Chapter 68: A Thorough Conversation Through the Night

"It's nothing major, merely—purging some bothersome bugs."

"I wonder what the esteemed Acting Grand Scribe thinks?"

"..."

"..."

Within the cavernous hall, the youth's words resonated with crystal clarity.

Judging solely by his smiling face, one might think they were discussing what to have for dinner, yet Alhaitham could clearly perceive the profound malice lurking beneath that smile.

Even though it was not directed at him, it still caused his spine to stiffen involuntarily, evoking the dangerous sensation of being targeted by a ferocious beast.

"You might as well speak more plainly, Your Excellency. I must also ask you to explain what these rosters and portraits in my hands actually represent."

Alhaitham vaguely sensed the other's objective, but even he dared not trust his initial impulse.

"The Scribe need not use honorifics. My self-introduction during the day was not a falsehood; just call me Lin Feng."

"Seeking out the Scribe this time is, as I stated at the beginning, a request for your 'assistance,' and the final decision still rests entirely with you."

Having established a strong psychological lead, Lin Feng did not continue to put on divine airs.

Since he was merely demonstrating his capital for cooperation and his ultimate goal was just to trick the other party into working for him, excessively emphasizing his own power was clearly unnecessary.

In the dreamscape, Lin Feng materialized a round table and two chairs, gesturing for Alhaitham to take a seat.

Fearing the conversation might prove too dull, he also placed some pastries and tea on the table.

"Please forgive the daytime encounter; it wasn't that I was being deliberately evasive, but that environment was truly unsuitable for a serious discussion. Come, sit and talk in detail. I will explain the origins of everything and show you my sincerity."

As Lin Feng reverted to the demeanor of an ordinary neighborhood youth and extended his invitation, Alhaitham noticed that the oppressive and massive energy surrounding him vanished in an instant, replaced by a refreshing vitality and a warmth akin to a gentle spring breeze.

Even though he had no intention of easily trusting the youth before him, Alhaitham nevertheless sat at the table, curious to see what the other party actually hoped to accomplish.

After a moment of silence, he spoke:

"Your strength far surpasses mine, Your Excellency. This dialogue was never an equal one. If merely speaking a few words about letting me 'choose' counts as sincerity, then not even a child who has just started school would believe such rhetoric."

Alhaitham raised his objection, but before Lin Feng could reply, he continued:

"At the same time, I consider myself a mere ordinary employee of the Akademiya. Aside from having a stable job and fine property in Sumeru, I am no different from anyone else."

"Yet Your Excellency was willing to go to such lengths to approach me, even willing to forgo such an efficient method as 'armed coercion.' I will tentatively believe that you did indeed come with sincerity."

Alhaitham's tone seemed less than friendly.

However, Lin Feng, who understood the other's personality, felt a sense of relief upon hearing these "unwelcoming" remarks.

—As the ultimate chosen corporate worker, Alhaitham was extremely pragmatic. Facing unfamiliar danger, he would exhaust every means to preserve himself.

If he truly had no intention of discussing matters with him, Alhaitham would most likely have put on a deferential facade first, only plotting how to deal with this "threat" after he was safe.

"The Scribe is too modest. Senior Tighnari has mentioned your excellence to me on multiple occasions. Back in your student days, the project you collaborated on with Senior Kaveh, hailed as the 'Light of Kshahrewar,' was so successful that it is still frequently cited to this day."

—Although the conflicts between those two "geniuses," Alhaitham and Kaveh, were not widely circulated, Tighnari's networking skills were by no means ordinary.

"Oh? Not many people know about that. It certainly adds quite a bit of credibility to Your Excellency's identity."

"I said from the beginning that my identity introduction is entirely true. The Scribe can check the Akasha; Senior Tighnari should have registered my relevant information."

Lin Feng indicated that there was not the slightest problem with his identity, and that Alhaitham was free to check the records if he doubted it.

Although Alhaitham seemed to hold a baseline level of trust toward him, Lin Feng suspected that if the probing continued, the man could chat with him all day long. Disliking riddles as he always did, Lin Feng decided to drop some revelations first.

"Although chatting about daily life is pleasant on occasion, I should probably explain the current situation first. I imagine the Scribe has many doubts as well."

"First of all, my previous identity as a trainee ranger was correct, but as for right now, you could tentatively consider me a 'divine being' in the general sense."

Before Alhaitham could voice his thoughts, Lin Feng presented further evidence:

"If nothing unexpected has happened, the Scribe should have heard of the 'Lord of Verdure's manifestation' incidents that have been occurring frequently everywhere lately."

"Oh? Are you referring to those bizarre phenomena that have yet to be explained?"

Alhaitham's interest was clearly piqued.

"Indeed. Those phenomena can be said to be caused by the unconscious influence of my power."

"These few memory crystals should be able to answer your questions."

Lin Feng handed over three green spheres, indicating that they held the answers to his questions.

"This is... a Knowledge Capsule?"

"Mm. To be precise, these are fragments of my memories."

"Contained within these three crystals are all the answers you wish to know. Please view them one by one."

As he spoke, Lin Feng handed over the first crystal.

Without much hesitation, Alhaitham took the crystal and chose to use it.

—All of the other party's methods exceeded imagination. He even felt that the youth could actually forcefully rewrite his own will; going to such great lengths to have a detailed conversation just to lay a trap here was entirely unnecessary.

Accompanied by a wave of dizziness, Alhaitham arrived in a verdant space.

Before his eyes lay a green paradise resembling a fantastical world, along with a maiden resembling a fairy from a fairy tale.

"...In accordance with our agreement, I grant you a portion of my power. Please help the living beings of this land banish the deepest 'Death'..."

Could this be Lesser Lord Kusanali?

Before he could ponder further, as the green power entered his body, he felt as though he had become another person, witnessing the origin of everything with his own eyes.

He saw the youth traverse villages, step into dreams, and befriend the aranara of the forest.

He saw the youth dispel the Wither zones, rescue Kaveh, and shatter the core of the northern Wither zone...

After receiving the crystal, Alhaitham fell into a prolonged trance.

Upon returning from the memories, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Lin Feng lacked the initial unfamiliarity and wariness.

"To think that the mysterious forest ranger who saved Kaveh from bankruptcy was actually you. This is truly rather marvelous."

Alhaitham did not doubt the authenticity of the records; every single detail within those memories was identical to the archives he had once been responsible for filing.

—When Kaveh had boasted to him about the progress of the Palace of Alcazarzaray, he had also mentioned the figure of a youth on multiple occasions, referring to him as his 'second-chance benefactor.'

"..."

"This is the beginning of everything, my identity, and the motivation for my journey. By now, I imagine you understand."

Lin Feng looked at Alhaitham and clearly sensed the reduction in the man's defensive posture.