What did the Lord of the Sky Lake mean when he said he wanted to resurrect everyone in the New Era he was creating?
It sounded like complete nonsense—especially coming from a total lunatic.
"Ahem..."
Evans seemed to sense Ren Yi's disbelief and quickly coughed to defend himself. "Don't dismiss it so easily. I have a basis for this."
"Partly because I have vague memories of this 'New Era' concept from the memory fragments of the Sky Eye Organization."
"And another part is because... someone told me personally."
【Who?】
"The person who attacked the Sky Eye Organization and caused me to be stripped away from S-099," Evans paused, then added, "One of the People of the Abyss."
An expected answer.
As one of the three major human settlements in this assessment world, the Wilderness was a chaotic, lawless zone.
It was a source of trouble, but it didn't seem like a superpower with decisive strength.
If there was only one overwhelming behemoth in this world, it would be extremely strange for it to tolerate such a lawless, untamed territory right under its nose.
It was easy to guess that the People of the Abyss and the People on the Lake were rivals on equal footing.
Because they kept each other in check, this Wilderness was left behind, becoming a neglected crack between them.
Of course, looking at it now, the balance of power seemed to have been broken, leading to the catastrophe that had struck the Wilderness.
But if it was the People of the Abyss who attacked the Sky Eye Organization, why was Evans here?
Thinking of this, Ren Yi asked directly:
【How did you escape from the People of the Abyss?】
"I didn't escape." Evans scratched his head somewhat awkwardly.
"To be precise, they let me go. Those People of the Abyss... their attitude toward me was very strange."
Ren Yi remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Evans gave a bitter smile. "They did indeed break through the Sky Eye Organization, fished me out of the main body of S-099, and brought me back to that place called the 'Deep Abyss'."
He sighed, his gaze drifting as he looked down at the churning Red Tide below.
"Then, they just left me there."
Ren Yi slowly manifested a single word.
【What?】
Evans began to recount his story slowly.
That was his first period of "life," not particularly long, but not short either.
"Back then, those who could actually break into the Sky Eye Headquarters were all elites of the Abyss. They more or less knew what I was."
"But the strange thing was, since the higher-ups didn't say anything, the subordinates didn't run their mouths either."
Evans grinned self-deprecatingly and spread his hands.
"Those people didn't kick me out, but they didn't treat me as one of their own either."
"They just... left me be."
Like a strange weed on the side of the road; no one watered it, but no one pulled it out either.
Recalling those days, Evans's eyes grew distant. "I wandered there for three years..."
"Until one day, someone called for me. Everyone usually called him 'Pops'."
【Pops?】 Ren Yi condensed a question in text.
Ren Yi hadn't heard the name before, but he could sense the weight it carried from Evans's tone.
"Yeah. The People of the Abyss organization is actually quite loose, but they still have a few high-ranking leaders. 'Pops' is one of them."
Ren Yi asked for more details and gained a general understanding of the organization's structure.
The settlements in the Abyss were very loose; everyone lived their own lives without many rules, and there weren't as many conflicts as in the Wilderness.
But loose didn't mean leaderless. "Pops" was that focal point.
He wasn't a ruler who barked orders... it was more like everyone felt his opinion was worth listening to.
Evans chuckled at himself. "So when he called for me, I was pretty panicked."
"However, the old man was quite blunt with me."
Evans described the scene.
Upon meeting, "Pops" didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point.
"I know what you are."
"You can't help right now. But later, maybe you can."
At the time, Evans was completely confused, so "Pops" spoke even more plainly.
He said he had known Evans's background for a long time and admitted that the People of the Abyss intended to use Evans to deal with the City of the Sky Lake.
"He was the one who told me about the City of the Sky Lake and the 'New Era'."
"The matter he needed help with was related to the 'New Era' and also to a certain Anomaly within the Sky Eye Organization."
But the old man didn't force him.
"He said that for something like this, I had to be completely voluntary, otherwise it would be useless."
As Evans recounted this part, his tone still held the confusion from back then. "And then, he told me to get lost."
"The last thing the old man said to me was, 'You can go now. Come back and find me whenever you've figured things out, or when you have the capital to do so'."
Evans shrugged. "After saying those messy, incomprehensible things, he waved his hand and let me go."
【Just like that?】 Ren Yi asked.
"Just like that," Evans said.
"I was young back then and was pretty intimidated by such a powerful figure's bluntness. I kept thinking there was a conspiracy, so I didn't dare stay for another second."
"He was even considerate enough to send a few people to escort me all the way out."
"You know the rest. I wandered until I reached this Wilderness and was picked up by the Tribal Chief."
Ren Yi finished listening to the narrative. The white mist had no expression, but Evans could feel that he was being watched.
【You want to go find him.】
"Yes. If we want to deal with the 'People on the Lake', the two of us definitely aren't enough." Evans took a deep breath, his expression turning cold again as he made his intentions clear.
"So I plan to return to the Deep Abyss and find 'Pops'. Since he said I could look for him later, now is the time."
"Our goals are aligned, and our strength is our best bargaining chip."
The white mist in mid-air swayed slightly. Ren Yi didn't give an immediate answer.
Things seemed to have become somewhat complicated.
His thoughts spun rapidly as he quickly weighed the pros and cons.
But to be honest, he didn't have many choices.
Making the situation in this world—especially the City of the Sky Lake—chaotic was definitely a good thing for him.
Besides, his assessment mission included a clear objective: "Explore the World."
There were three main "maps" in this world.
He had already scouted the Tide-Followers' Wilderness, and he was bound to go to the City of the Sky Lake where the "People on the Lake" were.
Now it seemed he really couldn't avoid the "Deep Abyss" where the People of the Abyss resided.
Thus, the gray mist finally flowed again, manifesting a new line of text:
【I can help you.】
Evans was stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting such a straightforward agreement.
"You really agree?"
【But I have conditions.】
"Name them," Evans said, immediately straightening his back.
【First, and most basic: you must help me get my 'sphere' back.】
"Of course. That was agreed upon from the start."
【Second, all information you possess must be synchronized with me.】
【The City of the Sky Lake, the Deep Abyss, the People of the Abyss, that 'Pops' you mentioned—everything. Wherever you go, I go.】
Evans opened his mouth.
"Aren't you afraid I'll set a trap for you?"
【Would you... kindred?】
"..."
Evans stared at those two words, which seemed to carry a certain magic. He tilted his head as if thinking about the question very seriously and extremely solemnly.
"I wouldn't," he said. "Because I don't want to."
Ren Yi looked at the line and found the answer quite interesting.
Not because he couldn't do it, and not because there was no benefit. Purely because he "didn't want to."
So, Ren Yi shook out a line of text in the air with great satisfaction.
【That's enough.】
Immediately following that, the next line of text crashed down with an extremely "friendly" vibration:
【Third: that part of my body stays inside you. If you try anything funny, I'll blow you up.】
【And then I'll use that Raindrop to wipe you from existence!】
Rate on N.U.
