The Last Stretch

After three months of "intensive" training, Chen Hai was in a pinch. Currently he was level nine, only one level off of the next rank, but it seemed that no matter how much Soul Power he gained, it all escaped!

He knew that there was a bottleneck at the end of each rank, but wasn't this too exaggerated!? He was not sure how it was for others, but he swore his circumstances were special.

Everytime he gained Soul Power, the energy always gradually escapes, almost as if there was a hole inside of him. He was leaking all the Soul Power that he cultivated, it was all going down the drain, everything was a waste!

There was only a week left untill the official school wide examination! If he failed during the last step, Chen Hai would never be able to forgive himself! He would regret this for life! Countless what ifs would play in his head till the day he dies! An eternity of regrets!

He would rather die trying than to face that version of reality! Why did the world give him such a chance if he was not allowed to pass!?

Niu Peng sitting on the bed next to him looked at Chen Hai feeling complicated. He could tell that Chen Hai's emotions were experiencing a turmoil from his eyes which swam with glazing fir and ice.

He himself didn't understand why the world had to be so cruel to his best friend. They were both homeless, both the same age, both poor, but everything about them was so different... They even slept together, were desk partners, and were shoulder buddies, but everything was so contrasting...

Niu Peng was actually sort of talented, although not a prodigy, he had a good chance to be accepted into one of the better battle academies. He was currently a level nineteen Spirit Condensator, with a fairly powerful Martial Soul.

His Martial Soul was a sand golem. It had very good potential and talent, and on bonus was sort of like an element, which was a very rare powerful trait to have. However, it was still weaker than a true elemental Martial Soul as his was a weaker variation.

Niu Peng was very talented, while on Chen Hai's side his circumstances were the worst. He remembered him speaking briefly on his family before, how they abandoned him... At least on his part it was his parents dying from thieves... He had a loving family while they were still alive and together... but Chen Hai basically did not have a family at all.

Plus Chen Hai had an unbelievably weak Martial Soul... However, he noticed that Chen Hai started to have a growth spurt of Soul Power, gaining levels and soul energy like there was no tomorrow in these three months, but at the end of all this, it looked like he was not going to reach the requirement to join a battle academy...

Niu Peng didn't know what Chen Hai was going through, or the feelings he was experiencing, but as his friend he still tried to give him some comfort. "Chen Hai... There's still a week right?... Maybe you can still make it if you don't give up..."

"Shut up!! You don't understand anything!! You don't know what I'm going through!! You don't know anything!! Anything about my life!!"

Paaaa!-

The pillow slowly fell down from Niu Peng's face. Seeing the angry eyes of his like he was prepared to lash at him more, he felt that staying here next to him will only make things worse.

Sighing at how different his friend was becoming in these three months, he decided to leave the room. It was almost like he didn't even know him anymore... "I'm a help grandpa do the laundry... I'll bring some food back for you..."

Soon the room was left empty, leaving only Chen Hai inside the lone isolated room. Locked in solitary, Chen Hai felt like all life deserted him, making him notice how lonely he was. However... he could not afford to have fun, his future all depended on these final moments...

After a while, Niu Peng returned holding a tray with anticipation. The children in this home were all homeless, so this also meant they were poor. However thanks to Chen Hai's recent business, the charity had received more funds. Thanks to the addition of more liquid, the kind owner decided to start giving each child a small allowance every month.

The amount however was very small, each individual only got eight spirit stones a month. This was only enough for around four pieces of candy... So everyone used them sparingly. As everyone was poor, they learned to be frugal, saving as much as they can, and only spending when needed.

Ever since he started to be given spirit stones, Niu Peng saved every single cent, planning to use it for when he goes to the big city. He was not sure what will happen there in the unknown, so he decided he should save for a rainy day.

However, today he spent every single spirit stone, all 24 of them. He remembered when he hung out with Chen Hai before, he always stared at the window of a cake store each time they passed by it.

Noticing how down he has been lately, he decided to spend all his money in order to try and cheer up his friend. He bought two slices of cake, two different flavors. He was not sure which flavors Chen Hai liked and disliked, so he got the two cheapest options, vanilla and chocolate. Each twelve spirit stones a slice, he felt he was ripped off, but he had already decided to buy it, so he did not hesitate.

Hiding the tray behind him once he got to the door, Niu Peng had a noticeable smile as he opened the door. "Chen Hai, I brought you your favorite food! As for what it is, haha- its a surprise!"

Once he came inside, Niu Peng's smile dimmed, Chen Hai was not in the room. Looking out the window, it was already night time, and he did not spot him in the yard through the window either.

Holding the tray still, he was not sure what to do now, he guessed that since he had left at this time of day, he would probably not return later tonight. Sighing, Niu Peng place the tray on the window counter. Their room had no tables and decorations, only one window and a bed which they shared. He only hoped that Chen Hai will feel better when he decides to come back.

. . .

"Big brother, why are you out this late?", a little girl sat on the stone wall which was low enough to sit on. She was the daughter of his first customer that he had three months ago. She had a small lollipop in her tiny mouth as she tilted her head back and forth.

She liked spending time with this bigger brother of hers. He was always so nice and considerate, he even gave her free Yaki Rice Balls every day she came without her mom!

The girl really loved nice men like him, only if her dad could give her free food like that everyday... Hmph! She needs to teach her father properly once they get back home tonight! She'll make him understand how poorly he's treating her daughter! Hmph! Just you wait!

Seeing the innocent girl smiling while swinging her legs without a care in the world next to him, he wished he could steal some of that innocence from her. It felt like he was living underwater for so long already, he wasn't even sure when the last time he felt truly happy like this little girl in front of him.

He was both jealous and envy of a girl about half his age, he didn't know how he should react if anyone else around him found out.

Observing how cute the girl in front of him was, his emotions didn't burst out this time like earlier, this time he took some time to think of an appropriate answer to her.

"Well... I wish to also have a destiny..."

Confused, she asked him after he was finished. "What's destiny?"

"Destiny... Hmm... Well... I guess I also wish to have dreams..."

"Big brother you don't have dreams?...", jumping off the wall, she moved her small steps towards Chen Hai and patted his back. Handing him her lollipop, she tried to cheer him up. "Don't worry, dreams are made by us, no matter how difficult the circumstances are, you just need to make it."

Not declining the lollipop still dripping with her saliva, he shoved it inside his mouth and started to suck on it too. The last time he had a piece of candy was at the start of the school year, so this was really a treat for him. He already shared food plenty of times within the children's home, so this wasn't really any big deal to him.

Also he copied what the little lady said to him inside his heart. Perhaps it was the purity of the girl which managed her to come up with words like these. Only someone so clean from world worries can craft a sentence like this.

Spotting her mom in the sparse crowd walking towards her, she got ready to go. "Looks like its time for me to go, I think my mom's done shopping. I'll see you later big bro!"

"Wait hold up, I can't let you leave empty handed right?", Chen Hai didn't wish to let this girl go without giving her anything. She gave him very important advice to him, and she did not know how valuable that sentence was for him today. Luckily he had brought a straw hat with him today before he left home. He usually never used this hat anyways, so he decided to give it to the small girl before him as a thanks. "Here little sis, I'll give you my hat for exchange for that tasty lollipop you gave me."

Putting his straw hat onto the girl before she could run towards her mom, her vision quickly became black. It looked to be that his straw hat was too big for the little girl, making it cover her whole head.

Not registering that it was the hat which made her blind, she thought that it was the light which dimmed. "heh-heh, It became dark so quick! Make sure to be careful when you go home big bro!"

The mom overhearing what the girl had said, the mischievous side of her got pulled up, and started to play with her daughter. "Ahh- It's so dark, are you there little Liling? I can't find you... How will I go home... It's so dark..."

Hearing her mom, she quickly ran towards her mother's voice, and gripped her legs with a tight soft hug. "Don't worry mom! I'll bring you home, just follow me!"

As the girl stumbledly led her mother home, the mom nodded to Chen Hai as a good bye. Smiling at the touching scene, another voice soon sounded next to his ear.

"Chen Hai, why are you out this late?", Biyu Cuifen stood next to Chen Hai while she had an investigative gaze, her sixth sense telling her that there was something wrong with him.

Seeing his teacher, he decided to come clean. "I'm still stuck... There's only a week left, I can't spare any breaks now..."

Understanding what he meant, she asked him to confirm. "Is it the bottleneck?..."

Feeling troubled, Chen Hai nodded his head towards her, "I think it is..."

Thinking to herself on how much time was left in the school year, he really was in a tight pinch. Knowing that this will directly affect his future, she decided to help him out one last time. "Come with me tomorrow, there's only one thing that can save you now."

Knowing to what she referred to, he knew it was not right to accept, but his selfishness won over him, so quickly agreed and thanked her for the opportunity. "Thank you Ms. Biyu…"

"Luckily tomorrow's Sunday, so we will have plenty of time to get what you need. Lets meet here at nine in the morning, so make sure to get some sleep you little rascal! Go home now, and bring the cart home! It's so late already, and it's not like you are going to get customers at this time anyways!"

"Little boss, can I have two Yaki Rice Balls please!?", a voice counteracted with what she had said. Twitching her lips, she made sure to tell Chen Hai to go to sleep early after he is done with this customer.

"Thank you Ms. Biyu! I'll see you tomorrow morning!"

Once done cleaning up, Chen Hai headed home. As it was already late in the night, he made his steps quiet as he made his way towards his room. Once he entered, the loud snoring of Niu Peng entered his ears. Seeing how he was sprawled onto the bed, he shoved him towards the side to make some space to sleep on.

Right when he was about to go to sleep, he noticed the two slices of cake sitting on the windowsill. Looking at the clean and neat tray, he knew that this fatty had bought this cake for him while he ran out for some air...

Having a gentle smile on his face, he grabbed the fork and split the cakes in half. Although Niu Peng bought this for him, he knew how precious money was for them, so he couldn't help himself to everything, it went against his conscious and morals.

Shoving a small piece into his mouth, he tasted the sweet that he had never eaten since when he lived with his dad... He remembered that for good luck, his dad brought him a slice of the most expensive cake in the city that morning of the Martial Soul Awakening... His attitude changed so fast though once he failed his expectations...

As the sweet cake rolled in his mouth, it no longer tasted fragrant to him, losing all the attractiveness it once possessed... The sugary sweet taste no longer registered with his tongue...

Did cake always seem so tasteless to him?... When was the last time he had enjoyed food with happiness like all those years ago?...

'Will I ever be able to taste their flavors again?... Dad... how are you now?...'

Staring at the moonlit grass in front of the window, as his eyes swam with clear crystals, he responded a sentence of his own to his heart. 'I think I'm doing good... so don't worry about me...'