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Ma Rong cried. A lot. Not even Luo Mei had cried for Alex this much. She was a sobbing mess as she hugged Alex and started thanking the gods for his return. 

Alex didn't know what to say. However, the warmth he felt from them all was making him slightly happy that he returned, which in turn was making him more guilty about the fact that he left behind Pearl.

Ma Rong's body was quite skinny. It seemed she wasn't taking care of herself properly. It's my fault, Alex thought. 

It wasn't really his fault. He did what he could to save them and was taken away by the beasts. There was nothing he could do in that situation.

Now he needed to go save Pearl, and yet once again, there was nothing he could do.