Unable to endure it any longer, Ye Chen finally decided to stop avoiding reality and directly confront the "teacher" before him.
"Who exactly are you—!?"
Faced with his wariness and suspicion, Lyle's expression remained unchanged, as calm as ever. He answered lightly and evenly:
"I am an afterimage that Lyle himself buried deep within your soul many years ago."
"Much like the recordings of your era."
"At this very moment, every action I take and every word I say was all completed decades ago."
"The reason I appear to be conversing with you in real time now is simply because I can foresee the future, including all of your reactions and questions."
Upon hearing this, Ye Chen froze, his face filled with shock.
"What?"
This absurd reality, so sudden in its arrival, was practically enough to shatter his entire worldview.
"Afterimage?"
"Recording?"
"Foreseeing the future?"
Ye Chen repeated these terms in bewilderment. His mind instantly plunged into utter chaos, leaving him so disoriented that his head began to spin.
"I... I've never heard of any of this before..."
Lyle's reaction remained placid.
"That is only because I never told you."
Ye Chen looked stunned. He lowered his head in silence for a while before blankly raising it again to look at Lyle.
"So that means... you really are Teacher himself?"
"Though the you standing here now is not real, from my perspective, it is as if I am speaking with you in person?"
"Teacher, is that what you mean?"
Lyle nodded in confirmation.
"Yes."
Ye Chen turned to look at Heiqi on the other side.
"Then the Heiqi here now is an afterimage too?"
Lyle nodded again.
"Yes. There was originally no need for it to appear, but considering that it might bring you some measure of comfort, I had