"No turning back. If Dad could reach the end, so can I."
For some reason, a thought suddenly arose in Bennett's heart. He even believed that all the adventures and misfortunes he had experienced before were meant to prepare him for this moment of breaking through danger.
The moment this thought arose, new strength surged within his body, supporting his grievously wounded frame. Once again, Bennett rose half-alive.
Silently enduring the flames, the thunder, and the howling wind, he used his arms to shield his vital parts and pushed forward inch by inch.
No one knew how long passed—maybe minutes, maybe tens of minutes. Bennett staggered through the final obstacles. He had succeeded. Like his dad over a decade ago, he had reached the end of the Valley of Despair.
Looking at the unfamiliar stone pillars and the strange patterns carved on them, Bennett felt a strange sense of familiarity. These things clearly did not come from Mondstadt, yet they felt familiar to him. He ran his hands over the pillars, trying to remember, but nothing came.
"Never mind. Let the past be the past. The adventure now is what matters. Let's see what treasure there is."
He wiped the blood from his mouth, steadied his injuries, and cheerfully searched the area. Such a dangerous valley must hold the greatest treasure, he thought.
After just a few steps, he saw a golden glow ahead. The moment he saw it, he was overjoyed. He danced around, ignoring his wounds.
A huge chest. A magnificent golden chest—the kind that only appeared in adventure stories.
"I knew there would be the greatest treasure here. Everyone says I'm cursed with bad luck. They're wrong. This time I'll prove it."
Looking at the magnificent golden chest, Bennett was absolutely delighted. If he were truly cursed with bad luck, how could he have found such a precious chest? How could he have found such a valuable treasure?
In that moment, Bennett was so happy he laughed like a child, releasing all the misfortune he had suffered since his dad's death.
Then, unable to wait any longer, he reached out toward the golden chest, gently, afraid of damaging it. But as soon as he touched it, he noticed marks on its edge—it seemed someone had opened it before.
His heart sank. A bad feeling crept over him. He quickly lifted the lid and looked inside.
He was dumbfounded.
Empty. There was nothing inside.
Bennett was utterly bewildered. After so many dangers, so many hardships, so many severe injuries, the chest he finally obtained was empty? No treasure at all?
He didn't know that over a decade ago, his dad had found a baby—Bennett himself—in this very chest and brought him back to Mondstadt. Strictly speaking, the chest hadn't been empty; it had held Bennett. But he didn't know that.
Faced with this result, his brow furrowed deeply. All his wounds worsened, and negative emotions flooded his heart.
With a sputter, he coughed up blood onto the chest. A bitter smile twisted his lips.
"Dad once said the journey of adventure is often more important than the treasure. So coming away with nothing should be part of adventuring too. Don't mind it, Bennett. You succeeded."
He tried to comfort himself. But then he realized with shock that his monster-like constitution had stopped working at the valley's end. His wounds kept worsening. Blood flowed uncontrollably.
He coughed up more blood. Earlier, when losing too much blood, he had relied on his abnormal constitution to pull through, letting his wounds recover. But here at the valley's end, his injuries only grew worse. Horrifying wounds bled without stopping. They would not heal.
As his nerves tensed, his strong will finally gave way to his severe injuries. With a thud, he collapsed to the ground. His consciousness faded.
Just as he was about to lose awareness, he heard a voice.
"Bennett, don't give up. You're still on an adventure."
A familiar voice—his deceased dad's. In his blurry vision, seven familiar figures appeared before him. His seven dads.
Dad… I… I'm done for. I'm coming down to see you.
He tried to call out with all his strength, but no sound came. Yet his "dads" seemed to hear him. They all reached out their calloused hands toward him, smiling.
"Son—as an adventurer, you must never fall before finding the best treasure. That is the adventurer's creed."
By now, Bennett's consciousness was extremely faint. He couldn't tell if what he saw was real, if these were truly his dads. But still, he forced himself to speak.
"Dads, please tell me—what is the best treasure?"
Since losing all his companions, Bennett had grown more and more lost about adventuring. He had gradually lost the meaning of seeking treasure. The only thing sustaining his desire to adventure was his seven dads. So at this moment, on the verge of losing consciousness, he asked this question.
What is the best treasure?
Before his fading eyes, the blurry figures of his dads spoke again. "The best treasure is different for everyone. For me, the best treasure was Bennett. You are the best treasure of my life."
That was what his last dad had said at the Adventurers' Guild gate before dying. Now, as Bennett was about to lose consciousness, those blurry figures of his dads said it again.
Bennett was the best treasure of his dad's life.
...
(A/N: Maybe I didn't write Bennett's story very well; my results have been getting worse lately. Bennett's story is almost finished. Next should be a certain adeptus who is always looking up and down—you know who I mean. Fill in the blank!)