Chapter 7: My Cute Rumbling Stomach

"I guess that's it."

Rihan stands up from the floor and stares at the book that he used to write down as he re-experiences his past life.

He's been stuck inside the room in the Irricester Dormhouse for the whole day. Book in hand, he looks up at the ceiling and stares at the cracks. He wonders if he will be able to defeat the Ancient Emperor.

"Let's go!" he shouts before closing the book and stuffing it inside his pocket.

He quickly checks his body next, but everything seems fine when he flexes his arms and legs a few times just to make sure.

"I guess that means my body is in good shape?" He grins in excitement, but his expression soon fades as his stomach rumbles. "Man, I'm hungry."

"Back then I had every treasure, gold, and diamond reaching up to the heavens," he thinks to himself. "Today I barely have anything. Even my stomach is empty."

It makes sense that his stomach would growl after eating nothing for the whole day, he thought. He stares at the crack in the wall again.

"I didn't have to bother with eating and mundane stuff like that in my past life," he muses. "It was much easier when my cultivation was higher."

His stomach grumbles again. "Ugh, I'm starving. I should probably eat something."

Rihan grabs his cloak and leaves his room. Outside, it's raining hard. Water drips from the eaves and splashes against his cheeks as he walks down the dark hallway. His footsteps echo against the wooden floor, creating a dull sound.

"I need to make money fast and get out of this forsaken dorm, no one lives in." he raised his eyebrow as he looks around his dorm, "Would I be washed away by a flood?"

The dorm he was assigned to was the farthest one from the main building. It was also the oldest building, which made it colder than the other buildings, with the broken light fixtures making the hallway look dim.

He stares at the rain outside, which seems to be getting stronger. The sound of it hitting the ground makes him shiver.

As he stares outside, he hears someone coughing behind him. Curious, he turns around and stares at the corner of the hallway but didn't see anyone.

"Is someone there?" he stutters.

No response.

A cold breeze blows by, making him shiver even more. He stares at the puddle of water near the corner of the hallway while rubbing his arms to warm them up.

Is the building haunted? he wonders. There's no one else here except me. Maybe I'm hearing things? "Hmph." He snorts. "I'm not scared of ghosts." It's an old building, so it's bound to be leaking, he thinks.

The roof must have gotten wet, causing the wind to blow through the hallways. The air feels chilly, but it doesn't feel like the kind of chill that comes with the presence of spirits or demons.

He was about to ignore it but stopped himself. Something doesn't seem right. Maybe he's not alone.

"Hello?" he calls out.

His voice echoes loudly, filling the empty corridor. A few seconds later, a girl stumbles out of nowhere.

His brow frowned, puzzled. "What are you doing?" he asks. "Where did you come from?"

It was dark, so he couldn't see the girl clearly, but he could hear her stumbling toward him. The sound of wet shoes stuttering across the floor filled his ears. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She sniffs.

Soon a figure appears next to the window; she was holding onto the frame tightly, trying to support herself. Rihan looks closer.

Wet hair sticks to her face, but she doesn't seem to notice. Her clothes were soaked, revealing her skin underneath—her neck, chest, thighs—all of which were covered by the thin fabric she was wearing.

Her slim figure quivered from cold, and her hands shook, keeping her balance.

She had flawless, pale white skin, and her long, black eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings above her pale blue eyes, staring directly at him. She wore a simple outfit—a skirt and a blouse—which clung to her slender body.

"Larisa?" he whispers, taken aback.

She pauses, her eyes widening slightly as she looks at him.

"Who are you?" she asks, stumbling forward.

He stares at her as she falls to her knees, clutching her sides. "Are you okay?" he says as he kneels beside her. "What happened?"

She possessed a beauty that was unrivalled by anyone. Even if she wasn't in such a good state, she'd still stand out in a crowd. She stared at him with wide, curious eyes.

Her pale, delicate fingers reached for his arm, grabbing hold of his sleeve; she sniffled, sniffling softly, then looked back up at him. "You're real," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Rihan stares into her pale blue eyes. She looks just like how he'd remembered her. "Yes, I'm a real person. I'm Rihan."

He stares at her until she sniffs again. "What happened to you?"

Her lips trembled as they parted and released a soft sigh. "I was cultivating in the training ground when suddenly the sky started to rain." She paused, her eyes glazing over. "But I was too engrossed in my cultivation, so I didn't realize it."

He nods, understanding her situation. "I know what it's like." He sighs, remembering his past life. "I didn't notice the rain either."

She glances at him and smiles. "I was so lost in my own cultivation, but then I felt this strange feeling, before I knew it I was shivering."

Rihan chuckles lightly.

You are reading story The Ash Earth at novel35.com

"I tried walking, but the rain kept falling harder and harder," she continues. "I managed to find a place to shelter, but then it got darker and colder, and the rain wouldn't stop."

Rihan shakes his head. "It's always colder during the winter."

She glances at him. "I didn't think it would get that bad."

Rihan looks at the floor, thinking of his previous life. Larisa was a dazzling woman, whose bright smile captivated everyone. She never let her guard down, especially when it came to the people that weren't close to her.

She was an excellent Arch Master, processing the highest level of energy manipulation, which allowed her to control her surroundings.

She stares at him, sniffling, her lips quivering.

"Are you hurt anywhere?" he asked.

"My feet," she whimpers, "They stung so badly, and I can't move them anymore. They won't respond to my commands, so I don't know if I should just leave them like that."

He stares at her bare legs, noticing that they've turned red and swollen.

"Did you run barefoot under the rain?" he scolds.

"I don't have any shoes," she pouts, "I only brought two pairs." She touches her toes, caressing them. "And I lost it when I stumbled earlier in the training ground."

Rihan stares at her, confused. "Why did you stumble?"

"I slipped on the wet grass," Embarrassed, she stares at the floor, her expression blank.

As they talk, a faint sound of thunder rumbles from the distance. The rain becomes heavier, pouring from the skies. The sound of it hitting the ground is deafening. Water splashes against the windows, and the floorboards creak from their weight of it.

"This is the worst weather we've seen in months." Rihan stares outside, watching the raindrops fall.

He stares at the girl, who stares at him. "Do you have somewhere to stay? You shouldn't be in the dorms, since the rooms aren't heated."

She stares at him in confusion. The cold no longer bothers her, instead, she felt warm and comfortable, almost as if the temperature has risen.

"It's warm right now, isn't it?" Rihan smirks. "It's warmer than usual, even."

Larisa stares at him with wide, surprised eyes. "What's going on?"

Rihan shrugs. "I'm not sure." He pretends to ponder the question. "Maybe there's something wrong with the heater or something?"

He points to the ceiling with a grin, acting as if he knows what's happening. "It might have malfunctioned, causing an unexpected rise in the temperature."

Larisa snickers. "How is that possible. This old abandoned building doesn't even have heaters, does it?"

She raised her hand towards Rihan and felt a radiating warmth from his body. It feels similar to the way she's feeling right now.

"What's this?" She stares at his face with a puzzled expression. "The air feels nice and warm. It's not hot, but it feels pleasant to me."

Rihan stares at her, his brows furrowed. "Is it really?" He stares at the floor, looking around. "I didn't notice anything different from when I first walked in."

"Well, whatever it is, I'm glad to feel warm again." she wipes the tears from the corners of her eyes.

She snuggles up against him, resting her head on his shoulder. Rihan holds her gently, stroking her hair while she snuggles closer to his chest.

Seeing the usually strong Larisa from his past life, Rihan couldn’t help pitying her.

Touched by Rihan's warmth, she unknowingly dropped the strong guard that she had always put up. and pleaded, "I'm sorry for troubling you," she murmurs. "I'll be fine now."

Rihan stares down at her with a gentle gaze. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal." He strokes her cheek with the palm of his hand.

She was, after all, only a 10-year-old girl.

Larisa had a strong personality and rarely asked others for help. Rihan after seeing her wet condition caused by the sudden rain felt his heart soften. 

Larisa stares up at him with her wide, innocent eyes.

"Kruuuu…" a low growling sound comes from his stomach, startling both of them. The sound echoes throughout the hallway and makes its presence known.

"What was that?" She stares at him with a shocked look.

"Oh, nothing. It was probably just hungry." He pats his belly. "I haven't eaten all day, and I'm starving."

She stares into his eyes, snorting. "It sounds like a cat, doesn't it?"

Rihan laughs back, amused by her joke.

"I'm serious. That sound was very much like a feline." She giggles. "It's cute!"

The two of them laugh, enjoying the moment together.

You can find story with these keywords: The Ash Earth, Read The Ash Earth, The Ash Earth novel, The Ash Earth book, The Ash Earth story, The Ash Earth full, The Ash Earth Latest Chapter