Chapter 37: The Return of Liangliang Tower Jizi

As long as he wasn’t as insane as Rupert, Black Tower felt she could accept it…

After all, if a third of the entire cosmos had been shattered, her experiments would likely be severely affected.

Still, Black Tower thought, Hermes was a Nameless Guest—surely he wouldn’t end up like that?

“Come to this coordinate; when Itachi arrive, I’ll go out to meet Itachi.”

Likewise, Hermes didn’t care what Black Tower might guess—The Genius Club was exactly this kind of place.

“I’ve already established a preliminary Simulation·World Wall system in the Blue Star System; even as a Messenger, Itachi won’t break through easily.”

“Got it, got it.”

Black Tower replied absentmindedly; just by her expression, Itachi could tell what she intended to do.

“...Don’t make too much noise, or I’ll have to spend energy fixing it.”

Hermes could only say that much.

…

Night fell. Hermes, after a long absence, came to the garden, brewed himself a pot of tea, and stared blankly into the distance.

Outside, the Donghua Nation was pitch black, and occasionally faint sounds of Slaim activity could be heard.

He silently observed the changes on Blue Star.

The Quantum Sea continuously pulled and retrieved various anomalous objects; Blue Star was no longer the era of mainstream technology mixed with a few quantum black technologies.

Now, Blue Star’s atmosphere had grown increasingly fantastical, overshadowing its former heavy technological character.

Moreover,

Now, when everyone looked up, they could see the reflected constellations governed by the Star Lords…

These reflected constellations, as time passed and the Star Lords continued their cultivation, had grown steadily brighter!

“It’s rare to see Itachi set aside your experiments and work, quietly admiring the moon in the garden.”

At that moment, a mature, steady woman’s voice, slightly husky, sounded beside Hermes.

Then,

The newcomer didn’t wait for Hermes to respond; she stepped forward silently and began gently massaging him.

“I never expected Itachi’d come back.”

Hearing that familiar voice, Hermes turned his gaze in surprise toward this long-absent visitor.

Originally, when Liangliang Tower Jizi awoke and spent some time learning about this world, she had left immediately.

Hermes had assumed she would settle down in this world, so similar to her homeland.

After a careful glance, Hermes noticed that the once-strong warrior aura on Liangliang Tower Jizi had greatly diminished, replaced by an unmistakable gentleness and intellect.

At first glance, he thought he had met the Star Rail’s Navigator Jizi.

Of course,

There were still differences between the two Jizis.

Liangliang Tower Jizi had become gentle and intellectual, while the Navigator Jizi remained dignified and composed.

But both Jizis shared the same unyielding resolve in the face of adversity!

It was clear how profoundly Liangliang Tower Jizi had changed.

“Hehehe, how could I just leave after Itachi saved my life?”

Liangliang Tower Jizi gazed at the man before her—the most perfect creation of the cosmos—and her eyes softened.

He was the man who had rescued her from endless darkness; how could she simply depart?

Moreover, he had told her the perfect ending from Earth.

Her student Qianya had been saved, and all the other students had grown into legendary Valkyries.

Even more,

They had truly saved Earth and ended the Honkai!

For this, she felt her life on Earth had been complete—she had done everything she possibly could, and could now fully entrust Earth to its future.

Now, she only wished to stay beside the man who had given her a second life, doing whatever she could to repay even a fraction of his kindness.

Hermes looked into Jizi’s gentle eyes and fell silent for a moment.

Then, he smiled faintly, equally tender: “Then, sit with me and share tea under the moon?”

For some reason, though the Path’s influence had been fully blocked, at this moment Hermes seemed to resonate subtly with the Pure Beauty Origin of the cosmos.

A faint smile surpassed all the splendors of the world.

“Mm!”

Facing this rule-breaking smile, Jizi’s ears turned slightly red, and she scolded playfully: “Lord Hermes, hasn’t anyone told Itachi your smile is too rule-breaking?”

After slightly masking her fluster, Jizi brought over another identical chair and sat down right beside Hermes.

“Is that so?”

Hermes paused to recall, momentarily at a loss for words.

Hadn’t he smiled much since his mother passed away?

The last time he’d smiled like this was beside the Star Rail, when he reunited with Pam and met the Navigator Jizi.

“Just call me Hermes; using honorifics feels too distant.”

He sighed softly inside, and his smile dimmed slightly.

Why, after his mother reached 150 years, had she refused to let him extend her life further?

He had already mastered over a dozen longevity techniques; even if she feared living longer would twist her soul and make her unrecognizable, he still had solutions!

For instance, the Ming Clan’s Cycle of Rebirth—he hadn’t studied it specifically, but he was confident that with time, he could invent something similar.

Why wouldn’t she just walk beside me a little longer?

Recalling his mother’s satisfied smile before she died,

Hermes, though he had let go, now understood her mindset—but he still couldn’t help missing her smile.

Liangliang Tower Jizi, seeing Hermes grow dimmer, seemed to understand something; she quietly grasped one of his hands, as if offering silent comfort.

“Enough, Jizi, don’t worry—I was just remembering some old things.”

Seeing Jizi’s gesture, Hermes snapped back to himself, chuckled softly, but didn’t pull away; instead, he gently squeezed her palm.

“Good, Hermes.”

Jizi responded calmly, as if unaware of his touch.

Yet the faint blush on her cheeks betrayed something.

The night was like water; the two in the garden spoke no profound topics or grand plans—only naturally shared amusing tales of the cosmos and recalled cherished memories from their pasts.

Long after, Hermes gazed softly at Jizi’s retreating figure.

Recalling their time together, Hermes couldn’t help teasing himself: “Turns out, I still can’t bear loneliness after all.”