My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Lin Mo returned to the cathedral.

Instead of going directly to the archbishop, he went to his room first.

The moment he pushed open the door, a pink and white shadow rushed over and landed steadily on his shoulder.

Mianmian rubbed her fluffy head against his cheek.

Its eight compound eyes narrowed into curved arcs, emitting a soft hissing sound.

She looked just like a cuddly cat.

If it weren't for its eight legs and those venomous fangs.

Lin Mo's expression softened for a moment.

He reached out and patted Mianmian's head, and the little guy rubbed against it even more enthusiastically.

"You're back?"

Crimson blood wafted out from the depths of the room.

Her face was somewhat pale, and her blood-red hair was not as lustrous as usual, curling slightly and clinging to her cheeks.

But those blood-red eyes still shone with an astonishing brightness, flashing with a smug light that seemed to say, "Praise this king!"

She flew to Lin Mo and stretched out her two little hands.

Two discs, each less than five centimeters in diameter, lay in the palm of his hand.

Silver base.

The surface is engraved with dense dark red runes.

A faint crimson light flowed between the runes, like the slow pulsation of a living creature's blood vessels.

"It's done!"

Yin Xue shoved the two compasses into Lin Mo's hands and put his hands on his hips.

"Keep one of these with you, and keep the other with your mother. Each teleportation requires one Beast King Essence of level 20 or higher. Remember, it must be level 20 or higher; otherwise, the portal won't open."

Lin Mo looked down at the two small round plates in his palm without saying a word.

Yin Xue continued to explain.

"As for the loss, I estimated it to be about the same as when you delivered medicine before level 50, and it won't increase as your level increases."

Yin Xue continued speaking, his tone carrying a hint of self-satisfaction.

"Let me tell you, this thing took me a lot of effort! The runes had to be as precise as a hair's breadth; one wrong stroke and the whole thing was ruined. And that anchor point that can achieve cross-dimensional positioning—this is the first time I've ever made one..."

As she spoke, her voice gradually lowered.

Because Lin Mo was watching her.

That look in his eyes was different from usual.

There was no vigilance, no scrutiny, and no rush to ask any questions.

He just watched her quietly.

Looking at that pale face caused by overexertion.

Looking into those bloodshot eyes that were clearly exhausted but still trying to hold on.

Yin Xue felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Why...why are you staring at me like that...?"

She took a half step back, her little wings flapping unconsciously.

"Take your food now that it's ready, I don't have the energy to argue with you..."

"Thank you."

Lin Mo spoke.

The sound was very soft, almost as soft as a breath.

But Yin Xue heard it clearly.

She was stunned.

Those bloodshot eyes blinked, then blinked again, and then her entire face flushed red at a visible speed.

It wasn't because of the depletion of her magic, but because of a completely unfamiliar emotion that she hadn't experienced in hundreds of years.

"You, you..."

She stammered twice, then suddenly turned around, leaving Lin Mo with only the back of her head and a pair of slightly trembling little wings.

"Hmph! If you weren't capable of retrieving my soul, I wouldn't have helped you!"

Lin Mo did not speak.

He carefully put away the two compasses and placed them together with his mother's medical report.

"You should get some rest."

He stood up and glanced out the window.

"I need to see the archbishop."

Yin Xue didn't turn around, but the small figure with its back to him nodded slightly.

Lin Mo walked towards the door.

Just as he pushed open the door and stepped out, Yin Xue's voice came from behind him:

"Um, that..."

Lin Mo stopped and turned around.

Yin Xue still had her back to him, but her voice was much softer than usual.

"You...be careful."

Lin Mo was slightly taken aback.

Then he nodded, pushed open the door, and went out.

……

The archbishop's courtyard was deserted this time, with no guards present.

They must have been deliberately dispersed by the archbishop.

After all, Lin Mo is the guest today.

The wrought iron door, carved with stars and moon phases, was half-closed.

Lin Mo pushed open the door and entered.

The archbishop sat on a stone bench in the courtyard.

He was wearing a coarse gray-brown robe, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his withered forearms.

There was a small table in front of me, with two cups of steaming tea on it.

The tea's delicate aroma, mingled with the scents of sunshine and earth, evokes an indescribable sense of tranquility.

He saw Lin Mo come in and pointed to the stone bench opposite him.

"Sit down and let's talk."

Lin Mo didn't stand on ceremony.

He sat down on the stone bench, his black sword resting against the edge of the stone table within easy reach.

"What is it?"

The archbishop did not answer immediately.

He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and seemed to be organizing his thoughts.

After a moment, he spoke, his voice calm as if he were chatting about everyday things.

"I remember you said that your mother is seriously ill over there."

Lin Mo frowned slightly.

He didn't want to talk about it.

It's not that I don't want to, it's that I don't dare.

That restless feeling began to surge in my chest again, as if something wanted to burst out.

He took a deep breath, suppressed his emotions, and nodded.

"Yes. That's right."

The archbishop glanced at him, a knowing glint in his cloudy gray eyes.

He didn't inquire further about the illness, nor did he offer any words of comfort; he simply continued, "So, it requires a lot of money, right?"

Lin Mo's brows furrowed even more.

He raised his head and looked directly at the archbishop.

"What exactly do you want to ask?"

His voice was somewhat harsh, carrying a hint of suppressed impatience.

The archbishop remained silent for a moment.

He lowered his head, looking at the teacup in his hand, where the tea leaves were slowly unfurling in the hot water.

He hesitated for a moment before explaining.

"I once used my only wish out of curiosity, and I went to your world and stayed for twelve hours."

Lin Mo remained silent; the archbishop had mentioned this matter before.

"During those twelve hours, I was amazed by everything in that world. There was no magic, no holy light, but there were iron birds that could fly into the sky, mirrors that allowed people thousands of miles apart to talk face to face, and lights that could make the night as bright as day. Your cities were ten or a hundred times higher than the capital, your carriages didn't need horses, and your doctors could dissect a person's body to cure illnesses."

He paused.

"But that's not the point."

Lin Mo paused for a moment.

The archbishop looked at him, and a complex, indescribable light suddenly appeared in his gray eyes.

"During those twelve hours, I also did something against God's will."

"What is it?"

The archbishop remained silent for a long time.

Lin Mo's patience was almost exhausted, and the hen in the distant henhouse let out a lazy cluck.

Then, the old man spoke.

The sound was so soft that it was almost carried away by the afternoon breeze.

But every word was like a nail, driven into Lin Mo's eardrums.

"I granted someone's wish."

Lin Mo's eyes widened, his pupils suddenly shrinking to pinpoints.