As he continued to speculate, Gwen did not wait for Kevin to speak and took the lead.
"Then can you tell me how to activate the Stigmata and obtain the power within it?"
Although Gwen believed that, at his current rate of growth, he should be able to change this world's future, he would not mind having an extra safeguard.
Besides, if he could obtain a proper method for developing the Caslana Stigmata, Gwen might even be able to help You Lan Dai Er, or Kiana, who was still wandering out there, improve their strength.
"Of course."
Kevin's voice returned to its usual cold indifference, as though his earlier silence had never existed.
Then, a stream of information flooded into Gwen's mind.
There was not much information, and Gwen finished absorbing it quickly.
Yet Gwen showed no joy at all—
There was little about techniques for developing the Stigmata's power. Most of it described the precautions and dangers involved.
Simply put, if he wanted to wield the power of the Caslana Stigmata, he only needed to be strong enough—strong enough to overcome every hardship and obstacle.
"Thank you..."
Though he was somewhat speechless at the information Kevin had sent him, Gwen still thanked him first before shifting the conversation elsewhere.
"Mr. Kevin, from what you said earlier, it seems you aren't in this world?"
"That's right."
Kevin's voice remained calm. Gwen's words did not move him in the slightest, nor did he conceal his past.
"A thousand years ago, I had a conflict with a friend.
The result was that I was exiled beyond the world."
"...
Then..."
After several breaths of silence, Gwen politely refrained from asking why Kevin had been exiled and instead asked,
"Do you want to come back?"
"...
The day I return is not far off."
Although World Serpent was still missing several crucial pieces to pull him out of the Sea of Quantum, Kevin remained as steady as a mountain.
"In other words, you want to return, but you can't come back directly yet."
A trace of amusement entered Gwen's voice.
"Then how about making a deal, Mr. Kevin?"
"Let's hear it."
In the Sea of Quantum, Kevin's brow lifted almost imperceptibly—
Gwen was smart. At least while speaking with him here, he showed enough cleverness that Kevin was willing to hear what he had in mind.
"Though I still don't know about your past, that sword strike from earlier today showed that you possess an extraordinary understanding of how to use power.
So I hope you can guide me in the use of my strength.
In return, when the time is right, I can provide whatever help I can for your return."
"..."
Since this unexpected connection had been established today, Kevin's expression—calm as an ancient iceberg for ten thousand years—finally changed noticeably. His brows drew together—
The hint he had given was obvious enough. At least, based on the cleverness Gwen had displayed, Kevin believed Gwen should have understood the implication behind his words: I may be a threat to this world.
Yet even so, Gwen had still made this offer...
Let me tell everyone something amusing first—
I posted this book on the very last day of last month. If I'd posted it earlier, I could have finished signing the contract and started getting the full-attendance bonus in May.
But I revised the outline that day, rewrote the beginning too, and by the time I posted it, it was already past two in the morning. The process didn't get completed in time—
Miss out on a month of full-attendance pay (×)
Write for a month for nothing (√)
Heh. Turns out the clown was me!
Back to the book. It goes premium tomorrow.
Half a month ago, I wanted my premium-launch note to contain just two words: "Ten updates."
But if nothing unexpected happens, then something unexpected always will. I spent several days helping sick elderly family members with emotional support. Forget stockpiling chapters—I barely managed to rush out enough words for the premium launch.
Still, everyone can rest assured. The ten-update plan for launch day may be dead, but five updates guaranteed and six if possible should still be doable.
Who will be the first awakened by the Spirit Awakening Scripture?
What kind of future has Otto prepared for his precious son?
And how will the protagonist throw Otto's plans completely into disarray?
Will the protagonist's future weapon be Heavenly Fire Judgment or the Anti-Human Flame Blade?
Does the leveling system have a limited ceiling like the Blessing System?
And where will the Chat Group's path lead?
For all that and more, stay tuned.
Also... I feel like the current cover doesn't stand out enough. Should I change it?
Kevin's Expectations
"Your foundation is solid. There isn't much I can teach you."
Although he had noticed something unusual about Gwen, Kevin did not deliberate for long over the deal Gwen proposed while ignoring his hint. His furrowed brows relaxed, and he said calmly,
"But as payment, I need you to do something for me in the future.
Do you still wish to proceed with this deal?"
Both his beloved and his closest friend had been rare geniuses among humanity, giving Kevin enough self-awareness—he had never been someone who excelled in intelligence.
Perhaps the long passage of time had turned Kevin from the hot-blooded fool he once was into a thinker capable of philosophical reflection, but that did not make him a schemer skilled at manipulating people's hearts.
Fortunately, Kevin had never relied on wisdom in the first place.
He relied on strength.
So although Kevin sensed that Gwen might have some ulterior motives, he did not care.
In fact... deep down, Kevin even felt a faint sense of anticipation—
He anticipated what this Caslana, only the second person in a thousand years to establish contact with him, might accomplish...
A thousand years ago, Kevin had prepared to enact the Stigmata Plan and came into conflict with Su. In the end, he was sent into this Sea of Quantum.
Su believed that the possibility of a new civilization should not be erased. The Stigmata Plan should only be a final option when civilization had no way forward, not the only option.
Kevin did not deny that, but compared to an illusory future, he was more willing to believe in Mei's plan.
Yet when he sank into the Sea of Quantum back then, Kevin chose to send Su back to the Eigenworld and followed Su's wishes—
Because Kevin knew that Su's restraint on him was also Mei's instruction.
And compared to the Previous Civilization, perhaps the current civilization truly was different—there was hope left behind by another person here.
Therefore, Kevin hoped that this generation's civilization would possess the potential and hope Su had spoken of, defeat him, and move toward a new possibility.
This was both her expectation and what she had hoped for...
And now, Kevin saw a sliver of possibility in Gwen.
"That favor must not violate my principles or morals."
In the hospital room, unaware that Kevin had thought so much, Gwen did not take Kevin's words too seriously. He merely set conditions on the payment Kevin had requested.
Indeed, this was not a world with a mature cultivation system. Kevin, who had begun by following the Flame-Chaser path, might only be able to teach Gwen some experience and broad insights from a higher perspective, but that was precisely what Gwen needed.
"Fine..."
Kevin nodded faintly at the restriction Gwen had proposed and agreed—
Though Gwen had some tricks up his sleeve, he did not seem to have no bottom line at all.
"Then... it's a deal."
At that, Gwen could not help but smile in the hospital room—
He had temporarily settled the trouble with Kevin, while also practically getting the guidance of humanity's strongest warrior for free. Of course that was worth being happy about.
Moreover, during his exchange with Kevin, Gwen had already discovered that while he had formed a connection with Kevin, his ancestor by blood, through the Spirit Awakening Scripture, it was only a connection.
Kevin's soul still remained safely within his own body. If Gwen wanted, he could sever or block the connection at any time.
With that safeguard, Gwen relaxed considerably and lowered his guard a little before asking,
"Then, Teacher Kevin, about what you said earlier regarding the effects those two stones have had on my body... did you discover something?"
"Those two stones are very unusual."
Upon hearing Gwen's question, the thoughts in Kevin's mind instantly vanished. He replied in an even tone,
"They contain a kind of energy distinct from Honkai, though it is extremely weak.
However, through the stones' unique magnetic fields, the energy within them can affect the human body.
From an energy perspective, your body should have already formed a deep connection with those two stones and accepted the energy inside them.
And judging from your physical condition, this influence should be positive. Some sort of change has occurred, from your body to your mind.
Since things have already reached this point, it would be better to accept it calmly. Even if problems arise, they can be resolved sooner."
This was why Gwen had asked Kevin for guidance—
When things obtained from another world acted upon him, and the system did not display their effects, Gwen had no way of knowing whether they were good or bad.
Kevin did not understand those things either, but from his higher perspective, he could still reach conclusions Gwen could not.
"I understand."
Gwen was not surprised by Kevin's conclusion.
After all, the effects brought by the two Light Shadow Stones had already appeared in the system as Development Abilities. Now, the influence—or rather, the connection—had merely deepened further.
As he said this to Kevin in his mind, Gwen yawned, turned off the bedside lamp, and assumed the posture of someone preparing to sleep. In his mind, he said to Kevin,
"Then good night, Mr. Kevin."
With that, Gwen blocked his connection with Kevin.
Since Kevin did not understand this connection, Gwen naturally had the right to explain it however he pleased—
This extraordinary connection automatically shut down while Gwen slept, and having poor signal at times was perfectly normal too, right?
In the Sea of Quantum, that special perspective suddenly vanished. Kevin, who had gradually grown accustomed to seeing from two viewpoints, froze slightly before gently shaking his head.
Before you continue