Chapter 1613

Just as the five members of the group each departed, preparing to start a brand new day of life, Yi Lu Na, yawning in the morning light, also arrived with her own squad at the warehouse near the area under the abnormal black clouds in the West District of Tobesk.

The Church certainly noticed the abnormal phenomena in the sky last night, and coupled with the investigation results showing that a suspected Angel-level relic had appeared in the city, even the full-strength squad Yi Lu Na belonged to was still only responsible for basic investigative work, such as disguising themselves as police to ask nearby people about last night's situation—those truly handling the core area were the Twelve-Ring and two Thirteen-Ring sorcerers.

However, the squad's investigation hadn't been going on for long before Yi Lu Na was called away and came to that warehouse, which was now empty.

If Xia De were still here, he would surely be surprised that even with the loss of such a large area of load-bearing walls, the warehouse still hadn't collapsed.

"The problem is truly severe."

Looking at the street scene near the warehouse that looked as if it had been erased by an eraser, the seventeen-year-old girl sighed softly. She looked around as she walked, not feeling at all that it was dangerous here, because she knew this was related to the action of Xia De's group last night.

This warehouse area was closest to the church of the 【Church of Creation and Destruction】, so the Thirteen-Ring sorcerer of the Church of Creation, Mr. Sa Li Pi Luo Te, "Iron Right Hand," was responsible for overseeing this investigation. As for why the investigation led by the Church of Mechanics would have the squad from the Church of the Sun perform peripheral questioning, it was because it involved an Angel-level relic; according to regulations, it could not be investigated independently by any single church.

"Miss Beiya Si, good morning, over here!"

Mr. Pi Luo Te was a very tall, easygoing-looking middle-aged man, but Yi Lu Na knew the arm hidden in his right sleeve was extraordinary.

This Thirteen-Ring sorcerer stood in the warehouse and exchanged a few pleasantries with Yi Lu Na, only then explaining that he wanted her to try to perceive what had happened in this area. The chaotic spirits and restless whispers elements had not subsided even by dawn; if an ordinary person entered the warehouse now, their body would likely undergo mutations immediately.

"Divination is definitely not working, and the inspection of the scene traces only indicates that there were no fewer than three people here. Investigating the carriages or other traces nearby last night, only carriages from the Royal Family, MI6, and the police passed by, but all had normal reasons. However, some nearby workers reported that they saw a pumpkin carriage pulled by skeleton horses; we cannot be sure if this is because they were dizzy from excessive fatigue."

Mr. Pi Luo Te explained, and Yi Lu Na nodded to show she understood:

"I will try."

She summoned her Destiny Ring, and amidst the awe-filled gazes of the people, transformed it into dark golden scales. Subsequently, holding the glowing scales with both hands, she closed her eyes as the tips of her hair lifted slightly.

After a long while, Yi Lu Na finally gave her answer:

"I felt the power of 'void,' representing the power of emptiness and disappearance... This is very similar to the Sage-level relic 【Ancient Sage's Smearing Pen】 I came into contact with during my training at the Holy See, but the power is more formidable."

The girl with long brown hair, who had been assigned work early in the morning, dutifully completed her task:

"It is indeed an Angel-level relic, and it is also one of the stronger types of Angel-level relics. I cannot track such chaotic elements, but I can try to use the talent of 'balance' to make the level of elements here more normal. However, it is not completely erasing the traces; I still suggest sealing this place, and it should only be used by ordinary people again after at least half a year."

Mr. Pi Luo Te also supported Yi Lu Na's view, so Yi Lu Na continued to hold up the dark golden scales, adjusting the restless whisper elements to a state relatively balanced with the enlightenment elements. Subsequently, she asked about other investigation results, and after confirming there was no progress, she prepared to find her own squad to continue investigative work:

"What exactly did Xia De and Lu Weiya experience last night? Is their group mission so dangerous? Is Saint Byrons too harsh on correspondence students?"

She thought to herself, leaving from the warehouse entrance.

The sides of the street had already been cordoned off by police, and sorcerers from the Church of Creation wore police uniforms and stood at the street corners to prevent anyone from breaking in. As for the real police, they were searching the whole city for the carriage that left wheel tracks on the ground, but the carriage that originally transported the coffin had been erased by the relic, and it was even impossible to divine specific information because of this. And Duo Luo Qian's pumpkin carriage had already been turned into a toy by Xia De after turning back into a pumpkin at the pier, and then burned with fire.

Therefore, this investigation could not possibly have any results.

"Xia De and Lu Weiya, they shouldn't have been injured in last night's events, right?"

Although she had great confidence in them, she still thought with some worry in her heart. At the same time, Yi Lu Na had already ducked into the alley in front of the warehouse gate, intending to take a shortcut back. This alley was also sealed off, and the sorcerer responsible for guarding here was on the street at the other end of the alley, as the view there was very open.

The alley was very short; if there were no obstructive trash, one could pass through in just two or three minutes. As for the trash, it was not rotten food or dirty daily necessities; what was discarded here were metal products abandoned by nearby factories. This included but was not limited to scrapped steam cylinders, sawed-off steam pipes, and metal cabinets with missing cabinet doors.

And when Yi Lu Na passed by that metal cabinet leaning against the wall, her peripheral vision caught a figure on her side, behind the cabinet. Subconsciously turning to make a defensive counterattack move, she only then saw that the figure behind the cabinet had no intention of attacking her.

That was a blond man wearing a white robe, holding a rolled-up parchment scroll in his hand, and looking at her with a mysterious, unfathomable expression that surely only said half of what he meant. This appearance of the man not only didn't match this alley, it didn't even match this era.

When Yi Lu Na was training at the Holy See, she had only seen Whisper Scholars, Priests, and Keepers wearing clothes of a similar style.

She frowned slightly, and her vigilant expression not only didn't disappear, but became even heavier. The stranger before her looked normal at first glance, but gradually one could feel increasingly strong whisper elements. The parchment in his hand and his two eyes gave Yi Lu Na a feeling clearly like Lu Weiya, who was performing special divination.

Carefully sensing the essence of this humanoid creature before her, in an instant, she even felt as if she had touched true destiny. The future seemed to be concentrated in the hands of this humanoid creature; a single point branched out in his hands, extending into ten thousand possibilities.

"Angel-level? Are you in the warehouse..."

After saying this, she felt something was wrong; in the warehouse, it was clearly the power to erase everything, while what was before her was destiny.

Yi Lu Na subconsciously took a step back, then felt that her back was already soaked through at some point. The spring morning sun was not warm at all; on the contrary, in her dizzy head, what she felt was the coldness of the sun:

"Are you... 'If'?"

Her eyes widened suddenly, unable to believe that she had encountered this legendary Unknowable-level (Level 0) relic just like that.

"Yes."

The man nodded and said, and seeing Yi Lu Na look toward the alley entrance wanting to call for people, he reminded her:

"Our conversation will not be known by anyone, nor will it be disturbed by anyone; I still have this basic ability. Respected Chosen Hero, I have no malice, I just want to play three games with you."

"Games?"

Yi Lu Na asked suspiciously, and then suddenly threw a sunlight spear upward. Golden thunder exploded above the alley, but after waiting for a long time, no one came in to check the situation.

"If" shook his head:

"Chosen One of Balance, Chosen Hero, you don't need to have any misgivings about me; this is just a game."

Saying this, he unfolded the parchment scroll to face himself:

"If, is also 'suppose.' Although the future has uncertainty, we all know that different choices will lead to different results, it's just that people cannot determine what kind of ending a certain choice will correspond to."

His gaze crossed the parchment and looked at Yi Lu Na:

"And this game called 'If' begins with you proposing a choice for the future, and I will simulate all the things that follow. This is not predicting the future, nor is it splitting the timeline to create parallel space-times. This is merely the game of 'If'."

Yi Lu Na did not relax her vigilance because of the other party's honorific for her; her brows were tightly furrowed, and the dark golden scales transformed from her Destiny Ring were already floating behind her:

"What if I refuse? I don't want to know things that haven't happened; I would rather witness the future I create with my own eyes."

"Chosen Hero, protagonist of the stage, please forgive my rudeness, but please do not refuse me. Please tell me, what kind of choice will you make? When you finish your work this morning, what will you do?"

The man asked gently, and seeing Yi Lu Na still not speaking, he asked again:

"Then answer me another question: If, for the safety of this world, you had to sacrifice the person you are attached to, would you choose to do so?"

"Of course not."

Yi Lu Na answered without even thinking; this didn't need any thought at all:

"Although people always think I am some kind of hero, I have never thought of myself that way. Between good and evil, I stand on the middle line; yes, perhaps not that neutral, but more inclined toward kindness, but I would absolutely not sacrifice the person I am attached to... I am not a purely kind and orderly sorcerer, otherwise, I would have long ago reported Xia... those things that damage the interests of the church."

She answered very smoothly:

"Perhaps there are really people willing to sacrifice everything for the world, but that kind of extreme behavior is something I would not do. Good and evil are in my heart; what I do is balance. Your question is ridiculous. If you ask me if it is worth killing ten thousand people to save one person, I tell you, it is worth it."

Among all the current first candidates for the Chosen Ones, besides Yi Lu Na, the others all have strange obsessions and ideas. In fact, it's not that Yi Lu Na doesn't have "unique" ideas, it's just that she met Xia De and Lu Weiya, and the two of them never forced her to make any choices or decisions.

The man holding the parchment scroll revealed a smile, seemingly very satisfied with this answer:

"The way of balance is indeed very suitable for you. Then what if I say that you can use 'If' to peek at tragedies that might happen, and thereby avoid them? This is not playing with time and destiny, because this really is just a game."

Yi Lu Na still shook her head:

"I won't believe the words of an Unknowable-level relic. The future is in my hands; I don't need games."

"Then alright—you can't leave without playing the game."

The man continued to say with a smile.

"If you had said that earlier, wouldn't it have saved time? Next, I am going to head to No. 6 Saint Theresa Square to find Xia De Su Lun Han Mi Er Dun."

Based on the experience during the "Dice Story Collection," when encountering such things she couldn't handle herself, seeking Xia De's help was the best choice.

The man nodded, looked at the unfolded parchment scroll in his hand, and read the text on it. And following his words, golden threads in the air between the two outlined the read content in beautiful flowery Delarion letters:

【You are Yi Lu Na A Mi Li Ya Beiya Si, the Chosen Hero, the Chosen One of Balance, the protagonist of the stage.】

【This morning, you were awakened by a knock on the door and participated in a unique investigative mission organized by the church.】

【You completed the investigation of the warehouse area; you learned that abnormal cat meowing appeared nearby last night, but this could not point to anyone;】

【You concealed all the truth you knew and applied for leave from your captain; the captain understood your busyness and agreed to your application;】

【You took a carriage to No. 6 Saint Theresa Square; the conversation with the carriage driver let you know about his miserable life, and your mood became low;】

【You saw the dilapidated door of No. 6 Saint Theresa Square and felt puzzled by the dilapidation of the door and the wooden boards nailed to the windows of the house;】

【You inquired about the situation from a kind person walking a dog near the square and learned that this is a famous haunted house in the area;】

【You still knocked on the door; the door was opened, and the Gatekeeper of the End, the Guardian of the Sanctuary, the Undead of Perpetual Human Reason, and the Bound Gray-Headed Eagle received you.】

"Wait? Who are these four people in Xia De's house?"

Yi Lu Na widened her eyes in surprise, suspecting that Xia De's house had been subjected to a mystical invasion.

"No, these are not four people; these are four titles for the same person."

"If" reminded her, and Yi Lu Na blinked, seeing the golden threads before her continue to flow, weaving new content:

【The soul that opened the door asked: The time of the end has not yet arrived, Chosen Hero, how did you find this place? Was it the Daughter of Destruction Time who broke in here several times that gave you a hint? No, she hasn't defeated me yet; she cannot use this place at will.】

Yi Lu Na could not understand this situation at all, but at least she still remembered that Xia De had once said "Gray-Headed Eagle" was Sparrow Han Mi Er Dun.

"I..."

【You cannot answer the soul's question, but you know you shouldn't have come here at this point in time;】

【The Gatekeeper launched an attack on you;】

【You died.】

"Ah!"

Yi Lu Na cried out in surprise, and then watched the golden threads before her explode into points of light. She covered her head, feeling as if her head had been hit hard by a hammer, and then touched her nose; nosebleed flowed slowly to her lips. The taste of blood did not make her panic; instead, it was the fact she had just learned that made her flustered:

"Sparrow Han Mi Er Dun's soul, hasn't it already walked toward the end? How could it appear in... Wait! The dilapidated No. 6 Saint Theresa Square? The nailed-up windows? He said I shouldn't have arrived at this point in time? The Daughter of Destruction Time who guided me? I understand, I understand, I understand, there is only one truth—"

In her painfully aching head, her thoughts became clearer than ever before; Yi Lu Na gritted her teeth and looked at the other party, looked at that parchment scroll:

"If... If... In the future you simulated, Xia De doesn't exist at all! This is a future without Xia De!"

PS: Please vote.

Yi Lu Na is truly the only heroine of "Whispering Poetry." This was determined from the beginning of the book.