Alex blinked a couple of times and slowly opened his eyes.
He felt as if he had been in eternal slumber for an unknown amount of time.
As soon as he opened his eyes, sharp rays of the sun fell on his eyes making his vision blind for a moment.
He raised his hand to cover the vision and got up from the place where he lay only to find that he was on a bed made of wood and palm leaves were used as mattresses.
He looked up at the ceiling to see a thatched hut made of straw with small rifts in it."Where am I?" Alex muttered as he got up and stretched his back lazily taking a small yawn.
He was not in a panic as he could see that he might be in some sort of village while his soldiers might be on standby somewhere.
While walking toward the small wooden doors, he heard loud shouts and giggling of children.
Opening the door, he was taken aback for a moment.
In a densely surrounded forest from all around, there was a field at the centre which might be cleared while the natives settled down here and children were playing with sticks and stones.
Both the children of Orc's and wolf tribesmen were mingling together, whereas many orcs were working in the field while some of the Wolf tribesmen and Orcs were mending something which looked like coffins.
"Your Highness." Alex heard the voice and turned his head to see Aeon, Max and Ben coming toward him."Your Highness, I am quite relieved that you are safe and sound," Aeon muttered.
"So, we are in the Orc and wolf tribesman village, isn't it?"Alex asked.
Aeon and others nodded and informed him about the current situation and led him to where Peru and Kassel were.
Alex followed their trail and arrived at a parched barren land which seemed to be cleared out by the Orcs and wolf tribes for a special occasion.
Alex stared at the many small deep pits which had been rugged recently and incense made of husks of coconut was burning at the side.
His expression became grim for a moment after witnessing the event as he guessed what was this place.
This was a graveyard for the fallen.
Peru's and Kassel bowed down and greeted Alex while ordering people to carry out the sacred ritual of the offerings which is given to death.
In the big coffins laden with leaves of trees, the dead Orc and members of wolf tribes were moved and were put down in the dug pit.
Even these so-called monsters and beastman have a sense of responsibility while many humans don't even give a proper burial to their own relatives.
A certain memory relapsed in his mind when he was at Sanctum of Goddess where he met the so-called devil or you can say God of death in itself who asked whether he was afraid of death with an amusing smile.
Facing all the brave warriors and seeing their life stories, he expected the answer that most heroes give.
But contrary to his expectation, Alex replied that he feared death. He was really afraid of it.
Even if he became the strongest or became an immortal-like existence, he would still fear death.
Because even if you become a God and control your fate and destiny it doesn't mean that you can control all your loved one's destinies and stop their death from approaching them.
And there never has been the case where the close ones of a hero had never died.
Whether it was the novel or in reality. You can take an example of any hero or a protagonist who wants to defy death, you will always find someone close to them dying either before the story or by the end.
The shackles of death are very hard to escape from, if it can't bind you it will always try to bind your loved ones and would replace their lives with yours.
A deathly stillness permeates the entire area followed by the sobbing cry filled with misery of the tribesman whose loved ones died in that underground experiment base.
The deathly wail of this tribesman seemed to even tear the heart of the heavens making it weep as a form of rain.
.....
After paying his respect to the dead and deceased soul, Alex was asked by Peru to come to a meeting place.
Alex heard from Peru that they had a grand elder in their tribe and he was the one who provided them guidance after talking with mother nature.
Alex followed Peru and arrived at a huge canopy tree whose base had swollen and bulged into a huge circular structure.
The tree was quite huge and each of its branches was thick enough to support a small wooden house on it.
" Your Highness, Please go inside, "Peru spoke with a respectable tone.
"Aren't you coming with me?" Alex asked, seeing Peru stopped in his tracks.
"Sorry, Highness, Unless grand elder gives permission we can't visit this place."
"I see," Alex muttered while thinking that this elder might have a high reputation in this place.
Alex walked in and was about to knock on the door when he heard a sound in his mind.
"Come in."
Alex's body stopped working for the moment when he heard the voice.
As far as he knows, only legendary rank warriors could speak in the mind which is known as divine sense.
CLACK!
Alex opened the door and looked around to see that it was a spacious room with just sofas made of wood along with the basic necessity.
In the middle of the room, a human with a long haggard white beard that fell like a waterfall sat while drinking tea.
There were many wrinkles on his face and he looked quite old.
Seeing him, Alex was sure that this man was of legendary rank.
Most of the beast-man can change their shape and take humanoid form after reaching legendary rank. This was the reason they were called beastman.
"Sit down."
Alex walked toward the sofa and sat down before the grand elder wolf who passed him a cup of tea.
Alex took the cup and took a sip.
His body glowed for a moment on taking a sip and his magic points were raised by one stat point.
"This..."
"So, do you like it?" The grand elder asked while his eyes were closed.
"Yes, elder."
"Thank you for this gift," Alex spoke with a heartfelt tone.
He couldn't believe that this elder gave him such a precious tea in his first meeting and started to become suspicious of him.
"You have become a fine gentleman since the last time I saw you."
Alex who took another sip almost spilled the tea but managed to force himself and choked it down his throat after all it was too precious to waste.
"You have seen me before?'
"When did you see me?" Alex asked with a dumbfounded look.
"I don't remember the time." The elder spoke with a gentle smile.
"Alex, I called you to give you some advice."
"Don't lose your hope and mostly your patience."
The elder spoke while opening his eyes which horrified Alex.
