68: as a result of

"Where is he? Where is the demon?" the Chief asked, even though he knew no one there knew the answer to his questions. They waited for a while, but neither the snakes nor their Inikaka returned.

Minutes later, the captain began sending the injured back to the village. These people were both Body Cultivators and Qi Cultivators, and would fully recover after at most a month's rest.

An hour later, the Chief sent the elderly back.

Another hour later, the Chief sent back those who were willing.

By the end of the day, only 4 people remained on the beach, and Hayes was one of them.

Even so, Ning never returned. They reluctantly went back to the village. For the next few days, they lived in fear of the monster returning, yet, nothing of the sort happened.

By the end of that week, they were almost certain the demon was gone.

By the end of the month, they were convinced the demon was gone. "I will see you all again after victory," were his last words, but he never saw them again.

Without Inikaka, they continued to do what he had taught them. Their body cultivation techniques were already perfected, so they practiced every morning.

Their Qi cultivation was also good enough that they practiced it for most of the night.

Their Inikaka had taught them to read and write, so they continued to do so. The entire village could now fluently read and write in their own language. They began to create stories about Inikaka, carving the words into huge rocks for future generations to read.

Drinking water was no longer an issue. Thanks to their Inikaka, they could turn seawater into drinking water at any time. Hayes had taught this technique to all of them. Thanks to this, they no longer relied on coconut water, and the Villagers could finally taste ripe coconuts.

As for food, the Villagers expanded the farm on another island, planting a variety of crops, thanks to the different types of grains and seeds left behind by their Inikaka. They now had rice, wheat, barley, and several vegetables and fruits that they could grow themselves.

He also left behind much knowledge about cooking food in different ways, all translated into their language. He also left behind many metal pots and pans, as well as other tools that the Villagers considered important.

However, the most important thing he left behind was probably a piece of paper. This paper had rough lines drawn on it with a pen. Ning had drawn this paper himself one day and casually handed it to Hayes, telling her to use it one day, or to leave it for future generations.

It was a map of nearby islands. North of their island were more than 20 islands larger than theirs. Ning did not mention whether these islands were inhabited, but the fact that these islands existed greatly expanded their world.

Several years passed, and the village prospered. With no more monster threats, the population greatly increased. Moreover, they were now Qi Cultivators, and the elderly lived much longer than their previous ancestors.

Some Villagers migrated to other islands in the north to settle, and the population grew again.

Hayes grew up and married a village girl a few years younger than him. Due to his cultivation speed, he had already become the de facto leader of the village and soon inherited the position of Chief.

He also had children, a son and a daughter. He let his wife name their daughter but insisted that his son be named Ning. He would let them know later how much this Inikaka had helped them.

And it would all start with a story: a fish appeared on the beach when he timidly went out with the former Chief to fight the demon Corpse Demon.

He would never forget those words he heard that day, and even more so, how much he underestimated them when he heard them. Those words he agreed to without much thought. Those words he still heard in his dreams from time to time. Those words...

"Hey, kid, do you want me to help you become stronger?"

Nothing. This was the thought in Ning's mind when he woke up from a long sleep. No pain, no thoughts, nothing. He was a bit dazed and took some time to remember what had happened. Information flooded his mind as he recalled the battle with the snake.

"It's dead, right? Yes, it's dead," he said as he recalled.

"Where am I?" he thought, looking around. It was dark, and he couldn't see anything now. "What happened to my Night Vision?" he wondered.

Then he realized he felt very cold, truly cold, almost as if he were back on the Glacier where he began his new life.

However, he could feel immense pressure on his skin, so he guessed he was somewhere deep in the ocean.

"Uh... System, where am I?" he asked.

"Ocean"

"I know everything. Can I teleport it to land? What's the closest distance?" he asked.

<96 kilometers>

"Oh, too close. Alright, teleport." he said. However, nothing happened. Ning waited a few seconds, but felt no change.

"What's wrong with the system?" he asked.

<You don't have enough energy>