Darian took Ren to many places.

They helped the villagers pick some fruits and harvest the rice. When Ren fell into the rice field, Darian and the others didn’t help him.

Instead, they laughed loudly.

Ren didn’t stand up immediately and just laughed with them.

He didn’t even care that his body was covered in mud because he was enjoying the moment so much.

After they were done, they headed to the river and cleaned themselves together.

Like before, they joked and laughed together.

Some villagers even teased Ren frequently because, in their eyes, he matched perfectly with Elara.

Once they finished bathing, Ren and Darian sat on the boulder and enjoyed the beautiful scenery before them.

"Ren, I hope your journey home tomorrow goes smoothly." Darian’s expression remained calm, but deep inside, he was quite sad.

"Are you not going to escort the harvest?" Ren asked.

"No." Darian shook his head. "This time, the escort duties were given to Sofia and Alaric. My job is to protect the village."

"I see." Ren was a little sad, but he didn’t show it on his face.

"Ren, come back here when you have free time. Big cities may help you become stronger faster, but our village is the best place to find peace of mind." Darian’s words might sound like he was bragging, but to him, their village was like a little paradise because they would not feel pressure like people in big cities.

"I will." Aveline was still there, so Ren would come back for sure. "When I return, I will be much stronger. Maybe, strong enough to defeat you."

Darian grinned widely. "Then, let’s spar again when you are back."

"Sure!" Ren agreed instantly.

Shortly after that, they went home.

----

Three wagons filled with harvest were lined up in front of the gate, and seventeen people were standing on either side of them.

Ren and the others were currently saying goodbye to the villagers. Some village folk sent them off with bright smiles, while the rest with sad expressions.

Ren had a good relationship with them, so several people were saddened by his departure.

"Ren, don’t forget our promise yesterday!" Darian shouted.

"I won’t," Ren replied.

"Ren, please take good care of our little shy princess," Daniel said. "Don’t let anyone bully her."

"I will!" Ren had promised to protect her, so he would not let anyone harm her.

Daniel shifted his gaze to Elara. "Elara, I know you will be living with your lover, but don’t just spend all your time being lovey-dovey with him. After all, you are our hope."

"But doing it at night is fine," Sean added. "Just remember, the wedding must be held in our village."

Elara’s face turned red instantly because their words sounded like they were suggesting that she seduce him every single night.

"Haha." Sean and the others laughed loudly.

"Hehe." Aveline giggled softly before shifting her attention to them. "Alright, everyone. We will depart now."

"Take care, everyone."

"May the gods protect you all."

"Remember. Safety comes first!"

One by one, the villagers shouted.

Aveline and the others nodded before finally leaving.

----

"Ren, are you going to visit the Silverleaf Orphanage immediately after returning home?" Aveline asked curiously.

Aveline and the others were currently resting under a big tree. Since the forest became much more dangerous at night, they stopped their journey when the sun was setting.

"No." Ren shook his head. "I don’t want to come empty-handed. At least, I must have enough money first."

"I see." Aveline agreed with his idea because his return would be more meaningful that way.

"Silverleaf Orphanage?" Alaric said in surprise. "Did you grow up there?"

"Yes." Ren nodded.

"Have your parents passed away?" Sofia asked curiously.

"They passed away when I was little." Since Ren was using his predecessor’s body, his expression turned sad when he recalled his parents.

Alaric and Sofia didn’t expect this because they previously thought his family was still complete.

’So, he has never felt parental love since childhood.’

They suddenly felt sorry for him because his childhood must have been hard.

"His dream is to become a powerful awakener so that he can protect the orphanage forever." After saying that, Aveline turned to him. "Isn’t that right, Ren?"

"Yes. I will stand at the top and won’t let anyone even think of causing trouble to the orphanage." Ren suddenly remembered his blood oath. "Of course, I will protect the Shadowleaf village as well."

"Haha!" Alaric laughed happily after hearing Ren’s declaration. "I’m sure you can achieve your dream. After all, you are a young genius awakener who has awakened both paths."

"I think so too," Sofia added. "Just don’t let anything destroy your dream. As long as you don’t give up, I’m sure you will achieve it one day."

"Un." Ren nodded.

They chatted for another twenty minutes before Aveline told Ren, Alaric, and the other five to get some rest, as they would be on night watch.

Ren and the others listened to her order and rested in their tents.

----

The following morning, they continued their journey after breakfast.

Like yesterday, their trip was filled with chatter and soft giggles.

They talked about many things along the way because it helped reduce their fatigue and lighten the atmosphere.

"So, you are going to take the Pillar Organizations’ test?" Alaric said.

In this world, there were countless factions, but the main ones were the Elemental and the Beast Transformation Organizations.

They were called the Pillar Organizations because they were built based on paths, unlike the rest, which were formed mostly from personal interests and beliefs.

"Yes," Ren replied as he nodded.

Although the test was the most difficult among all organizations, it was worth it.

Even if they only joined the branch, the benefits were still far better than those of factions created by individuals.

On top of that, there was also a high chance of being recruited into the main branch if they showed outstanding performance, making their future even brighter.

"That’s a good choice!" Alaric stated. "Both of you are genius awakeners. I’m sure you can pass the test easily."

"I hope so." Ren didn’t want to underestimate it because, from his predecessor’s memories, the test was extremely challenging.

Sofia turned to Elara and said, "Elara, don’t lose to the candidates from the towns. Beat them up until they beg for mercy."

The corner of Ren’s lips twitched.

’You are seriously telling her to beat them up?!’

Sofia looked like a kind and gentle lady, so he was a little startled by her words.

"Good idea!" Alaric added. "Show them what someone from our village is made of!"

"I will do my best!" Elara said with burning eyes.

Ren turned to Elara in shock.

’You agreed right away?’

He previously thought she would not answer and only lowered her head in shyness, but he was wrong because her fighting spirit suddenly flared up.

’Is it because it’s related to the reputation of her village?’

This question popped up in his mind because he knew how important the Shadowleaf Village was to her.

’It seems like I will have a lot of enemies soon. Well, I don’t mind it. I will just treat it as an obstacle on the way to the top.’

He had promised to protect her, so her enemies were his as well.

"You too, Ren. Make sure you get first place in the test later." Darian had higher expectations for him because Ren was a special awakener.

"I will do my be-" Ren stopped his words and took out his daggers when he felt something was approaching them.