Chapter 135: Door and Future

Lorigo snapped back to his senses and immediately ran toward that strange building; among everyone present just now, this guy was undoubtedly the one most concerned about Fanxing City's future, and at the same time the most powerless.

Luge still stood in place, seemingly waiting for Lorigo, and also woolgathering.

Sanction Wizard? He was very interested in this title.

He looked quite imposing, but was just a stammering person; the moment he revealed his identity, he scared the old drunk witless. From start to finish, judging by the old drunk's demeanor, there wasn't a shred of intent to resist; Dasuo Ya Fanxing was the same, and in the end could only fabricate a lame lie, not knowing what the outcome would be after being taken away. Since that Sanction Wizard didn't come to question him and Lorigo, there must be a way to later discern whether Dasuo Ya was lying.

Luge heaved his chest and let out a long breath.

Besides woolgathering, zoning out was Luge's favorite way to relax; if woolgathering is like throwing the brain and heart apart in a mess, then zoning out is pausing them, temporarily stopping everything about oneself — although the world keeps operating while one stops, that feeling is still nice.

He stepped toward the old drunk.

Zoning out over, time to help the old drunk collect his corpse.

Although this old geezer's words might not hold many truths, Luge still felt regret for his death. He didn't know what mood the old man was in at the moment he finally achieved his wish and truly became a Wizard — surely happy enough to smoke from the crown of his head and have his heart spasm — nor what he thought in his heart when he realized he would die the moment he succeeded.

Luge recalled that story he'd read before about an Apprentice who solidified the Writing Technique into a Zero-Ring Spell Slot during apprenticeship; at the time he thought this choice meant giving up the chance to venture out during the Wizard Apprentice period, only able to make Scrolls and brew Magic Potions in the city or Academy to exchange for resources, complete Commissions that didn't require going out.

The current him suddenly had the thought of wanting to make a living by a craft.

What venturing out on adventures, grand world exploration — all too easy to lose your head; of course the old drunk lost his head in the city too, but that was because he did something even more dangerous than venturing out.

Luge arrived beside the old drunk and slowly crouched down.

"Hey! Stop pretending, they're all gone." He suddenly said with mischievous intent.

Pity, this old geezer who was an Official Wizard for only a few minutes didn't create another miracle.

Just as Luge was about to reach out and move the corpse.

A door decorated with leaves and mushrooms appeared, gradually opening a crack, but only a childish, ethereal child's voice came through.

"Huh? Kind person, are you helping him dispose of the corpse?" the voice from behind the door said.

Luge was stunned: "Is he really dead?"

"Mm, the contracts show it's so; I have several contracts with him! He really is dead!" The voice from behind the door was clear and pleasant, with not much sadness, as if viewing death very lightly.

"Kind person, according to the contract, his corpse after death belongs to me; can you help send his corpse through this door to me? That way I won't have to trouble myself to go out." The voice from behind the door said.

Luge couldn't quite figure out what was going on for a moment, but he reckoned he could only bury the collected corpse outside Fanxing City anyway.

Since the guy behind the door had this request, it saved him trouble too.

"He knew about this matter; there's this clause in the contract..." the voice from behind the door supplemented.

Luge didn't bother to suspect anything originally.

He first passed the old drunk's torso over, then sent that head which had rolled far away through the door crack.

"His corpse... what will you do with it?" Luge asked tentatively.

"I'll plant it, then water it; if successful, he'll turn into a little fairy," the voice behind the door was quite cheerful, "but he won't remember you anymore; that's a new him, a truly newborn little fairy; he'll have pretty little wings; he'll also retain the single greatest desire from his life; there's a kind of fairy born from desire; he loved enjoying fine wine so much, he'll surely retain this; haha, that's why I did this; then he can stay here forever and keep me company tasting all kinds of fine wines..."

"I didn't hope for him to die; although by contract I've been waiting for him to die so he can keep me company enjoying fine wine every day; before he even grew a beard or became wrinkly, I've been helping him; pity he's so stupid; a truly powerful Gem Summoner can open a door themselves, yet with my help he could only laboriously open a door crack; he even said he'd become a Wizard and help me become a Great Fairy King!"

"Oh, can't delay any longer; thank you, furry kind person."

The beautiful door panels slowly closed, disappearing completely.

Luge didn't know when he had raised his hand, as if waving farewell to the air.

Only some bloodstains were left on the ground.

Lorigo Fanxing walked over, looking at Luge with curiosity.

Luge smiled; this Second Young Master of the Fanxing Family seemed far more resilient than he imagined; successive upheavals hadn't knocked him down; exhaustion filled his eyes as expected, but those eyes still held brightness. Putting himself in Lorigo's place, if he experienced these things in a short time, he probably wouldn't measure up to Lorigo.

"It'll probably make the Extinguish Sun come ten-odd years early, but it's already much better than I expected..." Lorigo said with a smile; one could see the smile at the corners of his mouth was very forced.

"Let's go; you need rest now."

Luge said, patting Lorigo's shoulder; though he didn't use force, it still made Lorigo stagger.

Luge simply called out Dasha directly and hoisted Lorigo onto his shoulder.

Stepping onto the spiraling steps once more.

Both were silent, only Dasha panting heavily; his breathing was always coarse, but now he seemed to notice the atmosphere wasn't right, and even held his breath a bit to slow his breathing.

"You are a hero, a hero who protected Fanxing City, and the entire Ground Cave Domain, Lord Luge," Lorigo, carried on the shoulder, suddenly said, "and that old gentleman; if possible, please allow me to bury him in the most honored position of the family cemetery."

Luge was silent for a moment, shook his head; Lorigo probably still thought the old drunk's corpse was in his Storage Bag.

"He's already gone where he should go, and I'm no hero either; I just rolled around on the stone tablet ground, cried a bit, wiped my snot, took a beating, actually didn't accomplish anything..." Luge said casually; from his tone alone, one couldn't hear any depressed feeling.

"No, Lord Luge; a hero doesn't have to succeed, and a hero doesn't have to be pure."

Lorigo swayed on Dasha's shoulder, still insisting on speaking; clearly he was also recounting the old drunk's deeds, having seen everything with his own eyes.

Luge didn't reply further; the silence seemed to make these spiraling stone steps even longer.

"How much longer until Fanxing City loses its light?" Luge said.

"Roughly... maybe fifteen years, perhaps thirty years, even longer," Lorigo was a bit dazed from the shaking, "specifically depends on usage; for example we can try reducing light exposure time a little, or adjust light intensity intermittently; I'll try to make the most suitable plan to extend the Ground Cave Domain's stability... I'll come check regularly; if the final exhaustion phenomenon appears, I'll announce the news gradually according to plan, help people disperse to other Ground Cave Domains, but before that there's still a lot of preparation to do..."

"At the same time I won't give up; I'll work hard to develop trade, accumulate wealth, sponsor explorers, think of ways to motivate more Adventure Groups to try to find new Light Stones, find new places where Ground Cities can be built."

Lorigo spoke with conviction, while simultaneously being shaken by Dasha into vomiting a large mouthful of sour fluid.

(Chapter End)