236 Willpower 2 (1/2)
Chapter 236: Willpower 2
The ground was left a black glass-like shell, stones and metal and mud melded together. There were no trees, no grass patches, all of it vanished, melting together with the other materials.
The explosion site has turned into an oval black crater.
Garen made his way carefully along this area, while at the same time checking for places that might hide bodies.
There was only a slight spillage of moonlight that night. Garen could barely see the silhouette of the objects in the woods.
The air was cool, but the site was still a little warm from the explosion. The ground was hot to the touch, he could feel it through his boots.
Garen checked the place thoroughly around the oval crater. Nothing. He widened his search area.
It was getting late by the second. He checked everywhere, in the bushes, behind trees, between boulder cracks, under the branches etc. He has searched everywhere that could hide people, but there was not a single sign of anyone hiding.
He did, however, almost stepped on a nest full of black swan eggs.
Slowly, his search area widened to include the lakeside.
Garen believed the person he saw in the memory is the Luminarist called Emin.
This was an opportunity of a lifetime, it’s also the most practical. If he could could find the Luminarist called Emin and save him, then he could request him to be his teacher, that’s the idea with the highest success rate.
Garen didn’t show any impatience searching for Emin even if it’s taking a long time. When he was training his Martial Arts, he had to constantly repeat the same movements, some were not only uncomfortable, but painful as well, but he persisted.
It can be said that even without the help of his special ability, he’d be able to become a decent Martial Artist within a certain timeframe. His special ability merely gave him a key to reach the peak.
Compared to those days, this was nothing.
He had decided to fully utilize the night to look for the Luminarist Emin. In an explosion like this one, he would’ve been badly hurt.
Walking along the lake, he started to examine the water. Soon, a dark silhouette entered his sight, it was floating on the water, unmoving, but it still looked like a human shape.
Garen hurried over, and threw a pebble at it.
Slap.
No movement, the pebble sounded like it hit flesh.
Garen had a slight suspicion. He closed their distance to better make out the silhouette’s true shape.
It was a charred, curled up body. Floating beside it was a short cane covered in soot.
”This might be him.” With a little hope, Garen approached him waddling through the water.
Flipping him over, he revealed a soot-covered pale face, it was the Luminarist Emin.
”It’s him!” Garen sighed in relief. ”Hey, are you alive? Wake up!”
He patted Emin’s face and pressed his stomach, he wasn’t bloated, he didn’t drown. He gave Emin two slaps on the face. No reaction.
He used his fingernail to press hard against Emin’s philtrum point*.
After a few tries, Emin finally groaned weakly.
”How are you doing? Do you need treatment? I’ll send you to a hospice.” Garen pretended as if he didn’t know him. He felt weird saying that.
”No… No need…” Emid said weakly. ”Child… I just need a some antibiotics*… Just a little would do…”
Garen touched Emin’s forehead, it was cold.
”You’re too weak. There was an explosion here just now, it’s not safe. I’ll bring you to where I live.”
Not waiting for an answer, Garen dragged Emin back on land before piggybacking him home slowly.
Within moments, Emin was out cold again, not making any sound.
Garen managed to return to his house without waking anyone up. He removed the lake seaweed on Emin and set him down on the recliner. Then he started the fire in the fireplace and placed Emin near it to dry.
Adding firewood to the fireplace, Garen fiddled with the fire. He looked at Emin who was on the recliner.
”This is my first time looking after people. If you don’t repay me when you wake up, I will not let it go.” He murmured. He wasn’t sure if Luminarists have any way to investigate the past, so he continued his act even when Emin was unconscious, including the way he murmurs.
Emin wasn’t moving much on the recliner, but his face was slightly redder because of the fire.
Garen continued playing with the fire. He thought it weird how Emin had no burn marks from the explosion, only a slight bruise.
After making sure the fire would burn a while, he went to get the first aid kit, got out a few white pills and poured a glass of water from the water room.
When he returned, Emin was awake. He sat up straight in the recliner, watching the fire crackle. His expression didn’t give away what he was thinking.
Hearing the footsteps, he turned to Garen.