Can Birds Still Fly? / A Level That's Stuck

Gwen, who had already noticed the scrutinizing look in Sunday's eyes, nodded in agreement, but still reminded her,

"However, if possible, please do not use honorifics for me, nor add the suffix 'Mr.'."

"I'm the Robin's friend, and you're his brother. This... seems a bit too formal."

After all, he's been acting so intimately with the girl's sister, so it's only right that the older brother be wary of the blond-haired guy.

As for whether I'll have the energy to deal with potential difficulties on Sunday...

Although he had expended considerable effort beforehand, Gwen, who was already accustomed to battling the golden giants, could still claim to be in excellent condition.

Compared to the near-death experience of almost losing his soul after clashing with Manigoldo's Corpse Poison Wave of the Underworld, Gwen's current condition is simply excellent.

Chapter 502 Can Birds Still Fly?

"...

But as far as I know, you don't seem to be listed in the Robin's previous tour records.

On the observation deck where Gwen had previously gazed at the stars, Sunday sat opposite Gwen, his golden eyes reflecting Gwen's image, and asked in a deep voice.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Sunday finally couldn't help but get down to business and asked how the two of them met.

"We did meet during one of the Robin's tours, but in a way that no one else knew about it except the two of us..."

Faced with a somewhat impatient Sunday, Gwen smiled slightly, remaining calm and collected.

As for the specific method...

You can consider it an extremely rare and unusual object—

A wondrous object that can transcend vast distances, allowing two complete strangers to communicate directly.

"Strange object?"

On Sunday, she raised an eyebrow in surprise, not expecting such a response.

Could you please be more specific?

"However, there's really not much to say—"

Gwen shrugged.

"It's basically a communicator that seems to require no base station or signal, but has added space teleportation capabilities—"

There are still no contacts to search; finding someone to chat with depends on luck—someone has opened the app...

Perhaps it was a joke played by some anonymous God of Merriment, or maybe it was a children's toy made by some bored 'genius'?

That's about it.

After all, my IQ is only average, so it's difficult for me to figure out much more from it.

"...

Thank you for your trust.

Unexpectedly, Gwen was so... unexpectedly candid. After a moment of silence, Sunday slowly spoke.

"Speaking of which, if you have time, I would also like to ask you to investigate the family's library on Sunday to see if there are any rare items with similar effects?"

Gwen waved his hand dismissively and then took the initiative to bring up what he would inevitably do on Sunday.

"Yes, of course, no problem."

Sunday, now calm again, smiled and nodded, but as he spoke, he took the initiative to talk about some of his past with the Robin, as if he had only asked Gwen to come and chat with him about everyday things.

However, as Gwen had predicted, after a brief chat, Sunday revealed his true intentions—

"Speaking of which, Gwen, what kind of planet were you born on?"

"It's probably... an ordinary yet extraordinary planet—"

Seeing that Sunday had clearly let go of her previous distance and was speaking much more freely, Gwen pondered for a moment and then summarized—

"To put it simply, it's a planet where humans are the primary intelligent life form, and where mature space travel technology hasn't even been developed yet. The main life forms of civilization still rely on the planet's stored chemical energy for survival."

What makes it extraordinary... is probably the disaster known as 'Honkai'..."

Skipping over some of the sensational parts, Gwen briefly shared some of the suffering endured by humanity on Sunday.

Listening to Gwen's description of the disaster called "Honkai," Sunday, who could tell that Gwen wasn't lying, felt a little heavy-hearted.

Compared to the former Halovian, Gwen's homeland seems to be suffering the same hardships.

Compared to the Halovian who were able to escape, the humans of Gwen's homeland seemed to have no choice but to fight the catastrophe known as the Honkai to the bitter end...

In this indescribable sense of empathy, yet also the feeling that different people have different fates, Sunday's initial wariness and hostility towards Gwen were quietly suppressed to some extent.

However, although Sunday felt a closer connection to Gwen due to their shared experience, she didn't forget her original purpose. During seemingly casual conversation, she subtly probed Gwen's thoughts and attitude towards her sister.

For someone accustomed to the treacherous nature of Sunday in Penacony, this was not a difficult thing.

However, considering that Gwen was the savior of himself and his sister, and the Robin's subtle attitude towards Gwen, Sunday cautiously refrained from using certain special abilities and simply chatted normally.

But even so, the answer he wanted was still nowhere to be found on Sunday.

During these casual conversations, the two became quite familiar with each other.

Just as Sunday and Gwen's conversation was drifting towards more abstract topics, a somewhat weary voice interrupted their pleasant chatter—

"Gwen?

Elder brother?

So you're here...

The Robin looked like it had just woken up, happily trotted over to the two people who were having a long conversation.

"Hmm, why don't you sleep a little longer?"

Your previous performances were very strenuous..."

Although she unconsciously raised her eyebrows when she heard the order of the names of the Robin, she still smiled and poured water for her sister on Sunday.

"Actually, it's alright. And after waking up, I didn't feel too tired. It seems that the feathers that my people gave me and Gwen were helping me."

The Robin held the water glass in both hands, a shy smile on its thin face.

As he spoke, the Robin looked at Gwen on his right and asked curiously:

"By the way, Gwen, did you feel the effect of that feather?"

"Um..."

Gwen nodded slightly.

"I can sense the presence of that feather, but perhaps because my foundation is already very high, I don't perceive any improvement or amplification."

But my intuition tells me it has its own purpose.

"I'm glad I could help you..."

Upon hearing Robin also showed a relaxed smile.

Looking at his sister's smile, so identical to the one Remembrance, Sunday's thoughts drifted away, and his probing of Gwen silently came to an end.

On Sunday, he couldn't bring himself to do something that would put his sister in a difficult position: probing her friend's willingness to put her in danger.

Therefore, after the Robin arrived, the conversation among the three gradually shifted towards lighter topics.

"Speaking of which, although the former territory of the Halovian has been revitalized, we only see some flowers and plants, and no birds or other small animals..."

With his hands clasped together on the table and his chin resting on the back of his hands, the Robin recalled the sights he had witnessed in the ancestral lands of the Halovian, and said with some regret,

"I remember my mother saying that birds can be found everywhere in our homeland."

"Perhaps it's because... during that period, birds either mutated directly or couldn't find food and eventually disappeared, but plants managed to survive thanks to the protective mechanism of their seeds, and sprouted from the soil again when the time was right?"

Gwen attempted to answer the question using his limited knowledge of biology.

The Robin accepted Gwen's somewhat cruel answer with equanimity, his eyes still holding hope for the future.

"Gwen, do you think that place will one day regain its former glory, where thousands of birds once took flight?"

"Of course, whether they are the lucky ones who survive in the corner or the new life brought by passing travelers, the free birds will eventually fly again in the sunlit sky..."

Chapter 503 The Stuck Level

Night, Destiny Headquarters, Gwen.

Without a sound, Gwen, who had been away for several days, quietly returned here.

Looking at the living room, which was now empty except for Li Sushang and Wuse Huohuo when he left, Gwen took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, shaking the sense of unreality out of his mind.

A few days after leaving the homeland of the Halovian, the spaceship returned safely to the outside of the Asteroid Galaxy.

Having completed his escort mission and successfully returned the Robin to safety, Gwen bid farewell and departed.

Although the Robin Gwen had his own world to protect, so she smiled and waved goodbye, promising to meet again next time.

In these past few days, although we had to be constantly on guard against enemies whose existence we didn't know, it was still much easier than fighting with those golden giants.

Therefore, the vigilance of the past few days has not made Gwen feel too tired; on the contrary, he has become somewhat relaxed.

Now that he had suddenly relaxed, Gwen even felt a little dazed.

However, this sense of disorientation was fleeting, quickly forgotten by Gwen.

Gwen plopped down on the sofa and casually opened his attribute panel—

Gwen - l9

Power - EX

Durability - EX

Agile - EX

Spirit - EX

Energy - EX

Energy system: None

Development capabilities: Nourishing the Nourish Body with Soul, Nourish Soul with Soul, Ten Directions Bearing, Scorching Infinity, Five Elements Mutual Generation, Gene Lock, Ultimate Lifeform.

In the bloody battle with the golden giants, Gwen's abilities, which had been progressing slowly after reaching level 9, experienced another rapid increase, with his Spirit and Energy abilities reaching EX level very early on.

However, this time Gwen did not see any upgrade prompts in his level.

Even now, Gwen has maxed out all his attributes to EX level, but there's still no indication that he can level up.

"The upgrade system that I shattered in the spiritual world was copied from the movie 'DanMachi'. It's at level nine."

Or is it because I damaged it back then, and it can't level up past level nine, so it needs to be repaired before it can level up?

Or perhaps... there's another meaning to advancing from level nine to level ten, with hidden conditions that need to be met?

After all, nine is considered the ultimate number...

Just as Gwen's gaze fell on the page that only he could see, pondering how he could continue to improve from it, he suddenly heard a slight sound.

Gwen subconsciously looked up and met a pair of wine-red eyes.

"Gwen, you're back?"

Rita, who had just come out of the study, saw Gwen on the sofa in the living room, and her beautiful face immediately lit up with surprise.

"Hmm, Rita, are you tidying up my study again?"

Upon seeing Rita, Gwen, who had just been lounging on the sofa, immediately leaped up and landed beside Rita. He reached out and put his arm around her voluptuous yet slender waist, gently tapped her moist face, and asked with a smile.

"Also, what should you call me?"

It seemed that the leisurely days of the past few days had left him with an abundance of energy that had nowhere to go. As he smelled the faint fragrance emanating from Rita, Gwen couldn't help but feel a little restless.

However, as Gwen asked this question, he also noticed that Rita's supple body seemed to stiffen slightly when his hand landed.

What's wrong?

The moment this question arose, Gwen already sensed the source of the problem—

What should Rita call you?

You Lan Dai Er's voice came from behind Rita, causing Gwen to pause in his actions.

However, even as his movements froze, Gwen's mind didn't go blank. Instead, he naturally turned around with Rita in his arms, and with his free hand, pulled You Lan Dai Er was still at the door, out as well.