Chapter 963: 561 Hours of Understanding

What the hell… what’s going on now?

After shaking off the Scorpion Director on his back and climbing out of the pool, Li Ang wiped the pool water from his face, glanced around, and was utterly stunned.

Didn’t I just break out of Research Zone One? How did everything suddenly change after a blink? And… why does this place look familiar?

“Puff! Help… help me!”

As Li Ang cautiously scanned his surroundings and locked eyes with the bewildered guests, a cry for help suddenly came from the fountain pool behind him:

“I can’t swim! Help… help me!”

“You don’t need me to save you.”

After glancing back at the pool, Li Ang, amid the guests’ pointing and whispering, grabbed the Scorpion Director’s foot and dragged him out, then turned to the girl with emerald eyes:

“This is just a fountain pool—you only need to sit up and your head will come out… by the way, where is this? Do you know?”

“Pant… pant… maybe… the Wang Gong…”

Following Li Ang’s instructions, the emerald-eyed girl climbed out of the pool, coughed twice, still shaken, then said uncertainly:

“It looks like the small garden behind the Wang Gong, but about ten years ago, this garden was abandoned and should be overgrown with weeds now… Huh?!”

As if noticing something extraordinary, Felicia’s emerald eyes widened in shock as she stared toward the distant wooden platform, and the figure at its center seemed to notice the commotion here too, curiously leaning forward to look.

That’s… King Fain and the Wang Hou?

Following the girl’s gaze, Li Ang saw the faces of the family at the center of the wooden platform, and his eyebrows lifted slightly; then he recognized more “familiar faces” among the guests.

Though they looked much younger and wore vastly different attire, many of these guests had clearly appeared before in the “Preservation Hall”—so… is this some past royal banquet?

After studying King Fain on the main seat and scanning the guests, Li Ang noticed faint brushstroke-like marks on their clothing, and a flash of understanding lit his eyes.

Though this banquet took place in the past, Prince Andre’s ability doesn’t seem tied to time travel—he’s unlikely to possess the power to send someone back years in time. So this scene is probably some kind of ‘simulation’ or ‘replica’.

Considering the brushstroke marks on their clothing, and those objects that suddenly appeared and turned into pools of paint after he cut them with the [Cutting Silver Dagger]… does Prince Andre’s ability relate to painting?

…

“Step back!”

As Li Ang traced the clues and began speculating about Prince Andre’s ability, a squad of fully armed guards arrived from afar, quickly splitting into two groups: one escorting the guests backward, the other raising shields and halberds to surround the “armed intruder.”

“What are you doing?!”

The tall, burly sergeant-major leveled his halberd at Li Ang, eyes sharp with suspicion:

“Speak! How did you get in? Who is this child and that unconscious man?”

“…“

After hearing the sergeant-major’s questions, Li Ang’s lips twitched.

That unconscious man is my partner who’s good at getting himself beheaded and betraying me; the child is your future Princess; as for how I got in… I suppose I was “invited” here by your prince.

Without answering the sergeant-major’s questions, Li Ang, now with some insight into Prince Andre’s ability, shielded Felicia behind him, gripped the [Cutting Silver Dagger] tightly, and slashed hard at the “world” before him.

If his guess was right—that this banquet was a painting—then he could use the [Cutting Silver Dagger] to cut through the painting and escape!

“Sssch!”

To Li Ang’s anticipation, the slash struck something real, producing a sharp rip like tearing cloth, cleaving a crack into the “world” before him.

But the problem was, just as when he cut open the sealed room where Prince Andre stood, this small tear began closing at an even faster rate—by the instant the dagger’s tip left the “canvas,” the tear was already fully repaired.

With this “canvas” repairing itself so astonishingly fast, not even three living people could escape—let alone trying to pour water through; not even a single drop would make it out.

“How dare you!”

The sergeant-major, seemingly unable to see the cut Li Ang had made, watched as the intruder not only refused to surrender but waved a tiny knife around—his temper flared. He twisted his halberd half a turn, preparing to strike the overconfident intruder with the blunt side—

“Stop!”

A youthful voice rang out from afar. A boy in a brown linen shirt and black riding breeches ran over, hugging a golden leather ball.

After halting the sergeant-major’s move, the boy—his shirt soaked with sweat, hair stuck to his forehead—tilted his flushed face up, smiled at Li Ang, then said to the sergeant-major:

“Uncle Baggs, these are my guests. Order the guards to stand down.”

“Your Highness?”

Hearing the boy’s words, the sergeant-major hesitated slightly, then warned:

“But he’s holding—”

“Relax, it’s just a fruit knife.”

Glancing at Li Ang, who had narrowed his eyes, the boy—whose eyes matched Felicia’s emerald hue—smiled:

“Uncle Baggs, we’re surrounded by so many people. Even if he were truly dangerous, a little knife won’t do anything.”

“…“

That’s true…

Seeing the young prince step forward to vouch for these suspicious figures, the sergeant-major’s tense expression eased slightly. He gave Li Ang a warning glare, then bowed to the boy:

“Your Highness, you’re joking—since they’re your guests, they must be harmless. I’ll order the guards to withdraw… but such sudden intrusions should never happen again.”

“No way! Never again!”

Chuckling, the boy pushed the sergeant-major a few steps away from the pool’s edge, then returned, hugging the ball, and looked up at Li Ang, who was lost in thought, saying with quiet depth:

“Your Grace, I am Andre. Welcome to my sister’s first birthday banquet.”

“…“

Though Li Ang had suspected it, hearing this bright, youthful boy openly claim his identity still brought a flicker of surprise to his eyes.

He never imagined that the future Andre—so lazy and weary, as if he wished to sleep forever—had once been so radiant… too bad he turned out so poorly later.