Red brilliance flared.
In the instant the Memory Stone was activated, a blinding red light enveloped him.
Su Ming’an felt lightness in his body, followed by a shift in his field of vision, as though he had suddenly been transported to another place.
Before him was a floor-to-ceiling window, with a garden outside bathed in sunlight. "He" stood in a room carpeted with red, holding a pendant on his chest, seemingly waiting for someone.
...This must be Su Rin’s memory.
Su Ming’an tried to move, but found he could not; he seemed to be confined within this body from the past, only able to look out through Su Rin’s eyes.
Suddenly, the view in front of him began to pan, presumably as Su Rin turned his head.
Su Ming’an saw the luxurious decor of the room, a place filled with books, with floating crystal balls and feather pens in the corner, and the walls bearing the emblem of the Yate Empire.
From outside the door came a gentle knock, and then a head of brilliant golden hair slowly entered his view.
"Rin," Saya said softly, smiling with the same poise as the most refined young lady, "I didn’t expect you to invite me to your estate."
The moment he heard her words, Su Ming’an realized the time node.
Su Rin had invited Saya to his estate.
It was also the time node that changed Saya’s life.
"Saya, come and take a look," Su Rin spoke, his voice very gentle.
On his desk lay a spread-open book.
Saya walked over slowly.
"Is this... ’Oracle’ written by Vandilun?" She blinked, "That’s amazing, Rin. I heard the book is filled with arcane Medieval texts, yet you can understand it."
"There’s nothing I can’t understand," Su Rin said softly: "Books are a way of communicating with the heart. When your heart connects to the oracle in the book... you don’t need to strain yourself reading, you can sense the mood Vandilun was in when he wrote it."
"Tormented and struggling, despairing yet free," he summarized softly, "The world is like a massive piece of amber, and he is the one permanently struggling within its confines."
Saya nodded, "I’ve heard the story of Vandilun."
"Would you share it with me?" asked Su Rin.
Saya cleared her throat:
"It is said that three hundred years ago, Priest Vandilun released white doves before the church was burned down.
He didn’t hide from the flames but instead sang fervently, saying he had already raced to Heaven with the doves, gaining ultimate freedom," Saya said. "However, the knights of the church saved him, preventing his death in the fire. Vandilun, who should have been happy to survive, was instead sullen for the rest of his life... He claimed his soul had gone to Heaven just like the doves, and all that remained was a shell trapped by the world."
"—He wrote this oracle with his broken heart, allowing himself, who had already flown to Heaven, to use that shell to convey to people that Heaven still exists, and he would inscribe glory for great people..." Su Rin revealed a smile, "He is a soul imprisoned by the world, an existence hindered by flesh. Heaven is not a place that takes in the dead but rather a sanctuary that accommodates noble souls like his..."
"Rin, I’m glad you shared this book with me," Saya’s face showed a proper smile, with a hint of shyness, "At present, my understanding of this book is too superficial; I will definitely read it carefully later."
Su Ming’an, seeing through Su Rin’s eyes, took a careful look at Saya.
Saya still looked somewhat naive, her face carrying a touch of baby fat.
He did not know how many years ago this event took place, but it couldn’t have been long, as Saya looked not much different from how she did aboard the ship.
Su Ming’an observed for a while and gradually noticed that Su Rin’s behavior and mannerisms were completely different from the norm.
In his conversation with Saya, he came off as a reader who was extremely passionate about books, able to quote appropriate sentences on any topic, and it seemed he was also a priest with firm beliefs, mixing inducements for Saya to understand the deities he spoke of in his words.
His way of speaking was gentle and restrained, yet it carried a fervor that even Su Ming’an found somewhat alarming, as if Su Rin would abruptly change face if Saya contradicted him in the slightest.
But Su Rin managed the conversation topics quite well.
The entire talk appeared quite calm on the surface.
After exchanging a few more words with Saya, Su Rin smiled.
"Saya, do you think that immortality would be a good thing for human beings?" he asked her softly.
"It should be... I guess," Saya said. "To live forever, to watch this world for a long time, to witness the changes of the world as an immortal, without being troubled by concerns about lifespan or health. I think it’d be a good thing for the advancement and long-term development of humans themselves."
A flicker of amusement brightened Su Rin’s eyes.
"Saya, do you want to be immortal?" he inquired.
Saya’s gaze hesitated slightly.
"Do you wish for immortality, Rin?" she asked.
"How coincidental," Saya laughed, "if Rin is thinking about it, I am too."
Her laugh was gentle, and the warm light shone upon her golden locks, illuminating her profile with the orange glow from beside the window.
Her features were bright and tender, her presence seemed otherworldly, much like a princess who had stepped out of a castle in a fairy tale. Standing quietly on the crimson carpet, bathed in sunlight, she appeared to glow from within.
After a moment’s reflection, she spoke softly, "A long life... if there is someone else’s company, I think it wouldn’t be lonely."
Su Rin watched her, a smile crossing his face.
Suddenly, without warning, Saya took a half step back.
"Rin," she said softly, "why are you looking at me like that?"
"..." Saya took another half step back.
On that face, brimming with a gentle smile, a look of fear suddenly appeared.
She saw, in the eyes of the smiling Su Rin, a flowing blood-red luster.
"Rin, your eyes..." she suddenly realized what that color meant.
Red eyes, the Soul Clan.
The young Saya didn’t understand why Rin was a member of the Soul Clan.
"What’s wrong?" Su Rin extended a hand clad in a white glove.
In front of the girl who seemed naturally luminescent, he drew the curtains shut, blocking the harsh sunlight, and made a formal invitation gesture.
"Miss Saya, join me in immortality," he said, "you have already accepted my invitation."
Saya screamed and turned to flee.
The lamp flickered on its stand, casting an extremely long shadow of the fleeing girl.
Su Rin looked baffled.
"Miss Saya?" he called softly.
As Saya bolted through the door, her long golden hair flowed behind her, shimmering in the warm light.
Su Rin followed at an unhurried pace, as if he had anticipated this turn of events.
"Miss Saya, walk slowly, watch your step," Su Rin’s step was calm, yet his speed was extremely fast.
The blood-red light reflected in the bottom of his eyes, he followed the steps of the girl, his hand gently resting on her shoulder.
"Don’t you want to live forever?" he inquired.
The girl collapsed on the ground in despair, tears filling her eyes.
"Rin, let me go, I won’t reveal your secret of being from the Soul Clan, even, even if you are..."
"No," Su Rin interrupted her, "you’ve promised me."
As he spoke, his fingers curled into a claw, piercing his own chest.
Golden liquid dripped from his fingertips, and he gently pinned Saya down with an effortless grace, as if he were restraining a small mouse.
Shadows danced upon the wall, like a great beast that lurks in the night, beginning to roam.
A breeze brushed through the pages of an open book in the room, and between the turning pages, a note from Su Rin was left on the title page:
"And yet I will die but once."
"...but my fame will live on forever."
"Vandilun’s body had died."
"Yet his soul seemed imprisoned by the world, unable to ascend to Heaven."
"He lived a joyless life, like an animal existing only on basic physiological functions."
"The knight who saved him brought beautiful flowers and precious treasures, but he cast them aside like worn-out shoes."
"In utter despair and struggle, he wrote ’The Oracle’."
"He fantasized that his departed self had ascended to Heaven, existing alongside deities, while his earthly shell was his messenger, destined to compose tales of glory for the Mortal World."
"He wrote illustrious names for his celestial self and conveyed divine oracles for his earthly shell."
"His poetic quill would ensure that his esteemed name would live on forever."
"Since then, he has seen the meaning of hibernation and suffering."
"His shell exists solely to spread radiance."
"He is still fated to die a mortal death."
"But the brilliance of Heaven will keep his renown alive forever."
"But Vandilun, he did not know..."
With a "snap", Su Rin closed the book in his hands.
He faced Saya, who lay on the ground, speaking with an extraordinarily soft tone, uttering extremely fervent sentences.
"The deities are clearly dead."
"He who ascended to Heaven, he who obtained eternal life, he who was blessed by the world."
"Believed he heard someone’s words, but ultimately, it was just a mortal body breathing."
"...Illusions will never become reality."
"That Vandilun, filled with despair, brimming with hope, struggling fiercely, and yet so free." Su Rin said, drawing the curtains to the side:
"...is nothing more than an ordinary creature born only to die."
"His blind faith holds no value, only the fools of future generations will extol his false renown."
He turned his head to look at Saya, who was slowly rising.
"Do you understand the ending of this story, Saya?"
Saya opened her eyes.
They were a blood-red color.
Her once beautiful blues were now covered in crimson, and with lifeless eyes, she stood numbly in place.
Her expression was somewhat numb, as if she hadn’t heard his words.
"Saya," he stared into her eyes, his voice suddenly extremely gentle, as if coaxing her: "Who am I?"
"Saya," he said, "Who invited you to the manor?"
"...I can’t remember."
"Saya," he said, "Can you usually sense your identity as part of the Soul Clan?"
"All the answers are correct." Su Rin touched her head: "Good child."
He tossed the book in his hand, its pages fluttering in the air like doves.
"Go home, Miss Saya," he said, "Congratulations, you’ve ’lived forever.’"
The reminiscence ends here.
In this segment, the last thing Su Ming’an saw was Saya’s eyes, which appeared soulless.
Just like Vandilun in the story, whose soul was imprisoned by this world.
[Eternal life is the most severe shackle.]
This was a passage in blood-red that he saw in Su Rin’s notes.
After returning to his own body and seeing the familiar white walls of Pulaya architecture before him, the blood-red Memory Stone in his hand shattered.
The bloody light dissipated before his eyes, leaving him feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.
Having seen this memory, he could draw a definite conclusion.
No matter how you look at it, straight on, upside down, or in a 360-degree spiral,
He is not a good person.
He tricked Saya into coming to the manor and transformed her, altering her life forever.
Moreover, based on this memory, it’s clear that Su Rin had planned this for a long time, and even had further schemes in mind.
The story of Vandilun that Su Rin spoke of clearly reflects many things.
Su Ming’an paused for a moment on the spot, then took a step forward.
Su Rin’s memories held many secrets.
But for now, Su Ming’an’s primary task was still to sign up with the Soul Hunter Faction.
The system notification sounded.
[Access to "Su Rin" identity information, Su Rin identity panel has been activated.]
Special Abilities: Transformation (mastery of usage method obtained), Bewilderment (unlockable upon passing ’Demon King and Brave’ level one), Control Barrier (unlockable upon passing ’Demon King and Brave’ level three)]
["Su Rin" related abilities will be unlocked during the player’s personal nighttime game segment "Demon King and Brave".]
Su Ming’an glanced at the system notification, not understanding what this nighttime game segment was.
Could it be an independent space’s side instance?
Given the time cue, it seems he’ll find out the details at night.
The time outside didn’t stand still while he was viewing this memory. It was almost nightfall.
After walking for a while, he saw the rather desolate Soul Hunt registration point, where the person in charge of registration was sound asleep on the desk, with no one queuing up in front.
Since it’s now the third day since the instance began, it’s normal for there to be no one at the registration point as most players have already signed up.
Su Ming’an looked around the area and tapped on the desk: "Register."
The scruffy middle-aged man yawned, bleary-eyed as he lifted his head: "Name, area of ability, fill out the form yourself, for Faction Points exchange go to the back room... hmm?"
He took a glance at Su Ming’an, suddenly alert.
"Young man, why do you look so familiar...?"
Su Ming’an was taken aback.
The middle-aged man rubbed his eyes and gave him another look.
After a moment of contemplation, the man gave up trying to recall and became indifferent again.
"Never mind, I can’t remember. You’re signing up for Soul Hunt, right? Just fill out the form on the side."
Su Ming’an filled out the form, choosing a vocation in direct combat for the area of ability.
Then, he handed over the counterfeit identity proof from the Duke.
"...So you’re a Soul Hunter from the Yate Empire?" The man showed an interested look upon seeing the credential: "Wait... an S-rank Soul Hunter?? Excellent!"
The previously lethargic middle-aged man’s attitude took a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree turn.
He leaned forward eagerly as if greeting a long-lost relative, desiring to grasp Su Ming’an’s hands:
"Sir... S-rank Soul Hunter, sir!" He spoke with solemnity: "There happens to be a very important hidden task for you here... Because the location of that mission is somewhat awkward, no one has been able to take it on, but you seem just perfect for it."
"What location?" Su Ming’an was curious.
An embarrassing location? Could it be the Royal City?
"The red-light district," the man articulated each word.
Su Ming’an: "I’m just right for it?"