Chapter 194

To be honest, he never imagined at first that this girl, who would one day become the supreme leader of Sarkaz, the 'Demon King,' was just an ordinary seamstress.

No... in plain terms, that doesn't seem quite right either.

He glanced at Theresa, who was quietly watching him, and noticed a few red spots of blood on her fingers.

"... Recently... there haven't been many customers. It's probably because I accidentally pricked my finger and stained the fabric with blood." She said this, then subconsciously looked down at her finger and spoke somewhat awkwardly.

"Zuo Jian, do you think I'm not suited to be a tailor?"

"Why do you say that?" He didn't turn around, but continued to examine the damaged wooden door.

"Because... I don't seem to be as good at this as others, and sometimes I feel that maybe I shouldn't have chosen this path."

"Perhaps... others could do it better—"

"Theresa, to be honest, I don't recommend you think that way."

Zuo Jian continued to look down at the wooden door, then spoke slowly and deliberately.

"If you feel that you may not be doing well enough, then find a way to work harder, persevere, and strive to be better than you were yesterday."

"There's no need to assume that others will do better than you. Instead of worrying about uncertain things like whether others will do better, it's better to persevere. At least that way, the decision-making power will always remain in your hands."

"At least this way, you won't have to make choices that go against your past self at some point in the future."

The atmosphere between the two gradually quieted down after Zuo Jian finished speaking. The girl seemed to be pondering the meaning behind his words, but soon he took the initiative to break the not-so-long silence.

"Sorry, I accidentally struck a pose and started lecturing you, Theresa. I don't know anything, all I know is how to say nice things."

"Ah, no, I just... I think you're Zuo Jian... I... really shouldn't have had those kinds of thoughts."

"Really? I'm glad I could help."

Zuo Jian smiled at her, while something else unconsciously flashed in his own eyes.

'Trying to become better than before? It's shameless to say that, especially since you've always relied on the Doctor in certain ways...'

Perhaps it's time for him to make a change.

To enable myself to avoid troubling the Doctor in certain situations.

"By the way, Zuo Jian, did you find that thing you were looking for?" Theresa handed Zuo Jian the tools from the toolbox and asked at the same time.

"No... no, and it will probably take some time to find them."

He shook his head, a hint of helplessness in his expression.

"I see... Then... aren't you very anxious?"

Theresa looked at Zuo Jian's profile, seemingly trying to put herself in his shoes.

"Am I in a hurry...? Well, not quite. In a way, I should thank that thing that's temporarily unavailable."

"This gives me ample time to walk properly on this 'real' earth, and through it, to change something, learn something... and solidify something."

"The only problem is... I sometimes miss my family."

"Zuo Jian's family... is very important, right?"

Theresa stood to the side, her gaze unconsciously drifting towards the boy outside the room who had gotten up again to practice his swordsmanship.

"Yes... it's very important." He lowered his head.

However, just as he finished speaking, Theresa suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"That won't do! Zuo Jian, already..."

If she is a very important family member, then shouldn't you... go back to her side as soon as possible?"

Feeling the force coming from her wrist, Zuo Jian subconsciously marveled at the Sarkaz girl's physical abilities, but after seeing her expression, he gradually realized how serious she was about it.

"Don't worry, I won't let her worry. From leaving to reuniting, it's probably just a few moments in the blink of an eye for her."

"An immortal species..." Theresa bit her lip, but still managed to ask.

"But if that's the case... if that's the case, then for her, those who were familiar family members just a moment ago will become completely different strangers upon their reunion..."

"That's really..."

"We won't become strangers."

Zuo Jian patted Theresa's head and smiled warmly.

"If nothing unexpected happens, I won't be staying for too long... Of course, even if a long time does pass, I won't forget important things. After all, I've always been a stubborn person."

"Alright, the door's fixed, Theresa."

He got up, put the tools back in their place, then said goodbye to Theresa and returned to his guest room.

.

Is this place more real than I imagined...?

Looking at the shabby surroundings, he muttered to himself unconsciously.

Recently, he tried every means to inquire about information about the Collective Souls, but without exception, he came up empty-handed.

If nothing unexpected happens... Doctor, no, the Wraith might be telling the truth.

I might really be trapped here for a hundred years.

By then, he might truly become a stranger to Laurentina.

Thinking of this, Zuo Jian and took out a crumpled piece of paper from his clothes. On it, drawn with charcoal, was an image of a woman supporting her cheek with one hand...

"Laurentina..."

"I miss you."

He now seemed to understand the anxious look on the other person's face when they were looking for him.

Perhaps they are all the same, only they can endure separation for a little longer... but only a little longer.

'The way back is simple, Zuo Jian, all it takes is Theresa ...'

"No, the situation is different. Compared to then, I know that the time I spend here is only a few minutes for Laurentina, so I don't need to worry about her safety or anything like that... The only problem to overcome is with me."

Not to mention...

Don't forget what other problems you still need to solve.

Not only Victoria, but barring any unforeseen circumstances, after they resolve their issues with Londinium and the dukes, their next destination will be Kazdel.

Prior to this, his understanding of the Sarkaz, Kazdel, and the Infected was narrow, one-sided, and he had very little contact with them.

But now... in this "real past," he is able to participate personally, to measure and understand the most direct suffering of this land with his own feet and eyes.

Hunger, disease, war, Catastrophes —almost everything was present here, so real it made him feel like he was suffocating.

But... that's exactly why.

He leaned against the wall, looking at his reflection in the pool, and spoke with a resolute gaze.

"It's time for a change, Zuo Jian. You've never truly understood what you're really facing along the way."

"You don't even know what kind of suffering they're talking about, yet you shamelessly spout those grand pronouncements, trying to change everything."

As he spoke, his hands gradually clenched into fists.

To change suffering, one must understand suffering; otherwise, it will remain an abstract concept in one's mind, and one will be unable to take truly reasonable and effective measures.

You can't even imagine what they'd do for a piece of bread every day, so what right do you have to stay in your ivory tower and talk about salvation?

This is an opportunity, a precious opportunity for him to be bound by time. He can use it to understand the deepest suffering of this land, and even... try to make a change in this world!

Whether successful or not, this will be a valuable experience for me when I return to reality.

He's just an ordinary person, but right now he has plenty of time to make himself extraordinary...

Go and understand, go and delve deeper, go and learn, go and try, go and find ways to change.

And the price of all this... is merely his own one-sided longing for Laurentina.

Zuo Jian looked at his reflection in the water and almost instinctively spoke.

"What are you being so pretentious about, Zuo Jian?"

He raised his hand and splashed the water from the pool onto his face, also smoothing his short, black hair to reveal his now resolute face.

"I will not become a stranger to my family, nor will I give up the precious opportunities I have gained in this 'real' space."

"I will keep moving forward here, keep going, understand everything I want to change, and then take action to gain experience, whether successful or not."

"Then... it was used to change this... Terra, filled with suffering-"

---"

And all of this... in exchange for... perhaps only a few hundred years of solitude...

Well, in hindsight, it really was a negligible price to pay.

Just as he was thinking this, there was a knock on the door.

Zuo Jian turned around, opened the door, and saw Theresa standing outside.

"What's wrong, Theresa?" He readjusted his facial expression to avoid startling her with how he had looked at his reflection in the water.

"Um... Zuo Jian ... I'm still a little worried about you... because..." Theresa placed her hands in front of her, seemingly hesitating whether to speak.

After thinking for a moment, she took a breath and said.

"Because when you talked about not being able to go back for the time being... your expression was really worrying... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to guess what you were thinking... it's just... I just felt... I could sense... you... seemed very sad."

"Zuo Jian family must be very important to you, right?"

Zuo Jian nodded in response to Theresa's question.

"Yes, she's very important. Sometimes I can't even tell if she's more like a daughter, a sister, or... some other indescribable relationship to me."

"So...if...if it were possible..." Theresa said, looking down and twirling her thumb.

"Zuo Jian, if you really feel lonely... you can temporarily consider me as your family... Um, I didn't mean anything by it... I just felt..."

"This might make you less sad... because Zuo Jian, you... are a very good person..."

As she continued speaking, Theresa's voice grew softer and softer until Zuo Jian could no longer hear it.

"Really...? Thank you, Theresa."

"No, it's okay!"

(The number hasn't been found yet... Let's change today's second one to tomorrow...)

(It's okay, it's just Arknights, a 2D tower defense mobile game. I won't care too much about it. It involves gacha pulls and grinding, why would I care so much? Anyway, I have my own life to live...)

Zhou! Come back soon??? How can I live without you???

Chapter Thirty-One, The Players

"Huff... Huff..."

The boy held the sword upright on the ground with one hand, barely supporting his body, while at his feet lay the haphazard corpses of several mercenaries.

Theresis felt the sticky mixture of sweat and blood trickle down her cheek and drip onto the ground, standing out starkly in the silent scene before her.

"Left..." Just as he adjusted his breathing and prepared to turn his head, the "corpse" at his feet suddenly sprang up!

*√ Wu#$Ⅴ%^ⅶ{}?‰Ling$[⑦(,}⊙The fallen mercenary took out the dagger from his arms with a ferocious expression, and stabbed Tracys with all his strength!

"What—" The latter turned his head and hurriedly tried to raise his longsword to block, but the close distance and the long blade made it impossible for him to keep up with the opponent's speed!

Damn it...

Theresis stared directly at her opponent, her mind racing as she searched for the only solution available... However...

As if he had just thought of something, he gritted his teeth and shouted loudly.

"Zuo Jian!!"