Chapter 213: You're Watching, Aren't You (5K)

"Praise my Lord!"

"Please allow me to pray to You faithfully!"

On scorched earth, a man with a severed arm knelt in pious devotion, praying aloud in a hoarse voice.

Calling out to that unknown, great being.

Shi Diwen had long lost track of how long he had been here.

How many days and nights had already passed?

He could not remember.

Ever since that day he witnessed the miracle, the concept of time had begun to grow utterly muddled.

He could no longer tell day from night.

He knelt here, praying day after day.

He seemed to hear indescribable voices whispering in his ear, imparting to him the truths of the world.

He could not understand them, yet he could sense within them the greatness of the divine!

The divine!

The inviolable divine!

Great power!

The power that cannot be gazed upon directly!

……

Shi Diwen's mental state was growing worse and worse, yet he felt himself becoming more and more spirited!

Ancient stories even began to surface on their own within his mind.

It was as if some being were whispering in his ear, and he followed along, softly repeating.

Later, Shi Diwen attained enlightenment.

A great, thorough awakening!

He felt he had been chosen by the divine, becoming Its messenger!

Becoming Its voice, to proclaim Its name to the world!

To this, he gladly accepted, willing to shoulder this heavy responsibility.

But relying on himself alone was far from enough.

He at least still needed some helpers, and he also needed to successfully escape from here.

So Shi Diwen prayed to the divine, hoping It would dispatch Its messengers to save him.

At first, he directly hoped the divine would send Its apostles, to take him—this messenger—out of his predicament, and become helpers who would protect his safety.

"I pray that You let Your apostles appear! Let those apostles who have been granted a special mission bring me life and hope, carry me away from here, and become my aid!"

But the divine gave no response.

And Shi Diwen was not discouraged—this request was indeed somewhat abrupt, and being refused by the divine was normal.

So he lowered his request and continued praying, hoping to make the divine send an angel.

He no longer asked for a bodyguard, only that an angel could take him away from here.

"I also pray that You can send Your angel! Let that angel, who possesses pure white wings and is filled with holy radiance, carry me across this ocean."

But… the divine still gave no response whatsoever.

Shi Diwen's heart wavered slightly, but he still did not give up, and continued praying.

This time, he fully recognized his position, and prayed humbly:

"If none of this will do, then I pray that You can let Your heroes descend! Let those heroes who, in legend, possess great power and fearless courage, reach out to help me in this moment of peril!"

No more apostles, no more angels, and no longer hoping to be taken directly away from here.

He only humbly hoped some hero could provide a little help.

Just a little help would do!

However…

No matter how humbly he prayed, no matter how low he lowered his request.

The divine still gave no response whatsoever.

It seemed he had been abandoned by the divine.

At this moment, Shi Diwen suddenly felt dazed, as if he had sobered for an instant, and began to doubt whether that "miracle" had truly ever appeared.

Could it be that he had actually built that structure himself, and then forgotten?

And mistakenly believed it to be the divine's handiwork?

Could it be that that divine being had never actually existed from the start?

The more he thought this way, the more Shi Diwen's spirits sank.

And just as Shi Diwen was doubting himself, even beginning to doubt the reality of the divine… he heard a soft voice.

"Who are you?"

!!!

Shi Diwen had long understood that in this place, besides himself, there was no one else.

But now, he heard a second person's voice.

What did this mean?

It meant he had finally been noticed by the divine!!!

"Me! I am Shi Diwen!"

"I am my Lord's most loyal servant!"

Shi Diwen shouted excitedly, whipping his head around to look behind him, trying to make out the appearance of the one the gods had sent.

!!!

"This…"

And when Shi Diwen turned back, he indeed saw everything he had prayed for!

Angels with blood-red wings, beautiful apostles with human bodies and fish tails, half-horse warrior spirits clad in battle armor.

They had all appeared.

Everything he had prayed for had appeared before him.

The gods truly existed!

They had not abandoned him.

They had sent all these beings to his side!

"Praise my lord! Praise…"

Shi Diwen shouted excitedly, then felt the last shred of strength drained from his body.

His eyes rolled back, and he crashed heavily to the ground.

He passed out completely.

……

"What's going on here?"

Fu Leimei casually tossed a healing spell onto the unconscious Shi Diwen, then asked curiously, "Did you arrange this?"

"Of course not."

Herbert tilted his head in confusion as he watched Shi Diwen shout something to himself before passing out.

What's going on?

This character that spawned seems a bit off.

Is it because I didn't pay up?

Sure enough, no money, no play… hmm.

After thinking for a moment, Herbert shook his head and didn't take the matter to heart.

"No, I don't know who he is either, but don't worry about it. We'll talk when he wakes up."

Whoever he is, whatever his purpose, a single question once he wakes will reveal it.

With two legends holding the line, plus himself, Herbert refused to believe this guy could really turn the world upside down.

After having Sophia drag Shi Diwen off to one side to be watched over, Herbert took Fu Leimei's hand and led her on a tour of the territory.

Of course, although he called it a tour, there really wasn't much to see.

Apart from a stretch of scorched earth, there was only a wooden stake and a shabby shack.

Calling it a land waiting to be rebuilt would be a compliment; this place was utterly desolate.

Fu Leimei looked around, observed curiously for a bit, and asked, "Herbert, is this the place you mentioned?"

"Yes."

"Although I hold ownership of this land, I haven't had the chance to develop it yet."

As for the current state of the place, Herbert appeared quite candid, with no thought of concealment or of puffing himself up to seem richer than he was.

The facts were right before his eyes; what was, was; there was no hiding it.

"Last time I came here, I only had Valentina help clear out the trees and till the land."

He briefly described the work the two of them had done last time and sketched out his plans for the place.

After speaking, he smiled, blinked, and asked, "Seeing the state of things here, will you feel disappointed?"

At this point, a strange feeling suddenly came over him, and he couldn't help but laugh self-deprecatingly.

He felt just like a man bringing his newly wed bride to his old hometown, having sweet-talked and painted grand pictures all the way there, only for her to discover on arrival that it was a poor, remote mountain hollow.

More than a little shameless of him.

Still, Herbert wasn't that sort of black-hearted person, and Fu Leimei wasn't the brainless sort to be taken in… ahem!

No implication that she was small-minded.

Really not.

Fu Leimei, hearing Herbert's self-mocking laughter, laughed as well and gently shook her head.

"Hehe, how could I?"

The mermaid Young Lady smiled softly and said gently, "My home has always been, and will only ever be, by your side."

"So long as I have you, that is already enough."

Fu Leimei truly didn't see any problem with the place.

Although it looked like a stretch of barren wasteland with no sign of life,

having no foundation also meant it held infinite possibilities.

She believed that, with Herbert's ability and her own help, it wouldn't be long before this place became a satisfying home.

It was simply a matter of starting from scratch.

"Besides, I can smell the ocean; this place isn't far from the sea."

She sniffed lightly, caught the scent of the sea, and took a deep breath with a touch of emotion.

Fu Leimei blinked and smiled. "Did you prepare this especially for me?"

"Mm."

Herbert nodded and said frankly, "There were many reasons I chose this place back then, and one of them was considering you and your abilities."

"This spot is well suited for building a port, and with you here, you'd certainly be able to escort those ships safely through the coastal waters."

"Of course, you can swim freely in the ocean on ordinary days."

"You'd surely prefer this over the false sea inside a cage."

The Deep Water Prison had now been transformed under Herbert's upgraded permissions into a highly suitable dwelling, where Fu Leimei could swim without restraint.

But that false ocean was ultimately limited—nothing more than a larger fish tank.

The true ocean was her rightful home.

Just as Herbert was about to continue introducing things to Fu Leimei, he felt his cheeks gently cupped.

Hm?

He turned his head in confusion and saw the mermaid Young Lady's tender expression—joyful yet slightly reproachful.

"What's wrong... hmm."

Before Herbert could ask for clarification, Fu Leimei gently kissed him.

This time, their kiss was not as intense as before, but extraordinarily gentle.

Like an embrace.

After a moment, the two slowly parted.

"Herbert, I've said this many times already."

With a faint blush on her face, Fu Leimei gazed at Herbert's bewildered eyes and whispered:

"Where I am doesn't matter to me—what matters is you."

"Whether it's the ocean or a prison, as long as you're with me, there's no difference."

What matters has never been the environment—it has always been the person.

For the mermaid Princess, who had been alone for too long, nothing in this world could compare to the companion she had chosen.

"But I'm glad you thought of these things for me."

She smiled shyly, intending to sneak another kiss to express her joy... but Herbert suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.

A Holy Warrior isn't defeated twice by the same move!

Before Fu Leimei could even begin her move, Herbert had already anticipated her action and took the initiative, kissing her first.

And as the two kissed again, Herbert suddenly sensed a watching gaze.

Hm!!?

Who is it?

He abruptly released Fu Leimei and turned toward the source of the gaze—there stood Sophia, eyes wide, secretly watching them.

"Eh!!?"

Realizing she had been caught, the centaur spirit awkwardly shrank back, trying to hide behind the tree—but in her panic, her horse tail slipped into view.

"What's wrong?"

Fu Leimei was still dazed and hadn't noticed being watched—even if she had, she wouldn't have cared.

She didn't mind if others watched her intimate moments with her companion.

Hmph, let them be jealous!

"Nothing."

Herbert's expression turned slightly odd; he averted his gaze and smiled. "I'm just not used to being watched by others."

Maybe I'm just imagining things.

Hearing this, Fu Leimei giggled, pinching his cheek teasingly. "Hehe, you're so innocent~"

Herbert raised an eyebrow, then turned sideways to block Sophia's view, gently tracing a finger across Fu Leimei's lips.

"Eh... ah!!?"

Caught off guard, Fu Leimei froze, then her expression changed drastically; she hastily retreated over half a meter.

She clutched her mouth with both hands, glaring at Herbert, her face flushed crimson.

"Y-you!"

What are you doing again!?

Herbert merely spread his hands and shrugged. Though he said nothing, his meaning was unmistakable.

Guess what I'm about to do?

He smiled and called out to the other side: "Sophia."

!!!

Sophia flinched, then peeked out from behind the tree trunk, smiling awkwardly. "... My Lord, what do you require?"

"Hehe."

Herbert chuckled at her uneasy expression, finding it amusing, and teased: "Did you enjoy what you saw?"

Enjoyed it?

Sophia blinked, then nodded. "Enjoyed... uh, no, I didn't see anything! I really saw nothing!"

Seeing her reaction, Herbert sighed and waved his hand. "Enough, don't dwell on it—I have something to tell you."

"Watch him here. I'm taking Fu Leimei to the seaside."

Sophia had wanted to protest, but under Herbert's all-seeing gaze, her voice faded until she finally bowed her head in submission.

"I really didn't see anything! Really didn't... cough! Understood!"

"Mm."

Herbert nodded and gestured to the blushing Fu Leimei. "Aren't you coming? Shall I go alone? Or would you prefer I take Sophia with me?"

"... Hmph!"

Fu Leimei's lips moved; she shot Herbert a glare, then grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the shore.

Fine, let's go then — you think I'm afraid of you?!

With last time's hands-on experience, combined with what I learned from the books, this time I'll definitely make you throw off your helmet and armor and surrender early!

"……"

After Herbert and Fu Leimei departed, their figures vanishing into the mist, only then did Sophia slowly raise her head and let out a long breath.

"Haaah…"

She had assumed her peeping would be punished, but she hadn't expected her master to apparently not care about it at all.

Good, good…

She herself didn't know why either — subconsciously she had just wanted to observe carefully.

That feeling was very strange.

It was as if she had been longing for that sort of thing for a long time, never having had the chance before.

What exactly have I forgotten?

What kind of life did my past self actually live?

What Sophia didn't notice was that, while she was gazing eastward in quiet lamentation, just not far behind her, a clump of earth slowly sank down.

At the seashore, Fu Leimei didn't rush into the long-awaited seawater. Instead, she took a deep breath and looked at Herbert solemnly.

"Alright, come on! I'm ready!"

Her expression was Solemn, her demeanor grave — as if she were about to face some arduous challenge.

Come on.

I'm ready!

This time, I absolutely won't suffer a crushing defeat like before.

But at this moment, Herbert, who had invited her to a private rendezvous by the sea, didn't get to the main topic. Instead, he asked a completely unrelated question.

"Did you notice?"

Notice?

"Notice… what?"

Fu Leimei blinked, not understanding what Herbert meant for a moment, and said in confusion:

"I've already memorized the teeth thing, I definitely won't make that mistake again…"

She bared her teeth at Herbert and shot him an annoyed glare.

Who do you think I am?

Can't even remember something like this? Need to be reminded over and over?

Having said that, Fu Leimei lowered her head, intending to prove it with action.

Now I'll show you!

Then, her forehead was gently pressed against something.

"Hold on, don't be so hasty — no one's competing with you."

Herbert said somewhat helplessly: "Although the teeth thing is also important, that's not what I wanted to talk about."

Afraid that Fu Leimei would get embarrassed and angry from further misunderstanding, he quickly explained: "Did you notice someone spying on me just now?"

Hm?

"You mean Sophia? Didn't you already scare her… wait, there's someone else?"

At this point Fu Leimei couldn't be bothered with embarrassment anymore. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, her expression grew grave: "Are you sure? I didn't sense any danger at all."

Just now, while they had been laughing and playing, there had actually been an outsider silently watching everything from the shadows.

What kind of existence could escape the perception of two Legends?

Legend? Above Legend?

"About ninety percent sure."

Herbert shook his head, not daring to guarantee a hundred percent, but he didn't think his perception had erred either. He said lightly: "The other party really didn't show any malice — they were just watching from the side."

"Based solely on the current situation, we don't know if they're friend or foe."

Fu Leimei frowned, suddenly feeling a bit tense: "Then what should we do next?"

She was about to get up, but the palm that had just been pressed against her forehead now landed on the back of her head.

Hm?

"What to do is something to consider later — right now there's something important to do."

Herbert gently stroked the mermaid Young Lady's hair, chuckled, and asked back: "Did I say I wasn't going to do it?"

"Don't worry, I don't sense that person's gaze right now — it's still safe… but it might not be in a moment. Are you going to keep dawdling?"

Then, Herbert smiled and revealed a little secret.

"Besides, after knowing there's a chance of being watched, you clearly feel it's more exciting inside."

"Isn't that right?"

Fu Leimei recalled everything she had done in the Endless Labyrinth, and shot Herbert a glare with a face flushed crimson.

However, this glare of hers, because of the crimson flush, had no killing power at all — instead it radiated a startling charm.

"…Hmph!"

A moment later, the seashore.

A breeze blew across the beach, making the hanging wind chimes tinkle softly.

Tinkle tinkle tinkle~

(End of chapter)