Another Brother?

"Brother? Didn't you go to meet the leader? When did you get back?"

"What happened to you? How did you get hurt?"

Lin Zhi hesitantly stepped forward.

This man covered in blood looked exactly like her brother, but something about his bearing seemed different.

Yet Lin Zhi couldn't say exactly what was different.

"Little sister, it's been so long," the figure said.

So long?

"Brother, what happened? Didn't we just part ways?"

Lin Zhi couldn't make any sense of the situation.

"Lin Jie" stood silently in place, opening his mouth to say something, then hesitating.

"Brother, what's wrong?"

Lin Zhi suddenly noticed something amiss.

The figure's clothes.

When they parted, her brother had been wearing the Realm of Life's white robes.

This man, however, wore a black coat similar to those game Administrators.

"Lin Jie" finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse:

"I... missed you so much."

Two streams of hot tears mingled with blood as they flowed from "Lin Jie's" eyes.

"Brother..." Seeing her brother like this, Lin Zhi felt a pang of heartache.

Ignoring the blood and grime covering "Lin Jie," she stepped forward and hugged him.

Her petite frame wrapped around the figure.

"Brother, no matter what happened, I'm still here."

"Lin Jie" froze. After two seconds, he reached out and ruffled Lin Zhi's hair.

Lin Zhi felt the warmth on top of her head.

This had been her brother's favorite gesture when they were children.

Life had been hard when they were little.

After Uncle Yan died, the entire burden fell on her brother alone.

They had no income and couldn't afford food.

But her brother had always been strong and optimistic. He never gave up hope in life.

During the hardest times, her brother would stroke her head and tell her:

[Things will get better in the future.]

Now, Lin Zhi felt that warmth again.

"Brother, tell me what happened. I'm not a child anymore."

"I want to help shoulder your burdens too."

"Lin Jie" spoke in a low voice:

"Little sister, I'm already content just to see you again."

"I should go."

Lin Zhi felt a slight jolt of alarm. "Go? Where?"

"Lin Jie" pulled away from his sister and slowly walked to the window.

After opening it, he placed one foot on the windowsill.

He looked back, a complicated mix of expressions on his face.

He looked as though he was about to cry.

Despair, helplessness, yet also an unyielding stubbornness...

Lin Zhi's heart lurched. Even during the hardest times of their childhood, she had never seen her brother look like this.

"Brother..." Lin Zhi finally couldn't hold back either, and tears slowly trickled down her face.

"Lin Jie" forced a smile onto his face:

"Little sister..."

"No matter what..."

"Things will get better in the future..."

He leaped out the window and vanished into the night.

Elsewhere, Lin Jie and Uncle Yan walked side by side.

"By the way, what kind of person is the Oracle?" Lin Jie asked Uncle Yan.

Uncle Yan frowned.

"The Oracle used to be perfectly normal."

"But there was an accident."

"It made communicating with the Oracle extremely difficult for us."

"It's hard for me to describe it to you now."

"You'll understand everything once you meet her."

Hearing this answer, Lin Jie had a rough idea of what to expect.

Basically, these prophets were all like charlatans.

He suddenly thought of that crazy old man.

The crazy old man, cannon fodder in the first game, had also acted all mystical back then.

He had also made some strange "prophecies."

Presumably, this Oracle would be much the same, difficult to communicate with.

"We're here."

Uncle Yan stopped in front of a magnificent cathedral.

They pushed the doors open and entered.

Lin Jie examined the cathedral's interior.

It was spacious inside, and the decor was uniformly white.

Chandeliers hung overhead, making the entire room look brightly lit.

Uncle Yan walked toward a small room on the left side of the church.

"This is where the Oracle appears."

"If you're lucky, you'll be able to talk to her face-to-face."

Lin Jie didn't quite understand what Uncle Yan meant.

"Is this the Oracle's office? You mean she's sometimes out?"

Uncle Yan smiled. "No, it's a bedroom."

He knocked on the door.

No one answered.

"Huh, could she be asleep?"

Uncle Yan shouted outside the door, "Hey! Girl, wake up!"

"I brought Lin Jie!"

Girl? The Oracle was young?

"...Mm... coming, coming!"

A muffled female voice came from inside, sounding as though she had just woken up.

A little while later, the door opened.

"Who did you just say was here?" A sleepy-eyed young woman appeared in the doorway with her eyes closed.

"Hiss-" Uncle Yan quickly turned his back. "Girl, mind your appearance!"

The young woman had just woken up and hadn't had time to get dressed. She wore only underwear.

Lin Jie hadn't reacted as quickly as Uncle Yan. He froze for a moment, even getting a clear view of the little lace details on her underwear.

"What's wrong? Ah-" The young woman finally came fully awake and realized she was still half-naked. She quickly shut the door.

"Sorry, sorry! Give me a moment-" Her anxious voice came from inside again.

Lin Jie was speechless. This scatterbrained woman was the Oracle? Was she really reliable?

Five minutes later, the door opened again.

"Hello, Uncle Yan! Hello, Deer God! Come on in-"

Deer God? Was she talking about him?

Lin Jie followed Uncle Yan inside.

The woman's room was extremely messy, with unwashed clothes and empty meal containers she hadn't thrown away scattered all over the floor.

She casually kicked the clutter aside, clearing a narrow path.

"Sit on the bed. The room's a little small."

Lin Jie slowly sat down on the edge of the bed.

The young woman hopped onto a desk.

She looked to be in her twenties, not much older than Lin Jie.

She had finally put on clothes, but her hair was still as messy as when she had just woken up.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Shen Lanxin, I'm twenty-two, and my hobbies are eating, sleeping, reading novels..."

"Ahem." Uncle Yan suddenly cleared his throat twice. "Lanxin, there's no need to introduce all that. Let's get straight to the point."

"Oh, right." Shen Lanxin scratched her head sheepishly and turned to Lin Jie. "Hello!"

She held out her hand.

Lanxin's hand was rather small, and her nails were painted blue.

Lanxin noticed Lin Jie's gaze. "I painted them myself. Pretty, right? Even in tough conditions, you have to stay cute~"

Lin Jie smiled awkwardly and politely shook her hand.

"I didn't expect the Deer God to be so young! You look even younger than me. How about I call you Little Deer from now on, and you call me Sister Lan~"

Lin Jie smiled stiffly and said, "My name is Lin Jie, not Little Deer."

Lanxin nodded readily.

"Of course I know you're Lin Jie."

"You're also the one called the Deer God."

"After all, your future self told me that in person."