The wind howled through the air.
The King of Secret Source lay there, his raised hand slowly lowering, sinking into silence.
Lynn looked down and said, "As long as a person is alive, there is hope. If you only keep running away, you'll never solve the problem. You've endured for over ten thousand years, yet now you tell me you've lost your fighting spirit?"
"What was the point of all your ten thousand years of suffering and humiliation? Do you even deserve yourself?!"
Lynn shouted, pointing his finger sternly.
The King of Secret Source remained silent, lying there without a word.
Lynn pointed his finger and said sharply, "Think about..."
He paused.
Then quickly reached into his robe and pulled out a book, putting on a monocle and flipping through a few pages intently.
One could vaguely see a few large words on the cover of the book.
"Selected Chicken Soup for the Soul from Ancient and Modern Times"
After quickly reading, Lynn sternly accused, "Think about your mother..."
The King of Secret Source muttered, "I don't have a mother..."
Lynn accused, "Think about your wife and children..."
The King of Secret Source whispered, "I don't have a wife or children..."
Lynn was momentarily stumped, then angrily said, "Then think about your fallen friends..."
The King of Secret Source lowly replied, "You're not dead..."
"I... I... damn it!" Lynn trembled, holding the chicken soup book and pointing at him, shouting,
"Then think about my wife and children! Don't you want to avenge them?! Don't you want them to come back to life and live a happy life with me again? Huh?!"
The King of Secret Source: "...
Lynn took a deep breath.
He knew that dealing with such an old stubborn man, he had to use his ultimate move.
Adjusting his glasses, he flipped through a few pages of the book, then spoke with a heartfelt frown,
"You need to cheer up and believe in yourself! You can do it! Don't be afraid, because the best way to conquer fear is to face it!"
"The wounds you've suffered are your medals."
"Someone has to win, so why can't it be us?"
"The future you will thank the present you for fighting so hard!"
Blah blah blah—
Countless motivational quotes buzzed around like spells in the King of Secret Source's mind.
The King of Secret Source took a deep breath and said, "Wait, Lynn, I think I..."
Lynn:
The direction against the wind is more suitable for flying. I'm not afraid of ten thousand people blocking me, I'm afraid of giving up myself.
"Maturity is not about the heart growing old, but about tears rolling in your eyes while still smiling."
"The road you walk, you must walk it on your knees if you have to. The gun you cock, you must fire it even if you cry."
The King of Secret Source trembled and said, "Lynn, listen to me..."
Lynn:
"The bitterness you say out loud is not real bitterness. The real bitterness is the one you can't say!"
"People who are better looking and stronger than you are still working hard—like me, so what right do you have to give up?"
"Even if you don't have parents, you can imagine you've lost your mother, your wife and children, your relatives and friends..."
"Enough!!!" The King of Secret Source finally broke down and went crazy.
Oh my goodness! (An expression of shock, surprise, or mild frustration, often used in anime or manga-style communication)
He suddenly stood up, grabbing Lynn by the collar in a rage, trembling and shouting,
"I've already told you I can't do it, I really can't do it! You never consider whether others can handle it or not, just keep spouting this trash book in my ear, blah blah blah, ooh la la, I... I..."
In a fit of rage, the King of Secret Source snatched the book and started stuffing it into his mouth.
"I... I'll let you ooh la la... I'll let you blah blah..."
One page at a time.
Chewing.
Chomping.
Tearing.
With all his strength.
Lynn took a deep breath, pulling out a new copy of "Selected Chicken Soup for the Soul" from his robe, adjusting his monocle, and said seriously,
"Seeing you like this, you must be feeling better..."
The King of Secret Source froze, then dejectedly threw the book to the ground, sitting cross-legged and said,
"Ah, forget it. Having a friend like you is the worst luck of my life. If it weren't for knowing you, if someone told me you were the legendary Great Lord of Violet, I'd never believe it!"
Lynn smiled calmly, sitting cross-legged and said,
"What's the point of living if you always have a long face? No matter how we end up, we can't forget who we were at the beginning."
The King of Secret Source laughed heartily, laughing until tears streamed down his face. He lowered his head, laughing through his tears,
"You're right, you bastard. Your level is always a bit higher than mine. It's really annoying."
Wiping his tears, he stood up, taking a deep breath.
Looking up at the sky, he clenched his teeth and said,
"Since you've said it to this extent, I can only reluctantly accompany you on this journey again."
"Come on! I, the King of Secret Source, am in! What's there to be afraid of in transforming the source?!!"
In an instant, countless chains swirled around him like wind.
Terrifying Secret Source energy swept across the heavens, causing the entire sky to change color.
Seeing this, Lynn smiled faintly.
The semi-divine core and the core of order slowly floated up in his hand.
"I was waiting for you to say that, but you'll have to endure it. Transforming the source is very painful. If you're afraid of the pain, I can knock you out."
"No need!" The King of Secret Source waved his hand and shouted, "I've been in pain for a whole thousand years, do you think I'm afraid of that? What a joke!"
Lynn: "Then I'll start."
Half a minute later.
A scream of unimaginable pain echoed through the sky.
"Lynn, I (beep) your (beep), it hurts—"
...
The next day, a rooster crowed.
The sun rose high in the east, and the sky turned a pale white.
On the bed, Nanako's bubble on her nose popped with a 'pop', and she slowly opened her sleepy eyes.
She sat up unsteadily, her shoulder strap hanging halfway down her arm, her face full of sleepiness and confusion.
"Huh? Did Nanako fall asleep... I thought I was going to investigate outside..."
[Huh? The blue-haired loli seems to be awake. Master is indeed a bit stronger than other mages. I thought it would take a few more minutes.]
[Hmm, according to my setting, I should at least sleep for another half an hour →_→]
[Pretend to sleep! Pretend to sleep, just act like I don't know anything~ If the loli master asks, I'll say she took off her own clothes.]
Instantly, Nanako's antenna-like hair stood up.
She widened her eyes and subconsciously turned her head to look to the side.
Then she immediately saw.
Lynn was lying not far from her, sound asleep.
Then she subconsciously looked down at herself.