After the unfortunate incident regarding Hai Yan, Michael was finally moving through the forest. Unfortunately, the only items Hai Yan had with him were multiple tents and clothes that didn't fit Michael, so he decided to just ignore them and move on. Wordly belongings are unimportant after all.
He enjoyed the lifeliness and uniqueness of the forest compared to the forests he planted within the Immortal Spirit Farm. The sounds of animals, insects buzzing, and asymmetrical trees made him oddly happy. That's what was truly important. My own happiness.
"Why are you wandering through the forest instead of flying up to spot Yungyue City? That young master even told you about it." Iris questioned him.
"Iris, we have time. Isn't this beautiful? The atmosphere of the lively forest is exactly what I want to enjoy right now. And whether we end up in Yungyue city. I don't really care. I will just go wherever I feel like and eventually end up somewhere." Michael responded while exploring the forest without a care.
"If I see the city, I will go there. If not, then I won't," he continued.
"I knew I shouldn't have come with someone like you. Nature is boring. Let's get to the city and kick some ass." Iris grumbled.
"Instead of complaining, focus on controlling the timeflow in your world. Get it right, and if we find some evil people, we can start your plan," Michael retorted.
"Yes, my plan. You are right for once. I will figure it out. Keep walking ahead." Iris commanded.
"Yes, yes. I will keep going until I find something new."
"Good, you finally understand."
After about 10 minutes of slow walking, Michael found an opening in the dense forest. As he stepped out, the sight of people and buildings greeted him in the distance.
"Look at that, Iris, we found the city!"
"Yes, I can see that, but something seems to be wrong. Why does the smell keep getting worse the closer we come?"
At first, it was hard to pinpoint why the city smelled so bad. But as they looked closer, it became clear that this was not a pleasant place.
They saw trash all over the place and numerous improvised small wooden sheds used as housing. People walked around in torn and dirty robes, exuding a feeling of poverty. The foul smell mostly consisted of the trash mixed with human feces and the smell of the people living within this environment. They were mostly thin and frail, with adults, elders, and even kids all amongst each other. A quick scan revealed that, unsurprisingly, no one in this area had any form of cultivation or spiritual energy.
"Is this how people live here? Most of them look like they could die at any second. The houses seem mostly self-built without any structure. There seemingly isn't even a clean way to dispose of feces. Poor people." Michael remarked.
"This is not how I imagined a populated city to look; I even liked your wood cities way more. How about we just skip this part and head right to the tall and nice-looking buildings in the distance?" Iris asked.
And indeed, after looking and focusing on the far distance, there seemed to be taller, sturdier, and prettier-looking buildings. There also seemed to be a wall around the inner part of the city.
"Don't be in such a rush. I want to explore this world. I want to see the good and the bad, the rich and the poor. I will first see what this place has to offer, then we can look at how to get inside the walls. First of all, I want to taste some food. Espacially meat."
With that, he walked into the outskirts of Yungyue City while ignoring Iris's comments.
He walked through the city while smiling at several poor and shady-looking people. Most people looked either like someone who was about to die of hunger or someone who was looking to steal someone's last belongings. Some people were working on fixing their broken wooden homes, while others worked on transporting the trash away. Overall, the atmosphere was grim, and it could be said that everyone was living on the edge of survival.
As Michael walked further into the city, the smell actually got better, and more and more stalls and even restaurants appeared. But as he looked at the signs of these stalls and shops, Michael realized that he had a huge problem.
"What are these symbols?" He looked around and saw different shops with different signs. The only problem was: He could not read them.
"Didn't we speak the same language as the natives? Why isn't there a single letter I can read? I have no idea what all these signs mean." He walked further and looked around, but there was indeed not a single letter he could read at all. "Iris what is going on?"
Iris thought for some time before responding, "It is indeed strange. I think the most likely scenario is that the language spoken in this world is different as well, but somehow you and me can hear it in our native languages. It has most likely something to do with the Immortal Spirit Farm, since there definitely was a translation between our languages while I was your "robot assistant Siri". Back then I could understand anything you said, but I still could not read the number in the sky, meaning everything got translated in between us." Iris explained her theory.
"It's possible," Michael pondered. "But how is the translation still active, and more importantly, if they can translate all languages between each other without any problem, how was the mail I received written so badly?"
"I have no idea, but it has to have something to do with Eurlers Trial or the Immortal Spirit Farm. Otherwise, it would not make sense. I think it is another remnant of a formation, which now somehow autotranslates everything for you."
As Michael "talked" with Iris while staring at different signs, suddenly a young boy in ragged clothes came up to him. "Mister, do you need help? Are you new in Yungyue?"
Michael was torn out of his conversation with Iris. "Me?" He looked at the little boy who looked like he was around the age of ten. "Oh, hey little guy, can you help me read these signs? What do they say?" Michael asked.
Now it was the young boy who was stunned. He can't even read? I already thought he had nothing since his clothes are made out of trees, but he cannot even read the signs. He is even poorer than me, the boy thought as he looked at Michael in pity.
"I can help you read them; I might even be able to give you a place to sleep. I have only one question. Are you strong? If yes, I will help you, and in return, you can help us."
This is getting weird. Michael thought and took a closer look at the boy. He had short black hair and dark brown eyes. He was around the height of Michael's belly. Surprisingly, no bad smell was emitting from the boy, making him the only resident without the lingering smell of trash or feces on him. Although he was young and short, he didn't look innocent at all. The opposite was the case. The boy looked like a seasoned veteran with caution but also some strenth in his demeanor.
Michael was intrigued by what this little boy had in mind. "Yes, I am quite strong, but why do you think I need a place to stay?" he asked.
"Your clothes are even worse than mine, and you don't even know how to read. It is obvious that you have nothing mister," the boy spoke out his thoughts truthfully, and as soon as the boy finished his sentence, a loud laugh was heard in Michael's head.
"Hahahaha, I can't believe it. A kid within deep poverty pities you. Your made-up dress really makes impressions. From caveman to poorest man in the slums, you really make a name for yourself." Iris laughed.
"Shut up!" Michael answered Iris as he took a look at himself. He still wore the same attire as he did when conversing with Hai Yan. The only difference was that there were some cuts in the outfit, which made it look even worse. After getting over the shock of how he was perceived by others, he turned back to the boy while still hearing the annoying laughter in his mind.
"Okay,. I agree. You will read the signs and give me a place to stay, and in return, I...?" He questioned the boy.
"You Mister," the boy answered, "will hunt us some food in the forest. The forest is very dangerous, and my sister forbade me from going there, so I can't hunt us any food or gather berries. You will hunt for us, so we can eat. In return, you can stay with us and even learn how to read and write," the boy explained while looking at the confused face of Michael.
"You live alone with your sister?" He asked.
"Yes mister"
"Where are your parents?"
"We don't have any. Technically, we are not even brother and sister, we just met each other in this part of the city as we were 3 years old and tried to survive together. We are calling each other brother and sister since we are each other's only family," the boy explained.
"So you were born here? Don't you have one memory of someone that could be your parent?"
"My first ever memory is crying while being in this part of the city. I never had someone to take care of me." The boy answered with a serious but not sad face. It seemed like he accepted the fact that nobody took care of him except his sister.
Michael gulped. This poor kid had to raise himself. This really is tragic, he thought.
"Last question." Michael said, "You grew up here, so you probably learned not to trust people. Why would you offer me a place to stay and overall help, while I could easily do what I want with you and your sister?"
The boy smiled at Michael's question. "I knew it mister, you are a good guy. A bad guy would never ask me this question. First of all, me and my sister need someone strong, and my sister really can't stand any bad smell. You were the only adult in the area who smelled good, so you were the only possible choice."
Michael was almost at a loss for words. "That's it? I smell good?"
"No, that's not all." The boy responded. "It was the most important part, but I could also just tell that you are a good person. I lived my whole life within the outskirts of Yungyue City. I know when someone has good or bad intentions towards us. And you mister, seemed like a good person from the moment I saw you. Which was then proven by our conversation. You were not angry at me for saying you are poor. You asked for my well-being and even asked to learn my story. I think my instincts and the evidence are enough to trust you," the boy explained.
"Wow." Iris exclaimed. "This little boy seems smarter than you with less than 1 millionth of life experience. Anyways, he just needs you for your muscles anyway, so be a good musclehead and work for him. Don't worry, he will do all the thinking for you." Iris teased.
But Michael didn't listen. Instead, he was now certain. A smart boy like this doesn't deserve to stay poor forever and just die in a place like this. I will do what he wants for now, but I will definitely get him out of this place.
"What is your name, little boy?"
"It's Kaishi. And don't call me "little boy". We are equals now."
"Ok Kaishi. I'm Michael, and don't act too grown up. You are still a kid after all."
He lowered his hand and patted Kaishi's head. "Alright, let's start. Tell me, what kind of animal can I hunt for you today?"
The boy wanted to dodge the head pats, but surprisingly, he couldn't. As he moved his head, Michael's hand stayed above his head.
"Hey, stop it," he said bashfully. At which Michael couldn't stop laughing.
"That's better. That is how a kid should act. Now tell me: What do you want to eat? I will get it for you."
"Mister, are you sure you can handle the forest?"
"Just say it. What do you want to eat? Maybe I will get lucky and find it for you. If not, I will just hunt something else."
"I always dreamt of eating the meat of a Tier 1 spirit beast. I heard they taste like heaven itself, but I know it will be impossible to hunt such a beast for us, so I just want something that has enough meat so all three of us can eat for today. That is the best I wish for. Even if you don't catch anything today, since you are an adult, you can handle more jobs than us and make money for yourself that way."
"It's fine, I am sure that I'm strong enough to hunt in this forest. But what about you? Why do you suddenly need an adult to hunt for you? What did you do before to get food? And what exactly is a Tier 1 spirit beast?"
"Mister, it wasn't always like this in the forest. Normally the wild and dangerous animals reside deep within the forest, and I could pick fruits and berries from the edge of the forest. If I got lucky, I would even find an injured animal to kill and bring back. We also both tried to find different jobs around the town to earn money, but most people didn't want children to do their work since adults are a lot stronger and faster. My sister luckily found a job, but it wasn't paying a lot. Since we couldn't earn much money, the forest was our main food source. But that all changed around one month ago. Wild animals were suddenly a lot more frequent at the edge of the forest, and a lot of people who went to the forest died. I heard people speculate that a legendary Tier 1 spirit beast found its territory deep within the forest and drove out all the animals within. This is when I heard greedy voices saying that the flesh of Tier 1 animals tastes like heaven and would even make you stronger. But even with all of that, nobody dared to hunt for it, since even the normal animals were too much to handle for most hunters in the city. After all, it is said that even cultivators would struggle with a Tier 1 spirit beast." Kaishi explained.
"Anyways, my sister forbid me to go into the forest, and we could no longer live off of the forest, so we searched for someone who could hunt for us, but found no one who looked strong and could be trusted until I found you. Please, mister, if you join and help us, we will help you with everything you need," Kaishi pleaded.
Michael just sighed, seeing the desperate Kaishi. "No need to be so afraid. I won't back down, even after knowing that there is danger. I already said I would hunt for you, so I will do it. In exchange, you can teach me to read, and I can sleep at your place. It will be just like we agreed to. Just wait here for about one hour, and I will be back with some delicous meat." After he said that he left without waiting for Kaishi's response.
Kaishi was dumbfounded; he couldn't believe that the man who looked poorer than them would risk his life to bring food in for his sister and him. I knew I could trust my instincts. He is someone that can be trusted. Now I really hope he comes back alive. With food or without food, I am really thankful for him.
As Kaishi waited while nervously playing with his fingers, Michael was not nervous at all. Even while standing in the "dangerous" forest, he couldn't be more relaxed. "I say, just hunt the Tier 1 spirit beast and let them eat it. Then their whole situation would be better again, and they can survive on their own," Iris said.
"Iris, there is no fun in that. Doing things slowly is a lot better. I really like this boy. I want to know more about him and his sister and eventually bring them out of poverty. If I hunt the Tier 1 spirit beast now, only bad things happen. They would worship me, they would be afraid of me, they would try to please me, they would try to suck up to me. I just want them to behave like they would to a normal homeless person and just bring them some food for now. I will just hunt something that has enough meat for everyone." Michael explained his plan, but suddenly his mind drifted to something else.
"I really hope one of them can cook meat. I can't wait to eat my first piece of meat since Earth." He thought and began singing in his mind. "Juicy, tasty, fresh meat. That's exactly what I need. I need to eat my meat quickly, otherwise I will be sickly. All I need is tasty meat, and I will be up to speed."
"Stop! Your songs are trash. Do you want to annoy me again?" Iris snapped at him.
"Sorry, my thoughts went astray," Michael responded and decided to focus on the hunt first.
Suddenly he released some of his divine sense, spotting everything in the entire forest. Then, in the blink of an eye, he moved to the nearest animal and killed it. Sadly, he used too much force, destroying the animal corpse completely. Sadly, he couldn't use the splattered corpse as food.
He repeated the same method while using less and less power. Finally, after his 12th attempt, the animal was just cut in two halves and could be cooked and eaten. "Finally, this was harder than I imagined," he said to Iris, who rolled her eyes.
"Yes, because you can't control your power properly. Didn't you already practice with the young master? How did that go better?" she asked.
"My good old friend, young master Han Yai was a lot stronger than these normal animals. With him, I could use the same amount of power I would use for a tree. These animals were just shattered to nothing as I used the same power. I can't believe that once I was even weaker. Anyways, now I know how to control my strength against normal animals and even normal humans if they wanted to kill me like the young master," Michael explained.
"His name was Hai Yan." Iris corrected.
"Exactly."
"..." "Well, at least it wasn't my name that you got wrong again."
"What was it Siri? I didn't hear what you said just now."
"Just shut up!"
"Ok, ok, I will stop disrespecting you or the young master. Both of you are an equal substantiation for my personal love and joy."
"I have nothing to do with that chump! Never compare me to him again!"
"And now you even disrespect the dead. Iris, you are a very bad person."
"You killed him!"
"That's why I don't talk bad about him."
"You just did though! Whatever, just stop this nonsensical talk. Let's just head back."
Since the start, around two minutes had passed, and Michael was done with the hunt.
"We need to wait until one hour is up. Let's continue our talk."
"Why do we need to wait? Just return and say you got lucky."
"Iris, I said wait for one hour. How can I just show up 58 minutes early? I will wait, so let's resume our trashtalk."
"Ahh. Whatever, let's do it. But don't think you can trigger me again. I will beat you up verbally now."
Michael "waited" in the forest for 58 more minutes and came out of the forest while carrying both halves of the hunted animal, which looked like a bigger version of a tiger. Even though he did nothing but stand in the forest for the whole hour, he still looked quite exhausted.
"One hour bickering with you isn't easy at all. I have to say it was a good fight." Michael said within his head.
"I agree. This time it was a draw. Next time we will settle this. Who is the better trash talker? It will be me." Iris grinned.
It feels good to talk to someone without having to pay any attention to what comes out of my mouth. Could be the first time ever Michael thought.