"I want to stay! I want to live with you!"

For the first time, Iva’s voice rings loud and clear as she lets her buried feelings spill over, brought to the surface by Xiao’s kindness.

"I see," Xiao replies with a soft smile, feeling a sense of satisfaction as Iva finally shares her true thoughts.

He gently pats her head, letting her cry it out while he contemplates the weight of her words.

("She’s spoken her heart… but what about me?")

Xiao questioned his own morality. He questions himself to bring Iva back with him without asking the villagers' concern in her village.

But after Xiao thinks deeply, he realizes that that was just an excuse he uses to deceive himself from the real reason. The reason why he insists on bringing Iva back to her village in the first place.

("No. That's just a stupid excuse for myself. The truth is...")

Xiao was afraid, afraid that someone he knew died in front of him again. He couldn't bear to suffer the guilt of being the only one to survive in the end, and everyone around blames him for it.

Xiao thinks back on his past experience with his family and Lars. He shivers uncontrollably as he still can hear the angry voices of the others in his mind.

("I'm weak, super weak. I'm only good at running away and protecting myself. Hell, it didn't even count as protecting myself as I can't die.")

Can he protect Iva for the rest of his life? The answer is obviously no for Xiao. He knew his limit, for he is not as strong as Hatta or the other heroes.

Xiao looks at Iva, who was in his arms, looking relieved from revealing her true feelings.

("Her life will be in my hands if I agree to bring her back. Can I keep her away from harm? Can I protect her for the rest of my life?")

After a long and serious thought, Xiao finally comes to terms with himself as he comes out with a solution, the only solution to convince himself to take responsibility for Iva's life.

("It’s the only way.")

Without realizing it, he murmurs his conclusion aloud.

"Yes?" Iva looked at him as she thought Xiao was speaking to her.

“Ah, it’s nothing,” Xiao replies with a smile as he helps her to her feet. “And one more thing—since you’ll be staying with me from now on, just call me Xiao, not “mister.”

"Okay...mis-sorry, Xiao."

Iva timidly called Xiao's name for the first time, and Xiao nodded his head in satisfaction.

"With that being said, let's go home then, shall we?"

At his words, Iva’s face brightens into the purest, most beautiful smile Xiao’s ever seen.

“Yes!” she replies with newfound energy.

("Still, getting out of here is not easy as it's being said. What to do? what to do?")

They are currently in the lair of the monster so-called man-eater.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Xiao deduced that since monsters around didn't dare to approach its lair and appear as a legend for Iva's village, this man-eater must be the strongest monster in the Shadow forest.

("So, we have a legendary monster that might or might not be lurking around, tons of monsters that can't be hurt with any physical attack, and the annoying fog.")

Usually, Xiao would not feel anything even when the situation was dire because he can't die.

But now, Xiao has to consider all factors and develop the safest plan to get them out of the forest.

Even without the man-eater, they still have to deal with monsters while traversing in the fog.

("We shouldn't be in this situation if we were to be more honest to each other.")

With the situation so dire, Xiao couldn't help but regret his stupidity and cowardness that put both of them in danger.

("Well, no use thinking of the past mistake. Away with my regret! And focus on finding the solution now!")

When Xiao was cracking his brain to come up with a solution, Iva noticed something and walked towards it.

"Xiao," Iva called out to him.

Xiao looks at Iva. She beckons him to go towards her.

As Xiao approached her, Iva pointed to the ground. Some shining stick was stuck in the ground, among a pile of armour and mud.

Curious, Xiao brushes away the mud, pulling out a gleaming staff with an orb and embedded jewels. He activates his Gamer Eyes, which show its name.

“Staff of Luminous”, a rank B mage weapon that enhances magic attacks, particularly those of the light element.

What catches Xiao's eye, though, is the staff’s second ability, “Purging Light.”

This skill emits a blinding light, keeping low-level, dark-dwelling monsters at bay. Most effective against wraith or spirit type monsters.

But for it to work, the staff must have a constant supply of mana—far more than Xiao could manage.

With Xiao's pathetic mana output, there is no way he can activate the skill, let alone continue to supply mana.

Then he glances at Iva. If anyone could keep the staff going, it would be her, with her abnormal body type to draw in mana endlessly.

Xiao scans the cave for anything useful, but besides the staff, there are only scattered pieces of armour and weapons.

("I was really hoping to find at least a map or something. Guess I wish for too much, huh?")

Xiao deduces that a group of adventurers must have braved this forest, only to fall prey to the man-eater, leaving behind their equipment, including the Staff of Luminous.

("Guess the party came prepared but fell prey to the man-eater.”)

"Setting aside the adventurers’ grim fate, Xiao focuses back on the present.

He instructs Iva to pour just enough mana into the staff.

“What is this?” Iva asks, eyeing the staff with curiosity.

“Our best shot at getting out of here,” Xiao says, wiping the last of the mud from it.

Though this skill can temporarily blast away any enemies around them, it can’t continue to stay active nor be able to cast in quick succession as the staff will need a small duration of cooldown before it can be cast again.

He also has her finger dip into the bottle of dark matter as a precaution of her mana haywire condition, ensuring her stability.

With the staff primed and both of them rested, Xiao and Iva brace themselves to leave this forsaken place.

As they approach the cave entrance, Xiao and Iva feel unseen eyes watching them from the fog.

“I’ll run as fast as I can,” Iva promises.

Xiao pats her head, smiling. “Good to know.”

“Since we can’t see much ahead, our best shot is to run straight without turning. We didn’t twist or turn on the way in, so we’ll stick to that.”

Xiao explained his plan to Iva. She replied to Xiao with a confident affirmative as she believes in Xiao.

“Ready?” Xiao asks.

Iva was holding Xiao's hand. She nodded her head and gripped his hand tightly in response.

"Alright, let's go."

With that being said, they start walking out of the cave and dive into the forest once more.

With just a few steps after they set their foot into the forest, monsters begin to appear all around them again, eager to inflict pain and death on them.

“Look at these little bastards—it seems like they were waiting for us,” Xiao mutters, raising the staff to prepare the spell.

"Xiao signals Iva to start running. As the monsters close in, he raises the Staff of Luminous high and yells,

“Purging Light!'