The Best Destiny

At that moment, Chu Mu's hearing was extraordinarily sharp.

He could even hear Kafka's heartbeat-young and full of vitality!

Using that sound, he could pinpoint Kafka's location and reconstruct her position within the black-and-white space he had created.

"Where are you?"

Kafka's voice reached Chu Mu's ears, unbearably piercing!

It sounded as though countless voices had been layered over one another.

Chu Mu understood that these were echoes, sound waves bouncing back after striking objects in the room.

These echoes allowed him to refine the black-and-white space he had constructed.

For instance, he could now locate the surrounding walls more precisely.

He could even determine where the bookshelves stood and whether they were full.

And whether Kafka was standing or sitting, along with her approximate height and build.

The moment the echoes reached his ears, they brought all that information with them.

The power of the Path Chu Mu currently wielded was limited, as was the information he could analyze.

But even so, it was astonishing!

If his ability improved further, allowing him to analyze and reconstruct more details, wouldn't that count as regaining his sight in another sense?

If he went even further, commanding the entire Path and ascending to become an Aeon, could he construct an entire universe?

This was the power of the Path of the Eyeless!

Eyeless was the designation Chu Mu had given this Path, taken from the words he had heard when he touched the crown.

The Path's true name had probably long since been lost in the Sea of Stars.

Chu Mu couldn't help marveling. This Path was nothing short of a blessing for the blind!

If someone lost their sight first and then awakened to this Path, they would surely weep with gratitude.

But Chu Mu had been forcibly blinded by the Aeon of Abundance so he could adapt to this Path!

Plunging him into despair, then giving him hope?

Why?

With a thought, Chu Mu left the black-and-white space.

When he reappeared before Kafka, he was already back in his seat.

"It's very much like invisibility, but a little more advanced than the usual kind," Kafka commented. "I'd guess it's the Path of the Hunt. Followers of The Hunt can turn invisible."

As she spoke, she regarded Chu Mu with interest and teased:

"Abundance planted a seed of the Ambrosial Arbor in you, and now you've unlocked a gift from The Hunt. Are you acting out a brief history of the Xianzhou? Two hostile gods actually chose the same person. Interesting. Very interesting."

"Please don't enjoy the spectacle so much that you start hoping for more trouble. I can't see you, but I can already imagine your delighted expression," Chu Mu muttered as he covered his eyes with black gauze.

He didn't correct Kafka's mistake, nor did he want to reveal anything about the Path of the Eyeless or the fallen Aeon.

He understood that this involved arrangements left behind by an Aeon. Telling others might not lead to a solution and could instead get more people killed.

Thus, a single mistaken judgment had led Kafka to a conclusion miles removed from the truth.

That mistaken conclusion, in turn, protected her.

At that moment, Kafka walked up to Chu Mu, took his hand, and said with a bright smile:

"Now I want to adopt you even more."

"Knowing that two Aeons are fighting over me, shouldn't you be keeping a respectful distance instead?" Chu Mu said flatly.

"Of course not! You're practically a planet-destroying weapon in the Sea of Stars now. If you get into trouble and someone traps you, all you have to do is say there's a seed of the Ambrosial Arbor in your eye and draw out the Arbor. The Hunt will catch its scent and charge straight onto the battlefield, draw that great bow, and shoot right through the planet along with everything else. Hehe, who would dare stop you?" Kafka couldn't help patting Chu Mu on the back as she spoke.

She looked at Chu Mu as though he were a priceless treasure.

Chu Mu replied indifferently:

"I'm curious. What kind of person would get into trouble and be stopped by someone, forcing them to use a planet-destroying weapon? A fugitive wanted across the Sea of Stars, perhaps? I don't think I'm that sort of person, nor do I need to threaten anyone with the Ambrosial Arbor. That leaves only one answer: you're the one who needs it."

"Uh, cough, cough." Kafka lowered her head and coughed a few times. "Nothing of the sort. It was just a joke. I'm a law-abiding interstellar citizen."

At that, Chu Mu merely turned his sightless eyes toward Kafka.

Kafka knew perfectly well that Chu Mu couldn't see, but she still brushed aside the hair by her ear with a guilty air.

"Tell me about yourself, Ms. Kafka," Chu Mu said again. "As my prospective adoptive parent, you're obliged to disclose your employment situation and the makeup of your household."

"Do you have to tell children all that when adopting them?" Kafka asked with a frown.

"Other children might not need it, but I do," Chu Mu said flatly. "So, can you tell me?"

"Certainly." Kafka nodded and said softly, "I'm a traveler of the Sea of Stars. With my gift for socializing, I can often get along with the locals in no time... Hehe, those truly were days worth remembering."

She paused, her expression turning sorrowful:

"I once devoted far too much energy to interstellar adventures. As my youth faded and my looks began to age, I felt it was time to end that wandering life and settle down with a family."

Suddenly, she seized Chu Mu's hand and said with deep affection:

"That's why I want to adopt a child. And that child is you, A-Mu."

"You don't have to be quite so mushy." Chu Mu pulled his hand back. "I don't think an unmarried woman who's never had children would have such an intense desire to become a mother."

"But I do." Kafka lowered her head. "Can't you give me a chance, seeing how sincere I am?"

"Sincerity alone is useless." Chu Mu shook his head. "After all, the Orphanage's procedures don't allow unmarried women to adopt children."

"I could get married," Kafka muttered. "It's only one more formality."

"Then I pity the man you trick into marrying you," Chu Mu said scornfully. "A sham whirlwind marriage to qualify for adoption is also explicitly forbidden."

At his words, Kafka's tone instantly filled with grief:

"Actually, I did have a failed marriage once. It caused me a great deal of psychological harm, which is why I've been unwilling to mention it. The good news is that my ex-husband is already buried."

"I hope you weren't the one who buried him," Chu Mu muttered.

Kafka: "..."

Can't you let me make up a story in peace?

"I didn't tell you that so you could make snide remarks." Kafka tapped Chu Mu's little head. "What I mean is, I can legally adopt you now. And you don't have to worry about getting an extra dad at home."

"Mrs. Kafka, you've certainly gone to a lot of trouble," Chu Mu remarked, silently adding the rest-

To deceive me.

But he chose not to expose her and instead continued asking:

"Are there any other family members?"

"Are you finally interested in joining us?" Kafka said delightedly. "Let me tell you, we have a wonderful atmosphere at home. Once you join this family, you'll have the most dependable mom in the universe, along with an older brother who doesn't talk much but will treat you very well."

Kafka paused, then continued:

"And a younger sister who plays games all day and has a serious internet addiction."

As soon as she said that, a piercing cry came through her Micro Earpiece.

Smiling, Kafka pretended not to hear it and continued her introduction to Chu Mu:

"In short, you'll enjoy a great deal of personal freedom in this family, along with plenty of room to grow. They're in orbit around this planet right now. You can board the ship with me whenever you like. Tempted, little Chu Mu?"

"I only have one question," Chu Mu said softly. "I have a younger sister here. Can she come too?"

"Two people?" Kafka frowned.

"Is that a problem?" Chu Mu asked.

"I think your younger sister must have a destiny of her own," Kafka sighed.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Kafka looked quietly at Chu Mu. "In the course of destiny, you're the only one who boards the ship. And you're the only one allowed to."

Chu Mu fell silent.

After a long while, he asked softly:

"Is this the best destiny for me?"

"Yes." Kafka nodded gently.

Chu Mu turned his sightless eyes toward Kafka:

"What about my sister? What about her destiny?"

"Everyone has their own fate." Kafka took Chu Mu's hand. "Destiny is a tangle of interwoven threads. Sometimes, unraveling that tangle allows both people's destinies to reach toward a better future."

"Give me another two days," Chu Mu said softly.

"All right. I'll come see you again tomorrow." With that, Kafka released Chu Mu's hand and left the Library.

Silver Wolf's voice came through the Headset:

"Why not bring his sister aboard? We don't have to chase the best destiny. Second best would be fine, wouldn't it? Keeping a brother and sister together has to be better than separating them."

"But what if second best doesn't work either? Do we keep settling for less?" Kafka sighed. "If bringing his sister aboard simply meant another mouth to feed and a happy reunion for the siblings, Elio wouldn't reject that future."

She paused, then continued:

"The reason Elio chose a future where only Chu Mu boards the ship is that the other futures are bad enough to be impossible to choose."

"Oh, what a tragedy," Silver Wolf said sullenly. "You really have had it tough, dependable Mommy Kafka."

"You're welcome." Kafka flashed a charming smile and said, enunciating every word, "Internet-addicted little Silver Wolf."

"Aaaah! You wicked woman! I'll fight you!" Silver Wolf shrieked.