William stood quietly to the side, listening to the two old men talk. He didn't say a word.
One of them noticed how intently he was watching and asked, "Young man, can you read this?"
William just smiled faintly and said nothing, continuing on without a glance back.
"Hey! What kind of attitude is that?" a young staffer nearby snapped. "Didn't you hear Mr. Taylor talking to you?"
Lila quickly stepped forward, apologizing to the older man. "I'm so sorry, sir. My friend's just come from the countryside—he's not very familiar with proper manners."
William turned to look at her, his eyes clear and calm. "I don't know him. He asked me a question—why should I have to answer? I just didn't feel like talking to him. You don't need to apologize for that."
Most people, when approached by an elder, would at least show a little respect—answer politely, even if they didn't want to.
But William?
He'd lived longer than anyone could imagine. His face might look young, but in his eyes, that old man was still a kid.
Respect your elders?
Not applicable.
Lila nearly lost it. She'd just stepped in to smooth things over, and this guy had to go and say that? Was he trying to offend people on purpose?
Judging by the old men's bearing, they clearly weren't ordinary folks. There was no reason to pick a fight here.
The older man's face darkened. William's attitude had clearly gotten under his skin. "Young man, I only asked because you looked like you understood the writing. If you don't, then don't pretend you do."
William gave him a look—like he was watching a child throw a tantrum—and sighed. "Of course I understand it. But if I told you what it says, you probably wouldn't believe me anyway."
"Oh?" the old man challenged. "Try me. What could you possibly say that I wouldn't believe?"
He didn't think for a second that this kid could read the top section of the stele. That script had never been seen before—completely unknown to any historical record.
William smiled. "The top part talks about a man named Cronus. Said he was kind of interesting, but a bit long-winded. Not very strong, though. Later, Cronus and Rhea had a bunch of kids. One of them was named Zeus. I liked that one the most…"
"…"
Everyone nearby froze, eyes locked on William like he'd just grown horns.
Was this a museum tour or a fantasy novel?
William shrugged. "Told you you wouldn't believe me. So what's the point?" He turned to walk away.
David, seeing an opening, stepped forward with a sneer. "You think anyone's buying that crap? Cronus? Zeus? What's next, you taught Hercules how to lift weights? Come on, man. You're not even trying to sound believable."
He'd finally figured it out—Lila didn't like him. No matter how polite or well-mannered he acted, she wasn't going to give him a chance.
So screw it.
If he couldn't win her over, he'd burn the whole thing down. Drag everyone down with him. No one gets the girl.
But just as he finished, the older man—Mr. Taylor—spoke up.
"I believe him. At least… a little."
Then he gave David a long, pointed look.
David's mouth snapped shut.
Shit.
He hadn't expected that.
Did he just call himself the idiot in this situation?
Yeah. Yeah, he kind of did.
William paused, glanced back at the stone stele, and said calmly, "There's a section in the middle I won't bother repeating. But near the end, it says: 'In the end, I still couldn't control my emotions. I brought this era to a close. I don't know how long it'll take before this world gives birth to a new kind of life.'"
The two old men sucked in sharp breaths.
Brought an era to a close?
What era?
They didn't know whether to believe him or not.
The stele listed names like Alexander the Great, Qin Shi Huang, Caesar, Catherine the Great, Genghis Khan, George Washington… and many more. It read like someone's personal diary—someone who had lived through all of it.
Further up, there were oracle bone inscriptions, Egyptian hieroglyphs, ancient Greek, even a few lines in Babylonian. Beyond that, the scripts became completely unrecognizable.
But considering what came after, it was clear—whatever was written at the top wasn't simple either.
What William said sounded outrageous, sure. But the content carved into the stele? That was no less unbelievable.
This single slab of stone seemed to span the entire history of the world.
The older man stepped forward, visibly excited. "Young man, you really can read this stele?" He moved closer to William. "My name is Edward Taylor. I'm a retired professor from Hudson University. I've spent my life studying ancient cultures. If you can truly translate this, I'd be honored to become your student."
William gave him a flat look. "You want to be my student, so I'm just supposed to accept? I don't feel like talking to you right now. I just want to enjoy the museum in peace. Don't bother me."
Edward Taylor froze, awkward and speechless.
Lila, standing nearby, felt a chill run through her.
Edward Taylor?
That wasn't just any retired professor.
He was the former president of Hudson University.
An honorary professor with countless students across the globe. Even among the elite and powerful, no one dared disrespect him.
And now he'd just offered to become William's student—only to be brushed off like a street vendor.
This guy is way too arrogant!
"Edward, don't take it so seriously," the other old man said, pulling him aside. "He's probably just making it all up. Come on, look at him—how could someone that young possibly read those scripts?"
Edward took a deep breath, finally calming down. He had to admit, it was possible William was just bluffing.
William didn't bother explaining. He walked over to a jade bed on display and let out a quiet, bitter laugh.
He'd slept on that bed for years.
Now it was behind glass in a museum. If he wanted to see his own bed again, he'd have to buy a ticket.
Lila followed after him, murmuring another apology to Edward and the others before catching up.
"William, can't you at least be a little more respectful to your elders?" she said, clearly frustrated.
William smiled. "What do you want me to do? I already told him what the stele says. What more does he want? He even asked to be my disciple. Since when is that normal?"
Lila nearly exploded.
Can you hear yourself?
He wanted to be your disciple?
And you call that a "good deal" like you're doing him a favor?
Unbelievable. How can someone be this shameless?
William didn't explain further. Every disciple he'd ever taken had gone down in history. And he had standards.
Anyone over eighteen? Automatically disqualified.
Human lifespans were too short. That old man clearly didn't have much time left. Taking him as a student? Total waste.
Lila gave up trying to argue.
William wandered the museum in silence. Aside from the artifacts from his own tomb, there were plenty of rare and precious relics on display.
But to him?
They were just… things. Nothing more.