The wind smelled of pine and damp earth.
Luke opened his eyes to the slow rhythm of Wo Long Village—the Sleeping Dragon—exactly as it had been before worlds, before cities, before Gallaghers and gods.
Morning mist clung to the terraced slopes. Chickens scratched lazily near stone steps. Somewhere, an old bell chimed once, cracked but faithful.
He was back.
Not summoned.
Not expelled.
Returned.
Luke sat on the wooden platform outside his two-story Chinese-style home, the one he had built plank by plank. His hands rested on his knees—still calloused, still real.
For the first time in a long while, there was no urgency pressing against his ribs.
He thought of Lip.
Not as a mission. Not as a host.
But as a man now capable of standing alone.
A faint smile crossed Luke's face.
Good luck, kid. You won't need me anymore.
The village stirred to life around him. An elderly woman passed with a basket of herbs. Children ran barefoot past the ancestral home courtyard he'd rebuilt. The drainage channels still held firm after last night's rain.
Everything worked.
Because someone had cared.
Luke closed his eyes.
"System."
The familiar hum answered—not loud, not demanding. Quieter now. Almost respectful.
SYSTEM STATUS PANEL — FINAL RETURN
Name: Luke
Title: World Corrector · Village Guardian
Origin: External Narrative Entity (Dormant)
Primary World: Wo Long Village (Stable)
Core Attributes
Strength: A
Agility: A
Endurance: A+
Balance & Control: S
Mental Attributes
Genius Analytical Ability: S
Scholarly Wisdom: S
Psychological Fortitude: S+
Impulse Control: S
Support Skills
Medical Talent (Traditional + Modern): S
Architectural Mastery: A+
Leadership: A
Merchant Sense: A
KARMA SUMMARY
Total Karma Earned: +9,870
Karma Spent: −7,200
Residual Karma: +2,670
Karma State:Overflow — Passive Blessing Active
Passive Effects:
Enhanced Longevity
Environmental Harmony
Increased Fortune for Close Relations
Inner Peace (Permanent)
WISHES STATUS
Break the Cycle — COMPLETED
Secure the Family — COMPLETED
Peaceful Life — COMPLETED
SYSTEM NOTE:
No further corrective missions detected.
Narrative autonomy restored.
System will enter OBSERVATION-ONLY MODE.
The panel faded gently, like ink dissolving in water.
Luke let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.
No timers.
No quests.
No countdowns.
Just… days.
He stood, picked up a hoe leaning against the wall, and stepped into his garden. Rare herbs caught the light—plants he'd carried across lifetimes, now rooted in quiet soil.
As he worked, the sun rose fully over Wo Long.
The dragon slept.
And Luke—at last—did too, in the only way that mattered.
At peace.