The meeting place was the same as last time.

Even the seats hadn't changed much.

Vakiris walked into the restaurant and immediately spotted Roland sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window. The bustling human city sprawled beneath him, like an extension of his figure, giving her the illusion that he was sacred and inviolable.

She shook her head, banishing the distracting thoughts.

"I'm here."

She sat down across from Roland.

"Anything you'd like to eat?" Roland asked when she shook her head, then gestured to the waiter. "In that case, let's have one of everything. We can talk while we eat."

Coffee and pastries were quickly brought to the table. Vakiris didn't refuse. She naturally picked up a Peninsula Shortcake and put it in her mouth, carefully savoring its soft, glutinous sweetness, as if this wasn't a negotiation with an enemy, but a tea party solely to enjoy the delicacies.

"You're a little different than before," Roland said, staring at her.

"I've been thinking, talking while eating isn't such a bad habit," Vakiris replied unhurriedly. The first meeting was too passive, she was almost led by the nose the entire time, but this time it wouldn't be like that—she could imagine the smug look on his face when he sent the message, but no one could be smug forever, and she had endured long enough for this.

"Alright," Roland said with a pout. "You replied this time because you've made up your mind?"

Vakiris nodded.

"So, what's your answer?"

"I refuse."

She then caught a hint of surprise and confusion on Roland's face—he probably didn't expect her to refuse so decisively, even his always calm expression had a small crack. The atmosphere between the two seemed to freeze. Roland maintained his grip on the cup for a long time before finally bringing it to his lips, frowning as he took a sip.

"...What's the reason?"

"The choice between zero and half a percent does sound reasonable. Compared to the continuation of the race, a vanguard force is nothing, and to stop the destruction of the world, a certain price is unavoidable. Honestly, I was almost convinced," Vakiris added another pastry to her mouth. "Unfortunately...all of this must be based on facts to have any meaning."

"What I'm saying is all facts!" Roland said in a deep voice, his tone changing for the first time.

"But I can't prove any of it."

"..." Roland suddenly fell silent.

"You've realized it too, haven't you? I'm trapped in this realm, and all the external information I receive comes from you. Whether it's the vanguard army retreating in the Wolfheart Kingdom, or the so-called Radiance of the Sun, I can't even verify it, let alone make decisions based on this information."

"I thought you would be smarter. Having been in the Dream World for so long, using historical documents to judge the potential of human warfare, isn't the result obvious—"

"Potential doesn't equal strength," Vakiris retorted sharply. "That's right, the power that humans are currently displaying is indeed very strong, otherwise Ursrook wouldn't regard you as equal opponents! But at the same time, the race is being held back by the Sky-Sea World for most of its energy. If someone realizes that they can't have both and must give up one side, humans may not be able to withstand the full force of my race!"

She paused. "In the final analysis, the improvements you've obtained don't come from the upgrade of civilization. Hundreds of years later, it may be no different from the effects brought by the fragments, but I can't determine at all which way the current situation will lean. So, you don't have to send me those messages anymore in the future."

Roland seemed to want to say something more, but in the end, he couldn't continue the conversation.

Vakiris looked out the window, feeling the glory of the human city. This meeting could be described as a breath of fresh air. The composure that the other party had revealed had finally dissipated, replaced by obvious disappointment.

However, she did not feel the anticipated satisfaction. The threat of the gods still exists, the warning from "Thousand Shapes" Sistaliss has not been lifted, and if what the other party said is true, then rejection is undoubtedly choosing the hopeless answer among the half and zero percent options.

However, relying solely on the words of humans to make something that is detrimental to the race is an extremely rash choice. Compared to the two, she would rather choose the former.

Even if the decision brings great danger.

Vakiris swallowed the last piece of cake, pretending to be relaxed. "Thank you for your hospitality, I will miss this taste in the future."

"If you want to eat it, we can make another appointment next time," Roland shook his head. "Don't say it like it's the last supper."

"..." Vakiris couldn't help but be stunned. Among the hundred kinds of reactions she had imagined after the other party's disappointment, there were angry face-turns, contemptuous sneers, stern warnings, but none included this—since she had already rejected the proposal, it wouldn't be strange even if Roland took the opportunity to get rid of her. After all, she is still a Great Lord, and the race is currently the biggest enemy of mankind.

"I'll go back first." Roland let out a long breath and stood up, walking out of the restaurant. "I will continue to send the messages, even if you want to avoid them, that is the truth."

This guy—is he even listening to me properly!

Vakiris couldn't help but ask, "What are you going to do next?"

"What am I going to do?" He said without turning his head, "My thoughts have never changed, to uncover the secrets of the source of magic and completely end the Divine Will War—no matter what choice you make, it's the same."

Is this a disguise, or is it his true thought?

Vakiris couldn't help but think of the last question Roland asked during their last meeting.

"Do you think that ‘Thousand Shapes’ Sistaliss was wrong a thousand years ago?"

……

"What do you think of the Martial Artists Association?"

Fei Yuhan asked while holding the steering wheel. After the car turned into the ramp, it drove onto the Greenwild Expressway Bridge. There weren't many vehicles driving on the bridge, and the view was extremely clear. The sparkling wide river channel and the dense high-rise buildings on the other side stretched along the skyline, as if there was no end.

This bridge is also the dividing line between the city and the suburbs. To go from the Rhine Greenwild Sanatorium to the Tongzilou neighborhood, you basically have to go through it.

"Um... it's a little different from what I imagined." Compared to the scenery in front of her, Jieluo seemed to be more interested in the interior of the car. She pinched the soft leather on the door for a while, and touched the sound system that rose from the center console for a while. Her ruby-like eyes kept turning from the moment she got into the car.

"Oh? What did you imagine the association to be like?"

"More... mysterious, not like a hotel, just placed on the side of the road," Jieluo pouted.

"The former Prism City was indeed like that, but it recently had some trouble, so we can only move here temporarily," Fei Yuhan chuckled. In front of the little girl, she naturally didn't need to pretend to be indifferent to maintain distance. "Also, I'm not asking about this, but about your personal feelings after visiting the park before—after all, if you want to learn and master the power of nature in the future, you have to live in the sanatorium for a long time. If you have any needs in life, you can tell your master."

The little girl didn't answer immediately, but turned her head and asked, "Does Uncle Roland work here too?"

"That's right. But he doesn't necessarily have time to be with you every day."

"I know," Jieluo curled her lips. "He has a lot of sisters to take care of, and he's often busy until late at night."

The car suddenly lunged forward.

Fei Yuhan retracted her right foot that had stepped on the accelerator by mistake, and coughed twice as if inadvertently—this was really explosive information! Although she already knew that those stunning women were likely from another world, she had overlooked a key factor, that is, they called him His Majesty the King!

That's right, since he is a king, then having many wives and concubines doesn't seem like a difficult thing to understand. She can even further speculate that they might have a close relationship with Roland, the creator of the world, that allows them to enter this world?

Taking Jieluo as a disciple was indeed the right choice. Through Vakiris and Jieluo, she believed that it wouldn't take long for her to gradually uncover the secrets of that world.

Wait... thinking about it this way, wouldn't it mean that if I want to take a look at "reality," I have to...

"Master, Master... are you okay?"

It wasn't until Jieluo called out several times that she was pulled back from her trance. "No, it's nothing, you can continue."

"So, only by becoming a martial artist can I have more time to see Uncle," Jieluo concluded. "Then no matter what the Martial Artists Association is like, I will continue to stay!"

Fei Yuhan smiled dumbly. Well, that's really a simple reason.

Simple, yet firm.

She originally thought that it would take a long time for the little girl to adapt to leaving her familiar residence, but now she realized that she was overthinking it.

The other person is much more mature than she imagined.

"Don't worry, it will take at least a week to complete the transfer and check-in procedures, and there are also outings in the association, so don't think of the martial artist's path as too difficult. After you go back this time, say goodbye to your classmates—" Fei Yuhan suddenly noticed something strange when she was halfway through speaking.

A truck on the opposite lane changed two lanes to the left and slammed into the central barrier, completely overturning.

She slammed on the brakes instantly and swerved hard to the right.

However, the next second, the huge cargo box crushed over the barrier, sweeping across like a high wall. The road was completely blocked, and the vehicles hit in front were as fragmented as paper, with no possibility of survival.

Everything happened too fast, leaving almost no reaction time—

With a loud bang, the car they were in collided with the truck!

Due to the sudden turn to the right, the car body was almost hit sideways, and the violent impact immediately tore apart the frame, and the driver's seat was completely dented.