"Excuse me, Mr. Deity, is something wrong?"
Skadi looked at Lucas Reeve's frozen face, thought for a moment, and asked slowly, her voice soft.
"No... it's nothing..."
Lucas Reeve shook his head, saying nothing. After all, he couldn't possibly say, "Miss, based on my observations, there seems to be a line of romantic destiny between us. We are fated to have a happy ending and build a family together."
Moreover, this kind of destiny line was a causal thread, akin to a future that was already decided after birth. It was incredibly difficult to change in reality, unless one relied on immense power to sever the causal threads between both parties and forcibly alter it. Of course, Lucas Reeve couldn't do it right now, but Nine-Colored Deer had that ability.
And. Since the line of romantic destiny existed, it was foreordained that the two would eventually be together, not just a simple unrequited crush. A one-sided crush would not generate a line of romantic destiny.
Could it be that the ability was malfunctioning?
He had only known Skadi for less than an hour, how could the line of romantic destiny be appearing so clearly? It was too absurd, so Lucas Reeve decisively chose to deceive himself with this nonsense.
Lucas Reeve decided to immediately return to Columbia to test it on Jessica.
"I just used a special method to locate your friend."
Lucas Reeve said with a straight face.
However, Skadi believed him completely. She asked happily.
"Which one is it?"
"I'm not sure."
Lucas Reeve shook his head.
"I can see the threads between you and those you are familiar with through a special ability. You have very few threads on you, Miss Skadi. The only two point towards Iberia. Your judgment was indeed correct. Your companions are very likely in Iberia."
"Thank you."
Skadi thanked him gratefully.
She hadn't made many friends since coming ashore. Or rather, anyone who had a relationship with her had died in the mouths of horror fish. This led Skadi to no longer dare to actively get close to others, let alone make friends. Therefore, the familiar people Mr. Deity mentioned really might be her former Abyssal Hunter companions.
"Let's go."
"I'll lead the way for you."
"Mhm!"
However strong Iberia had once been, that's how deathly silent it was now. Even in the cities further from the coast, the atmosphere was lifeless. Although they weren't plagued by the monsters from the sea, the economic deficit and internal conflicts filled the cities far from the coast with refugees.
"By the way, Miss Skadi, aren't you tired?"
Lucas Reeve looked up at the completely dark night sky and started to roast.
"Not tired."
Skadi's running speed was incredibly fast. With an easy leap, she could cover dozens of meters, effortlessly. Her whole body was as agile as a bee, darting about nonstop.
Skadi explained: "Stamina is a mandatory lesson for every Abyssal Hunter. Only with sufficient stamina can we survive in the ferocious, relentless seawater. Once, when we launched a suicidal decapitation strike against the god, we fought at the bottom of the sea for several days and nights straight."
"Strong."
Lucas Reeve gave a thumbs up.
He couldn't help but admire the technological level of Aegir. To think they could create monsters like the Abyssal Hunters, far surpassing individual Emperor's Blades. Furthermore, according to Skadi, the Abyssal Hunters were not Aegir's strongest military unit. On the contrary, the Abyssal Hunters were just a specialized unit Aegir used for their strong adaptability against the Seaborn. They could even be described as a vanguard force.
And according to Skadi's description.
The previous decapitation strike against the Seaborn god was akin to a suicide mission. This meant that the Aegir high command might not care about the lives of the Abyssal Hunters. To them, the Abyssal Hunters were not some rare and precious weapon, but more like a type of suicide squad.
Let's ask this.
Would Ursus be willing to let a large number of Emperor's Blades carry out suicide attacks?
One hundred percent unwilling, unless it was a nation-ending disaster.
Terrifying...
A vanguard force, possibly just a suicide squad, was actually much stronger than an Emperor's Blade, and they were mass-produced...
F*ck...
Even Lucas Reeve was stunned by Aegir's power for the first time. If such an Aegir were on the continent of Terra, Lucas Reeve estimated that the entire continent of Terra would probably be unified directly. After all, a nation that could mass-produce Patriots... even the Ursus Empire at its peak probably couldn't last long against them.
Skadi was advancing at full speed, untiringly.
Lucas Reeve, on the other hand, returned to Columbia for a trip.
It was just past eight o'clock in the evening, still early before bedtime. Jessica was sitting on the sofa with the children watching TV. Miss Nine-Colored Deer was in the kitchen trying to make a new variety of pastry, with Saga helping out.
"Mr. Reeve?"
Seeing Lucas Reeve return, Jessica greeted him sweetly.
"Yeah."
Lucas Reeve didn't say another word and directly activated his ability.
Instantly.
Lucas Reeve could see the massive number of causal threads on Jessica's body. Among them, many threads were shining brightly with golden light, representing Jessica's fortune in wealth. This level of wealth... probably few people in all of Terra had better financial luck than Jessica.
Then.
Among the many threads, Lucas Reeve found the bright red thread representing romantic destiny.
This thread wasn't long.
Because the end of the thread extending from Jessica's body was connected to the necklace on her snow-white neck.
"Uh....."
As expected...
Jessica didn't know what Lucas Reeve was doing, wondering why he was suddenly staring blankly at her. This made Jessica blush a little.
"What's wrong, Mr. Reeve? Is there something strange on my face?"
Jessica asked, blushing.
"No..."
Lucas Reeve shook his head. However, Franka, who was beside them, started joking.
"Hehe, Lucas, don't tell me you've finally wised up and realized how pretty Jessica is~~"
"Ah! Stop it, Senior!!"
Jessica covered her face, but the curve of her smiling lips couldn't be hidden.
Lucas Reeve didn't answer, but instead shifted his gaze to Franka.
Franka didn't have that many causal threads. Although Franka seemed to have many friends, she had very few true friends. The more important the thread representing friendship, the more solid it was; the more ordinary, the more illusory. Franka had quite a few threads pointing towards Blacksteel Worldwide, but they were all semi-transparent, and many even looked like they were about to break. As for wealth... average. Quite a bit better than ordinary people, after all, earning millions a year was indeed much better than ordinary people.
The red line representing romantic destiny...
It extended from Franka's body to the necklace on Jessica's neck.
"...."
Lucas Reeve fell completely silent.
He was speechless.
Is there something wrong with this romantic destiny red line? Why do they all point to me?
Franka, who had been joking just a second ago, was now a bit stunned.
Lucas looking at her like that made Franka, who was usually carefree, feel a little flustered in her heart. Franka's personality was exactly the same as her fighting style: high offense, low defense.
Lucas Reeve wasn't convinced, and looked at Liskarm next to them.
Finally..
Lucas Reeve breathed a sigh of relief.
Liskarm had no red line of romantic destiny. Moreover, the threads connecting Liskarm to Jessica and even everyone else present were gradually beginning to dim. This meant... Liskarm might be leaving here soon. Thinking of Liskarm's dream, Lucas Reeve guessed she might be planning to return to her hometown, she just had never told anyone else.
At this moment.
The most confused were Franka and Jessica.
"Mr. Reeve, why are you staring at Senior Liskarm?"
Jessica tugged on Lucas Reeve.
"Nothing."
Lucas Reeve shook his head and said.
"Liskarm, are you preparing to leave?"
Lucas Reeve's words made Liskarm momentarily stunned. A hint of astonishment flashed in her eyes, as if he had hit upon her innermost thoughts. Franka and Jessica beside her were startled and hurriedly asked.
However, Liskarm didn't hide it.
"I indeed plan to leave after some time. I... have to consider the compatriots in my hometown. Although life here is very comfortable, and I'm really a bit reluctant to leave, I have no choice."
After learning this, Jessica and Franka didn't say anything more. They knew this was Liskarm's dream, and they had no right to change it.
At the same time, they looked at Lucas Reeve in surprise.
"Mr. Reeve, how did you know?"
"A new ability. I'm experimenting."
Lucas Reeve then looked at Ceobe, Rosmontis, Shamare, and Ifrit. Fortunately, they had no connection to him.... Phew.
Lucas Reeve let out a huge sigh of relief.
As for Surtr, who was nearby, he couldn't see clearly. After she had fused with Laevatain to a certain extent, she was already close to being half a Divine Fragment. Lucas Reeve could no longer view her fate and causality in detail.
As for Nian, who was writing a script, Lucas Reeve couldn't see her at all. In fact, when he looked at Nian, Nian even raised her head and smiled at Lucas Reeve. She must have sensed what Lucas Reeve had just tried to do. As for Nine-Colored Deer in the kitchen, she could sense it even more clearly. The moment Lucas Reeve looked at her, Nine-Colored Deer had already sensed it.
Nine-Colored Deer turned and smiled faintly at Lucas Reeve.
"Mr. Reeve, peeking at others' secrets like this is impolite, you know. Even I rarely deliberately look at a person's causality."
"However, for Mr. Reeve to have recovered a portion of his 'Causality Inquiry' ability."
Causality?!!
Jessica and Franka were shaken.
"Big Sister Nine-Colored Deer? What does causality mean?"
"A kind of fate decided when a person is born. For example, romantic destiny. When a person is born, their romantic destiny is already decided."
Nine-Colored Deer smiled faintly.
Jessica quickly pressed.
"Big Sister Nine-Colored Deer, what about my romantic destiny!!"
Jessica's eyes were shining.
However.
Nine-Colored Deer said mysteriously.
"It cannot be said, it cannot be said. Matters of causality are deeply entangled."
"However, I can give you a hint."
"Cherish the present."
Although what Nine-Colored Deer said was a bit cryptic, the riddle was very straightforward. Jessica understood it in an instant. The look in her eyes as she looked at Lucas Reeve was extremely excited. Was this... an official stamp of approval?
"Miss Nine-Colored Deer, why can you see me?"
Lucas Reeve asked Nine-Colored Deer.
"Because... I am temporarily a tiny bit stronger than you... Another reason is that you are only a soul fragment here, so I can see clearly. If your main body from the statue came over, even I wouldn't be able to see clearly."
Lucas Reeve really couldn't stand Jessica's scorching gaze and chose to return to Skadi. He decisively chose to follow Nine-Colored Deer's words. He wouldn't use this ability in the future unless absolutely necessary. The mortal world has its own causality, and knowing it too early brings no benefits.
On this rugged wilderness outside the city.
Skadi's advancing speed even surpassed that of a Land-runner.
The closer she got to the depths of Iberia, the more she could feel a very peculiar power spreading. The ground gradually became damp. Even though it hadn't rained recently, the soil on the ground was black as if it was decaying. This was all irreversible damage caused by the past Great Silence. And the coastal cities that had suffered the frontal assault of the Great Silence were sealed off by the Iberian army. Line after line of blockades cut off the hope and livelihood of the people in the coastal cities.
Skadi found a way to cross the army's blockade, following Lucas Reeve's guidance as she walked on the wilderness covered with coral.
Finally.
The sky gradually began to brighten.
Skadi had been running for a long time, from dusk until dawn. She finally reached the city Lucas Reeve had pointed to.
"This is it."
Since they were about to enter the city, Lucas Reeve didn't emerge from Skadi's body, but rather observed the outside situation through shared vision from within Skadi.
"Mhm..."
Skadi nodded.
She walked into this city.
Originally, Lucas Reeve thought this city was a dead city. After all, it looked completely lifeless from the outside. However, only after Skadi stepped inside did she discover that there were quite a few people in this city. It was just that the vast majority of people had numb expressions, wandering the streets, all pale, hungry, and emaciated.
Suddenly!
The moment Skadi stepped into this city.
The deep-sea monsters lurking by the nearby seaside seemed to smell the aura of their kin. One by one, as if resurrected, they frenziedly attacked this city. Not only was it a physical attack, but Skadi's surroundings also gradually sank into darkness, and countless horror fish crawled out from the darkness.