A day later,

Cheng stood on top of a cliff, at the coast, watching the waves as they crashed into the earth continuously.

Then, he turned around as someone got out of the forest a few meters behind him. It was Sarina.

They looked at each other.

She spoke first: “You had to fuck everything up again”

He answered: “But did you die?”

She clenched her fists: “Grunleden died”

Cheng shrugged as he turned his gaze back to the Ocean. She raged silently. Then, she relaxed herself and asked: “What now? I have no other contacts to get us out of here”

Cheng waved his hand: “Don’t worry, I already called someone myself”

Her eyebrow rose.

She let it be. If Cheng said that he had it covered then he did.

Instead, she asked: “What about Jin?”

Cheng shook his head: “I don’t know”

She sighed as she sat next to the cliff. She did not want that kid to die. He was very useful.

It was two days later that there was movement from the forest behind them. As they turned around, they found Nangua exiting the forest with two bodies on his shoulders.

He glared at them.

The two ignored it and focused on the two bodies.

One was easy to recognize as Jin. His appearance was certainly unique in this world. One side corrupted, roots growing from his head alongside his hair…

The other one though…

Sarina asked tentatively: “Is that Ame?”

Nangua stated: “I did my best with what I had available”

Sarina nodded as Cheng approached. Nangua dropped the two bodies gently onto the ground.

Ame’s hair was now pale green instead of red. Her hands ended in dark green nails.

Cheng bent over and opened one of her eyelids. Her pupils were in the shape of flowers instead of round.

Cheng stated: “You demonized her”

Nangua nodded: “This was the only way”

Sarina sighed: “Will she live at least?”

Nangua shook his head: “I can’t be sure but I believe so. I don’t know when she will wake up though”

Sarina turned towards Jin and asked: “What about him?”

Nangua explained: “He survived. However, he was not himself when he rebuilt itself. Honestly, it’s a miracle he’s still there”

Cheng asked: “What do you mean?”

Sarina explained to him what happened. Cheng frowned. He asked: “Will he go insane again?”

Nangua spread his arms. He did not know. It was certainly quite likely.

Sarina told Cheng: “Restrain him with the chain”

“No” rejected Cheng.

Sarina pushed: “It’s your fault, deal with it”

Cheng grit his teeth but relented. The dark chain slithered out of his arm and began to elongate and surround Jin’s body as if into a complete cocoon. Only his face remained seen.

Cheng coldly harrumphed before turning around.

Sarina sighed.

Then, she said: “What do you plan to do now, Nangua?”

Nangua looked at the horizon: “I will go with your group”

Sarina nodded with a small smile. Having this monster with them was useful too.

A few hours later, a boat appeared on the horizon.

It was an unassuming one but it did sport the flag of the Oceanics which made it a very secure vessel to travel on.

It stayed a bit further from the coast so as not to be destroyed by the rocks.

Cheng stated: “That’s our ride, let’s go”

The three of them activated their spiritual techniques and stepped through the air with nangua holding onto Ame and Cheng onto Jin.

They walked all the way until they touched the ground of the boat.

Aside from Cheng, they were all surprised to find the boat empty.

Then, they heard a hollow voice from the helm. As they looked, a slightly illusory shape materialized.

It was a man in his forties. It had a long cape and a pirate hat. Its teeth were golden. It laughed as he called out to Cheng: “Customer Cheng, it has been so many years! You sure have changed!”

Cheng chuckled: “And you sure did not, Seagull”

Seagull laughed happily for a few seconds before he turned completely serious and asked: “Do you have the payment, customer?”

Cheng nodded as he took out an item from his spatial ring and throw it to the phantom. It was a severed head.

Grunleden’s severed head.

The phantom grabbed it and laughed: “Good, good, good! You certainly do not disappoint, Customer Cheng! Where would you like this humble Seagull to take you this time?”

Cheng grinned: “Sannhil, the Republic of Cobra”

The phantom gazed deeply into Cheng’s eyes before laughing: “But of course, customer Cheng! We shall immediately depart!”

The severed head disappeared and the boat began to turn.

Within a cabin inside the ship, Sarina screamed at Cheng: “Do you have no respect for the dead?!”

Cheng calmly answered: “None”

She remained frozen for a moment, stunned by his honest answer, before she continued: “Without Grunleden, we would have died!”

Cheng nodded.

Sarina added: “And yet you disrespect his corpse like that?!”

Cheng nodded again.

Sarina got up and furiously left the room.

Cheng turned to Nangua and asked: “Do you think the same?”

Nangua shook his shoulders: “I don’t care. It’s a price I don’t mind paying”

Cheng nodded.

Then, he turned his gaze towards the two beds in which laid Jin and Ame. He asked Nangua: “What about his items?”

Nangua stated: “The ring is in his corrupted arm. That ring…It’s quite durable”

Cheng nodded: “The Sun Empire Royal Rings were made from a Saint’s bones. They can’t be faked nor destroyed”

Nangua chuckled: “Did you want to rob him?”

Cheng turned with a grin: “If the situation called for it”

Nangua frowned.

Then they both laughed. Cheng took out a bottle of Frone and asked: “Want some?”

Nangua created a glass from vines and pushed it forward.

It was time to celebrate their great escape.