I can evolve everything

Chapter 128 Homecoming

During this time, he even learned to distinguish several edible lichens, which he would scrape off during breaks and make a decent snack.

Ella was filled with curiosity about all of this.

Her half-elf blood gave her an innate affinity for nature.

She could spot a hawk circling in the distance faster than Karen, and she could also tell if there was a water source nearby by the faint scent carried on the wind.

On the ninth day of their journey, they encountered a group of refugees migrating north.

It was in a wide-open hilly area.

A dozen or so people, men, women, and children, dressed in rags, pushed a dilapidated cart. Their expressions were numb, their eyes vacant, like a group of walking corpses whose souls had been ripped out.

When the group of refugees saw Karen and her two companions appear on tall horses, well-equipped, fear flashed in their eyes. They stopped and huddled together, waiting for the knight to pass by, like a flock of startled quails.

"We're just passing by," Ella said first, trying to reassure them.

An elderly man with a white beard, who was at the head of the group, slowly looked at the three of them, especially the greatswords on Karen and Raine's backs.

"Sir Knight?" he asked tentatively, his voice hoarse and dry.

Karen nodded without saying anything.

"Our village—it's been destroyed." The old man seemed to have used all his strength to say these words. "The winter was too dry..."

""

He didn't finish his sentence, but put it another way: "The fields are destroyed, the houses are burned down, we can only go north, to Tiemu Town, maybe there's still a way to survive."

Renn watched all of this in silence.

He saw a woman holding a child, the child so thin that only a pair of big eyes remained, looking at his horse with a bewildered gaze. Beside him was a young man, one arm draped in a rag, dark blood seeping from the cloth.

Karen took out a small bag of wheat cakes and a small bag of dried meat from the leather pouch next to the saddle and handed them over.

"Eat sparingly, the road ahead is still long." His voice remained calm, revealing no emotion. "Two more days north, there will be a watchtower where you can get some supplies."

The old man took the food with trembling hands, his lips quivering, but he couldn't utter a single word, only bowing repeatedly.

The three men did not stop and rode past the refugees.

"Is this all we're giving you?" After walking quite a distance, Ella couldn't help but turn back and ask softly.

"We are not gods, Ella," Karen's voice came from ahead. "All we can do is maintain order. But we cannot save every suffering person. Giving them false hope is more cruel than giving them nothing at all."

Ryan did not participate in their conversation.

The watchtower Karen mentioned is about a day and a half away by horseback. With that little food, the chances of those refugees surviving to reach the watchtower in this weather are less than 30%.

This world is just that cruel.

Two weeks later, when they crossed the last mountain range, the scene before them finally began to come alive.

The continuous green has replaced the monotonous black and white.

Vast fields of farmland came into view. Although they were still somewhat barren due to the early spring season, the neat field ridges and the smoke rising from the distant villages all indicated that they had left the vast wilderness of the northern border and officially entered the much more prosperous heartland of the province.

The air became a little more humid, and the wind gradually carried the fragrance of earth and grass.

Sunset City, that majestic city standing on the shore of Mirror Lake, is visible in the distance.

The afterglow of the setting sun gilded the entire city, and the lake shimmered, reflecting the light.

Three days later, they finally arrived in Sunset City.

Their entry into the city even caused a small commotion.

The three warhorses from the North were exceptionally fine, far superior to the pack animals used for transport in the South.

In particular, the weathered aura emanating from the three men drew the attention of the pampered citizens on the street, who respectfully made way for them.

They returned to the local knightly order's encampment and stayed there temporarily, preparing to resupply before continuing their journey.

When Ryan was soaking in a wooden tub filled with hot water, he finally couldn't help but sigh.

The warm water washed away his fatigue and soothed his nerves.

This is the kind of life a human being should live.

Dinner was exceptionally lavish. To entertain Karen, the Knights ordered the kitchen to prepare roast chicken, spiced lamb chops, cheese bread, and a small barrel of fine wine.

Ella ate with shining eyes, and the grievances of eating jerky and dry rations for days were completely compensated at this moment.

At the dinner table, Karen wiped her mouth and looked at Ryan.

"Go east from here, and it'll be half a day on horseback to Graystone Town," the old knight said in his usual calm tone.

Ryan paused, his hand holding the wine glass still.

He was also preparing to find an opportunity to talk to Sir Karen about this.

Greystone Town.

The place where this body of his was born. The home where the original body resided.

"We'll rest in Sunset City for two days to replenish supplies and repair our horses," Karen continued. "After that, we'll head straight to the royal city. If you want to go back and visit, this is your only chance."

"I—" Ryan was speechless for a moment.

Should we go back?

His feelings toward his family at this moment are somewhat complicated.

It could be said that they were not his real family. Since he gained consciousness and took over this body, he had only spent a short two months with those people.

But for those two months, they truly treated Ryan like family. He remembered his stern father, Linus Wilder, the man who always had a stern face.

He is not a stone without feelings.

In that home, he could also feel the warmth of family.

Moreover, from a more practical perspective, he also needs to go back.

Although he writes a letter home every month to let his family know he is safe and sound, he still needs to let them know he is alive and well.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Ella noticed his hesitation and asked considerately.

Ryan shook his head and looked at Karen: "Sir, I'm going back. I'll meet you here two days from now."

"Okay." Karen nodded without asking a single further question.

For him, this was just a private matter for Ryan, and he gave him respect and time, which was enough.

The next morning, Raine rode his black horse alone on the road back to Graystone Town.

On both sides of the road are familiar fields and woods.

Several months ago, he traveled along this road to Sunset City to participate in the knight examination.

And now he's back.

Their states of mind are now completely different.

His body now surges with power countless times greater than it had been then.

The Black Rock Breathing Technique had become completely ingrained in his bones.

He was no longer the pampered young master who needed to perform to pass the exams.

He is a true knight.

When the familiar walls of Greystone Town appeared on the horizon, Raine reined in his horse.

At the town gate, several guards were lazily leaning against the wall chatting.

Upon seeing the approaching travelers on horseback, they straightened up, their faces showing wariness.

Ignoring their gazes, Raine calmly urged the rye to slowly walk towards the town gate.

One of the guards seemed to find his face somewhat familiar, tilting his head to scrutinize him for a while. Suddenly, as if remembering something, he exclaimed, "Is—is the second young master of the Wilder family?"

This exclamation drew the attention of the other guards.

Raine did not respond; he simply dismounted, took the reins, and stepped into the small town.