Both the Chief and Edmond stared with shock as Aaron deftly opened the door and started running in the direction of the forest. Looking through the door, they saw that the dog was also following, and it caught up quickly with the youth who had started to run on all fours for speed.

“How is he going to…”

All Hamlets had wooden spikes placed on the borders to detract any beasts or Teras from wanting to make their way inside. So, Edmond was going to voice the question regarding how Aaron would get past them.

Hamlets were small settlements with around 100-200 members. As such, the area was small, which meant that Aaron reached the border in barely a few seconds.

So, his actions were visible to Edmond and the Chief.

The latter didn’t even need to finish his question before he saw the answer.

As if he had done it many times, Aaron used his hands and legs to propel himself onto the spikes. There was nothing to hold on to, but he still managed to hold on and jump even farther up before smoothly vaulting over the 8-foot high spikes.

As for the husky, it was even more impressive. A single leap was enough, the sight of which caused even the Chief’s jaw to drop.

It looked so normal…but that was definitely a powerful Tera!

He remarked this in his mind, while the Hub which was activated waited for a command.

Even though 5 seconds passed, the two were still staring at the spot from where the duo had exited the Hamlet.

“Holographic World Government Hub shutting down because no commands were received. Have a good day.”

This finally brought the two back to their senses.

“Why did he run like that?”, asked Edmond, completely stumped as to why someone would have such a violent reaction just because of a simple Hologram.

True, it was supposed to be rare in Hamlets, but was it really that earth-shattering?

Why had he looked like he had seen a…ghost?

But, even if he had seen a ghost, what was so surprising about that?

These questions revolved in Edmond’s head while he saw the Chief sigh sadly and answer.

“How would you feel if you found out everything about Teras, Cores, the Apocalypse and the Path to the Stars all in one day? The poor kid was living in the jungle for years, for God’s sake! I should have taken more care so that he wouldn’t be inundated by the flood of info. I guess the hologram was the last straw. Don’t worry, he’ll be back. Come on. Let’s upload your report.”

Hearing this made Edmond finally understand the situation.

So that inquisitive guy was one of those who grew up in the forest?

Such people were truly rare, as the weak would be killed off and eaten the moment they were alone.

The Hamlet Chief had limited access to unofficial information, so he had only been amused and said on seeing someone like that.

Edmond knew more.For instance, he knew that the City Lord of Dion City was someone like that.

Apparently, if someone was able to survive by themselves in the forest, they would learn certain skills that would give them an edge no matter what path they chose.

In fact, it was even said that those who walked out of forests with all of their limbs and sanity intact would definitely be capable of great things.

Remembering these crucial pieces of information, gears started to turn in Edmond’s head, while his eyes shone with the fire of someone who had spotted an opportunity that couldn’t be wasted.

Normally, he wouldn’t have chosen to do something like this if he had any other choice.

Yet, he was desperate.

Tightening his fist, he let his anger wash over him for a brief second before returning to a cheerful mood.

The Chief had turned his attention to the hub, so he didn’t notice anything.

While watching the hologram form again, Edmond finalized his plan and looked forward to Aaron’s return.

…

Meanwhile, Aaron ran continuously for 40 minutes before finally stopping in a relatively empty spot.

Looking up, he saw the familiar canopy of trees obstructing the sunlight, which helped him to calm down his thundering heart.

He wasn’t tired at all. On the contrary, he felt more energetic than ever, which made him wonder whether those ‘buns’ he had eaten were made of some sort of special ingredients.

Years of running for long periods of time had built up his endurance to the state that he wouldn’t even flinch at running near his top speed for a few hours straight.

So, the reason behind his heart beating out of his chest was definitely everything he had discovered today.

A second later, Woof caught up.

Pausing and looking around first to make sure that there were no threats, it tilted its head and looked at him with a questioning expression in its eyes.

The sunlight that managed to slither through the thick leaves of the trees fell on its snowy fur, making those spots shine and light up.

Having no clue regarding what else to do, Aaron walked up to Woof and collapsed on its back.

This was his earliest memory, and also his fondest.

Back when he had awakened in that pod with a grumbling stomach and parched throat, he had only had darkness as his companion. He had screamed himself hoarse, but no one had answered for hours and hours.

He tried everything. From banging on the door to shaking his whole body in an attempt to dislodge the pod, hoping that it was just stuck somewhere.

He hadn’t known that he was buried beneath a veritable mountain of feces, and that there was no one around for miles except for the Bear which had swallowed his pod in the first place.

After a long period of time, the result of having no food to eat caused him to lose all his energy. He hadn’t even had the strength to raise his hand and bang on the door.

Yet, he still kept shouting, hoping against hope that someone or something would come. He was absolutely terrified that he had no idea regarding who or where he was, but the priority then had been to live.

Finally, he had gone into a semi-sleep like state. With his eyes closed, he still kept shouting hoarsely, but his consciousness faded in and out.

A few hours after that, even his shouts had been about to cease, but that was when he heard something.

Even though he was startled awake due to it, he drifted away into unconsciousness soon after, as it was already too late.

He knew that he was dying, and at that moment, his main regret had been that he knew nothing at all, except for his name and a meaningless sentence. Other than that, an extreme sadness also pervaded his mind, as he knew that he was going to die all alone.

That was when a miracle had occurred.

The door of the pod opened, and he vaguely felt himself hoisted by his collar onto something soft.

An intense smell assaulted his nose, but he only clung on for dear life with all the strength he had left.

That soft fur had been his symbol of hope…that had let him know that he was saved.

Despite the smell or the feelings of hunger, thirst, and weakness, he had snuggled into it, feeling safe for the first time in his memory.

He would never forget that moment, or just how much it had meant to him, who had given up all hope.

So, now, he once again returned to it.

His troubled feelings passed through his touch and appeared in Woof’s mind, who responded in the same way as it had all those years ago, when it had first found him.

“Woooo oooo ooo. Woo ooo.”

Lying down and letting him hug it, it cooed in a soft tone while laying down its head on its front legs.

A thought passed through the bond, which instantly made Aaron feel better.

‘It’ll all be all right. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. You're not alone. You’re safe.”

‘It’ll all be all right.’

‘It’ll all be all right.’

‘It’ll all be…’