Chapter 40: A Rainy Night and a Conversation

As the evil god's projection vanished, the void rift closed entirely. The rift that had allowed endless void energy into the physical world had been mended by the world's natural order.

The distant evil god roared in fury from within the void, but to no avail.

Despite these evil gods' frightening strength, they were unable to interfere with reality without any source of void energy with which to act.

"I will remember y—" Even the Undying Lord's words were unable to fully make it out of the rift before the rift collapsed on itself and vanished from existence.

Avia's eyes were still wide with terror. She hadn't fully processed what had happened, but seeing everything related to the evil god vanish into thin air filled her with a profound exhaustion.

She was bottoming out on mental energy, her magic was drained, and multiple layers of strain on her mind and body weighed heavily on her.

Her eyelids were so heavy that it felt as if sandbags were tied to them. Her muscles screamed with pain as the toll of the fight settled over her, leaving her swaying unsteadily on her knees. Just as her consciousness began to blur, a pair of hands caught her. A rough but composed voice, steady as ever, murmured to her, "We can't rest just yet. Hang in there a little longer. I'll get you somewhere safe. We don't know if Decaphon left any of his men in hiding, or if all the commotion here has drawn any attention."

Wang Yu lifted the young woman up once more. He carried her over his shoulder.

"Mmm..." Avia mumbled hazily. Her mind was barely functioning as she rested on his back.

As soon as she realized that Wang Yu was around, she relaxed and let her head rest against his shoulder. She absentmindedly reached out to touch his head.

Come to think of it, Wang Yu had always been perplexed about something. In this world, mental energy strongly influenced one's state of mind, but Wang Yu was different. No matter how much mental energy he used to cast spells or perform rituals, he never felt fatigued. Of course, if he was sleep-deprived, he'd get tired, just like anyone else.

The difference was that his mental energy had no impact on his consciousness. Even when he was depleted of mental energy, he wouldn't lose consciousness; he just wouldn't be able to perform spells or manipulate void energy.

The more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Even more shocking was the fact that Wang Yu's mental domain was mobile. He suddenly had a shocking thought: did he truly possess a soul? In his previous life, he certainly hadn't. The people of this world did, but he was a transmigrator. Would he truly possess one?

There was no doubt that his body was the same body he had originally had. Considering his assortment of unusual traits, there was a strong chance that he didn't, in fact, have a soul.

Now wasn't the time to dwell on it, though. As he had said, they needed to find somewhere safe to rest. They couldn't let their guard down now.

He didn't know if Decaphon still had followers lying in wait, or if anyone outside had noticed the commotion.

Wang Yu carried the semiconscious Avia across the ruined remains of the villa, where the evil god's presence had finally faded.

He was still clear-headed, but when he glanced down at the wounds all over his body, he could see that he had begun to bleed once more. He would need rest and treatment urgently.

As Avia lay on his back, she continued to reach up to touch his head, as though lost in her own thoughts with a faint smile on her face. She was normally sharp and collected; her current behavior seemed almost silly in comparison.

"Hmm?" She seemed to notice something odd as she touched something sticky.

She glanced at her hand in the dim light; it was blood-red. An iron tang struck her nose, and the heavy, hazy feeling in her head cleared just a little.

Her post-battle relief and joy suddenly faded as she belatedly noticed just how badly injured Wang Yu was—as badly as that fight from a year ago.

There was a wound on his head that was still bleeding.

There were numerous deep wounds on the shoulder her head was leaning on. Some were beginning to close, but had split open again.

A trail of blood followed Wang Yu, a series of bright-red footprints that were frightening to behold.

Wang Yu had been engaged in high-intensity combat for hours on end, with almost no rest in between.

His only healing had come from a third-tier healing spell from Mira, which had suppressed the worst of his injuries, and two minor healing potions.

In terms of severity, his current injuries were on par with those from his life-and-death battle against Beran a year ago.

However, in the intervening year, his constitution had undergone a significant evolution. Though those wounds had once been potentially fatal, they were now manageable.

All he needed now was rest to give his body the time it needed to mend itself. He needed a safe place; the basement where Avia's mother had been kept seemed like an ideal choice.

Still carrying Avia, Wang Yu stepped out into the pitch-black night once again. Rain poured down in sheets, painful where it struck his wounds, but neither of them cared for an umbrella. They didn't have the strength for it, and it was unnecessary.

The icy cold of the rain contrasted sharply with the warmth of the back pressed against Avia's chest.

If any emotion stood out amidst the potpourri that filled Avia's mind, it would be sadness. Seeing Wang Yu hurt like this again made her heart ache with startling intensity.

She pressed her face against his head, her lips moving close to his ear. "Wang Yu..."

She wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words to do so. Her feelings were too mixed up, and any attempt to voice them made them turn into a tangled mess. Every time she tried, she was unable to express her true thoughts.

"Hmm? What is it?" Wang Yu didn't look back. His tone was as casual as always, as if they were just having a friendly chat.

It was a tone he reserved for very good friends, but Avia couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment and defeat.

Her mood fell. The feelings in her heart grew stronger, like an ache she couldn't quite explain or express.

She thought she was supposed to be happy; after all, they had overcome an impossible foe and were, as far as she could tell, both going to live to see the dawn. Shouldn't she be feeling elated and joyful?

Even so, she felt uneasy. The rain poured down, chilling the summer night and washing away its warmth, leaving behind only a coldness that seeped into her very bones.

She shivered as a mix of exhaustion and the chill of the night sank into her.

This setting—was it really the right place and time for such a conversation? Avia hesitated.

The courage she'd briefly felt after surviving the ordeal was slowly but surely extinguished by the pouring rain.

The spark of her bravery flickered, barely protected by the metaphorical umbrella she had conjured for it.

"Wang Yu, I..." Avia tried to muster her courage to speak up.

"I'm listening," Wang Yu replied. His steady voice gave her a little more courage.

"I—!" she shouted with determination, only to have thunder rumble in the air as lightning flashed, breaking through the dense clouds to illuminate the dark world Wang Yu was navigating.

Avia, still on his back, saw clear, shimmering rain falling.

As it struck Wang Yu's head and rolled down his clothes, the rain turned a dark red.

She looked down at her own clothes. They too were stained faintly red; the source of the blood was unmistakable.

The rain had buffeted Wang Yu's body and opened his wounds once more, causing blood to seep out. Wang Yu was well aware of his body's limits, and these wounds would likely do him no further harm, but she couldn't help but choke up.

She felt a surge of discomfort. This man before her had done so much for her, gotten so hurt—and yet here she was focusing on trivial matters. Her heartache intensified.

Drained of all energy, she couldn't even summon the magic to heal him, filling her with guilt and remorse.

She leaned against his back and began to cry softly.

The rain mixed with her tears until she couldn't tell one from the other. Despite the fact that she was usually so calm and collected, she suddenly felt inexplicably raw and fragile.

Perhaps it was because she had completely let down her guard in front of someone she valued, or because her feelings were simply too overwhelming, or because the rain had washed away her resilience.

No one could say—but Wang Yu, who had been plodding forward steadily, suddenly stopped short.

Perhaps he had sensed the young woman's trembling body, or heard her quiet sobbing, or perhaps both.

Hesitantly, he started, "That is, I, uhh..."

Wang Yu stammered for long moments as he struggled to find the right words.

"I know you have something you want to tell me, but it may be hard to bring up right now. I just wanted to say—if it's something you can't bring yourself to say at the moment, what if we wait until we're settled and rested?

𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Whatever it is you want to say, I'm willing to listen.

"Given our current circumstances, with me all banged up and you barely holding on, it's not the best time to chat, is it? We'll have plenty of chances to talk later."

Wang Yu's tone was as casual and lighthearted as always. Hearing his words, Avia found the heavy feeling in her heart lessen. Even so, she couldn't entirely erase her frustration and self-criticism.

Wang Yu had always been like this: easygoing, earnest, and seemingly unbound by anything. Even if she said what was on her mind, would it matter?

Her thoughts drifted back to that night when they had spoken in their room, when she had tried to confide in him. A faint, wry smile spread across her lips as the sadness in her heart deepened. Would things end the same way as that night?

She had spoken from the heart, and he had listened sincerely. But somehow, their sincerity seemed to glance off each other.

She quieted down. The words she was reaching for now felt even further out of reach. Amidst rain and darkness, there was only silence.

A sudden cough from Wang Yu broke the pregnant silence.

"Avia, I, well, I'm not really one for sentimentality," he began, with an awkwardness that was almost endearing. "I'm clueless about certain things, and I realize that I probably come across as odd or evasive. If that's been a bother to you, I'd like to apologize. Please don't be upset..."

A hand gently touched Avia's head as she leaned against his shoulder. The touch was warm and hesitant.

His hand brushed across her head twice, uncertainly, before pulling away awkwardly.

"We've just survived a huge calamity, right? We should be happy. Wouldn't it be a waste of our efforts otherwise?" The rain almost drowned out Wang Yu's words.

"So you knew...?" Avia was taken aback upon hearing his words. Wang Yu's response was surprisingly lucid. Had his obliviousness partially been an act?

Her cheeks puffed up. She couldn't help but feel a little exasperated, but somehow, as she looked at his back, that frustration melted away.

Avia reached out and took hold of Wang Yu's hand—the same hand that had just patted her head—and nuzzled against it with her cheek. Its warmth felt wonderful.

"If he knows, then that's all that matters," she murmured inwardly. With that, her sadness gradually faded away.

The underground chamber's door creaked open as Wang Yu slipped inside with Avia on his back. He shut the door behind him, sealing it from wind and rain, as he slowly descended the steep stairs.

He soon reached the room where Avia's mother was held. The warm yellow light from the room cast their shadows against the wall as they entered. Avia's mother looked up, first noticing Wang Yu, battered and bloodied—and then her daughter on his back.

A weary smile appeared on her face as she rose from bed and walked over to them. Wang Yu gently lowered Avia onto the bed, and the mother and the daughter shared a deep embrace. The two of them, long separated, clung to each other with heartfelt emotion.

Avia nestled in her mother's arms, feeling the weight of everything they had endured and lost. Even so, she had finally regained someone truly precious to her, someone irreplaceable.

With that thought, she pulled away from her mother's embrace, took her mother's hand, and called out to Wang Yu, "Wang Yu, let my mother help treat your wounds!"

But there was no response. She turned to see that Wang Yu, injured beyond belief, had already fallen asleep leaning against the wall.

With a twinge of heartache, she urged her mother to tend to Wang Yu's wounds. He was hurt so badly. Usually, she would be woken up by the sounds of his training; tomorrow, it seemed like the opposite would be...

But before Avia could finish her thought, a wave of exhaustion washed over her. Lying down on bed, Avia drifted into a deep sleep.