But before anything else, there was one thing Kanzaki Rei needed to confirm.
That was—had Reika actually killed Luo Yan, the inheritor of the Dark Church?
"Was the one you killed... a girl with black hair and long bangs?"
Reika pouted slightly. "She had already turned into a monster."
"How would I know what she looked like before that?"
"Wasn’t there anything that could prove her identity?" Rei pressed.
Reika thought for a mont. "Proof of identity..."
"This—does it count?"
She raised her hand, and a dark-colored long whip appeared in her grasp.
A divine artifact.
It was the very artifact Luo Yan had used.
Before the second phase had begun, Rei had seen her wield it with his own eyes.
Only now...
Rei could sense the restrictions on the artifact—or rather, the lack of them. The bindings that once defined it were gone. Though it retained its form, all of its extraordinary properties had vanished.
Now, it was nothing more than an ordinary whip.
And yet...
Its existence alone was enough to prove that Reika had indeed been there.
Aegmissa.
Just what exactly was it planning?
Why had so many people gathered in the Secret Sea?
"Anything else?" Rei asked.
Reika shook her head. "Nothing particularly noteworthy besides that."
It seed her experience had been similar to his.
Rei reached out and placed his hand lightly against Reika’s body.
Talent activated.
Her status hadn’t changed much. She had learned several powerful assassination techniques, gaining deeper insight into the path of stealth and killing.
"So... why were you here?" Rei asked.
"Didn’t you say you were going to explore ancient ruins for several days?"
Rei smiled helplessly. "Sothing similar to what happened to you. During the Month of Chaos, I ran into a few random events."
"And then..."
As he spoke, Rei, Luluwy, and Reika walked back together.
Their pace was far slower than before.
Leisurely, almost.
After hearing Rei’s account, Luluwy couldn’t help but cover her mouth.
How did this kid always end up in situations like that?
Was this... what it ant to be blessed by destiny?
Her emotions grew complicated.
It had been a long ti since she herself had encountered any kind of fortuitous opportunity.
"So, in the end..."
"You were the one who destroyed the Secret Sea?"
Rei grinned awkwardly.
Now that everything had been pieced together, they naturally wouldn’t bla him.
But still... the idea that he had ultimately destroyed the Secret Sea himself was absurd.
"Well... what’s done is done," Luluwy sighed helplessly. "There’s nothing we can do about it now."
"You two, honestly..."
There was a faint trace of envy in her voice.
Rei possessed unparalleled talent, and Reika was no ordinary individual either.
Standing among them only made her feel... ordinary.
Even though she herself had once been a once-in-a-generation genius.
"If there’s nothing else, get so proper rest."
"You’ve both been through a lot. You must be exhausted," Luluwy said.
Rei nodded. "Yeah."
"I really do want to rest for a bit."
He hadn’t rested at all during this entire stretch...
Now that he was finally back ho, the tension that had gripped him began to loosen.
At last, he was no longer surrounded by the unknown and danger.
Here... at least, was a place where he could rest safely.
"Where’s Yuna?"
Luluwy replied, "Still in the White Tower. Did you forget? She’s been there the past few days."
The new White Tower held vast amounts of knowledge for Yuna to study. A few short days were nowhere near enough.
For Rei, it had felt like a long ti.
But in the outside world, only a single day had passed since he left.
"Oh. Right."
"Then... good night, Luluwy."
"I really need to get so sleep."
"Oh, right..."
Swish—
A potion appeared in Rei’s hand, which he placed on Luluwy’s table.
"I made this. It increases perception range—I figured it might be useful for you."
"You made this?"
Rei nodded. "Yeah."
The brief exchange revealed yet another piece of information—
Rei had taken on a new profession.
How exactly was he managing to hold so many classes at once... without slowing his advancent?
"Then... thank you."
"No problem."
Rei waved and finally returned to his room.
Haa—
He let out a long breath. With a casual gesture, layers of restrictions spread across the entire room.
I’m exhausted...
His body was still brimming with vitality, but ntally, he was drained to the limit.
There were too many things to think about.
How to restore his parents.
The secrets of Earth.
The fate of the Secret Sea.
There was simply too much.
He didn’t want to think anymore.
He lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
...
Before his eyes flowed a gently murmuring stream.
On the other side lay a distant shore, veiled as if by mist.
Faint silhouettes could be seen.
A vast forest swayed in the distance... and within it, a subtle spiritual presence circulated.
"Why... didn’t you save ?"
Suddenly, Rei felt a tug at his clothes.
He looked down sharply.
A hand had grabbed hold of him.
"Ming?"
Huang Minzhi.
His best friend from high school.
Even at twenty-eight, when their lives had stabilized, they still played gas together and occasionally traveled during holidays.
But...
Earth was gone.
Everyone on Earth had beco monsters.
His best friend included.
At the ti, Rei hadn’t been able to save everyone. If he could have, he would have wanted to collect every monster that had once been soone he knew.
But...
In the end, there hadn’t been enough ti.
"Why?"
Snap—
More and more hands grabbed at his ankles, his clothes.
Rei shut his eyes tightly, lips pressed together.
This was a dream.
He knew it was a dream.
And yet, it felt unbearably real.
Whoosh—
Beneath his feet, the dreamlike blue grass—like drifting butterflies—vanished, replaced by a pure white expanse.
Countless hands reached out from all directions, pulling at him.
And before him—
Across the stream—
The swaying forest stilled.
The scene grew clearer.
There stood a girl.
Dressed in a simple white gown, delicate as a doll.
She had the appearance of a human.
And her na...
He already knew it.
Shiro.
This moon entity—symbolizing death and destruction—
Why was she appearing in his dream?
So was this truly just a dream...
Or was she actually influencing him?
Rei tried to wake up.
But found—
He couldn’t.
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