still only at the first stage. One or two stages later, we should be able to at least the sense the source of the problem.

"Let's go and hunt some more, maybe we can find something with blood and something that is edible..." Hiro said with a hopeful look. Eating stone wouldn't be funny, I think. We left where we were and soon found another similar monster. This one was a panther, which was made of the dark element. We were able to see its core, which made this monster ridiculous! It was nothing like how my true form is going to look! I mean, my body is going to be tough, and a real weapon, yet this? This is advertising its weak point!

I didn't even move as Hiro ran over and kicked its core out of its body. The monster died instantly. "... Alice, this stupid race must be exterminated! I was waiting for a thrilling battle, not for something like THIS!" He said wrathfully as he pointed at the core of the Dark Panther. We also made a bag from the leaves and put the cores into them, hoping that it might be useful in the future. Who knows...

After repeating this process for about five times, we realized that we are at the fucking wrong place to search for thrill or food!!! We started running towards the outskirts of the forest. It wasn't hard to determine its way because the monsters were getting weaker and rarer the outer you were. We soon found an earth road and started walking on it. A few hundred meters later I noticed a table, a table which had text written on it, and it annoyed me to no end!

I! A dragon! Was getting hungry, thanks to these shitty monsters, and we had nothing to eat! And what do I see? This!

Forest of Pure Spirits

Now what do you think, how do I feel? I went over to it, grabbed onto it with my hands and crushed that stupid table. So this whole forest was filled with monsters like those? We should burn it to the ground because it's taking up too much place! I swear that I'll come back, and I won't forget to burn it down!

After walking for a few more meters, we also noticed another table which had Forest of Evil Spirits written on it, which made it clear that it didn't have edible creatures in it... It was covered in mist, and it had a gloomy air surrounding it, which we felt even from far away. This time it was Hiro's turn to crush the stupid table. We are going to destroy every such table we come across!!!

"I'm sure that it's going to be better, right?" Hiro said with a hopeful face. "We will see about that." Was my answer. I was quite grumpy even though I'm so young. My first days are only brightened up thanks to Hiro, I dare not think of what would I do if he wouldn't be here. I mean that probably I'd go crazy and kill everything here.

After hours of walking, I had to face the cold truth. We are still in an area of shitty forests, with nothing to eat! I'm hungry, my stomach keeps growling which is really indecent considering that I'm supposed to be a young lady! The most we found is a town, which we are considering to enter. The only question is how? Two, three-years-old looking children wandering around freely ought to attract a lot of attention in my opinion.

But we were worrying for nothing because we were able to sense the strength of the soldiers. In these few hours, while we were walking, we were able to reach the second stage of Foundation Realm. It's nothing miraculous for us. This whole realm isn't going to hold us for a long time. At most one or two years, but I think that we are going to be even faster. Considering that it's only the first two stages, it's really easy to advance.

The two guards were also only at the second stage, which meant that we could easily bypass them, thanks to our superior strength. When we saw that no one is going in and out, we quickly ran towards them, like lightning, and using a stone to divert their attention for a moment, we were able to sneak past them. Hiro took the lead and I followed after him. He ran into an alleyway and stopped there.

"Alright, now we can stop here for a moment. Let's think of a plan firstly because anyone seeing two three-year-old children is likely to stop and question us." Hiro advised without the slightest bit of tiredness in his voice. We were walking through the alleyways when we saw a street vendor. He had many things put out for sale, but what caught our eyes was a black cape. That would come handy at the moment! Hiro nodded at me, and we quickly ran towards the vendor to steal it. We are going to pay him back once we can sell these cores or something, but we need that at the moment!

But before we were able to reach it, we were intercepted by a big guy, who was at the sixth stage. A quarter of his skin was red colored, which made it clear that he was training with the Fire Element... At the next level you are supposed to know and train in every element, yet they are doing this here... How stupid. We thought that we were screwed as we were seen, but it wasn't like that. He looked down at us as he said coldly.

"Huh? Two brats? You should go find an orphanage or something." Then he simply left. The others around us who have seen us also didn't even bother to look at us and the most we have gained were pitying looks. "Ehm... It seems like that we were overestimating the sympathy of these people. I'm happy about it, though." Hiro said awkwardly while scratching his face as he shrugged his shoulders.

Since it was like that, we went up to the vendor and showed him the cores, we have collected. "Old man, can you buy these from us?" Hiro questioned the old guy. "Hm, let me see..." He looked at the bag of cores we have given him and after nodding once, he said. "Alright, these aren't high-level cores, but they are still good. I'm going to buy it for - let's say two gold coins."

I knew from my memories that money was united in the whole universe. There were only gold coins used. Two gold coins weren't much, but it would be enough for us to buy some things and for a meal. "Old man, aren't you being cruel to two little children? Do you want us to starve to the death?" Hiro started haggling with the vendor. In the end, he gave us four gold coins out of pity, and he also gave us two cloaks.

I was the happiest about those. These leaf clothes weren't the best thing to wear. Both of us quickly wore them and after thanking the guy we left. We soon found a little inn, where we easily booked a single room for a night for a gold coin. That too would have been two gold coins, but Hiro started whining how we are so young and that it's really hard to us. The poor woman couldn't help but lower the price for us. Traveling with Hiro is so much fun to me!

I think that I'll keep staying with him. I would feel bad to separate from him anyway. I'm also liking him quite a lot, and who knows what's going to become of us? As we ate our bland meal, which came as a service Hiro asked. "Are you sure that you don't want to sleep in a different room? I'm happy if you stay with me, but I know that girls might not want to stay in the same room as boys."

"Do you like me?" I asked jokingly after hearing his sentence. He said that he is happy if I'm with him~ Fufu~ It seems like I'm not the only one who liking the other! His face turned redder as he looked into my eyes and said in a straight way - "Yes."

W- What? But I was only joking! Well, I'm quite sure that he didn't mean it in an 'I love you' way. Just a friendly liking.

But my heart started beating quicker nonetheless. Stupid Hiro has done it now once again. "A- Anyway, I don't mind sleeping in the same room with you. To begin with, we are just children," I said to ease the mood. Hiro nodded as he said a small okay with a composed voice once again. After eating this dry bread, and tasteless soup we went to our room and entered it. It had a single bed inside it, which seemed to be quite old, but it was better than sleeping on a tree.

"Shall we start training?" I asked, and Hiro nodded. He was being silent for some unknown reason. We weren't able to train before because we didn't have enough food in our stomachs. Training like that would be tantamount to suicide. We were quite hungry even without that, not to mention with it. But for our little bodies, that adult sized meal was more than enough for a while. After a good workout, we could cultivate more proficiently, thanks to us being tired, and in turn, our cells would consume more Universe Energy.

We started making squats, push ups, punching and kicking exercises in our room. We have done it silently. Like that, we didn't bother anyone. When we were done, we both sat on the two sides of the bed and started cultivating. The Universe Energy was still lacking, so it took a longer time to fill up our bodies, but we were still advancing much quicker than before. Our cells were able to take in at least five if not ten times as much as before. Our usual cultivation time was about five minutes, and we repeated it in every hour.

Yet now, we were doing it through half an hour! Five minutes didn't mean that we had low energy capacities. It meant that we were much quicker than normal cultivators because we knew the right way of cultivation and because we had the best skills! Our energy capacities were exactly the other way around. We had bigger than the average! When I was done, I felt sleepy so I laid down and closed my eyes. I soon fell asleep, but I didn't sleep for long.

It was much colder at this place and I didn’t feel right. I needed something warm! Looking behind me, I saw Hiro on the other side of the bed. His back was slightly shaking, which made it clear that he too felt cold. I slowly crept to the middle of the bed and poked his back.

He turned around and he had his stupid smile on, which made me too smile. I hugged him tightly and he also coiled his arm around my back. I felt like a little sister and I felt as if my soul would have beaten for a moment. Maybe I'm just imagining things…

Our shivering quickly stopped after feeling each other’s warm body, I too felt really comfy in his embrace. I could get used to this feeling. It was much more lonely and cold last night on the tree branch.

We quickly fell asleep and went into our little dreamlands.