[Divine Capital] (Chapter 74) - A super-long fantasy novel, 20,000 words updated, a distant home.

Author 　　: 　　Frankenstein 　　Published
on sis001 　　on 　　2017/05/30 　　Word 　　count
: 　　20910
********** 　　... 　　I quickly maneuvered my wheelchair and followed, but the mismatch between the wheelchair and the stairs made it take me a long time 　　to descend. Jia Shi and Feng Xin'er calmly waited for me to climb the stairs ahead of them, showing 　　no concern whatsoever for Chu Xie. 　　The basement was large, almost the same size as the living room upstairs. One wall was covered with 　　paintings; though I couldn't name them, I figured the items hidden here by Ran Xu couldn't be cheap 　　art. 　　Besides these, the secret room contained several small sculptures and a whole glass cabinet of rugby balls—each 　　naturally signed by a famous player. In addition, there were some antique hunting rifles hanging on the walls. This room looked 　　quite like the secret rooms of wealthy people in my mind, nothing particularly special. 　　However, what caught my attention most was the control panel and floating screen that occupied half the room, and 　　the paper documents scattered on the large table in the middle of the room. Chu Xie was frantically trying to open the large control panel, 　　but kept running into obstacles. 　　I wheeled my wheelchair to the table scattered with papers and documents, picking up a few pages to read. 　　Chu Xie, unable to turn on the machine, rushed over, seemingly also wanting to start with the documents. She 　　snatched the pages from my hand, as if there were no other documents on the table. Seeing her 　　somewhat irrational behavior, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. 　　From the few lines I saw, it was about specific strategic plans for the war between the new and old humans 　　. Based on my current understanding, the materials and plans prepared by Ranxu were already outdated 　　. After all, these were drafted before the [Apocalypse], and the public government's understanding of energy 　　is updated daily; we can't rely on plans from years ago. 　　However, when Jia Shi came down, he stopped us from reading. 　　"These things are just a decoy," he said, starting to operate the control panel. 　　A new secret passage entrance appeared on the ground. 　　Chu Xie and I exchanged a helpless glance, embarrassed for a few seconds about our earlier actions, and then 　　went down again together. 　　This room was much smaller than the one above, still furnished with a large control panel and a large table, but 　　the decorative collectibles were gone, replaced by a wine cabinet. Before Chu Xie could even read the documents on the table 　　, Jia Shi called out to us. 　　"Don't bother, everything here is fake." 　　Chu Xie was getting impatient: "How many more fakes are there?!" 　　Feng Xin'er was the last to come down the stairs, her hand brushing her long, back-length hair as if afraid it 　　would scrape the floor. Hearing Chu Xie's annoyed voice, she spoke for the first time in front of us. 　　"It can be opened from here, the last door." 　　Her voice sounded clear, but if you listened carefully, you could hear a faint hoarseness. 　　"How do I open it?" Chu Xie looked at her, expressionless. The more expressionless she was, the more it showed that she didn't know 　　how to treat the girl in front of her. Feng Xin'er walked to the control panel, scanned her fingerprints and retina, and then 　　a cup-sized square opened on 　　the wall behind us . 　　Feng Xin'er walked to the wine cabinet, took out one of the bottles, and poured a small glass. She swallowed the small glass of 　　wine, then spat it back into the glass. Under Chu Xie's slightly disgusted gaze, Feng Xin'er poured the 　　small glass of wine into the square on the wall. 　　"It's a device for testing DNA activity, and the solution is part of it. That bottle of wine is like a code 　　, and only my and Ran Xu's active tissues can open this door," Feng Xin'er explained. 　　Chu Xie and I both instantly understood, but I felt that Chu Xie seemed increasingly unhappy. Seeing 　　that Ran Xu trusted this woman so much, I wondered if Chu Xie was experiencing a strange jealousy again. 　　I couldn't help but accept Chu Xie's feelings; after all, Ran Xu was gone, and she had ultimately 　　chosen me. 　　"Jia Shi..." Feng Xin'er turned her head and softly called to the man behind her. 　　Jia Shi walked over, reached into the hidden compartment, grabbed the handle that served as the unlocking symbol, and pulled it 　　back forcefully. 　　It was a large alloy protective door, a full half meter thick, and without any mechanical drive system. 　　A single woman certainly couldn't open it. Even Gash struggled to do it; he even 　　used some energy. 　　Much more polluted air billowed out, but driven by curiosity, we 　　filed in, enduring the stench. 　　It was a very rudimentary space; even the walls were artificially carved from the rock strata. 　　A small generator stood in the corner, its power lines exposed. An 　　old-fashioned computer with a display screen, obsolete from decades ago, sat in one corner. Besides that, 　　the room contained only a bed and a small single desk. The remaining space was 　　completely occupied by a two-meter-high filing cabinet. 　　"Before the [Apocalypse], only three people knew this place existed," Hyacinth said.

He turned on the old computer.
Chu Xie and I looked at Jia Shi, but he shook his head, indicating that the third person wasn't him.
"Osovie..." I instinctively uttered the name.
"That's right." Feng Xin'er looked at me and nodded. "He and Ran Xu dug this place together
. Later, I helped him complete his preparation plan."
Paper documents and an old-fashioned computer that required physical means to connect to the internet were all
security measures taken to prevent high-tech infiltration.
Behind us, the heavy iron door was slowly closed by Jia Shi. The small room was already
quite crowded with four people standing inside.
"Should you do it or should I?" Feng Xin'er looked at Jia Shi with a questioning gaze.
"I'll do it." Jia Shi patted the dust off his hands and then stood up straight solemnly. At this
moment, I noticed that he had become somewhat hunched over—two years had passed, and he had shown signs of aging.
"What do you want to say?" I asked.
"Talk about the current situation," Jia Shi replied.
"Why did we have to come here to say this? Couldn't we have said it in the living room? I still want to see my brother's inheritance
!" Chu Xie complained.
"Let me finish speaking first." Jia Shi calmly reassured Chu Xie, and his words were quite effective.
With his kind smile, Chu Xie actually kept quiet.
"Ran Xu said that there will definitely be a war between the Returned and the Old Humans. What do you think?"
"There are always some people with various motives who want to use war to achieve their own goals. They are fueling the war , and we want to stop it." Chu Xie answered for me and 　　briefly explained the
communication process between me and the Public Government . 　　"Your cooperation with the Public Government, and Mr. Mercury's plan, are all meaningless." Jia Shi said, 　　"Because there is an irreconcilable conflict between the Old Humans and the Returned. It 　　will inevitably lead to a life-or-death war without anyone fueling it. The only thing the Public Government can do in the end is to represent the Old Humans and 　　kill all the Returned." 　　"Why is that!?" " 　　You've already seen the answer." Jia Shi spread his hands frankly. 　　"So what if the returnees are healthy? Do you think the old humans would 　　kill us all out of jealousy?" Chu Xie said, frowning. 　　"I haven't shown you all the details of the research because this matter will affect the fate of all Returners and even the old 　　humanity. I'll tell you the things I've been hiding here." 　　"The principle behind the Returners' disease-free state is actually quite simple. High levels of energy can be used for combat, and 　　when this energy is within the body, it helps the Returners form a closed loop… The term 'closed loop' actually comes from 　　Osovie. Osovie didn't fully explain the specific concept of the closed loop, but what we do know is that Returners can 　　sever their connection with external organisms. We no longer need symbiotic bacteria to aid digestion, and no microorganisms can 　　cause disease within the body. Further experiments have also proven that this theory applies even to reproduction. As long as the Returner's mother 　　doesn't want it, reproductive cells cannot function within the body." " 　　However, the effect of this so-called closed loop is not to kill the organisms that invade the body, 　　but rather to exist in a strange independence, parallel to them. The microorganisms within our bodies seem to 　　live on the small amount of energy that overflows from us, but they cannot transcend the energy's protective effect on our bodies to carry out pathogenic 　　metabolism and proliferation. And that is the problem." 　　"I showed Chu Xie some data: the trend of human disease incidence rates. The issue of returnees not getting sick 　　isn't actually the key point; the key point is the 2% increase among old humans. This is the problem caused by returnees. 　　Viruses living in a balanced state within the host's body are neither killed nor 　　dormant upon the host's death. In this comfortable state, they enjoy unrestrained opportunities for mutation, and then, 　　when returnees come into contact with old humans, they suddenly exhibit destructive power that current medicine cannot handle." "Of course, for now 　　, our medicine can easily cope with this unstable mutation. But how many kinds of viruses are 　　there in this world? When they begin to mutate wildly using the natural breeding ground for mutation in returnees, there will come 　　a day when our medicine cannot cope." 　　"When the most terrifying, highly infectious viruses also get involved, everything becomes completely uncontrollable. 　　Returnees who cannot be killed by viruses will all become walking bombs; we might even have hundreds of viruses 　　mutating and spreading simultaneously within us. The health organization won't even have the opportunity to distribute vaccines—the vaccine might have just been developed 　　when the virus has already undergone thousands of mutations." "According to our model, this characteristic of the Returnees will affect 　　the incidence rate 　　of the Old Humans exponentially . Although it's only 2% now, that number will reach 70% within seven months. In just two years, the Old 　　Humans will be completely wiped out, and this world will become a world of Returnees. But will the Old Humans allow this 　　to happen?" 　　"The Old Humans will soon discover this fact, and then, in order to survive themselves and their loved ones, 　　they will turn their guns on us. At that time, either war will break out, or the witch hunts of medieval Europe will 　　be revived. From children to the elderly, all the Returnees will be dragged out, tied to pyres, and set on 　　fire." 　　After Jia Shi finished speaking, the room returned to silence. I felt Chu Xie's hand on my wheelchair 　　trembling slightly. Both she and I were trapped in a sense of helpless despair. 　　The Third Legion... Solomon's army... cooperation with the public government... special forces... nuclear weapons 　　... 　　countless thoughts burst into my mind, swirling in my consciousness with a cold mockery, constantly 　　deepening my sense of powerlessness. 　　Total war—a possibility I've never truly considered before. There's no room for compromise, no 　　chance of surrender... I never imagined the Returners would stand on 　　the battlefield of life and death against the old human civilization in such a way.

Can we win? If we just hide this fact and do nothing, the world will eventually be ours.
But… my father and mother were also old humans…
how many returnees truly want to destroy the civilization they once belonged to?
Jia Shi isn't a bored person, so he didn't give us any more time to savor despair.
"This conclusion was reached a long time ago, which is why Ranxu left you… no, it should be said,
a legacy for all returnees."
"What did my brother prepare?" Chu Xie's eyes lit up again.
Feng Xin'er sat down in front of the old-fashioned computer and began operating it. This
electronic device, completely lacking Crk gestures, was extremely difficult to use, but the girl seemed quite adept at it. Soon, she opened
some data and then made way for us in front of the computer.
Chu Xie and I quickly leaned in to read it carefully, and within a few seconds, we felt suffocated.
"This thing… it can't be!? Has our technology reached this level!?" Chu Xie exclaimed.
"No... the most terrifying thing is that Ranxu was able to build such a massive project without anyone knowing.
There must be countless flaws in the financial transactions alone, right? He managed
to build this thing right under Solomon's nose!" I exclaimed.
What we were seeing was something only found in science fiction. Although I knew humanity would eventually
achieve this technology in some way, it certainly wouldn't be now.
A warp gate, a space travel portal that allows for hyperspace travel,
a technology that can infinitely shrink distances in the universe, is also an opportunity for humanity to touch upon infinite possibilities.
"It's a prototype, with technological gaps, so it can't be mounted on a spaceship. It can only exist in this form,"
said Fengxin'er.
The warp gate in the picture was presented to us in a ring shape. Because there was no reference point,
I couldn't judge its size. Several straight lines extending from the ring
formed a cone with the huge ring itself. At the tip of the cone was a launch pad, on which three spaceships were mounted.
"I could guess it..." Chu Xie slowly regained his composure. "This was Osovie's doing. His head
is full of all sorts of nonsense. This is definitely something he did for my brother."
Jia Shi nodded: "Yes. As for the financial operations, she helped the young master handle them, right here in
this little house."
Chu Xie's gaze towards Feng Xin'er became even more complicated. During that time, Ran Xu, a
powerful person with unparalleled strength and wealth, lived in such a dark and secluded room for a certain purpose, pouring out all
his abilities and dreams. And the only one who accompanied him and fought alongside him was Feng Xin'er.
Under the dim light, the small desk, only a few feet square, looked oppressive, yet it also had a different kind of warmth
. Perhaps it was here that Feng Xin'er had silently handed Ran Xu warm coffee countless times. Or
perhaps, on nights when their thoughts were exhausted, the two of them had embraced and slept countless times on that narrow bed.
To be able to stay by Ranxu's side in this capacity, Feng Xin'er is truly remarkable, because I know that
women don't hold much of a place in Ranxu's eyes. Chu Xie must feel that her position in Ranxu's heart has been challenged
. That's how women are; they often don't want others to have what they no longer want.
Actually, men are the same, except that men like to use all sorts of high-sounding reasons to convince themselves and escape
, while women are more willing to face their emotions directly.
"My brother, he really values you." Chu Xie's tone was already sharp.
"He..." Feng Xin'er's throat seemed to choke as soon as she opened her mouth, the second half of her sentence stuck in
her throat. However, she didn't show any obvious emotion, nor did she pretend to change the subject.
Seeing that Feng Xin'er was a little depressed, Chu Xie didn't continue with her sharp tongue.
"What's on the other side of this jump gate...?" She brought the topic back to Ranxu's plan.
"It's a habitable planet, 360 light-years away," Jia Shi
said, opening another series of images. "It requires almost no atmospheric regulation, the gravity is perfect, and
ecologically, it's even suitable for direct cultivation. The topography and geomorphological data are very similar to ours, the climate
is very stable, and the biosphere is over 80% similar to Earth's. In short, as long as you can land
on the ground, you can survive."
Completely isolating the returnees from the old humans is the only way out besides a life-or-death struggle.
Although it's not impossible for us to relocate to an outer space station or to the settlements on Mars or Ganymede,
the fear of death will still dominate the old humans. The returnees, who could return to Earth at any time, are like
an ever-present shadow of death to them.
So we must escape far away, escape to a place where we can never return. Moreover, we
must not only eliminate the hostility of the old humans, but also sever the last trace of attachment to their homeland that those returnees who are unwilling to leave have
.
I realized that Ranxu had thought these things through very thoroughly. This is not only the best choice, but also
the only choice. This is probably the ultimate plan that Ranxu and Osovie have been devising since the appearance of the [Divine Capital] . Without Osovie, I don't believe Ranxu could find such a perfect new 　　habitat
within hundreds of light-years . 　　Chu Xie looked at Jia Shi like he was a lunatic: "Don't joke around, how could there be such a place! Even 　　if there really is, it should have evolved intelligent life comparable to humans by now! Or 　　is there really an extraterrestrial civilization there? Like aliens or something?" 　　I only came back to my senses after Chu Xie poked me twice with his elbow. 　　I wasn't shocked by Jia Shi's answer, but because Jia Shi's words suddenly made me understand 　　something I hadn't been able to comprehend before. 　　It was part of the "truth". 　　"No. There are no other intelligent beings in the universe besides humans..." I 　　blurted out what I had realized subconsciously.

As soon as I said that, the other three people in the room all turned to look at me.
"It seems..." Garshi said in a deep voice, "you don't seem to be joking."
I hesitated for a moment, finally deciding to share what I knew. It wasn't because
I was stingy with my information, but because I was afraid others would think I was a crazy person with a screw loose.
"We humans once arrogantly believed that Earth was the center of the universe. Later, we realized that Earth was merely
a planet under the sun's command. Then we defined the existence of the Milky Way galaxy, recognizing that the solar system was just
an insignificant existence on the Milky Way's spiral arm. We denied our previous arrogance, deeply feeling our own insignificance, and
filled with reverence for the universe… In fact, this is another extreme form of arrogance—the arrogance of taking one's meager knowledge
as truth."
"What I want to say is that humanity's way of understanding the universe is inherently narrow and flawed. Humanity's position
is actually the center of the universe. This so-called center has nothing
to do with physical location, nor with the trajectories of planets and stars. The universe is actually a giant apple tree, with countless galaxies as its branches.
From these branches grow branches called stars, and finally, at the end of the planetary branch, grows the apples. We humans
are the apples on this tree."
"An apple tree only grows apples. Therefore…" The question of why humans are the only intelligent life form in the universe
is fundamentally flawed. In our universe, for life to achieve a leap in intelligence, it
must be in the form of humans. Darwin's theory of evolution, or Gould's theory of evolution, are merely
arrogant attempts by humans to forcibly establish a systematic biological theory using their limited knowledge.
We belittle ourselves as a branch of biological evolution, unaware that we are actually the only
path leading to intelligence. What
I couldn't say was that this path also has an end.
The three people in the room watched me, sitting in a wheelchair, lecturing at length, with very interesting expressions.
I only shut up when I noticed this.
"Greedy Wolf, you're not just talking nonsense, are you? I'm even thinking of taking you to see a doctor..." Chu Xie's
expression had a slightly adorable twist.
I shook my head. "I know this is hard to understand, but it's a message from the God of Rilin. If I hadn't
actually seen that planet, I wouldn't even be able to see the truth she gave me. This planet, except for the absence of
humans, is almost exactly the same as Earth. I think, perhaps countless ages ago, that planet
might have had humans..."
The truth is naturally more than just this, but this is all I can truly explain in words right now
.
"No wonder Solomon had to go through customs to screen information about that woman. He already knew the
God of Rilin would appear there... Why didn't you ever tell me!?" Chu Xie pretended to punch me.
"I didn't mean to hide it; I just didn't know how to express it in words before..."
"Hmph!" Chu Xie rolled her eyes at me. "Fine. Anyway, since my brother has left a way out,
we can only do it this way..."
The secret room returned to silence. Only after Chu Xie casually gave such a conclusion did we
truly begin to seriously examine everyone's future.
Are we really going to abandon Earth, the planet we've considered our mother since the dawn of humanity?
Are we going to exile ourselves to a lonely and unfamiliar place, hundreds of light-years away?
This isn't a fact we can accept immediately. But when I turned my gaze back to the
shimmering screen not far away, the endless green plains on the image reminded me of two places:
the luminous surface belonging to Rilin, and what once belonged to us, the new humans… [Divine Capital].
To establish a realm belonging to us, the new humans? Our own new Divine Capital?
A new world far surpassing this false, ugly so-called Divine Capital… it seems pretty good.
I looked up and saw the same emotion in the girl's eyes.
She was somewhat excited; perhaps she had finally understood what Ranxu was ultimately trying to tell her.
The rebels who had been searching for the real world, the rebels of Chuxie, might have truly found their own
reality.
She loved them, so she could be their queen, leading them.
Leading them to a new world, a world with infinite possibilities, a world unique to the new humans.
Because she once offered a glimmer of hope to the common people under the cruel rule of the Burning Ruins. She possesses
the power to summon new humans to follow her. This power is unmatched, neither by Solomon nor by Mr. Mercury.
The threat of the virus and the new planet—I initially thought these sudden burdens would bring us
immense pressure. However, Chu Xie adjusted her mindset remarkably quickly. She swiftly escaped
the shadow of Solomon's immortality plan, accepted the fact that the new humans had to migrate, and began strategizing how to successfully
bring them off Earth.
In our seemingly ordinary life together, Chu Xie was far from being as uneventful as she appeared. She had already
considered countless possibilities for the future, some perhaps just daydreams. Because of this, she
now seemed well-prepared, quickly accepting the unbearable reality and filled with
the drive to rush towards the future.
The problem now is, how can we achieve this?
No one can help us anymore. Solomon, Mr. Mercury, and the public government—all three have their own
agendas. If we want the Newtypes to move forward, we have to release all our intelligence to the outside world, which
will inevitably allow the other three parties to track our movements and objectives.
In the struggle against Mr. Mercury, I learned at least one thing: our trump cards must not be
revealed to others. However, our trump card is far too obvious: the warp drive fleet suspended in space.
How we can overcome the obstruction of the three parties under these conditions is our biggest challenge.
Mr. Mercury wants war, so he will definitely prevent the Newtypes from leaving Earth; he will be our biggest obstacle.
We haven't yet figured out what Solomon wants, and he certainly has his own plans for this matter.
More importantly, his relationship with Chu Xie has completely deteriorated, and he certainly won't allow Chu Xie
to become the spiritual leader of the new humans.
The public government is the only force that might stand on our side. However,
the good relationship we painstakingly built through communication is gone, because what lies between the returnees and the old humans is
no longer a reconcilable conflict like racial discrimination, but a life-or-death choice. Under these circumstances,
we cannot trust the public government. Even if they really intend to help us immigrate, we cannot judge
whether they are trying to use us as a pretext to eliminate future troubles.
Therefore, the most crucial aspect of the entire plan is the timing of releasing the intelligence. We must, in a short period of time,
before the problem of the infection rate naturally escalates, present this matter to everyone in an irreversible manner
, and then, before the prepared war begins, get tens of millions of people to willingly embark on their journey to the
Dark Realm, 360 light-years away.
This is a massive undertaking, and it is precisely because of this that Chu Xie has been inspired with boundless ambition.
"Hey, find me all the information on the jump gate and the immigrant fleet. I
need to get a feel for the situation first," Chu Xie said to Feng Xin'er in a rather impolite tone.
"It's all on this computer," Feng Xin'er replied calmly.
"Then find me a CRUCK, dismantle the network gateway, and convert it to a readable format."
Just as Chu Xie was giving orders, Feng Xin'er shook her head: "This matter has been handed over
to you. There's nothing more for me to do."
Chu Xie was somewhat bewildered by her words: "This is my brother's ideal. Are you going to abandon it?"
"He's dead. Now this is your ideal... and I have more important things to do."
A long-suppressed sense of disgust suddenly appeared on Chu Xie's face: "I see. Anyway, he's dead
, so these things are unimportant, right?"
"Chu Xie." Jia Shi took a step forward, trying to stop Chu Xie's venomous sarcasm.
"Yes, these things are no longer important to me now." Feng Xin'er bravely faced
Chu Xie's unkind words. "The only thing I care about now is that our child can grow up safely."
"What!? What child!?" Chu Xie exclaimed.
"She was already pregnant with Ran Xu's child when she was in Guangmian. After she came out, we, the old followers of the Si Mie Zhe,
hid her away, and finally the child was born safely." Jia Shi said.
"I don't know if you can really lead us to the paradise he left us. It all depends on you
. I just want my child to live happily." Feng Xin'er
faced Chu Xie with an incredibly strong demeanor, a gaze that only a mother could possess. "Jia Shi, take me back."
"Jia Shi!" Chu Xie called out to him helplessly.
"I'll come back to help you after I've settled her in." Jia Shi nodded to Chu Xie, indicating that she should rest assured.
Chu Xie left the secret room with everyone, looking lost and dejected. The data on the computer was
left underground for the time being. Hyacinth left the manor with a carefree air, without looking back. We
watched her airship disappear through the living room window, like a wild horse freed from all burdens.
Chu Xie had been hit by too many things in just a few hours. But neither
the betrayal of her own family nor the future of the new humans could make her show this side.
The girl threw herself onto the sofa, as if she had gone limp.
"What does my brother see in her?!" she said, looking up at the ceiling in disbelief. "
There are plenty of beautiful women! Plenty of women who can help him with chores! What's so good about that guy?!"
I frowned at her. "Are you jealous?"
Seeing my woman so unwilling for another man made my feelings instantly complicated. But
I kept comforting myself, Ranxu was dead after all.
"So, after all this time, my brother actually likes her? She can't even fight! All she does is hang around
my brother all day, serving him tea and water! I really don't know what my brother is thinking!!"
Chu Xie aimlessly pounded the sofa armrests with both hands, as if venting her anger, or perhaps just letting loose.
"That guy, what kind of woman hasn't he been with? He was willing to give up someone as amazing as Wei Liang, but he just
..."
"Huh? You mean Wei Liang?"
The sudden appearance of that name made my nerves tighten.
"You didn't know? Hmm... Wei Liang used to be a security guard hired by our family,
similar to the current Shadow Eaters. Wei Liang used to be with Ran Xu, and during that time, my brother even changed his decadent
lifestyle because of Wei Liang. But they broke up later, apparently because Wei Liang didn't like my brother's domineering
nature. However, he always had a lot of affection for Wei Liang. After Wei Liang died, my brother even
killed Xiao Yu to avenge her..."
It turned out that Chu Xie already knew about Xiao Yu, and Ran Xu had taken the blame upon himself. For a
moment, I wanted to tell Chu Xie the truth, but in the end, I couldn't bring myself to say it.
What's past is past, and there's no point in dwelling on it now. Although I didn't intentionally hide it from her,
it was better not to cause any more trouble.
I just didn't expect that Ran Xu imprisoned Xiao Yu for Wei Liang's sake.
Now, thinking back on my relationship with Wei Liang, I finally understand that woman's independent and unconventional nature. Actually,
there wasn't much of a romantic relationship between us; we were more like comrades who depended on each other. She only asked me
to leave with her because she didn't want me to die at the hands of her own people.
Even someone as outstanding as Ranxu couldn't truly keep Weiliang by his side, so naturally she couldn't possibly have any real
feelings for me.
But… what was the reason for that lovemaking? Perhaps it was just because we both wanted to taste each other's
flavor.
I know in my heart that these thoughts are meaningless now; the most important thing left by departed friends is…
Only regret and emptiness remained 　　. The warmer those past bonds were, the more painful they felt now.
"Sigh, this isn't the time to think about these things... But why do I feel so unwilling..." Chu Xie's voice came from beside me, pulling me back from my reverie. 　　"Probably because we always feel that what we can never have is the best." 　　Hearing my somewhat dejected reply, Chu Xie turned around and looked at me seriously. 　　"No, that's not it. I just feel that my brother deserves someone better, 　　don't overthink it." 　　"I feel like you're jealous." I sighed. 　　"Maybe I really would have before, but when I decided to come back to you, I saw it very clearly 　　. I'm very dependent on my brother, I love my brother very much, but I will never fall in love with Ranxu. Our personalities 　　are too different, and there's an insurmountable gap between what I want and what he wants. He's no longer the 　　person who would give me what he likes, but you are. You'll always put me at the very top of your heart 　　, and I like being there." 　　Looking at Chu Xie's earnest expression, my heart softened instantly. 　　"I want you to help me take the new humans to the heavens! I want you to help me build a new home in a brand new world 　　. Just thinking about such a future makes me incredibly excited!" Chu Xie's voice rose, with 　　a slight, almost imperceptible tremor. 　　"There's not much I can do," I smiled. 　　"Hehe, it feels like going back to the resistance era... I'm running around doing all the work, giving you orders 　　. And you, you're just running around carrying my orders, hahaha!" 　　I laughed too. "Back then it was because of an employer-employee relationship." 　　"Yeah, I was trying to keep you around, but you were doing it for..." Chu Xie didn't say Asahi's name, but 　　glanced outside. 　　"This time, it's for our shared future." I instinctively felt the topic was 　　drifting in a direction I couldn't control, so I quickly gave a grand conclusion. 　　Chu Xie obviously didn't listen to me. She looked towards the hallway, then leaned closer to 　　me. 　　"I'll sneak a kiss while she can't see, hehe!" 　　"Isn't it unnecessary to be so sneaky?" I couldn't figure out what she was thinking. Asahi 　　wouldn't be upset about something like this, so why hide it from her? 　　"Oh, why are you so talkative!" Chu Xie said, already leaning closer on her own. 　　Just then, Pandora pushed open the living room door. Chu Xie suddenly sat up straight like a spring, and 　　the three of us stared at each other, wide-eyed, with a strange sense of awkwardness. 　　"What's wrong?" Pandora asked in a soft voice. Our staring at her surprised her 　　. 　　"Uh... where's Runshian?" I forced a clumsy question to break the tension. 　　"He's arranging some things within the organization. You and Jia Shi have finished talking, right?" Pandora probably 　　knew I was hiding something, but she didn't press the matter. 　　"We're done. We'll study the intelligence carefully when Runshian arrives." Chu Xie covered her face with the back of her hand 　　and answered seriously, "I'll go find a suitable cr. You guys wait here." 　　Chu Xie wanted to transfer all the data from the old computer in the basement. To prevent the intelligence from leaking, she 　　naturally needed to modify the network accessories. 　　She left the living room in a few steps, leaving Pandora and me alone. Pandora chose a 　　well-lit spot and, with a touch of languor, leaned back on the sofa. 　　It had been a long time since I'd chatted with this girl; the last time was when we raided the Divine Capital's Crystal. 　　But compared to the Ghost Warriors I'd known for so long, my trust in her was inexplicably much higher 　　. 　　Perhaps it was because she was Elegy's sister, or perhaps it was because she'd told me the truth that had troubled me for so long. But 　　I think the most important thing was that I'd truly fought her, and the feeling of facing life and death never 　　lies. 　　Facing death calmly, even conversing without hostility during battle… she had an extremely strong 　　sense of self-respect. A duel on the brink of death best reveals a person's character, and that's why I trusted her, 　　even though we had once been rivals. 　　Several years had passed, and Elegy's face was long since blurred beyond recognition. I could only look at Pandora's 　　appearance, trying to piece together the face in my mind. 　　"I heard… you're already level zero?" I asked. 　　Pandora looked up and smiled. "I think so." 　　"We used to be evenly matched, but I can't beat you this time," I joked. 　　"Actually, back then... your..." Pandora started to say, then smiled and shook her head, not 　　finishing her sentence. 　　"I know, I know. If I hadn't prepared that magic circle beforehand, I really couldn't beat you." 　　Pandora's personality was much better than Aismira's. She was very careful to 　　save face for the other person when chatting. Moreover, as such a powerful warrior, she gave people a comfortable feeling when she was with her. 　　This was probably her unique charm. She always seemed indifferent to non-essential issues. 　　I remember Wange was the same way. Perhaps she had always been deeply influenced by that woman. 　　"Seems troublesome?" Pandora asked with a smile. 　　My heart skipped a beat. "Yes, now the new humans are facing more than just..." 　　"I didn't mean that." The girl laughed. "I meant..." 　　She held up two fingers, one pointing out the window and the other pointing to the door where Chu Xie had just left. I suddenly 　　felt like I was choking. 　　"I was shocked when I found out about this." Pandora twirled a strand of her hair with her fingers. " 　　The First Evil of Burial Enemy actually..." 　　"He actually took a liking to a weak and powerless guy like me?" " 　　What are you talking about? You're very strong. Taking the return of the New Humans as a turning point, in the intelligence organization you... "

"Your overall strength ranking is very high. How come I feel like you've always underestimated yourself?"
She's right, I've always had this mindset. I used to want to pursue power, but now I
find that there are many things that power can't control.
"Then what are you trying to say?"
"She actually shares the same man with other women..."
I started to feel a chill run down my spine and couldn't help but retort, "Aren't you the same?"
Pandora's expression froze instantly: "I... how am I the same?" "
When we sailed to the bright side to carry out the mission, I went down to deliver food to you, and then I saw you
and Runshian, with Aismira..."
"Okay, okay, stop talking!" Pandora said, blushing.
"Okay, I won't say it. But if you can share with others, it's not entirely
impossible for Chu Xie to make such a decision." "
...I took the person Aismira liked without thinking, I have no right to talk about sharing..."
Pandora's voice lowered, and I could feel that she had a deep knot in her heart about this matter.
"I don't think Aismira likes Runeian as much as you do."
"What do you know!" Pandora snapped.
"Sorry, sorry..."
Although the conversation wasn't very friendly, the strangest thing was that we chatted without any
awkwardness, like old friends who could tease and joke with each other.
"They've been together for a long time, but because they're both so strong-willed, neither of them acknowledged
their relationship. Just like... just like my sister and Shuimo. If everyone could open up about
their true feelings, maybe no one would have died by now, and everyone could still live happily together."
Pandora concealed the sadness in her voice well, but no one can avoid the heartbreaking truth.
"Hey, as an assassin, talking about living happily, isn't that a bit incongruous? You don't think
you can enjoy your old age while killing people, do you?" I said sarcastically.
"You don't understand." Pandora shook her head.
"Okay, maybe I really don't understand your underworld. But I guess that's why
you had the nerve to throw yourself at Runshian, right? Even after being framed for harming your own sister."
"You!" Pandora sat bolt upright, her face flushed, angered by my flippant words, and
threw a cushion at me.
I don't know what's wrong with me; I always like to tease Pandora. I rarely do such pointless
things, so I find it a little strange myself. But looking at Pandora's reaction, I find it quite amusing; I really don't
know if there's something wrong with my brain.
After apologizing repeatedly, the girl finally calmed down. She let out a long sigh.
"Lunshian always wants the Shadow Eaters to operate in an extremely rigid order. Even if
I were the one who violated the organization's principles, he probably wouldn't make an exception. But I don't like that. I want to influence
Lunshian myself, to make the Shadow Eaters a little warmer, like the Ghosts used to be. When my sister and Mizuki were around,
the Ghosts were so united, everyone was like family… Maybe I want to be like my sister, someone everyone can
trust and rely on, instead of being bound together by interests and power like we are now. But
compared to my sister, I'm far, far behind…"
"But you can't deny that the Shadow Eaters under Lunshian's leadership are stronger than the Ghosts."
"What's the use of being so strong…"
Faced with Pandora's question, I was speechless.
"So you think Aismirre's approach is correct?"
"I don't know, but the Ghosts now still have that old feel."
I didn't say anything more. I just thought that if it were the Ghosts of the past, Schquin's fate would have been completely
different. Everyone sees things differently; trying to control others' thoughts is the most naive and
powerless act.
A few minutes later, Runshian returned. He glanced at us, sitting silently opposite each other, and then spoke
.
"Our men are back. There's no trace of Poison Smoke. I've already issued a bounty on him. If
he's still alive, with our intelligence network combined with Ghost's, he'll be dead within three days."
I looked up at Runshian, instinctively wanting to voice my objections.
"I know you want a one-on-one duel with him, but that's unrealistic." Runshian
saw through my thoughts immediately. "Poison Smoke will never give you that opportunity. He's not
proud of being a warrior."
I nodded, accepting the fact with resignation. Because I knew myself that Poison Smoke was never
the type to enjoy one-on-one duels.
"Now, the position of General Three of the Shadow Eaters is vacant. I wonder if you're interested?"
Runshian brought up the invitation again, and even placed me next to Pandora
, which surprised me.
"I think I'll pass. Life in the underworld isn't for me," I politely declined.
"Really?" Runshian chuckled. "I find your gloomy style quite fitting for us."
I subconsciously touched my face. "Really? I haven't had a sour face in a long time..."
"Heh, that's true. You've changed quite a bit. Before, you always had a murderous
look on your face."
"...That's because of the pressures of life..."
"I understand. Dreams, Phantom, and us are all your enemies. That kind of pressure is something
most people can't bear. I've seen quite a few like you, half dead, half insane. You should be
considered the luckiest exception."
"Because there have always been people helping me..." At this point, I couldn't help but think of Brutallus, who had already sacrificed himself on the shores of the Mirror Sea
, and Fey, and the companions who were still by my side.
Runshian nodded slowly, then seemed to remember something. He waved to me, gesturing
for me to follow him to the French windows on the other side of the living room.
I pushed my wheelchair toward him, and Pandora followed with a hint of curiosity.
The floor-to-ceiling window faced the courtyard outside the house, and a few dozen meters away was a garden. I
could see Asaga sitting on a bench in the garden.
When I looked closer, I realized there was another person there, embracing Asaga.
My mind went blank, because I realized that the person was Duanwei.
I tried to steer my wheelchair outside, but Runshian grabbed the armrest.
"What are you doing?" I instinctively used a threatening tone. My mind was in complete turmoil,
and I couldn't even be bothered with basic manners.
"Don't get so worked up," Runshian advised.
"If Aismira were hugging someone else behind your back, wouldn't you be upset too!?" I blurted out.
"It's nothing, I can't control her anyway," Runshian said surprisingly calmly.
"What about her!? You're not going to care about her either!?" I pointed to Pandora beside me,
whose slightly smiling face immediately darkened.
"No way." Runshian finally gave in. However, Pandora's eyes immediately filled with
joy as she looked at him, as if he were saying she was more important than Esmeralda.
"Anyway, listen to me for a bit first." Runshian urged again.
"Look at him! He's still holding her!! How long is he going to hold her like this!?" I
said, exasperated.
"I think you can be a little more lenient with Broken Tail. It will only benefit you, me, and our temporary alliance
." Runshian's tone became serious, and I realized that what he wanted to say was
not so simple.
So I suppressed my anger and temporarily abandoned the idea of rushing out.
"Why should I be lenient with him? He's not a two-year-old. Or are you, as the leader, trying
to protect your lackey?"
"You should still remember how you came to [Divine Capital] and embarked on the path of a mercenary. Why
were you able to become such a strong warrior? Why are you able to stand where you are today?"
Runxian's questions were actually easy to answer, and he didn't expect me to say the answers aloud.
"Because you were gambling with your life. As an ordinary citizen, you plunged headlong into the bloody torrent
, becoming a mercenary who kills without blinking an eye. You challenged your limits in every battle without reservation, disregarding life and death, which is why you became so strong. 　　You should always remember
how dark your mental state was back then ." 　　I could only nod: "That's right." 　　"How many years did it take you to climb to the top of the warrior's ranks? Three years? Four years? You know what price you paid . So, 　　what price did 　　Duanwei pay to become one of the strongest Shadow Eaters in just one year ?" 　　I fell silent. Because I clearly remember how twisted my mindset was when I 　　lived in the [Divine Capital] as a mercenary. The most important thing wasn't the price I paid for power, but how to 　　keep my sanity, which teetered on the edge of madness, clear. 　　Assassins like Runshian had been navigating the dark side of humanity since childhood, so they 　　didn't have this problem. But I was different. Back then, everything was destroyed, like 　　a cowardly livestock suddenly thrown into a fighting cage. If it weren't for my companions, I would have gone mad long ago. 　　In that sense, the same applies to Broken Tail… 　　"He seems quite normal now, doesn't he?" Runshian said, "But that's just a facade 　　. I know about him, about you, and about Asagao Guangyong. 　　You can understand his mentality as he struggled to gain his current power, right?" 　　"He once wanted revenge on me, wanted to take back Asagao…" I sighed. 　　"He abandoned his former friends and companions, the opportunity for a comfortable life, even his own 　　face and eyes. You and Asaga became the only things he pursued. The Shadow Eater was nothing more 　　than a tool on his path to becoming stronger." 　　"If he had joined Phantom Lord, things might have been better. Phantom Lord has its share 　　of people with strong personalities, like Cat and Grey & Red's group. But the Shadow Eater's system is too sophisticated, 　　designed for those with the strongest sense of professionalism as assassins. While there are bonds of camaraderie, not just purely 　　self-interest, it's not something a young man like him, a newcomer, can easily fit into. You 　　were lucky during your transformation, having many people supporting you, but he had nothing." 　　"So when he saw you and Asaga again, when he realized that the only 　　driving force supporting him was completely meaningless, I was surprised he didn't immediately go mad 　　. He climbed a peak that was almost impossible for someone like him to reach, like walking a tightrope, and now the tightrope 　　has broken..." 　　"It's been a long time since then, and he's still alive and well, loyally serving as my right-hand man 　　. But the more he does this, the more terrifying he becomes. Humans can do unimaginable things when they're twisted, and 　　I just hope he doesn't unleash his inner twistedness before he dies." 　　"So, if your Asaka can mitigate his outburst, you'd better not stop him. 　　Not to mention our Shadow Eaters, if he kills Chu Xie or Asaka in his madness, you 　　might regret it for the rest of your life." 　　I listened quietly to Runshan's analysis, and the resentment in my heart gradually subsided. 　　In my few interactions with Broken Tail, if you didn't see his disfigured face, you'd 　　think he was just an ordinary high-ranking warrior. However, Runshan knew far more than I did; he 　　had seen countless madmen in the underworld. I felt that if it weren't for him, Broken Tail wouldn't still be 　　living like a human being. 　　Duanwei showed a kind of worshipful obedience to Runeshian, which was not only due to respect for absolute power, 　　but also because Runeshian had helped him.

"What should we do? If he really attacks Asaga..." I frowned, expressing my concerns.
"At that point, I won't protect him. Keeping a madman around is no good for anyone."
I had no further comment on Runshian's promise.
"He's back! He's back!!" Chu Xie rushed into the house, carrying a modified
old-fashioned Crk.
"You share the information with them, I can't explain it anyway, I'm going out now." I said to Chu Xie
, and drove my wheelchair outside.
Chu Xie looked at me with some confusion, but didn't stop me from leaving. She looked at Runshian again,
only to receive a meaningful smile in return.
I ignored them; Runshian would definitely tell Chu Xie what happened after I left. I
didn't have the mind to think about these things now, I just wanted to get to Asaga's side.
After a few turns, I arrived at the garden. Five minutes had passed, and Duanwei was still holding onto Asaga
without letting go. Asaka remained relatively calm, gently stroking Broken Tail's hair as if soothing a child.
Rogner, however, abandoned his usual languid demeanor, constantly pacing around the two of them, appearing somewhat agitated and
uneasy.
Asaka suddenly noticed me, a flicker of unease crossing her face. She could now instinctively sense
that something was amiss.
"Broken Tail," I called the man beside her, "I want to talk to you."
Broken Tail finally released his arms, turning to me with a strange glint in his eyes.
"Very well, I also want to talk to you," he said in a cold voice.
It seemed Asaka had already told him everything. The destruction of Dimensional City, his dwindling lifespan… these reasons
were enough to ignite Broken Tail's fury.
"What do you intend to do?" He took two steps to stand before me, his face, charred and mangled by flames, fixed
on me.
I knew what he was asking, but there was nothing I could do.
"That's none of your business, Broken Tail," I evaded his question cunningly.
"Her situation is related to me! Or are you completely helpless? Ever since she sacrificed herself
to save you here from the Dimensional City, you haven't been able to think of a single way to save her!?" Broken Tail roared.
"Broken Tail, what do you want to do?" Asaka's voice came from behind, a threatening
question.
Hearing Asaka's words, Broken Tail turned around helplessly: "I..."
"This is my own decision. If you can't even respect my decision, then our contract can
end here." Asaka continued.
Broken Tail's tense shoulders slowly relaxed, it seemed that Asaka had a decisive influence on him.
"Greedy Wolf, since Asaka followed you, she has been going against her true nature, Riolet.
When will you understand that you can't give her anything?"
It's not that I can't give Asaka anything. But no matter what I give her, her future can no longer
be bright. So I was speechless, Broken Tail's question perfectly hit my weak spot.
"Asha, come with me. I'll give anything for you, I'll take you back to the Dark
Side, back to the Abyss, and let you start over..."
To my surprise, Asaja let out a clear laugh.
"Thank you, my servant. But I don't plan to go back, because this is the price I pay for my indulgence.
As a member of the Devourer Clan, one should at least be prepared for this. But you, as my servant, dare to
boss me around as your master, how can that be allowed? Do you think I'll be happy if you keep causing him trouble? If you can behave
yourself, then in my final days, I'll give you a place by my side, how about that
?"
Broken Tail stared blankly at Asaja, all his hostility dissipated, and no one could discern the expression on his face
, but the coldness in his eyes had melted away.
Asaja dismissed him with a few more words. Broken Tail seemed to have achieved great satisfaction as he left.
"Hey... a place... you're not kidding, are you? What do you mean by 'a place'?" My heart was pounding
, and I tried to ask in a gentle voice.
"Just let him be my bodyguard. What do you think I'm talking about?" Asaga laughed teasingly, as if she were
playing a trick on me.
"I can't stand it if he's always holding me." Seeing her smile, my fragile defenses crumbled
, and I blurted out my true feelings.
"He's not feeling well, so I'm just comforting him. Broken Tail is easy to coax. Deep down, he still
has the innocence he had when we first met. I even destroyed my dimensional city to come find you, you don't think
a mere servant would affect my feelings for you, do you?"
Asaga was now like a real human. She already knew how to use feminine gentleness to coax others
... So, was she coaxing me when she said that at the end?
However, no matter what the truth was, I was quickly cheered up by her coaxing.
Just then, the alarm suddenly sounded throughout the manor.
The guards' voices echoed through the manor's communication network .
"Unidentified intruders have appeared! A high-energy entity is approaching from the southwest!!"
The guards' announcement had barely sounded when I sensed the energy fluctuations. The energy fluctuations rapidly increased, demonstrating
their astonishing speed.
Asaga and I exchanged a glance; she called Rogner to her side and then pushed me towards the living
room where Chu Xie was. Chu Xie quickly ran out with Runsian and the others; Runsian was 　　communicating with
the people arranged by the Shadow Eaters . On the other side, Little Cat and Loki jumped out of the second-floor window as if it were Christmas, 　　weapons in hand. 　　"What's going on?" I asked Runsian. 　　"I don't know, but I don't think it's the enemy." 　　"Why?" 　　"Because there's only one person coming."

A guard's loud warning came through the communication network, followed by an energy explosion. In the distance, energy
flashes leaped wildly.
"You might have misjudged," I said, looking in the direction of the explosion.
"No one would be that stupid, right? Unless it's a feint." Runshian said, his hand already reaching for
the rusty sword at his waist.
"Target has broken through the defenses and is accelerating towards the center!! We can't stop him!!"
The guard's voice continued through the communication.
"Let him in." Runshian raised the rusty sword and gave the order to CRK.
The explosions quickly subsided, and soon dozens of energy clusters appeared in our field of vision. Most of the energy
clusters were guards chasing the intruder; their speed was nowhere near the dazzling flash in the center
.
The powerful energy cluster reached us in a few breaths and then began to slow down
.
A strange young man, probably a little younger than A-Jie and the others, not even twenty years old. He was wearing a black
leather jacket, and at first glance, he seemed no different from any other young man on the street.
I turned to look at Runshian and Chu Xie, and they both shook their heads at me, indicating that they didn't recognize each other at all.
"I'm so sorry, I've been doing too many errands, so I'm using this method to save time.
I'm not a threat to you, I just wanted to pass on a message." The boy smiled a little embarrassedly,
as if he was genuinely guilty for his rash behavior.
"How do you know about this place?" Chu Xie took a step forward and questioned. After all, she was practically
the owner of this place, so if someone specifically came here, they would naturally be looking for her.
"Be careful." Runshian warned in a low voice, and immediately pulled Chu Xie back behind her,
"His energy level is similar to mine. That kind of deceleration technique is the style of a level zero."
Hearing this, Chu Xie immediately summoned the Burial Ground Ball. If a level zero warrior wanted to kill her
, it was better to be prepared. I also used energy to levitate from my wheelchair and drew the Divine Palace. To possess level zero power at such
a young age, there's only one possibility in my mind: Rilin.
"No need to draw your sword, look, I didn't bring any weapons," the boy said helplessly. "I'm sorry, I
can't tell you how I know this location. I'm only here to deliver a message to two people
, and I'll leave immediately after."
"You should at least explain your source of information, otherwise do you think you can leave here?" Runshian
smiled faintly at him.
"I think I can." The boy looked at Runshian with a serious expression.
"Oh? Very confident." Runshian began to gradually increase his energy. "Then let's try?"
"I mean, after I finish speaking, you'll naturally let me go." The boy quickly added an explanation,
gesturing to me and Runshian, "Mr. Greedy Wolf, and Mr. Runshian, please, may I
speak with you privately?"
I never expected that the so-called "two people" included me. Especially since the other person was Runshian
, a guy I had practically no connection with.
Runshian also glanced at me in surprise. We exchanged glances, then cautiously
approached.
The boy was also wary of us, seemingly afraid we'd attack him without warning. We followed
him for about ten meters, making sure no one else could hear our conversation, before he
stopped.
"What do you want?" I asked, a little nervous, my tone unfriendly.
"Sigh, I don't want this either, but I'm forced to do this, so I have no choice." He
grumbled like any other teenager.
"Can you tell us your name?" Runshian had surprisingly calmed down by this point,
a testament to his professionalism.
"I won't give you my name; it's useless to you. I'm here to extend an invitation to you both. There's a meeting
I'd like you to attend." The boy finally got to the point.
"What meeting?" I asked.
"I can't say... you'll find out when you get there."
Runshian chuckled. "Why should we listen to you if you won't say anything?"
The boy frowned, looking somewhat troubled. "Could I have a private word with each of you?"
"Don't you think your request is a bit much?" Runshian said.
For a high-ranking stranger like him, someone even the Shadow Eaters had never heard of, to suddenly want to get close and
talk to you was practically asking for your neck to be chopped off.
"Or, Mr. Greedy Wolf, could you step back a bit? I can say something to Mr. Runshian first?" the boy pleaded
.
Runshian nodded at me, so I wisely stepped back a few paces.
The boy leaned over and whispered a few words to Runshian. Runshian's expression immediately
changed. He stood there stiffly for a long time, then mechanically nodded, as if using all his
strength.
The boy leaned closer to me again. Runshian stood rooted to the spot, seemingly still caught up in the words they'd just exchanged
.
"The organizer of the conference asked me to tell you something, saying that if you hear it, you'll definitely go," he said.
"Did you tell Runshian the same thing?" I couldn't help but ask.
"Pretty much, anyway, it's something he'll definitely go for," the boy chuckled.
"Can I ask you one more question? Are you Rilin?"
The boy shook his head. "No, no."
"Alright, go ahead."
"Ahem!" The boy cleared his throat, then lowered his voice. He wasn't lowering his voice,
but rather trying to imitate an old man's.
"She's not dead."
I froze for a full three seconds, then a jolt ran through me.
"What!? Wait… what do you mean!?"
"Haha, the old man said that just saying this to you is enough. You can probably guess who invited you,
right?"
"Seraphim..."
"That's right." The boy laughed, a hint of smugness in his eyes. That smile was incredibly repulsive; I could almost
see that old man who had once toyed with my feelings with such a sentence.
"What can you do if I refuse to go out of spite?" I retorted angrily.
"Then I'll tell you the second thing." The boy was still laughing. "We have a way to keep her alive."
As he said this, the boy glanced in the direction of Asaga. I immediately felt a
sense of enlightenment.
Yes, this was indeed the Seraphim's style. Or rather, Osovie had used this method before.
He offered a suggestion that was impossible to refuse; they knew each of our weaknesses perfectly well—the way waterfowl
could use fish.
"If you still refuse to go out of spite, then I'll admit defeat." The boy's voice pulled me
out of my thoughts.
I smiled wryly. "Looks like you've planned everything all along."
The boy shrugged and then beckoned to Runshian, who was waiting to the side.
"Since you two have accepted our invitation, please arrive at the designated location at the appointed time.
If you bring anyone who isn't invited, your invitations will be automatically void.
Information about this meeting can be shared with others, but if your actions lead to others attending, your
invitations will also be void. So, I personally suggest you try not to tell too many people about this."
The boy handed two thin, handwritten cards to Runshian and me. The handwriting was very beautiful
. It contained a date and a set of GPS coordinates, which were in the Southern Hemisphere, so I guessed it was
in Australia.
"How many people received invitations? Can't we say?" Runshian asked.
"Ten people in total, including the two of you."
"I understand. I think we'll go together," Runshian said. "Exactly, we can keep each other company." The boy seemed 　　to have relaxed completely
after completing Seraphim's task . 　　“However,” Runshian’s voice turned cold, “if we capture you now and torture you severely 　　, we might get more information.” 　　The boy’s ever-smiling face twisted into an arrogant expression: “Damn it, don’t push your luck! I’ve been so 　　polite and good-natured with you, do you really think I’m afraid of you? If I didn’t have other work to do, I would have given 　　you a good beating!” 　　This guy’s whole demeanor changed after finishing his work; all that politeness earlier was just a facade. 　　But Runshian wasn’t angry; he attacked immediately. 　　I didn’t even see when his sword slashed out; it was a localized acceleration of energy without any spillage, 　　so the attack was completely unexpected. 　　But the boy quickly retreated two steps, barely avoiding the blade. He was also startled, 　　cold sweat breaking out on his nose. 　　“I’ll fuck your mothers!!” The boy turned and sped off towards the outside of the manor, leaving behind a 　　string of curses. 　　Runshian's judgment was correct; that guy's acceleration method and speed were already at level zero. 　　However, Runshian didn't pursue him; that last strike seemed to be a test of his opponent's skill. 　　"How was it? Is he really as powerful as he said?" I asked. 　　Runshian sheathed his rusty sword and shook his head: "He was just bluffing, afraid we'd actually 　　capture him, so he was just putting on a show. Look how scared he was in the end. That last strike used seven-tenths of my strength, and he used 　　ten-tenths to dodge it. So in a one-on-one fight, he wouldn't be my match. However, I think his level zero assessment is 　　accurate." 　　I'd only seen the being known as Seraphim briefly. But like Osovie, this 　　guy has been influencing this world on a level we can't perceive. This so-called meeting was 　　the first time he'd stood before us so openly. 　　Osovie once told me that any calculator who tries to directly influence the function of "the world" will lose 　　their computational ability and become part of the function. He once 　　fell into the river of fate because he wanted to force me to duel with Melfis. 　　And what of Seraphim? He's so determined to relinquish his ability to calculate and interfere in 　　the workings of this world—for what rich reward? 　　I looked again at the card in my hand; the date on it was twelve days later. 　　＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊　　(To be continued)

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