The days passed by as Calus and Fre chatted. He kept his eyes on Lisa, but she just smiled back sweetly and conversed with her friends.

For a while, everything seemed serene.

Calus enjoyed the view of the plains from the sky. For a moment, the heavy weight on his heart seemed to disappear as he smiled and relaxed.

Compared to his mates, Calus was very tall, but his body was well-built, with sufficient muscles.

Soon, he met with the senior students, and they exchanged pleasantries. After all, they were from the same camp and should stick together.

After five days, they finally reached the edge of the Eastern Continent.

The edges of the continent were jagged, with massive waves crashing against them.

Boom… shaaa!

The loud sound could be heard even from thousands of feet above. The waves were dozens of meters tall.

Reaching the edge of the continent signified that these young kids were leaving their homeland.

Now they embarked on a very long journey across the Silibat Ocean.

It was the source of all water in the world, connecting all the continents. Rivers and seas all flowed into it.

A soft, fresh breeze brushed the kids as laughter and smiles spread among them.

"Life sure is relaxing," Fre said foolishly, holding an unopened bottle of milk.

Fre leaned on the rails of the ship as the wind blew through his hair.

Suddenly, an unrestrained aura radiated from him.

"You want to get drunk again?" a familiar voice asked. Fre looked back and smiled.

Calus came closer and also leaned on the rails. His eyes wandered around before settling on the bottle of milk.

"Hey, I won't say that. Let's just say… I'm just enjoying life," Fre said as he unhurriedly opened the bottle and drank.

The soft, cool taste of the milk made Fre laugh happily.

His body swayed as his eyes squinted in joy.

"Good milk, right?" Calus asked with a chuckle.

"Indeed," Fre nodded, looking at the bottle with affection.

"And yeah… enjoy life," Calus said, and Fre chuckled.

"Yes, my good sir! Isn't life beautiful? Look at the sky, look at the ocean, look all around. Life is fun. Make friends, lovers, and cherish every day like it's your last… hiccup," Fre said, spreading his hands as his face turned rosy.

"Don't tell me you're drunk on milk already?" Calus asked, stunned. Fre laughed sheepishly.

"What if I am?" Fre replied, raising his eyebrow.

Seeing this scene made Calus's heart fill with joy.

Of course, he couldn't forget the sacrifices Fre had made for him in his last life. This was a true brother, and honestly, Calus wanted Fre to enjoy life to the fullest.

"Fre, can I ask you something?" Calus said with a faint smile.

Fre waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes… ye… s… hiccup," Fre answered, drinking his milk.

"Okay… it's just based on an intrusive thought. But what if you were reborn into the past as a child, yet in your past life you died, and I was sort of sacrificed in front of you? What would you do when you were reborn?" Calus asked, and silence spread between them.

Just then

Hiccupp…

"Of course you… will be sacrificed, hehe… you are so… hiccup… easy to scam," Fre laughed.

Calus rubbed his temples and sighed.

"But… I will save you in this life… hiccup… I will protect you," Fre said, and Calus nodded.

Even in a drunken state, Fre's mind was still pure, and he knew what he wanted.

Calus felt glad.

But then came the hard question.

"Fre, what if, for example, a girl I love, or a girl close to me, was responsible for my death in the last life? Would you kill her?" Calus asked. Fre paused.

Even his swaying body froze, and for a split second, his eyes were clear.

This question wasn't easy. Killing a friend's crush or maybe lover was too much.

Fre knew that if he were reborn, he might not be able to tell Calus directly.

One, Calus might not believe him.

Two, he might even tell her, which would make things difficult.

Three, he felt that if he changed things in the past too early, his future would definitely be different.

Fre brought the milk to his lips and drank.

"Calus, that is a very… hiccup… tough question," Fre said, and Calus waited.

You must remember, Fre was a twelve-year-old boy. His answer could be childish, but Calus still wanted to know.

"But… I will kill her first and explain to my bro. Of course… hiccup… he will understand eventually," Fre said, laughing.

"But if he doesn't understand… then we aren't brothers," Fre added, smiling foolishly. Calus felt shaken.

Truly, even in this new world, their brotherly bond was this strong.

Calus smiled.

"You are the one who is easily scammed, but I think you're right," Calus said with a laugh, and Fre chuckled.

"Do you want this milk?" Fre asked. Calus collected it.

"Definitely," he said with a smile.

And so the two, one tall, one short drank milk until evening. The difference was that one was drunk on it, while the other was happy, his mind enjoying a rare, quiet peace.

*******

Trul watched this from the chessboard and was shocked.

Their emotions, their drive, their passion,

he could feel it, almost see it.

And he knew that between them was a pure, strong friendship.

Trul envied it.

All his life, he had been alone. His family had long since died. None were talented enough to cultivate or survive in the wider world. Only he had the opportunity, yet it still felt lacking.

Moreover, the Dreadborne Organization was cold. Mission after mission, killing after killing.

Most hearts had gone cold. They seemed to have lost their humanity. They had no friends or companions. Only a few maintained bonds, as they were always on missions, battlefields, or assignments.

This kind of relationship couldn't be built under such circumstances, especially since most missions were solo.

"Sigh… Fre… Calus… you two," Trul muttered softly, pained.

But then his eyes hardened.

"I will save your friendship," Trul muttered, his gaze returning to the board as he made his move.