join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr
Since he wasn't aware of Dark Angel Sasrir's existence yet, Derrick obviously didn't immediately grasp the meaning behind the casual nickname "Little Shadow."
In fact, it wasn't just him; due to the lack of historical records, even Colin Iliad didn't make any connections based on this nickname. The only thing he could be sure of was that this shadow, who called himself Little Shadow, was very dangerous.
So dangerous that Colin Iliad had no confidence in surviving a confrontation with him.
This was also why Colin Iliad had been so polite from beginning to end.
While he would never cower in the face of monsters, when confronted with such a powerful, unknown entity that seemed amenable to negotiation and bore no ill will, even Colin Iliad would not rashly choose to attack.
Seeing the shadow fall silent again, Colin Iliad thought for a moment, then began to examine the small boy who was said to be from the outside world and corrupted by the power of the Angel of Fate.
Soon, Colin Iliad discovered the extra face on the boy's stomach, which bore a striking resemblance to the Angel of Fate. After dealing with it and saving the boy's life with medicine, Colin Iliad looked back at the shadow and pondered, "Your Excellency, we are about to leave this temple. You..."
"Don't mind me, just leave yourselves," the shadow replied, his voice still calm and gentle.
"Then how should I tell you if Angel of Judgment is doing well?" Derrick raised his question.
"Tell me next time we meet," the shadow replied, his figure immediately becoming blurred.
"Are you leaving here?" Derrick quickly asked.
"Just planning to walk around. I've slept for a long time and don't want to sleep anymore," the shadow answered with a smile. As soon as his voice fell, he completely disappeared.
The exploration team members immediately looked at each other, and the hall fell silent for a while. After a long moment, a member of the exploration team quietly asked, "He... really left?"
"Probably..."
"By the way, what exactly is this? A new type of monster..."
"Cough!" Just as the exploration team members were discussing in twos and threes, and their talk was getting more and more outlandish, Colin Iliad quickly coughed to interrupt them, then said:
"Regarding Derrick and Angel of Judgment, it was with my tacit approval. This is a secret concerning whether the City of Silver can be saved. Do not tell anyone else."
Derrick's expression immediately stiffened.
The other members of the exploration team looked at each other, then one after another said:
"Okay, Chief, I understand."
"Don't worry, Chief, I won't tell anyone else."
After all the team members had given their assurances, Colin Iliad glanced at Derrick, who seemed a little at a loss, then had someone carry the boy and said, "Prepare yourselves, we're returning to the City of Silver."
The gains from this temple exploration had far exceeded his expectations; it was time to go back.
As for who that shadow truly was, whether his words were true or false, and whether the boy truly came from the outside world, these questions would have to wait until they returned to the City of Silver to be discerned and considered.
...
While the the City of Silver exploration team was preparing to return, outside the collapsed, semi-abandoned temple, the shadow condensed once more.
He seemed unconcerned about the dangers he might encounter in the darkness, and the darkness also seemed to ignore him. Although there was not a trace of light, no monsters or anomalies appeared.
The shadow glanced at the sky, where lightning occasionally flashed, and took something out of his pocket.
It appeared to be a pocket watch, its surface engraved with ancient and elegant patterns.
The shadow opened the pocket watch, and the hands, which looked like they were made of crystal, were still making a "tick-Tucker-tick-Tucker--" sound, seemingly rotating. But in reality, if you looked closely, you would find that the hands had long since stopped at one position, as if time itself had frozen there.
The shadow's fingertip gently traced the surface, finally stopping at a certain spot where a line of small characters was engraved:
Little Shadow, may you always exist, and always remain yourself.
The shadow suddenly laughed; he seemed to have returned to that afternoon.
The sun wasn't particularly bright that day, and Angel of Judgment, who had skipped work for a long time, appeared before him with a radiant smile just after finishing a document, his hands behind his back, looking mysterious.
"Caused trouble again?"
At that time, he looked up from the pile of official documents and helplessly gazed at the brightly smiling Angel of Judgment, who clearly wasn't quite normal. He was trying to gauge how much trouble the other party had caused based on the intensity of that smile.
"Who caused trouble? When have I ever caused trouble, Sasrir? You can't always look at me through biased eyes," Angel of Judgment seemed very displeased with his words and said grumpily.
"So, who are you trying to persecute again, and you need my help?" He remembered, he had said that, then sighed, put down the parchment and pen, and said, "Lin Ruo, do you know how many complaints about you I've received this year?"
"You can't always think about how to persecute others; even Amon has been led astray by you... I can't spoil you anymore."
"Pfft! Was Amon led astray by me? He's a born mischievous child, okay?" Angel of Judgment pouted, seeming a little guilty, and yet a little dissatisfied.
"Besides, I have something serious to talk to you about this time."
"What serious matter?" He asked, watching the Angel of Judgment before him, who rarely showed a serious expression, and who then placed something into his hand.
"What is this?"
"A gift."
He still remembered Lin Ruo's beaming expression when he said that word, like a child who had done something important and was waiting for praise.
To him, he was indeed just a child.
"A pocket watch? No, it seems to be a mystical item..." At that time, he hadn't yet realized what this gift truly represented. After looking at it, he asked:
"Does it have any special function?"
"It's a secret. You'll know later, but I rather hope you never have that day of knowing," Lin Ruo shook his head while placing his index finger on his lips, then added:
"Anyway, you'd best carry it, always carry it."
At that time, though he didn't understand how important that gift was, he was still very pleased with this first gift received from Angel of Judgment, and naturally nodded in agreement.
"Okay."
Recalling this, the shadow's gaze fell back on that line of text and he smiled:
"So your purpose was to preserve me... a personality, a remnant shadow."
In his ears, he seemed to hear a conversation he once had with Lin Ruo again.
— Sasrir, are you truly a Clone split from the Lord?
— Yes.
— Then will you one day be reclaimed, will you disappear?
— That is the very meaning of my existence.
— But I don't want you to disappear.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr