This Is My Answer

"Stand up, Ian. You've had enough rest. There's no time for you to rest in the Contamination Zone."

"... Yes, Father."

"Your expression seems to be hiding something. Are you thinking of giving up? It's not too late to give up now. You don't have to go down the same path as me."

"No, Father, I never thought of giving up. I just don't understand some things."

"What?"

"Why do we still need to practice such basic swordsmanship? In the [Overload] state, we shouldn't need to hone our skills to this extent, right?"

"What we need, Ian. You must understand that metal bodies and prosthetics are ultimately just tools; they can be damaged. In dire straits, a person can only rely on their own body and spirit, and what we are working on now is the spirit... Do you understand?"

"I understand, Father! Let's continue!"

"Good. Lift your head and focus. Don't let your sister laugh at you. Ina has been standing behind you for a long time."

"Ah?!"

"I told you, focus!"

The older Knight once again knocked the distracted younger Knight to the ground. The younger Knight rubbed his head and glanced at the little girl hiding at the back, secretly laughing.

Memories intertwine between clarity and vagueness, making one feel as if it happened just yesterday, yet also as if it happened a very long time ago.

But no matter when, it deeply attracted Jie La Er, making Jie La Er want to immerse himself in this scene forever.

Then, he heard a sound coming from outside the screen.

"It's time to wake up, Jie La Er."

Jie La Er opened his eyes and found himself on the roof of an abandoned house, where he could see the still-smoking Source Oil Processing Plant in the distance.

This brought back a rapid recollection of everything, and at the same time, the voice-over that had previously echoed in her memory rang out again.

"You're sleeping really soundly," Bai Wei said casually. "I'll fight, and you can sleep, right? Hmm... But it's not so bad. It's good to get some exercise. Although your old bones aren't having a great time, it's better than nothing."

Jie La Er felt somewhat annoyed when he recalled that he had been ambushed by Da Ke and had no choice but to let Bai Wei take over his body.

Without the aid of a prosthetic limb, even his senses were so dulled that he was still able to be ambushed like that.

They're practically no different from trash.

Jie La Er pinched the flesh on his thigh hard, as if trying to awaken some memories of past battles, but it was hard to say how effective it would be.

"How long have you been using my body?" Jie La Er asked Bai Wei.

"Just look at the time and you'll know."

Jie La Er opened his pocket watch and glanced at it; his expression became even more serious.

Before entering the processing plant, he glanced at the time, and more than two hours had passed since then. Subtracting the time he had acted on his own, Bai Wei had controlled his body for at least an hour.

He was completely unaware of this, and was even deeply immersed in sleep, without even the awareness to regain control of his body, which naturally made him feel the danger.

"What did you do with my body?" Jie La Er asked again.

"Could you please stop using such strange language?" Bai Wei said with a smile. "Don't worry, I didn't do anything outrageous. I just did one big thing and two small things. After all, I didn't expect you to be completely oblivious to the outside world. You know, my previous partner could still talk to me when I was using his body, but you can't... Well, maybe your soul isn't as complete anymore."

Bai Wei bombarded Jie La Er with so much information that Jie La Er didn't know which question to ask first.

After hesitating for a moment, Jie La Er still felt that the fact that his body was out of control was a serious matter, which directly determined whether he would dare to continue to entrust his body to Bai Wei.

As for the one major matter and two minor matters, they've all been taken care of, so we can ask about them later.

"What do you mean by saying my soul is incomplete?" Jie La Er asked.

"It means exactly what it says." On this issue, Bai Wei also unusually did not choose to be the riddle-maker. "Logically speaking, the state you are in after handing your body over to me is similar to the state you are in with me now. You can talk to me in your mind, but you cannot 'see' or feel the outside world like I can. However, if you want, you can take back control of your body at any time."

"At any time?"

"Yes, anytime," Bai Wei said. "Because this body is yours, I'm just borrowing it. But I have to remind you that if you forcibly take the body back when I'm in control, something might happen. You should understand what I mean."

Jie La Er nodded silently.

In other words, when he was in control of the body, Bai Wei was just a passerby pointing and gesturing beside him; he could see and hear, but he couldn't control it.

When Bai Wei takes control of the body, he is like a disabled person who has lost his sight and hearing. The only way he can understand the outside world is through Bai Wei. He can indeed end this state and take back the body at any time, but the staggering moment of regaining hearing and sight can sometimes lead to very serious consequences.

Therefore, such an exchange requires sufficient trust.

Jie La Er asked, "Your previous host..."

"I would prefer you to call him a partner," Bai Wei corrected. "The term 'host' sounds awful; it makes me sound like a parasite."

"Alright." Jie La Er didn't dwell on it. "Was your last business partner in this situation?"

"Yes," Bai Wei said calmly. "I know what you want to ask. He didn't trust me much at that time, but he wouldn't have forcibly taken back my body when I was in control."

Jie La Er asked instinctively, "Why?"

"It's very simple." Bai Wei raised Jie La Er's eyebrows. "Because every time he hands his body over to me, he's already on the verge of being beaten to death. If I don't take over, he'll be going to see his beloved Rhine God. So naturally he won't do anything stupid."

Jie La Er: "..."

"Now, back to your question, you can't even talk to me when I'm in control of your body," Bai Wei said. "This shouldn't be happening, which is why I suspect there's something wrong with your soul... it's not complete."

"... Why is this happening?"

"I'm not an expert in this area, but I suspect it's related to your operation ten years ago. Didn't you lose a part of your memory?" Bai Wei said. "I think you may have lost more than just your memory, but a part of your soul. It should be a part of your soul, except that the memory is embedded in your soul."

Memories... are embedded in the soul?

Jie La Er felt that this explanation was somewhat vague, yet somehow plausible.

So, is the crux of the matter still that operation ten years ago?

Jie La Er gently closed his eyes, but quickly opened them again. He looked down at the middle finger of his left hand and asked, "According to this logic, if I give my body to you, I will never wake up. Wouldn't that mean you can control my body forever?"

"Of course... no." Bai Wei said with a hint of regret, "Although I really wish it were like that, it would save me a lot of trouble, your soul is only partially lost, not really gone, so you will eventually wake up. Right now, it's more of an adjustment caused by the incompleteness of your soul. Once you get used to it, it should be much better. Just like just now, even if I didn't call you, you woke up quickly. You should be able to feel that yourself."

Although Jie La Er couldn't be sure if everything Bai Wei said was true, it at least gave him some relief.

But at the same time, he also reminded himself that unless it was absolutely necessary, he should not let Bai Wei take over his body.

It's still too dangerous.

As for the problem of the soul, it cannot be solved now, so Jie La Er can only focus on the three things that Bai Wei just mentioned.

"You mentioned two small things and one big thing," Jie La Er asked. "What's the big thing?"

"Hehe, so you finally asked about that?" Bai Wei said. "Look at your left side."

Jie La Er turned his head and noticed a blood-soaked sack on his left. His pupils narrowed slightly. "What is this?"

"You'll see when you open it," Bai Wei said calmly. "Collecting so many isn't an easy task, so don't be scared."

Upon hearing Bai Wei's words, Jie La Er felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

What could be inside?

Da Ke's head?

Just before he lost consciousness from the body swap, Jie La Er seemed to see Bai Wei shove Da Ke's head into the blender.

Why did he bring back Da Ke's head?

Jie La Er was somewhat puzzled, but he knew that everything Bai Wei did had its own deeper meaning, so after taking a deep breath, he opened the bag anyway.

Then he saw what was in the bag.

The coins were piled high.

Jie La Er was immediately stunned. "What is this?"

"Money," Bai Wei said. "What else could it be? I found this in that factory manager's office. Tsk tsk tsk, that guy is quite rich."

"But... what are you going to do with the money?"

"Huh? Have you forgotten? Don't you still owe that girl a lot of money?"

Jie La Er was completely stunned. "Just because of this? This is the big deal you were talking about?"

"What?" Bai Wei asked in a surprised tone, "You promised her you would pay her back. Does a man's promise mean nothing? Or did you intend to renege on your debt from the beginning?"

Bai Wei's words left Jie La Er unsure of what expression to make. He even began to doubt whether he was still dreaming, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

"Alright, it seems you really don't think this is a big deal." Bai Wei stopped joking and said calmly, "Then take a look inside and see another little thing."

... So it turns out there's more to it than just money?

Jie La Er became serious again, then reached into his purse and began rummaging through it, quickly pulling out a rotten piece of flesh.

"What's this?"

"The most direct reason why people turn into monsters." Bai Wei also glanced at the piece of flesh, then clicked his tongue. "It's more rotten than when I first found it. It won't be long before it's completely rotten."

Then, Bai Wei told Jie La Er all the information he had previously obtained from Luo Bo.

After hearing this, Jie La Er frowned deeply, and his gaze toward the piece of meat became even more wary.

"How could there be something like this?" Jie La Er said. "Did it also come from the Contaminated Land? But it doesn't look like a piece of contaminated remains."

"In a sense, it is that Sinful Creature."

"... But why is it rotting?" Jie La Er asked again. "According to you, this piece of meat should be inexhaustible."

Bai Wei said calmly, "Perhaps the person who ate it died."

"What kind of statement is this?" Jie La Er was even more confused.

"From this piece of flesh, we might be able to deduce a little about the connection between your god and that newborn Sinful Creature," Bai Wei said. "But I need more evidence to confirm it, so I'll need you to make another trip tomorrow."

Where to?

"You'll find out tomorrow," Bai Wei said calmly. "You should be thinking about how to leave this place now. The fire over there has been put out, and the Skeleton Corps will definitely be searching this area. If you don't leave now, you'll be in trouble."

Jie La Er looked toward the Source Oil Processing Plant in the distance and, sure enough, saw the Skeleton Corps who had finished fighting the fire approaching.

He really should leave.

Jie La Er got up and found that his body was not as tired as before. You know, the last time Bai Wei used his body, it almost killed him.

"I didn't use my own power this time." Perhaps anticipating Jie La Er's doubts, Bai Wei said calmly, "So there's no need to pay a price. Don't worry, I'm not some demon. The longer you can last, the better for me."

Is it a good thing to hold out a little longer?

Jie La Er shook his head and didn't say anything more. He had already received enough information today, and he needed to go back and digest it properly.

But just as he was about to jump off the roof, he suddenly remembered something.

Bai Wei has already mentioned the three things, the big one and the small one. What is the last small one?

"Oh, you're asking about one last little thing?" Bai Wei said casually. "If you hadn't specifically asked, I would have almost forgotten."

He paused, then said with a half-smile.

"I've met your daughter."

Jie La Er froze.

"Miss Ina."

Ina turned her head and saw a skeletal Knight handing her her Blazing Fire Sword and Devil Squad Certificate.

"We have confirmed your identity and know that you are not involved in this disaster, but please forgive our previous rudeness."

Ina didn't say anything, but simply took the documents and then hung the Blazing Fire Sword on her body.

Then she heard the skeletal Knight ask, "You said you rushed over after seeing the fire, and then fought with the suspected arsonist, is that right?"

Ina nodded.

"Do you know the identity of the arsonist?" the skeletal Knight asked. "Or rather, did you see the person's face clearly? I know we've asked this question more than once, but it's really important, so please think carefully."

Ina raised her head and looked at the skeleton Knight in front of her, but the scene from just now reappeared in her mind.

So she replied, "No, I don't know who that person is."

"Alright, then thank you for your trouble." The skeletal Knight didn't press the matter and said politely, "Let me see you out."

Ina knew that this was the other party's duty, so she did not refuse.

So the Skeleton Knight led Ina outside.

The fire has been extinguished.

However, the Source Oil Processing Plant has also been destroyed.

Everywhere there were ruins and charred bones.

Walking through this area, Ina felt even more oppressed than walking in the Contamination Zone.

"So many people have died," Ina heard the skeleton Knight sigh beside her. "Since the founding of Lyra City, there has never been such a disaster. I really don't know what kind of beast would do such a thing."

Ina didn't reply, she just walked on in silence.

The skeletal Knight kept glancing at Ina out of the corner of his eye. Her delicate profile made his heart pound, especially against the backdrop of the ruins, where she possessed a unique beauty.

This made the skeletal Knight unconsciously puff out his chest as he walked, while constantly trying to figure out what Ina was thinking.

When he noticed the hint of sadness in Ina's eyes, he suddenly understood and smiled, saying, "Miss Ina, you don't need to feel guilty. Failing to catch him wasn't your fault; it was our duty. Besides, you've already given us enough information. After all, in this city, the number of people who can escape from the Devil Squad is definitely not large. You've greatly narrowed down the search area for us. If we still can't find him, then we're simply..."

The skeletal Knight kept chattering, thinking he had found the answer.

This annoyed Ina.

It's really annoying.

She just wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible.

But just as she was about to leave, she suddenly saw a young man holding a charred corpse and weeping bitterly, which made her stop in her tracks.

She recognized the person as the one who had spoken with her "father" earlier.

"What's wrong with him?" Ina asked.

"Him?" the skeletal Knight said, then sighed softly. "He is the only survivor. The person he is holding now is his father."

Ina's heart skipped a beat.

"What in this world is more natural and rightful than children seeing their parents one last time?"

Ina's hand clenched tightly for a moment, but then quickly loosened.

"So that's what it means?" she said softly.

"What did you say?" The skeletal Knight did not hear clearly.

Ina shook her head, offering no explanation, and continued walking, preparing to leave.

But just then, another skeleton Knight hurried over, walked up to the first skeleton Knight, and whispered something in his ear.

Although the sound wasn't loud, Ina could still hear it clearly.

"She is Jie La Er's daughter!"

Upon hearing this, Ina slowed her pace.

Because she knew what was going to happen next.

Sure enough, the skeletal Knight had been incredibly enthusiastic towards her just a minute ago immediately spoke in a cold tone, "Miss Ina, please wait a moment."

Ina turned around and calmly looked at the skeleton Knight whose expression had changed.

She was not surprised by this change, because something similar had happened ten years ago.

"Are you sure you don't have anything to say to us?" the skeletal Knight asked.

"I don't know what to say to you."

"Please tell us, was the person you fought earlier your former adoptive father, Jie La Er?" The Skeleton Knight stared directly into Ina's eyes. "Please answer this question."

Ina said calmly, "I have already answered this question before."

"Please answer again, Miss Ina. Before you answer, please look around you." The skeletal Knight spread his hands, his voice gradually rising. "Look at the state of this factory. Look at how many people have died because of it. You should know what a heinous crime this is! Do you want to protect such a criminal? Do you dare to protect him?!"

It's still... the same old rhetoric.

Ina looked around and found that all the skeleton Knight had stopped what they were doing and were looking at her with extremely indifferent eyes.

Just like it was ten years ago.

"Your father killed everyone!"

"He is the biggest murderer!"

"You're an accomplice too!"

Endless pressure came rolling in.

Those words, those gazes, seemed capable of killing.

Ina thought that after ten years, she would no longer be afraid of such things, but at this moment, she still felt a little breathless.

It was precisely because she couldn't withstand such pressure and wanted to prove that none of this was true that she resolutely joined the Devil Squad, vowing to find out the truth.

However...

Jie La Er's image resurfaced in her mind.

"Do you understand? Your father is dead."

"It was you who killed him."

"He was alone and was killed."

The skeletal Knight slowly approached Ina: "There is still a chance, Miss Ina. As long as you can stand up and accuse your adoptive father, everything can be salvaged. You will not be implicated, and we can officially raise the wanted level and arrest him... This is your last chance, Miss Ina."

These words sounded different to Ina.

"I haven't completely taken Jie La Er's life yet."

"But next time, it will be all of it."

"Brush"!

A sword mark appeared on the ground.

The skeletal Knight stopped in his tracks, for the sword mark was right in front of his feet, just a hair's breadth away from severing his toes.

"This is enough. I don't like getting too close to people."

Ina calmly sheathed the Blazing Fire Sword.

The skeletal Knight looked up at Ina and asked, "Is this your answer?"

"Yes," Ina said. "That's my answer."