I want to just drift through life in Type-Moon.

Page 66

He had thought of helping him, but it seemed that he had indeed been too arrogant. Arthur looked at Yue Zhengling's back and his smile became very bitter.

The child doesn't accept others not because he's closed off, but because he feels indifferent.

"Are we just going to watch him go on like this?" Arthur asked in a voice so soft that only he could hear it.

There is no answer to this question. Aozaki Touko's methods are completely different from his own. Arthur hopes that Yue Zhengling will take the initiative to step out, while Touko's method is to walk in herself.

It's still unclear which choice is better or worse, but he's certain that these two choices will cause Yue Zhengling a lot of entanglements in her future life.

The song ended with a series of melodious and soaring lyrical notes, then the sky suddenly darkened, and a torrential downpour began to fall throughout London.

"How...is this possible? It's raining?" Grey stared incredulously at the raindrops falling from the sky. She hadn't seen rain in three years, and this scene seemed so unfamiliar.

The rainwater fell on the mechanical structures like sulfuric acid, producing puffs of white smoke. Then, the flying mechanical structures fell from the sky like dumplings, followed by the mechanical dolls covered in cracks and disintegrating.

The enormous demonic boars bent their hooves and knelt on the ground, their metallic luster slowly fading until they turned into mud, forming huge mounds of earth.

Looking at the scene he had created, Yue Zhengling nodded in satisfaction, then turned around to look at Grey and Barthezmero Loreleia.

"Well, you can go now~ Want to borrow two umbrellas?" He joked, unusually in a good mood, partly because he was happy that his guess was correct, and partly because he was complacent about his obvious increase in strength.

Arthur and Merry's spirit origins brought him a huge leap in magical power. He was already good at micro-management, but what had always troubled him was the control of quantity. If the value of his magic was ten before, it was now ten thousand.

While his soul state brought him magical talent, Merlin once said that although his magical talent was somewhat special, it was quite ordinary in terms of talent classification.

Now, with the addition of Arthur and Merry's spirit origins, he could be said to have undergone a complete transformation. Feeling the rising heat behind him, Yue Zhengling smiled smugly at Arthur.

Looking at Yue Zhengling's smile against the backdrop of the rain, Arthur felt a sudden pang of unease, as if something incomprehensible had been born before him.

Chapter 154 Awakening from a Dream

Gray and Barthele Loreleia looked outside at the legion that had been completely wiped out, and felt a sense of absurdity.

They had personally experienced how troublesome those mechanical structures were, but now they saw that Yue Zhengling had only sung a song, and then it inexplicably rained, and that huge military force was disintegrated.

"Lingjun, how did you do that?" Chengzi was also a little doubtful of her eyes. To be honest, she really didn't expect this situation. When he said he would do it himself, she thought that Yue Zhengling would use some strange method to deceive Gray and the others.

Upon hearing Orange's question, Yue Zhengling paused for a moment, then gave a desolate smile and said calmly, "Because I'm just a liar, Sister Orange."

Seeing his smile, Orange felt a lump in her throat and couldn't say a word.

“I never expected you could go this far…” Arthur’s expression was very complicated. He knew what Yue Zhengling had just done. Although it was hard to imagine, Yue Zhengling had indeed deceived the world.

Rather than saying that the legion outside was destroyed by Yue Zhengling, it would be more accurate to say that the world itself destroyed it. My intuition was right; Ling was indeed an extraordinary being. If he were allowed to run rampant, he might actually destroy the world.

As a Heroic Spirit, Arthur is extremely sensitive to the spiritual particles in the outside world. Just now, Yue Zhengling's singing first vibrated the spiritual particles in the space around him, and then these spiritual particles radiated out at the frequency he manipulated, infiltrating into the legion outside. Just like a virus infecting a group, the world (Gaia) discovered the foreign object in its body, so it rejected it and directly generated antibodies against the infected, instantly eliminating those things.

That's why Yue Zhengling said he was a fraud. Such a deception of the world is something that ordinary magicians can't do—if he used this ability with malice, he might have been able to destroy all of humanity in an instant.

Of course, this is only possible if Alaya doesn't stop it, Le Zhengling has sufficient magic power, and other prerequisites. Normally, it can only be used as a means of attack.

"The deal is done, you can leave now." Looking at the destruction he had caused, Yue Zhengling suddenly felt a little disheartened, especially when he saw Grey looking at him with the kind of gaze one would give a person who couldn't understand them. This feeling grew stronger and stronger.

Barthelo Loreleia gave him a deep look. "The contract will be sent over soon. We'll be leaving now."

After saying that, she gestured to Grey, and then the two quickly left the building.

Watching the rain obscure their departing figures, Orange took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag. "Are you really okay with letting them leave like this?"

Orange wasn't asking Yue Zhengling this question, but rather Arthur.

"It's alright, I won't meddle anymore. The most important thing now is Ling." Arthur looked at Yue Zhengling, who was standing by the window, staring blankly outside, his tone always solemn.

Orange didn't say anything more, quietly smoking her cigarette. In the end, all three of them fell into their own thoughts.

Orange was thinking about how to take Yue Zhengling back to Japan.

Arthur was thinking about what he should prepare to stay by Yue Zhengling's side.

Meanwhile, Yue Zhengling was thinking about going to the Atlas Academy to learn some alchemy.

After a while, a loud explosion was heard in the distance. Orange, with a cigarette that was already half lit, walked over to Le Zhengling's side, took off his glasses and looked out the window, while Arthur remained standing in the same spot. He could see more clearly by relying on his senses rather than his eyes.

"Looks like they've given an order to annihilate them." Orange exhaled a smoke ring as she looked at the three enormous figures surrounding Gray and Barthezmello, speaking in a detached tone.

“After all, Barthelo Loreleia killed Lani, so it’s only natural that Ziwan would seek revenge.” Yue Zhengling replied in a cold tone.

"Lingjun, aren't you afraid of not receiving that Atlas Academy contract?" Orange looked at Le Zhengling beside her curiously, feeling that something was amiss.

Le Zhengling turned around, leaned against the window, and looked at the teleportation array that was still quietly glowing; there was nothing there yet.

“It’s alright. I wasn’t expecting it before, and that deal was a test.” Le Zhengling said in a nonchalant tone. “I’ve already provided them with so much information. If they’re smart, they should know how important the Atlas Contract is by now.”

Le Zhengling looked up at the gloomy sky.

“That’s right. Actually, the simplest way to restore this world is to take the Atlas Contract and ask Atlas to fulfill the contract according to its contents. As far as I know, four of the seven contracts have been recovered. Of the remaining three, one is in the possession of Animusphia, one in the possession of Barthemello, and the other is in the possession of someone else.”

“Ling, why don’t you just tell them the answer? I don’t think the appearance of the Atlas Academy is something that makes you hesitant.” Arthur also came over and quietly looked at the rain scene outside the window.

"...Why do you think I would tell them about this?" Yue Zhengling looked at Arthur with a puzzled expression, making Arthur gasp for breath.

Seeing his expression, Yue Zhengling blinked twice, then suddenly realized, "You, you don't actually think I want to save the world, do you?"

Knowing he had made a mistake, Arthur smiled sheepishly.

"So you saviors are just being too naive. I'm not providing information to the Clock Tower to save the world. Whether it's about the world's great changes, what I'll be handing over to them later, or the dangers this world might face, I have other purposes."

He stood up straight again and looked at Arthur, while Orange on the other side was also racking her brains to guess Yue Zhengling's intentions.

"What are you thinking about?" Arthur sensed something was amiss and grabbed Yue Zhengling's arm. "This world is already... never mind, sorry, I got agitated again."

Looking at the hand that Arthur was holding, Yue Zhengling sensed the unease in Arthur's heart. "Arthur, do you think I have any responsibility to this world?"

Arthur stared at him for a while, then slowly shook his head.

"Then, do you have any responsibility to this world?" Yue Zhengling asked again.

Arthur already knew what he wanted to say. He shut his mouth, looking very distressed, but finally shook his head stiffly.

"That's right. Since we're not responsible, why should we care so much? Just get the benefits, that's all that matters!"

A cold wind began to blow into the room unchecked. Yue Zhengling revealed a warm smile. "I want to see how this world will turn out. Will it be a victory for the struggles of the many confused humans, or a victory for the very few who are clear-headed? The so-called indestructible trend, which side is the real trend?"

"If you want to watch, I'll watch with you." Although he knew this was Yue Zhengling testing him, Arthur, who could no longer openly take sides, finally smiled with relief.

He was driven by selfish motives; he was neither a king nor a savior, but simply someone who wanted to stay by someone's side. He would neither forcefully change Yue Zhengling's decision nor take any actions that opposed him. At most, he would just grumble or offer reminders at times.

He knew that Yue Zhengling's mindset had changed, and what he should do now was stay by Yue Zhengling's side and guide her when the time was right.

Everyone has their own stance. The moment he lost the Holy Sword, he could no longer stand firmly on the side he used to be on. His inability to let go of Yue Zhengling was more important than his responsibility to the world.

Past experiences have held us back, creating unnecessary obstacles for ourselves. Even a savior is not omnipotent. The longer we live, the easier it is to forget our truest feelings. In the end, no matter how many glamorous things we pile up, we can only face a tragic end.

Meryl said her journey was not over yet. When she first set foot in Avalon, she did not agree with the idea that she had done enough and had already retired.

But when he met Yue Zhengling, he realized his shortcomings, which overshadowed the ruin of his past glory. He only knew how to move forward and never cared about the past.

When did I start believing I was always right? Did I, wielding what I consider a holy sword, truly represent justice?

Everyone has their own unique interpretation of justice. For some, justice is merely their own madness, a distillation of their own beliefs that places them above all else, leading them unknowingly into this state.

Whether as a king or a savior, he knew nothing of creation, which is why he was helpless when facing Yue Zhengling.

The shadow he saw in Yue Zhengling made him begin to examine his own past. This time, he wanted to see a different future and have different memories. He didn't expect these memories to be happy, but at least they should be peaceful.

Seeing the prayer-like nobility hidden deep in Arthur's eyes, Yue Zhengling felt a chill and then swung his staff without thinking.

The staff struck Arthur squarely in the shinbone, and Arthur's expression immediately changed drastically. The pain that struck his very soul made all his previous thoughts vanish.

This kid really needs to be disciplined!

Just then, a light shone from the teleportation array, and a scroll-shaped piece of paper appeared there. Arthur and Yue Zhengling exchanged a glance, and Yue Zhengling walked over indifferently.

As he picked up the paper, a message popped into Yue Zhengling's mind.

Seeing Yue Zhengling standing there motionless, Arthur asked, "What, isn't this what you wanted?"

“No, it’s genuine.” Le Zhengling untied the straps, unfolded them to take a look, and then rolled them up again, but both Arthur and Orange could tell that he wasn’t very interested.

"What's wrong?" Orange stepped forward and took Yue Zhengling's hand with some concern.

"I must say, Barthez is truly something else; his tricks are so unpredictable." Le Zhengling looked out the window with a troubled expression. "I originally wanted to see if they could escape this calamity before making any decisions, but it seems I have no choice but to go and rescue them."

Seeing the probing look in Orange's eyes, Le Zhengling sighed and waved the scroll in his hand at her, "This thing is restricted to the Bartholomew family by the Atlas Academy. If the Bartholomew doesn't authorize me, it's just a piece of waste paper."

"Is there no other way?" Orange knew that this kind of thing could really happen. Noble magicians valued their property very much, and others could not circumvent the magic contract to seize it.

That's why Yue Zhengling looked unhappy when he knew what was going on.

"Rani, is there any other way?" Suddenly, Yue Zhengling asked the air next to her.

Orange looked over in astonishment. Where there had been nothing before, Rani's figure suddenly appeared. Arthur, who already knew the truth, was not surprised, but having a general understanding of Yue Zhengling's abilities, he couldn't help but marvel at how special these abilities were.

“You’re not…” Orange looked at Rani in surprise.

Rani ignored Orange, her gaze never leaving Le Zhengling's face. She moved closer and closer until their noses touched, Rani's purplish-blue eyes reflecting Le Zhengling's bright red pupils.

“You are completely outside my calculations.” After watching for a while, Rani finally spoke, a faint fragrance wafting from her opening and closing mouth, entering Le Zhengling’s nose.

Orange didn't stop her. She carefully observed Rani and found that she wasn't a figment of imagination, but a completely living being.

"You haven't answered my question yet." Yue Zhengling looked into Rani's beautiful eyes without wavering.

Rani blinked, stepped back a little, and looked at the contract. "There's no way around it. It's a contract written under the Jade Record, which has historical and divine significance. There's no way to bypass its terms."

"Is that so? That's a real shame." Yue Zhengling took two steps back with an expression that showed no regret whatsoever. "Your master is really clever. He didn't let those sphinxes come here to find you, otherwise we might have been exposed."

Actually, when Yue Zheng was singing, he noticed a sphinx in the sky. The creature didn't attack but remained quietly in mid-air. He guessed that it must have come to pick up Rani.

Of course, if Rani really died, then he was certain that the sphinx would launch an attack immediately.

After confirming that Rani was a living being, Orange looked at Le Zhengling with great relief. When Barthemello killed Rani earlier, she had noticed that Le Zhengling had actually intervened, but when she saw Rani being torn apart by the tornado, she thought she had made a mistake.

Now it seems that my eyesight was still a bit lacking.

"Lingjun, I didn't expect you to be so amazing, you even fooled Barthezmero." Orange touched Le Zhengling's face in admiration.

"You've got it wrong, Sister Orange. I just had Lani have a dream called 'Death'," Yue Zhengling said with a smile, denying Orange's answer.

Orange was puzzled, and Lani also asked, "What does this mean? I was clearly dead back then."

Le Zhengling shook his head. "So, that was a dream. You're just awake now."

Chapter 155 World Preservation Mechanism

Le Zhengling himself was also puzzled about the true nature of his magic trick. To be honest, he only knew the "dream of a single meal, illusion of a single drunkenness" but not the "why." At most, he could only use it and knew the effect, but he really didn't know why it could achieve that effect.

Come to think of it, how did he even know this magic trick? It seems a bit strange. Merlin seemed to have said something back then, but I didn't remember it.

Since he couldn't explain it himself, Yue Zhengling felt it would be lame to say it out loud, so he simply told Lani, "Just think of it as a dream. In any case, you didn't die."

Looking at Yue Zhengling's inscrutable expression, Lani could only nod and didn't press the matter further.

Looking at the unharmed Rani, Orange became very interested in Yue Zhengling's magic trick, but since he seemed unwilling to say more, she, like Rani, stopped asking questions.

Meanwhile, Arthur kept abreast of the battle outside, waiting for Yue Zhengling's next move.

"Arthur, you can use that Holy Lance, right?" Yue Zhengling had long coveted the Holy Lance Rungomminiad in Gray's hands. Since he had taken Arthur's Holy Sword, he had a responsibility to get him a new weapon.

Originally, Yue Zhengling planned to reap the benefits and then appear when Grey and Barthez were seriously injured or unable to resist, so as to ask Grey for the Holy Lance. However, he did not expect that Barthez would have a trick up his sleeve, but it suited his wishes. If he went there now, he would have a better excuse to intervene.

"You really are up to no good..." Arthur knew what Yue Zhengling was planning as soon as he heard Yue's question.

"What do you mean 'bad idea'! I'm taking advantage of their misfortune!" Yue Zhengling glared at him angrily. "It's a perfectly fair trade! Exchanging the Holy Lance for their lives, they're the ones who are getting a great deal."

Looking at Le Zhengling's completely unrepentant expression, Chengzi laughed with amusement, thinking to herself that Daolingjun's current personality was somewhat similar to her own.

"But from what you're saying, you can use that spear that pierced my son, right? That makes things easier. After all, it's not safe to come to the Atlas Academy without some kind of threat. The Holy Sword is useless against that person, but the Holy Lance is different; in a sense, it's practically an attack on Egypt."

Yue Zhengling looked at Arthur with a "I believe in you" expression, "Then let's set off to rescue them~~"

Seeing his impatient look, Arthur sighed helplessly, "Ah, whatever makes you happy."

Looking at Arthur's helpless expression, Orange laughed and said to him, "You still say I spoil him? Look at yourself now, okay?"

Arthur was taken aback, then touched his forehead in distress. "So didn't I already say that I'm a terrible father? I can't even imagine how to raise him."

"Just let nature take its course. Lingjun is a very self-disciplined child. Don't be fooled by his current appearance and behavior." Chengzi laughed even more heartily. She never thought that the legendary King Arthur was such a person. It really surprised her that he would be helpless in the face of a child.

However, upon closer reflection, it makes sense. If children were truly taught how to be taught, the Arthurian legend wouldn't have ended that way, and ancient Britain wouldn't have perished.

"Rani, contact the person who's picking you up first. We'll be right back." Yue Zhengling took out Melie's robe and put it back on, then put the box containing the relics into the dimensional space.

Although he separated the foreign objects from his body, after accepting Arthur and Meryl's spirit origins, he reconnected with his counterpart in the Atlas Institute. Of course, this time he was very careful not to let Yog re-enter his soul, but he was still connected to Him, so spatial magic became an instinct.