So it was you, kid.
Fu Qian was still quite tolerant. In theory, there was nothing wrong with what the night guard had said.
If one carried freedom in one's heart, then naturally one would yearn for the world outside.
Not to mention that he had come from the outside world in the first place, only to be forcibly kept here after something went wrong.
The problem was his tone.
The sudden contrast made him seem like an undercover operative who had completed a coded rendezvous and abruptly stopped pretending.
Even the lighting cooperated perfectly, making one instinctively believe that what he was saying now was the truth.
"Leaving this place would of course be nice. I was originally planning to find an opening in the wall and quietly slip out."
As his vision gradually returned, Fu Qian watched the guard continue walking without pause. He followed while recalling the twists and turns of the mission so far.
"Oh? Then why didn't you leave?"
The guard maintained that same tone, devoid of any detectable emotion.
"Those thornwood thickets looked dangerous."
Fu Qian continued to speak honestly.
"You judged correctly. They are indeed dangerous—especially after you cross them."
Honesty truly could get one anywhere. After a brief silence, the guard suddenly became much more talkative.
"This is the true world beyond the outside. There are no humans across a vast area, while there are many beasts. I believe you heard them just now.
"Those thornwood thickets repel beasts. People within their enclosure are safe and can enjoy all this without being devoured... but once you leave their range, you will not survive for long."
So that was the kind of danger they posed?
As he spoke, the chief physician's office was already fading farther and farther away. Fu Qian also seemed