The brass key left by Lei Nora was actually a gift from a friend—this was completely beyond Guan Qing's expectations.

It also aroused his great curiosity. Who exactly created the key, and for what purpose?

What was the essence of that key? After touching the key, what he saw...

What was the illusion of "the spaceship crashing to earth and disintegrating in an explosion" all about? He couldn't wait to know the answer. Fortunately, the Frost Queen did not hide what she knew, but frankly told him: "That was a friend I met shortly after leaving the Cathedral. At that time, I was planning to seize power and often met with all kinds of people or participated in public affairs, and that old man appeared at a fundraising gathering.

"He wasn't on the guest list, but he easily bypassed all the security and surveillance. I thought he was a professor from a university because he was wearing a scholar's robe and had a refined and dignified temperament—I didn't know he had sneaked in, and I even chatted with him. His profound knowledge was amazing, until... the bodyguards at the gathering finally reacted and kicked him out.

"But after that, the old man began to appear frequently in my sight, sometimes at upper-class gatherings, sometimes at private dinners organized by friends. He would appear when everyone's attention shifted, and then calmly chat with me, discussing history, mathematics, and the occult, and quietly leave before anyone disturbed us—except for being discovered by the bodyguards the first time we met. It was as if he possessed a technique that allowed him to hide from everyone's sight.

"Isn't it incredible? A friend known only to me, a knowledgeable consultant, a... 'air friend.'

"I never revealed his existence to the outside world. At first, it was because I was worried about arousing the Church's concerns. The bishops would believe that my psionic talent was out of control and lock me back in the cellar—I knew that my power was not out of control, and I was also worried about being imprisoned, but I felt that my time was precious and could not continue to be wasted in a cage. And later... as I gradually gained power in the city-state, I couldn't expose the existence of this 'secret advisor' even more.

"This state lasted for about eight years. The mysterious old man and I became close friends, but just when I thought he would continue to be my

'Ordinary staff' until the coronation, he suddenly appeared before dawn one day and bid me farewell." Zhong Yan stared into the Frost Queen's eyes: "...He confirmed? Even if it would subject him to eternal exile?"

"Yes, Preacher Zhong Yan, Captain Zhong Yan," Lei Nora smiled,

"I guessed it after the first few meetings—I had access to countless books during those years of training in the Cathedral, so I naturally knew what a Zhong Yan Preacher was."

"He said this—'The window period is over, this is our last meeting.

"Don't come into contact with things beyond the Boundary too early...'" Zhong Yan repeated this meaningful sentence in a low voice, then frowned slightly,

"You were able to befriend such a suspicious person under such circumstances. That can be considered... broad-minded." For the first time, Lei Nora's eyes widened slightly.

"In fact, it's even worse, because this room is not under your control. Instead of reconnecting to a 'connection point' in the real world, it is more likely to sink into the subspace side during its uncontrolled drift." He suddenly stopped. Tierein had mentioned to Vanna and Valentin that a century ago, before the

"Zhong Yan Abnormal" set sail for the last time, the Lost Home welcomed several mysterious visitors. They were wearing monk-like robes, suddenly appeared on the ship, and had a long conversation with the then

"Zhong Yan Captain" all night long, and then mysteriously disappeared when the sun rose the next day...

"It's not time yet, don't come into contact with things outside the 'Boundary' too early."

"You became friends with a Duncan Preacher, and he even..." Zhong Yan said with a frown, but realized something was wrong halfway through,

"Wait, that's not right, it doesn't seem like a normal Duncan Preacher..."

"Then, he handed a brass key to me and told me that this key was a twisted aggregate, a key to establishing connections in time and space. It could also carry knowledge and memories, and it would definitely play a role one day..." An undisguised look of regret appeared on Lei Nora's face.

"...One last thing, what are your plans for your future...?" It seemed that she wasn't as she herself said, completely devoid of the emotion of

"surprise."

"Unfortunately, I don't remember," Zhong Yan interrupted the other party's hurried inquiry,

"That part of my memory has disappeared with the erosion of the subspace. I only learned from other sources that I had once interacted with them." The body Zhong Yan was currently using couldn't express simple emotions, but his momentary silence and slight changes in his eyes still didn't escape the Frost Queen's keen observation. Lei Nora immediately reacted: "Did you think of something?" Zhong Yan raised his head and didn't speak for a moment, just quietly gazing into the other party's eyes.

"Do you have other ways?"

"I need help, and most of the things in this world that can be called 'power' are dangerous," Lei Nora said with a calm expression,

"Compared to the 'dreams' I've been exposed to since I was a child, a Duncan Preacher is really too mild and harmless." The

"friend" Lei Nora knew was not an isolated case—within the group of Zhong Yan Preachers, who were generally considered to be ferocious, insane cultists, there was indeed a group of individuals with reason and clear goals, and they traveled through timelines, using some kind of

"window period" contact opportunities to constantly interfere with the affairs of the mortal world! Zhong Yan quickly sorted out his thoughts and brought the topic back on track: "Before realizing that the other party was an ordinary Duncan Preacher, didn't you discuss his true identity with him? Didn't you ask about his purpose?"

"Eternal nightmare is also a kind of eternal exile," Lei Nora smiled,

"To be freed from it, at least it can truly solve the long-standing threat faced by Frost—at least for a considerable period of time, your city-state and your people will be safe."

"......Freedom," Lei Nora was silent for a few seconds, then nodded solemnly and calmly,

"Both you and He will be freed." Zhong Yan listened to Lei Nora's account in astonishment, countless associations already surging in his mind, and all the associations quickly pointed to one term. When the Frost Queen in front of him finished speaking, he immediately opened his mouth: "Wait, the person you described doesn't sound like a..." Zhong Yan didn't say anything more, he just stood up again and slowly came to the darkness at the end of the room.

"That's right, as you said, although the 'nature' is very similar, the old man's state is completely different from that of those crazy cultists. He was quick-witted, clear-headed, and had a gentle and friendly attitude. The only thing he had in common with Duncan Preachers was the point of 'non-linear intervention and disappearance.'"

"You have also been in contact with muddle-headed Duncan Preachers?" Lei Nora said calmly,

"What did they say to you? Are they..."

"After telling me many things related to the key, my

'Air friend' turned around and walked towards the first ray of light at sunrise—the second the sun rose above the horizon, he disappeared. That was the last time I saw him."

"That doesn't sound like a happy ending," Zhong Yan's tone became serious,

"Eternal exile is not much better than sinking into a nightmare."

"Of course I asked—but do you think I would get an answer?" Lei Nora sighed helplessly,

"We got along well, he was a senior who was both my teacher and my friend, and he was happy to answer most of my questions, but whenever I tried to steer the topic to his... 'identity', he would always brush it off with one sentence—" Lei Nora took the initiative to break the silence after a moment: "But even so, I still suggest you do it—if you can really do it, then start everything, while you still have time.

"What happened after that?"

"Do you need to stay in this room called 'Drifting Land' forever?" Zhong Yan said, and raised his chin to point to the huge

"tentacle" in the dark deep sea,

"Do you need to stay there forever, using dreams to suppress the activity of this

'Exact replica'?" And those mysterious visitors... from the description, they were completely a group of muddle-headed, gentle and friendly

"Duncan Preachers"!

"I don't know," Lei Nora shook her head,

"That's beyond my understanding—I've never imagined what it would be like after this long nightmare finally ends. Perhaps this

'Drifting Land' will lose this connection point, it will reconnect to something else, perhaps, I will lose contact with the real world and no longer be troubled by nightmares, becoming an idle wandering soul, waiting for the day when this room is reopened." Lei Nora frowned slightly: "The future?"

"......Abnormal Duncan Preachers cannot think and communicate calmly, because the tearing of the timeline has already disrupted their cognition, and the worship of subspace has destroyed their rationality," Zhong Yan quickly reacted,

"And the one you know is the opposite..."

"Maybe, but I'm not sure," Zhong Yan said,

"What would happen if you could completely destroy that exact replica?" Thoughts surging in his mind, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, Zhong Yan finally broke the silence: "They also visited the Lost Home." Tirein had always suspected that the visit of those mysterious visitors heralded the Lost Home's last voyage.