Chapter 354
“Go... back... you’re... not ready...”
“Please, go... You’re not ready just...”
At first, it was faint, but as he dreamed the same dream every night, over and over, fragments of memory grew clearer each time, like a rusted bronze mirror being polished clean. However, he didn’t know why.
“Please, go back. You’re not ready just yet,” said the woman.
Dressed in flowing martial robes, she had a dull, washed-out gaze, as if her eyes had long since lost their light. Reflected in those eyes was a man, and he simply stared back at her, unwavering. In this life, the man worked as a scribe for the Martial Alliance.
“I guess it’s still not enough,” he said.
Slowly, the man closed his eyes. Blood seeped from his abdomen. Was he stabbed? No—the woman held not a blade, but a small wooden plaque carved with the characters “Return to the Origin.” The plaque slowly dissolved like a mirage. However, the handle of the sword the woman held remained solid. Alone. It was a strange occurrence.
“This is the last time. This is the best I can do with my power,” said the woman.
Her body faded like smoke, vanishing like a fleeting mirage. Her memories of the man would now disappear completely. Perhaps, if the man found the Interpreter again, the woman might recover those memories—but the chances were slim. Very slim.
As the wound throbbed, blood from his abdomen soaked his robes, but the man didn’t seem fazed, as if this weren’t the first time. This was the final sequence in the ritual that would return the man to the day he was transferred to the Central Plains. After this, the woman could no longer use her powers.
How many times had this happened? He’d died and died again—so many times, he’d lost count. This surpassed even the effects of the Pocket Watch.
“I’m sorry... I truly am...” Even as she disappeared, the woman apologized and wept.