"Ego... Ego!!"
Alfeus shouted while shaking Old Man Ego's body.
Old Man Ego's body showed no signs of movement, and Alfeus was devastated, having just found a new friend. In the silence of the night, the only sound that could be heard was Alfeus' sobbing from inside the remote house.
Because of the crying, Zebaoth tried to emerge from Alfeus' body. Alfeus grew furious as Zebaoth merely watched him cry beside him. As Alfeus' tears continued to flow, Zebaoth said, "Look at that hand!" In that instant, Alfeus glanced towards Old Man Ego's hand.
Alfeus jumped with joy as he saw Old Man Ego's fingers twitch slightly. At that moment, Alfeus cast a regeneration spell to revive Old Man Ego. It worked, and Old Man Ego regained consciousness with a blank expression, leaving Alfeus puzzled.
"I just took a short nap, and you used a regeneration spell?" Old Man Ego said in bewilderment.
"Huh, I didn't know you were only sleeping; I thought you had passed away. Don't make me that sad again! Hahaha!" Alfeus replied.
The warmth returned to the remote house as it became clear that Old Man Ego wasn't dead. It was quite ridiculous that Alfeus had resorted to using the regeneration spell.
In the end, Alfeus and Old Man Ego formed a strong bond of friendship. Old Man Ego expressed his desire to join Alfeus on his journey to find the Great Healer.
After that lighthearted moment and a bit of conversation, the two of them decided to go to sleep.
---
The night sky began to fade, and daylight started to emerge. Alfeus awoke and saw Old Man Ego preparing a meal in the kitchen.
Alfeus was deeply moved, having never before experienced sleeping in a comfortable place and waking up to find food prepared. In the past, he always had to search for food, often facing unprovoked physical attacks.
As Alfeus stood frozen in thought about his fate, Old Man Ego suddenly turned and invited him to eat the meal he had prepared.
A bowl of codfish soup was set in front of Alfeus, and his heart softened as he inhaled the aroma of the delicious-looking food. He was extremely grateful to Old Man Ego because before meeting him, Alfeus had to scavenge for scraps in filthy places.
Finally, the two of them enjoyed the delicious codfish soup, and afterward, they discussed Alfeus' next steps in his quest to find the Great Healer.
There were three fundamental elements Alfeus needed to succeed in meeting the Great Healer. There was one thing Alfeus didn't know about the Great Healer: the Healer resided in a realm that was being suppressed by dark energy.
Therefore, the three essential things Alfeus needed were extraordinary physical strength, a mind forged through suffering, and a heart free from hesitation. "Alfeus, you have already mastered two essentials: physical strength and mental resilience!" Old Man Ego remarked.
However, the heart free of hesitation was something Alfeus had yet to master, as he still couldn't bear the thought of his false friend dying at Zebaoth's hands. This was something Old Man Ego had noticed. If Alfeus wanted to possess a cold, unwavering heart, he would have to learn to kill without being controlled by Zebaoth.
"How do I gain a heart free of hesitation?" Alfeus asked.
"Throughout your journey, your heart will gradually become empty..." Ego replied.
After discussing everything, Alfeus continued his journey, though Old Man Ego chose to stay in his home and assist Alfeus from within his mind.