Tempering Formula was also known as a mediation technique used by cannon fodders. Only the most desperate Essence gatherers would use this technique to practice.

But Ju didn't have a choice. He was having frequent confrontations and had to do something to increase his strength.

A vicious look appeared on his immature face, which was partly covered; no doubt it was the manager at the distribution camp who sold the information to the other scavengers who ambushed him just now.

"Not like there is anything I can do about it now."

But Ju shook his head as a helpless feeling filled his heart. Even if he knew who set him up, there was nothing to do. Even if the manager was not an essence artist, the distribution camp was heavily guarded by beings of that level.

However, this did not mean that Ju had given up.

The teenager slowly brought out a bamboo slip. Ju drew out the parchment paper embedded in it. There was a medium-sized list of names. Some had question marks over them, some had a kill sign in front, and others were fully crossed out. Ju wrote the word "Manager" and placed a kill sign on it.

After this, Ju turned his gaze to the direction the remaining two scavengers went. A cold light flashed from his eye, and he continued ahead.

The night was still young and ripe for killing.

Two hours later, in between heavy breathing, the teenager made his way to a small cave. The last scavenger he went after was much more powerful than the others; Ju had to get injured in order to take him down.

Ju slowly made his way to a small, discreet cave nestled among craggy rock formations that tower like sentinels over the barren landscape.

"Overall, it was quite a fruitful outing."

Although he had met a few mishaps, Ju was quite satisfied with his gains. Thinking about the person waiting for him, Ju grew a bit more emotional.

"She would have been a little worried already."

The cave entrance was expertly camouflaged, obscured by twisted vines and scattered stones, making it nearly impossible to discern from the scraggly terrain above. Despite the constant wind that howls across the wasteland, the cave still projected a feeling like that of a fragile sanctuary, a pocket of safety from the harsher elements lurking outside.

Before he entered, Ju shivered a bit; a harsh, cold wind blew viciously; they were quite common in the Wastelands.

"It is really cold," Ju repeated once again in frustration.

Ju disliked the winds like this the most. Countless times, intense cold had nearly taken his life; frostbite every year caused him so much pain that he could not breathe. Of all the terrible events that had happened to him, the cold of the Wastelands remained his earliest memory.

Ju shook off the disturbing thoughts as he looked around for a moment before twisting his lithe body amongst the scattered stones and entering inside.

Upon entering the cave, a distinct sense of silence and warmth enveloped Ju; it was a tranquillity that contrasted starkly with the chaos of the outside world. The interior walls are raw and unrefined, shaped by many years of natural erosion—smooth in some areas where small streams once coursed and rough in others, telling tales of hardship and survival. The faint scent of damp earth mingles with the cool, stale air, creating an atmosphere that feels both ancient and ephemeral.

The teenager could already feel his nerves calming down.

Ju occasionally tapped his feet in measured rhythms against the rocky floor—a prearranged signal, alerting someone to his presence without alerting any would-be intruders. Each tap resonates subtly against the cave walls, the sound muffled yet discernible, conveying a secret signal indiscernible to other ears.

A few minutes later, a small opening appeared on the ground of the cave in response to his actions, and the teenager descended into the main hideout.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Inside the underground residence, light struggled to penetrate the darkness. A few makeshift light sources, crafted from salvaged materials, flicker in the shadowy corners.

Ju had fashioned oil lamps from hollowed stones, their insides lined with bits of cloth soaked in animal fat. The dim glow casts wavering shadows that dance on the uneven surfaces, illuminating a small communal area where there was a small wooden table and two chairs.

Ju surveyed the cave place he had designed the past year; not much has changed since he and her first came here; it's evident that this residence has been modified to only suit the bare essentials—there's hardly any decoration, just a few scattered items that speak of practicality.

A modest pile of dried leaves serves as their bed, providing a thin layer of comfort against the hard ground. A stone hearth, blackened from previous fires, is encircled by a few smooth stones that Ju has gathered, where they occasionally manage to bring life to the flame for warmth and cooking.

"You are back."

A soft, ethereal voice echoed.

A small girl in a blue dress who seemed to be around 6 or 7 years old stepped forward. She approached Ju with a slight smile on her face.

Even though this secret room was still poorly lit, the girl's snow-white skin was visible. A pair of large black eyes made contact with the deep purple iris.

Her hair was black and long, so long it touched the floor, yet it didn't seem untidy; instead, it flowed elegantly like a waterfall.

She looked at the young boy, who was just a bit taller than her, completely covered with black cloth with bandages around the arms, and frowned a bit.

"You are injured. Was It because you got the tempering FFormula?"

Her intelligence was displayed as she accurately guessed what had happened.

Ju nodded slowly; his voice seemed to be just as delicate as that of the small girl.

"Five ambushed me, but they have been taken care of; there is no need to worry."

The girl didn't ask about the matter again; if Ju said there was nothing to worry about, then there was nothing to worry about.

"Okay, let me see the wound."

Ju didn't reply, but he carefully put his storage bag away and pulled the clothing from his upper body.

Surprisingly, the skin underneath was also white, like that of the girl child. But if the girl's skin was like snow white, representing purity, this was an uncomfortable type of white, like that of a cold corpse.

Across Ju's torso was a deep slash that extended diagonally from his right rib almost to the pelvic region; it seemed as if the cut went a little bit deeper, he would have been bisected into two. Patches of blood could be seen around the wound; however, it was apparent that the youth's body had healed independently to some extent.

Even after seeing such a horrifying injury, the small girl didn't change her expression. She brought a long needle, thread, and three small containers. Ju rested on a mat. As she spread a white powder over the wound, a sharp sizzling sound could be heard as the skin contracted vigorously. Then, a red liquid was applied almost immediately to clean the area.

With a speed that was unnatural for her age, she went ahead to rapidly stitch the wound; it was obvious that the girl had performed this action many times. The thread over the wound was so thin it looked transparent. Finally, she brought the last container and spread a brown ointment over her palms; with a calm expression, the little delicately massaged the wound and other areas over Ju's upper body.

When she was finished.

Ju sat up and spoke lightly as he called her by name. Obviously, it was not her real name, but she had to be called something.

"Words have meaning; Names have power." The teenager was not sure where he knew the quote from, but he felt it was valid and important.

"MoonFlower, is there still Water and Food?"

Ju had found MoonFlower more than a year ago; she was left lying face flat in a pond; at first, he was sure that she was dead, but at that moment when Ju was about to leave, she struggled and faced him.

A single moment when their eyes met seemed to last an eternity. The toddler did not cry or make a fuss; a pair of pitch-black eyes looked back at the deep purple light. Ju did not say a single word. Instead, he picked her up and left the area.

From then on, he raised her like a parent would raise a child, even though he himself was still just a child in the end.

The girl hesitated a bit before answering thoughtfully.

"There isn't much left; I left some for you."

A slight look of dissatisfaction appeared on Ju's single eye.

"Don't worry about me. Always make sure you are not hungry or thirsty."

Ju then brought out his small bag and emptied its contents. There was the Bamboo slip, the rusty dagger, a blue scroll, a white pill, and… small cakes covered with a transparent wrapper.

A look of excitement shone from the Moon Flower's black eyes, but she was patient as Ju unwrapped the cakes; he then handed them over to her.

But the small girl shook her head and sat on the youth's lap. Ju's face appeared helpless, but he still went on to feed her the small cakes.

After she had finished the cakes, the girl asked softly.

"Are you going to start learning the Tempering Formula? Also, I don't think you can go to the distribution area again; people will be with you from now on."

Ju's single eye shone as he replied.

"I would not start learning it right now; it's not safe here. I plan on heading south to work at the mines. Hopefully, in a few years, I will have gathered enough money to get us a residence in Ender Town. The security is guaranteed, and then I can start to comprehend the Formula."

After hearing Ju's explanation, the girl didn't say anything again. She rested her head on the youth's Chest and slowly drifted into sleep.

In this cold and cruel world, this was one of the rare occurrences filled with intense warmth.