Chapter 26: Pole Vaulting onto the Line

His own emotional experiences were surely known to others in the group, but the rest, except Wang Luffy, weren’t faring any better than him.

Ye Fan closed the book “Doupo Cangqiong,” revealing a wry smile—he never expected Xiao Yan was such a romantic.

Actually, sending these stories privately wouldn’t help; someday, when others in the group visited other worlds, they’d naturally come across the information.

Even if Su Lin didn’t post them in the group, Ye Fan himself would still check online for others’ stories once he reached Su Lin’s world.

Baidu? Who doesn’t know how to use it?

So he didn’t ask Su Lin to send them privately; instead, he openly shared them with everyone.

Aside from some minor details, the main experiences were still largely the same.

He cast a disdainful glance at the big black dog beside him.

And he, now an Emperor, had still been tricked by this guy—forced into amnesia, marriage, and fatherhood—all just for the sake of the Primordial Holy Body and Dao Root.

Ye Fan couldn’t help but exclaim, “Damn.”

You’ve been obsessed with your Primordial Holy Body and Dao Root for how many years now?

The Black Emperor felt a chill run down his spine, sensing Ye Fan’s gaze.

“Wang! What are you plotting?!”

When you go to the Earth in Su Lin’s world, head straight to Yulin and buy two jin of dog meat—spent your whole life being blacked by a black dog.

“Nothing,” Ye Fan replied, grinning with his bright white teeth.

Han Li: “By the way, how’s Luffy’s brother doing? @Mengqi D. Luffy.”

After finishing the ending of “The Legend of the Condor Heroes,” Han Li, noticing movement in the group, decided to join the conversation.

Luffy: “Oh! Su Lin previously returned with me to that time and saved Ace and Whitebeard!”

Ye Fan: “Could you let me visit other people’s worlds next time?”

Aside from the similar Earth, it’s a lie to say he didn’t want to explore other worlds—he was tired of constantly scheming and fighting with these aristocratic sects and alien princes.

Especially after reading the novel detailing his own future.

Ye Fan felt both joy and pressure.

Some things he couldn’t understand had become clearer through this novel, and emotional knots had formed in his heart.

These weren’t problems he should be worrying about at his current stage, yet he couldn’t stop thinking about them.

The Black Emperor eyed Ye Fan suspiciously—this guy had been acting strangely these past two days.

Could he have gone mad from cultivation?

Does the broken Saint Body path have side effects?

Luffy: “Welcome! I’ll call you all next time we throw a banquet.”

Han Li pondered—if the group strictly forbade members from harming or plundering each other, then visiting other worlds during this opportunity wouldn’t hurt.

Of course, he’d first need to learn about the others’ experiences in the group.

Han Li: “Then I won’t refuse your kind invitation.”

Luffy asked: “What does ‘Li Nan’ mean?”

“It means he’s willing to come.”

“So complicated.”

After all, it was hard for Luffy to grasp such phrases.

Xiao Yan: “Excellent, excellent.”

Xiao Yan planned to visit other worlds after the three-year pact with Yunhai Sect.

If possible, he could awaken his master first before going.

Knowing his future self, he felt immense gratitude toward his past master, the Medic Sovereign.

His master was utterly trustworthy—he was willing to share this opportunity to visit other worlds with his master.

Emiya Shirou: “Excuse me, everyone, but I’d like to ask—is what’s happening here truly something that will happen in the future?”

The pole-vaulting protagonist—no, Emiya Shirou—after being shot by a guy in a blue spandex suit last night, had woken up dazedly in the school building, returning home with a red gem pendant.

Then the spandex-clad man broke into his house and attacked him.

Luckily, he summoned Saber, a golden-haired female knight, who repelled the spear-wielding enemy.

Coincidentally, his classmate Tohsaka Rin arrived at his door at that moment.

When he woke up, he found himself in a burning wasteland.

Probably a massive fire had broken out.

The familiar streets had turned to ruins, just like battlefield ruins he’d seen in movies.

……In all this, Emiya Shirou found it utterly unbelievable that he alone remained unharmed.

He’d had this same dream countless times already.

This was the scene of the fire ten years ago.

If everything—parents, home—vanished, a child would have nothing left.

So everything except his body had disappeared.

In simple terms, Emiya Shirou thought very plainly.

Namely, as the price for keeping his body alive.

His soul had already died.

Emiya Shirou had a familiar dream.

A familiar morning, awakened by his junior, Sakura.

He trained his body, then washed up casually.

After breakfast, he packed his bag as usual and headed to school.

He helped repair things in the student council, then studied after lunch.

In the evening, he was asked by Shinji to help clean the archery club.

He agreed mainly because he’d once been a member of the archery club himself.

After trying the bow-drawing stance, Emiya Shirou shook his head and packed away the cleaning tools.

Time to go home.

As Emiya Shirou walked through the schoolyard after leaving the archery club, a breeze blew, freezing his cheeks.

“Ha—.”

The white mist of his sigh lingered in the air.

Winter in Dongmu wasn’t very cold—even at night, today was unusually frigid.

In the biting cold that seemed to freeze even his fingertips, Emiya Shirou hunched his body, enduring it, eager to get home quickly.

Ding—

He seemed to hear a sound.

Probably an illusion.

He looked up at the sky—clouds covered it; without the moon, the campus was even darker.

Zilaa—

Not an illusion?

Emiya Shirou definitely heard a sound.

From the other side of the campus.

Curious, he moved toward the source of the noise.

Bang—

The sound grew clearer.

Like metal clashing.

‘Someone’s fighting with weapons?’

‘I’m probably imagining things.’

At first, Emiya Shirou thought it was an illusion—how could such sounds occur at school in the middle of the night?

Until he saw a scene that nearly froze his mind.

A red-clad man and a blue-clad man.

Not dressed like modern people, bizarre armor, just as he’d imagined—they were truly slashing at each other.

He couldn’t comprehend their movements—they moved too fast for his eyes to follow.

Their actions felt so unreal that Emiya Shirou stood frozen, staring dumbly.

The clang of metal rang continuously, sparks flying, forcing Emiya Shirou to realize these two were killing each other.

In that instant, Emiya Shirou understood.

That speed and strength were not meant for humans.

As a novice mage, he shouldn’t get involved with such things.

At the edge of the battlefield, thick with killing intent,

Emiya Shirou broke free from fear and tried to tiptoe away.

‘Could these be the killers from TV?’

Just as his mind finally moved his body and he took a step—

“Who’s there?!”

The blue-clad man shouted sharply.

Even his gaze could not meet those two; at once, Emiya Shirou’s desire to survive drove him to break into a sprint.