Fairy tale: Little Red Riding Hood's wolf mentor

The trees on both sides moved rapidly behind us, and the surging distant mountains resembled the ridges of beasts.

The carriage, under the control of the old soldier, slowly came to a stop.

The road forked in the distance.

"What's wrong? Uncle Invi?"

Lake leaned out, looked at the surrounding scenery, and then at the map in her hand, pointing to the road on the right:

"According to the notes in the magic mirror, it should be closer to that vine location from here."

But the old soldier was silent for a moment before raising his hand and pointing in the opposite direction from Lake, towards the left:

"I think, although it will be a longer detour from here, it should be safer."

The old soldier continued to explain, "You should have felt it along the way, the world has become a bit... chaotic lately.

It's probably been happening since this century. After I left my homeland, I discovered that the same crisis wasn't just happening in the kingdoms where Danth and I were.

It's the same everywhere."

The old soldier sighed, "I don't know why this is. These historical matters should be considered by those scholars, but those well-dressed fellows didn't realize anything was wrong until they died.

But at least, we can choose a better path."

"A better path?"

Poro was taken aback, "You mean this side..."

"Yes, I know this road will be much safer."

"Why? Have you been there? What is that place?"

Poro was a little confused.

"That is the Pure Land, the only place beloved by God, known as Paradise on Earth, the Fertile Plains—everyone who has heard of this name yearns to settle there."

The old soldier continued, "The land there is blessed with eternal miracles; all food will never rot or spoil.

The food in the bowls is replenished the moment it is finished.

The fine wine in the glasses overflows as soon as it leaves the lips.

And in the center of the plains, the City of Miracles, Sweet, is even more so—delicacies, desserts, and sweets even fall from the sky; no one needs to work, and everyone wears a face of abundance."

"Ah?"

After the old soldier said these words, Poro and Lake widened their eyes, revealing an incredulous expression.

"Really?"

"Uncle Invi, are you telling a fairy tale?"

Poro and Lake said one after another.

It's no wonder Poro and Lake didn't quite believe it.

After all, anyone who has seen nothing but disaster from the beginning of their journey until now would not believe it if someone equally mired in darkness suddenly said that there was a road leading to paradise.

It's like you're surviving on a deserted island, and you've finally managed to grow wheat and eat a piece of dry bread.

Then, someone suddenly appears out of nowhere and says there's a convenience store in the nearby forest; it's just as absurd.

"This should be true, because..."

The old soldier Invi paused here, then added, "In the Fertile Plains, there may be a real angel."

"Angel?"

Lake widened her eyes, revealing a hint of surprise.

But Poro sized up the old soldier's expression and asked:

"It shouldn't be just because of this, right? You should have other plans, right?

If there were only benefits there, you would have said it earlier and wouldn't have explained so much."

The old soldier Invi listened and was silent again. This time, his silence was particularly long.

After a long while, he continued to speak:

"I... I'm not trying to hide anything from you. What I said should all be true. I saw it with my own eyes. It's just that I do have things I want to do there."

"What things?"

Poro and Lake looked curious.

"I want to find an angel.

The Star-Slaying Sword can kill the possessed prince, but the 'Dancer of Thorns' itself is different. I once glimpsed a corner of Him—

That is indeed a demon god far beyond my imagination."

The old soldier said, looking at Danth in the carriage, a trace of tenderness appeared on his face, but then he hid it again, "Ever since Danth was cursed—

I have wanted to kill the 'Dancer of Thorns' and end it all!

But I know that I am just an ordinary person using an invisibility cloak. I am far from being able to kill a god."

Speaking of this, the old soldier Invi, this man who had always shown perseverance, calmness, and experience.

A trace of pleading flashed in his eyes as he looked at Lake and Poro.

He opened his mouth twice before making a sound:

"You two are the most special travelers I have ever met. I lost almost all confidence in facing the 'Dancer of Thorns' a long time ago. I thought that one day I would kill that evil god!

But all I did... was rely on the concealment of the invisibility cloak to take Danth and hide.

In you, I saw hope for the first time—"

The old soldier took another deep breath, "I feel that apart from you, no one can help me through this difficult time. I know you have your own goals to go to.

Although we are temporarily going the same way, but—

I know that our destinations are ultimately different.

Facing an evil god is difficult; it's something most people would never consider in their lives. I would understand if you refuse...

But I still want to—

I wonder if I can get your help?"

Looking at the old soldier's sincere eyes, Poro and Lake were both stunned. He and Lake looked at each other. Without exchanging words, they quickly understood each other's meaning.

Lake laughed:

"Poro, those things in your body can't be left alone. I don't want you to become a monster like the Dancing Plague Prince."

"Hey, then I really have to go!"

Poro also scratched his head, "And... I'm also very curious about that so-called Paradise on Earth, where food falls from the sky!"

Poro and Lake turned to look at the old soldier, who already had a happy expression on his face, and said:

"Don't worry, Brother Invi, we will help you even if you don't say it—I have long been upset with that 'Dancer of Thorns'."

"Uncle Invi, we know you are a good person. We helped the Poren people together, and we will help you now."

The wrinkles on old soldier Invi's brow stretched out with his smile, and the haze that had accumulated deep in his eyes for a long time seemed to fade away a lot:

"Thank you... really, thank you very much."

The old soldier was not good at words, but at this moment, the sincerity in his eyes seemed extremely genuine.

...

Green shade, filled with lingering haze and forest mist.

In the evening, the afterglow of the distant sunset, through the dense leaves, faintly illuminated the rugged road ahead.

"So, that so-called 'Fertile Plains' really exists? There really is an angel?"

Lake asked curiously in the light of the torch.

"I... haven't seen that angel for a long time, and I haven't been to that Fertile Plains."

The old soldier's eyes revealed a trace of apology, "But I am sure she must be there!"

"Why?"

"Because that place called 'Fertile Plains' appeared after this angel left my homeland."

The old soldier shook his head, "Besides the angel, who else—would create such a place in the darkness?"

In the darkness, Poro's ghostly green pupils became more obvious.

Deep in his pupils, a faint crimson light flashed. Poro looked up at the depths of the darkness, the other side of the sunset.

He felt...

He was getting closer and closer to the place where the energy in his body was located.

According to the old soldier's account, on the other side of the Fertile Plains was his homeland, the Kingdom of Zeigriff, and after the "Dancer of Thorns" appeared, everyone died in a nationwide Dancing Plague.

"What did that angel do for you? Why do you think that angel can help you fight the 'Dancer of Thorns'?"

Lake thought for a while, then asked.

Poro was also very curious about this question.

"She gave me this invisibility cloak, guided me to find the Dancer of Thorns, and rescued Danth, who was about to be corrupted."

The old soldier looked at the sky. The firelight reflected his weathered face, "She gave me a... feather taken from her wing. I used that feather—to forge a bullet.

And that bullet eventually killed the prince in the forest."

Hearing these words, Poro and Lake both looked surprised.

They had also fought against the possessed prince. These completely possessed guys were by no means as simple as they seemed. Perhaps, if it weren't for the Giant Bone Guard, killing a prince in his prime would have taken a lot more effort.

But a feather can kill a prince?

Poro found it a little unimaginable.

Is that kind of existence... an angel?

The sky was getting dark, and only the torch on the side of the carriage was still shining a golden light in the jungle. From the depths came the calls of crows and magpies, and the rustling of insects.

And in this silence, Poro suddenly twitched his ears.

Under the blessing of the "Dancer of Thorns" energy, he heard some... sounds that were not made by wild animals.

"Hmm? It seems like... someone is talking over there?"

He suddenly turned his head and looked in the other direction.

"People?"

Lake and the old soldier were both stunned. In such a remote mountain area, it was rare to encounter people traveling at night, but no matter where it was, it was still relatively normal to have passing merchant groups.

"And the sound of children crying."

Poro added.

If it were an ordinary merchant group or something, he didn't want to cause trouble. Even if they were robbers with evil intentions, the current group of them had nothing to fear.

But the crying of children...

Although, in this instant, Poro also thought about ghosts attracting people with crying.

But what if... there really were lost children, or children abducted by human traffickers?

"Then let's go take a look?"

Lake said. Although the group of them didn't like to meddle in other people's business, and they understood that it was best not to think too much when walking at night.

But most of the time, the conscience in their hearts would always guide them to do things that seemed not so "rational."

The group got out of the carriage and walked in the direction of the sound.

The crying became quieter, but soon, the group saw a faint fire in the darkness.

And three people sitting by the fire.

Two children and a man.

When Lake and Poro saw the man's face, they were stunned, because they knew this man!

"Hey, what are you—"

Lake said.

But as soon as she said the words, the man by the fire jumped up as if startled!

Poro, Lake, and the others mostly possessed skills, and being in the dark, they approached the fire silently. At least ordinary people would definitely not notice anything...

Therefore, Lake's sudden voice startled the man and two children by the fire, who suddenly jumped up!

After a few seconds, the man used the firelight to see Lake's iconic red cloak and Poro's ghostly green eyes clearly:

"Lake? And... Poro? What are you doing here?!"

And this man was none other than Poro and Lake's previous guide, the lucky guy who fell off the cliff when chased by cavalry in the Kingdom of Sino—Hans!

"Uh, we got some guidance in the Kingdom of Sino, so we just happened to be passing by here."

Poro replied.

"Uncle Hans, it's so good that you're okay!"

And Lake laughed happily. Seeing that Hans had not died from falling off the cliff was indeed a happy thing.

After all, Hans was the first acquaintance the two met after leaving the town.

It could be said that this was... meeting an old friend in a foreign land.

Hans saw Lake and Poro, his expression relaxed, and he became a little lazy and decadent again.

He sat weakly on the stone by the fire again. After a long absence, under Hans's messy hair, his already thin face was even more gaunt, and even carried... a kind of malnourished gray.

"What about you? Hans? Why did you run here too?"

Poro looked at the Hans in front of him, who was no different from a homeless man, and the two malnourished-looking boys and girls next to Hans, and asked curiously,

"And you're with two little devils? We almost thought you were a human trafficker."

"Uh, what else could it be? Just a little unlucky?"

Hans yawned and said listlessly, "I fell off that cliff in the Kingdom of Sino and got lost in the forest. I've been lost until now. You know, I'm not a traveler.

Who knew the roads around here were so messy? I haven't even encountered a village where I can find a map."

Hans shrugged and pointed to the two children, a boy and a girl, next to him, "I just met these two little ones, and they seem to be lost in the forest."

"You've been lost until now?!"

Lake and Poro widened their eyes when they heard this.

They had traveled with Hans and knew that Hans's physique was just that of a fragile ordinary person. He didn't know anything about hunting.

Such a weak body seemed like it could be blown down by a gust of wind.

How could such a person survive in the wilderness alone for so long?!

"Uncle Hans, so you can hunt too?"

Lake asked in surprise.

"Me? What can I do? You can tell by looking at my face. I'm starving to death."

Hans pointed weakly at his sunken face, saying feebly, "As for how I survived? The wolves and leopards that wanted to kill me... they just died inexplicably—

Those were considered feasts.

When I was really starving, there were also birds and wild chickens that died inexplicably in front of me.

But most of the time, I'd rather be targeted by wolves and leopards, so I could be full for several days."

Hans shrugged and pointed to the campfire in front of him, which Polo had noticed as soon as he arrived.

It was a rabbit that looked equally emaciated, skewered on a stick and roasting over the flames.

"Like this rabbit, it just ran into that tree stump over there and died this evening."

Hans looked at Polo and the others, adding, "Um, do you guys have any food? I only ate a few fruits during the day, and these two kids haven't eaten much either.

The three of us were just about to share this... rabbit that looks like it's only skin and bones.

But eating only this, we probably won't even have the strength to walk tonight."

Polo also sized up the two children, a boy and a girl. The girl still had some tears on her face; the crying sound probably came from her.

Hans was holding a somewhat tattered handkerchief, wiping the tears from the little girl's face.

"These two kids still want to walk home at night, but in their current condition, I think they'll probably die on the way."