Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Before Han could raise his own arguments against Professor Owen's decisions—Han Jing found himself bolting up in his bed. The Wood Elf who had been shaking his shoulder, eventually just sighed. "You're a heavy sleeper, aren't you?"

"Why did you wake me up, Faeran!" Han Jing groaned and rolled back into bed. "I was at a crucial point with the people—what if I end up in jail or court?" 

The Wood Elf who may or may not have been sympathetic to Han Jing's current circumstances only sighed and shrugged. "I suppose you could try returning to your little engagement with those people made by the Creators or you could properly wish me goodbye. A proper host would do that."

"Wait, you're leaving already?" Han Jing asked.

He tried to remember everything they did last night—and it was true that Faeran said that he was leaving. After the Mid-Autumn Festival with the mooncakes, lantern making and even fighting a giant mollusk together… This guy was finally leaving.

"Aww, are you actually going to miss me?" 

"No—I mean yeah, you were my flower boy." Han Jing said and then raised a hand. "Don't make it sound weird. You helped fix my finances for like a good chunk by helping me grow flowers to sell, so I'm grateful."

"Imagine a guest doing all that work for a host—I almost feel like I was supposed to be employed and properly compensated for all of that." 

Han Jing knew that the Wood Elf was kind of right. Even without the Wood Elf's consent or decision to grow some plants, if Han Jing placed a pot of a flower right beside him? It sprouted and started blooming.

"Well, if it's payment—you know that I don't have much money in the first place. I doubt you'd be able to use it in your realm in the first place. I could promise you my first born child—but I'm not expecting myself to have any kids. Too expensive to raise one."

Faeran laughed. "And that's where the Fey do you a favor."

"It's not that funny." Han Jing rolled his eyes and stifled a snort. "But yeah, if you count everything that you guys ate and what I spent in the hotel—I feel like I'm going back to like zero money again."

"Well, don't worry about it. Anything of value that you perceive is entirely rubbish for my people."

"Hey!" Han Jing frowned. "Money makes the money go around—well, it makes the world go around." 

"Or so you say." The Wood Elf waved at him dismissively. "It's another human concept I've yet to appreciate. We just get whatever we need from our surroundings and craft whatever it is that we may want." 

"You guys are lucky," Han Jing sighed and started fixing his hair. "I don't think I can go off the grid here unless I want my parents to consider me a failure than I already am. That's why I'm looking forward to Odele giving me enough pearls."

"Yes, trading those precious pearls for cold cash." 

"Like I said, I have things to buy and cover. I need to start picking up my slack." Han Jing pulled up to his feet and then glanced at Odele still soundly asleep on the bed. She looked almost like every renaissance princess he'd seen in those animated movies.

Jilanya on the other hand—she was already staring at him blankly.

"What the actual—"

"Didn't you notice that Jilanya has been awake all this time?" The Wood Elf chuckled. "Sleeping and resting are different for us. Compared to you little folks who completely sleep with both eyes closed, we could go on without sleep if necessary."

"Great for you guys. So let's do this," Han Jing said. 

"Do what?" Jilanya raised a brow.

"If Faeran is leaving today, the reason why I was woken up is to properly see you off, right?" Han Jing turned to Faeran and gave the guy a small grin. "It's the least that a host could do for his guest, right?"

"Now you're speaking my language, Han!" Faeran laughed. "I like how you've started to understand how my people work."

"Seeing the two of you get along is absolutely revolting," Jilanya said as she stepped down her own bed and crossed her arms. "But let us get going now. I've left several of my Demon Kings operating the lands and I need to check up on their volume and output."

"Volume and output?" 

"Compared to your trifling adventures in the Creators' World, the Demon Lord Mursiel is already in the process of unearthing precious minerals and resources available in our territory even as we expand."

The Wood Elf looked at Han. "So I hope you can understand why she's so determined to beat you."

"You make it sound like it's nothing more than a game when it's exactly the opposite of that." Jilanya stared down the Wood Elf with a small glare, but eventually just averted her gaze. "Though I know you do not see it that way. You care too much about your daughter. I wonder how she'd react if she knew you weren't a native from that world?"

"Jilanya cares too much about details that will answer themselves when it comes to answering itself in the future. Come on, Han. Let us leave while the spring dews are fresh and the sun is still kissing the oceans."

Han Jing focused a little on Jilanya's statements before he glanced at Odele. "What about her? Shouldn't we wake her up before you leave?"

"Oh, she won't miss us that much." Faeran waved a hand and motioned for him to follow. The Wood Elf stopped at the door and then grinned. "After all, wasn't this meeting supposed to be just the two of you in the first place?"

Han Jing stared at the man's face. "It was for business purposes. Trading items."

"Alright, we'll believe whatever—just see me off."

The three of them soon stepped out of their rented room and headed back to the beach. A part of Han was hoping that Jilanya left first so he could be assured of his safety… but realized that whoever left last didn't matter.

If the Demon Lord actually had any plans of killing him, then she would have done it either way.

The morning sea breeze was chilly and a tad salty as they stepped on the sand. At first, Han was hoping that he'd suddenly just realize that the Wood Elf would be gone, but contrary to his expectations—a rift started appearing in thin air.

A portal appeared in front of them in the middle of the beach.

Within that strange orb of swirling energy, it was difficult to comprehend what lay beyond it. Han Jing could only see the colors of amethyst and azure mixed together and combining—a peculiar sight that grabbed his attention.

It was both a puzzle and a piece of art.

Something that was an actual piece of the universe available for him to see. Han Jing knew that the world around him was supposed to be as magical as the next, but the portal was easily one of the things that could confirm that a world existed far beyond his.

Han Jing wasn't hallucinating.

He wasn't daydreaming or caught up in a reverie.

The past weeks and days were the truth. 

Faeran squeezed Han Jing's shoulder. "I'll be seeing you sometime again. Possibly after the next five decades so make sure to be prepared—you humans have your own way of obtaining immortality, am I right? Take care of yourself, Han." 

"Wait, what—next decades?!" 

The Wood Elf was already at the portal door when Han Jing called out his question. Somehow, Faeran's form flickered and he didn't seem to quite catch his last words before the man disappeared right before the rising of the sun.

Once again another point within that scope of time and space.

Han Jing lowered his hand and then clenched it lightly. There was a strange feeling that caught him in the chest—he shouldn't be that disappointed or bittersweet about him. Faeran and him had spent the last weeks hanging around one another.

The two of them more or less got into shenanigans together.

Getting chased out of the public park, defending the Wood Elf from a rabid street dog and other occasions—not to mention their sudden booming, or Han Jing might as well say blossoming business. 

But if Han Jing was aware that Faeran would be gone for the next fifty years—then he might have done more. Maybe he could have paid more attention to them and been a little more patient or appreciative of all the little quirks of the Wood Elf.

He didn't need to be this sentimental, but this time he glanced at Jilanya. "Now it's your turn, huh?"

The Demon Lord stared at the Human and tried hard not to burst out laughing. "For hell's sake—are you going to shed some tears for me? I can take you with me if you don't want to feel depressed."

"What the heck? No thanks." Han Jing raised his hands and laughed. "I'm good with earth—definitely good with it. You don't have to drag me down to your place. I'm only starting to get a better life now."

Jilanya raised her brows. "Right, this pearl business that you speak of." 

"It's not much—I mean, it could be much," Han Jing said. "Hopefully it'll be more than enough for me and my family. The work of Dai Song Lan sounds like it pays well, heck, maybe if I get an Exorcist to beat you—I'd be rich… not that I'm going to do that."

"Well, I do have a bounty on my head." 

"Oh…" 

Jilanya gave him a narrowed look. "You can't defeat me even if you work with your friends." 

"It never crossed my mind at all." 

"Naturally, unless you are a fool with a death wish. But I could be mistaken." 

"Man, the morning's a little chilly—I'm going back to bed, okay?" 

Right before the Demon Lord could say a word to that statement, Han Jing was already making his way back to the room. There was no reason for it at all, but it was funny for him. He probably needed to relogin again, but for now, Han Jing was going to make sure that things would turn out well for today.

—-—-

Author's Note: Phew, it's August 7, 2021 and I hope to continue with the daily updates because July went awry lol. I had to focus on recuperating more. Compared to other authors, I can't release chapters as much as them and I kind of took up another side job to pay the bills... so thank you for those who support this work! Let's see each other again tomorrow and the day after that.