Chapter 161 — Jacob’s Grave

Victor and Lyra finally reached the area where Jacob's grave was located.

As they drew closer, Victor's pace gradually slowed.

Lyra followed a few steps behind, saying nothing. The melancholy in his expression was obvious, but there was something else as well.

She could feel it through the Soul Bond.

A quiet weight.

Something inside Victor had changed.

Lyra didn't ask what was wrong.

She simply followed.

The two walked slowly along the riverbank, the sound of flowing water accompanying them through the familiar forest.

Victor remembered this place.

Six months ago, when he had first traveled through this area, he had no idea what waited ahead of him.

He hadn't known about the panther.

He hadn't known about the tribe hidden beneath the forest.

He hadn't known about the Lava Rock Monkey clan.

He certainly hadn't known about Lyra.

So much had happened since then that the memories almost seemed to blur together.

Sometimes, it was difficult to believe that all of it had actually happened.

Victor continued walking.

Then he saw it.

The grave.

A small smile appeared on his face.

He approached it slowly.

After a moment, he glanced back at Lyra.

"Just give me a moment."

Lyra nodded.

She walked about fifteen feet away and sat down.

Then she closed her eyes and began cultivating.

Victor felt her consciousness slip into the Library.

She was giving him privacy.

Without saying anything, Victor walked toward the grave and sat down beside it.

For several seconds, he simply stared at the gravestone.

Then he smiled.

A quiet laugh escaped him.

"Jacob…"

He shook his head.

"You wouldn't believe what I've been through these last six months."

He paused.

"Honestly, it almost sounds like half nightmare, half adventure."

Victor suddenly laughed again.

This time, it was louder.

He turned his attention back toward the grave.

"You know…"

His voice became quieter.

"That thing you told me about conviction."

Victor rested his hands against his knees.

"And not having regrets."

He paused.

His gaze lowered.

"I wouldn't be alive right now without it.

The memories returned to him.

The decisions.

The fights.

The moments when he had been afraid.

The moments when he had wanted to give up.

Each time, Jacob's words had remained somewhere in the back of his mind.

"You don't know it, Jacob, but you had a huge part in who I'm becoming."

Victor slowly lay back against the ground.

Above him, the cavern's luminescent lights shifted and fluctuated, casting faint changes of light across the ceiling.

He stared upward.

For a while, he said nothing.

As though giving Jacob time to listen.

Eventually, Victor laughed quietly.

"You know, I haven't forgotten about your daughter."

His eyes remained on the cavern ceiling.

"One day, when I get out of here… when I leave the Alchemy Tower and take the next steps…"

He paused.

"I'm still going to find her for you."

His voice became firm.

"I'll make sure she knows you loved her."

Victor looked toward the gravestone.

"And that you never forgot about her."

A quiet moment passed.

"And I'll have you know that I'll never forget about you either, Jacob."

He swallowed.

"You were one of my first true friends in this world."

Victor's smile faded slightly.

"And I'm not going to lie…"

He took a slow breath.

"I really miss you."

He shook his head.

"Wait. You don't want to hear all this mushy stuff."

A small laugh escaped him.

Then Victor began talking.

For the next fifteen or twenty minutes, he told Jacob everything.

He talked about what had happened after Jacob's death.

He spoke as though Jacob were sitting beside him.

Sometimes he laughed.

Sometimes he paused.

Sometimes his voice became quieter.

There were moments when he shook his head at things that still seemed ridiculous even after everything he had experienced.

And through it all, the grave remained silent.

When Victor finally ran out of things to say, he remained seated for a while longer.

Eventually, he knew it was time.

Victor slowly stood.

He looked at the gravestone one final time.

Then he placed one hand against it.

"I'll be back before long, Jacob."

His voice was quiet.

"This is goodbye for now."

He smiled.

Victor lowered his hand.

Then he turned and walked away.

Lyra was still sitting nearby.

Victor approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Let's go."

Lyra opened her eyes.

She looked at him for a moment.

Then she nodded.

Together, they continued toward Victor's old waterfall base.

It was only about ten minutes away.

When they arrived, Victor immediately recognized the place.

The familiar sound of rushing water filled the area.

But something was different.

Victor stepped inside.

Then he stopped.

Someone—or something—had apparently made a home inside his old base.

Victor stared for a moment.

He hadn't expected that.

Apparently, whatever had moved in wasn't home.

Victor couldn't help but find the situation slightly amusing.

He left everything as it was and walked toward the place where he had buried his belongings.

He dug into the ground.

A short while later, he found them.

Victor pulled everything out and quickly stored the supplies inside Liam's ring.

That included the item he had specifically returned for.

Elder Benton's token.

Once everything was secured, Victor stood and looked around the waterfall base one last time.

As he stepped outside, he couldn't help but smile.

Victor looked back toward the shelter.

His voice was quiet.

"Thank you for keeping me safe when I first arrived here."

He paused.

"And for giving me a place to live."

Victor turned away.

Then he looked up.

The waterfall stretched above them.

His expression slowly changed.

"How the heck am I supposed to climb back up there?"

Lyra looked at him.

Victor stared upward for another second.

Then he smiled.

"Right."

He activated Flash Step.

His figure vanished.

He reappeared several feet higher.

Victor used Flash Step one point at a time, slowly ascending the side of the mountain.

Behind him, Lyra followed with Shadow Step.

Her movements were smooth and graceful, her figure appearing and disappearing through the shadows as effortlessly as though the climb required no effort at all.

Victor continued upward.

Higher.

And higher.

Until the waterfall base slowly disappeared beneath them.

And together, they climbed toward the top.