SSS Transmigration: I Can Extract And Evolve Overpowered Shadows-Chapter 43: The Next Stage (2)

Absalom imparted a little more knowledge to Hinata about the world before letting him leave for Falmouth.

The road back was quiet, broken only by the sound of the wind whistling past his ears as he hurried along the trees.

Goku remained asleep in whatever space he occupied after waking from the trance Absalom had put him in, making Hinata’s journey back both dull and eerily silent.

As Hinata passed through several thick trees that blocked the moon’s light, he could not help reflecting on everything Absalom had told him.

First came the fact that another tribe lived in the mountains near the goblin village. It was they who had emptied the forest after clashing with the remnants of the goblin tribe.

Hinata didn’t find this strange at first; after all, conflicts naturally arose wherever two or more groups were gathered. However, after his master told him that the tribe had also wiped out the desert riders who once lived in the canyon, Hinata had to reevaluate everything.

Except that Hinata also learnt that his gauntlet and all the artifacts he had stolen from Albedo were originally Absalom’s.

This did not come as a shock to him since Tamara had already told him that Albedo had stolen those artifacts from her during their fight; however, she had never said where they had initially come from.

After brooding over everything, Hinata came to a halt. He summoned the Endless Flask, took several gulps, and dismissed it again. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The area where he now stood lay close to Falmouth City, since he could clearly remember passing through here on the journey with Geret and Chris.

The bright moon overhead began to fade as thick black clouds drifted toward it and turned the sky completely black.

There were no stars in the sky. Only the flickering lights from the fireflies illuminated the path ahead.

Hinata sighed. Mana flared through his body as he jumped onto the sturdy branch of a tree. From there he leaped to its apex and balanced himself on a single thin twig.

From that height he could see a little farther. He channeled mana into his eyes. Only then did he spot the gates of Falmouth and the guards standing at the gate, a torch in one hand and a sword in the other.

A slight smile crept across Hinata’s face before he even realized it. His eyes softened momentarily with quiet wonder.

He did not want to accept it—or perhaps he was too scared to. In truth, he was slowly accepting this world as his home.

Hinata ignored the complicated feelings churning inside of him.

He was never one to dwell on feelings to begin with.

Love, friendship, family. All these things could disappear one day. So if one only focused on these things, what would become of them after they vanished?

However, Hinata also believed that it was these little things of life that made the world worth living in.

Coming back to see your family, going out with friends, or smiling with lovers.

Perhaps one day he would understand all these emotions and embrace them. But now he just had to appreciate them as little as he could.

He took a deep breath. The wind felt cold despite the well-fitted black kimono he wore and the mana surrounding him.

His shoulders tensed against the chill as he jumped down from the twig without snapping it. He landed on the thick branch of the next tree and began moving from one thick branch to another.

As he covered some distance, he turned back toward the tree that had borne the twig. He had not noticed it when he leaped, but the twig had broken a few seconds after he left.

"Looks like my control isn’t strong enough yet," he muttered, his brow furrowing deeply before he sighed and calmed his racing heart.

’One step at a time.’

That was one rule he went by. It was also the rule that had let him survive this far.

Every living thing existed at once, but all had different timing.

The genius might be strong and powerful at nine but become less than the hardworking farmer’s son by ten.

Whether young or old, every living thing had its timing. Trying to escape that was like trying to run away from fate itself.

Hinata channeled a large amount of mana into his feet. He focused his strength on his limbs and the toes of his feet as he reached the end of the forest.

With a single leap he tore through the air, covering more distance than he had so far.

Patience is a virtue, but procrastination is a curse. Even if it was good to wait for good things, being too comfortable in the bad limited one’s miracles.

With that, he landed a few meters away from the gate with graceful ease. His landing stirred only a faint puff of dust around his boots without generating much noise.

The guards, absentminded a moment ago, immediately raised their fuel lamps to see the figure walking toward them.

Hinata’s hair, now tied at the nape of his neck, fluttered like a single leaf caught in a violent gust of wind, while his black kimono whipped around his form.

"Hey! Mister, stop right there," the guard shouted, struggling to make out the man’s facial features. Seeing that the figure was not stopping, he raised his blade. "Stop right there or I’ll cut you down!"

The other guard rushed inside the city walls to call for reinforcements. Before Hinata could even reach the gate, a swarm of guards waited for him with blades raised high.

"Hey, can you see his face?" one guard asked, nudging the other with his elbow.

"Except for the fact that he’s really good-looking, no. Plus, it’s harder to make out his other features because of his bangs."

As Hinata drew closer, the captain of the guard squinted, then his eyes suddenly widened in recognition. "All of you, lower your blades!"

"What the hell? Why is the captain telling us to stop?" one guard murmured.

"Could he be in cahoots with them?" another whispered, careful not to show his face.

The captain rushed forward and knelt in front of the mysterious figure. "I welcome the master of Falmouth."

The eyes of the guards all went wide. Murmurs erupted around the company.

"Wait, so the myth is real? We actually have a city lord?"

"No way. I thought that was made up?"

"Doesn’t that mean the other rumour is true too?"

The entire band of soldiers went still at the sound of the last murmur.

They did not elaborate further. Instead, all dropped to one knee. "We welcome the master of Falmouth!"

Hinata smiled. "Yeah, I’m home." He glanced to the side, and his smile deepened.

[A lot of fake rumours have been said about the user in the city.]

[You have earned: 1000 fool points.]

[Your good friend Seraphina Von Sterling is saying a lot of peculiar things about you.]

[You have earned: 100 fool points.]