Long Yi had no idea what Duan Chen was thinking.
However, Duan Chen’s willingness to leave early was a good thing for him.
After all, this place made him feel extremely uncomfortable, and it seemed like a chilling energy was constantly seeping into his body.
It was better to leave as soon as possible.
As soon as Duan Chen made his decision, by the next morning, Xiao Li had already packed everything and arrived with various protective gear to greet them.
“Why is it you picking us up?” Duan Chen asked with some confusion as he boarded the bus.
Xiao Li replied with a hint of helplessness, “Bai Ye is out on a mission.”
“And… there are no other agents right now.”
“The entire guild is empty. Even I couldn’t escape being drafted.”
Duan Chen understood and felt a touch of resignation.
“Where is Ming Jie?”
Xiao Li’s face contorted slightly.
“She’s gone. She left a long time ago.”
“And now our guild is without a leader again.”
It could only be said that this outcome was within Duan Chen’s expectations.
Ming Yan’s unreliability wasn’t a recent development; of course, it only applied to minor matters. For important issues, she was very dependable.
Duan Chen leaned back in the bus seat, glancing back at the receding Yinshan Village. He buried the questions he had about it deep within his heart.
The Magician.
The well.
The bride and groom, mechanical creations that didn’t seem like living beings.
The bizarre monster that was inexplicably created.
A subterranean entrance connecting to Mirror City.
And the dream he had here.
Everything seemed to be drawing him into an unfathomable abyss, enveloping him in thick seaweed from which he could never escape.
“Instructor, instructor, wake up. What’s wrong? Why did you suddenly fall asleep on the bus?”
Wang Zihao’s voice called out from beside him.
Duan Chen slowly opened his eyes, looking at Wang Zihao with clear vision.
He paused slightly. “It’s nothing. I might just be feeling a bit tired these past few days.”
Had he been dreaming just now?
Duan Chen frowned slightly. He had indeed been quite exhausted these past few days, with one incident after another. He had just woken up from the hospital and was immediately sent out on a mission.
Fighting with that monster, while it didn’t consume much spiritual energy, it did drain his physical strength.
He sighed softly.
Perhaps he was truly getting old, which was why he was becoming so incapable.
Of course, Duan Chen knew this was just a self-deprecating remark.
Anyone could grow old, and his current state was far from senile.
It was simply the result of continuous exertion that made him feel so weary.
The group of brats beside him were almost subdued by him. While they weren’t entirely obedient yet, with a bit more training, it shouldn’t be a major problem. Everything, from the current perspective, was going well, except for the matter of the evil god.
Duan Chen’s heart sank, almost uncontrollably, and then paused.
On the other side.
The moment Duan Chen left the remote Yinshan Village, the Magician, hidden in a certain palace, sensed Duan Chen’s departure.
A complex expression flashed in his eyes. He removed his mask and sat calmly on the throne in the palace.
“You still can’t let go, can you?” A man emerged from behind him. He was very short, resembling a dwarf.
He walked up to the Magician with a mocking smile in his eyes, looking up at the Magician seated on the throne.
Beside this man, a girl, also appearing very petite and cute, suddenly appeared. However, this girl had the face of an old woman, which was extremely bizarre.
The two of them seemed to be performing a double act, speaking in unison.
“So much time has passed. He already has others by his side. You’ve never been by his side. In this timeline, you are merely an enemy to him.”
“You should know that he never shows mercy to his enemies. Now that you’ve exposed yourself, appeared before him, and even willingly sent him power, what are you trying to achieve?”
What was he trying to achieve?
The Magician didn't know either.
He was very confused.
With a slight movement of his hand, these two puppets disappeared before his eyes, retreating behind the throne.
“I don’t know.”
Up to this point, everything was him asking and answering himself. It was as if he was responding to himself, or perhaps to someone else, speaking inexplicably in the palace.
“I don’t know.”
The Magician’s eyes were filled with confusion, like a lost child.
“What should I do?”
“Where should I go?”
“Who… am I?”
…
In the divine temple.
Wu Suowei, who had been missing for a long time, sat here and finished a game of chess.
Facing the black silhouette opposite him, his expression was uncharacteristically grim.
The Silhouette Monster chuckled.
“You didn’t expect me to make that move either, did you?”
“You’ve gone too far,” Wu Suowei said calmly.
The Silhouette Monster dismissed his accusation indifferently.
“If you think I’ve gone too far, then it only shows that you are still too weak! You can’t contend with me. You might as well surrender early and end this final game. I’ve grown tired of playing after a thousand rounds.”
Wu Suowei looked coldly at the Silhouette Monster, who was showing a triumphant expression before him.
A smile suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth.
“Do you think you’ve won just because of this?”
“You’re wrong.”
“No matter how many times you play these little tricks, no matter how many people you divide your memories among, no matter how you intend to play this game, the one who wins from the very beginning to the very end will be me.”
Faced with such a Wu Suowei, the Silhouette Monster could only assume he was daydreaming.
He couldn’t help but burst into laughter, his tone becoming increasingly sharp and sarcastic.
“Are you trying to save face?”
“Don’t worry, we’ve played a thousand games after all. I won’t make it too difficult for you.”
“Your claim to win is a joke.”
“How can you win without the Magician? That kid is still hoping to turn the person beside him into the next Magician. What a shame. Doesn’t he know the Magician is unique?”
The Silhouette Monster’s tone was completely ignored by Wu Suowei. He looked up at the triumphant Silhouette Monster, and the smile on his lips widened.
“But don’t you know?”
The Silhouette Monster froze. “What?”
Wu Suowei said slowly, “The decision isn’t yours.”