Chapter 160 — Goodbye

Victor and Lyra eventually returned to the Lava Rock Monkey clan.

They crossed the familiar bridge and made their way toward the Lava Pool cultivation chamber. Victor's pace was steady, but his thoughts remained elsewhere.

The slave bracelet was still wrapped around his wrist.

He could still remember the cold warning.

Thirty seconds.

That was all it had given him.

The moment he stepped too far into the deeper forest, it would have destroyed his soul.

The realization had left a weight behind that Victor hadn't quite managed to shake.

As they entered the cultivation chamber, Monkalusa noticed them almost immediately.

The ancient monkey was partially submerged in the lava pool, the molten rock rolling quietly around his massive body. His eyes opened, and his gaze settled on Victor.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

Something was wrong.

Victor had left intending to continue deeper into the forest. Yet he was already back.

Monkalusa rose from the lava.

With a single leap, his enormous body shot upward. In midair, his form began to change. His bones shifted, his fur receded, and his massive frame contracted until he landed in his human form.

He looked directly at Victor.

"Why are you back already?"

Victor let out a quiet breath.

"We made it about halfway into the deeper forest."

He raised his arm.

The bracelet caught the light.

"We were planning to continue toward the location I told you about, but right when we made it halfway…"

Victor tapped the bracelet with his other hand.

"This thing went off."

Monkalusa's eyes narrowed slightly.

Victor continued.

"It alerted me that if I went any farther, my soul would implode."

Silence settled between them.

Monkalusa looked at the bracelet for a long moment before shaking his head.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Victor."

There was no teasing in his voice.

"You must have been pretty excited finally being able to enter the deeper forest."

He paused.

"And then this thing just hits you with an enormous roadblock."

Victor lowered his arm.

"Yeah."

He looked down for a moment.

The frustration was difficult to hide.

He had finally reached Spirit Gathering. He had finally reached a point where the deeper forest was no longer an impossible destination.

Victor lifted his head.

"Honestly, at this point, my only option is to go back to the Alchemy Tower."

Monkalusa nodded.

"That makes sense."

"I have to get them to remove this slave bracelet."

Victor glanced at it again.

"Which shouldn't be difficult."

Monkalusa gave another nod.

"When are you planning to leave?"

Victor didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he looked toward the entrance of the cultivation chamber.

The familiar passage stretched beyond it.

Now, knowing he might not see them again for some time, they seemed strangely different.

"I think very soon."

Victor turned back toward Monkalusa.

"Could you call Monkaster and Monkasa? I'd like to say goodbye."

He hesitated.

"I don't know how long I'm going to be in the Alchemy Tower."

Monkalusa watched him for a moment.

Then he nodded.

"Yeah. I can do that."

For a brief moment, his eyes seemed to lose focus.

He stood completely still.

Then he looked back at Victor.

"They'll be here in a few minutes."

Victor understood.

Telepathy.

At a certain level of cultivation, communication no longer required words spoken aloud.

His attention shifted toward Lyra.

She had already found somewhere to sit.

Her eyes were closed, and her breathing had settled into the slow rhythm of cultivation.

Victor stared at her.

He already knew where she was.

The Library.

Every time they stopped moving for more than a few moments, Lyra seemed to find her way back there.

Victor shook his head with a quiet laugh.

"She's becoming somewhat of an addict."

A few moments later, footsteps approached.

Monkasa and Monkaster entered the cultivation chamber.

Monkasa's face brightened the instant he saw Victor.

"Victor!"

Victor walked toward him and pulled him into a hug.

Monkasa hugged him back tightly.

When they separated, Victor turned toward Monkaster and bowed.

"Teacher."

Monkaster looked at him.

Victor was stronger than him now.

Yet the bow remained.

Victor had not forgotten who had taught him when he was weak, when his martial arts were practically nonexistent, and when he hadn't even understood how much he was lacking.

Monkaster had taught him anyway.

Victor would always respect him for that.

Victor straightened.

For a moment, Monkaster simply looked at him.

Then he smiled.

Victor spent the next several minutes explaining what had happened.

Monkasa listened without interrupting.

His usual grin was nowhere to be seen.

The corners of his mouth remained still as he looked at Victor.

It was clear that the thought of Victor leaving hurt him.

Somewhere along the way, the two had stopped being merely friends.

To Monkasa, Victor was family.

A brother.

And now that brother was leaving.

Monkasa lowered his eyes for a moment.

Then his expression slowly hardened.

He wasn't going to let Victor leave him behind.

I'll become stronger.

His hands tightened.

Before you come back, I'll catch up to you.

No matter how long it took.

No matter how hard he had to train.

He would not allow the distance between them to become permanent.

Victor and Moncasa exchanged a few final words.

Eventually, there was nothing left to say.

Victor looked toward Lyra.

"Lyra."

Her eyes opened.

She looked at him.

"It's time to go."

Lyra nodded and stood.

Victor and Lyra walked toward the entrance.

At the threshold, Victor stopped.

He turned around.

For a moment, he simply looked at them.

"Take care of yourselves."

Monkasa smiled.

"You too, brother."

Victor smiled back.

Then he turned away.

He and Lyra disappeared into the cavern.

The three Lava Rock Monkeys remained at the entrance, watching until they could no longer see them.

Monkalusa's gaze lingered on the empty passage.

He wondered what Victor would look like the next time they met.

A faint smile appeared on Monkalusa's face.

What kind of monster will you become by then?

For now, Victor was gone.

But the Lava Rock Monkey clan would remain behind him.

Until the day he returned.

Victor and Lyra crossed the bridge.

The familiar sound of rushing water passed beneath them as they moved into the forest.

There were a few things he needed to do before leaving.

The first was Jacob.

Victor wanted to visit his grave.

Before leaving the cavern, he needed to take a moment with the old man who had once treated him like family.

The second was his old waterfall base.

There were still supplies buried there.

Most importantly, Elder Benton's token.

He and Lyra continued through the forest.

Everything passed around them as they moved south.