Chapter 142 - 143: Celebration

Chapter 142: Chapter 143: Celebration

They ate.

The fire crackled. The meat roasted. The smell filled the air. It was a simple meal. But it was a happy meal.

Fluffy was in heaven again. She had meat in both hands. She had meat in her mouth. She had meat on her lap. She was eating faster than anyone else.

"Fluffy," Daniel said. "Slow down."

Fluffy looked at him. Her cheeks were stuffed. Her eyes were wide.

"Fluffy can’t slow down," she mumbled. "Fluffy is celebrating."

"By eating?"

"Yes. Eating is celebrating."

Daniel laughed. "I guess you’re right."

He looked at the others. They were eating too. They were talking. They were laughing.

Paul was telling a story. About a mission he had been on. About a monster he had fought. About a woman he had met.

Cheeky was listening. She was smiling. She was laughing. She was relaxed.

Lyra was eating quietly. She was watching the others. She was smiling. A small, content smile.

Mittens was eating slowly. She was still nervous. She was still shy. But she was there. She was part of the group.

Brick Head was eating loudly. He was chewing with his mouth open. He was talking with his mouth full.

"This is good!" he shouted. "This is really good!"

"Brick Head," Daniel said. "Close your mouth."

Brick Head blinked. "What?"

"Your mouth. Close it."

Brick Head closed his mouth. He chewed. He swallowed. He opened his mouth again.

"Sorry," he said. "I forgot."

Daniel sighed. He looked at Cheeky. At her smiling face. At her happy eyes. At her healthy body.

She was different now. She was still shy. She was still nervous. But there was something else. Something new. Something confident.

She was a warrior now. She was an Iron Maiden.

---

They finished eating.

They sat around the fire. They were full. They were happy. They were content.

Daniel looked at them. At his team. At his family. At his friends.

"Alright," he said. "Now that we’ve celebrated, we need to talk about our next move."

They looked at him. Their expressions were serious.

"We need to get stronger," Daniel said. "We need to reach stage four. We need to reach stage five. We need to reach the aura realm."

Paul nodded. "We know."

"But we also need to find more strong women for my harem. The demon Zariod gave me six months to gather ten members. We’ve only got a few."

He paused.

"We need to find more. We need to bond with them. We need to get stronger."

Lyra spoke. "Where do we find them?"

Daniel thought about it. "The strongest guild. Heaven’s Domain. That’s where we’re going."

Paul nodded. "That’s right. The strongest guild in the world. They have powerful members. Powerful women."

Daniel nodded. "So that’s our first stop. We go to Heaven’s Domain. We find strong women. We bond with them. We get stronger."

He paused.

"Then we come back. We stop Lord Ashworth. We save the city."

They nodded. They were determined. They were ready.

---

Cheeky spoke.

"I have a question."

Daniel looked at her. "What?"

"Heaven’s Domain. The strongest guild. Are they... are they going to accept us? We’re not exactly... normal."

Daniel smiled. "We’ll make them accept us."

"How?"

"By being strong. By being useful. By being undeniable."

Cheeky nodded slowly. "Okay."

Paul spoke. "I have a question."

Daniel looked at him. "What?"

"Heaven’s Domain. The strongest guild. They have... they have standards. They don’t accept just anyone. We need to prove ourselves."

Daniel nodded. "So we’ll prove ourselves."

"How?"

"We’ll take a mission. A difficult one. We’ll complete it. We’ll show them what we can do."

Paul nodded slowly. "That could work."

"It will work."

---

Lyra spoke.

"I have a question."

Daniel looked at her. "What?"

"Lord Ashworth. He’s still out there. He’s still looking for us. What if he finds us before we reach Heaven’s Domain?"

Daniel thought about it. "We’ll deal with him."

"How?"

"We’ll fight him. If we have to."

"We can’t beat him. He’s at stage four."

"I know. But we’re getting stronger. We’re training. We’re improving."

He paused.

"And we have something he doesn’t."

Lyra blinked. "What?"

"Each other."

Lyra was silent. She looked at him. At his calm face. At his determined eyes.

"Okay," she said. "Okay."

---

Fluffy spoke.

"Fluffy has a question."

Daniel looked at her. "What?"

"Can Fluffy have more meat?"

Daniel sighed. "Later."

"But Fluffy is still hungry."

"I know."

"Fluffy wants more meat."

"I know."

"Can Fluffy—"

"Later."

Fluffy’s ears drooped. "Okay."

---

Mittens spoke.

"I have a question."

Daniel looked at her. "What?"

"Am I... am I really coming with you? To Heaven’s Domain?"

Daniel blinked. "Yes. Why wouldn’t you?"

"I’m not strong. I’m not useful. I’m just... me."

Daniel looked at her. At her scared face. At her trembling body. At her wet eyes.

"You’re coming with us," he said.

"But I’m not—"

"You’re coming with us. You’re part of the team. You’re part of the family."

Mittens stared at him. Her eyes were wet.

"But I’m not—"

"You’re coming with us. That’s final."

Mittens was silent. She was thinking. She was processing.

"Okay," she whispered. "Okay."

---

Brick Head spoke.

"I have a question."

Daniel looked at him. "What?"

"Where’s Heaven’s Domain?"

Daniel looked at Paul. Paul shrugged.

"It’s in the kingdom," Paul said. "A few days from here."

"A few days?"

"Yes."

"How many days?"

"Maybe a week. Maybe two."

Daniel sighed. "That’s too long."

"We don’t have a choice."

Daniel thought about it. "We’ll get a caravan. From the village. It’ll be faster."

Paul nodded. "That could work."

"It will work."

---

The fire crackled.

The stars twinkled.

The night was quiet.

Daniel looked at his team. At his family. At his friends.

"We have a long journey ahead of us," he said. "We have a lot of training to do. We have a lot of enemies to defeat."

He paused.

"But we have each other. And that’s enough."

They nodded. They smiled. They were ready.

Daniel lay back. He looked at the stars. At the moon. At the sky.

"Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight," they replied.

The fire crackled.

The stars twinkled.

The night was quiet.

---

The sun rose.

It was a slow, gentle sunrise. The sky turned from black to purple to pink to orange. The stars faded. The moon disappeared. The world woke up.

Daniel was the first to wake.

He opened his eyes slowly. His body was sore from the training. His muscles were aching. But he was alive. He was breathing. He was here.

He sat up. He looked around.

The camp was quiet. The fire had died down to embers. The others were still asleep.

Paul was leaning against a tree. His head was tilted back. His mouth was open. He was snoring softly.

Cheeky was curled up near the fire. Her cloak was wrapped around her. Her hood was pulled low. She was sleeping peacefully. Her face was relaxed. Her breath was slow.

Brick Head was sprawled on the ground. His arms were spread wide. His legs were tangled. He was snoring loudly.

Fluffy was curled up beside Daniel. Her head was resting on his leg. Her ears were twitching. Her tail was wrapped around her body.

Mittens was curled up beside Fluffy. Her head was resting on Fluffy’s shoulder. Her cat ears were flat. Her tail was still.

Lyra was sitting against a tree. Her eyes were open. She was watching him.

Daniel smiled. "Morning."

Lyra nodded. "Morning."

"How long have you been awake?"

"A while."

"You didn’t sleep?"

"I slept a little."

Daniel looked at her. At her tired eyes. At her exhausted face. At her determined expression.

"You okay?" he asked.

Lyra nodded. "I’m okay."

"You sure?"

"Yes."

Daniel didn’t believe her. But he didn’t push. He just stood up. He stretched his arms above his head. His joints popped. His muscles relaxed.

"Time to wake the others," he said.

Lyra nodded. She stood up. She stretched her arms. She looked at the others.

"We should wake them," she said.

"Yeah."

---

They woke the others.

Paul groaned. He rubbed his eyes. He looked around. He was confused.

"What time is it?" he mumbled.

"Morning," Daniel said.

"Already?"

"Yes."

Paul groaned again. He stood up. He stretched. He winced.

"My body hurts," he said.

"I know."

"Everything hurts."

"I know."

"I hate my life."

"I know."

Cheeky woke up quietly. She sat up. She pulled her hood lower. She looked around. She was nervous. But she was smiling.

Brick Head woke up loudly. He jumped to his feet. He stretched his arms. He yawned.

"Good morning!" he shouted.

The others winced.

"Quiet," Paul hissed. "We’re hiding."

Brick Head blinked. "We are?"

"Yes."

"Oh. Right."

He lowered his voice. It was still loud.

"Good morning," he whispered.

Fluffy woke up slowly. She rubbed her eyes. She looked at Daniel. She smiled.

"Master," she said.

Daniel smiled. "Morning, Fluffy."

"Fluffy is hungry."

"I know."

"Fluffy wants meat."

"I know."

"Can Fluffy have meat?"

"Later."

Fluffy’s ears drooped. "Okay."

Mittens woke up last. She was scared. She was confused. She looked around. She saw the others. She relaxed.

"Good morning," she whispered.

Daniel nodded at her. "Morning."

---

They sat in a circle.

Daniel looked at them. At his team. At his family. At his friends.

"Today," he said, "we leave."

They looked at him. Their eyes were wide.

"Leave?" Paul asked.

"Yes. We’re going to the village. We’re getting a caravan. We’re going to Heaven’s Domain."

They nodded. They were ready.

"Pack your things," Daniel said. "We leave in an hour."

They stood up. They gathered their belongings. They prepared to leave.

Daniel looked at them. At his team. At his family. At his friends.

"We have a long journey ahead of us," he said. "But we’re ready."

He paused.

"Let’s go."