Chapter 406: Chapter 87: Goris’s Wish_2
With the end of the second page, Ah Dai was left completely dazed. Could it be that Teacher Goris wanted to kill him? No, that could not be, the teacher was joking with him. Yes, he must be joking. Without hesitation, he turned to the third page and continued reading.
"Ah Dai, everything the teacher has said is the truth. Ahh... do you hate your teacher? I know you won’t. You have always been a good child, so kind-hearted. Even when you suffered so much in the City of Nino, I never noticed any hatred in your heart. In order to craft the Divine Artifact, I have made countless sacrifices. Nothing should have stood in the way of fulfilling my life-long ambition. But you, you changed me. When I returned to the Illusive Forest and saw you, I suddenly felt like you were a family member. Especially when I saw you reluctant to eat all the steamed buns I gave you, carefully preserving one with silver tin, my heart quivered. How could I let a kind-hearted child like you become the sacrifice for my wishes? Overwhelmed by the battle within my heart, I decided to leave again. The more time I spent with you, the less determined I was to craft the Divine Artifact. This time I lied to you. I wasn’t going after something. I was running away. But sometimes running away is not a solution. You became so important to me that when I stepped into the Illusive Forest again, I could not bring myself to harm you. By then, I had decided to give up the crafting of the Divine Artifact, rather than letting you become my sacrifice. However, it was already too late. When I returned, everything had changed. You were gone, taken by Hades, who is far more evil than I. No matter how loudly I called your name, you couldn’t hear me anymore, and you couldn’t return to my side. The letter you left for me, I read it over and over again. Although your words were brief, I could clearly feel your attachment to me. At that moment, I so wanted to tell you, Ah Dai, as long as you would return, return to me, your teacher, I would surely teach you magic and alchemy. I would no longer use you for my experiments. But it is too late. You have already left, and I don’t know when you will return. Do you know? Because of your departure, your teacher cried. For the first time in fifty years, I cried. At that moment, it felt like you were my own child. Your departure also took away my heart. Ah Dai, my child! Do not resent your teacher, your teacher understands his mistake." With that, the third page ended.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down Ah Dai’s face as he screamed, "Teacher, I don’t blame you. I really don’t. You will always be my teacher! Teacher Goris, I love you, I love you! As long as you can come back to life, I am willing to sacrifice my life to help you craft the Divine Artifact." He sunk to the ground in agony, his previous doubts dissolved by the words on the third page. Regardless of who Goris was or what he had done in the past, Ah Dai only knew that Goris had indeed cared for him. Deep sorrow filled his heart, and he wept with fervor, his grief resurfacing from when he first heard of Goris’s death.
After a while, Ah Dai’s torrent of emotions gradually calmed. The intense grief inside him made his face as pale as the letter in his hand. With trembling hands, he turned to the fourth page, "Ah Dai, ever since we met, you have shown me so much care and attachment. But I have given you so little in return. When I wrote this letter, I had already decided to fulfil my life-long wish. The Divine Artifact must still be created, and the person who will act as the Furnace must have consumed my Nine Generation Marrow Pill. Although you have left, there is still one person who has consumed the Nine Generation Marrow Pill. That is me. Don’t laugh at your old teacher, who despite living for over eighty years, is still a virgin. I have decided to sacrifice my life to fulfil my wish. This will be the last gift your teacher could give you. I am convinced that after many years of effort, I will create a powerful Divine Artifact, which you will own. Oh, to possess a Divine Artifact is such an exciting prospect! Are you happy now?"
"No, I’m not happy. I don’t want the Divine Artifact, I only want you, Teacher Goris, please don’t do this!" Ah Dai’s just calmed mood once again flared. He could almost see Goris, smiling as he was walking step by step towards the blazing Furnace, and he felt powerless to stop it. Yes, fate was already sealed and it was impossible to change. Ah Dai continued reading through his tears. The handwriting on the following pages seemed slightly different, as if they were not written on the same day.
"My child, I am going to begin. Today is the day when the dark energy is at its peak, and everything is already prepared. Initially, I intended to craft a Magic Wand for myself. However, I changed my mind. Since Hades said he would teach you martial arts, what he would teach you would surely be the extremely evil Sword of Hades. I guess, you don’t need any weapons anymore. After much thought, I figured out the most suitable Divine Artifact for you, one that gave the ability to teleport instantly. You are too kind and prone to succumbing to others. If the Divine Artifact can be crafted exactly like my design, you will have two life-saving abilities.
