Chapter 53: Inner Desires

After Professor Garcia left, Xia De continued to slump in his chair with his eyes closed. Several minutes later, he quietly squinted to look around the silent living room, confirming that the other party had really left, only then did he sit up straight.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, under the light of the brass gas lamp on the living room wall, his face presented an expression of having just woken from a big dream. That appearance just now was naturally pretended. It seemed that deliberate acting was correct. In the eyes of the professors at St. Byrons, even if he only saw the dwelling of a god, it shouldn't be easy.

Looking down at the water basin again, under the light of the brass gas lamp on the living room wall, not a drop of water was left inside. Only the dry elective course parchment roll lay quietly inside, with no text on the back.

"What happened just now?"

He asked his head, while taking out the key in his pocket. It was indeed still that time key, only the surface of the key was covered in cracks.

"Why can the key be reused? Why did I encounter the task of the 【Father of the Infinite Tree】 the first time I traveled through time? Why is that god called an Old God? The thirteen first... mentioned by the Old God..."

【Outsider, I am you; you do not know, and I do not know.】

The woman chuckled.

【Everything I have shown so far that is different from the normal situation comes from your specialness. That knowledge of Deraerion is me absorbing the broken memory of the previous soul in the body; being able to perceive relics at close range is the specialness of the outsider's soul. I am you; this is your specialness. You do not know, and I do not know.】

The explanation she gave was completely consistent with Xia De's thoughts during the day.

Xia De listened to the words in his ears and leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling:

"In this world, I finally saw a god with my own eyes."

He sighed, and after his spirit fully recovered, he thought of more things:

"Thirteen Old Gods, why have I never heard of this statement? That Father of the Infinite Tree... thirteen founding series Tarot cards, the last thirteen witch emperors of the Fifth Era, what kind of coincidence is this? This number thirteen must have some special meaning. Everything originates from the Old Gods?"

【Perhaps you can guess for yourself; I think you should already have ideas.】

"Yes, but this idea has no evidence..."

Sighing, he summarized the "adventure" tonight:

"This time, I at least did not lose anything."

【You also obtained the Spell 【False Immortality】.】

"But I did not complete the task and obtain the reward of the Miracle and Spirit Rune."

【You still have two more chances.】

"I do not understand the power of the 'afterglow of a god' mentioned by the Old God."

【But at least you are still alive, you still have infinite possibilities.】

Xia De sat in the chair and laughed:

"Actually, I am very grateful that you can speak in my ear. Although, it is still uncertain what exactly you are, but having someone always by one's side, this feeling is also not bad. No need to comfort me; I am not such a fragile person. Since I saw the opportunity to obtain power, I will not let it go... the afterglow of a god... perhaps Priest Augustus will have an opinion."

His eyes looked at the bedroom door that was slightly opened. The orange cat Mia, who was tired from playing, squeezed out from the crack in the door, but clearly, the cat was not that narrow.

Amber eyes looked at Xia De. The small short legs ran for a bit, then suddenly darted onto Xia De's lap. After lying down, it didn't feel Xia De stroking it for a long time, so it very dissatisfiedly used its claws to pat Xia De's leg.

Xia De then reached out to stroke the soft fur on Mia's back. The orange fur was unusually soft and warm, just like holding a small stove.

"Meow~"

It rolled over on Xia De's lap, its four small legs kicking around, exposing its white belly to Xia De, tilting its head and looking at Xia De from below with big eyes. Only then did the outsider feel that he had completely gotten rid of the mental influence brought by the incident just now:

"Thank you too, Mia. Thank you for liking me so much."

He played with the orange cat with his hands, then looked up at the window covered by thick fabric curtains:

"God."

The outsider muttered to himself.

(Little Mia is running...)

The next Thursday of the fourth week of the Sun Month, when picking up the newspaper, milk, and goat milk in the morning, Xia De indeed received a letter mailed from the "Taylor & Wanda United Mining Company" in the south of the kingdom. Inside was exactly that page of poem manuscript that could allow Xia De to contact the academy directly, exactly the same as Dr. Bill Schneider's.

When eating breakfast with Little Mia, Xia De hesitated for a long time. Although Professor Garcia said he could write the report on his behalf, Xia De finally wrote another one himself, then attached a description of his physical condition and transmitted it to the academy through the poem manuscript page.

The academy's reply was also very fast; it seemed to be Professor Garcia's reply. The handwritten flowery letters looked very much like continuous vines. He told Xia De to pay attention to rest and recuperation, and regarding the credit rewards and other rewards for this investigator task, it would be decided after the Department of History's academy meeting.

This kind of investigation event that almost saw a god raised the level of the 【Time Key】 for 1068 of the Fifth Era to Angel-level. Xia De therefore guessed that like him really seeing a god, it should be classified as an Unknown-level Level 0.

After handling these matters, he said good morning to the woman in his head for the first time, only then tucking the poem manuscript page into the novel "The Silver Knight". Now that broken key was locked in the drawer of the bedroom desk. And the spell 【False Immortality】 obtained yesterday needed to be used in a severely injured state. Xia De was reluctant to hurt himself or the cat to the point of severe injury and near death, so he could not use it for the time being.

But at least he had obtained a new spell, and listening to the effect, he knew it was extraordinary.

He still did not understand what exactly happened last night and planned to try to open a new 【Time Key】 again after the Department of History's summary of this matter, to confirm whether last night was an exception.

Although he wanted to obtain the task rewards for 1068 of the Fifth Era, the Miracle - Blade of Chaotic Time and the Spirit Rune 【Echo】, the Old God 【Innocent Creator】 said he must at least have the power of the "afterglow of a god" to complete the task.

So before understanding what the "afterglow of a god" was, Xia De would not waste the remaining two chances of the key in his hand.

"Could it be that this was also caused by the specialness of my soul? Don't think about it for now; today's goal is the Prophet Association."

He said while tidying his clothes in front of the floor mirror, while Mia was rolling and playing on the bed behind him.

【Outsider, your soul is very special; this is still a problem caused by your characteristics. I am you; there is no need to doubt this point.】

The whispering voice said, the voice very pleasant. This was the first time Xia De heard the other party speak like this; she seemed to be in a good mood, probably because Xia De said good morning to her. ===== CHAPTER 54 =====