166. Welt: I Think... I'm Sick
What would it be like for a wandering traveler to unexpectedly encounter an old friend from their hometown on a long journey?
Perhaps it's nostalgia—nostalgia for the winds of their hometown, nostalgia for the laughter of old friends, nostalgia for those long-gone times.
But what if the person standing before you isn't an old friend, but a former enemy? How would your emotions churn?
And what if... that person should have been dead long ago?
—Then it wouldn't be nostalgia anymore, but horror.
Welt Yang took off his glasses, wiping the lenses again and again, as if they were stained with some indelible stain.
"Uncle Yang, is there something wrong with your glasses?" March 7th tilted her head, asking with some concern.
…The lenses are fine. But my eyes… or my mind, might be having problems.
Welt took a deep breath, slowly raised his hand, and pointed to the two almost identical figures in the distance…
"Little March, over there… how many Kevins are there?"
"Two!" March 7th blinked, her voice filled with surprise.
"I didn't expect Kevin to have a twin brother! This is the first time I've ever seen twins, they really look exactly alike!"
Welt's heart tightened suddenly.
He knew he was running away from reality. Just now, in the instant that the grotto-heaven was shattered, he clearly caught sight of four figures… and one of them stunned him.
That posture, that aura, that suffocating sense of oppression…
That was [Kevin].
The man who should have completely vanished in the final battle, the one who claimed that he was going to "save the world" but ultimately became the girls' final enemy…
He couldn't be mistaken…
That was him!
"That's not some twin." Houraiji Kyuushou crossed her arms, her tone calm and resolute.
"That's the savior from another world, a comrade-in-arms who fought alongside us."
Welt abruptly turned to look at her: "Kyuushou, do you know who he is?"
"Of course." Kyuushou slightly raised her chin, her voice solemn.
"He is the Lord of the World Serpent, the strongest warrior of the previous era, the current controller of the power of the Finality, and the examiner of the current era's trials—[Kevin]."
.....
...What are you talking about?
What does "Controller of the power of the Finality" mean? Tell me, really, what does "Controller of the power of the Finality" mean?
This is different from the version he knows.
Welt's brain almost crashed.
—This is completely different from the [Kevin] he knew!
"…I'm probably sick," Welt muttered to himself.
Meanwhile—
"Why didn't you warn us?" Xiling looked up at the torn "sky curtain" on the Xianzhou Luofu's dome, his lips twitching.
"If I had to pay for this, I'd be bankrupt in no time."
The Xianzhou Luofu's sky wasn't real; it was an illusion simulated by Luofu using special technology. Now, this false sky had been ripped open with a hideous crack, like shattered glass.
"It's alright, it's alright." Jing Yuan waved his hand, a hearty smile on his face, as if what had been destroyed wasn't a vital facility of his Xianzhou Luofu, but merely an insignificant curtain.
—It was just a massive grotto-heaven completely destroyed, plus an artificial sky being damaged.
—Just like the Alchemy Commission, though an indispensable part of Luofu, could always be rebuilt with more time and resources.
Moreover, their gains far exceeded expectations. The fall of a Lord Ravager was enough to shake all the realms of the universe! Moreover, the price they paid was so minor.
"Gentlemen, I truly don't know how to express my gratitude for this kindness." Jing Yuan's smile faded, and he bowed solemnly.
"On behalf of the Xianzhou Alliance, I extend my sincerest thanks to you all."
—The general of Luofu, the de facto ruler of the Xianzhou Luofu, bowed his head in thanks to others. Such a gesture would shock anyone who knew his identity.
But it was precisely because of this that his sincerity was all the more evident.
"Just don't ask me to pay you back," Xiling said half-jokingly.
Jing Yuan immediately burst into laughter:
"How could that be? Not only will you not have to pay me back, but I will also offer you a reward that will absolutely satisfy you!"
"That's good!" Xiling nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to the white-haired man beside him, who had remained silent throughout.
"Speaking of which…" He winked mischievously, pointing to Welt in the distance, "Why don't you go over and chat with him? That's Welt from your world's normal trajectory, you know."
[Kevin] shook his head in refusal. To him, none of this mattered—he was only here because Xiling needed his help; everything else was irrelevant…
"I'm going back now." With that, [Kevin] left without giving anyone a chance to stop him.
"What a pity." Xiling shook his head, hoping to witness something more interesting.
"Ah, I haven't had a chance to properly thank that person as a host before he has to leave." Jing Yuan said with some regret.
"Doesn't the General need to handle follow-up matters?" Xiling looked at Jing Yuan with interest.
Jing Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, a composed smile on his face:
"That's not quite right. Strengthening friendships with everyone is also the General's duty. To neglect such distinguished guests once the matter is settled is not the way to treat guests."
"What about official business?" Kevin suddenly asked.
Jing Yuan laughed loudly, "Hahaha, Luofu is full of talented people, why bother with everything personally?"
Kevin commented, "Exploiting subordinates."
"That's not true," Jing Yuan's smile remaining unchanged.
"I've always been good at recognizing and assigning tasks; I simply let the right people do what they're good at."
Meanwhile, inside the Seat of Divine Foresight—
Fu Xuan gritted her teeth as she reviewed pile after pile of documents, finishing them before dealing with the rest.
Even if exchanging the Alchemy Commission for one of Lord Ravagers was a deal that could never be a loss, the amount of work to be done afterwards would be immense, perhaps even more than several years combined.
"That big bastard, the General!" she muttered angrily, "Such a big matter was just resolved like that! Is my purpose just to clean up his messes?"
Although she had finally secured her dream position and was handling the tasks that should have been hers, Fu Xuan couldn't feel happy.
But no matter how unhappy she was, the work still had to be done.
She buried herself in reviewing document after document, mentally noting Jing Yuan's progress after each signature. Outside the window, a mechanical sparrow gracefully landed on the windowsill, a note in its beak:
"Fu Xuan, you've worked hard. Remember to eat."
Fu Xuan's temples immediately bulged with veins.
Jing Yuan, leisurely strolling on the Xianzhou Luofu with Xiling and the others, thought to himself, "Hasn't Fu Xuan always wanted to be a general? Now's a good opportunity to get used to the life of a general. No need to thank me."