Chapter 2355: Choice and Return

"This is really... regardless, without that lady, we really couldn't have walked to this step. Although I still don't know what she came here to do, it doesn't matter."

Xia De shook his head and reached out to touch the Heart of the Oasis that Miss Sander was holding very solemnly. After feeling the elements and abundant life force within it, he formally waved goodbye to the two:

"Granny Xinnuode, Miss Sander, journeys always have an end. Go back; I will keep this journey in my heart forever."

The old elf leaning on her cane walked up and hugged Xia De, and Miss Sander was a bit embarrassed, but finally hugged Xia De too:

"Goodbye, strange man! May your journey also go further and further, and may you not lose your way in the mist!"

Just as Xia De said, the journey had to end. After successively "losing" two companions, there was one less person embarking on the return journey.

They both had many things they wanted to say to Xia De, but finally, Granny Xinnuode blessed Xia De in Elvish and crossed the mist door, and the boxes floated past one by one. The blue-haired girl walking at the end turned around and waved at Xia De desperately before finally stepping out.

Thus the mist door left by the deity disappeared, leaving only Xia De and the cat poking its head out of his chest in this silent sand sea.

Time was at the end; he looked at the Sun Temple nearby and the campfire also nearby, and finally extinguished the campfire, bringing Little Mia back into the temple.

When all five people were there, the interior of the half-collapsed temple seemed a bit cramped, but at this time, only Xia De entered it, and it was a bit frighteningly empty here.

Outside the door was the sand sea floating with silver moonlight, but inside the door, there was only moonlight shining from the cracks in the ceiling. The moonlight illuminated the altar at the end of the temple and the wall deep in the temple.

So, while the white mist was already wrapping around his body, Xia De walked a few steps quickly to the side of the altar.

The "day" state altar felt warm, but at this time, touching it, the night altar was cold and bone-chilling.

Perhaps because all the familiar companions had left, Xia De felt inexplicably melancholy. He didn't do anything, just placed his hand on the altar and closed his eyes, facing the moonlight with his face:

"Sun~"

The soft sigh echoed in the temple where there was no one left; the silent sand sea did not change. The wind and sand blew, covering the footprints left by the five people, just like those fading memories. The moon set and the sun rose; when the rising sun illuminated the altar in the temple again, all the traces they had once existed disappeared.

And this sand sea remained tranquil.

(Little Mia is running...)

After breaking away from the "Gravel Sand Sea," because this Time Key had been completed, Xia De appeared directly in the thick white fog.

This was the "Time Corridor," a special space independent of normal time. When Xia De, holding the cat in the fog, looked up, what he saw was still that transparent giant tree that seemed to connect the sky and the earth.

Even though there was no wind here, the canopy still made a rustling sound. This sound of wind soothed his heart, allowing those emotions that were surging because the story had ended to temporarily calm down. The wind of time could always smooth everything out, which also applied to the outsider.

This time Xia De did not immediately look for the falling leaves, but looked at the glowing box on his left hand.

Touching his pocket, the "Golden Lion Armor" had indeed disappeared.

Without Xia De expressing confusion, "She" said with a smile:

【You have obtained additional information.】

【Outsider, this armor you brought back from the past has transformed into a supernatural item. But because you brought it to the past yourself, you can make the following choices:】

【1. At the cost of not using the normal Time Key for the next month, bring the armor back to your time point;】

【2. Abandon this armor that might disturb time and obtain a "Youthful Leaf" that contains no information;】

【3. Leave the armor in the "Time Corridor," and you can bring it back to the past under certain conditions during the normal use of the Time Key, and store it in the "Time Corridor" again after completing the task.】

Although the "Youthful Leaf" was valuable, this was after all a gift from Miss Gao De to Xia De, so Xia De would not consider the second option.

As for the third option, although it sounded quite good, being able to turn this armor into "exclusive equipment" during time exploration without paying any price, Xia De felt there was no need for it at all.

The armor didn't help him much, and there weren't many occasions in time exploration tasks that required him to fight directly.

"Don't use the key for a month; bring it back."

Xia De said, then pressed the cat that wanted to drill out of his clothes back into his clothes. Only then did he look up at the transparent giant tree, watching two emerald green leaves slowly overlapping and drifting toward the bottom from the depths of the rustling canopy.

He held his right hand high, and the leaves drifted into his palm.

Sighing lightly, looking at the knight sword held in his left hand, he finally nodded to the giant tree, and after the golden box floated to his side, Xia De turned and walked toward the depths of the thick fog behind him.

【Outsider, you have returned to the present time.】

【Message from the Old God "Infinite Tree Father":】

【Infinite time protects you.】

Just as he walked out of the restaurant door of the Belindell Manor on Monday morning, Xia De saw Luvia and Miss Belindell stepping back to make room for the glowing armor box to land. He hadn't felt it in the desert or in the fog, but now that he had returned to reality, the light of this box was truly blinding.

"Welcome back, Xia De... although you only left for three seconds."

Luvia walked toward Xia De first, gave him a warm hug, and then curiously went to check the box.

The countess naturally walked over reservedly, but in front of Luvia, she was a bit embarrassed to hug Xia De... this was probably the biggest difference between her and other witches.

"How is it? Can you see anything from the fog I walked into?"

Pressing down the melancholy caused by Miss Knight's departure at the end of the story, Xia De asked the great witch of fate, who shook her head:

"Nothing can be seen; this is worthy of being the power left by an Old God. Do you want to tell us the story? And, why do I feel you have become more powerful than just now?"

Although he had just eaten breakfast, for Xia De, who had just fully activated a mystery lock, eating something was also very good, and Little Mia agreed with his point of view the most.

The breakfast prepared by the countess's manor every morning was definitely not the right amount, so the countess ordered Miss Matilda to bring new breakfast for Xia De.

The three sat at the dining table, and Xia De told the final story of the "Gravel Sand Sea" while eating.

They all knew what had happened twice before, so they listened to Xia De talk about the team of five moving toward the depths of the sand sea where night had fallen, then adventuring into the worm's body, the mermaid girl sacrificing herself to block the falling stone door, Xia De gaining a new spirit rune from the story, and finally Miss Knight awakening as a witch and thoroughly eliminating the worm with one sword.

"This kind of adventure is truly wonderful; we in this era have no chance to experience it. However, an ordinary girl awakening as a witch..."

Miss Aurora, who appeared in the restaurant halfway through Xia De's story, supported her side face and sighed:

"Your description is different from the employment of contemporary witches; we cannot become witches just by ourselves, but by relying on the power of the council. And you also know that we all become ring warlocks first, then have the qualifications to become witch apprentices, and finally can become witches, so there is no such thing as becoming a witch while directly taking a part-time job as a ring warlock."

She said to Xia De, who had a fate ring floating behind him, and Luvia carefully counted Xia De's spirit runes:

"Seven rings now have five spirit runes: Blasphemy - Dragon, Enlightenment - Flesh, Enlightenment - Mermaid Princess, Whisper - Red Butterfly, Whisper - Prejudice. Now only 'Miracle' and the sublimation language spirit rune are missing; if your sublimation language spirit rune happens to be of the 'Miracle' type, then you are actually only missing one."

"Take it slow; there's no rush for this."

Xia De shook his head:

"The effect of this mystery lock really surprised me, but this mystery lock seems to have no use. More than one person has told me that in the Sixth Era, the material world no longer allows mortals to perform large-scale time manipulation, even inside the mystery lock."

"But small-scale time manipulation should be possible; although the consumption is huge, at least it got rid of those restrictions of the Breath of Time."

Luvia was quite optimistic, and "She" by his ear said with a smile:

【Due to the special nature of the mystery lock, even if you violate the rules to perform time changes, it will only extend the unavailability period of the Time Key.】

Xia De raised his eyebrows and asked Miss Aurora again:

"In the mermaid species, are there any records of Miss Sander?"

The great witch of light thought for a while:

"The mermaid tribe where that ancient mermaid you described belongs should not be large; the fact that her mother is only 11th level is the best evidence. It is basically impossible for such small and medium-sized tribes to leave records. Mermaid civilization is different from land species civilization; they are not very keen on recording their own history."

So, wanting to check Miss Sander by a name is actually not as good as going to Saint Byron or Zaras Academy of Literature to check the student list of the Fifth Era that currently exists.

Of course, if you go to Granny Xinnuode, just let Emilia ask the elders of her own clan. The elves of the Moon Creek clan are very keen on recording history; as long as the story about Granny Xinnuode is not lost in the era transition, then there is a high probability that some information can be found. ===== CHAPTER 2356 =====