This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 285 Vanished Without a Trace

“I often think that humanity is multifaceted, and with multifaceted people living in this world, the world also becomes multifaceted,” Nie Weiyang said. “In this multifaceted world, we must learn to be tolerant of human nature. But, Miao Lun, if you want others to be tolerant of you…”

He took out a thermos and meaningfully stroked the tightly sealed rim with his fingers.

“…You should at least keep your head straight and know when you shouldn’t lie,” Nie Weiyang said with a smile. “Otherwise, it will be hard for others to convince themselves that you are worth wasting their time on.”

Albert's eyes were fixed on the cup.

He detected a subtle smell of blood.

Nie Weiyang's attitude was not aggressive; his smile even gave off a subtle sense of trustworthiness. However, a strange feeling told the two that while Nie Weiyang might still be trustworthy to villains and traitors, he was by no means kind.

Cold sweat trickled down Miao Lun's back. His face was pale, and after a long silence, he lowered his head.

"...What exactly do you want me to do?" he asked softly.

“It’s very simple,” Nie Weiyang said with a smile. “Tell me, how much did they give you? You know you should tell the truth.”

Albert sighed deeply.

Inside the shed, the air was heavy, as if it were soaked in water. In the suffocating silence, Miao Lun's psychological defenses finally collapsed completely.

He collapsed to the ground, his voice trembling with tears as he recounted the 'benefits' promised to him by the Church of Life—not just enough food and clean water to keep him and his people alive, but also a relatively privileged position in the new order depicted by the Church of Life, a bright future that would allow him to completely escape the mire and possess a certain degree of power.

The price for all of this was simple yet cruel: it led Rotal Albert and his 'Light' Second Squad into a trap meticulously set by the Cult of Life.

“I don’t know their specific plans… I was only responsible for luring them…” Miao Lun’s voice trembled: “Forgive me… I have so many subordinates to support.”

Albert kept his head down, his broad shoulders slightly slumped, and he didn't say a word.

Nie Weiyang could hear that what was surging in his heart was not anger at being betrayed, but a kind of weariness mixed with sorrow and understanding.

In the previous timeline, the false god statue of the Church of Life may only contain elements of the cycle of life and death, but its acts of harming living beings and oppressing all living beings are largely the same, and Albert will still come to stop it.

Without external intervention, Miao Lun's betrayal would likely have succeeded, which is probably one of the reasons why Albert, later known as the 'Death Walker,' became more taciturn and filled with mania and paranoia.

This time, the false god that the Church of Life is trying to create actually incorporates the image of the Second Administrator.

He, the person directly involved, happened to get involved in this matter at this very moment.

This is perhaps a strange, fateful coincidence, a coincidence that evokes complex emotions.

He made no comment on Miao Lun's betrayal, nor did he pass judgment. He simply stood up and calmly said to Albert, who was still bowing his head, "I will come back to you."

Then, just as he had come, he left the shed quietly, leaving Albert to deal with the thorny issue of how to handle Miao Lun.

Nie Weiyang smiled and nodded to the men guarding the shed not far away. They were a little confused to see this stranger come out, but since they could see from under the straw mat that Albert and Miao Lun were alright, they simply nodded to Nie Weiyang.

Albert's trust had been betrayed, and it was up to him to decide how to end things. As for what happened between them afterward, Nie Weiyang didn't know, nor did he intend to investigate. He put on the mask of grief again, disguising himself as one of the people he had killed in the past, preparing to further explore the manor and find a refuge in the vicinity.

However, just as he was crossing a relatively open area, a subtle feeling of being watched suddenly came from the side.

He instinctively turned his head to look. Under a withered old tree, a figure stood quietly.

It was a woman, slender, wearing a white dress that seemed out of place with her surroundings.

The dress was loose and neat, reminding Nie Weiyang of one of his uniforms in the 4701 Refuge instance. What was striking was her long, pure white hair, as white as fresh snow, and her pair of icy blue eyes, which were now staring blankly in his direction.

A sense of unease crept into Nie Weiyang's mind.

This person does not exist in his perception at this moment!

She was like a phantom that suddenly entered reality; if it weren't for that peculiar sense of being watched, he would almost have ignored her existence, let alone been able to read her thoughts.

This unusual sight piqued his interest. He changed direction and walked straight towards the tree.

As he got closer, he could see her more clearly. The girl's appearance was so exquisite that she seemed unreal, possessing a mixed-race beauty that blurred regional features, yet Nie Weiyang felt a vague sense of familiarity about her.

Her eyes were empty and unfocused, as if they were just pointing in this direction.

"Hello?" Nie Weiyang stopped about five steps away from her and greeted her in a calm tone.

His voice was exceptionally clear in the silent open space.

The girl didn't react at all. She didn't turn her head, didn't blink, and didn't even twitch a muscle.

She stood there quietly, like a life-sized, exquisitely crafted but lifeless doll forgotten by time, creating an eerie harmony with her surroundings.

Is he blind? Nie Weiyang wondered. But even blind people react to sound, air currents, or things that are close at hand.

Moreover, how can a blind person bring about that tangible sense of gaze?
As for that outfit...

Nie Weiyang lowered his voice and greeted her in the common language of the former civilization: "Greetings, madam."

The girl remained unresponsive.

Before he could figure out what was going on, a warm breeze blew by, stirring up wisps of dust from the ground. Above the treetop, a leaf broke free from the branch's grasp and twirled gently as it drifted down.

The moment the fallen leaf touched the girl, her figure vanished like smoke, reminiscent of how a pebble shatters a reflection on calm water. Without a sound, without any ripples of energy, and without any sign of spatial distortion, she simply disappeared before Nie Weiyang's eyes, without warning.

All that remained was the old tree with its gnarled branches and the withered leaf that slowly drifted down.

It was as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion created by light and shadow.

Nie Weiyang stood motionless, staring at the space where the girl had disappeared, trying to catch any possible trace. After a moment, his brow furrowed.

—Cannot be found.

—There has never been a 'human' there.

The start of this journey has been truly wonderful.

(End of this chapter)