Searching for the King

As the Metal Face said, after Mason and his team left the core, the entire city had returned to its peaceful state. Mechanical pipelines worked with the residents to replace the crystals on the walls, and the entire city had a brand new look.

After the king returned to the palace with his knights, the residents who were responsible for repairing the equipment also quietly disappeared. Ordinary residents appeared on the road. They were not surprised at the damaged city wall and greeted people as usual.

Reality and illusion intertwined, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and the fake. When everyone saw No. 1, they showed respect and called him "Master Ham" respectfully.

Number One dealt with it, turned around and shrugged at Mason: "Just sleep for a day, and the city will be back to its original state the next day. The artifact will reset the time of this city."

He brought the three of them to the hotel. The waiter had a familiar round face. When he saw Ham, he immediately stood up and bowed, and with sparkling eyes he called out, "Master Ham!"

"These are my guests. Please take good care of them. I will come back to pick them up tomorrow."

"It is my honor to take care of Master Ham's guests!"

The waitress had round eyes and a cute dimple on her face. She enthusiastically led the three people to the room, as if she was seeing them for the first time.

No, it was more like the first time they met.

Mason looked out the window and saw the crystal street lights come back on. A new day has arrived, and the [lost country] is forever happy and beautiful, stagnant on the day before the disaster. With the "refresh" of this day, everything that happened before is erased.

He no longer had the energy to deal with it, so he ate a few bites of food and lay down to rest. The mechanic built a few small surveillance and warning gadgets and installed them in the room. The group hastily dealt with the day.

Perhaps it was because of No. 1's special instructions. This time, they could still hear the knock on the door, but when he was about to reach the door, he jumped over their door alone.

Under the waiter's "caring care", Mason had a good rest for a day. The next morning, No. 1 arrived at the hotel on time.

"You let me go alone. You know I'm the weakest here, don't you? Do you want to kidnap me?"

"How dare we attack you? Those two dared to fight against the black mist. If we really did something to you, wouldn't even the bottom of the city be blown away?"

"You don't look very much like a cyborg."

Hearing Mason's words, No. 1 smiled slightly: "What do you think androids are like? Rigid and rigid, strictly following the rules? The android we just made is indeed like that, and it fits most people's impression. However, it is only the lowest level of android."

He turned his head to look at Mason, his pupils flashing a strange red light: "Real androids should be hidden among humans, even humans themselves can't tell the difference. Maybe real humans should be made of metal, and androids should be made of flesh and blood. Who can tell this clearly?"

Without waiting for Mason to answer, Number One lowered his eyes and acted as if he was meek and harmless.

There is no doubt that he is that kind of advanced android, even smarter than ordinary people. Mason pondered over what he said and had some understanding of the android path that Ham insisted on.

Number One led Mason through the underground pipes and came to the metal man. The smell of gold and fire filled the enclosed space.

The metal face was obviously very happy to see Mason.

"Thank you for your trust and for coming here alone. I think I should be able to trust you now."

"Thank you! Trust is the basis of cooperation."

"Yes, I like that. There are two reasons why you need to come alone. One is that the other two look up to you, and you can represent them. The other is that although these two attendants have incredible abilities, these abilities cannot make His Majesty the King surrender. There is only one way to gain his recognition, and that is to find the real him."

Mason frowned. "You mean the king in the palace is not him?"

"That is a part of him, symbolizing his will to protect the city. The other part of the king is hiding in the city. If you want to be recognized, you must combine the two parts and awaken His Majesty the King."

Fearing that Mason would refuse, the metal face explained in great detail.

"I will use the artifact to send you into the history of this city. There is a man there who is the true king. You must find him within one day, take him to the square at midnight, and send him through the gate."

“This is something only you can do, please.”

"There is a person who is the real king..." Mason repeated this sentence, with an ominous premonition in his heart. "You don't mean that I should look for a person with a hidden identity in the whole city?"

"Only such a difficult task is most suitable for a talent like you."

Number One spoke in a whirlwind of words, as if the world would be destroyed immediately if Mason refused the mission. Who can refuse a pair of big, watery, wet dog eyes? The boy looked at him with a complicated expression, and hesitated to say, "...Number One, you haven't shaved your beard."

"Impossible, we androids don't grow beards!"

Number One retorted without hesitation, then smiled awkwardly when he met Mason's subtle gaze, perfectly interpreting the word "flexible".

"No need to do that. I'm not going to refuse."

Mason said helplessly. The metal face became excited: "So you agree?"

The young man nodded, and the metal man looked very happy: "I will start teleporting now. Don't worry about anything you encounter. As long as you wear this crystal earring, no one will hurt you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Mason's earlobe felt hot and the cross earrings emitted extremely high heat.

The heat flowed from his earlobes into his skin, like a flame ignited in his chest, melting and softening his bones. A cool breeze blew in the distance, and Mason subconsciously walked towards the source of the wind, seeking a bit of coolness.

He clearly felt his physical strength declining. Something had temporarily transformed his body. With every step forward, Mason's vision became lower. After walking for an unknown amount of time, he finally walked out of the darkness. Mason, who could only be called a child, squinted his eyes and raised his hands to block the overly glaring sunlight.

The sun above is normal, and the white clouds are normal. The pedestrians are dressed in dark clothes, including elves with pointy ears, hairy beastmen, and dwarves who are only as tall as an average person's knees. They are all armed with guns or weapons.

The clothes they wear are more in line with the characteristics of the pre-Black Mist era, with more or less patterns and patterns. The same patterns also appeared on the insiders of the "Lost Country", which is obviously a national characteristic.

Mason looked around, memorizing all the information. Until something poked his back, the boy startled and turned around to meet a pair of eyes.

"Mason, what are you doing here? Uncle Abner and Aunt Fairelle are looking for you."

Abner and Pfeiler...this place will also change according to his memory?

The little boy who was talking smiled at Mason. He was wearing brown overalls, a newsboy cap tilted on his head, and a cloth bag full of newspapers slung across his body. He exuded a sense of cleverness.

Mason recognized the man immediately. I've seen him before, he's the guide at that station... he's a newsboy... he's... my friend, Cuddy.

What about me? Who am I?

There's something wrong with this world!

Mason realized this immediately. This world might be like the illusion in Green Dragon Canyon, which would change people's memories!

He subconsciously wanted to resist. The prepared metal face triggered the veil of the goddess of night, and the obscure fluctuations resonated with the heart of the goddess of fate, obscuring Mason's perception.

The power of gods - even if it was the remnant of gods' power, it would be easy to deal with a human being. The World Tree did not react at all. Mason only had time to judge that this power was harmless to him, and his consciousness completely sank into the power of gods.

Cuddy looked at his friend with a look that flickered for a moment, then returned to normal. The flax-haired child answered innocently, "I'm looking for something."

The newsboy asked cooperatively, "What are you looking for?"

"Uh..." Little Mason hesitated, and a word popped up in his mind involuntarily. "King?"

Cuddy chuckled and reached out to pinch his face.

"His Majesty lives in the palace. How can you possibly see him? Let me take you home."

"oh..."

Mason curled his lips quietly and held the other's hand in a seemingly obedient manner. The two children of similar age walked back, and Mason rolled his eyes and said, "Caddy, you walk around the street every day, you must know a lot of people."

Kadi raised his head like a proud little peacock: "Of course. I'm not bragging, I know everyone on this street."

"Then can you help me find the king?"

"Didn't I tell you that His Majesty lives in the palace? People like us are not qualified to see him."

"Please, help me. I just need to take a look from a distance!"

"You're making it too difficult for me."

Cuddy rubbed his cheeks in annoyance, thought for a moment, and answered with difficulty.

"But it's not without a chance. A knight has recently come to the city. It is said that he is very powerful and has a good family background. Even His Majesty the King admires him very much. If you can get close to him, maybe he will take you to the royal city. Uncle Abner loves you the most. You can act cute to him and try to meet him when the knight comes to pay a visit."

"Caddy, you are so smart!"

Mason's eyes lit up, and the word "knight" touched his nerves. He thought about it and grasped the key point: "So what does my father do?"

Cuddy: “…”

He looked at the other person in confusion, feeling that his friend was being particularly stupid today.

"I really wonder what happened to you today. You could even forget such a thing. Uncle Abner is the most powerful knight in the city. He refused the king's invitation and was loved by all the knights. Foreign knights will visit him first. You just stay at home and wait for him."

The two talked as they walked, and soon they saw a beautifully decorated three-story courtyard. It stood out among the nearby houses, and the fences were full of golden sunflowers.

Cady's eyes were full of envy: "Aunt Fairell has kept your house so beautiful."

As we were talking, a beautiful and gentle woman opened the fence door. She was wearing a long white dress with a light grey lambskin waistband and open long sleeves. There was a hint of worry between her eyebrows, which made her look more elegant.

When she saw the two of them, she was immediately surprised and hurried over to greet them.

"Mason, where have you been? I couldn't find you in the room. I was so scared."

Mason's eyes rolled. "I'm hanging out with Cuddy."

Being blamed for no reason, Cady was dumbfounded. Under the gazes of the two, she had to defend her friend and changed her words abruptly: "I'm sorry, Aunt Phairel, I didn't tell you when we went out to play."

Despite this, Fayelle still saw through the truth sharply. She saw through it but didn't say anything. She smiled gently and said, "I should thank you for being willing to play with Mason. Please take care of him, Cuddy. Do you want to come in for a snack?"

Cuddy's face flushed: "No, I still have to sell newspapers."

"At least take a few apple pies with you for the journey."

Faile entered the house and came out a moment later with a bag of apple pies. She stuffed it into Cuddy's arms tenderly and irresistibly. The little newsboy stuck out his tongue and finally accepted the kindness: "Thank you!"

"Thank you for bringing Mason back. I was so worried when I found he wasn't in the house this morning."

After Cuddy left, Faierel closed the door and turned around with a changed expression.

She tapped Mason's forehead seriously: "Think carefully about who let you run away. Do you know how worried your mother is about you?"

"I'm sorry...Mom."

Mason lowered his head, and his mind was stuck when he called out that name. A slight doubt flashed through his mind, and he lowered his head and admitted his mistake. Seeing his obedient look, Fayrel really couldn't harden his heart. He could only sigh and soften his tone, squatting down to look at the child at eye level.

"Whatever you do, tell your mom in advance, okay? I'm really worried about you."

"I'm really sorry. I won't sneak out again."

Mason accepted his mother's nagging obediently. He knew it was for his own good. In fact, he had forgotten why he was on the street. According to his usual schedule, he should have breakfast at home. When his mother calmed down, the child blinked his flax eyes and thought of something important.

"Mom, is Dad home?"

"He's talking to the new rider. Do you want to see it?"

Pfeiler and Abner were obviously tolerant parents. Seeing that the child was interested, Pfeiler led Mason into the house, went up to the second floor, and knocked on the door of the reception room.

There were footsteps from inside the room, and the door creaked open, revealing a determined face.

"What's the matter, honey?"

"Mason is very interested in your guests. Perhaps you wouldn't mind adding a little one?"

Phailer winked at him and pushed the child over. Abner smiled and patted Mason's head affectionately.

"Of course, I don't think my guests will mind, right?"

"Of course, maybe this is the little knight of the future."

A refreshing voice came from behind Abner, and just by listening to it, it perfectly fits the word knight. Firm, tolerant, and sunny. It is difficult to describe why the voice brings so many intuitive feelings to people, but the most important thing is that it brings a strong sense of familiarity to Mason.

The child couldn't help looking inside, and just in time saw the guest stand up and walk to the door. He squatted down and looked at Mason with his smiling blue eyes.

"Hello, young master, my name is Christine."