Chapter 571: Connections
Chapter 571: Connections
"I..."
Prince Andre, appearing as a seven or eight-year-old boy, couldn't help but show a timid expression when faced with Lyon's outstretched right hand. He unconsciously took a half-step back, then vigorously shook his head, saying:
"I won't go! They will never forgive me!"
"Of course not, aren't you just stating the obvious?"
Upon hearing this, Lyon maintained his outstretched hand and sarcastically said without a word:
"You should take a good look at yourself and think about what you've been doing these years. Who in their right mind would forgive you?
Speaking frankly, if I were your father, the regret in the City of Regret wouldn't be a misunderstanding between us, but rather why I didn't shoot you... erm... why I even gave birth to you. They'd have to be crazy to forgive you, right?"
"..."
Haven't you thought about persuading me to surrender?
Initially expecting comfort from Lyon, perhaps words like 'parents will never blame their child', the response he received was a sarcastic remark that cut twice as deep. Prince Andre's already fragile state of mind was instantly shattered by this verbal kick, and he frantically shook his head in fear:
"No! I don't want to go to the Realm of the Dead, nor do I want to go to the City of Regret. They won't forgive me, so I..."
"Slap!"
Lyon's outstretched hand suddenly swung across, delivering a powerful slap to the young prince. As he wiped the paint off his hand, he glared at the stunned Prince Andre and said irritably:
"Stop messing around, will you? No one has the obligation to forgive you. I suggest you go and apologize, not to make your parents feel better, but to make yourself feel better!"
"I..."
"You, just like the painting you've created, are a giant, oversized baby!"
Looking at the young prince covering his face, Lyon sneered:
"The sign of an adult is not height or facial hair, but the ability to stand on one's own without parental protection, to take responsibility, and to face one's own mistakes.
Although you are older than me, you've been sheltered too well and haven't experienced much of life's storms. Your mental state is that of an immature child."
"I... I'm not..."
"Slap!"
"Don't be stubborn."
After slapping him with the other hand, Lyon, now feeling relieved, looked down at the flustered young prince and extended his right hand again, saying with emphasis:
"If you truly believe you're not at fault, then grab my hand and prove it to me!"
"I... I dare not go..."
After being slapped hard twice, Prince Andre's mental age seemed to revert to the same eight years as his physical age. He turned his head away, unable to look Lyon in the eye, and said in a low voice with tears in his eyes:
"I still want to see them, but... but they must be very, very angry. If they see me..."
"Slap!"
"Why are you hitting me again?"
"Sorry, it was an involuntary reaction."
After wiping the paint on his clothes, Lyon stared at Prince Andre and asked:
"So, even if they don't forgive you, how much worse could it be than your current situation?
You're already dead. Even if they get angry, they can't kill you again. At most, they'll scold and hit you a few times, but you'll have the chance to see them again after many years, to speak with them, and perhaps even be embraced by them once more.
You're willing to risk being turned to ash by the cleaners for the chance to see the fake painting you created. Now, all you need is to endure a scolding and a few hits to meet your real parents. What's there to hesitate about?"
"..."
What's there to hesitate about when compared to the chance of seeing them again?
After hearing Lyon's question, Prince Andre bit his lower lip, raised his eight-year-old hand with a tremble, and tentatively reached for Lyon's palm.
However, even after making his decision, his small arm still felt heavy, as if lifting a mountain. He tried to raise it several times but couldn't lift it to Lyon's height, only managing to wave feebly below.
"You... lower your hand a little..."
After several failed attempts to raise his hand, the eight-year-old Prince Andre couldn't help but sigh.
"You're too tall. Lower your hand a bit; I can't reach it..."
"You can reach it."
After glancing at the trembling arm of the young prince, Lyon, whose eyes had always been filled with disdain and whose voice had remained cold, softened his tone for the first time. He gently reminded him, "Andre, the path ahead is one that no one can help you with. What you need to grasp is not my hand but your own belief.
Only when your belief in seeing your family again is strong enough will you be able to pass through the Path of No Return and walk all the way to the City of Regret. There, you can apologize to your parents and make amends for the mistakes you once made... Finally, Andre, if you can grasp my hand, you will no longer be a child."
Am I no longer a child...
After hearing Lyon's words, the eight-year-old Prince Andre raised his head and looked at the palm above him, which was still steady. Then, through the gaps between his fingers, he saw a calm face that was no longer filled with disdain. He couldn't help but pucker his lips, his eyes welling up with tears as he asked softly, "So... you want to save not only Felicia and the others but even me?"
"I'm not saving you."
Lyon shook his head and said, "I'm just telling you that besides this dead-end path, there's actually another way to go. Whether or not you choose to take it is up to you.
Also, you're not being saved by anyone. You're just no longer choosing to avoid it; instead, you've learned to face your mistakes like an adult and have the courage to face them."
Avoid... Face...
After listening to Lyon, Prince Andre's trembling palm finally stabilized. He silently reached up and placed his hand on that warm and determined palm, which then tightly grasped his.
"Very good."
After grasping the small hand of an eight-year-old child, painted with oil, Lyon's face showed approval for the first time. He then mentally bowed deeply to his trustworthy elder brother.
After Prince Andre 'devolved' to his eight-year-old state, Lyon's bronze-level 'Good Brother' badge demonstrated unimaginable prowess. If not for this badge, something big might have happened this time.
There are no useless badges, only treasures yet to be discovered! Reminding himself never to underestimate any badge's power, Lyon, with his golden-level Master of Performance badge activated, held Andre's now-steady hand and asked gently, "I'll ask you one last time, are you ready?"
"Mhm..."
Looking at Lyon, who had clearly lowered his soul's defenses but still hadn't taken the opportunity to restrain him, and instead asked gently if he was ready, Prince Andre nodded gratefully, his eyes firm.
"I'm ready! No matter what awaits me, I want to see them one more time!"
"Good."
After receiving an affirmative response, Lyon used the power of the Three-Headed Dog God to connect to the Gate of the Dead, leading to the Realm of the Dead. Then, he forcefully pulled Prince Andre's soul out of the painting, 'Sunset Over Corrok'. As he opened the passage to the Realm of the Dead, he kindly instructed, "Once you get there, remember not to mention that you know me. If anyone suspects something and asks why my aura is on you, just say I killed you. You don't know me."
"Let's go!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
