Ben hated coming back to this place.

However, it was not because he held terrible memories. Instead, he had too many good memories and didn't want to lose them.

Yet, that was inevitable since, even in ruins, this place brought him back to his childhood.

"Will I stop being bitter if I forget most of what happened?"

Looking weirdly at Ben, Syd squeaked.

"Yeah, it's hard. I'll be leaving soon, so do you like here?"

Syd nodded.

"I'm glad that's the case. Once I finish burying this back, I'll leave immediately. Like I said before, if nothing goes completely wrong, I'll return to rest here. If I don't, don't worry too much since I won't die so easily. So focus on being happy."

Syd sadly nodded again.

"I'm lucky you are smart and already went through a lot in life. Hopefully, you'll enjoy your days here."

Focusing back on the box, Ben calmly buried it again.

He then confirmed the ground was homogeneous before placing his hand on the floor and controlling the tree to envelop the box with thin roots again.

Having finished his word, Ben crouched down close to Syd.

"Alright, it's time to say goodbye." He said as he pointed the finger at the squirrel.

As a response, Syd held into the finger.

"Wish me good luck!"

...

Ben walked out of his hometown without even looking back.

He passed by the well again and took some water after cleaning himself.

He then checked the lake and noted that the structure he worked on had functioned well, which made him quite happy.

And while Ben couldn't feel it, he knew the squirrels were following him. And they would do so until he left the area under the influence of the tree.

---

Ben traveled alone this time.

While he wanted to believe otherwise, he quickly grew used to being by himself again.

Yet, his heart still ached while staring at the familiar sea.

With his feet on the water, Ben looked back at the beach.

He tried to recall the times he stared at his friend running around.

He tried to remember all those times from when he was very young to when he only saw new faces.

Yet while he recognized the place, the world around him felt too different.

The water on his feet felt sharp.

The cool breeze on his face was like knives.

The afternoon soon was unforgiving.

"What now, brain? There is no original memory of this place to burn anymore!" Ben laughed hysterically.

Ben loved this place.

He often recalled the times he spent here, but now there were only shadows of those events.

And everything felt even worse due to being annoyed with his sensory overload. So Ben took his small boat and departed, filled with anger.

It's been almost five thousand years since he felt this willing to kill someone. The last time was when he went against his village to bury his friend, Bruno. That only time he took upon himself to carry a mutiny.

Having a clear target, Ben emptied his mind to counter the sensory overload. Yet, unconsciously, he began whistling a melody of a war song he once sang with his friends.

"... I eat war for breakfast since I can't be bored on the battlefield..." He occasionally whispered the few words he could still recall.

---

Ben's travel was slow since he had another destination in mind. One that he didn't even know yet.

So, he only floated aimlessly around in the sea, carefully reading the tension in the air.

Once he finished his work by the sea, he walked around the main continent again, still somewhat aimlessly.

And while doing so, he didn't eat or sleep.

He didn't contact anyone or even think about anything else.

Ben forced his mind to only think about the objective.

Yet his body still contorted with the pain due to the ongoing ritual and the sensory overload.

However, despite his absentmindedness, Ben still noted down his read on a few notes he had kept on his body. He carefully documented the flow he could barely perceive.

And from time to time, despite acting like a machine, he still showed signs of being alive by whistling a melody from a specific song he recalled.

---

"We haven't talked in almost ten years, and you're this hurried." An elder said, sitting upright in the middle of a complex array.

"Grandpa, this isn't the time for that." Joyce Breaker replied.

"You should visit me more."

"I would if visiting you was easy. But it isn't."

"Did the new kid brainwash you? I heard she is giving the clan a lot of headaches."

"She is gone, and they don't accept it."

Joyce had pushed to have a meeting with her grandfather. She came to that decision after a long and detailed conversation with Eloise.

However, even when being so close, Joyce still had a hard time talking directly to Volcano's World Defender.

"I thought it was just some rebellion phase. But if you are this serious about it, then there is no hope. Do we have another descendent with potential?"

"If people wouldn't drive her mad, Eloise would likely help with that too. We don't lack talent. But those old idiots are too blind."

"If the danger you said is right, they'll wake up. But how can we move if you are this vague?"

"It's not their job to protect the world. And Eloise vowed on the spot. And so will I. If the information is false, I shall take your place anytime you want. No need to wait for the promised time."

After feeling the vow taking effect, the defender's expression turned stern.

"Well, this shit is serious then. But how could those kids convince you so much? Give me the report."

Joyce finally passed the report that Eloise brought to the hands of someone who could act on it.

However, that wasn't before working with Eloise on fixing it as much as they could. They would only have one chance at most, so they couldn't waste it. So Joyce and the had been working on this case for almost two months.

As her grandfather read the report, the pressure in the room slightly increased after he focused on absorbing the information.

Meanwhile, Joyce only sat there in silence, hoping for the best.

"Are you sure Eloise isn't blind due to the involvement of her savior? I may not question her husband due to his direct and open approach, but we don't know the details of that hidden existence. Have you seen him?"

"I only felt him vaguely from afar. I'm not crazy enough to poke where I shouldn't. You taught me well."

"Maybe too well."

"Eloise and Ginn bet their life on this."

"Their lives? I see. So if they're right, you'll take my position sooner."

"And if they're wrong, I'll take the position sooner, and there will be no drama since they would be gone."

"And the only thing I need to do is to take this seriously. And, if I don't, you'll hold this against me and delay the process even more than what you're already doing."

"Exactly. You know of my fears. I wouldn't have come here otherwise."

"You never liked the association. But I wouldn't have expected you to bet everything on this."

"You know my worries of corruption are unfounded. But I never liked it, and this is what I feared. And if someone like those three can't get an accurate grasp of the situation, maybe my instincts are wrong too."

"And how do you expect the guy to act?"

"I don't know. But I hope he'll send some information using the notes we gifted. I gave it away with this in mind anyway. So I've stationed at least one of my disciples at the station at all times."

"Since I don't have much to lose, and our family future depends on you, given the weight of your future position, I'll act like your guess is right."

"Then I swear that I will take the position seriously. I will not avoid my responsibility or act as if I am incompetent if the results surprise me."

"I always looked forward to your joining us, but I didn't want it to be like this."

"You taught me too well."

"I truly hope your guess is wrong. But I also don't look forward to seeing you hurt by that."

"I also want to be wrong. But even if I am, this was a wake-up call. The delay wasn't fixing anything. I was narrow-minded. I should've joined it and held that kind of scrutiny from within the high ranks. Even if it's unfounded, such a voice is needed. Because if not, and my fears are right, how many will die? But while I feared it, I acted with no urgency because I believed the issue was further away. But what if I was optimistic?"

"We are fucked."

"Now imagine if you were looking at a river and saw fish floating up, dead. Would you drink from it?"

"And that's how you feel about that existence?"

"I'll be honest. I follow your teachings closely. But even if I didn't, I would still hold him in high regard. Everything, the influence he carries, and the way he acts all point to him being the perfect nemesis of any world harvesting."

"Why?"

"You know my interest in the topic. I also judged with those terms. And being close at the time of the treatment and the kids' judgment later made me conclude that if someone like him can live, then maybe I'm wrong."

"Is he connected?"

"He seems very attuned to nature. So if someone can feel something we can't, he would fit. And I feel confident in that judgment since I've spent so much time in the research facility."

"I can guess what happened next. You grew a positive mindset. But then the young girl came with bad news, and that bomb was too much."

"It has been a long time since I felt like a little girl having a nightmare."

"That conclusion might still be wrong if the guy isn't what you expect. And you might have misunderstood him since he's hiding a lot."

"Wouldn't you feel enticed if he was that kind of existence? So if he's self-aware, he wouldn't come here, either way, to prove it to you. He wouldn't put himself under such scrutiny."

"And the kids want to protect someone like that? Even if they go against the world?"

"You again misunderstood something. Ginn would go against the world anyway, and he doesn't feel enticed. That lack of greed for longevity is likely the only reason that connection flourished. Would such an existence build a friendship with us? Or with anyone else who would at least consider refining him into medicine without hesitation?"

Her grandfather couldn't argue against that. Since he knew that once they got to such a high position, they all became calculative. Even if they chose not to cross some lines, most did it after considering everything.

"Fair, even if we both chose not to after considering it, we can't guarantee the next one in our line wouldn't do otherwise. But what next? Will the kid unify the whole world? An Empire of that size never succeeded."

"He might choose not to, but not because he can't."

"If my peers heard you, they would laugh their ass off thinking you're crazy."

"Yet I wouldn't be angry. I feel lucky instead."

"We are truly fucked."