Lin, Zero, Yan Luo.

"Whoaaaaah! Ah, Aponia!" She was so scared she almost jumped out of her skin.

In Pardofelis's list of women she can't mess with, Chrono ranks third, while the first and second places are occupied by two terrifying women.

She hurriedly explained, "This, this is because Brother Lin is tired, he..."

"I know..."

Aponia made a shushing gesture to Pardo, then naturally took Lin from behind Pardo.

Huh?

"Leave it to me... it'll be fine..."

After saying that, Aponia, carrying Lin, disappeared right in front of Pardo, whose body temperature hadn't even dissipated yet.

Elysian Realm of "Flying Flowers": Chapter Eighteen - Lin's Tragic Old Age

The Herrscher of Erosion stepped into the anchor point, her pretty face full of a smug smile.

Although she was interrupted by that woman halfway through, she still got what she wanted. Mei was able to access the highest authority through the mark, and at that moment, the Herrscher of Erosion's all-pervasive power had already invaded her, and it was only a matter of time before she broke through the firewall.

Her ideal world will soon be realized.

Data may not be able to produce offspring, but... hehe...

As the Herrscher of Erosion contemplated the future, she returned to the area she had corrupted, preparing for the next phase.

However, the empty area left her stunned for a long time.

Where is my forest?

"There's no mistake, this is Lin."

The tall, blonde girl held up a blurry photo taken by the surveillance camera and said.

"Although I can't see very clearly, I'm sure I won't mistake his eyes and posture."

"Hmm... Durandal is indeed very skilled at observing minute details, and the other party even calls himself Amu, so he should be the 'Lin' that Durandal mentioned." Rita neatly organized the information about her previous contact with Lin and placed it on the table. She frowned slightly and said, "However, he is assisting Miss Kiana, and it is very likely that he has now joined Anti-Entropy."

Bianca only gave a vague report about what happened to Bianca in the Quantum Sea, and Otto didn't care what exactly happened after the quantum disorder disappeared. Perhaps in his view, as long as the factors that interfered with his plans disappeared, that was enough.

"Anti-Entropy, huh..."

Bianca stroked her chin, deep in thought.

"... Excuse my boldness, Durandal, what exactly happened in the Quantum Sea? From the outside, it seems you only went in for a very short time before returning. Did you meet that man named Lin there?"

"...I almost forgot, Rita, you're not that Rita. I need to explain that to you." Bianca realized what she meant and gave Rita a sassy smile.

That Rita? Which other Rita?

The maid, filled with questions, awaited Bianca's answers.

"In short, please give a brief summary."

"Okay, to put it simply, Lin wants to marry me."

"... I'm sorry, you've summarized a bit too much."

The maid, who was always calm and composed, listened to Bianca recount what had happened in the Quantum Sea as if the sky had fallen.

... including the very detailed story of the Knight Princess's love for wild mushrooms.

"Such a thing actually happened! That man was a warrior who survived from 50,000 years ago, and he even met you back then." Rita quickly adjusted her mindset. After receiving Bianca's information, some of the questions she had been secretly investigating about Lin were answered.

"That's right." Bianca nodded, her face flushed. "He's definitely living for me..."

"No, don't even think about it, it's completely impossible. Durandal, you're thinking with a love-struck mindset. If he had only lived to this day for you, he would have come to you immediately, and might even have joined Schicksal. But the fact that he's helping Kiana, who is on the opposite side to you, shows that he's acting on principles that are contrary to Schicksal."

Rita refuted someone's girlish sentiments with a blank expression.

Bianca's expression froze, then she looked at Rita with teary eyes.

Rita sighed.

Even Durandal acts like a little girl when something like this happens... but she's quite cute.

Suppressing a smile, Rita considered the matter before asking Bianca seriously, "Lady Durandal, investigating without the bishop's knowledge is already an outrageous act. To believe someone of unknown origin, if I may be so bold, is not a good idea."

"But..."

"Besides, even if you knew him from 50,000 years ago, 50,000 years is enough time for anyone to become another person."

"..."

Bianca understood what Rita was saying: how much a person's experiences can influence them. Her childhood adventures in the Quantum Sea shaped who she was today, while Lin had lived for a staggering 50,000 years—a number so suffocating it was hard to even imagine.

"That's true. Time changes everyone, but whether it's for the better or for the worse, nobody can say for sure, can they?"

Bianca and Rita simultaneously looked up and gazed warily in the same direction.

Who is it?

"However, I can assure you that he will be even better than when he met you."

Bianca's eyes widened.

"Who are you..."

Hmm... why do I feel... all warm and cozy... like I'm soaking in warm water all over my body...

So soft...

After a long rest, Lin's first feeling upon waking was one of relaxation, both mentally and physically. The recent period of hard work had left him exhausted, but now he felt completely relieved.

A rich aroma lingered in his nostrils, and he groggily opened his eyes, feeling himself enveloped in a soft chair.

"..."

Etc.

Lin sensed something was wrong. The seat behind him wasn't a chair; the soft touch, the burning body temperature, and the rapid heartbeat all indicated that someone was holding him tightly, as if trying to meld him into their body.

"Lin... are you awake?"

A soft, ethereal voice rang out, and Lin instantly found the only person who could match it in his mind.

"Aponia?"

"Call..."

Instead of answering, he gently breathed into her ear, and Lin's somewhat sensitive ears turned red.

Why Aponia? Not Pardo?

"Long time no see... Lin..."

Aponia's words made Lin hesitate for a few seconds before he relaxed.

"... After all this time, are you still locking yourself up here?"

Lin raised his head and looked at the pitch-black cage.

This is a prison for heroes, a haven for monsters, and the only place in Aponia where the Firemoth is willing to stay.

The Nun gently rested her head on Lin's shoulder, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist from behind. "After you left... I thought about many things... the encounter on Dusk Street... Chrono... the Moth Chasing Fire... Eri... Eden... and one person after another... and... fate."

"You told me that fate could be changed, and at the very end... you succeeded... you proved me wrong..."

"So... I think... what I'm seeing might not be fate, but just my obsession... if fate really exists..."

"Meeting you was my only destiny."

Lin lowered his head and did not answer.

They had been through thick and thin together. Perhaps they appeared to be on good terms, but they held ideas that were more opposite and radical than those of Lin and Mobius. So they were always trying to prove that they were right. Aponia's words put an end to their ideological differences that had lasted for years, even tens of thousands of years.

But...

"... Can you let me go now?"

"Cannot."

Chapter Twenty: Lin, Ling, Yan Luo.

Has anything noteworthy happened in the Elysian Realm recently?

"Something worth noting, um... you've gone missing."

"... Anything else?"

Eden glanced casually at the crimson liquid in his glass, seemingly not really thinking about recent events.

But Lin knew that she was just a little drunk.

"There is one."

Eden's glass stopped swirling. "I haven't been meeting with anyone much lately."

"What's the meaning?"

"I meet with them less often now. I can only see one or two of them, and I don't know where the others have gone."

This isn't really a strange thing. The relationships between the Thirteen Heroes weren't all friendly. For example, Chrono really disliked Aponia and would often leave whenever Aponia appeared.

But Lin still wrote it down, just in case.

"Speaking of which, Lin, do you remember what we talked about before?"

Eden suddenly put down her wine glass, smiled gently at Lin, and the bright red wine made her lips look even more luscious.

"..."

If I say I don't remember, I might be suspected again, so to be on the safe side, I'll say I do.

Lin responded with a single word, "Mm."

Eden narrowed his eyes, his jewel-like pupils gleaming in the slits.

"I have other things to do, so I have to go now."

Lin stood up to leave. It seemed that even the people in the Imaginary Tree didn't really know what had happened. In the end, it was just his feeling, or perhaps he was just perceiving it wrong.

Eden slowly rose after he left, his gaze fixed on the direction he had gone.

That's really strange.

Lin stopped and walked to the edge of the space. The architectural style that should have been that of Previous Civilization was now somewhat mixed. He pondered for a while and then walked towards his own area.

In the Imaginary Tree, his area was that cemetery. Although most of the area in the Imaginary Tree had changed, his part should remain the same. Lin followed the route in his memory and soon arrived outside the anchor point.

Lin stepped into the anchor point, and a sea of tombstones appeared before him.

Each tombstone here is engraved with the name of the deceased, but when he walked up to it and looked at the tombstone, his eyes widened slightly.

No.

The tombstones that should have been inscribed with the names of everyone in Lin Jixia have now all been erased, leaving only a forest of empty tombstones.

What happens?

Previously it was just a premonition, but now Lin is certain that something has indeed happened in the Imaginary Tree. He quickly went to the tombstones and checked them one by one.

The tombstone itself was fine, but the name had vanished, a strange phenomenon that made him frown.

What exactly is going on...?

"Hey, long time no see."

A chill ran down Lin's spine. He turned around abruptly, and the viewing window lit up as he stared intently at the anchor point.

The two people walked out of the anchor point one after the other, and the one in front smiled and waved to him.

The other person was wearing a mask, but Lin could sense that he was smiling coldly beneath it.

The silver-haired girl walking behind him stared at him coldly, her iridescent eyes seemingly blaming him for repeatedly reminding her yet still bumping into this man.

"You've finally returned to your Imaginary Tree. Ash Project really gave me a pleasant surprise."