Chapter 111 – The Final Remembrance

“Haitie used the Great Prophecy, forcing Gregory to open The Holy Kingdom. His younger brother, Bolan, became the new emperor. The mages took refuge within the barrier of Siren Island to escape the Elemental Storm. Not long after, Bolan extended an invitation to the Magic Association, allowing the mages to enter The Holy Kingdom. Teacher Mortier and his students took on the task of maintaining The Holy Kingdom.”

“The trade between the Magic World and the Empire, which I had previously planned with Daniel, is now being attempted. We are considering something that can be used on the continent and holds significance in the Magic World as currency… perhaps crystals, though it’s not yet decided.”

“Everything is moving in a positive direction, well… and there’s Tiki. I remember she’s always been by your side. This time, she didn’t get involved in these matters and stayed safely on Siren Island.”

After he finished speaking, the room fell into silence as the echoes of his words faded away.

Everyone had found their own ending.

The face on the throne had changed, yet the roses still bloomed. What was once lost had returned, what was once hated had been forgotten—what was once opposed now stood in silent unity under the moonlight of the ancient castle, giving a final remembrance to the time that no longer existed.

Lin Wei gazed out the window, feeling as though he had ascended in the quiet, overlooking the Sea of Souls and the river of time.

The dust of history settled, the river changed its course, flowing toward another ocean.

Only they knew that a time of marching over bones and flames had been gently erased by a hand, leaving no trace.

He didn’t speak to Duan Yu again, feeling that even someone as emotionally detached as him should be experiencing something similar at this moment.

After a long while, he heard a single word.

“Thank you.”

A faint smile appeared in Lin Wei’s eyes. “Mm.”

The fire elemental crystal he had kept by his side for two days had finally depleted.

In Duan Yu’s field of vision, a hand appeared, offering another crystal.

He took it and activated it.

A warm, comforting heat radiated from the fire crystal, enveloping the entire room.

Lin Wei took it and placed it by his pillow.

Duan Yu left Lin Wei’s room, closing the door behind him. As he did, he saw the Young Duke lying on the bed, wrapped in a soft, snow-white fur blanket, his black hair spilling over his shoulders, his long lashes casting faint shadows as they rested on his cheeks. He seemed lost in thought.

This was the first time Duan Yu had seen the Duke in a state other than on the battlefield.

Fragile and elegant, almost docile.

It was as if a sharp-clawed, troublesome cat, always ready to scratch and hard to catch, had suddenly walked up to him willingly, an unimaginable sight.

His gaze fell on the exposed neck.

Soft and vulnerable, the very throat that had been pointed at by the tip of Gungnir’s spear multiple times.

Their interactions that day had been restrained and distant. Though the enmity between them had vanished, the years on the battlefield had left behind habits that were hard to shake.

The door closed, cutting off Lin Wei’s figure and the warm light from the fire crystal, leaving a brief, bright afterimage in the Lich’s vision.

His world returned to its usual cold and darkness, yet a subtle sense of loss, of unknown origin, quietly rose within him.

In his subconscious, he wanted to grasp that neck, to make this person unable to escape.

Inside the room, Lin Wei was unaware of the thoughts swirling outside. He finished the pale green liquid in his cup, lay down, and closed his eyes.

After a while, he opened them again, reached for the crystal by his pillow, and held it close to his chest before falling asleep—this time, he slept deeply, without dreams, though he felt a constant weight on his chest, making it hard to breathe. When he woke, he couldn’t even remember where he was. He instinctively shifted closer to the side, only to feel the emptiness and coldness there, realizing the person he expected wasn’t there.

He lay there gloomily for a while, staring at the wall, comforting himself—it wasn’t that far, just a wall away, though it felt even colder and more distant.

The warmth from the fire crystal continued to flow into him. Lin Wei closed his eyes again and drifted back into a heavy sleep.

The moon hung outside the window, making it hard to sense the passage of time.

However, Adrishig could still clearly feel the passage of time. He felt that the door to the room had been closed for far too long and smiled at Duan Yu. “Go in and check on him. His health isn’t great—he’s sensitive to the cold, sleeps lightly, and has a terrible temper. If something happens, I won’t be able to explain it.”

Thus, when the Lich, compelled by the Tower Master’s request, walked to the bedside, he saw Lin Wei lying there, half his face buried in a soft, snow-white pillow, eyes closed, sleeping soundly. He looked so peaceful, clutching the crystal in his hand as if it were a treasure he never wanted to let go.

Fortunately, the Leader still had some common sense and placed his hand on the man’s forehead. But the hand of an undead creature was naturally cold, and he couldn’t feel anything. Instead, the coldness made Lin Wei frown slightly.

The warm touch made the Lich momentarily dazed. His fingers trailed down, brushing against the side of Lin Wei’s face, reaching his throat, where they gently caressed.

His hand tightened around Lin Wei’s neck, slowly increasing the pressure, a strange sensation rising within him, making his soul tremble.

This person’s life is in your hands. He’s at your mercy now.

At the brink of death, he’ll wake up, helplessly opening his eyes, struggling, but to no avail.

His eyes will redden, he’ll gasp softly, looking at you pleadingly, begging for an end to the torment.

If the Lich could still breathe, his breath would quicken.

If the undead still had a heartbeat, it would pound fiercely.

He had felt this before, on the battlefield, moments away from ending this person’s life.

Lin Wei shifted uncomfortably, opening his eyes to meet the Lich’s gaze, dark as the night.

He struggled to breathe, his chest rising and falling slightly. The deep violet of his eyes was misted with a thin layer of moisture, filled with a hint of panic. “You…”

Duan Yu slowly released his grip. Lin Wei coughed a few times.

“Sorry,” Duan Yu thought—what am I doing?

Lin Wei looked at him but didn’t get angry. He lowered his eyes and slowly shook his head, his voice hoarse and fragile. “It’s fine.”

Lin Wei didn’t seem to be in good spirits. He felt his forehead with the back of his hand and said to Duan Yu, “Can you call Adrishig over for me… I’m not feeling well.”

Adrishig looked at Lin Wei as if he were a fragile little creature. “You’re really sick.”

Lin Wei listlessly looked at him and pulled out some magic potions Daniel had prepared. “Which one should I take?”

Adrishig shook his head. “Mages don’t get sick, so potions won’t help.”

Lin Wei: “…”

He probably caught a chill while curled up in the corner of the Lich’s former tower, and the exhaustion from the journey finally caught up with him.

—This was likely due to the fact that he had been overly cared for since childhood, rarely falling ill, and over the past two days, he hadn’t paid much attention to his own condition until now.

“Wait,” Adrishig’s expression suddenly turned serious. “How’s your soul?”

Lin Wei checked his soul and found it flickering uncontrollably, in a state of extreme chaos.

“Not good,” he said. “It’s probably been affected by the vortex.”

“After all, we’re rejected by this world, and a Spirit Channeler’s soul is particularly sensitive.”

“What should I do?”

Adrishig sighed, his gaze shifting between Lin Wei and Duan Yu. “Continue your contract. He belongs here and can help stabilize your soul.”

Lin Wei cautiously glanced at Duan Yu, then back at Adrishig. “But the Life Contract requires us to be very close.”

Adrishig looked at Duan Yu. “You’ll be staying in this room from now on.”

Lin Wei added, “But he just tried to kill me.”

Adrishig had a headache.

He felt like a parent dealing with the petty troubles of young people, trying to figure out whether it was the truth, a malicious complaint, or something else entirely.

The Tower Master, clutching his throbbing head, said to Duan Yu, “Don’t bully him.”

Duan Yu: “…Mm.”

Lin Wei blinked a few times and buried his face completely in the pillow.

Adrishig: “…”

He’s laughing. He’s definitely laughing.

The Tower Master decided to believe that Duan Yu had indeed tried to harm Lin Wei.

—Right now, he also wanted to give this guy a good squeeze, bullying him until he begged for mercy to vent his frustration.

This world was truly isolated.

They had stayed here peacefully for four days, and miraculously, no major incidents had occurred.

—If only he could control himself better.

Lin Wei pretended nothing had happened, retracting the arm he had unconsciously draped over Duan Yu in his sleep, moving his head back to its rightful place on the pillow, putting some distance between them.

The Lich, who may or may not have slept, looked at him with a calm expression.

“It’s the effect of the Life Contract…” Lin Wei, knowing he was in the wrong, explained softly.

Under the condition that the final step wouldn’t be taken, he was allowed to continue the contract. It had already progressed significantly, and though he wasn’t fully recovered, his soul had stabilized considerably.

The dependency on his soul had grown more severe, and he could no longer control the tendrils of his soul reaching out to the person beside him—nor could he fully control his hands and body.

The only thing Lin Wei was truly grateful for was that Duan Yu also seemed to be affected by the contract and had restrained himself. Otherwise, he would have long since been driven to kill him.

Lost in thought, he also felt a deep sadness.

He thought, you’re so cold, yet I still want to be close to you. I’ve given up everything, yet I still fear you’ll kill me. Even the Life Contract hasn’t made you treat me any better.

The Lich saw him turn away, not moving for a long time, and remembered the despondent look in his eyes. For some reason, he recalled the scene at the entrance of the underground palace, where the Elemental Spirit cried out pitifully, receiving no response before struggling to fly away and leave him.

Suddenly, something pierced his heart, causing a slight pain. He reached out, hesitating for a moment, then placed his hand on Lin Wei’s head, gently ruffling his hair.

He felt Lin Wei’s body tremble slightly at his touch.

A strange tremor in space interrupted his thoughts. The vortex above the ancient hall shrank, stilled, and vanished.

There was only one explanation: the Goddess had completed her thousand-year search and retrieved the final fragment of Elvis’s soul.

These past few days, they had taken no action, waiting for this moment to arrive.