"Even content that didn't exist in the 'story' you glimpsed can still be deduced from subtle clues—Lin Wei, you truly make me appreciate you more and more..."
Aponia's expression remained as indifferent as ever, her voice still calm and unhurried. Yet, her tone unknowingly carried an undeniable arrogance, bringing a subtle but genuinely palpable sense of pressure.
Evidently, she had thoroughly seen through Lin Wei's background, including the so-called "story."
"Perhaps in your eyes, these are just 'minor details' that can be omitted in the process of mutual understanding. But casually prying into others' memories is not a polite act, Aponia."
Lin Wei, however, wasn't surprised in the slightest. Instead, he chuckled and asked,
"But since you brought it up, I'm actually a bit curious about one thing—in your opinion, can this also be considered a form of 'foreseeing the future'?"
As a transmigrator, these past memories had troubled Lin Wei for a considerable period. There was worry about the perilous future and apprehension about potentially disrupting it, as well as doubts about himself, others, and the reality of this world.
But as time progressed to this point, after experiencing so much, Lin Wei gradually came to terms with these things. Although he wouldn't bring them up proactively, he no longer felt awkward when others pointed them out.
"'Foreseeing the future'? Perhaps."
Aponia gently shook her head, retracting the arrogance from her voice again, and slowly said in a calm tone, "Having seen the past, present, and future of so many people, seeing their entire lives and destinies woven and manipulated so easily, even becoming playthings for others' amusement when bored—even I would feel angry about this."
"...Is that so? Sounds like you're here to hold me accountable."
Lin Wei pursed his lips, thinking, It's no use coming to me for this! If you come to me, who the hell am I supposed to go to?
But Aponia's next words were somewhat surprising—
"No, I am expressing my gratitude to you."
Her voice remained unhurried, soft, and calm.
"Thank you for inflicting such intense pain upon me, allowing me to understand more clearly the sins I have committed... Perhaps the anger and hatred of those whose destinies I led astray are just like this, or even stronger?"
Aponia thought silently. After all, I am just a sinner who 'manipulates fate' all day long...
"Additionally, thank you for not hiding these things from me, allowing me to witness firsthand the same mistakes I will make in the future."
Aponia sighed, as if lamenting the absurdity of the world, or perhaps mocking her own powerlessness and ridiculousness in the face of fate.
"Even if I see such a future now, the sins I am destined to commit will eventually be replayed in another way, leading to the same ending, won't they?" Aponia thought silently.
After all, personally realizing her own prophecies time and time again, personally pushing the people and things she protected into the abyss of destruction—she was far too accustomed to such things.
"Are you saying I didn't use the power of the Key of Corruption and the Fenghuang Down feather to block your prying? There's no need for that."
Lin Wei shook his head, rejecting Aponia's gratitude, and said calmly,
"Facing you, who is almost the 'incarnation of fate,' doing so would probably make me seem very guilty, wouldn't it? Even from a selfish perspective, I can't use such a self-righteous method to leave such an obvious flaw for myself. After all..."
Aponia was too special; any slight mental loophole could bring extremely severe consequences.
Lin Wei paused slightly, chuckled softly, and said, "If I'm not mistaken, the moment I first stepped into the Elysian Realm, before I even obtained the Key of Corruption, with your almost all-pervasive control over the Elysian Realm, you had actually already thoroughly seen through my background back then, right?"
Lin Wei was open and honest, with a clear conscience.
Although he knew many secrets of the past and future that he shouldn't have known, he had never become arrogant, condescending, or conceited because of it. He had almost never used it for personal gain—except for that one time when he was pushed to the brink and had to plot for a Stigma for himself.
But even that time, Lin Wei had truly risked his life. Did he really think a Herrscher's advantage was so easy to exploit?
The reason Lin Wei could be so composed and confident was never because of where he came from, or what incredible secrets and weapons he possessed. It was because even if one day he stood before the Cocoon of Finality, he could still look it in the eye with dignity.
"You truly are an exceptionally intelligent child..."
Aponia chuckled softly, admitting Lin Wei's guess.
Indeed, even if Lin Wei completely sealed his memories with the Feather of Fenghuang now, it would be meaningless—what needed to be seen, she had already seen.
But precisely because of this, she admired Lin Wei even more, both for his wisdom and his courage.
"Is that so? Then I should thank you for your mercy? For not passing judgment the moment I first stepped into the Elysian Realm..."
Lin Wei smiled, speaking half-jokingly, "Otherwise, I probably would have been 'struck by heavenly lightning' long ago, or perhaps even encountered something more terrifying?"
"Ah, to be honest, when you first stepped into the Elysian Realm, I did indeed consider passing the most severe judgment upon you. But at the same time, I also saw the true and undeniable threads of fate on you..."
Aponia said calmly, "Since it was not your original intention, how could I be harsh with you?"
"...Heh, is that so?"
Lin Wei frowned. Her meaning was clear: he too was just a "puppet of fate"—such words were not pleasant to hear at all.
"What's more, that child, Rin..."
Aponia sighed softly and said with sincerity,
"This is the third thing I want to thank you for."
Rin's tragedy was the greatest sin she had ever committed.
Not only because an innocent girl suffered because of her, but more so because she witnessed with her own eyes how the [HOPE] she bestowed personally brought her the deepest [DESPAIR].
It was a despair that completely crushed an entire era, and almost crushed Aponia along with it.
If the Herrscher of Binding brought an incredibly profound tragedy, then the Herrscher of Corruption was an out-and-out tragedy—a tragedy of humanity self-destructing "full of hope"...
And now, to witness this tragedy, which had long since concluded, be completely ended by another person, in another "hopeful" way, how could Aponia not feel grateful?
"Is that so?"
Lin Wei nodded but remained unmoved.
"Such words, if you have the chance in the future, you can say them to Rin yourself."
He had no right to forgive on behalf of others, even if the whole affair was just a cruel trick of fate from beginning to end.
"Is that the case?"
Aponia, however, smiled. A ripple appeared in her empty eyes.
"It seems I have one more thing to thank you for..."
"..."
Lin Wei was speechless. Are you insane?
"Alright, let's get down to business."
Lin Wei forcibly ended Aponia's rambling.
"You should know why I came this time, right?"
"Of course. Few people would, like you, proactively request me to impose [Discipline] upon them."
Aponia smiled faintly.
"And if not for a compelling reason, you probably would never want to see me, this sinner deeply loathed by all, right?"
"Before today, that was indeed the case. But now, it seems you are merely the most tormented poor soul by 'fate'."
Lin Wei looked deeply at Aponia's empty, indifferent eyes, sighed slightly, and said, "I am not one of your past 'victims.' There's no reason to be so harsh with you."
Taking anger out on the weak only makes oneself appear even more cowardly and ridiculous—although Aponia could definitely not be called "weak," compared to the "God of Fate" that truly fools the world, she was just a pitiful victim.
"Is that so? Then this is the fifth thing I want to thank you for... Although I have long been accustomed to bearing all the malice in the world, will I also feel happy for these small acts of kindness?"
Aponia sighed softly, her hands coming together slightly, then slowly opening again.
"As thanks, let me give you a trivial gift..."
Lin Wei looked at her slender hands, as white as jade. In her palm, she held something insect-like, no bigger than a thumb. Looking closely, it was a small ornament shaped like a cicada.
"..."
Lin Wei took it from Aponia's hand and examined it carefully. Its shape looked lifelike.
Two slender, short antennae grew between two large compound eyes like black pearls. Even the intricate, special patterns on its wings, as thin as gauze, were meticulously carved—if not for its color and the feel in his hand still indicating it was stone, Lin Wei would have almost thought it was a living creature.
Lin Wei looked at it, lost in thought for a moment.
"Do you like it?"
Aponia looked at the contemplative Lin Wei, her unhurried voice seemingly carrying a hint of mischievousness.
"The first time you entered the Elysian Realm, I had already started making it!"
Aponia was skilled at handicrafts and used to make them often as gifts for others. It was just that after entering the Elysian Realm, she rarely had the mood to make new crafts.
"...Is that so?"
It seems she really prepared for this meeting for a long time, Lin Wei sighed softly.
"Is this your final answer to me?"
This seemingly abrupt question made Aponia fall silent.
"It seems I guessed right..."
Lin Wei smiled helplessly, mocking himself.
"Hitting a wall with Mobius, and now being rejected by you like this, Aponia—this trip to the Elysian Realm has truly been fruitful."
So, he had seen Aponia's tactful refusal of his request in that small pendant...
"Every time I impose [Discipline], although it is for the purpose of protection, the result often only brings harm..."
Aponia slowly brought her hands back to her lower abdomen and sighed.
"And you came willingly to bear such harm for the purpose of protection... How could I bear to make you feel pain and disappointment?"
"The seventeen-year cicada. After hibernating for seven years, it finally breaks through the earth and soars into the sky..."
Lin Wei carefully played with the small pendant.
"Are you trying to tell me that while [Discipline] can offer temporary protection, it also plants a dangerous seed? When this seed absorbs enough energy and breaks through the earth one day, it will only lead to even more irreversible and tragic consequences, right?"
"I once wanted to use [Discipline] to plant seeds of hope for the world, but what I ultimately harvested was bottomless despair... Regrettably, I cannot impose discipline on those who still have to live in reality..."
Aponia sighed deeply. She had not failed to reflect during these fifty thousand years of self-imprisonment.
"After all, the circumstances of the human world are ever-changing, but [Discipline], once set, cannot be altered. The slightest carelessness can lead to evil consequences—before you came here, you also had doubts in your heart, didn't you?"
Otherwise, how could you so easily understand the meaning of that pendant? Aponia thought silently.
"..."
Lin Wei fell silent for a moment, then gave a wry smile.
"I guess, besides not imposing discipline on me, you also won't make any prophecies about my future?"
I'm really hitting walls repeatedly this time, Lin Wei thought helplessly.
"Elysia has high hopes for you, so I cannot rashly interfere;"
Aponia sensed the subtle aura of Elysia on Lin Wei—it was information from outside the Elysian Realm, which had been cut off as early as fifty thousand years ago.
"As for 'prophecy'... you probably wouldn't want to open the 'Book of Fate,' would you?"
"...If such a book were placed before me, I probably really wouldn't be able to resist opening it?"
Lin Wei thought for a moment and said,
"When it concerns my companions, I'm willing to try any method."
"Is that so? What a gentle person you are..."
Aponia smiled faintly.
"Then what if the result disappoints you?"
"Tear it up!"
Lin Wei said resolutely. Then he paused slightly, took a deep breath, turned, and walked away.
"Thank you."
The moment he turned, he felt the scene before his eyes change. The boundless darkness around him turned into blue sky and white clouds, the straight stone path before him into a vibrant field.
And two small hands were tightly gripping his shoulders and back. That touch felt like...
"Alright, Boss Lin Wei, mission complete! If there's nothing else... I'll just... head back now?"
Pardofelis's cautious, probing voice came from behind, as if worried he would refuse.
"..."
Lin Wei realized something.
Looking up, the pitch-black vortex still stood not far away, silently rotating.
Looking down, a small cicada-shaped pendant lay quietly in his hand.
"Mm, it's fine now. Go back."
Lin Wei let out a soft breath, turned, and ruffled Pardofelis's soft cat ears, smiling.
"I'll go with you too."
The moment he decided to give up seeking Aponia's help, Lin Wei felt a sense of exhilaration amidst his disappointment.
In this life, it's far too early for the dust to settle. Why bow down to so-called "fate" so soon?
If a seed of failure is planted in one's heart, then there's truly no way to turn things around!
"Heehee, a small matter, a small matter! Then I'll just..."
Hearing Lin Wei's words, Pardo first let out a long sigh of relief. Just as she was about to slip away, she suddenly realized what Lin Wei was saying and exclaimed,
"Wh-What?!"
"What what?"
Lin Wei gently teased her cat tail, which had instantly shot up high. Pardofelis flinched and recoiled.
"Let's go, back we go. There's still a lot to do."
With that, he grabbed Pardo's hand and headed back the way they came.
"Ah? This... No! We're already at the final step, how can we turn back?"
Pardo struggled and wailed.
"I don't care, my wages!"