Daily life in Zongman

After completing the initial tidying up, I went to bed and continued tidying up the next day until the afternoon.

Fujiwara Haru packed a large bag and used cardboard to organize the items so they wouldn't get damaged. After their final dinner together, they took their belongings to the rooftop. Futaba held the backpack, while Fujiwara Haru held the large bag. They sat on the edge of the rooftop, watching the sun slowly set.

The setting sun shone on the two of them with a little warmth.

"Fujiwara."

"Ah."

The red sunset dyed Futaba's face red. She opened her lips slightly and then closed them again.

"What's wrong?" He turned to look at her in confusion, and found that she was staring at the sunset in a trance, so he also looked at the sun.

The evening breeze blew through the air, curling up Futaba's hair and blowing it to Fujiwara Haru's face.

It was itchy, so I reached out and pinched a strand, and found that it felt surprisingly soft.

Futaba reached out to comb her hair back to her chest and found the strand that wasn't floating.

She didn't comb her hair again, but let the evening breeze blow, carrying some of her clothes with her.

"Fujiwara."

"Ah."

"When you get back, you can ask me any questions you encounter."

"it is good."

The sun sank into the horizon and disappeared.

The two also disappeared from this world and returned to the sea of clouds.

There were eight people when they set out, and when they returned, there were still eight people, but three of them were wearing the same white clothes, which made them look a little different. Aside from Fujiwara Haru and Futaba, the other three were mostly injured. The worst-hit one was skinny and looked like he had been starving for a long time.

Judging from the exclamations and mutterings of the three people in white clothes, they all seemed to have died and now seemed to have been resurrected.

The shadowy female deity in the sky spoke in a voice as gentle as ever: "Human, thank you for your assistance. Now, three compensations."

"First, the longer you spend in the apocalyptic world, the longer your lifespan will increase."

"Second, you will receive comprehensive treatment. Whether it's the hidden illness left over from reality or the damage suffered in the apocalyptic world, all will be healed."

"Third, you will be given a cognitive filter. Once you return to reality, only those you trust will be able to see through it. The cognitive filter will simulate the changes during this period over six months, making them less noticeable to others."

As the words fell, a beam of light enveloped the eight people.

Fujiwara Haru felt his body warm, and as he stretched out his arms and legs in bed, he grew taller and stronger. The slight deficiencies left over from childhood malnutrition were completely made up.

The beam of light disappeared, and the gentle god said: "As agreed, I will erase the relevant memories of the losers. You can return to your daily lives."

Wind began to surge in the sky. Two of the three waited quietly with regretful expressions. The remaining one looked at the god and shouted that he would return his participation prize.

The gathering wind paused for a moment. "Human, the participation prizes have been distributed before entering. We are not responsible for recovering them if lost. Please return."

The three disappeared, and the god's gaze turned to the others.

Fujiwara Haru discovered that among the remaining three people, there was a father and daughter. They seemed to be a team, carrying a bag of radishes and some collected items.

The god asked gently, "Now, make a wish. Each of you has one chance to make a wish."

The other three quickly made their wishes and left, and it was Futaba Rio's turn.

Futaba looked at the god and said, "I hope my parents can have an easier time at work and have more free time."

The god paused for a moment and asked, "Are you sure?"

Futaba nodded: "That's all, my biggest wish has actually been fulfilled."

The god promised: "Your wish will be fulfilled in three days. Go back."

Futaba, carrying her backpack, disappeared into the sea of clouds.

Now only Fujiwara Haru is left.

After confirming that the wish was completed, he would leave. He opened the big bag and took out a small box from it.

He prepared three gift boxes, one for Sister Shendong, Nishimiya Glass, and Lord God.

He also made preparations for the gods. After all, this past year had been more of an outing than a wilderness survival. It had been so easy, and he could only live such an easy life thanks to the gods.

The gentle God gave participation rewards before participation. As long as you don’t choose weapons or something, there are many props that can easily make food and water.

Including the compensation given now, it is obvious that the goddess really takes good care of them. She is a very gentle goddess.

When Fujiwara Haru was preparing a gift for Sister Shendong, he wondered if he should also prepare one for the Goddess, to thank her for her care and her gift.

With a grateful heart, he prepared this gift box.

He raised his hand and said, "God, this is a gift for you."

There was silence for a moment on the sea of clouds, and the huge shadow of the god gradually shrank a lot.

78. I want to buy some osmanthus flowers and put them in the wine, but it doesn’t feel like the days when I was young.

There was a moment of silence on the sea of clouds. The enormous phantom of the deity gradually shrank until it was about the size of a human. Then, it strolled out from behind the clouds.

He has blue hair and red eyes, and there are huge curved horns on both sides of his head. The god's hair is fluttering and scattered in the clouds, and there is a gentle expression on his face.

Full of soft warmth.

She took the gift box and untied the rough ribbon. The gifts inside were revealed: a woven bouquet, a delicious sweet-scented osmanthus cake, and a sapphire necklace. This was Fujiwara Haru's gift-giving habit: a bouquet of flowers, a delicious treat, and a suitable accessory.

"Good boy~Good boy~Mommy feels great~" An obvious voice of joy.

She looked at the confused Fujiwara Haru and explained softly, "My name is Tiamat, the god who created this world. You are all my children."

"Mom likes this gift very much. She is very happy~ very happy~"

"God, you seem to like this gift very much." The corners of her mouth naturally raised slightly, her eyebrows curved slightly, and a smile of joy was clearly on her face.

Looking at the god who was unpacking the osmanthus cake, Fujiwara Haru thought that if he had the chance to come again next time, he would bring some more gifts.

Tiamat asked gently, "Tell me your wish, and I will grant it to you."

Fujiwara Haru clasped his hands together and said, "Please let all the existing humans in the apocalyptic world come to reality, give them a legitimate identity, and live a happy life."

Tiamat was silent for a moment, then gently advised, "Don't make this wish. Try another one."

She looked at the puzzled Fujiwara Haru and explained softly, "After the worlds merged, they would have merged into reality. Mom would implant appropriate memories in them and fade their past memories in the form of dreams, allowing them to continue living in this world."

Fujiwara Haru nodded to show that he understood, and then fell into confusion.

So how should he fulfill his wish?

He didn't really have many wishes. He could ask Sister Shendong for anything he wanted. His biggest wish right now was to get home and have dinner with her. He'd previously wanted to make money, but now that he had a bag full of treasures, he felt like he wouldn't be short of money anymore. So, wishing for wealth didn't seem like much of a point.

He thought for a long time and remembered a wish he made to the gods at the shrine a long time ago.

He clasped his hands together again and said, "I hope Sister Shen Dong will be healthy and live a long life."

Once again, he was persuaded to change his wish: "Don't make this wish, try another one. The average lifespan of a snow woman is three hundred years. It's very rare for her to get sick before her death."

Really? So Sister Shen Dong is so long-lived!

Fujiwara Haru understood and clasped his hands together: "I hope I can live to be 300 years old and stay healthy!"

I was advised to change it again: "Don't make this wish, try another one. Maybe next year you can start practicing cultivation, and then your life span will be greatly increased."

Eh? Did the God know about his training and the pale blue screen? But the God said she was Tiamat, the creator of this world, so it seemed natural that she knew.

Forget it, let’s not dwell on this and continue thinking about what wish to make.

Fujiwara Haru fell into thought again, and this time he thought for a long time. When Tiamat finished eating all the osmanthus cakes in the gift box, he thought of a new wish.

Putting his hands together, he said, "Please let me recover all my memories of my past life!"

Tiamat licked her fingertips and swallowed some of the pastry crumbs.

"This wish is granted."

Be happy and don’t worry about your wishes anymore.

"But, good boy, listen to what your mother has to say first, and then think carefully about whether you want to make this wish."

The God's voice was very gentle: "When you regain your memory, you will become mature, steady, and far-sighted. You will make perfect plans and make good use of every minute of high school to develop yourself."

"You will be known as a top student, you will earn a huge amount of money, you will use your emotional intelligence far superior to others to gain a lot of love, and you will be on the road to a successful life."

Fujiwara Haru listened and felt very good. This was his ideal adult.

"But you'll lose something."

"What is it?"

"Youth that grows unchecked."

"..." Fujiwara Haru didn't understand why he had lost his youth. According to the gods, he should have had a perfect youth, becoming mature, stable, respected, making a lot of money, and achieving great success.

Tiamat leaned closer. "Mother told me that even after your memory returned and I told you to enjoy your youth, you wouldn't be able to fully appreciate it. You'd subconsciously think about gains and losses, you'd subconsciously think about benefits, you'd subconsciously make everything more perfect, by the standards of adult society."

"That's the irresistible instinct you develop after your memory is restored. It's the scars society has left on you. They sting you, they make you seek profit and avoid harm, they make you choose perfection."

"After you regain your memory, you will gain a successful experience that satisfies adult desires, rather than a youthful routine that is ignorant and immature, but will be filled with splendor in your later memories."

"My dear child, according to my prediction, many years after you regain your memory, you will have achieved success and fame, and you will only regret having lost this period of time. Then you will console yourself by saying, 'I am also very successful now, so I should enjoy the present moment.'"

"But you could have had a better future."

Fujiwara Haru thought he understood. If he made this wish, his future self would regret it. And if he didn't make this wish, he would have a better future.

Tiamat knew he only understood superficially and was still confused about the specifics. She spoke in a gentle and patient voice, slowly persuading him.

"Mom understands why you're confused. One can never have both youth and the feeling of youth at the same time."

"Let me tell you a story."

"I once borrowed someone else's account and chatted with a boy for a very long time. At first, he was lively and cheerful, full of energy, curious about new things, full of hope and vitality, and believed that even if life is sometimes bad, it will eventually turn into good."

"He graduated, and a few years later, when I talked to him again, I found that he had completely changed. His eyes were dull, he looked old and tired, and he had lost interest in everything. Every day, the only thing he thought about was what to eat in the evening, and he hardly thought about anything else."

"Occasionally he would walk past the basketball court after get off work and stare blankly, sometimes he would stare blankly at students after school, and sometimes he would fall asleep listening to old songs."

"He grew up, matured, and became a good adult in the eyes of outsiders, but he lost something that is difficult to regain."

"He is you, and you are now slowly picking up what you lost."

"You're an excellent child. Don't rush to grow up, don't worry about the future, and don't rush to recover your memory. Mom hopes you can be happier and more carefree."

"Everything that makes you who you are originally existed, and your memories are only temporarily sealed. You are still you, and you will eventually remember everything. By then, you will have grown into a better version of yourself. Regarding success and your future, you can rely more on your mother. I will help you, so don't worry too much."

"If you wish to restore your memory, and then seal it after it's restored, it will cause you confusion. Furthermore, the passage of time is irreversible. You will eventually grow up, but you won't be able to return to the present."

"Don't make that wish, okay?"

"When you turn 18, you can try again. If you still want to restore all your memories, I will do it for you for free."

Fujiwara Haru actually listened to Tiamat's advice when she first started, but he didn't know what other wishes he could make.

After thinking for a long time, he muttered, "Then I don't have any wishes."

"Then save it. When you want to make a wish, say my mother's name in your heart - Tiamat. I will grant your wish."

"Mom hopes you always have a smile on your face."

Fujiwara Haru thought it was nice of this god who liked to call herself mother: "Thank you, it would be great if I could save it."

Gentle Tiamat: "Then, in closing, in return for your gift, I will give you three small gifts."

"Huh?" Fujiwara Haru was a little surprised.

"The first gift is the energy of growth. Hold it in your hands. If you think about growing taller, you will grow taller. If you think about growing stronger, you will grow stronger."

A pure white ball of light floated into the big bag.

"The second gift is peace of mind for growth. The treasure you bring back now will not cause any bad accidents."

"The third gift is the change in the world. Now there will be more things you like in the world. Go back and look at your computer. There's a new icon on it."

After the Lord God finished speaking, he hugged me gently, and I felt warm.

"Finally, I'll take you back."

"Thank you, thank you very much."