Urgent / Su

Fu Hua said, "It was the Stigmata. Kaino's Stigmata is very special. Not only does it allow him to connect to Imaginary Space, but it also grants him the powers of several Herrschers. It was thanks to him that I was able to awaken you ahead of time."

"Of course, as payment for awakening you, we need to help him find a way back to his original world. The only reason he agreed to carry out that plan was because of his own kindness."

"Also, Book of Cang Xuan, you should still have records regarding that plan, right? Please tell us about it."

"What's there to be polite about between us? Leave it to me!"

Book of Cang Xuan patted her small chest, then looked at Kaino again, her tone carrying a trace of gratitude.

"Thank you, Kaino. Even though it has nothing to do with your world, you're still willing to help us."

Kaino scratched his cheek at that.

Being thanked so suddenly made him a little embarrassed.

"It's nothing. A world is facing a life-or-death crisis, and I happen to have the ability to save it. Any Kaslana would make the same choice."

Kaino firmly believed that if his family had faced such a situation, they would have made the same choice he did.

"Also, if possible, I'd prefer your thanks to be a little more substantial. Like making something tasty... I've been climbing mountains and fixing circuits for half the day. I'm getting hungry."

Urgent

Asking for food had merely been Kaino's joke to ease the serious atmosphere, but Fu Hua and Book of Cang Xuan took it seriously.

After hearing him, Fu Hua immediately climbed a tree and caught a pigeon, while Book of Cang Xuan unfurled her scroll, gathered some stones, and lit a bonfire.

...Why could a mere scroll produce flames?

Watching the two of them bustle around, Kaino felt truly bad about it. He quickly recreated a set of kitchenware and handed the ingredients he had looted from the Golden Sands Gang to Fu Hua. It was not that Kaino did not want to help personally; he simply knew the limits of his cooking skills.

Still, those Golden Sands Gang bandits had truly been loaded, and the ingredients they had prepared were plentiful. Fu Hua's cooking skills were anything but ordinary as well. Before long, dish after dish of fragrant, delicious food came out of the pot and was placed on the table Kaino had recreated.

Braised pork, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Kung Pao tenderloin, braised squab... Finally, paired with wonton noodles as the staple, a table full of lavish dishes was complete.

Kaino and Book of Cang Xuan both drooled at the sight.

"Whew, that smells amazing."

After finishing the food before them with the other two, Kaino rubbed his stomach in praise.

"It was fine. Just a slightly lavish meal, nothing worth mentioning."

Fu Hua helped Book of Cang Xuan, who was lying on her lap, rub her belly and gently shook her head.

"Don't say that. Even compared to my family's cooking, Fu Hua, yours is better than my master's by who knows how much."

Thinking of the meals he had eaten at Cheng Lingshuang's place, Kaino sighed.

"Steamed buns with pickled vegetables. They tasted all right, but I just couldn't bring myself to like them."

"Pickled vegetables? Do you mean evergreen mustard greens?"

Fu Hua half-lidded her eyes.

"Setting aside the fact that it isn't very nice of you to gossip about your master behind her back, I was also the one who taught her how to make evergreen mustard greens."

"Ahem, let's talk about business first."

Realizing he had complained right in front of the person responsible, Kaino hurriedly changed the subject.

"Book of Cang Xuan, you still have records about how I can get home and the plan to save this world, right?"

During the meal, he and Book of Cang Xuan had fought over plenty of food, which had brought the two closer.

So eating really was the best way to close the distance between people. Back then, he and Li Sushang had also truly become acquainted after sharing a meal.

No, to be precise, what had brought him and Li Sushang closer back then seemed to have been squatting together in the Black Prison?

"Ahh, you just finished eating. Aren't you going to rest first?"

Book of Cang Xuan climbed off Fu Hua's lap, sat on the scroll floating beside her, and hovered in midair.

"Let's talk about getting you home first. I know many ways to send you back, but let me confirm something first. Kaino, do you know the location or coordinates of your world?"

"Coordinates?"

Kaino shook his head, a bad feeling rising within him.

"I just appeared in this world for no reason, so of course I don't know any coordinates or location... Aren't there things like immigration records between worlds?"

I'm not going to be unable to return, am I?

"How could there be? Worlds and worlds are... Forget it, I'll explain that later."

Book of Cang Xuan rubbed her chin.

"If you don't know the coordinates, we might have no choice but to search one by one. If Su were still... Ah, right, I still have that recording. Maybe you can ask him."

Seemingly recalling something, Book of Cang Xuan's eyes lit up blue, and a humanoid projection appeared before Kaino.

The man in the projection had long pale gray hair much like Fu Hua's. Although his eyes were closed, he gave off the feeling that he could see everything in the world.

Yet the projected man appeared extremely haggard, as if a gust of wind could knock him down.

"Su?"

Fu Hua spoke in confusion.

She had no memory of this conversation.

"Hua, I'm nearly at my limit. The high-intensity observation has placed an enormous burden on my body."

The man Fu Hua had called Su spoke from within the image.

"I'm sorry. I failed to find, as planned, a World Bubble similar to ours that could continue existing. Not only that, my premature death will also delay your actions."

"After I die, I will no longer be able to provide the executor you selected for the plan with the power needed to stabilize World Bubbles. However, I found another version of myself in another world who carries out a similar duty. He agreed to lend us that power, provided we explain our purpose when the time comes."

"Like me, he is within a Sumeru Mustard Seed formed by the Second God Key. These are the coordinates there."

A rather complex pattern appeared beside Su, and Kaino hurriedly memorized it.

"Also, you need to accelerate your actions. According to my observations, Kevin will likely only be able to hold on for another 750 years."

After saying this, Su fell silent, seemingly listening to someone speaking.

After a while, Su gently shook his head, a faintly comforting smile appearing on his face.

"There is no need to be sad, Hua. I foresaw the arrival of this day long ago. Besides, compared to you, who must constantly endure the loss of friends, I have merely suffered a little physical torment."

"Before I die, I will go see Kevin. He has stood watch alone in the Quantum Sea for so many years. At the very least, I hope to accompany him before I die."

"Take care."

As Su's words ended, Book of Cang Xuan put away the projection.

"Su... He died too?"

Fu Hua lowered her head slightly, her expression sorrowful.

But before Kaino and Book of Cang Xuan could comfort her, Fu Hua raised her head again.

"Book of Cang Xuan, when was this recording made?"

"Year 744. Chi Yuan, you..."

Book of Cang Xuan looked somewhat pained.

"I'm fine. The urgent matter is resolving the problem in our world first. It is now the year 1495. According to Su, Kevin can no longer hold on at this point. We must hurry."

Fu Hua shook her head. She had already composed herself.

Fifty thousand years had passed. She had nearly grown accustomed to the loss of friends.

Book of Cang Xuan said, "Then we need to find the Second God Key first, right? Let me think, the Second God Key is in..."

Kaino interrupted Book of Cang Xuan.

He felt that he could use the Herrscher of the Void's power to reach the coordinates.

"There's no need. I have the Second Herrscher's power, so I can go directly to the destination—so I should go to the location marked by that person's coordinates first, right?"

"Ah, yes. Go to those coordinates first. Oh, and after you find that Su from the other world, remember to ask him about your world."

Book of Cang Xuan nodded.

"Su's duty is to sit within the Sumeru Mustard Seed and continuously observe other worlds in search of a way to preserve ours. Since Su said their duties were similar, once you describe your world, he should be able to provide the corresponding coordinates."

"All right, thanks. See you later."

Kaino nodded.

The Herrscher of the Void's authority activated, and Kaino's figure vanished from the spot.

Within a small World Bubble.

A man identical to the Su Kaino had previously seen in Book of Cang Xuan's projection sat beneath a tree with his eyes closed. Suddenly, a leaf detached from the tree and slowly drifted down.

"Hah, another leaf has fallen."

The man reached out and caught the fallen leaf, letting out a soft sigh.

"Countless grains of sand..."

Shaking his head, the man pushed himself to his feet and walked toward a pool of water not far from the tree.

But he soon stopped, his brows knitting slightly.

The previously still pool rippled across its surface as though someone had tossed a stone into it.

"I see."

The corners of the man's lips lifted slightly as he smiled.

"So you've finally come."

Su

It was Kaino's first time using the Herrscher of the Void's authority to travel across worlds. He only felt that everything was dark and cramped, while an inexplicable dizziness came over him, as if someone had stuffed him into Kiana's soccer ball and rolled it around more than a dozen times.

Fortunately, Kaino's physical constitution was no longer what it used to be. Otherwise, he definitely would have thrown up.

Before long, Kaino suddenly sensed a radiance appearing before him.

This radiance was not something that truly existed. It was more like a lighthouse guiding lost ships home, or a signpost pointing lost travelers in the right direction.

Kaino struggled, tore open the soccer ball trapping him, and moved toward the light.

Then, like a drowning man finally breaking free from the water's surface, Kaino felt the world suddenly open up. The dark, narrow environment faded away, the sensation of solid ground came beneath his feet, and Kaino arrived in a bright world.

Having grown accustomed to the darkness, Kaino hurriedly squeezed his eyes shut, crouching halfway down as he panted heavily.

That struggle in the darkness had taken a ridiculous amount of effort.

"My apologies. The Sumeru Mustard Seed's automatic defense system was active, and it mistook you for a Herrscher. If you had not found the Sumeru Mustard Seed's breach and forced your way in, you might have fallen into the Quantum Sea."

A somewhat gentle voice came from ahead. After taking two more breaths, Kaino stood up, shielded his eyes with one hand, and squinted toward the source of the voice.

A man identical to Su stood roughly three steps away from him, looking at him with his eyes closed.

"You are... Su?"

Kaino did not know whether this man shared the same name as the Su in Fu Hua's world, but considering that the Theresas of both worlds were named Theresa, it should not have been a problem for this Su to be called Su as well.

"Yes, that is my name."

Su nodded.

"Kaino Kaslana, correct?"

Being called by name made Kaino jolt instinctively. The next moment, he suddenly opened his eyes.

"You know me?"

Kaino looked at Su with slight surprise and delight.

Book of Cang Xuan had indeed said that this man might be able to help him find his world, but that would have required searching based on the world's characteristics, and there was no guarantee they would find it in the end. Yet the man before him had clearly called his name. While it was possible he had met another version of Kaino from a different world, that was still a clue, wasn't it?

And it was a rare thing for someone not to open their mouth and mistake him for Kevin.

"Of course I know you. Putting aside the fact that your whole family is naturally attention-grabbing, you suddenly forcefully emerged from within a world, then rushed wildly toward the world with which I had an agreement. It would have been difficult not to notice you."

"That was precisely why I paid special attention to where you were headed. I was even surprised when I learned that your Stigmata contained Herrscher power."

Su explained with a smile.

"I see... Wait, you said I emerged from within a world?"