Childhood Anime Grand Tour

Grandpa Pom's place wasn't big; a small tent was where he stayed, and his other belongings were kept outside. Right now, he was boiling water to warm the two children up.

Sheida, holding a steaming cup of water, asked with a smile:

"Grandpa, have you always lived underground?"

"Hehe, how could that be? These rocks made strange noises last night; maybe they wanted me to come down and take a look!"

Actually, it was Sheeta who came here last night, and the levitation stone and the levitation mine below caused a chain reaction. From Grandpa Pom's words, we can also tell that his identity may not be simple either.

He could even sense the call of the flying ore; perhaps his ancestors were also members of Laputa.

"The stone is making strange noises?"

The three of them then looked around at the pitch-black surroundings from three different directions. It was indeed extremely quiet, with only the sound of water dripping from the cracks in the rocks. Sheeta and Pazu exchanged a puzzled glance.

"Hehe, the sound of the stone is very quiet, isn't it?"

Grandpa Pom smiled kindly. At this moment, the kerosene lamp beside him was still emitting a faint light, and Grandpa Pom was clearly the one who guided them with that light.

After laughing, Grandpa Pom opened the lampshade and blew out the dim light, plunging the surroundings into darkness. Humans are not used to dark environments, and the two children looked frightened and unconsciously moved closer to each other.

Grandpa Pom still had a smile on his face, and soon, a bright light appeared at the feet of the three of them, followed by scattered stars, and then more clusters of light reflected on the ground.

The orbs of light seemed to possess intelligence, slowly spreading outwards, their bluish-green glow immediately astonishing the two. The crystals on the mine walls were also illuminated by this blue light, emitting specks of pink light within them.

The pool in front also reflected the light and electricity in the sky, making it both beautiful and mysterious.

"So beautiful!!"

Baru has lived here for many years and has worked in the mines many times to make a living, but this is the first time he has seen such an incredible miracle.

"Baru, look up!!"

“Wow…”

Sheeta was even more astonished. Gazing at the dazzling and familiar specks of light, she couldn't help but grasp the levitation stone again. Pazu followed Sheeta's gaze and was immediately even more surprised.

At this moment, the dark mine wall above resembled a curtain, with blue light spots twinkling like starlight. As more and more light spots appeared, the mine wall seemed to be lit up by a galaxy.

What was once a secluded, deep, dark, and terrifying mine has now become a star-studded galaxy!

"Ah! Those were just ordinary stones!"

"So beautiful!!"

Beautiful things are worth appreciating, and those who can appreciate them are destined to be innocent and pure, because only those with a childlike heart can see the beauty in the world.

"Haha! Isn't it beautiful? Now let's take a look at this?"

After saying that, Grandpa Bom picked up the small stone at his feet, smashed it with a hammer, and the cross-section of the stone emitted a lively blue halo. The light emanated from the center and spread outwards, and like elven magic, light spots also floated out.

Unfortunately, this beautiful light didn't last long. As the light dissipated, the stone returned to its original appearance. This magical scene left the two of them wide-eyed.

"It's gone out?"

"Hehe, the ores here all contain components of levitation stone. When they come into contact with air, those special substances evaporate!"

Sheida wanted to say something more, but she felt a strange reaction from the levitation stone on her chest. The levitation stone once again emitted a dazzling light, making the surrounding minerals appear like fluorescent light compared to the bright moon.

Hida didn't encounter any danger this time, presumably because the flying ore in the mine and her necklace had a special effect.

"It's glowing again!!"

Sheeta looked puzzled, but Grandpa Pom stared in shock at the stone in Sheeta's hand. His eyes, which had been narrowed, widened in disbelief, and he unconsciously reached out towards the levitation stone.

"Ah!! This is unbelievable... It's actually... a crystallization of the levitation stone!!"

It's no wonder Pom was so excited. He had been a miner all his life and had probably seen the power of these levitation stones before, but this was the first time he had ever seen a crystallized levitation stone.

There are no more levitation stone crystals on the ground today, because the Laputa people mined them all away thousands of years ago.

Of course, there are probably even deeper underground areas, but even with Laputa's technology, it's impossible, let alone for people on the surface.

Grandpa Pom's muddy hands trembled incessantly, but stopped in mid-air, not touching the gleaming flying stone.

The Flying Stone is a rare treasure. Anyone with a conscious mind who sees it will be tempted by it, except for a child like Pazu with a pure soul.

Clearly, Grandpa Bohm also had greed, which is only human nature, but he was more rational, or perhaps a little ashamed of himself.

He was too old, so old that he had become indifferent to everything in the world. The eldest brother was already able to calm his restless soul. If he were twenty years younger, he would definitely have snatched the flying stone and played with it. Of course, that was all.

But he couldn't at this moment. Grandpa Pom must have known about the levitation stone for a long time, but that's why he was already very content to see such a miracle when he was on his deathbed.

"Wow, it's so beautiful! This is the first time I've ever seen anything like it. No wonder the rocks below are so restless!"

Although Grandpa Pom was talking about stones, it was more about the turmoil in his heart. Sheeta had worn this necklace since she was a child, perhaps unaware of the value of the Levitation Stone.

It was also the first time that Pazu had seen the Levitation Stone, but his eyes were only on Sheeta. The military saw it as the key to their treasure, the sky pirates saw it as a treasure, and even the old miner, Grandpa Pom, could not hide his excitement.

Even Liu Yufei, an outsider, coveted this magical item.

Only Sheeta and Pazu treated it with a calm mind, and only the two of them had not yet been corrupted by the Edo Tensei.

If Ashitaka has clear eyes, then Pazu and Shida have bright hearts.

It is because of their clear eyes and bright hearts that they can still see the beautiful things in a murky world.

These eyes and this heart are what we once possessed, but as time has passed, we have forgotten this feeling, to the point that we are controlled by desires and sink into a sea of ​​suffering.

The more I gain, the more I lose. Because I've lost that childlike heart, all I can feel is pain.

Most of human suffering is self-inflicted, because desires can never be satisfied; with insatiable greed, all that remains is endless emptiness.

It is precisely because of this emptiness that humanity becomes so desperate to fill the void with other things. Wealth, power, prestige—aren't these just another kind of levitation stone?

These are humanity's original sins. In the end, all people want is to live amidst the cheers of others, and it is in these cheers that people gradually lose their true nature!

But in the end, your heart will return to the moment when you were first praised in your life, a moment you can never go back to—the moment of your mother's loving voice.

"You're amazing, kid!!"

Think back to that time! Wasn't your soul clearer and happier then than with any praise afterward?

And for you, who has chased after half a lifetime of dreams, who dares to boldly say now, "Mom, I did it?"

I, for one, wouldn't dare, because you don't know what you've accomplished. We strive our whole lives, only to prove ourselves in the end, and as for what we're proving, we don't even know ourselves.

For example, Balu wanted to prove himself by finding Laputa and proving his father's worth, surpassing his father. But in his father's eyes, all he saw was Balu's pain.

This isn't something you can hide by only reporting good news and not bad news. It's about the kind of life you choose to live. There are countless kinds of unhappy lives, but a happy life will definitely have a smile on your face.

Or rather, you are only happy when you have a smile on your face. This is the problem nowadays. Which young person today, or rather, in the online environment, isn't full of bitterness and resentment?

No matter how turbulent the world may be, it has never wronged you. The most important thing in life is to make peace with yourself. If you can't do that, then life will be quite difficult.

But the restless human heart is both a sin and a weakness. As Mingyue said, what can be changed are flaws, what cannot be changed are weaknesses.

Perhaps only when one reaches the age of Grandpa Bohm, and sees the things one has longed for appear before one's eyes, and can still calm one's restless heart, will the soul find true peace?

His life must have been filled with regrets, a fleeting dream, a life of fleeting pleasures. When he saw the flying stone right in front of him, Grandpa Bom finally made peace with himself, only to turn into a single breath.

"How beautiful!! Only the Laputa could create something like this?"

"Laputa?"

Upon hearing the name Laputa again, Sheeta's expression turned serious, while Grandpa Pom regained his composure, his eyes narrowing as he said:

"Yes, Laputa. Legend has it that when Laputa floats across the sky, these ores dance with its light?"

"Laputa, Grandpa Pom, Laputa really exists! Sheeta, it really is real!"

Hearing Grandpa Pom's story, Pazu was even happier and immediately shared his joy with Sheeta. Sheeta had no interest in Laputa, but she knew that it was impossible to leave this matter unresolved.

"Grandpa, do you know where Laputa is?"

Too many mysteries point to Laputa, while Grandpa Pom, huddled up, trembled slightly as he said:

"Your stone contains some lies; could you please put it away?"

Sheeta obediently put the necklace back, and Grandpa Pom felt much better. As the kerosene lamp was relit, the light in his heart slowly rose. Finally, Grandpa Pom restrained his desires and overcame himself.