[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela":3,"chapter-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-78":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Exiled from the Start and Dominating the Wasteland with an Intelligence System",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1688678,2155,"Chapter 78 : Chapter 78","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-78",78,"\u003Cp>Chapter 78. Two People and One Mouse on the Road\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli noticed the faint smile that had flashed across the corners of Irene’s lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He forcibly suppressed his irritation at having his hair thrown into disarray by Gulu, but inwardly, he felt nothing but excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this unfathomable elf princess agreeing to join them, the chances of success on this journey to Bardel’s tomb would increase by far more than just a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is my honor that Princess Irene is willing to accompany me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli grabbed Gulu, who was still trying to yank his hair, stuffed it into his pocket, and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Since time is pressing, I will go make arrangements for manpower and prepare supplies. By early tomorrow morning, we can—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene directly cut off his plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She tilted her head slightly, her calm gaze passing over the shifting figures outside the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do not like crowds or noise. For this journey, the three of us will be enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Three people?!” Eli’s brows drew tightly together, and he repeated the words instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his mouth, wanting to argue his case. At the very least, they should bring Buck and a few members of the Black Crow Knights, or perhaps Wolfgang would do as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the moment the words reached his lips, he met Irene’s calm and placid eyes, and everything he wanted to say was forcibly choked back down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then again, with someone like her covering for them, there really was no need to worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...As you command, Princess Irene.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli could only lower his head helplessly. “As for any items that might be inside the tomb...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering the key issue, Eli probed tentatively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we gain anything, how should it be handled?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely they could not make the trip for nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the legacy of “Iron Hand” Bardel, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene seemed to find his question somewhat unnecessary. Her delicate brow shifted faintly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you not know even a simple spatial storage spell?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli: “...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt as though an arrow had pierced straight through his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Spatial magic? Was that not the stuff of legends?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for him, he did not know the first thing about spatial magic!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he could only squeeze out two dry words. “...I do not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene seemed to realize that she may have overestimated the upper limit of this human’s abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief silence, she said nothing more, but the look in her eyes seemed to say quite clearly: How useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early the next morning, the sky had only just begun to brighten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After bidding farewell to Aila and entrusting the affairs of the territory to Old John and Estor,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli brought only a simple pack and led two sturdy packhorses he had prepared to the mouth of the valley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene was already waiting there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu was sprawled over her shoulder, its little head nodding sleepily as it dozed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord, you are really going with only the three of you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old John could not help asking one last time. His wrinkled face was full of worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A place like the Forgotten Rift sounded dangerous beyond measure no matter how one thought about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That is right, Young Master. At least let Captain Buck or Lord Wolfgang bring a few men to accompany you,” Estor added anxiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli waved his hand helplessly, signaling with his eyes that they need not say anything more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do as I instructed last night and watch the territory. If any emergency arises, use the ravens to contact Brandon in Lucerne City.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he swung himself up onto his horse and looked toward Irene. “Your Highness, please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene gave a slight nod and leaped lightly onto the horse’s back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The jolting woke Gulu, which grumbled in dissatisfaction a couple of times before curling back up on Irene’s shoulder in a more comfortable position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three of them, mounted on three horses, set out beneath the rising dawn on the road leading to the Forgotten Rift at the border of the Western Frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horses’ hooves struck the dirt road across the wasteland, kicking up faint clouds of dust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The journey was long and monotonous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The closer they drew to the border, the clearer the marks of war became.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The barren fields were overgrown with weeds, yet great blackened scars of burning could still be seen everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although time had passed, and nature stubbornly tried to heal the wounds,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>with grass pushing up through the scorched earth and vines climbing over collapsed stone walls, the traces of war remained shocking to behold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene’s gaze slowly swept across this land that had been ravaged again and again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within those eyes, there was a clear expression of confusion and a faint, indescribable sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her ethereal voice rang out across the silent wilderness, carrying incomprehension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are humans... always so obsessed with brutal and greedy strife?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They clearly... could live upon this land in harmony and flourish together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu, perched on her shoulder, immediately raised its little head and shrilled in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly! Humans are the worst! All they ever bring is destruction and death!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our homeland was cut down by their greedy axes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They felled the ancient trees and drove away the forest’s inhabitants, all just to build those ugly, cold stone houses! They are absolutely hateful!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riding on horseback, Eli listened to this one person and one mouse condemn the nature of humankind, and a complicated feeling welled up in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his mouth, wanting to explain that war had its roots, that greed came from the pressure of survival...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when he looked upon the ruins before him, utterly destroyed by the flames of war, every word seemed pale and powerless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he merely let out a deep sigh, turned his gaze toward the horizon where the wasteland met the sky, and spoke in a low, helpless voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps... even amid darkness and chaos, there is always... still truth and hope.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That sounded more like he was trying to convince himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this brief period of traveling together, he had already come to understand\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>that although this elf princess possessed unfathomable strength and a long life,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>her inner world was as pure and idealized as crystal untouched by the dust of the mortal world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could not understand the bloody conflicts humans unleashed for the sake of profit, survival, and hatred.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That nearly childlike kindness and innocence\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was perhaps one of the reasons the elves, though powerful, had ultimately been betrayed and driven out by humankind, forced to hide deep within the forests.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene did not answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within her starry eyes, that sorrow and confusion did not fade. Instead, they seemed to deepen further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sun gradually rose higher, and by around noon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a clear and winding stream appeared in the distance ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The water murmured as it flowed, glittering in the sunlight, bringing a trace of coolness and life to the heavy journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoa—” Eli pulled back on the reins and dismounted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, we have been traveling for half the day. Let us rest here for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stream is clear, so we can refill our water, and the horses can also rest their legs.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene glanced at the clear stream and gave a slight nod. “All right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fish! Fish! There are fish!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu instantly sprang up from Irene’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its black bead-like eyes shone brightly as it stared at the silver flashes occasionally flickering through the water, and it was practically drooling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness! There are fish! We get to eat fish! We do not have to gnaw on dried rations!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli tied the horses near a patch of shrubs by the stream so they could graze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highness, please rest here a while. I will see whether I can catch a few fish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene nodded and walked over to sit beside a flat boulder at the stream’s edge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Gulu, like an eager little tagalong, it scampered excitedly at Eli’s feet all the way to a calm backwater pool.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The stream was so clear that the smooth pebbles on the bottom and the swaying water plants could be seen perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because human visitors were rare, the fish here were not particularly afraid of people, and swam about in leisurely ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli pulled off his boots, rolled up his trousers, and stepped briskly into the cool stream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holding his breath and focusing his mind, he locked onto a large trout that was lazily drifting past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The instant the fish flicked its tail, Eli’s hand shot into the water like lightning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Splash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Water flew everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A trout the length of a forearm, struggling desperately, was seized firmly in Eli’s grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow! It is huge!” Gulu bounced excitedly on the bank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli smiled and tossed the fish onto the soft grass at the edge of the shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu immediately pounced on it, pinning down the still-flopping fish with its little paws while chattering excitedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli repeated the same method and soon caught four more equally plump trout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu also tried floundering into the shallows, and somehow actually managed to smack a palm-sized little fish senseless with one of its paws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clenching the fish in its mouth, it ran over to the flat boulder where Irene sat as though presenting a treasure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, hopping with delight, it placed the little fish by Irene’s feet and looked up at her with bright, shining black eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene lowered her head and looked at the little fish at her feet, whose gills were still faintly opening and closing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she looked again at the five large fish still struggling on the grass beside the stream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We... cannot eat this much. Why not release them back into the water?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli had just begun skillfully scraping the scales off with a small knife, but at those words, his hands paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, he let out a helpless sigh inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the four large fish on the ground, then at the poor little fish by Irene’s feet...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“All right,” he conceded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Irene did reminded him somewhat of Daoism from his previous life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up the two smaller trout and put them back into the clear stream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment they regained their freedom, the two fish flicked their tails and vanished swiftly into deeper water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the small fish Gulu had caught...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he left it alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was too small. Even if he released it, it probably would not survive, so he might as well count it as a little sense of achievement for the great Lord Gulu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli quickly cleaned the remaining two fish and skewered them on sharpened branches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he gathered some dry deadwood from the bank and skillfully built a small fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames crackled and soon caught the twigs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He set the skewered fish over the fire and carefully turned them as they roasted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fat dripped down onto the coals with a sizzling sound, and an enticing, smoky fragrance quickly spread with the rising blue smoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu had long since given up on its little fish and now squatted by the fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its black bead-like eyes stared fixedly at the three fish as they slowly turned golden and crisp under the flames.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drool poured from its mouth like a little stream, gathering into a damp patch in the grass beneath its feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It smells so good... so good... Lord Gulu is starving to death...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It kept swallowing mouthful after mouthful of saliva.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli pulled out a small leather pouch from his belt, which held coarse salt and a mixture of dried crushed herbs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He sprinkled them evenly across the fish, which hissed and sizzled with oil over the fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first fish was done, its skin golden and crisp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eli took it down and first handed it to Irene, who sat upon the flat boulder. “Princess Irene, would you like to try it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene looked at the sharpened branch holding the fragrant roasted fish before her and hesitated for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Eli immediately added, “Shall I remove the fish from the skewer for you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He assumed Irene simply did not know how to eat it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is no need.” Irene gently shook her head and took the branch, which was still hot to the touch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using her fingertips, she carefully tore off a small piece of golden fish belly meat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flesh was snow-white and tender, steaming with heat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, Eli handed the second roasted fish to Gulu, which had been waiting with desperate longing in its eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It let out an excited shriek, grabbed the branch with its little paws, and bit down hard at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah! Hot, hot, hot! So good! It is so good!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gulu was scalded so badly that it began huffing air, but it still could not bear to spit it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hopped in place while madly devouring the delicious fish, juice smearing everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Irene watched Gulu’s exaggerated way of eating, then lowered her head and looked at the small piece of white fish meat between her fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She placed it into her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First came the sensation of heat, and then, beneath the crisp skin, a tenderness of flesh unlike anything she had ever tasted before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a flavor she had never experienced in her life—raw and vivid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Completely different from the light foods of the elves that she remembered, foods full of the fragrance of nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the instant the fish entered her mouth, Irene’s calm eyes suddenly lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Almost unconsciously, she tore off a much larger piece of fish and put it into her mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>..... (Five ants crawled past—five ants.)\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(Please, my dear readers, give me a good review. I am begging you, kowtowing!)\u003C\u002Fp>",2303,"2026-06-06T13:50:45.844Z",1,"novelbin.me","8dd66b67c498c571c916aabeddf33172dc89b5817f7acc73aae1d94df41d37ee","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-79","exiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-chapter-77",112,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fexiled-from-the-start-and-dominating-the-wastela-cover.jpg"]