It was nearly evening, and the three who had gone out had yet to return. The three Ghost Sovereigns sat in silence; we said nothing. Yuna Ji and Redmond’s ghost aura had somewhat recovered, but still not much.
Truly understanding and grasping hope is the only way to restore their strength. For these three, who are long past the age of hoping for anything, it is a difficult task.
"Which of you two will go tomorrow?"
At this, John Chou asked, and Yuna Ji stood up.
"I'll go."
Though I don’t quite understand the meaning behind this process, for the three of them, perhaps closely observing someone filled with hope is meaningful.
They finally returned. Emperor Yan carried a hollowed-out tree stump in both hands. I stared in surprise; the air was laced with the scent of alcohol, though the aroma was still somewhat raw.
"It’ll be ready to drink once it finishes fermenting at midnight."
Emperor Yan found a spot, set down the hollow tree stump, then sealed the opening with string and leaves. Today’s harvest seemed good. The frost on Isabelle Frost’s face had vanished; she was holding a few small animals. Emperor Yan busied himself with the preparations.
"The three of you go help out together."
Nothing could be grown on this land, because crops needed light—and in this world, there was none.
Emperor Yan had tried, but his methods baffled everyone with abs. He managed to settle in a village, where people had to hunt every day and then trade with other villages.
Everyone here shared the same goal—to avoid starving. That was the simplest way of life.
Back then, most lives were bearable, except for the oppressive darkness. The Darkwood was much larger, and you could see it right beside the great pillar.
But in this world, aside from what could be taken from the forest, there were no other means to survive. Life went on like this, and before long, everyone started calling Emperor Yan 'Master Yan.'
Emperor Yan taught people many things—how to build houses, make medicine, craft tools. People from nearby villages often came to trade food for the tools and weapons they made.
Gradually, a rough trading market formed near the great pillar. Every day, people from nearby would come to trade, bringing back whatever they needed from the forest and bartering for goods.
It was a simple, direct arrangement. Most residents of the darkness were filled with hope, but the only thing that worried Emperor Yan was that the forest kept expanding outward.
More and more people appeared, regularly gathering near the great pillar. At first, many couldn't adapt to the hardship, but over time, most learned to survive.
The only complaint was that the journey to and from the forest kept getting longer.