The Enchanted Grove

005 life force

“Why are you wailing like that? As long as I'm here, dying won't be that easy for you!” Thornheart finally couldn't stand Yuki's crying anymore and interrupted impatiently.

Yuki's eyes lit up. “Wait, are you saying that with you here, I won't die?”

“If you were going to die, you'd be dead already. Do you know how long you've been unconscious in the Bonegrave Forest? Three days! Three whole days! Without me, with all this death energy around, you wouldn't have lasted three hours.”

“Thank you, Thornheart. You're so kind!” Yuki said, deeply grateful. Still, she couldn't help but wonder—was it really luck that brought her such help? A lifetime of misfortune made her doubt that this was mere chance.

Thornheart hesitated for a moment before speaking again. “Actually, it wasn't just to save you... I did it for my own sake too.”

“Oh?” Yuki leaned forward, curiosity piqued. Thornheart had undeniably saved her, and knowing there was some personal motive behind it somehow made the whole thing feel more real. As long as Thornheart didn't mean her harm, Yuki was willing to help in return.

“You saw it just now, didn't you?” Thornheart continued. “I'm not whole. I'm only half of what I should be—just half of a Thornheart.”

“Half?” Yuki asked, surprised. “Where's the other half?”

“In the depths of the Bonegrave Forest. It's in the hands of a powerful skeleton lord.” Thornheart's voice dropped, sounding discouraged.

Yuki's eyes widened. “Wait, you don't expect me to go and help you take it back, do you? I mean... I can't do anything—no magic, no combat skills...”

“I know that! Who said I need you to fight for me right now?” Thornheart snapped. “With that scrawny body of yours, you'd probably be eaten alive by the undead creatures before you even made it halfway there.”

Yuki winced. “Then... what do you want me to do?” As long as she didn't have to face that terrifying skeleton, Yuki was willing to listen. The mere thought of those undead monsters made her shiver uncontrollably.

“I draw power from life itself, but this forest has no life left. Every day, I grow weaker. The only source of life energy here is the other half of me, held by that skeleton lord. I tried to take it back once, but this place is a wasteland—it's not meant for me. My life force was already weakened just by being here, and I couldn't defeat the skeleton lord. I barely escaped, but I've been severely weakened since.”

Yuki nodded slowly, processing Thornheart's words. “So, what does that have to do with me?”

“It has everything to do with you! I finally found a living being here—you! A life form!”

“So... you possessed me?” Yuki asked cautiously.

“Not possessed,” Thornheart corrected. “I chose you as my host. I nourish myself with your life force, and in turn, I channel that energy back to you. This allows us both to grow stronger together. It's one of the highest laws of cultivation—the Law of Growth.”

Yuki finally understood. “So, we both benefit in the end?”

“Of course!” Thornheart affirmed. “Otherwise, why would I bother keeping you alive in this death-soaked forest? Although your soul isn't exactly pure, your blood is—pure enough for me not to reject it. I can absorb and merge with it. Evil souls and tainted blood can't coexist with a noble Thornheart.”

Yuki nodded, finally understanding the truth. Thornheart's life force had saved her. But this cultivation thing—the Law of Growth—she'd never heard of it before. Then again, Yuki had never really studied much about magic either.

“So how did you end up in the Bonegrave Forest?” Yuki asked after a moment.

There was a long silence. Finally, Thornheart spoke in a muffled voice. “It's been too long... hundreds, maybe thousands of years. I don't remember anymore.”

“What? You don't remember?”

“I've grown too weak. Many memories have faded. I can't remember where I came from or even what I truly am. I only have a vague impression of being struck down by someone powerful, leaving me here in this accursed place...”

Another silence fell between them. After a while, Yuki suddenly blurted out, “But your voice sounds so full of energy! You don't sound weak at all!”

Thornheart exploded in anger. “You little brat! My voice has nothing to do with my strength! Don't be ridiculous!”

Alright, alright, whatever you say. Yuki silently rolled her eyes. Just then, the eerie stillness around them was broken by a faint rustling sound. Yuki's heart skipped a beat. She cautiously turned toward the source of the noise and almost jumped out of her skin. A skull, an actual walking skull, was swaggering towards her direction.

“Ah!” Yuki screamed, instinctively turning to flee. This was her first time seeing an animated skeleton, and her immediate reaction was to run.

“Don't move! Stay calm!” Thornheart shouted.

“It's... it's a skeleton!” Yuki stammered, pointing at the approaching creature, her entire body trembling.

“That's just a greybone skeleton,” Thornheart explained quickly. “It's the lowest type of undead in the Bonegrave Forest. No intelligence, no real strength—fragile and dumb. If you panic and run, you might attract the attention of far more dangerous creatures, and even I can't guarantee your safety then.”

Thornheart's warning had the desired effect. Yuki froze in place, tears welling up in her eyes. “Then... what should I do?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“Simple. Take it down!” Thornheart said decisively.

Take it down? Simple? Yuki wasn't so sure about that.

“Find a stick, quickly!” Thornheart commanded.

Yuki fumbled around on the ground, her hands desperately searching for something—anything. To her surprise, she found a branch as thick as her forearm. Technically, it was more like a fossilized branch, considering all the plants here had long been turned to stone by the death energy.

Gripping the makeshift weapon with trembling hands, Yuki faced the skeleton, which was now almost within arm's reach. She was terrified.

Could she just run? Please?

The skeleton raised its bony hand, reaching out to grab Yuki's face.

“Aim for the knees!” Thornheart yelled.