Chapter 39
Grey slowly opened the chest while preparing for something to pop out—but nothing did. He then slowly opened his eyes, which had been tightly shut in anticipation.
Looking into the chest together with Randin, their eyes widened in surprise at what they were seeing.
"This… this… how is this possible?" Randin wondered out loud.
"How do they have all these?" Grey echoed, equally stunned.
As they stared at the contents of the chest together, they saw sparkling objects glimmering under the dim light. The chest was half-filled with gold coins, and on top of them were crystals—not just any crystals, but beast crystals.
"What did they even intend to do with these?" Grey asked.
"Who knows? Maybe they collected them when they raided the homes of the dwarves," Randin replied.
"So that means it should belong to you then," Grey said, closing the chest and handing it over to Randin.
But Randin quickly pushed it back to Grey. "No, no, no! Why should I take it? You helped me reclaim my planet. Without your help, I wouldn't have been able to do this. And before you try to argue, remember that I have no use for them—especially the gold coins.
There's no way I can use them here since I have nothing to buy or get. So please take the chest, without refusing it.
This is my thank-you for helping me reclaim my planet. And if you ever need anything else, I'll help you. Just know that you have my support in whatever you choose to do."
"Well, with all these points, how can I refuse to receive the chest? Thank you," Grey said with a smile as he tucked the chest into his clothes. Then, he walked away from the throne.
Immediately after they walked down from the throne, the entire cave began rumbling loudly and shaking furiously. The tremors were so intense that both Randin and Grey lost their footing and fell to the ground.
As they plummeted down, Grey spotted a large chunk of the rock ceiling falling toward them at high speed.
"Watch out!" he shouted, thrusting his hands outward.
"Wind Magic—Aerius!" he yelled. A burst of wind shot from his palms and slammed into the falling rock, knocking it away from them.
"I think this cave is about to collapse. We need to get out of here now!" Grey shouted, scrambling to his feet. Randin did the same, and they both bolted toward the main cave entrance.
They ran at full speed, especially Grey, who was naturally fast thanks to his Wind Affinity. As they neared the entrance, Grey performed a series of hand signs while still moving. Then, thrusting his hands forward, he shouted:
"Disperso!"
Immediately, a white light enveloped the rock door of the cave, and it began to slide open slowly.
By the time they reached the entrance, Randin managed to slip through and escape. Grey, however, was still a little behind.
"C'mon, Grey! Hurry up!" Randin shouted, seeing the door beginning to close again after detecting someone had passed through.
Finally, Grey was close enough. With a leap, he used his wind magic to propel himself forward and managed to jump through the opening just in time as the door sealed shut behind him.
Still running, they burst out of the main cave's external entrance—just in time—as the entire cave began crumbling behind them.
"Phew! That was very close," Grey said, panting hard as he sat on the ground, Randin beside him. They both breathed heavily, glancing back at the rubble in the distance. They waited for a few minutes to catch their breath before getting up and leaving the area entirely.
They slowly walked back along the same path toward the dwarves' place.
"Because of you, I finally have the time and space to explore more of the planet," Randin said as they made their way deep into the forest.
"It's not a big deal, really," Grey replied, rubbing the back of his head with a smile.
'This kid isn't bad at all. I think I misjudged him when I saw how similar his powers were to those otherworlders. I really like him now, and for what he did for me, I'll try my best to help him in whatever way he needs. Even if it requires me to lay down my life—I'll do it. He helped me reclaim my home planet. All that remains is to find any other dwarf survivors,' Randin thought, smiling to himself.
They continued walking, sometimes stopping to camp whenever they were too tired to go on. They weren't ready to face any beasts in their worn-out state. Wherever night met them was where they camped out.
They slept deeply, alternating shifts to watch over their resting place.
The next morning, they continued their journey, re-energized and more vigorous than before. They chatted occasionally, trying to strike up small talk, and at times, they simply walked in silence—each deep in thought, reflecting on things troubling their minds.
Despite their hopes to avoid trouble, they still encountered danger in the form of some wild beasts. But thanks to their teamwork, they managed to defeat them.
Finally, after three days, they returned to the place they had always stayed and rested.
By the time they arrived, it was already late. They went into Randin's house to rest, and before going to sleep, Grey had something to say.
"I'll return back to my world in two days," he announced.
"So fast?" Randin asked.
"So fast? I've been here for close to two weeks, and you're saying 'so fast'?" Grey asked, chuckling.
"Well… I've gotten used to you being here. I missed human communication, that's why," Randin admitted.
Grey felt a tinge of sadness hearing that. He couldn't imagine how lonely Randin must feel—being the only one left on such a massive planet.
"But don't worry, I'll continue my task of looking for the others," Randin said, forcing a cheerful smile.
"Well, you shouldn't worry either. I'll always try my best to come here every week," Grey said with a smile.
"I'll always be expecting you then," Randin smiled back. And with that, they decided to go to sleep.