At last, Fang Zheng decided to head into the depths of Shadow Canyon with Mart and the others to thwart the Lich's evil plan. In fact, he had no other choice; Fang Zheng alone definitely couldn't make it out of Shadow Canyon, and since Mart and the others were determined to return, he had no choice but to go along. Thinking carefully, this might be a good idea; following these people might lead him to Shi Dong and Miss M, making it easier to leave later on.
The battle at Blood Riverbank had resulted in heavy casualties for the team; including Mart and Conan, only five knights survived. Among them, two were gravely injured, forcing Fang Zheng to once again play the role of a priest and use the Paladin's Holy Light Flash to heal their wounds. This naturally left Mart amazed, but unfortunately, Fang Zheng did not possess the Paladin skill Resurrection Technique, so he couldn't help those who had died. Even if he had, he likely wouldn't have saved them anyway. During his time with Knight Conan, Fang Zheng had learned that in this world, as long as one had a breath of life left, they could be saved, but resurrection was a different matter. That was in the domain of deities; any ordinary person trying to bring the dead back to life would likely be associated with Undead Mages who tamper with souls. Fang Zheng, still bearing the label of a Cultist, didn't want any more trouble by adding the title of a Necromancer.
According to Mart, the group chasing them was the main force that had previously ambushed them. They fought while retreating, losing many in the process, and finally decided to make a last stand at Blood Riverbank when they had no other options. If Fang Zheng hadn't arrived in time, it truly would have been a "fight to the death." Nevertheless, the situation turned out better than expected; of the group, including Mart and Conan, five Templars survived, which was some semblance of good news.
After Fang Zheng treated their wounds, the group immediately withdrew from Blood Riverbank. To their surprise, the journey was strangely peaceful with no further encounters with enemies. This was both good and bad news. The good news was they seemed to no longer be the primary target of the Lich; the bad news was that the Lich, no longer needing them, probably had enough assurance to complete the ritual. This meant they needed to hurry even more to stop his evil plans.
The night grew deeper.
Fang Zheng sat on a rock, watching the campfire before him. In the pitch-black wilderness, the orange-red flames were particularly reassuring, while the night wind swirled across the wasteland, strange sounds echoing from afar. It was unclear whether those were the roars of beasts or the screams of ghosts.
How interesting…
Seeing everything before him, Fang Zheng couldn't help but narrow his eyes and lean comfortably against the rock. He had grown up in the city and had traveled to some places before, but camping out in the endless wilderness with a campfire was a first. The novelty alone was quite intoxicating. It even made him feel as if he had traveled back in time to the wild eras centuries ago. Perhaps primitive people of ancient times did the same, sitting around a campfire, enjoying the warmth and driving away the darkness. This overwhelming sense of the passage of time hit him, causing Fang Zheng to be momentarily lost in thought.
"You don't travel much, do you?"
As Fang Zheng was enjoying the scenery, Mart walked over and sat beside him. Hearing Mart's question, Fang Zheng nodded.
"Yeah, not much. I was really busy before. To be honest, I can't even remember when was the last time I looked up at the starry sky."
"People often focus too much on the immediate, neglecting the beautiful scenery around them."
Mart smiled and looked at Fang Zheng.
"To be honest, sometimes it's better to take a walk, even in situations like this. After all, no one knows if they'll live to see tomorrow, so we must immerse ourselves in the present and enjoy it wholeheartedly. Only then will we not regret the beautiful moments we missed when we are about to die."
"Indeed, you make a good point."
Fang Zheng nodded in agreement at Mart's reflection. Those living in the city were no different. They were always busy with work and household chores, concerned only with mundane matters such as the price of food, medical insurance reimbursement, and other trivialities. Work, socializing with colleagues, worrying about children's studies and mortgage payments at home—they might even have to consider if gas prices had gone up recently. Who among them would truly care about what their city was like?
What is the purpose of one's life?
This question has different answers for everyone.
But the most important thing is…
"A person's life should be lived in such a way that when they look back, they won't regret wasting their time nor feel ashamed of doing nothing worthwhile…"
"Oh? That's quite interesting. Did you come up with that yourself?"
"No, I read it in a book a long time ago."
Noticing Mart's curious gaze, Fang Zheng shrugged.
"To be honest, I didn't take it seriously at the time. After all, everyone can preach grand philosophies, but… such talk usually isn't useful… But now, I kind of understand it."
"The advantage of youth is fearlessness; living cautiously may be stable, but it's also rather dull. If you ask me, it might be better not to understand some grand philosophies. If you do understand them, it probably means that in gaining something, you've lost something else."
Mart stood up and patted Fang Zheng's shoulder.
"It's late. Aren't you going to rest? We still have a journey ahead of us tomorrow."
"I'll stay a little longer."
"Alright, be careful. The scenery is beautiful, but danger is always present. Life is a journey shrouded in fog, and no one knows what will happen next."
"I'm well aware of that."
Fang Zheng resonated with Mart's sentiment—there was probably no one else who understood it better than him. Struck by a high-voltage line and then traveling through time and being reborn, what more could he possibly encounter in life?
Mart went back to rest, leaving Fang Zheng alone. But he didn't stay behind just to admire the scenery. After ensuring that no one was around, Fang Zheng took out a few Spirit Crystals he had stored earlier. Ever since learning from the system that he could top up, Fang Zheng could hardly wait. Now that he had the chance, he immediately began trying to recharge.
As soon as Fang Zheng took out the Spirit Crystals, the system's notification appeared before his eyes again.
[Valuable convertible materials detected. Proceed with conversion for recharge?]
"Yes."
Looking at the message, Fang Zheng unhesitatingly confirmed. He soon saw a golden circular array appear in his palm, and the Spirit Crystals within the array silently disintegrated into countless golden particles. These particles floated like iron filings attracted to a magnet and were absorbed into the array. Moments later, another system notification appeared before Fang Zheng.
[190 points of Crystal Energy absorbed. Please select usage]
190?
Seeing the number, Fang Zheng was stunned for a moment. According to his design, Crystal Energy converted at a 1:1 ratio for currency. So, these Spirit Crystals were only worth this much? But wait… if he remembered correctly, Crystal Energy converted to Dimensional Points at a 1:5 ratio. Did this mean he could only get a maximum of 38 Dimensional Points?
Fang Zheng's expression became stiff.
So, with his previous 5 Dimensional Points, he could only draw four times?
The question now was, should he draw? Draw? Or draw?
Fang Zheng thought this was a stupid question, one that didn't even need answering—if he didn't draw after topping up, how was he different from a salted fish?
Fang Zheng made a decisive choice.
Draw!