Chapter 121 - 121 - Kevin

"Kevin Kaslana... What a coincidence. One of my beloveds shares the Kaslana surname." Xin Yu couldn't help but remark upon hearing this familiar surname. Seele, hearing this, looked at Xin Yu with great surprise. While it wasn't entirely unexpected that this mysterious big brother had a beloved, what he had just said was one of his beloveds... Did that mean he had more than one? Kevin looked at the grass beneath his feet. He had noticed it from the moment he entered this place; the plants that had come into contact with him, aside from wilting slightly at first due to the low temperature he radiated, quickly recovered their previous vibrant state. And then there were those animals that looked perfectly ordinary. In the woods, Kevin had seen a tiger lazily lounging in a clearing. The feeling it gave him was akin to that of a Judgement-class Honkai Beast, and that was with the creature restraining its power, not fully unleashing it. And now, the two people he saw under the tree... Kevin had seen the girl before, a pitiful child adrift in the Quantum Sea. As for the young man... He was strong, even giving Kevin a sensation reminiscent of when he had directly faced the Herrscher of the End. However, the sense of crisis the young man exuded wasn't as intense; he didn't seem to harbor any ill intent. "Welcome, guest. If you're willing, would you like to join us for something to eat? As far as I know, food should be hard to find in this place." Xin Yu's invitation made Kevin pause in silence for a moment before he walked over without refusal. Along this short path, he noticed that the flowers he passed showed no change whatsoever from the cold aura he emitted, still blooming proudly. Kevin arrived under the tree. Seele felt the chill emanating from Kevin but found that she wasn't uncomfortable due to the cold. It was like watching the Arctic glaciers on a screen; she knew it was cold, but she didn't have a direct, physical sensation of it. "What would you like?" Xin Yu, smiling, had changed into a small waiter's vest and was even holding out a menu, looking like he was cosplaying as a server. Kevin looked at this immensely powerful yet entirely unpretentious mysterious individual. Without saying much, he reached out and took the menu. He opened it and found that the vast majority of dishes were from Hua's homeland cuisine. After browsing for a while, Kevin closed the menu and said in a frigid tone, "A bowl of Braised Beef Noodles." "Certainly. Would you like anything to drink?" "No need." Subsequently, Kevin saw Xin Yu pull a tray out of thin air. On it was a large ceramic bowl filled with steaming hot noodles, topped generously with diced beef, a fried egg, and fresh green vegetables. "Authentic Braised Beef Noodles, no skimping on ingredients. Please, enjoy." Xin Yu smiled as a small table appeared in front of Kevin, set with cutlery. He placed the tray on the table. Kevin smelled the aroma of the beef but didn't immediately pick up his chopsticks. Instead, he reached out with both hands and lifted the bowl. Feeling the warmth flowing into his hands, he looked at the still-steaming noodles, his eyes filled with astonishment. "Rest assured, guest. The cold aura on your body won't affect your normal life now. It's just a 'setting' at the moment. It will only let those who approach you know that you are rather cold, but they won't actually feel chilled by it." Kevin looked up at Xin Yu. "Thank you." After expressing his gratitude, Kevin brought the bowl before him. He took a sip of the steaming hot noodle soup, something he hadn't tasted in who knew how long. His perpetually icy expression softened somewhat, and even the corners of his mouth tilted up ever so slightly. Xin Yu watched Kevin, whose lips curved slightly. Seeing the other man's constantly taut nerves relax a little, he nodded in deep satisfaction. The young girl named Seele had psychological issues stemming from drifting in this place for a long time without human interaction, leading to some pent-up problems. As for this man named Kevin, he likely hadn't shown any expression on his face because he had always shouldered a heavy mission. His body remained in a state perpetually ready for battle; he had been living a very hard life. I hope this bowl of hot noodles can bring you some long-overdue relaxation. "It must have been very hard," Xin Yu suddenly said. Kevin, who was eating his noodles, paused his actions for a moment. However, he said nothing, merely continuing to eat his noodles in silence. "I can see your fatigue. It's not physical, but a weariness of your spirit. You seem to be carrying many burdens, and those things you carry have become your obsessions." "They are your driving force, and also your pressure. They can also easily lead you down an extreme path." "I don't know what you've been through, and I won't advise you to let go. But a bowstring kept constantly taut will eventually snap. You should relax, take good care of it, so it can perform better." Kevin finished his noodles in silence. He put down his bowl and chopsticks and looked at Xin Yu, at this mysterious yet benevolent person. He reminded him of an old acquaintance, someone who had passed away tens of thousands of years ago. Kevin didn't speak. He knew this mysterious person opposite him had seen his poor condition and was advising him to relax out of goodwill, but... he had already been quiescent in the Quantum Sea for long enough; he had rested sufficiently. "...If you don't mind, would you like to meet some old acquaintances from your past?" Xin Yu asked. Kevin frowned, somewhat puzzled by Xin Yu's meaning. "My abilities involve aspects of time and causality. So, if you're willing, I can follow your personal causal threads to find your companions from past time points and pull their souls from a period just before their deaths to the present to communicate with you." Kevin listened to Xin Yu's explanation, comprehending the outrageous nature of his abilities. Yet, he fell silent, pondering why this person would help him to such an extent. He also considered if there was some conspiracy involved, for instance, whether the so-called souls of his companions might merely be illusions created by this person—a deception manufactured after blurring his own perception. Kevin questioned this selfless help, feeling perplexed. As he mulled over the other's motives, he recalled—weren't there beings many years ago who should have had no connection to humanity, yet selflessly aided them? Ultimately, Kevin nodded. Only after receiving Kevin's consent did Xin Yu begin to act. He started to peer into the fragments of the other's past space-time, discovering that it would require tracing back tens of thousands of years. If it were his past self, it might have been somewhat difficult. But for his current self, who had reached the Nascent Soul stage, merely pulling the souls of people from tens of thousands of years ago to the present wasn't truly a difficult matter, just a bit troublesome. Kevin stared intently at Xin Yu before him, noticing that the other simply smiled without making any move. He was somewhat puzzled as to what Xin Yu was doing, until Xin Yu pointed behind him. "Kevin..." "...Mei..."