Going Home

After wiping out the magical beasts he encountered on this floor of the labyrinth, Xia De continued to other floors.

He didn't completely wipe out all the magical beasts like before; after all, his goal today was to relax and take a casual stroll.

“Let's see what else is fun here.”

Xia De's eyes shone brightly, and with excitement on his face, he looked around like a monkey.

However, there was an extremely awkward feeling beneath this excitement, as if he were forcing a smile to escape from something.

He grabbed onto a dandelion that was much larger than a person, and when the wind blew, he drifted all over the place along with it.

He used the leaf of a plant-type magical beast as a trampoline, stepping onto the springy surface and enjoying the relaxing sensation of bouncing high into the air.

Then, following the magical beast's veins, he used it as a slide, sliding all the way down from the top.

He cosplayed as Spider-Man in the primeval forest, grabbing vines along the way to swing through the woods, leaving a raging, gorilla-like magical beast behind him.

Xia De landed on the ground and gently pointed a finger at the gorilla-like magical beast, and then black flames condensed into a tiny, pitch-black dot at his fingertip.

“Bang!”

Xia De manually voiced the sound effect for the black flames, which shot out from his fingertip at an extremely rapid speed.

Like an arrow leaving the bow—no, faster than an arrow!

Cracking sounds continuously echoed from the space the black flame bullet swept through, leaving a thin black line in its wake.

Upon closer look, it was actually the space itself shattered from being burned by the black flames.

After killing the gorilla-like magical beast, Xia De looked at its corpse. Something came to mind, and his expression turned strange, as if he were holding back a laugh.

“How come you don't have any decaywood either!”

“Hahahahaha!”

After saying this, Xia De couldn't hold it in anymore. He clutched his stomach and burst into loud laughter right where he stood.

But as he laughed, the mirth on Xia De's face grew fainter and fainter, until only a trace of bitterness remained. He mocked himself, “My personality really is awful! But who asked for me to have no parents to teach me how to be a proper human since I was five? So, my bad.”

Raising his hands, Xia De slapped his handsome cheeks and forced himself to cheer up, saying, “Alright, let's keep wandering!”

After that, he found something to make him happy on every floor—or rather, something he thought could make him happy.

His laughter echoed through every space he passed, filled with cheer and joy. But he was the only one there!

Finally, after casually tearing apart a giant python that tried to swallow him, Xia De found a patch of grass.

He lay quietly on the vast lawn, gazing up at the labyrinth's rocky ceiling.

The ceiling of the labyrinth was made of irregular black rocks. With Xia De's strength, even without using his Perception Domain, he could clearly see every single texture on the rocks.

Utterly chaotic!

Xia De silently made this assessment in his heart, unsure whether he was describing the rocks or his own mind.

His gaze lingered on the black ceiling of the labyrinth for a long time, his eyes gradually turning vacant. However, his thoughts became increasingly active, and a few ideas repeatedly flashed through his mind.

Home! He wanted to go home so badly, to return to Earth and be by his parents' side once again!

He remembered swinging happily while holding onto his father's arms. He remembered bouncing on his bedroom bed like a trampoline while his parents snuggled together, smiling gently as they watched him. He remembered his parents taking him to the slides in the park, and how he would ask his father to lift him up so he could grab the top of the doorframe, proudly claiming he could climb walls.

Lying on the vast lawn, Xia De slowly closed his eyes. A crystal-clear tear slipped from the corner of his eye, leaving a shimmering trail on his face.

Because of that chef today, the memories of his parents from his past life had been dug up from the depths of his heart. The emotions he had deliberately suppressed finally rebounded, gushing out like a spring.

Furthermore, Xia De could clearly feel that the stronger he became, the clearer his past memories grew.

Some things about his parents that he had already forgotten in his past life were now vividly remembered in this one.

With his eyes closed, a bitter smile played on the corners of his lips.

“Sigh, I really don't know whether to be happy or sad.”

Next, the scenes after his reincarnation also began to play in his mind like a movie.

He thought of being abandoned right at birth, and that Duke or whatever whom he planned to settle scores with later—who was also his father in this life. He thought of his mother in this life, whom he had never met, wondering what kind of person she was. And the magic wolf that had carried him to the raft in its mouth—what was that all about?

Then there was Sister Vanessa, Uncle Greto, Huey, Lili, and... Grandpa Novas! Thinking of this elderly man who, even on his deathbed, had smiled and told him to live a good life, a wave of sadness welled up in his heart once more.

In this world, others might only treat him well because of the personality he acted out, but only that old man had truly doted on him from the very beginning.

Back when he hadn't grown up yet and was still an infant who couldn't even speak, this elderly, solitary old man—who looked just like any passing villager—had cared for him with all his heart, providing not only physical care but also emotional warmth.

During the final days of his life, Xia De had tested him more than once, asking if he wanted to keep living, but the old man would always shake his head with a smile and say, “Ah, the longer a person lives, the more regrets they have. I've lived this long, and I have no regrets left in this life. Being able to die like this makes me feel very happy.”

And on his deathbed, he had smiled and looked at him with eyes full of expectation, telling him to live well, to go out and see the world, and if possible, find a girl he liked to start a family with, so as not to leave any regrets.

On the day he buried him with his own hands, Xia De had shown his vulnerable side for the first time in this world.

He had stood before Grandpa Novas's grave with his head bowed, his tears falling uncontrollably. After standing in silence for a long time, he ultimately respected Grandpa Novas's wishes, letting him rest in peace so happily.

Although he was extremely grateful for Grandpa Novas's care, Xia De still whispered an apology to him in his heart. I'm sorry, Grandpa Novas. This isn't my world. I still want to go back even now!

Finally, he thought of Hilia, the elven girl who said she would accompany him through his grief and would find him no matter where he went. Lying on the lawn with his eyes closed, Xia De let out a soft chuckle. He thought of the girl from his past life, and with a trace of self-mockery, he gently shook his head. It was only because he had saved her; once time passed, she would naturally change her mind.

Slap!

Suddenly, a crisp slapping sound echoed through the space as Xia De forcefully slapped his own face with both hands.

A powerful shockwave formed a tempest, sweeping outward in all directions. Many magical beasts, unable to withstand the pressure of the tempest, were shattered to pieces.