Chapter 778: The Journey of Trust and Parting Shadows

Father left.

Wearing his black mask and exuding a fear potent enough to shake the very Abyss, he melted away like a wisp of night into the distance.

Lu Xin watched his father depart with calm, never intending to hold him back.

He knew that many things to come would rely on his father’s help.

So for now, he had no choice but to let him go—to grant him freedom so that he might truly grow stronger.

Regaining one’s authority naturally demands time to relearn and recover.

Each day away from the throne brought confusion and awkwardness—especially since Father had long been absent from it.

His sister, evidently puzzled, only stepped out from behind him once she was sure Father had gone.

“I never expected you to be so generous as to let him leave,” she remarked.

Mom, surprisingly pleased with the outcome, smiled in approval.

Lu Xin returned her smile and said, “Because I believe we must trust him—and he is worthy of that trust.”

“Yes,” came the quiet affirmation.

Mom nodded and explained, “For him to regain his true strength, he must leave your side. His very name carries that of a king, and staying here would mean constant influence from you, preventing him from reaching his peak.”

“But his attitude is entirely his own choice,” Lu Xin countered.

“…”

As she spoke, she recalled the comical sight of Father’s sudden hesitation, his face alight with laughter, and added:

“Of course, if he never learns to show respect, even if he regains his authority, he’ll only exist as the Prisoner of the Night…”

“That’s simply the nature of the Ultimate.”

“Every Ultimate has its own traits.”

“You could say these traits are a blend of emotion, desire, and character.”

“But unlike people—especially ordinary people—whose emotions, desires, and personalities merge into a balanced whole…”

“They can adapt to any environment at a moment’s notice.”

“The Ultimate, however, shows only its extremes.”

“And because of that extremity, every Ultimate has two sides.”

“Just as the flip side of Truth is Bewilderment.”

“The opposite of Rebellion is Paranoia.”

“And the dark side of Possession is Loss.”

“For the King of the Night, the other side is the Prisoner of the Night.”

“…”

Lu Xin listened to Mom’s words, still struggling to grasp the subtle shifts between these Ultimates.

It was as if they were, on one hand, pure, high-level mental entities,

yet on the other, they developed their own consciousness, existing much like humans do.

They even carried distinct pasts and made unique choices under varied circumstances.

But in the end, it didn’t really matter.

For him, there was no true difference between a King of the Night and a Prisoner of the Night.

He simply thought that if a father, always yearning to leave home yet deprived of true freedom, had to be away for a while, it was acceptable.

As long as he never forgot this home, everything would be fine.

……

……

“Things are going pretty smoothly,” someone noted.

Turning around with a smile, he asked, “Then, can we head back?”

“Of course,” came the reply.

Mom smiled and said, “The journey to uncover that ancient secret must now begin.”

Lu Xin nodded, casting one last longing glance at the distant church, then sighed softly as he turned to leave with Mom and his sister. Suddenly, his expression faltered. “What’s in here?”

His sister, carrying a grimy small backpack, had caught his attention earlier.

But now, he noticed the backpack had swollen even more.

Had she slipped something additional inside?

“What?”

At his inquiry, his sister quickly turned in caution, clutching the backpack tightly behind her.

Though her eyes avoided his, she stubbornly replied, “Nothing…”

Yet, her reaction clearly suggested otherwise.

Lu Xin thought for a moment and glanced again at the small backpack, suddenly catching sight of a hand protruding from it.

It struggled feebly before being shoved back in by his sister’s vigilant grip.

“What on earth is that?”

A trace of panic crept into Lu Xin’s eyes as he looked deeply at his sister.

Luckily, his sister was usually an obedient, well-behaved, sweet little girl.

Otherwise, Lu Xin might have suspected she’d stuffed a living thing inside…

……

……

Returning to the area where the Undercover Units had been waiting, Lu Xin observed that they had dug a hole in the ground and buried their bodies there, leaving behind only a round little hat that resembled a cluster of mushrooms.

The most eye-catching one was a vivid red mushroom with two horns.

At the sound of approaching footsteps, it trembled, its horns drooping in fear.

“What’s wrong? You look terrified,” a voice teased.

Curious, Lu Xin tugged on one of the red mushroom’s horns and peered through a small gap.

Inside lay a round, quivering little head with tightly shut eyes.

Two tiny claws weakly clung to the hat, resisting any attempt to be uncovered.

Fortunately, Lu Xin’s smiling face seemed to trigger a reaction.

It suddenly opened its eyes wide; upon seeing Lu Xin, tears welled up instantly.

With a soft ‘splash,’ it hopped out of the soil, eagerly extending its two small claws to embrace Lu Xin’s leg.

Amid excited chattering, its little head rubbed persistently against his leg.

Soon, other Undercover Units reacted as well. One by one, mushrooms sprouted from the ground, happily gazing at Lu Xin.

As they gathered around him in a tearful, joyful cluster, Lu Xin felt as if he were surrounded by a group of hungry, dependent children…

His heart ached under the overwhelming emotion.

He could only pat each one on its head as a gesture of comfort and reward.

Instantly, the Undercover Units became ecstatic—their round eyes widened, their bodies trembling with excitement, and on Lu Xin’s black hat, two pointed, horn-like bumps appeared, resembling a troop of tiny black buffalo.

……

……

Finally, the jubilant Undercover Units regrouped, forming a circle around Lu Xin, Mom, and his sister.

One unit peered around, seemingly searching for Father,

but a quick-witted comrade promptly smacked it on the mouth.

Everyone silently agreed that the three who had just arrived were the very ones who would return together.

Just as before, they strolled leisurely through the Abyss, with the shadows on each side swiftly retreating.

Their moods lightened, making the journey feel both relaxed and pleasant.

And though the absence of one inevitably brought a hint of loss and an unfillable void,

in about an hour they had already returned to the Base.

Outside the Base—roughly a hundred meters away—Lu Xin, Mom, and his sister stepped back into reality.

Even though the Abyss could have easily taken them directly back to the Base, or even to their tent,

to avoid causing panic inside the Base, Lu Xin obediently re-entered reality outside it. Then, using his ID—which granted him nearly every privilege inside except on-demand cash withdrawals—he re-entered through the main gate.

Of course, no one stopped him.

Only the guard’s expression was strangely blank: “When Mr. Lone Soldier left just now, tons of people celebrated as if it were New Year.”

“But now the dumplings haven’t even been served. How come he’s already back?”

“…”

Inside, he silently pitied those who had celebrated too soon.

“The rest of the arrangements are up to you…”

Strolling back to her tent, Mom said softly, “I need to rest for a while.”

“But don’t worry,”

she added with a smile, “I’ll be leaving with you.”

Lu Xin nodded, glancing at Mom with a touch of concern.

He knew that although everything appeared smooth, Mom had sacrificed a lot this time.

When she faced the Fire-Thief, despite mentioning that pity had led him to erase the rule that could have severely harmed her own traits,

in truth, when she descended into the depths of the Abyss with Lu Xin, she was constantly pushing past her own limits.

As a result, the backlash she suffered was already quite severe.

But she never liked to dwell on it—she just casually remarked that she needed a bit of rest.

“Rest assured—leave it to me.”

Lu Xin, not one to express himself readily, simply nodded earnestly.

Mom smiled as her figure gradually faded, until a faint shadow merged back into the tent.

“Sigh…”

With Father gone, Mom needed rest, and there was no one left to keep her company.

All she could do now was take good care of her sister—to make up for the regret of having left her alone when the family was out working.

Thinking this, Lu Xin lowered his gaze at his sister, only to find her preparing to run away.

“Huh?”

He was taken aback. “Where are you going?”

“Huh?”

Having run a few steps, his sister quickly spun around, clutching the backpack, and said, “There’s nothing inside…”

“This…”

Lu Xin’s expression grew even more puzzled.

Wasn’t her reaction a bit odd?

He sighed deeply, picked her up, and said, “I know I’ve been so busy with work lately that I’ve neglected you, but don’t worry. For now, it’s just the two of us at home. I promise to take good care of you…”

His sister looked dumbfounded and whispered, “For now, it’s okay…”

Lu Xin, somewhat surprised, asked, “You don’t want to be with me?”

After a moment, with a tinge of guilt, she said, “Brother, if I end up causing a bit of trouble…”

“Will you help me?”

“…”

“What’s the question?”

Lu Xin laughed, “Of course I’ll help you. Is that even a question?”

“Then…”

It seemed his answer hadn’t completely eased her worries. After a pause, her two little hands gestured emphatically.

“What if this trouble turns out to be a bit severe?”

“…”

“…”

Lu Xin was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond.

Recommendation: Check out the book ‘Restart Ninety-Nine’—a tale of a handsome thirty-year-old who finds himself transported back to the turn of the century.