Chapter 173: Troubles

"What are you doing!?"

As soon as her eyes laid on Viel's translucent soul floating beside Rain's, she quickly rushed towards it. She squinted her eyes to try and see if it really was him.

After a few seconds of staring at it, she was sure. It was Viel. The soul was translucent, almost invisible. If one were to blink, then you would have to focus your eyes again for you to be able to see it clearly.

"What… is happening?", Lu Yi was truly at a loss. The last thing she remembered was the baby, that was named by Viel, died, everything after that felt like a blur. It was as if she was in a ship, losing and gaining consciousness every hour. In a word, it was fleeting.

[Merging Original Player: Rain with Player: Viel]

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"What do you even mean by that!?", Lu Yi's screams once again echoed through the darkness, "You think I am just going to let you do as you please!?"

Lu Yi then started punching Rain. Even though everything was filled and drowned by darkness, the impact of Lu Yi's punches still felt like it rippled as the darkness quaked. However, no matter how many punches she releases, it did nothing. It was as if she was punching something immaterial, but at the same time, she felt it.

After letting out a thousand attacks, Lu Yi could not help but groan in frustration. She knew it was doing nothing, but she couldn't stop herself. But after a few more seconds, she finally stopped as she released a deep breath.

She then looked at Jack, who was lifelessly floating in the darkness, his arms stretched to the sides. When Lu Yi woke up, she remembered being in the same position.

It was a disgusting feeling as she tried to pull herself from the air. There was nothing holding her, but it felt as if her whole body was being sucked by a vacuum, or a million tentacles pulling her by its suctions.

"Wake up, Judge of Karma", Lu Yi tried to pull Jack from the air, but the only thing that she managed to do was pull herself up, "I need your knowledge right now!"

If there was anyone that would know what was happening right now and how to stop it, it might be Jack. But alas, Lu Yi's efforts were in vain, as it has been from the start. There was not even a flicker of response from Jack.

"Wake up, you two", she gritted her teeth, "Viel needs us"

Why was she even the first one to wake up? If it was Jack, then he would have probably been more helpful.

In the first place, how did she even wake up?

Lu Yi placed her hand on her chin. The first thing she remembered before pulling herself out was… hearing Viel's voice. And then a strong feeling of familiarity, as if her and Viel's will has become one. It was a feeling of responsibility...

...Responsibility for other people.

An obligation to rule.

An obligation to protect.

Lu Yi blinked her eyes a couple of times. Did… she just crack the code on how to awaken the others? Did it really have something to do with their temperament and their roles when they were still living?

In the case of Xanthus, would it be… punishment? But if so, then Xanthus should have been the first one to wake up from the three of them.

Lu Yi could not help but groan in frustration once again. Did Viel need to go through another traumatic experience for Xanthus to wake up?

What about the Judge of Karma? Does Viel need to… judge someone for him to wake up?

Lu Yi could not help but release a long and deep sigh as she shook her head. Maybe she was wrong about her theory after all. But the only thing she knew was that Viel himself was the reason she woke up.

In the end, it was always up to Viel once more. Was their fate to forever be a bystander in Viel's life? Was there any way they could help him from the outside?

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Hearing Mr. Voice's monotonous voice ringing in the darkness again, Lu Yi clicked her tongue.

"Once I find where you are hiding, I will destroy you", Lu Yi said as he looked around the vast and empty darkness surrounding her.

"I will destroy you if you do not stop this!", she bellowed, "Do you hear me!?"

***

A week had passed since the destruction of the Heaven Bamboo sect. And unofficially, Xingcai City was being built in its remains.

In the end, Xing Cai gave in. It was either Xingcai city or Heavenly Fetus city. In truth, Viel had a good reason for choosing Heavenly Fetus as the city's name. He explained that it was because almost all the first citizens were young. But alas, the name just didn't sit right with the tongue.

Viel was currently on the top floor of the highest tower of Xingcai city, which he now named as the Viel Tower, overlooking the infrastructure. It was the previous headquarters of the Heaven Bamboo sect. And true to their name, the tower was shaped almost like bamboo.

Sofia, Xing Cai, and Jin-ri were currently working out the plans for the future city. Jin-ri chose to stay for now. As there was a risk of the investigation being exposed if she were to come back to the Palace.

Seeing their expressions, it would seem that they were somewhat having fun with the planning and doing the layout of the future city. Even Xing Cai, who was against it at first, had a serious expression on her face as Sofia sketched some designs of the buildings that will be placed in the city in the future.

It could be that they were doing it because they had nothing else to do as they waited for news from Sofia's shadow, or maybe simply because they were genuinely enjoying it.

"Viel, are you not going to help with planning the city?", Xing Cai said, "This will ultimately be yours, after all"

"Ehhh…", Viel slowly turned his body towards Xing Cai and the others, "Why work when someone else can do it for you", he then said as he sat on a nearby sofa.

Hearing Viel's carefree words, Xing Cai could not help but twitch her eyes, "Another lesson from your grandpa Ling?", she sighed.

"Grandpa Ling?", Viel tilted his head, "...Who's that?"

Sofia instantly stopped sketching as she heard Viel's words.

Xing Cai also squinted her eyes as she focused all of her attention on Viel.

"...Your grandfather?", she said.

"Grandfather?", there was visible confusion on Viel's face, but after a few seconds, he clapped his hands, "Ah! My grandmother did have a husband. I don't remember much about him though", he nonchalantly said as he slowly lay down on the sofa.

"...", Xing Cai could not help but narrow her eyes as she stared at Viel. She thought he was joking at first, but seeing his expression, it looked like he wasn't lying.

Sofia fixed her spectacles as she looked at Viel. Was it happening again? She thought.

"Miss Xing Cai, I have something to tell you", Sofia then beckoned for Xing Cai to follow her as they walked to the corner of the hall.

"What is it?", Xing Cai squinted her eyes.

"It's about Viel…", Sofia whispered, "The truth is…"

Sofia then started telling the story of what happened before they left her world. Zachary dying, and the sudden changes in Viel's personality. But the most important detail was that there seemed to be someone controlling Viel as his eyes flickered like fireflies.

"It could be… that whatever is happening to him", Sofia's tone turned grave, "It's taking away his memories, or if I were to deduce, someone is taking over his body"

"W… What!?", Xing Cai could not help but slightly stutter, "Could it be the voices that he keeps on mentioning?"

Hearing Xing Cai's words, Sofia could only shake her head, "We can't be sure", Sofia fixed her glasses, "The only thing I am sure of… the portals, the connection to the other worlds, everything revolves around Viel… or rather, it was made for him"

Sofia placed her hand on her chin as she stared at Viel as she realized something, "He's the only one who can see the floating words by will outside of the dungeons", she muttered, "So if we find out more about these dungeons… then we find out more about what's happening to him. Well, all of these are just theories, of course"

Xing Cai released a deep breath as she deliberated Sofia's words. They sound absurd at first, but if she were to think about it. The portals-- they appeared around Viel's 5th birthday. Of course, it could just be a coincidence. But it is still hard to dismiss the fact that it did.

"Lord Viel, we have trouble outside"

As Sofia and Xing Cai were busy with their thoughts, a knock came from the door.

It was Tilly, and as soon as she entered the room, she saluted towards Viel, her expression full of urgency.

"Trouble? What kind of trouble?", Viel quickly stood up from the sofa as an excited expression appeared on his face.

Cha Jin-ri also stopped doing whatever it is that she was doing and focused her attention on Tilly.

"We have spotted a large number of people heading in our direction"

***

2000 powerstones = 3 extra chapters on Monday