Chapter 782 A Heavy Loss
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"Haha, come on, why are you crying now? Don't be like that! Just because you stumbled into the floor it doesn't mean it's the end of the world, Luck. Come on, I'll help you stand back up."
"Big brother…"
"In life you'll stumble down all the time, it's part of… well, of living and growing up as a person. But don't worry, stumbling down and standing back up is something we all do."
"Don't…"
"Eventually, you'll fall so many times you'll grow used to it! And then, you'll learn to better walk down the path you've chosen."
"Please…"
"You'll become much stronger… I know it. Much stronger than anybody in our village, stronger than even dad."
"Don't leave me…"
"Ah, that's one nasty bug bite, but don't worry, I've got myself the perfect mixture of herbs for those nasty bites! Come here! Ahahaha, it hurts a bit, but you've gotta grit your teeth and the pain will go away eventually."
"This is not fair…"
"I know… I haven't been the best brother out there but… I want you to know that I'm really proud of you, Luck. I love you a lot, lil' bro. I'm sure you're making mom and dad proud too, wherever they are."
Hansen's words kept coming one after the other within Luck's mind. Someone that was always there, alive and moving, was now in his hands, lifeless and unmoving.
Cold… and not warm.
Dead… and not alive.
Perhaps it was redundant, but for someone that had seen their family member alive and happy for so many years like nothing, to suddenly have their dead body in their hands.
Luck felt completely destroyed. He didn't knew… what to do now. He didn't knew what to think. He was… he couldn't… do a single thing.
What do I do now?
Where should I go?
What… should I do?
His big brother, that was always there to tell him what he should do, or how he should approach certain problems, was now dead on his arms…
He had given his existence for granted, to lose him so suddenly, and out of nowhere made Luck realize how much he loved him, and how much he needed him.
"L-Luck! Luck!" Lara's voice started echoing from behind him, but Luck was in too much of a shock to hear her.
"LUCK!" Lara cried, rushing to his side and… seeing what was on his arms. She gasped, covering her mouth, her eyes were filled with horror. "N-No… Hansen…" Tears started flowing from her eyes.
Luck suddenly noticed her, glancing back at her, his eyes were filled with desperation, with horror, and with… a slight, hope.
"Y-You can do something, right?! You can heal him, right?! I-I think… He could still be alive…" He muttered, forcing a strange smile. "Lara! Please… PLEASE HEAL HIM!"
"Luck…" Lara sighed, a Spirit of the Land reached her hand, as it touched Luck's big brother's body… The Spirit sighed, glancing back at Lara.
"Kyuuh…"
"I-I…" Lara muttered. "I-I… can't."
"W-What do you mean you can't?!" Luck cried. "You've healed people even worse, right?!"
"But your brother… Hansen…" Lara cried. "He's…"
"S-Shut up… No… He's not! HE'S NOT!!!" Luck cried, denying the truth.
"Luck…" Lara started crying even more, seeing Luck completely devastated. "I'm sorry… But we need to go. I can… barely restrain the monsters. I-I created pitfalls, but they'll crawl out of them quickly!"
Luck was gasping for air, thinking what to do, yet not knowing what to do…
"He's dead, boy." The voice of the Golden Tiger echoed at his side. "You must accept the death of your brother and move on. There's no point in wasting any time. Go with Lara!"
"S-Shut up… SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!!" Luck screamed, his tears falling over his brother's body. "I-I… I don't have anything… I…"
Luck took the hunting knife from his pocket, pointing it at his own neck.
"I might as well just die…"
"LUCK!"
Lara screamed furiously, as a grass vine emerged from the floor and wrapped around his arm. She took away that knife and threw it away.
And then…
SLAP!
She slapped his face.
"Uugh…"
"What are you even saying, you dumb idiot?!"
Lara's screams made Luck snap out of his own daze, as he glanced back at her desperate, crying face, covered in blood, water, and tears.
"L-Lara…"
"Do you think your brother would ever allow you to say such a stupid thing?!"
"B-But…"
"No buts! Stop being a dumbass! Okay?! I know it hurts, I know it because… he was like my own brother too but… We need to go! And please… Don't say those things, don't say you're alone."
Luck glanced at Lara's face crying desperately.
"Because you have me… I am here for you too…" She cried. "I love you, okay? I love you… So please… Don't take your life…"
Luck finally realized his foolishness, as he sighed.
"I-I'm sorry…" He sighed. "I'm sorry, Lara…"
He gently placed his brother's body on the grass, and hugged Lara back tightly.
For a few seconds, the two gave themselves the privilege of crying, of letting go of all their pain, so they could keep moving forward.
"Let's go…" Luck sighed. "As he grabbed his brother once more. "I'll bring big brother along… So we can bury him, somewhere where he can rest in peace."
Lara nodded, as she called the power of the Land Spirits, a hole where the family Luck's brother was protecting ran into opened, the two jumped down right before an army of bugs were about to catch them.
TRUUUM…!
The hole closed right there, as the two and the rest of the survivors ran away, into the depths of the earth, somewhere else…
Almost half of the village ended being killed by the attack of monsters, and the other half that barely survived did so with many wounded, some almost lethally wounded.
Once Lara managed to get deep enough for no monsters to dig there, she used the last bits of her Mana to secure everyone's safety, healing most lethal wounds, before passing out on the spot.
With Lara sleeping at his side, and his brother's corpse covered on leather, Luck couldn't sleep, remaining awake that entire night…
Their peaceful days had come to an abrupt end, and this… was only the beginning.
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