Two letters

(Guo, lamelaichuluo) "Come on, sit with me." Quirrel chuckled and turned back toward the boundless lake ahead.

Shen Yu drew a breath, then brought the Little Knight and Grimm Hatchling over to sit beside him, gazing out at the tranquil, sapphire-blue lake.

A damp breeze drifted past, fluttering their clothes and soothing their hearts. The Grimm Hatchling babbled softly, settled into the Little Knight's arms, and closed its eyes to sleep.

Looking out at the blue lake, Quirrel said to Shen Yu:

(Duosidake) "My new friend, is this a dream? I remember that I should already be dead."

"Yes." Shen Yu nodded.

(Malama, tuqueluo) "I lived so long, yet remember so little... My new friend, thank you for letting me see this beautiful world again."

"Quirrel..." Shen Yu chuckled. "Would you like to see another, new world?"

(Lamelai) "I would, but I'm already too old. I can no longer bear the weight of the years. Besides, I'm already dead...

"A Nail doesn't belong with the dead. Please give it to our little friend for me."

Quirrel picked up his Nail and offered it to Shen Yu.

"No." Shen Yu pushed it back, stood up, and lifted the Little Knight into his arms before saying:

"Quirrel, before you stands Hallownest's most brilliant miracle. Please trust me. Please wait just a little longer, and you'll come to a new world."

With a ding, Shen Yu, the Little Knight, and the others dissolved into golden motes of light.

(Guo, lamailaichuluo) "What a mysterious fellow." Quirrel chuckled, gripped the Nail at his waist again, and stood up. Looking out at the distant blue lake, he murmured:

"A miracle of life?"

Afterward, Shen Yu returned to Godhome. Once he had set the Little Knight down, he said to the Godseeker, "Send me back."

When Shen Yu returned to his dorm room in reality, he pulled over a chair, sat down, and let out a long sigh. He briefly checked the Attunement Rates of his other E.G.O., excluding Crimson Scar:

Lonesome: 85%

Red Eyes: 80%

Initial E.G.O. release:

[Spider Bud]: The wielder summons [T-02-43-2] Spider Bud. Feeding flesh and blood into this construct produces an equivalent quantity of Spiderlings.

Frost Shard: 65%

Shen Yu sighed. It was just like leveling up in a game: fast at first, then slower the further you went.

And where was he supposed to find Cogito now? Have the Little Knight smash a path into the Research and Development Department?

While Shen Yu pondered this, he suddenly noticed that the old wall clock ahead was nearing midnight and abruptly remembered Lonesome's price.

Click. The instant the three hands met, Shen Yu's consciousness was abruptly pulled away into a little room reeking of rot and mildew. It was the very room where he had previously subdued the Old Lady.

But this time, he was the one sitting in the rocking chair. The old wall clock before him creaked.

Moreover, he couldn't sense the Little Knight or Nightmare Flame at all. Only his consciousness had been drawn into this space.

Looks like I'll have to endure fifty years of solitude. Still, with that much time, I can practice my combat techniques.

Just as Shen Yu tried to stand, he discovered that he couldn't control his body at all. He couldn't even hear his own breathing or heartbeat.

This price really doesn't allow any loopholes. Shen Yu sighed and looked around...

It's probably the tenth day. I've found that my mind is intensely overexcited, and I can't fall asleep no matter what I try.

I've examined almost everything in the room. I think I could make up some stories to distract myself.

Day thirty. I've found that my imagination has become very vivid, but I'm also seeing a lot of hallucinations. Maybe I could try reciting books from memory.

Day ninety... ninety-six. I feel like another person has appeared in my head. He's talking to me.

Day six hundred... or was it nine hundred? There's nothing around me but moldy boards and this half-open window.

My mind has started replaying those old images again. How many times have I gone over them now?

The... I can't remember. Wu Ke stuffed bread onto Harvey's head again today, then hugged the table and started gnawing on it.

As Shen Yu muttered to himself, clarity suddenly returned to his eyes, and he realized that his consciousness was in utter chaos.

Damn, I never thought I'd actually lose my mind. Solitude really is awful. I've relived my entire life several times, and I've run out of inspiration for stories. I can't even sleep. What else can I do now?

Shen Yu pondered in frustration, then suddenly thought of a solution: meditation.

Right, I can meditate.

So Shen Yu suppressed his chaotic thoughts and tried to enter a meditative state.

To his surprise, he managed it almost instantly.

Then he remembered that Nailmaster Mato lived atop the world's heights, meditating year after year.

Next, Shen Yu let that thought go as well, allowing his mind to enter a clear, quiet state. External sounds no longer disturbed him, nor was he caught up in things past or future.

In that tranquil stretch of time, Shen Yu discovered that his mind was like a bright mirror, clearly reflecting his true nature. It was an existence beyond physical form, free of desire and attachment.

He felt an unprecedented peace, as though he had returned to some ancient source.

The wall clock ahead creaked, its second hand ticking steadily.

One, two, three...

The hands of the old wall clock kept moving until they met again.

Click!

Suddenly, Shen Yu felt something shaking him. When he opened his eyes, he found himself back in his little dorm room, with the Little Knight shaking him.

On the wall clock before him, the minute hand had only just moved past midnight.

By now, Shen Yu could no longer remember what he had experienced during those fifty years, but that profound solitude still lingered in his heart.

E.G.O. really isn't something to underestimate. If my life hadn't ascended to [Master], and I hadn't started meditating afterward, my mind might have collapsed, or my personality might have changed forever.

Right, after all that meditation, it feels like my mind has been elevated. I wonder if there's any concrete sign of it. Shen Yu glanced at the wristwatch at his waist and saw the following displayed:

[Shen Yu] V

Fortitude: 5, Health: 96, maximum (500)

Prudence: EX, Sanity: 100"300, maximum: (600)

Temperance: 5, success rate: 99

Justice: 5, movement speed: 99

Well, damn. A punishment that could drive someone else insane actually upgraded my mind instead. Ascending to a higher level of life really is great.

Right, let's check the effects of [Linked Will].

When Shen Yu activated [Linked Will], he immediately sensed two nodes: the Little Knight before him and the Doppelganger in the office.

After connecting to the Doppelganger, Shen Yu immediately discovered that the delicate operations that had once demanded his full attention were now effortless. At the same time, his original body could move freely.

Holy crap, Shen Yu marveled. This is practically tailor-made for me.

Leaving the Doppelganger aside, this link lets the Little Knight and me fight together. I no longer have to keep my original body resting and focus all my attention just to command the Little Knight.

And I can simultaneously access the first-person views of my original body and Doppelganger, along with the Third-Person Perspective I use when commanding the Little Knight, letting me closely observe the details of a fight.

Just as Shen Yu was enjoying himself, he saw through X's eyes that Angela had entered the office and placed an envelope on the desk.

"Manager, you have a letter."

A letter with the same sender and recipient, right? Shen Yu quipped inwardly. Still, that makes sense. I've finished the twenty-one-day cycle, after all. It's time to enter day twenty-two.

So his Doppelganger, X, opened the envelope. But beneath the sheet of paper inside was another envelope. X frowned and took it out.

The recipient field on it read:

Angela