An invincible journey starting from a different race

"You don't need to persuade me, I've figured it out." Stank said with a smile, "That's what suits me best. So, I'm going to pursue my own happiness. See you tomorrow."

Having said that, Stank didn't wait for Jer's answer and walked into the street alone as the sun was setting, leaving Jer with an extremely lonely back.

……

At night, in the room of the Elf Incubus Alma, Stank, who had just finished a battle, stood by the window, looking at the night sky while lighting a cigarette for himself.

Elf Alma lay on the bed, looking at Stank lazily, and said, "You don't look very good tonight, Stank..."

Stank shuddered immediately and almost dropped his cigarette.

He was already filled with fear of the title of Stak-chan.

"Why, how could that be?" Stank said calmly, "I'm in great shape tonight."

"Really?" Alma narrowed her eyes and said with a smile, "But, don't I know whether you are in good condition or not? Don't forget that the distance between us tonight is minus 18 centimeters."

Stank's expression suddenly became unnatural: "Maybe I've been too busy lately."

"No, your heart isn't here."

"Nonsense," Stank said. "If my heart isn't here, where else could it be?"

"That's what I want to ask you, Stank," Alma said. "When you were fighting me, you were always looking north. North... what's there?"

Stank was speechless.

The north...that's where the snowfield is.

Tonight, Stank has been thinking about where Aesop and his gang are now and what kind of things they will encounter in the snowfield.

It is inevitable to think about it, and then when you think too much, you inevitably can't think straight.

"You look confused, Stank," Alma said. "That's rare. You've always been so confident... What happened?"

Stank was silent for a while, but still told Alma everything.

"So... is that so?" Alma pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's hard for me to imagine that you, Stank, would be troubled by something like this."

"Shouldn't this kind of thing be a source of worry?"

"If it's you, then it shouldn't be like that," Alma said. "Do you know why I prefer humans to elves? Or even more so, why I prefer you?"

Stank thought for a moment and asked, "Isn't it because, in the eyes of your people, you are just an old woman..."

Alma calmly interrupted Stank: "Talk properly."

"Uh, okay," Stank said, "Is it because I'm powerful?"

"You're half right." Alma looked at Stank with encouragement, motioning him to continue.

Half right?

Stank said, "That's me, half as powerful?"

"No, it's you who thinks you're so powerful." Alma said with a smile, "In layman's terms, you're so ordinary, yet so confident."

Stank: "..."

"It's just a joke." Alma said softly, "You don't mind, do you?"

Stank then realized that Alma was seeking revenge for what he had just said.

"Well, what's the reason?" asked Stank.

"It's because of the eternal vitality of you humans, especially you," Alma said with a smile. "You never fear anything, never get scared. Everything is new to you, and you're curious about everything. I don't see this in the immortals. It's reflected in every aspect. For example, your human magicians are still studying magic in their final moments, trying to reach higher levels and unlock more mysteries. But our elven magicians, in their old age, only study one kind of magic... and that is immortality. Even if they've lived for hundreds or thousands of years, they still want to live forever. To achieve this, they would rather live like a plant, doing nothing but absorbing nutrients."

Stank was stunned. Although he had heard that elves cherished their lives more as they aged, he had never thought it would reach this level. So he subconsciously asked, "Is that still considered alive?"

"Yeah." Alma looked at Stank and asked with a smile, "Does that still count as being alive?"

It took Stank a moment to understand what Alma meant.

"If you're afraid to move forward because of this or that, and stop moving forward, then what's the difference between you and those elves who just want to survive?" Alma chuckled. "Stak, I hope you come to me after going through countless hardships and return here, treating me as a haven so you can tell me about your adventures and interesting stories. I don't want you to really treat me as your only place... Although I really want you to keep spending money with me, but if that happens, are you still Stank?"

After hearing what Alma said, Stank's breathing became heavier and heavier. He clenched his fists tightly, as if he wanted to say or do something.

But after a while, he unclenched his fist and sighed: "What's the point of saying this now? They already are."

Alma smiled meaningfully: "Really? Look outside."

Stank was stunned for a moment, then suddenly turned around and looked out the window.

Then, he saw the huge convoy of yak-female teams on the street, and the familiar figure sitting on the back of the yak-female team, waving at him.

"It's time to set off now that we've rested, Stank!" Ganchu roared at Stank, "Don't forget our original oath! We're going to kill nightmares of all races all over the world! How can you stop here! Have you retired yet?!"

Brutz also pointed at Stank and said, "Stank! Don't forget what you told me. A warrior's sword is not meant to be hidden in a scabbard!"

Aesop didn't say anything, just looked at Stank quietly.

But there was no need for him to say anything, Stank already understood everything, and his eyes turned red.

"Everyone……"

His body trembled slightly, and then, as if he had made a decision, he turned his head suddenly and looked at Alma.

Alma understood what Stank meant and nodded with a smile: "Go ahead, you've already paid."

At that moment, the confusion in Stank's eyes was gone. He nodded vigorously and was about to jump out of the window.

"Hey, wait..." Alma was about to call out to Stank, but Stank was too fast and had already jumped down, leaving Alma's second half of the sentence in the room, "You're not wearing any clothes yet."

Stank didn't hear what Alma said. He was very excited at the moment, as if he was back to the time when he just started his adventure, when he was young, so energetic and fearless.

Yes, I am only thirty, why am I so confused here, how can I stop here?!

Stank looked at his companions not far away, opened his arms involuntarily, and then ran towards them with all his might.

Ganqiu and Bruce both smiled with relief: "Stank, you finally..."

But as I laughed, I felt something was wrong.

The relief in that smile gradually turned into fear.

"Wait, wait! Stank, stop it!"

"Stop running the fuck away!"

"Your second brother is shaking like crazy!"

You bastard! Your sword is on my ass!

Not long after the group officially left Dream Demon Town, they found an underground construction site some distance away from Dream Demon Town, where the Mingchan clan was working.

The Cicadas would labor underground upon reaching adulthood, working until their death. During wartime, they were often used as coolie labor. And in peacetime... they were much the same. It wasn't that anyone was secretly exploiting them; in peacetime, such dehumanizing behavior had long been strictly prohibited by the Church.

The reason why they work so hard is purely because of their racial characteristics. They like to stay in the dark underground and dig around.

Sometimes I yearn for life outside, but only occasionally.

Until this day.

A Cicada clan member went to the ground to purchase daily necessities as usual.

Because there are so few things underground, the cicadas who go shopping usually bring back a lot of things. The things here are not just food. During the war, when the cicadas were exploited, they could only buy food. But in peacetime, even the cicadas underground have some spiritual needs. Even if they don't yearn for it, they still want to understand the outside world and get to know the people outside.

So every time the buyer goes shopping, he or she will bring back some reading material.

Although these books were somewhat boring to ordinary people, because the buyers Mingchan had no idea what was interesting and what was boring, the bookstore owner who sold them these books, seeing that the buyers were so new, was very unscrupulous and sold them the books that were piled in the corner and no one read them.

They took these unsaleable books back underground and showed them to other tribesmen.

For example, the laws promulgated by the church, the propaganda of the demons about their own ruling philosophy, and the advertisements of some inferior vendors.

This left the cicadas curled up underground confused and bewildered, but they didn't think it was their own problem. They just felt that the outside world was so profound and difficult to understand, and that it was easier to understand underground. It was indeed the best to stay underground.

Until one day, a buyer brought back a very "different" book.

Generally speaking, the reading routine of the cicadas is that whoever takes a break will go to eat something, and while eating, they will flip through the books as a pastime. They usually read for ten minutes, and if they don't understand it, they will put it back and wait for the next cicada to pick it up.

But this time, Mingchan didn't put the book back after receiving it. Instead, he curled up in a corner, staring at it with his big, blinking eyes, forgetting even to eat the food in his hand. And he kept reading for half an hour, so engrossed that he even forgot about his beloved work.

Although the female cicada cannot speak, her expression, slightly flushed face, gently trembling body, and the incomprehensible emotions in her eyes still attract the attention of other cicadas.

Then, more female cicadas gathered around and looked at the book in her hand with great curiosity.

This book is called "Aesop's Fables".

One of the female cicadas was very curious and gestured to the female cicada who was reading the book, asking her what was written in the book and why she was so interested in reading it.

The reading female cicada finally came to her senses and realized that she had accidentally spilled some dry food crumbs on the pages while reading. She hurriedly blew it away and then carefully observed the surface to see if there was any remaining. After confirming that it was truly clean, she solemnly closed the book and gestured to the other female cicadas with curious faces, answering their questions.

"What does this book say?"

"world."

……

As a group of people were heading towards the snowfield, Aesop seemed to suddenly sense something, turned his head and looked in the direction they came from.

"What's wrong with you?" Gan Qiu noticed Aesop's movements and asked curiously, "Are you homesick?"

Aesop shook his head: "No."

"what is that?"

Aesop thought for a moment and said, "It seems so. Someone bought my book."

Gan Qiu was shocked: "You might as well say you miss home. Who would buy your ghost book... No, it's possible to buy it, but how can you know it after buying it? Did you put a curse on it?"

Aesop shook his head again, then said, "Not really. It's just that the feeling just now was very strange, something I've never experienced before... I think this might be the power of faith that Lisa mentioned."

Gan Qiu was completely speechless: "You mean, in such a short time, someone has already bought your book and regarded it as a belief?"

"should be."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Gan Qiu said, "How can there be such an ignorant person who thinks a pornographic book is faith?"

"That's not a pornographic book," Aesop said seriously, "it just happens to have a little bit of color in the content."

Gan Qiu: “…”

"Alright, alright, can we stop talking about that damn Aesop book for now?" Stank, shivering as he sat on the yak's back, said to Ganqiu, who was sitting in front of him. "Damn it, it's so cold."

"We've already reached the outskirts of the snowfield," Gan Qiu said, pointing to the snow-capped mountains not far away. "Of course it's cold. It's your fault for not bringing any clothes."

"So you're all ready?"

"Of course." Gan Qiu said, "I have prepared everything for them."

Stank stared at Gan Qiu in amazement, and then said angrily: "Then why didn't you help me prepare?!"

"How dare you say that?!" Gan Qiu said angrily, "Isn't it because you insisted not to go from the beginning? So I only prepared equipment for those who were going. You think these equipment are easy to get? They all need to be reserved in advance. Don't you see that you and I are riding the same yak mother now? We were originally supposed to have one each!"

When it comes to this, Stank is not easy to refute. Indeed, he was the one who said he would not go before. If it weren't for Jer's letter calling back the caravan that was already on the road, he would still be crying in the arms of the elf girl's big breasts.

Well, thinking about it this way, it seems quite happy.

"Stank! What are you thinking about again!"

When Stank recalled the elf girl's warm embrace last night, Ganqiu immediately started yelling.

"What am I thinking?" Stank said unhappily, "Why do you care what I think?"

"I don't care what you think, but you can't think about Sese."

Stank subconsciously denied: "I didn't."

"Not yet?!" Gan Qiu said angrily, "Your sword is hitting my butt! You're making me feel very dangerous, asshole!"

216 eating grass and squeezing...

Stank was also very annoyed. He was unwilling to ride on the same yak with Ganqiu, especially when Ganqiu could sense his every move.

He was a man of chivalry, always advocating for single combat with his opponents, never resorting to bullying or outnumbering others. The current situation with Erlang and Yiniang was the greatest insult to his character and dignity!

"Do you think I want to?" Stank said, "If you don't want to ride, then don't ride! Let me get off, I can walk by myself!"

Before Gan Qiu could respond to Stank's words, the yak girl they were riding on turned around, shook her finger at him, and said with a smile, "Sir, I advise you not to do this."