"It's more than enough." Feng Ling nodded in understanding as he resealed his spiritual aura.
'I believe our assumption was wrong.' Mao disclosed sternly, 'That monstrous entity might be a Tier 8 nightcrawler or above.'
She knew that Feng Ling's spiritual aura rivaled that of a Tier 6 nightcrawler even though he was still a Solarbound Daywalker.
For his aura to be called impressive while Ash'Kral was terrifying, it made them understand that it had to belong to an entity above Tier 7.
'I feel the same.' Feng Ling nodded and then told Levi to continue with his narration.
Levi went on and told them how he watched all the spiders' spiritual auras disappear after a single command from Ash'Kral. Of course, he wasn't using his name in his narration, always giving him a horrible adjective.
Then, he passed out before he knew it and didn't wake up until he was in the hospital.
He made sure not to link any relationship with Ash'Kral as he knew that he would put a giant target on his back if he were known to have a connection with the Harrowing Forest Incident.
Nel'Vess told them that someone had placed a hit on Shia, which made him understand that this went beyond nightcrawlers/humans' eternal war.
If he was known to have anything to do with the failure of the assassination or the survival of 60% of Daywalkers, he understood that he might not make it to next week.
"I believe that's all I have. I apologize if I wasn't much of a help..." Levi said.
"No, you did enough."
Feng Ling nodded in appreciation as he stood up. Then, he patted Levi on the shoulder and told him to give him a call if he remembered anything else.
As he was about to leave the room, Feng Ling heard Levi's grateful voice.
"Sir Feng Ling, I have never gotten the chance to thank you properly for saving me that night...Truly, I am deeply grateful and will always be."
When Feng Ling heard this, he turned around to see Levi bowing his head in his direction while seated.
"I deserve no thanks; all I did was deliver you to the hospital that night." Feng Ling said expressionlessly, "Don't feel indebted to me, I am not your savior."
Then, he left the hospital's room, never looking back. Othman and Samira followed him along while Arthur swiftly entered the room.
After the door closed, he asked curiously, "How did it go?"
"Great," Levi replied with a satisfactory look, but in his mind, he knew that his efforts were suboptimal at best.
As expected, Feng Ling and Mao were on to him.
'That boy is hiding something.' Mao said calmly while sitting on top of Feng Ling's shoulder.
'Yes, but he isn't involved in the massacre.' Feng Ling nodded, 'He is also a victim.'
'I thought so too.'
'He might know that entity and doesn't want to rat him out. Or, he was forced to keep his mouth shut.'
'Yes, it's too much of a coincidence that he showed up to save everyone just when the kid's stomach was pierced, leaving him hanging on a thread.' Mao said, 'Plus, Solar dome and recovery totems aren't enough to close such a wound in a few seconds. He healed him exclusively.'
'That entity saved him, and we don't know why.' Feng Ling narrowed his eyes.
'We should keep an eye on him, but not now.' Mao suggested, 'We must avoid linking him to the massacre's failure for his safety.'
Feng Ling nodded in agreement.
He was certain that this massacre was orchestrated by a higher-up in the region based on his findings related to Malak, Dra'Webra, and even Nel'Vess. This was no laughing matter as it meant their holy region was compromised.
This was a much more significant problem than finding out about Ash'Kral and his relation to Levi.
After all, Ash'Kral might be dangerous or not to their region, but a higher-up mole? The Harrowing Forest Massacre was nothing but an appetizer.
'Let's keep an eye out for the upcoming High Council Meeting. We will be summoned to report the progress of our investigation of the Harrowing Forest massacre before all upper echelons of the region.' Feng Ling narrowed his eyes coldly, 'The mole will most definitely be there.'
***
Many hours later...
Levi and Arthur were discharged from the hospital at last, returning straight to their apartment.
"Home sweet home." Arthur smiled in bliss as he fell face-first on the living room's couch. But as he thought back to what happened in the forest, his urge to relax evaporated instantly.
He swiftly sat straight and requested with a solemn tone, "Big bro, can you recommend some books about totems?"
"Hmm?" Levi raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Is this related to that time?"
This was the first time that he was asked about anything related to studying by his brother. This made him connect the dots to the time Arthur failed to activate the recovery totem due to not knowing the incantation.
"Yes." Arthur tightened his fists on top of his lap, "I always assumed that strength is king and that as long as I keep lifting weights and working hard, the moment I become a Daywalker, I will stamp through everything...But, it seems like I was too childish in my vision of how strength is."
Arthur lifted his head and looked at his big brother. His eyes were slightly watery, but no tears were coming out.
"Do you know what nightmare I had when I slept in the hospital?"
"No." Levi shook his head.
"It was of you, leaning against the tree with your arms busted and blood pouring out of your mouth nonstop instead of Shia." Arthur narrated his pain, "I was sitting in front of you, with a recovery totem in my hand, the only miracle medicine that will save you...Yet, I stood there, mouth slightly agape, having no clue how to use it. I even asked Astra AI for help, but all she was repeating: connection lost, connection lost..."
"All I can do is watch you bleed to death..." Arthur looked at his giant hand that could break stones with a punch and smiled helplessly, "I don't know if the nightmare was installed in me by a nightcrawler or not, but the dread, the despair, the incompetence I felt…To be defeated by a sentence, I could never forget it, and I will never do."
Levi smiled in gratification as he listened to his brother's troubles. He never had any intention of bringing up the moment Arthur choked at such a critical moment, wanting to see if it bothered him or not.
Clearly, it did more than bother him. He couldn't sleep, and he would probably be visited by the same nightmare for the upcoming days if he didn't take SR Pills. Great nightcrawlers manipulators knew exactly where to hit one when he was down.
"In our life, mistakes are given." Levi said calmly while walking to the kitchen to cook something for them, "To reach greatness, your road has to be imperfect, filled with potholes, and broken all over. As we tread on it, we learn where to step, when to walk or stop, and when to jump. Sometimes, our choices will be wrong, and we will pay the price, but as long as we correct them and keep on moving, we will eventually become the best version of ourselves."
Levi smiled gently as a memory of their mother surfaced in his mind while making omelets.
"Just like what mother used to say, mistakes either make us or break us."
As he finished off the eight-egg omelet plate, Levi went to the living room and placed it in front of his brother, who was sitting with his head lowered.
"We are The Larsons. Mistakes may crack us, but never break us," Levi added sternly, "So lift your head and eat. You will need the energy for the books I have prepared for you."
Then, he returned to the kitchen to cook for himself, listening to the faint sniffles of his little brother and the fork hitting the plate.
Although he was built like a tank, Arthur was still a sixteen-year-old child…What he went through was no regular situation to just laugh at and move on.
A squadmate almost died in his hands because he was too lazy to read. Although he was still a civilian, such unreliability in the wastelands was a death sentence.
Levi was glad that Arthur realized the importance of knowledge this early. He knew that regardless of what he said, it would never move his brother as much as him falling into the mistake personally.
For some strange reason, regardless of how many warnings we received that something was hot, we humans only learn once we get burned...