Chapter 449: Arrangement
Before him, Shiran looked at Fisher with a probing gaze. Then, her scattered pale golden pupils gradually widened in Fisher’s astonished sight, as if she wanted to occupy his entire line of sight.
It turned out that the distance between her and Fisher was being slowly closed, until her aura began to suppress him bit by bit, like a towering mountain pressing down on Fisher, locking him firmly in place, all his muscles completely out of control like broken parts.
“Interesting, my soul has formed a subtle connection with yours. And following this connection, I’ve seen some intriguing things.”
Just when Fisher thought he was in for it, Shiran smiled slightly and then stepped back a little, giving Fisher some breathing room.
It was inevitable, after all; Shiran was an existence of the eighteenth rank. Once the binding was discovered, even if that existence had a typical character, it would probably not be able to help but kill Fisher on the spot, right?
But the Shiran before him did not do that. She calmly sat back down, as if her sudden proximity was merely a prank on Fisher, purely to intimidate him and see his reaction.
So when she saw Fisher’s stiff body and considerable tension, the corner of her mouth slightly tilted up, but before Fisher noticed, it returned to a gentle expression.
“Don’t be so nervous. If I’m not mistaken, the ability you just used on me comes from the chaotic aura on you, which can secretly link to the souls of other individuals, extract information from that soul, and establish a connection between that soul and you without any other effect. Lower-ranked existences can’t perceive such hidden connections because the link between their souls and bodies is not so obvious, but as a mythical rank being, I can easily detect this difference.
“Fortunately, this link only serves to convey information. If it had other strange functions, your head might roll, and most mythical rank existences wouldn’t even bother assessing the nature of such connections. Feeling offended, they might recklessly exact revenge on you, so it’s best to be careful when using chaos to bind others next time.”
Shiran gently reminded Fisher. As he looked at Shiran, who looked exactly like Renee, Fisher suddenly recalled the matter of binding the Duke of Peach before entering the barrier; at that time, Hela had suddenly interrupted him, thereby halting his binding process.
It was hard to say whether she did it on purpose or by coincidence, but objectively speaking, Hela had indeed saved his life at that moment, because Fisher firmly believed that the Duke of Peach would definitely retaliate against him. This time, fate was simply on his side, and Shiran was an extremely gentle elf.
In retrospect, many of his previous actions seemed reckless; perhaps it was because he had stayed with Hela, a whimsical mythical being, for too long, causing him to subconsciously downplay the danger posed by such mythical rank existences.
Thinking about this, Fisher sincerely thanked Shiran for her good intentions in reminding him, but at the same time, he speculated that her invitation to be alone might have been due to her interest in the chaotic aura representing the “Trans.”
After hesitating for a moment, Fisher tentatively looked at Shiran and asked, “My Lady Shiran, did you invite me here because you are interested in the chaotic aura on me?”
“No, not at all. It’s just that you looked quite pitiful just now, so I invited you over for some tea. There’s no need to take it to heart.”
Shiran answered quite straightforwardly. She shook her head, took a sip of tea while smiling, and continued, “But it’s interesting. Ever since you used that strange method to link with me, your existence has been highlighted in my perspective. A mythical rank being can easily discern your character through this link, and I can even see some scattered memories, though only a little. It’s like a double-edged sword; it could deepen your relationship with other mythical rank existences, but it could also hand them a handle to you, so it’s best not to bind with mythical beings you are not on good terms with.”
Listening to her, Fisher recalled his experience of binding Eil with the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans for the first time.
In other words, she was fully aware when he bound her back then, and it was highly probable she sensed his soul through that link.
Unbeknownst to him, that individual had already grasped him completely; no wonder she showed no defenses when facing him and could so brazenly laze around in his laboratory like a big cat.
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but redefine that seemingly impulsive one-night stand. Even though Hela had already mentioned that the desire for reproduction was not only manifested physically but also through his quietly deepening possessiveness, reflecting back on it, Fisher couldn’t help but feel somewhat emotional.
He no longer wanted to dwell on it and redirected his attention back to Shiran, asking again, “Thank you for your reminder and for telling me so much. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Um, let me think,” Shiran said, tapping her chin in a thoughtful manner. After a moment, she brightened up and suggested to Fisher, “I plan to have some delicious food here; would you like to join me?”
“Okay.”
Fisher was initially taken aback and after confirming he hadn’t misheard, he nodded hesitantly in agreement to a request that didn’t seem like a request at all.
Why did he feel that Shiran was more like a kind angel than that guy Hela?
Whether in terms of appearance or personality.
The food arrived quickly in this small private room. Shiran soon lost interest in the performance beneath them; her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the various delicacies from the Tree Continent on the table. Fisher saw a type of solid food made from animal blood and some strange fried insects, which he found a bit hard to accept at first. After forcing himself to try a piece, he discovered it had no flavor, like chewing on wax.
He completely forgot that they were still in the Duke of Peach’s barrier, and everything, including the Shiran before him, was merely a phantom of fate.
This thought made Fisher feel somewhat regretful, not because he was a scoundrel who fell in love with anyone he saw, but simply because Shiran, who resembled Renee and was so gentle, made him develop a special fondness for her.
The Shiran before him also seemed to have no appetite. After eating one or two pieces, she gave up, much like Fisher, feeling the food was tasteless. It seemed that aside from that guy Hela, the other mythical beings didn’t need to eat like other creatures.
Fisher didn’t know; perhaps elves could rely on the sun to generate energy like plants?
However, seeing the “mask of pain” on Fisher’s face, caused by both physiological and psychological reasons, Shiran found it quite amusing and propped her chin, asking, “Does Tree Continent’s food not suit your taste?”
“A little. I haven’t tried it before.”
“I see. You’re a Trans; what is the food like in your original world?”
She saw herself as a Trans too, she had the chaotic aura like Tang Zeming Asuka and the others due to the Supplement Handbook.
Fisher didn’t deny it, but he also didn’t know what Tang Zeming Asuka’s food was like in her world. He could only substitute with food from Nali.
To be honest, Nali’s food was quite barren; Fisher preferred the food from Shivali.
“Uh, neat meat, beans, and so on? I’m not very knowledgeable about food, nor am I picky.”
“Oh, really?”
Shiran smiled brightly, propping her chin as she looked at Fisher. Her pale golden scattered pupils quivered slightly, and then she suddenly spoke, “Your name is Fisher, right?”
“How do you know my name?”
“Because of the soul link earlier, did you forget? But don’t be nervous; I don’t know much, just a general feeling. I don’t know your privacy.”
“…”
The link from the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans has this effect too?
It seems one really shouldn’t casually bind with mythical rank existences.
If used well, it’s like a natural favor bestowing device, like with Eil; but if used poorly, it’s like presenting one’s spine to be prodded by others, and one doesn’t even know it.
Seeing Fisher’s silence, Shiran tilted her head and then asked, “Aren’t you curious about the similarities and differences between the world you came to now and your original world?”
Differences?
Recalling Tang Zeming Asuka’s words, Fisher felt that there were indeed many similarities. As for the differences, perhaps they lay in ranks or subhuman races, but to elaborate…
“There are many similarities, but for differences, perhaps the distinction between order and chaos? This world seems to be more orderly, while my original world was not like that.”
Shiran maintained her smile. She shook her head and turned to look at the stage outside, saying, “Chaos and order are very vague concepts, more like a fabricated and forced opposition. They are concepts created by the gods to aid demigods and the lives that are their offspring in understanding.
“Did you know? When the gods created demigods, they not only endowed them with unparalleled power but also entrusted them with corresponding duties, ensuring that the chaos would not infiltrate the worlds they could not reach. The dragon gods are responsible for the crevice outside the world, the illusory barrier of the spirit realm; the Heavenly Lock is in charge of the world’s boundaries, that endless black sky; while the World Tree is responsible for the center of the world, the living land in the middle.”
Shiran turned her head, playfully teasing Fisher, “The order gods cannot touch reality, hence they entrusted everything within the world to their three most trusted children. But long periods of silence have turned their responsibilities into prisons; they have gradually begun to forget their duties, and even the offspring of the gods have started to forget this. However, I still have a good memory; before, I always thought you were all fearsome monsters. But now that I’ve seen you today, it doesn’t seem that terrifying at all.”
For some reason, Fisher suddenly thought of Feilon and Erwind, who would hold the Supplement Handbook for Sub-Humans hundreds of years later.
Perhaps all Trans were as innocent as Tang Zeming Asuka, Mikhail, or Jahl Uzz at the beginning, but the things they left behind were undoubtedly harmful and could lead to serious disasters.
Thinking of this, Fisher couldn’t help but say, “No, it might really be very terrifying, right?”
Shiran smiled while holding her face, interjecting, “You’re also a Trans, so is it okay to say that about yourself?”
“Maybe one day I will become very terrifying too? Who knows?”
His soul had already twisted because of chaos, and next, he was to enter the mythical rank following Hela’s method of using chaos. It’s hard to say what terrifying consequences might arise from that, but to successfully expel death and return to reality, he definitely needed a higher rank.
He had secretly made up his mind that once he broke through to the mythical rank and escaped death to return to the normal timeline, he would stop.
He would no longer use any Supplement Handbook and fully focus on resolving the debts he had left behind. If in the end, he wasn’t chopped into pieces by an axe and came out unscathed, he might honestly become a magic professor, doing some research and the like.
Of course, this was just a naive thought; he certainly knew that those ladies also had their pursuits, and he would want to help them fulfill their dreams and untangle the knots of the past.
After all, hadn’t he solved the Apocalypse Prophecy already? There was nothing to panic about.
With this, Fisher’s heart suddenly settled, even gaining a bit of confidence and pride.
Shiran didn’t respond to him, nor did she eat much. Her long ears between her black hair flickered slightly, ringing with a crisp bell sound. She quietly watched the stage from the outside, occasionally exchanging a line or two with Fisher.
Fisher was perhaps curious about Shiran because she looked almost exactly like Renee, and also because she was like an unsolvable mystery, revealing nothing to him.
At least according to the rank division, she should also belong to the [Duke] level, likely having a large territory and subjects like Shiran, but she kept this to herself, making Fisher, who didn’t know much about the Tree Continent, feel a bit itchy inside.
Of course, he had also initiated questions, seemingly casually, but she had no intention of elaborating. According to her teasing statement, “If I were to go into the marquess state, you would be taken as a slave for your audacity.”
Fisher perceived her reluctance to share and thus stopped asking. After all, she wasn’t Renee, merely someone with the exact same appearance.
He hadn’t seen Renee for a long time, so for now, this was just a way to ease his sentiments while staying beside her.
They tacitly remained in the small room, eating little and continuously watching the performance on the stage outside, engaging in halfhearted exchanges about trivial matters, such as Shiran explaining what local stories the performers below were enacting.
As the sun gradually tilted to the west, and the World Tree colored by sunlight also faded little by little, Fisher finally had the thought of leaving. No one outside had noticed that he had released that robot, and it was time to go back.
“I’m going to leave now, My Lady Shiran.”
“Oh, that’s fine. I’ve also been out for quite a while, and it’s time to leave. Um, I need to start offering supplies tomorrow, and I also have to meet my mother in Jianmu Palace. I heard that the king’s health has improved recently; it seems death hasn’t had much effect on him. Sorry, sorry; I got a bit carried away.”
While speaking, Shiran felt a bit embarrassed, and her gentle smile carried a hint of awkwardness. Then, she turned to Fisher and said, “But even if we’re leaving, for safety’s sake, let’s leave one by one. You go ahead first?”
Fisher lingered on her last sentence, and after pausing for a second, he barely responded.
“Okay.”
He stood up and walked to the small room where they had spent the afternoon, then opened the sealed door, revealing the empty corridor outside.
Just as he was about to leave, he turned back one last time to glance at the woman who resembled Renee and said to her, “Farewell, My Lady Shiran.”
Shiran remained silent, merely smiling and waving at him as she watched Fisher slowly close the door.
“Click.”
(End of chapter)
