Joel remembered Stephane's smile before he gave his soul to the ghost.
No… it can't be the end.
The monster's power moved into him and destroyed his eyes. They exploded into pieces.
But the pain was controllable, and he did not scream.
He stood upright.
"I will not forget what I did so far," he whispered.
He breathed out mist and said with a confident expression,
"So now… you will disappear from my sight."
Meanwhile, he slowly approached the monster.
His muscles grew stronger.
At that moment, he felt unstoppable.
The monster increased the pain in his body.
However, Joel's eyes regenerated again, shining with even greater intensity.
He stared directly at the monster.
Suddenly, the creature began exploding piece by piece until it completely disappeared.
After everything was over, Joel collapsed on the ground, exhausted.
A few hours later, he slowly stood up.
I feel different.
During the year he had spent training in the forest, Joel had noticed something strange.
He could not close his eyes for more than twenty-four hours. After that, they would open automatically, as if something was forcing him to stay awake.
And sometimes, he still heard the voices.
Joel was only nine years old, but he had already lived through more than most people.
He knew he could not remain alone in the forest anymore.
He had to go to the city and face the outside world.
He took a deep breath and began walking.
He would discover what the world had to offer, but he knew he would never be like others.
He was different, and he would have to learn to live with it.
Joel left the forest, taking another path toward new horizons—the southern direction.
After hours of walking, he finally arrived at a city.
Joel closed his eyes to avoid seeing the outside world.
Even so, he could feel people moving around him and sense their body temperatures.
Still, he really wanted to open his eyes and look at the city.
He exhaled slowly, releasing a mist of breath.
Suddenly, a fresh breeze passed across his face.
A warm smile appeared, reminding him of old memories.
He continued walking and suddenly stopped.
The place seemed familiar.
Is this a tavern?
Yes… it is.
"I think my clothes are not too bad," he whispered.
He entered the tavern wearing his black clothes.
At that moment, everyone turned their gaze toward him as if he were prey.
But with complete confidence, he took a seat at a table and ordered a beer.
The innkeeper looked at him with surprise.
Joel simply said,
"I want to drink."
The conversations in the tavern slowly continued.
The innkeeper shrugged and gave him a glass of beer.
Joel drank it in one gulp.
Soon, the customers began to notice him.
A burly man approached and said,
"How can this kid drink a beer like that?"
Then he smiled maliciously.
"I propose a challenge. The person who drinks the least bottles of beer will pay for all the rest."
Joel nodded.
The two sat down comfortably, and the innkeeper announced loudly,
"The challenge begins!"
Immediately, they started drinking—glass after glass.
The tavern customers cheered them on.
Joel drank with surprising ease.
The burly man reached his eighteenth glass and began to stumble.
Joel, meanwhile, finished his nineteenth and still looked unaffected.
Finally, the burly man collapsed.
Joel calmly said,
"I won. Are you going to pay for the beer?"
The burly man groaned, and the tavern customers burst out laughing.
Joel had won and proved he was a true drinking monster.
The innkeeper smiled warmly and said,
"It's not every day someone drinks fifteen glasses of beer… and then goes even further."
She thought quietly,
If this could happen every day… more money.