TOMWDET Chapter 222

End

There was still one day left until the summer solstice when all taboos would be lifted.

Although this date held no defined significance in this world filled with Western fantasy elements.

Ever since Su Li had “disappeared,” time seemed to lose all meaning for many people, just as it had before.

They lived in a daze—good or bad, everything just flowed through their palms and between their fingers.

Egbert attended the funeral of Elvi Bessemer, who was buried deep in the mountains of the Dragon Clan territory.

According to an ordinary dragon: Victoria was buried alongside her.

When Leia later arrived at that mountain peak, he brought many white bones.

Upon inquiry, they learned from the merman that those were all bones of former mermaids.

Egbert thought he was sick.

But Leia stated, “That dragon had previously used me, this mermaid ruler, to exchange for the bones of those old things that were already dead.”

“At a time like this, what’s wrong with me sending her some gifts?”

“Besides, Victoria was still killed by the previous Water Tribe King under your command,” Egbert retorted.

“What does that matter?” Leia raised an eyebrow. “You don’t think that a completely rotten merman like me would feel guilty about it, do you?”

“If you have such thoughts, that would be truly regrettable.”

“My only, sole thought is just that—the war hyena ultimately became a war loyal hound, this kind of story content that even third-rate wandering poets couldn’t tell—and yet I actually witnessed it.”

“If you’re sad, just be sad. I won’t mock you,” Egbert looked up at the sky.

The sunlight was scorching, and regardless of whether his body had been enhanced by elements, Egbert still felt that humans could not look directly at the sun.

Leia’s mouth was the hardest part of him. “This isn’t sadness.”

“It has nothing to do with sadness at all.”

“Besides, with one opponent who could restrict me dead, I should only feel happy.”

“Pfft.” Egbert made a sound expressionlessly.

“Forcibly driving away those dragons and keeping Cyril by your side to teach him has already completely exposed you.” Egbert lowered his head to look at the rocks on the ground, the shadows on his face carrying a weariness that wouldn’t fade.

Leia was still being stubborn. “I’m just preventing those giant dragons from secretly turning his little companion into a transformed monster beast while Su Li isn’t here.”

But after hearing these words, Egbert didn’t reply anymore.

Should the saviors of the world be earth-shattering?

But at that time, everything was very peaceful.

The deepest impression was just the sudden clearing of stormy weather.

The sudden disappearance of a figure from memory.

What remained was only endless emptiness and shadows…

Not to mention those nobles who, after learning of the existence of powerful monster beasts, kept stirring up trouble and wanting to cause problems.

Euphia began readjusting the mercenary rules again.

Diz was forced to take up his post, but the Church of Light had become virtually non-existent.

Dean Asa was still passing time at the academy, and the former Mercenary Alliance Guild Master would occasionally sit with him in the library where Su Li had once worked, discussing people from the past.

The name Charles was also gradually becoming known to the younger generation.

Roy returned to Siliqing City once. What happened during the process, no one knew, but when the two-star mercenary returned, he came back empty-handed.

All he had left on him was just a set of clothes.

When asked, he only said: “I met some old acquaintances.”

Egbert knew that the so-called “old acquaintances” referred to other relatives of the true owner of the name “Roy.”

Perhaps it could be said, the only remaining relatives.

The monster beast forest invasion incident from back then still left indelible traces on that city.

Lan Zhe later went to Jisuo Town and specifically bought a small house there. The window with the best view faced directly toward the place where the Crystal Winged Dragon had died.

He told others: “Can’t have Su Li still renting when he comes back.”

Castor was still spending all his time in the research lab.

He and his team discussed whether meteors could possibly cross from one world to another. Lan Zhe chose to provide substantial funding in Su Li’s name.

Willard repeatedly went to harass his nominal sister, Ophelia.

The former always told the latter like he was sick: “I always feel like I’ve already died once, but for some reason, I continue to live in this world.”

Ophelia just rolled her eyes and replied: “Are you sick?”

Mavis returned to the Dark Church once. After some unknown operations, the Dark Pope’s intention was that she had completely separated from the Dark Church and would become a professional dedicated to promoting Su Li’s glory.

Julius had a private conversation with her. Having partial memories of the Pope of Light, he told Mavis: “If both the [Spirit] and the [Tiger] are so-called gods, then the former created the foundation through Him and ultimately condensed human faith. The latter was created by monster beasts but still gathered human faith.”

Mavis was somewhat put off by Julius. After giving him a disgusted look, she said with a curl of her lips: “Speak human language.”

“What I mean is, the reason the God of Light and God of Darkness exist is because people believe. If people don’t believe, then they are nothing. But if enough people believe in Su Li’s existence, then his consciousness might reconvene because of it.”

Julius didn’t know what he was saying himself, but Mavis believed it.

She even approached Matilda, who hadn’t died but had lost all her power.

The Winged Tribe Queen, sitting in a wheelchair made by Adison, asked her back: “What’s the point of cooperating with a useless person?”

Mavis said with certainty: “But precisely because your strength is no longer sufficient to continue being queen, you can devote all your time to promoting Su Li.”

Matilda was speechless.

Her Majesty the Queen always had the feeling of meeting another Bartholomew.

That kind of…

The same scummy characteristics achieved through different means.

Thinking back on what Bartholomew had said, she now felt that the unicorn had purely treated her as a reusable human shield.

As for Mavis… this human gave Matilda the feeling of: since you’re already useless anyway, why not use your remaining spark to continue illuminating the darkness.

The Winged Tribe power trio of three monster beasts: the gray crane Adonis, the snowy owl Asgari, and the butterfly Adison.

The former was dedicated to developing the gray crane clan; Asgari was pondering how to reasonably kill transformed monster beasts now that his intention to kill transformed monster beasts had been exposed, while also recruiting like-minded teammates.

Adison expressed: “I’m not participating. With this time, I might as well make Matilda a few more wheelchairs in different colors, so she can have more suitable matches when promoting different portraits of Su Li.”

All these various things—Egbert himself didn’t know how he had come to know about them.

Only now, when suddenly recalling them, did he inexplicably feel: “…Everyone seems to be gradually forgetting Lord Su Li.”

Leia looked at Egbert with a surprised expression, who had said this sentence after a long time.

“Why would you think that?” the merfolk said.

“Actually, no one has forgotten.”

“Before Matilda even came to him, Bartholomew proactively expressed that he would lead the entire Beast Tribe to transform their faith in Clemens into faith in Su Li. On the Water Tribe side, I gave the same instructions.”

“The new Water Tribe King still hasn’t found a suitable monster beast to choose, so I’ve decided to reserve that position for Su Li. Speaking of which, haven’t I mentioned this before?”

Leia looked at Egbert with a deliberately strange expression.

The latter’s complexion gradually changed from weariness to coldness.

To some extent, equivalent to a direct disciple of the unicorn and the strongest Light elementalist among humans, Egbert aimed at Leia’s vital spot…

The merman cursed. “I’m being completely sincere about this!”

“It’s precisely because you’re being completely sincere that it won’t work!”

“Then what else? Don’t tell me you want me to give him my position as Water Tribe Ruler too…? Actually, that’s not impossible, but to replace my position, he’d at least need to give other Water Tribe monster beasts the recognition that he could defeat me. For example, hanging my scales around his neck, or hanging them on his head?”

Egbert showed a smile and said word by word, “I’ll kill you!”

The day of disappearance…

When Su Li disappeared, only his body vanished—his consciousness did not disappear.

Or rather,

After there was no suitable body in the other world to house his soul, Su Li returned to before his transmigration.

An adult body, 180+ height, the figure in the mirror—considering the length of conscious time, had only been unseen for about a year.

But looking again now, that figure in the mirror already seemed strangely familiar yet foreign.

“Meow…”

The big orange cat, heavy enough to knock someone down, directly charged at the vulnerable stomach of its poop-scooper.

Body language faster than thought, Su Li smoothly caught that fat cat.

Until—

It suddenly said a sentence: “You’re back.”

Su Li: ?

Su Li: ???!

The house was later entrusted to an agent to sell, and everything was donated to stray animal rescue associations.

The remaining balance in his account was also withdrawn all at once. Most of it was left to the orphanage that had once raised him, while a small portion served as a summer surprise, distributed as red packets to some planning friends he still kept in contact with.

He left a message saying: “Though my heart contains worlds, I also seek to observe with my eyes.”

After being instantly replied to with “speak human language” by a friend, Su Li held his phone and at a speed far slower than his usual typing, edited a sentence: “Although my inner heart is sufficiently full and complete, I also want to observe the world up close.”

His friend finally replied with an “ok.”

Years passed after that, and the gray figure photographed in a garden rocking chair, holding a cat, eyes squinting with a gentle smile, covered in golden light spots, never lit up again.

Su Li stood outside Sadina City, wearing a white long-sleeved shirt with sleeves slightly rolled up. He held the cat with one hand and shaded his eyes with the other, looking at the moat ahead.

The heat of the summer solstice made fine sweat appear on Su Li’s forehead.

Not knowing how it had happened, only knowing that he had somehow become shorter again, the young man… no, the youth asked in a low voice, “So why is the so-called world consciousness a cat?”

The fat orange cat, completely unaffected by natural temperature, lazily swished its tail and said, “I don’t discriminate against dog people. Choosing to be a cat is only because you couldn’t possibly raise small dogs, and you couldn’t possibly sleep holding large dogs.”

“Of course, the most important thing might be that I had never seen a child who, at twelve or thirteen years old, clearly saw life’s hardships but didn’t, like that orphanage director of yours, turn to praying to gods and Buddha, but instead chose to say to the globe…”

Summer wind blew past them, hot and stifling.

But the youth’s clear voice was like a cool breeze, blowing away the stuffiness.

Both spoke in unison:

“—If the world truly has consciousness, please be sure to learn to love yourself.”

Hair that was pure black, completely different from everyone else in this world, was even more eye-catching than platinum blonde under the sunlight.

Those black eyes carried both mystery and were filled with gentle, smiling warmth.

Later, he entered the city following the proper procedures.

Familiar streets that seemed to have become somewhat more prosperous.

And—

All sorts of people saying: “Thank Lord Su Li.”

Many people, many people were repeating this same phrase.

Before Su Li’s shocked expression could show, the fat orange cat spoke first: “So-called faith is belief itself.”

Countless people’s voices were drawn forth by the cat in his arms.

—”I hope Lord Su Li can descend into this world again.”

—”I drank barley wine today, but got kicked by my brother who said you can’t put alcohol on Your altar, saying You’re not yet of age or something… I was already stealing sips of barley wine when I could barely walk.”

—”If you don’t come back soon, a new Water Tribe King will be chosen.”

—”Can the new system of the Mercenary Alliance catch your eye?”

—”That idiot Willard is getting more and more annoying. When can you come back and take him away to chase after you instead of bothering this prince.”

—”You said the national treasury was just temporarily borrowed to help store your gold reserves, so how come it’s now piled up to overflowing? Such a headache…”

—”Leia says there’s a high probability I’ll become a strange new species that’s half-human, half-dragon. I don’t really care about that, but I saved my most beautiful dragon scale for you… when are you coming back?”

—”The weather’s gotten so hot, if you don’t come back soon, you won’t be able to eat the shaved ice I made by hand this summer. Come back early, okay?”

—”Bartholomew accidentally revealed before that his horn has the effect of repairing collapse injuries. Ahem, I have an idea…”

Su Li’s forward steps halted.

His fingers holding the cat moved slightly, but in the end he only said: “It seems like… I came back late…!”

“So it’s ‘came back,’ not just ‘came’?”

A shallow smile hung on Su Li’s face.

That Eastern face was completely different from this world.

Refined and distinguished, with a clear and bright disposition.

The red small building was right in front of them.

The second-floor window was half-open, as if a pure black raven might fly out at any moment.

Inexplicably, those heartfelt voices that the orange cat had easily sealed off were transmitted again.

Among them, two voices, with determination far exceeding others, deeply transmitted into Su Li’s heart.

—”If this world is not what you want, then what should I do?”

—”If making You a god would allow You to return to this world, then I will believe in You forever and ever, and remain in place, quietly waiting for Your return.”

The creaking sound of wooden doors arose.

The person inside the door kept his head down, eyes dejected, the black raven on his head also keeping its head down, making him appear even more melancholic.

Until the raven’s beak knocked on the man’s skull, once and again.

Blue eyes lifted, slowly, bit by bit, blue spread with mist.

Su Li, holding the cat, looked at the raven with distress.

However, the fat orange cat that had proactively taken control of the choice lightly glanced at the raven whose fur was about to stand on end, and said, “Don’t even think about it. The position in Su Li’s arms belongs to me forever.”

Egbert quickly rushed to Su Li’s front.

Despite the different hair and eye colors, and subtle differences in features and build, Egbert could still recognize Su Li at a glance.

“Lord Su Li…”

Su Li didn’t reach out to help him up, but said calmly yet firmly. “This world—I really want to patiently observe it, whether it’s the elements or those strange and peculiar magic circles.”

Then…

Su Li extended his hand to Egbert on the ground.

He smiled gently, his voice warm as jade. “Hello, I’m Su Li. I’m back.”

This was a brief story that happened in the short year-plus of an ordinary human’s life.

~Fin~