The moment Wolf entered the flat, Anna came running.

“I will attend your classes this semester,” she shouted, grinning like a madwoman.

He gazed at the young lady rushing to meet him and saw the five stars on Anna’s uniform. I knew Anna studied hard and had sufficient theoretical knowledge. Her talent blocked her…

After a moment, Wolf understood what happened. To cope with trauma caused by Edwin, Anna’s soul advanced.

Even the blackest cloud has a silver lining.

“Congratulations.” He smiled and reached to shake Anna’s hand. Mandy would have first hugged me and showered me with kisses before dragging me to bed. Maybe she would tell me the reason behind her good mood at some point.

But Wolf didn’t feel dissatisfied. He had a lot of time to contemplate life in Demon Forest, and he arrived at certain conclusions. He realized he and Anna weren’t lovers. They were more like friends… without benefits.

As these thoughts flashed through Wolf’s mind, Anna surprised him. She didn’t take his outstretched hand. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him instead.

Well, some benefits. Wolf thought, enjoying himself as Anna’s growing chest squeezed against his face. This was a rare moment when he didn’t hate being short. In fact, he appreciated the sensation.

“You know, I could write some notes for you to study. That might help you advance further.” Anna underwent a groundbreaking change in the past half a year and Wolf wanted to help her along further. It’s ironic. To think her scum father helped her.

Wolf believed Margaret’s safety would’ve made Anna happier, even if her Mage Order forever stagnated. But the question remained whether she would appreciate the bliss of a peaceful life. If Edwin was a typical noble, it was possible Anna would’ve lived in dissatisfied, ignorant mediocrity, married off for breeding, like Barbara.

“Would you really?” Anna pressed Wolf’s face even deeper into her bosom. “Right. How about we celebrate at Will’s Place?”

Anna released Wolf and stepped back. “I’m not asking because I want to be seen with you. I— I genuinely wish to treat you to lunch.”

Wolf smiled, taking Anna’s hand. “Sure, let’s go.”

***

A day passed. Wolf frowned as he chopped vegetables next to South. The young man was deep in thought, recalling yesterday’s conversation with Mandy.

The woman wanted to advance her Sword-Sage Order, so she proposed they perform experiments on her. Her idea was less extreme and less expensive than their original accident. Wolf would refine a Seventh Order Monster Core and transmit the energy to Mandy.

“You’re having dirty thoughts while cooking. Didn’t I tell you it makes food taste slutty? Sigh. I feel ashamed for raising you so poorly. Where did I go wrong?” South nagged, while shaking his index finger at Wolf.

South’s words dragged Wolf back to reality. He remained quiet for a moment, then smiled.

“Since you’re asking… I guess your first mistake was offering alcohol to an eight-year-old. There’s also you talking about whores all the time and calling my girlfriend a whore the first time you saw her—” Wolf listed South’s wrongs one by one.

“If you don’t want my divine nectar, I can somehow manage without giving you any.” South shook his wineskin in front of Wolf’s face. “Regarding whores, wasn’t I right? They are the best! I caught wind of sycophants talking about catching virgins to gain your favor. As for your original whore… If she was good, you wouldn’t have gotten yourself an advanced model. And based on your smile, I can tell you like the advanced model better. When you stuck to the original, you always frowned and acted like a storm cloud and now here you are, cracking jokes. That must mean she is quite an improvement—” Wolf interrupted South.

“Right, Mandy has an idea about gathering Internal Energy from me, but her constitution is too poor. Do you know how we can improve her body?”

South took a swig from his wineskin, then looked at the garlic he was turning into translucent slices.

“A youth figured out a way to do it ages ago.” The drunkard stopped his chopping and looked Wolf square in the eye.

“Nothing wrong with helping your friends and women. But you should know, you’ll probably be infinitely happier if you live a frivolous life, go whoring and give up on everyone else. Not having attachments is vital when you expect to lead a long life. The longer your life expectancy, the more important being detached becomes…” Out of nowhere, South’s frivolous and jolly mood turned gloomy.

“Think about it. Do you believe it’s fun to watch your wives, children and grandchildren grow old, wither and die, while you remain eternal, unchanging? It hurts. It hurts a lot. And that’s the best outcome you can expect. You might end up killing some of them by accident. Worse still, imagine being forced to put them down like wild animals. I know you can’t have kids, but burying or killing your lovers and friends would warp your little mind. And there are worse fates. Imagine surviving by having those friends or siblings or lovers sacrifice themselves over and over for your sake. They willingly die to extend your miserable, insignificant existence by an epoch. Can you imagine that horror?”

South stopped speaking and started guzzling from his wineskin. He chugged and chugged for several minutes.

Wolf’s mind raced. The only sound in the dingy alley was the glug-glug as tonic entered South’s mouth. Anna and Barbara will die in a hundred years. If Wayde and Matilda become True-Namers, they will live two hundred years. Mandy will live another one hundred and ten, since she has both Internal Energy and is a Third Order Mage.

Wolf went through the optimal life expectancies of those around him, himself included. With two completed Mind Halls, and the third nearly finished, his body would last for three to four centuries, him being one step away from Sword-Saint meant another two centuries plus a stronger, healthier physical body.

Compared to me, everyone will die young. Wolf shuddered. Living a long life comes with its own woes. In fact, you could argue that every bond I make will become suffering one day.

But what am I supposed to do? Live alone? South probably started living alone after he had gone through Earthmother knows how many relationships and sorrows. I don’t think his approach is correct. Men aren’t islands, nor solitary stars. I can’t isolate myself from the world, no matter how much pain I may end up suffering.

The drunkard eventually moved the wineskin away from his lips. Despite the flagon being upside down, not a drop leaked out. “You’re not the first one to consider this. In ‘Fool Pursuing Immortality’ you can find research notes on elixirs. The author failed. Feeling resigned, he removed his thoughts and hopes before rewriting the book into an Alchemical manuscript, adding a word to the original title.”

Wolf recalled the book. Just like most volumes he got from South, ‘Fool Pursuing Immortality’ seemed full of gibberish. The only thing Wolf recalled after reading it was a bunch of exotic materials and their uses.

“Eventually, his friends, family and descendants died one by one and he was the only one left. Devastated, he secluded himself in his laboratory and sealed it from the world, along with his research.” South took a deep breath, then sighed. “The more you obsess over something, the more effort you put into realizing your obsession, the greater the blow you receive when you ultimately meet failure.”

South took two mouthfuls from his flagon. “His greatest tragedy was that he could have fulfilled his innermost desires by letting go. I tried telling him, but he refused to listen. By the time he realized I was correct, by the time he realized he was too weak, it was already too late. His opportunity had passed.”

Where can I find the correct elixir recipe? Reading Alchemical gibberish is…

“Recipe for improving Internal Energy capacity and transmutation of a flawed body is on page one hundred seventy-three.” Just as that thought crossed Wolf’s mind, South answered his question.

“The medicine is bitter and causes a week-long fever, so you can’t fool someone into drinking it. I think you can guess the value of a constitution enhancing potion, along with the consequences of publicizing its existence.” South’s voice turned grave, warning Wolf.

“Now that I’ve solved your problem, focus on cooking. Our meal is already a mess, but in a gumbo way. If you continue thinking about random things, it will end up a complete failure.” Just like that, the drunkard terminated the lunch conversation.

The two brothers prepared and consumed their meal in silence. Still, Wolf smiled. South pointed him in a proper direction and he had an idea how to help Mandy.