Chapter 113 - 3.9

The System analyzed everything from the separated space he had isolated himself into. The only reason for this disappearance: The man Xu Jiaqi was currently being hugged by.

He did not say anything to the Host, and kept his silence even as his Host was calling for him asking for an explanation. His temperament was cold as ice, his eyes sweeping through the scene. Administering his devices, he waited for a few seconds.

Beep!

A connection was formed, between him and the Main System's consciousness.

[..This is System Origin Zero.. There has been a dissonance in the Agent's soul.]

[Requesting a partial memory wipe out after the segment. Requesting authority usage and protection. Enforcing maximum surveillance.] The System, watching this scene unfold before him, communicated with the main branch secretly. [A breach has begun. The culprit... is that lunatic. I will contain it before it gets out of hand. Report over.]

After doing so, he ended the connection and got out of the System space. The Host didn't need to know about any of these. It was too early for her to know, and it would bring her nothing but harm if she were to learn of the information. It could trigger her condition and send her to the afterlife.

He was very clear on what his mission was. Above all, his Host's safety had to be protected. Even if it meant that a world was going to falter, it could still be considered a light cost.

He sighed. He had to act appropriately and answer Xu Jiaqi with caution. There was no room for a mistake to be made.

[Host! Host, are you alright?] He exclaimed innocently, faking his worry.

'..You're finally here! Tell me, this man.. Why is he so similar with Zenith? This must be a mistake, right? I thought you previously said that the chances of the same soul being a denizen of my mission's world is close to none! Added to Zenith's strangeness.. Just who on Earth is Zenith? Why can he tail us down like this?'

Xu Jiaqi, who was still being held by Xie Yongrui, was frantic as she demanded an answer from her partner System.

[Host, it's a complicated matter. Please understand, I am not able to tell you anything right now. It will also be detrimental if you learned of it right now.] The System replied with seriousness.

'Still- If I have to meet this guy's soul in every single world I jump into, then...'

[Please be assured. This will be the last time that this soul will encounter you this way. I shall perform precautions for the next time we jump into a world. Please bear with it until this mission world's completion, then Host will be able to take a rest and I will apply further restrictions as we go.]

The System was treading on a thin line. On one side, he couldn't possibly defy the being that was chasing Xu Jiaqi down. On the other side, if he continuously let the being follow Xu Jiaqi and get near her, then it would be the same as letting his agent die slowly.

'...The last time.. Even if you say so, it sounds a bit..' Truth be told, she wasn't at all angered by the matter of the soul following her.

In fact, the fact that there was a possibility that Zenith's soul floated to her side, and that the System's remarks indirectly confirmed it, made her slightly happy and relieved. It was because the last time she saw Zenith, it was when he protected her and exerted a large amount of power.

After that, the System hurriedly cut her ties with the world and helped her escape to the space. She never learned of the outcome after she was freed from that world.

What happened to Zenith's soul after that? She didn't persistently ask about it to the System, but deep down, she did feel worried.

[Host. I.. would advise you to not think too much about this train of events if you don't want to get hurt. Please.. at least, if you want to pursue this matter further, you must wait until you have completed at least five worlds. I will guide you to that checkpoint. Once you reach it, I will determine if you are suitable enough to be relayed parts of the truth.] The System tried to dodge the topic as much as possible, but Xu Jiaqi wouldn't budge.

This was her first time feeling so disturbed in terms of her emotions, especially concerning someone of the opposite gender. She didn't know why, but she just felt an overwhelming amount of worry for the other party's soul.

No. Perhaps, she did know why. The relation with her dreams being her forgotten pieces of memories.. It would mean that the soul inhabiting Zenith and Xie Yongrui was someone significant in her past. For him to want to chase her down to the point of following her in crossing dimensional rifts.

Her lingering sensations... it must have propelled her to feel this way when his soul encountered her.

She had to wait. Five worlds. That was what the System offered. Although it wasn't a concrete promise, it was a much more defined goal than a blind search.

The bamboo scent that was a trademark of his. She kept wondering what her relation was to him, but there was nobody to explain for her.

Basking in her conflicting thoughts, she gave in to Xie Yongrui's clutches. She was quite burdened by the approach at the start, but as she thought about it, she began to feel like Zenith was there right by her side just like any other day she spent as Ariel. Her faithful knight who never lost his passion until the very end.

Her brows creased as she crumpled Xie Yongrui's robes in her fists, wanting to express her grievance.

They stayed in the same position, with Xie Yongrui comforting Xu Jiaqi in an array of kind gestures. Minutes passed, until Xie Yongrui finally loosened his grip and took a deeper look into Xu Jiaqi.

His sharp eyes scanned her with great detail, but he was still unable to decipher the reason he felt so confused towards her.