Night Journey

Chapter 16 Celebration
After a night of killing, Cillian returned to the two-story cabin.

Before even opening the door, a fragrant aroma wafted from inside. Ciri stepped inside and immediately saw Ava bustling about.

"Oh, you're back so early! How was your night patrol?"

Ava greeted Ciri with a smile as she saw him return safely.

"It went more smoothly than ever before."

Cillian moved a chair aside and sat down wearily.

Even after officially becoming a torchbearer, the intensity of the battle that night was still too great for Ciri. Not to mention, he also had to think about various things in between slaying demons.

Whether it was the year of rebellion, the decline of the Yangkui clan, or the mystery surrounding Ciri's own origins.

Each question posed was enough to exhaust Cillian's mind and fill him with unease about the long road ahead.

After regaining his senses, Cillian gained a deeper understanding of Nunn's words.

Ignorance is bliss.

"If I hadn't become a torchbearer..."

Cillian watched Ava's busy figure and listened to the sound of her sleeping soundly coming from the second floor.

It doesn't take much effort for Cillian to imagine the rest of his life.

Ava has a certain fondness for Cillian, and Cillian also thinks Ava is a lovely girl who might marry him and start a family in White Cliff Town.

Cillian will become a competent adult, and together with Tim and Mick, he will climb the high wall and patrol the night until dawn, just as he always has.

Nunn may live a long time, or perhaps in a few years he will silently leave White Cliff Town and walk alone into the dark world, never to return.

The Soflowa brothers will take over Nun's duties and continue to guard the peace of White Cliff Town at night...

"Do not……"

Cillian rejected his own fantasies.

That was indeed a good future, peaceful and serene, as warm as the afternoon sun; its only flaw was that it wasn't realistic enough.

The crisis in White Cliff Town is imminent, and to resolve it, Cillian will inevitably have to say goodbye to his ordinary yet happy life.

Cillian had no regrets whatsoever; on the contrary, he was extremely excited and couldn't wait to set foot in that new world.

Therefore, he suddenly spoke up.

"Ava, I did it."

Ava turned around and looked at Cillian with a puzzled expression, not understanding what he was talking about.

Cillian repeated.

"I succeeded. I became an extraordinary person, a torchbearer."

To convince Ava more, Cillian raised his arm, his inner energy surging slightly, and the blood vessels on his skin glowing a hot red light.

Ava stood there stunned, not reacting for a moment. After a few seconds, she let out an uncontrollable gasp and strode towards Cillian.

"you……"

Ava nervously touched Cillian's arm. The red glow from his blood had faded, but the unusually high temperature of his skin indicated Cillian's extraordinary nature.

Cillian was eagerly awaiting Ava's praise when he heard a sound of panic.

"My God, are you crazy? That's so dangerous!"

Ava's eyes welled up with tears. She touched Cillian repeatedly to make sure he was there before she slowly calmed down, breathing in and out.

“It was indeed dangerous and crazy, but I succeeded,” Cillian added. “It’s all over now.”

Ava took a few steps back and slumped weakly into the chair.

When was it conducted?

“Yesterday, and last night,” Cillian said cautiously, “I’m sorry, but to avoid the tragedy that happened before, and to minimize the impact of failure, my teacher and I didn’t tell you about this.”

Ava lowered her head, clutched her skirt tightly, and whispered.

"In other words, if you fail, I won't even get to see you one last time."

The joy that Cillian had shared cooled down, and he belatedly realized the heaviness in Ava's words.

If Cillian fails...

Ava took a deep breath, brought over the prepared breakfast, and placed it on Cillian's table.

“Cillian, don’t try to hide it from us next time.”

“Of course,” Cillian continued, “it’s good that you’re not angry.”

Ava asked calmly, "Did I look angry just now?"

"It's not just anger anymore, it's rage."

Cillian likened it to "a sparrow that has been hungry all night, wakes up early to find there is nothing to eat, and can only attack the branches with its head."

"What kind of nonsense is this... Tell me, how did you come up with such sentences?"

In the past, Ava would ignore Cillian's sentences with varying lengths, but this time she asked him a question out of curiosity.

"There's no need to fabricate it; it's just a pile of words and doesn't have much meaning."

Cillian explained seriously, "If I had to give a reason... Ava, as you know, I love reading, and many authors have distinct personal styles."

Ava asked curiously, "So?"

"I have no formal education and have no idea where to begin writing, but I want to have a style that people can remember, to make others remember me. So all I can do is use strange sentences with a bunch of adjectives."

Ava never expected that Cillian's strange remarks would come from such a bizarre reason.

Her eyes sparkled. "You want to be an author?"

“I haven’t decided yet,” Cillian said hesitantly. “This is a crazy world, and people might need something that warms their spirits. If I could become an author, I might make a fortune.”

"But I also feel that everyone is busy trying to survive, and they probably don't have time to read the strange stories I write. They would just find them incredibly boring."

"Indeed, but Cillian, your strange remarks are certainly memorable."

Ava came up behind Cillian, placed her slender hands on his head, and hugged him.

In the softness and warmth, Ciri heard.

"Then, congratulations, Cillian, you have become the person you wanted to be."

Ava said softly, "But please remember, you are not alone."

"Ah."

Cillian responded in a low voice.

Holding a secret ceremony, in Cirion's view, was a way of being responsible to others, but for those who cared about Cirion, wasn't it also a form of selfishness?

A series of footsteps sounded.

Tim and Mick were already awake, sitting on the stairs in their pajamas, having watched for who knows how long.

After a brief moment of calm, the two burst into cheers.

Compared to Ava's delicate emotions, Tim and Mick are clearly much more savage and straightforward.

It took Cillian a long time to recount the whole process to them.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, Ciri concealed some key information, such as the heavy past of the Yangkui clan and Ciri's mysterious origins.

"Once I cross the wilderness and arrive in Hel City, I will try to find help. Even if they are unwilling to share their supplies with us, as long as we invite a few scholars and guide you, you can safely advance to the position of Torchbearer if you can awaken from the Dream of the Soul."

"There's no need to worry about the ceremony materials. I asked my teacher, and there are plenty of related supplies in Baiya Town."

Cillian envisioned the future of White Cliff Town: "At that time, with the increase in the number of torchbearers, the safety of White Cliff Town will greatly increase, and we can also extract soul essence through blood."

My teacher told me that in some large city-states, soul essence is a form of hard currency.

Soul essence is closely related to human survival and can be used as an equivalent in many places.

"If we buy a few more vehicles, we can travel between cities more quickly, and then Baiya Town will no longer be a remote and isolated place."

Cillian picked up a slice of bacon with a piece of bread and stuffed it into his mouth. As the food gradually filled his hungry stomach, he could vaguely see the increasingly prosperous White Cliff Town.

"You all eat first, I'll go tell my father this good news."

Ava quickly packed her things, grabbed a sandwich, and ran out the door.

Cillian waved to her; if all went as expected, by the afternoon, the whole town would probably know the news.

"Ugh……"

After a hearty meal, Tim suddenly let out a long sigh.

Cillian asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

“It’s just a shame,” Tim said, rubbing his forehead. “Look at the way Ava is looking at you. She was already going too far before, and now you’ve become the torchbearer. How are the other people in town supposed to compete with you?”

Cillian chuckled, too lazy to pay attention to Tim's teasing. This guy was just talking about the other people in the town; in the end, it was just him who was indignant.

The Soflowa brothers often chatted during their night patrols, and over time, everyone became aware of Tim's little crush on Ava.

But Ava only felt a brotherly respect for Tim, and Tim would beat his chest in frustration whenever he thought of this.

"Isn't it said that girls like men who make them feel safe?" Tim rubbed his muscular physique and asked, puzzled, "Why doesn't anyone like me?"

“You’re a bit too robust. Standing at the doorway, you’re practically a wall,” Mick pointed out. “That goes beyond a sense of security; it’s downright intimidating.”

Tim was speechless.

Of the Soflowa brothers, Tim is a real hulking figure, while Mick stands in stark contrast.

Mick is slender and delicate, and with her blonde hair, she is often mistaken for a girl.

Tim's gaze returned to Cillian, filled with doubt.

"What exactly does Ava like about you? In terms of looks, you're not as good-looking as Mick, and in terms of physique, you're not as good as me."

Cillian inexplicably recalled the jokes Ava often made.

She pointed to Tim, Cillian, and Mike, and said, "Big, Medium, Small."

Cillian said playfully, "Who knows?"

After clearing away the plates and tidying up the kitchen, Cillian grabbed half a sausage as a snack, greeted Tim and Mick, and then went into his workspace.

Cillian has become the torchbearer, and he is only one step away from stepping into the outside world.

Vehicle.

Cillian was able to spend the night in the wilderness, but the distance from White Cliff Town to Hel City was still too far.

If he were to travel on foot, Cillian didn't know how long it would take to reach his destination, and all of this was contingent on no unexpected events occurring along the way.

Yellow sand, wilderness, ruins, rivers...

Ciri stroked his battered motorcycle, repaired it, and prepared supplies for his journey before heading towards Hel City.

The book describes Hull City as a city traversed by several rivers, forming a large lake beneath it. Unlike the wilderness outside White Cliff Town, it is lush and vibrant, hence the name "City of Confluence," serving as the core link of the surrounding area.

Hel City has guilds that travel to the Outer Flame Inner Ring, which leads to larger cities and more prosperous areas. Hel City is also home to countless extraordinary individuals and a complex web of mysterious forces.

The people living in the surrounding area all aspire to live in Hull City, for moving there means countless opportunities and a safe haven all night long.

"We're all counting on you."

Cillian disassembled the rusty metal casing, the sound of hammering continuing from morning until sunset.

(End of this chapter)