Chapter 81: Unshakable 24

With the help of the system, Hoshino Nozomi successfully left the "root".

A gust of cold wind blew in my face, followed by the sound of some large machine braking suddenly, and a familiar arrogant voice came from above my head: "Wow, isn't this Zhong Li?"

The word "嚯" was pronounced in a deliberately elongated tone, giving it a sense of gritting teeth.

Xing Yewang: “…”

"You look very energetic, Jill." He raised his head and looked at the other two people on the Vimana. "Gray, Weber, how are you?"

The master and the disciple looked at each other.

"Master, Mr. Zhongli seems to be changing the subject."

"Take out the 'seemingly'."

Xing Yewang: “…”

Gray: "It's really surprising that Mr. Zhongli also feels guilty."

Weber: "It turns out that Mr. Zhongli also feels guilty."

Gilgamesh: "So you also feel guilty!!!"

Xing Yewang: “…”

...Please stop re-reading...

"I can explain," Xingye Wang said quickly, "but I still need to deal with Fyodor's affairs, so I'll leave first..."

Gilgamesh jumped down from the Vimana and held his shoulders, immobilizing him.

"Leave first?" The Hero King snorted coldly, "You are no longer needed there, don't even think about running away."

"Yes, not long after Mr. Zhongli entered the Root, the Special Powers Division arrived at the scene and began to capture Fyodor," Gray explained. "A man named Sakaguchi Ango said that if anything unexpected happened, they would contact us."

"So, Mr. Zhongli, you'd better stay here obediently." Weber added the last sentence.

Xing Yewang: “…”

Although he couldn't see their expressions, they must have been very scary... This time it seemed, probably, perhaps, possibly... he had really pissed them off.

After all, even Gray, who always spoke softly to him, sounded hard at this moment.

Surrounded by three people, Hoshino Nozomi expressed his thoughts at the time.

Weber had sensed something was going on before, and now that his thoughts were confirmed, he nodded in understanding, and most of the dissatisfaction in his heart disappeared - rather than dissatisfaction, it was more of a complex emotion of worry and fear.

From the moment he summoned Rider, Weber was ready to say goodbye to the King of Conquerors again. All good things must come to an end, and it was a great fortune to be able to see him again. Moreover, for Rider, dying on the battlefield was also an honor.

But Weber was not ready to part with Zhongli.

The moment he saw Zhongli was safe, the huge rock in his heart finally fell to the ground. While feeling relieved, he also felt a strong sense of unreality.

He was not the only one who felt the same way. That was why the three of them got together and questioned Zhong Li half-seriously and half-jokingly, watching Zhong Li's face display various distressed expressions that were different from the past.

Such a lively expression made them feel at ease.

——Great, he really came back safely.

Weber took a deep breath and said seriously: "Although I guessed some of the answers, I still hope that this kind of thing won't happen again."

"Time waits for no one," Zhong Li smiled, trying to get away with it by saying something nice, "But even so, you and I cooperated very well, didn't you? Friends, we really have a tacit understanding."

As he said this, he touched Gray's head.

The girl immediately wavered: "Actually, this can't be blamed on Mr. Zhongli. He had no choice."

"You are such a spineless little girl! Do you think I can appease you with just this?! At least hesitate a little!" Gilgamesh said angrily, "Zhongli, your friendship theory is useless!"

He will never be fooled by the same rhetoric a second time!

*

A helicopter landed slowly, and the door opened, revealing two figures inside.

"Look who this is!" Dazai rushed out of the helicopter and jumped in front of Fyodor. "Wow, isn't this a mouse who is super good at hiding? Why doesn't he keep hiding?"

As he spoke, he looked around and took in the devastating scene - countless trees had been chopped off, rubble was scattered on the ground, the ground was full of gullies, and there were almost no intact places for people to stand.

The man who caused all this was now holding a knife to Fyodor's neck with an expressionless look on his face.

——Member of the Hound Team, Tetsuya Suehiro.

Not far away, his teammate Tiaoye Caiju was silently and vigilantly watching his surroundings. After hearing the sound, she nodded towards him.

Dazai Osamu replied with a cheerful “Thank you for your hard work”, but his eyes were fixed on Fyodor.

As the strongest special force in the military and police, the government generally does not allow the Hounds to handle small tasks such as catching fugitives. However, since that incident, the government's trust in the Hounds has fallen to the bottom. Not disbanding the Hounds on the spot is already the government's biggest concession.

After all, no one would have thought that the famous "Hero of the Far East" Sakura Fukuchi would be a member of the Five Degenerates of Heaven.

To be fair, Sakura Fukuchi has been hiding well over the years. If she hadn't reminded Ranpo Edogawa and Ango Sakaguchi during the time when Rai's movie appeared in Tokyo, I'm afraid that Sakura Fukuchi would still be able to stay in the government safely and be respected.

Unfortunately, after discovering this, due to Fukuchi Sakurachi's high reputation, people from all sides quarreled over how he should handle the situation, which gave him the opportunity to escape early.

...So, how much does Fyodor know about this? Has he made any new plans for this? What will the five decays of the gods do after that?

Dazai tried to find clues from the other's face, but in the face of his provocation, Fyodor just smiled and said: "It's tiring to hide all the time. Even a mouse would want to rest occasionally."

"To rest in Meursault prison?"

"Ah, that's a good place indeed. It would be even better if you could provide me with books," Fyodor tilted his head and looked behind Dazai Osamu, "Ango-kun, is that okay?"

"This is not within my jurisdiction. You need to ask Meursault's supervisor," Sakaguchi Ango pushed his glasses indifferently, "I am only responsible for escorting you there."

Fyodor: "I'll keep looking forward to it."

"Very leisurely," Tiao Ye Caiju interrupted with a smile, "Perhaps you don't know, but our deputy captain's interrogation methods are still very powerful."

"I've heard that," Fyodor replied, "I'll be looking forward to it, too."

Tiaoye Caiju's face suddenly became even worse.

Dazai Osamu sighed inwardly.

Tiaoye Caiju wanted to intimidate Fyodor, but the devil is not so easy to fool. If you use your brain a little, you can figure out that according to Hound's current position in the government, the higher-ups will never let them interfere in Fyodor's case again. Even today's arrest mission was carried out under the supervision of other members of the Special Service Section.

Fyodor's response can be said to be impeccable. On the surface, defeat was inevitable, but he remained calm. Was it because everything was still under his control, or was he just bluffing?

Dazai Osamu kept thinking, and when he realized that he couldn't get anything out of him at the moment, he gave way and let Sakaguchi Ango escort Fyodor to the helicopter. He decided to think of other ways to question the demon later when he had some clues.

When they passed each other, he noticed that Fyodor's head moved slightly, as if he wanted to turn back, but he forced himself to hold back.

"Are you thinking about your partner? Unfortunately, he may not be able to come to rescue you. You might as well count on others," Dazai Osamu responded quickly and asked tentatively, "For example, the five degenerates of heaven."

"Dazai-kun, you're joking. They may not break into Meursault for me." Fyodor pushed the temptation back lightly.

With a "click", the helicopter door was closed. The roar of the propellers made it impossible for people to think quietly. Dazai Osamu shrugged his shoulders, and after the helicopter went away, he took out his cell phone and dialed a number.

The moment the call was connected, he immediately changed his tone and said cheerfully: "Mr. Zhongli, I'm here~"

He was answered by a burst of noise, in which Zhong Li's voice was mixed and could not be heard clearly.

"Eh? Mr. Zhongli, what did you say? I didn't hear you clearly. Is there a fight going on over there?"

Dazai Osamu leaned closer to the phone and managed to make out a few words:

"You actually said that the king was unreasonable? How dare you, a mere human imitation, say that."

"Alright, alright, don't you just want big brother to coax you? Big brother has praised you in many ways, so stop making trouble."

There was strange silence on the other end of the phone for a few seconds, and then -

“Disrespectful!!!”

Dazai Osamu: “…”

What is this doing?

The noise gradually died down, and it seemed that Zhongli had temporarily left the place of conflict. Dazai asked, "If I go over there and they happen to be fighting, can you protect me, sir?"

"They are just joking," Zhong Li smiled, but his voice sounded strangely sad. "Young people are full of energy."

Dazai Osamu: “…Yeah, it’s really lively.”

Zhong Li: "If it's convenient, please come to Liudong Temple to find me."

Dazai Osamu: “Okay.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhong Li hung up the phone in a hurry.

Dazai Osamu put away his phone and thought, based on the last background noise he heard, Zhongli might have gone to try to stop the fight.

...Hopefully, by the time he gets there, they'll have finished the fight.

Ten minutes later, Ryudo Temple.

Dazai Osamu went around several times and finally found Zhongli and his group in a deep underground cave. The scene was even more lively than what he heard on the phone. There were seven people surrounding Zhongli, and it seemed that everyone had something to say to him.

...The Clock Tower magicians Weber and Gray, the local magicians of Fuyuki, Shirou Emiya, Rin Tosaka, Illyasphire, Sakura Matou, and the ancient Hero King...

Dazai Osamu shared the information with everyone one by one, and finally set his sights on Zhongli.

Even though he was surrounded by many outstanding people, Zhongli was still as eye-catching as a piece of gold dropped into a pile of pearls, and his every move was full of grace.

However, this kind of prominence can also be called out of place. Dazai Osamu thought that after all, he was a god from another world, so to some extent he was quite easy to recognize. Even if he hadn't collected intelligence in advance, he would probably be able to recognize Zhongli from a crowd of strangers at a glance.

Just like the original Ray movie with Wendy.

Thinking of Wendy, Dazai's eyes darkened. He glanced at the time and estimated that Nakahara Chuuya would not be able to catch up with Fuyuki in a short time, so he stood a few meters away, ready to wait quietly for a while.

However, as soon as he stopped, Zhong Li's eyes turned to him - along with the seven pairs of eyes beside him.

Dazai Osamu: "...Maybe I should come later?"

Zhong Li shook his head: "No, you came at the right time."

Dazai Osamu: "This doesn't look like 'just right' at all."

Zhong Li smiled helplessly.

He didn't mean to be perfunctory with Dazai Osamu. In fact, a minute before Dazai Osamu arrived, several people were ready to say goodbye. The reason they stayed until now was because of Matou Sakura.

The girl should have died with the appearance of the Holy Grail, but under the manipulation of the Red King, part of her soul was locked in the Holy Grail system in the underground cave, so she survived. And because Weber was given a magic prop that could carry the soul and serve as a body - a puppet made by a magician in the Clock Tower, she was able to stand here again.

Originally, her resurrection should have been a happy thing.

However, her grudges with Tosaka Rin and Emiya Shirou have not yet been resolved, and she was previously an enemy of everyone. The Red King who saved her life was directly killed by Zhongli.

...In short, the atmosphere was extremely awkward, so awkward that Zhong Li thought it was a good thing he couldn't see it.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhongli." Finally, Matou Sakura took the initiative to speak, which changed the atmosphere.

The girl bowed deeply and said, "Since you are still busy, we will not disturb you."

This was like a signal. When Matou Sakura showed the intention to leave, Shirou Emiya and Rin Tosaka followed immediately. Illya waved to Zhongli, and when Zhongli half-knelt down, she suddenly hugged his neck and rubbed his cheek affectionately.

"Brother, I will remember you," Illya let go of her hand, "Einzbern Castle welcomes you at any time - although it is still a ruin now, it will be repaired soon."

After saying that, she frowned and followed Shirou Emiya and his group.

The air was silent again.

Zhong Li looked at the remaining three people and asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to say goodbye?"

Gilgamesh asked confidently, "When did I say I was leaving?"

Gray and Webber also nodded.

Zhongli was in deep thought.

It seems that it has not been said.

But the situation had come to this point, and it was impossible for them to stay with him forever. Hoshino Momo didn't understand why they should stay.

Perhaps the confusion on his face was too obvious, so Gilgamesh was kind enough to explain: "What a messy ending."

Oh... it's a farewell party. Hoshino Nozomi suddenly realized that when he left the high school, Gojo Satoru also called on all the teachers and students to hold a farewell party for him.

In fact, he didn't quite understand why the "farewell" was so grand, Gilgamesh was like this, Gojo Satoru was like this, as if this short experience was so important that it had to be accompanied by a grand ending. But he had no reason to refuse, there was still some time before the outbreak of the first dead zone, so there was no need to leave in a hurry.

"What will happen to Fyodor next?" asked Hoshino Nozomi.

"Him? He will be put in prison after being interrogated," Dazai Osamu shrugged and said with some regret, "The government is reluctant to give up people with special abilities. Even if they are dangerous elements, they will not simply sentence them to death."

Hoshino Nozomi heard this and thought: "It seems that we can't let our guard down from now on. Smart enemies always have countless ways to deal with us."

"I agree." Dazai nodded seriously.

A few minutes later, Nakahara Chuuya arrived.

Compared to Dazai Osamu's painstaking search for a way around, Nakahara Naka was much more convenient. After getting the exact location, his subordinates flew the helicopter above the underground hole, and he jumped down neatly, using gravity to stabilize his body.

The familiar black coat was hung firmly on his shoulders, the hem of the coat fluttering in the night wind. In the rising dust, he stood tall like a mountain.

——Such a cool appearance made Dazai Osamu boo continuously and gave him a score of 0.

Nakahara Chuuya angrily said: "0 What the hell do you think you are the referee of a competition?!"

"You are such an ungrateful dwarf. Am I not cooperating with your performance?" Dazai Osamu was not to be outdone. "I tried my best to create a good look in order to leave a deep impression on the God. It was really hard work, Chuuya-kun."

"Huh? You're talking nonsense again. Even if he's a god, so what—" Zhongyuan Zhongye suddenly fell silent and looked at Zhongli awkwardly.

Zhongli did not feel his embarrassment at all. On the contrary, he applauded Zhongyuan Zhongye's speech with great rebellious charm and agreed: "Yes, God is not nobler than humans, and humans do not need to bow down to God."

After being praised in a serious manner, Nakahara Chuuya felt even more embarrassed.

He coughed and looked at the three people nearby, and his meaning was obvious - they needed a private space.

Gilgamesh showed no intention of retreating, and Gray, not knowing where she got the courage from, pulled Gilgamesh's sleeve and walked out.

"Hey, bastard, taking action without permission is disrespectful to the king and is punishable by death."

"Mr. Zhongli will be unhappy," Gray said indifferently, "Let's go, Mr. Gilgamesh."

Gilgamesh: “…”

Gilgamesh: "I will go alone."

After the three people left noisily, the underground cave returned to silence, but the atmosphere was no longer solemn.

Nakahara Chuuya leaned against the rock wall and asked directly, "Do you think Wendy is still alive?"

Zhong Li: "Where did you get this from?"

Nakahara Chuuya: “Because no one has seen it before.”

From the beginning to the end, no one saw Wendy die, whether it was the people present at the time or the Thunder Shadow who talked to him on the phone later. After learning that Wendy was a god, a thought came to Chuuya Nakahara's mind: What if some kind of accident happened at that time, causing Wendy to disappear?

He and Dazai Osamu had the same idea, so they hit it off and came to Zhongli. Dazai Osamu felt that gods should not die from man-made anomalies, but for Nakahara Chuuya, this was just one of the reasons that prompted him to pursue the truth.

Another more important reason was that he felt that the clever and cunning boy should not have ended up in such a hasty way.

He expressed his suspicion, but Zhongli did not respond immediately.

Nakahara Chuuya couldn't help but urge him a few times. Compared to him, Dazai Osamu was much calmer. He called Nakahara Chuuya's name softly, reminding him that Zhongli was not present that day and probably didn't know the inside story.

After thinking for a while, Zhong Li said, "I have a question, I hope you can answer it."

Nakahara Chuuya: “What?”

Zhong Li: "If Wendy were still alive, what would you do?"

"How? That's a weird thing to say," Nakahara Chuuya raised his eyebrows in confusion, but still answered honestly, "I just want him to be alive, I don't care about all that mess."

As long as Wendy was alive and safe, he didn't care what the reason was for not coming to see him - he didn't want to experience watching his friend die in front of him a second time.

Nakahara Chuuya: "You ask this because you know where Wendy is?"

Zhongli fell silent again, as if he was thinking about something. Seeing this, Nakahara Chuuya's heartbeat quickened.

Meanwhile, Hoshino Nozomi asked the system in her mind: "Can Wendy's character card still be used?"

[No,] the system said, [Even if Lord Barbatos responds to your prayers again, I cannot conjure up a second character card. This idea violates my underlying code.]

Before Xing Yewang gave up, the system changed the subject: [But it is not completely impossible. Lady Buyer has the power to control dreams. As long as you get her response, you can play the role of Lord Barbatos in your dream.]

【However, before you pray, I would like you to answer a question first. 】

Hoshino Nozomi: [What?]

System: [Do you think it is necessary to do this? I can say with certainty that this method, apart from being able to resolve Nakahara Chuuya's knot, is of no benefit to you or the mission.]

The system's question hit the nail on the head. As it said, there was no need for Hoshino Wang to do this. He didn't even need to change his character card. Unlike last time, [Zhongli]'s character card was not as highly dependent on luck as [Lei Dianying]'s character card. With the same low luck value, [Zhongli]'s card could still be used for a long time.

Is it really necessary...

"He's still alive, right?!" Nakahara Chuuya said hurriedly.

Hoshino Nozomi: “Yes.”

System: [……]

Xing Yewang: “…”

System: [You...]

[If necessary,] Hoshino Nozomi racked her brains to find a solution, [I can use Wendy's image and let him assist us in future operations.]

This statement is actually untenable. Not to mention that there is Mori Oo above Nakahara Chuuya, even if he is asked to act in a private capacity, he may not agree.

Reason told Xingye Wang that there was no reason for Zhongyuan Zhongye to wade into this trouble. He was indeed too impulsive just now. However, the system did not criticize him as he expected. Instead, it laughed for a while, and his head was filled with a happy atmosphere.

Hoshino Nozomi: [What are you laughing at?]

System: [Host, only AI can always remain calm and rational. This harmless impulse will only make you look more like a living human being.]

...He was originally a human. Hoshino Motoko complained in his heart, then thought, the system's subtext is that he is not like a human, or that he was not like a human before.

He has no desire to survive, no empathy, and he forcibly fits human emotions into a set template. Apart from specific role-playing requirements, he only considers the pros and cons when doing things... Because of this, he actually missed a lot of opportunities to get along with Nakahara Chuuya in the beginning.

He has indeed changed a lot. At least in the past, he would just watch the death of the Red King coldly without any hesitation, let alone ask him why he didn't want to live.

After confirming that "Wendy is still alive", Hoshino Nozomi had to make up reasons to convince them - mainly to convince Dazai Osamu - under his narration, the truth of the battle of the singularity gradually became like this: Wendy was attacked by the out-of-control Black Holy Grail during the battle. Under the attack from the front and back, he had to throw Dazai Osamu and Sakaguchi Ango onto the helicopter first, and fought on his own despite being injured. He successfully repelled the Black Holy Grail and Shibuzawa Ryuhiko, and was seriously injured. He was rescued by the world consciousness and went to the high-latitude space to recuperate.

The three key pieces of information involved here are: world consciousness, the Black Holy Grail, and Shibuzawa Ryuhiko. The former is an existence that humans cannot touch, and the latter two have been destroyed. In other words, as long as the logic is smooth, Dazai Osamu cannot verify it at all, so you have to believe it even if you don't believe it.

"Then why did the Ray movie also say that Wendy died?" asked Nakahara Chuuya.

Zhong Li: "I think you should have noticed that we had very little contact with each other. Moreover, Wendy was in a special situation at the time and was unable to tell Lei Dianying in time, causing her to misunderstand."

"But he specifically told you," Dazai said, "Does that mean you have a good relationship with him?"

"Yes, we have the best relationship among all the gods."

“It’s a little hard to imagine.”

"Once he was drunk and poured the remaining wine in his glass over my head, saying things like 'Drink it, why don't you drink it? Give it to me', but I didn't get angry."

“………………”

"………………………………"

I am most afraid of the sudden silence of the air.

Dazai Osamu looked at the smile on Zhongli's lips and shuddered for no reason.

...Are you really not angry...If you are not angry, would you remember it so clearly...I feel like Mr. Zhongli's speech speed increased when he repeated Wendy's words...

Zhong Li: "Mr. Dazai, do you have any questions?"

Dazai Osamu: “Uh, no more.”

In fact, when Zhongli said that he and Sakaguchi Ango were thrown into the helicopter, he believed it completely. The only way for Wendy to tell Zhongli the details of that time was that she told him in person. He asked a few more questions later, just to test their internal situation.

Zhongyuan Chuuya was not interested in the question of "how good is the relationship between Zhongli and Wendy". After getting a satisfactory answer, his hanging heart finally fell back and he showed his first relaxed smile since the night fell: "If he is willing, I hope he can come to see me again."

Seeing him again made him feel completely at ease.

Nakahara Chuuya was busy with official duties and had only taken time to come here. He left in a hurry after saying this. Dazai Osamu stayed where he was and curled his lips: "Mr. Zhongli, do you have anything else to say?"

Fyodor's reaction always made him suspicious, so Dazai decided to cheat: "For example, what did Fyodor and his accomplices leave here?"

He stared at Zhong Li closely, trying not to miss any micro-expressions. According to his experience, Zhong Li would probably practice Tai Chi with him calmly, or warn him not to cross the line. Whether he could get more information depended on himself.

"Dead zone."

Dazai Osamu: “?”

Was he hallucinating? Was it possible that the poisonous mushrooms he ate yesterday were still taking effect?

He rebuked: "Mr. Zhongli, why don't you follow the procedure?"

Zhong Li was puzzled: "What process?"

"You should have tried to fool me with vague words first, and then warned me sternly when you couldn't fool me anymore!" Dazai Osamu shouted exaggeratedly, "You make me look like a fool!"

Zhong Li: “…”

The first two gods did exactly that, but now was different. Once the Death Zone broke out, he couldn't keep it a secret. However, he only planned to tell Dazai Osamu part of it.

"So what is the dead zone? Is it caused by 'that thing' you have been looking for? What is 'that thing'?" Dazai Osamu asked a series of questions.

"You can think of it as a barrier. The dead zone will absorb the energy of all living organisms until they die," Zhong Li said. "The dead zone will erupt over a wide area, and all places may encounter crises."

Dazai Osamu: “Yeah.”

Zhong Li: "Don't worry, we will help you."

Dazai Osamu: “Yeah.”

Zhong Li: "Okay, I'm leaving now."

Dazai Osamu: "Hmm... hm? Eh? No, Mr. Zhongli, what about the remaining two questions?"

Without even turning his head, Zhong Li said, "Young people should not be too greedy."

Dazai Osamu: “???”

So although Zhong Li spoke straightforwardly just now, he didn't intend to exchange information openly, right? He was wrong after all!

Outside the underground cave.

Gray heard footsteps and stood up quickly: "Mr. Zhongli, is it over?"

"It's over."

"That gentleman..."

"Let's go quickly," Zhong Li sighed, "or he will catch up with us soon."

Gray: “?”

Although she was confused, she still took Zhongli back to the Vimana. Gilgamesh had already placed the wine cups on the golden and brilliant Brilliant Boat.

"You've wasted a lot of my time."

"If the person is worthy, it's not a waste," Zhong Li smiled slightly, "What do you think, Jill?"

Gilgamesh snorted and agreed with his words.

After three rounds of drinks, they started talking more and more.

Weber rushed to Zhongli and shook his shoulders. "What on earth is going on with the demon god outside the world? ! ! If I can figure it out, those old men in the Clock Tower will surely shed tears and give me the title of Grand Master!!!"

Gray hurriedly pulled Weber's hand away, urging him to calm down. Zhongli smiled helplessly. Gilgamesh sneered and said "ugly". Before Weber rushed towards him angrily, he asked, "Where are you going next?"

"I want to go back."

As soon as Zhong Li finished speaking, even Weber, who was venting his dissatisfaction with the King of Heroes under the influence of alcohol, became quiet.

Gilgamesh: "Will you come back?"

“Probably not.”

"Mr. Zhongli..." Gray tightened her grip on the corner of her clothes, and a hand reached out to gently pry open her knuckles, which had turned white from overexerting.

"Maybe we can change our thinking?" Zhong Li didn't want to spoil the good feast. He thought for a moment and consoled her, "When you miss me, you can take out the money and see."

"Has the alcohol burned your brain too?" Gilgamesh was speechless for a moment, and then he remembered a forgotten memory.

——"God of Wealth, where is your money?"

——“Everywhere.”

——"Are you trying to say that all the wealth in the world belongs to you?"

——“Yes and no.”

Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes and felt that he had realized the truth.

"You guys, are you going to turn your power into currency for humans to use?"

"Yes, all the money on the mainland is my flesh and blood."

"Oh, is it worth it?"

"It is certainly worth it to be able to guarantee the future of mankind in this way."

The air was silent for a moment, with only the sound of wine sloshing, reminding people that time was still passing.

Gilgamesh suddenly laughed out loud, with a rare hint of regret: "What a pity! It would have been great if you could have come to this world earlier. If I had met you in my lifetime, I would have introduced you to Enkidu, and then I would have seen the funny expressions of the gods!"

In short, Gilgamesh was trying to stage a Sumerian version of the Great Rabble.

Zhong Li echoed a few words and asked with a smile: "Now, do you still think this ending is sloppy?"

“Not bad.”

They raised their glasses and clinked them.

"bite--"

Let the starlight fill the wine cup, and let the stars witness our reunion.

Let the wind take away the sorrow of parting, and let the wine record the joy of the journey.

*

After returning to the safe house as usual, Hoshino Nozomi took a walk around the house.

Seeing that he seemed to be turning the house upside down, the system asked: [Host, what are you looking for? ]

"Wendy," Hoshino Nozomi walked into the kitchen and stood in front of the refrigerator, "He didn't come?"

As he said that, Xingye Wang opened the refrigerator door - it was empty. The wine originally stored inside was gone, and only a note was left lying alone on the clipboard.

Hoshino Nozomi: I knew it!

He picked up the note, which read: Hey, sorry, I have something important to do this time, so I can't wait for you to come back, so I'll have to see you next time. And, tell me your answer next time we meet~

——Wendy said: "I hope you can find your own answer at the end of the journey."

At that time, the system asked him, "You who think you know everything about life and death, can you tell me why the strange girl saved him?"

Now I have some clues about Star Ambition, but it still takes time to sort it out.

He looked down and saw a Q version of Wendy drawn on the lower right corner of the note, indicating that he should look at it over.

The reverse side: My father asked me to repeat a sentence. He said that all your choices have meaning. This sentence may have some deep meaning. You can figure it out yourself. Heart.jpg

Every choice has meaning...

Before he could ask the system for its opinion, he suddenly heard a crackling sound of electricity in his mind. A few seconds later, a child's voice as soft as a cake rang out: "Can you hear me?"

Xing Yewang was startled and replied: [System, have you upgraded? ]

Updated voice pack?

[No, I'm not the system,] the other party laughed softly, [I am the grass goddess of Sumi, Nashida.]

Hoshino Nozomi didn't react for a moment.

[Sorry, did I scare you? Hmm...it seems that it didn't explain too much about its origins. I guess it thinks it's unnecessary.]

Hoshino Nozomi recalled that at the origin, the system said it was created by Buyer.

Under Nashida's narration, Hoshino Mochi gradually understood the whole story - the Sumi Kingdom had a system called "Void" popular for a long time. As long as the residents brought a terminal, they could connect to Sumi's large network and acquire knowledge. Nashida believed that it hindered the progress of thought, so she abolished it. But she did not destroy the Void system, but used her divine power to transform it into a brand new Void system, which is the main system of System 000.

A new void system, specifically designed to recycle forbidden knowledge scattered across the worlds.

As the creator, Nashida naturally has the right to bypass the subsystem and communicate directly with the host.

"You have discovered something remarkable. Even though this discovery has caused a lot of trouble, I don't want to blame anyone," Nashida said softly, "Although I have checked the system's records, can you please tell me again what happened in the World Tree?"

Hoshino Nozomi narrated the incident in a concise manner. After listening to it, Nashida was silent for a long time and sighed: [Fate...]

The Grass God said nothing more, but anyone who listened could taste the bitterness of his words.

After all, if you didn't care, why would you show up specially?

[Okay, let’s not talk about this anymore,] Nashida quickly calmed down and said, [I have some little helpers who can help you clean up the dead zone.]

Under her guidance, Xingye Wang put on a new character card. In the special skills column on the panel, there was an option of [Summon Followers].

Hoshino Nozomi pressed the summon button.

Instantly, the room was filled with a light green halo. When the light gradually faded away, a fruit-like...elf appeared in the open space in front of him?

Stunned, the elf spoke: "Is this the house where Nara lives? It's so big!"