The Strange Adventures of Hearn the Believer

"What does this have to do with my thick skin? I think you just haven't dealt with enough fantasy species. Not long after you left, I was 'relocated' to the countryside. In that godforsaken place, I would encounter nine beautiful girls over a thousand years old every day when I went out to get a newspaper or breakfast."

The believer retorted irritably.

"You must be really working hard. By that calculation, you're exactly 116 years old this year, aren't you?"

Since the topic had come up, Qingzi began to face her current life as an immortal being. She was not the kind of person who would let herself escape reality. Because she was the first audience of her own life, she could not slack off no matter what.

In many aspects of their views on life, the master and apprentice were actually very similar.

"Wait, you've miscalculated. 2092-1986=106. How can you give me an extra ten years out of nowhere? I'm going to sue you for defamation."

These days, Mr. Hearn is extremely sensitive about the topic of age; in his mind, his age conversion formula is only 17 years and several months.

"Wait, believer, didn't you just bring up the idea of ​​facing the reality of your immortal life with equanimity? Why are you suddenly so agitated? I feel like you're becoming more and more like that idiot."

"Baka, shut up!"

Aoko glanced at the guy who had suddenly become unhappy, and a wicked smile crept onto her lips.

"Hehe, believer, do you know? The little boy who is short-lived is mostly shaped by the older women around him as he grows up, and it is only natural that he will bear their shadows - whether you are willing to admit it or not."

"Qingzi, this isn't the first time I've heard your twisted logic about Genji's reverse upbringing. Bai Ze was also an expert at this, giving me the elegant surname Reizei Genji the very next day. But I think I've always been true to myself, let alone been influenced by them—do you think we have similar personalities now?"

When it comes to issues concerning one's moral bottom line, the believer has never backed down, so she immediately retorted sharply.

[It's not just similar, it's practically identical, especially in terms of being a pushover, having rationality far outweighing emotion, and having absolute self-assertion.]

Pandora listened to the entire debate from the sidelines. Having observed the behavior of the two men over the past few days, she remained silent but had already formed her own conclusions.

"Believer, then tell me, in the end, who came to the conclusion that childhood sweetheart relationships are useless and obediently surrendered to the gentle embrace of the older sister who suddenly appeared out of nowhere?"

"Qingzi, stop trying to twist my words. I admit that the arguments I wrote in my diary when I was a teenager about 'childhood sweethearts being better than a gift from heaven' have long been disproven. Also, thanks to being surrounded by a bunch of monsters who are a thousand years older than me since I was a child, my aesthetic sense has involuntarily become skewed. I can't even be bothered to look at ordinary girls my age, let alone those younger than me. But even so, didn't I eventually fall in love with that girl who was about my age?"

"Pfft-"

"Laugh, what are you laughing at?"

"No, it's nothing. I just think it's ridiculous that you haven't realized it after a hundred years, so I couldn't help but burst out laughing."

Aoko held onto Shin's shoulder, lowered her head, and laughed in a low voice until the laughter finally stopped. Then she raised her head, wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and faced Shin's gloomy face that seemed to say, "You won't get through this until you give me a reasonable explanation."

"Have you laughed enough?" the believer asked with a gloomy face.

"You've laughed enough." Aoko nodded with a smile.

"Could you explain that?"

"of course can."

"Tell me, what are you laughing at?"

"Didn't you just say that you remained unmoved by temptations for many years amidst a group of fantasy women who were a thousand years older than you, and finally stayed true to yourself and fell in love with a girl as delicate as a cherry blossom, who was about your age?"

"You added the phrase 'a girl as delicate as cherry blossoms,' and while I admit it's a fitting description, what was wrong with what I just said?"

The believer agreed with some of Aoko's words, but he had no intention of letting Aoko get away with it until the questions in the topic were answered.

"Still haven't you realized it? You stupid disciple, even if you were single-mindedly busy with revenge before, you should spend some of that scheming mind on your private life."

This time, Aoko really leaned close to the believer's ear, looked around to make sure that only Little Pandora was secretly eavesdropping, and then breathed softly.

"Shi, actually, is six years older than you."

""

Chapter 124 Fire Breaks Out

"Wait, that's not how you do it."

The matter was of great importance. Mr. Hearn adjusted the opaque sunglasses he had just used to prove his innocence, his expression solemn.

"Oh? Then please tell me about it."

Aoko smiled and made a funny face, then took his arm and walked forward.

"I almost got tricked by you. Strictly speaking, my hometown and yours are not even on the same side. If we're not on the same side, there's no way to synchronize our timelines. It goes without saying that other people can only move forward in a continuous linear timeline, but when I met you, you were already a weirdo who could move forward, backward, and cross timelines based on your own subjective will. Do you remember the trick you used to fool me back in '92? After fixing the main timeline, you kept yourself at a time point that was always about one second ahead of mine. Then you first tried to fool me with some nonsense about 'hyperspace projection.' After I saw through it, you mysteriously told me that if I didn't want to play the 'I only just realized who I am today' game of killing off a bunch of 'me's', I shouldn't rush things. You made it so mysterious. Once I've also completed the unification of my own timeline and all the individuals in the parallel world, that trick won't be so useful."

With both arms unable to care for themselves, the woman had a rare moment to reflect on the past. She then dug out a pile of supporting evidence from old accounts to argue, "In short, people like us can't have our ages reduced. We know exactly how many years we've lived."

"That sounds plausible, but do you even remember exactly how many years have passed?"

Qingzi followed his words and patiently guided him.

"Let me think, it was 6 years before I met you on the eastern coast of Izu, then I spent 12 years in the countryside, and then everything was blown up. After that, I stayed in the sinful city of Gomorrah for about a year. Sorry, I was so decadent during that time that I drank alcohol like water every day and couldn't really remember. But the donuts that the Lord of the Flies made were really delicious. Later, I didn't get an invitation, so I had to shamelessly attend that person's wedding. After that, I slipped away to where I am now, thinking about returning to a simpler life. I've only been in university for a semester and it's Christmas break now—what? If I calculate it like that, I'm only 19 years old! That scared me to death."

After reviewing her experiences over the years, the believer breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I felt a tightness in my right ear.

"You've finally shown your true colors, you little brat! After I exposed you, you tried to escape but failed. Seeing that you couldn't hide it any longer, you treated me to a lavish welcome and then blurted out, '100 years have passed, and seeing that you and I are still alive and well, I feel both wistful and relieved.' What are you really up to? Did you already know that I was stuck in Office 77, never seeing the light of day, and that I couldn't leave without making a single deal, so you pulled this stunt? Wait, you definitely knew! You said before that the reason it was Office 77 was because it's my birthday. Now I seriously suspect that you were the one who set that rule that you can't even leave the office without making a single deal!"

Aoko grabbed Shin's ear and gritted her teeth again.

"No, that's an industry standard." The woman, wincing in pain, clarified righteously, "You're the kind of manager who only helps when you can and runs away when you can't, so how could I be some selfless, devoted, and boundless model worker? The industry standard was written by someone else, I just signed it—what's the meaning of this hand of yours?"

The believer glanced at the slender hand outstretched in front of her and said sideways.

"Compensate me for my emotional distress! You imprisoned a beautiful young girl like me in a dark, gloomy room for a whole year, and then tried to get away with it by saying, 'How have you been since we last met?' Do you know how much trauma this caused me? Since we reunited, I haven't been able to eat or drink, and every morning I feel like I've lost a lot of hair. Do you know how precious hair is as a medium for a female magician's spells?"

Qingzi pretended to faint, clutching her forehead, and made as if she was about to fall onto him.

"Nonsense! It's because your relationship with that comedian woman was transferred to me. You're not even a carbon-based life form anymore, so why would you be losing hair? To be honest, that 'How have you been since we last met?' was just a joke I made up on the spot. Consider it a return gift for when you tried to fool me with that nonsense about 'hyperspace projection.' Are you happy now? Less than two years have passed since we last met. Do the math and you'll know how old you are this year," the believer replied irritably.

"Emmmmmmm I still clearly remember that around Christmas when I was seventeen, I chased away my stingy older sister who had come back with a vengeance. Then, as a way to get back to the root of the problem, I took a job from that comedian woman and went on a long trip—as the price for using the Fifth Law. That's when I met you, this impeccable brat. After returning home, I studied in high school for another year and successfully graduated. After that, I registered my name at the Clock Tower and started traveling the world. In my third year, I got a little bored and suddenly remembered that there was a cheap student like you who was left to fend for himself somewhere. So I casually slipped over to take a look. But when I saw you, I was shocked. The handsome and tender little boy from back then had become a monster in the Black Forest. Since you said that only a little over a year had passed since the ritual—what? If that's the case, I'm only 22 years old! That scared me to death."

After reviewing all the events that had happened over the years, Qingzi breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Hearn, Ms. Aozaki, are you two doing a comedy routine?" Pandora asked, peeking out.

"Yes, it's a comedy routine. The kids should just listen quietly. Also, remember to come and break us up if you see us fighting later."

The believer nodded at Pandora with affection, then turned away with a dark expression.

"Qingzi, you probably don't understand. I used to run a flower shop. Anyone who has ever tended to flowers and plants knows that if you just plant them and don't nurture them, don't expect them to grow into the way you expect. I'm too lazy to argue with you about those big monsters in the Black Forest and such. Anyway, we've settled our accounts now. As for the so-called emotional distress, didn't I give you 1700 years of my time account for free before? Consider that compensation."

"That's more like it." Remembering the free business deal, Qingzi's expression instantly brightened, and her look returned to its usual sly smile. "So that's what that account meant? Boss, you're really thoughtful."

"When you're transferring money, you're the boss; otherwise, you're just a stupid apprentice. If you don't like something, you're a brat. You sneaked out for a while and when you came back, you even locked the windows, leaving me on the rooftop to be exposed to the wind all night. Did you ever think that I was your boss?"

"Hehehe, because most girls are unreasonable."

"Oh ho? Now that you've figured out your age, you think you're all set?"

"Calm down, kid. I'm teaching you how to become popular. Haven't you ever reflected on why so many girls end up becoming your closest buddies after all?"

"you"

Upon hearing this, the believer felt a sweet taste in his throat and stumbled, startling Pandora, who quickly steadied him.

"Mr. Hearn?"

"Are you alright?" Realizing that her joke had gone a little too far, Aoko snapped out of it and looked apologetic.

"call"

After calming down, the believer first took a deep breath to clear her mind of all impurities. Then she took off the opaque sunglasses that she had used to prove her innocence and revealed a warm, gentle smile.

“Aozaki, let’s continue talking about age.”

"I don't really care, but we've already sorted things out, is there any need to continue?"

"Yes, firstly, why did you just say I'm six years older than him?"

"That was a joke made on purpose to expose the lie of 'I haven't seen you for a hundred years, are you doing well?' Although you can't rely on that comedian woman for big things, she can still handle small things properly. With her mental blockade in place, you basically don't need to doubt the girl's age back then."

"Okay, secondly, what's the story with the pitiful-looking washboard?"

"Hey, you really know how to bring up the most sensitive topics. Is that something you can talk about on the street during the day? It's something you can only understand, understand."

Suddenly being reminded of the incident from the previous night, and then of how Little Pandora secretly reconciled with him, even Aoko blushed for once, putting herself in his shoes. So, she could only playfully punch the other person's chest, signaling him not to bring it up again.

"Then, thirdly, I used to consider you a reliable senior, so how come you've come to steal my partner in less than two years?"

"?"

"?"

"!!!"

Chapter 125 Review

I opened my eyes and was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling.

Although green is more pleasing to the eye than red and does not leave any strange visual residue, the room's interior, ranging from light green to dark green, coupled with the overly obvious racial characteristics of the decorations made from living wood, made the believer immediately know where she was the moment she opened her eyes.

The Gozan Consulate in the inner city of Ausuan was now completely shrouded in the mist of the Sea of ​​Time.

The Prometheus particle—what an imposing and mystical name! Yet, the believer never intended to adopt it.

The formless Qingyao is essentially an overflow of the Sea of ​​Time. Even in the depths of her dreams, the believer maintains a vast surveillance network, naturally shielding herself from external prying eyes while continuously watching any corner covered by the network.

Those sunglasses that he wore to prove his innocence were merely a byproduct of his outward appearance. His true vision was no longer limited to those eyes, nor was it just a panoramic view; rather, it was a complex, multi-dimensional vision, much like a vast surveillance network.

The amount of front-end information that can be processed depends on the level of the back-end processor. Carbon-based life forms use brains, while silicon-based life forms use processors. From overheating to melting, Little Pandora still has a lot to learn.

As for the external environment, Xin Nu is never picky. Although he said that he had been exposed to the northwest wind on the roof all night, putting aside his own adaptability, as long as it is the Sea of ​​Time and the place covered by its mist, it is a 1000% comfortable zone for him. He feels like he is back home wherever he goes. This also applies to Yu Yi, a familiar creature living in the Sea of ​​Time.

Unless external corrective forces completely overwhelm the ability of the Sea of ​​Time to overwrite events, he is a traveler who travels the world with an adaptive ecosystem.

However, after finally getting some sleep and resting up, it's time to get up.

The believer sat up from the bed, noticed the moon-white long robe she was wearing, her lips twitched slightly, she muttered something under her breath, and after getting out of bed, a flash of blue light appeared around her, and she changed into a dark black outfit with gold maple leaf patterns, a Far Eastern swordsman's attire.

Pushing open the bedroom door and stepping into the living room, the vibrant green furnishings remain, except for the addition of a whiteboard that clashes completely with the decor.

Aoko is holding a marker and giving Pandora a lesson in a very professional manner.

"In short, the lower four rings of the Tree of Life—[Kingdom], [Foundation], [Glory], and [Victory]—all fall under the material realm. However, due to the Blood Sea Pact, all high-dimensional beings that descend to Thranheim will be relegated to the [Kingdom] ring. The so-called [Kingdom] does not refer to civilized nations, but rather to material kingdoms. As the foundation beneath the Foundation, the material foundation is composed of the four elements: earth, fire, wind, and water. Various techniques for communicating with the elements are relatively common mystical arts mastered by beings within the Kingdom ring. Hmm? What are you doing sitting here?"

Aoko, who was speaking eloquently, stopped her lecture abruptly after noticing that Nobunaga had also pulled up a small stool and sat down next to Pandora.

"I'm here for extra lessons, teacher." The girl waved the small blue notebook in her hand, quite dissatisfied, "Why did it stop as soon as I arrived?"

"That concludes today's lesson, Pandora. Remember to review your notes after class; I will be checking them on you tomorrow." Aoko ignored his words with a cold face, indicating that Pandora should grind the teaching aids to dust and recycle them into blue particles.

Pandora efficiently tidied up the area, then noticed that the little notebook in the believer's hand was completely disobeying her. The believer noticed her gaze and couldn't help but chuckle, "This is something I prepared myself. You can just take back the part you created, Pandora."

“I understand, Mr. Hearn.” Pandora finished packing her notebook, gave the two men a student salute, and then quickly went back to her bedroom, closing the door behind her.

"She's so obedient, not at all like someone else." Aoko turned her gaze away from the door and glanced at Nobunaga with admiration.

"So dedicated, not at all like someone else." The woman turned her gaze away from the door and glanced at Aoko with a teasing look.

"What, you're even jealous of Little Pandora now?"

"I'm just lamenting that you never taught me a single theoretical lesson back then."

"Uh"

"It's really strange, isn't it? If I wanted to fool my six or seven-year-old self back then, I could have just shown off some fancy but impractical magic trick, like this—"

Suddenly, a fiery red lotus rose from the believer's hand. It was an ordinary fireball spell, constructed from normal fire elemental structure. As he clasped his hands together, the dangerous thing that could instantly cause a spherical explosion with a radius of 20 feet was suppressed and disappeared. When he released his hands again, it had turned into a water ball the size of a fist, which the believer casually tossed into a nearby potted plant to water the flowers.

"—As a result, after I said I was tired of seeing the Magic Bullet Shooter, you suddenly pulled out all the stops and gave me [Shadow Beyond Time and Space]. I admit I didn't understand it at the time, but I was greatly shocked. Now that I think about it, I wonder if you were also a half-baked expert back then, knowing nothing but the Magic Bullet Shooter and the Fifth Magic, and that you were just a paper tiger afraid of being exposed, so you didn't dare to teach the theory classes!"

"Can you shut your mouth and let me fondly reminisce about that beautiful young man, as melancholic as ice and as graceful as poetry, from the end of September 2004?"

Unable to bear it any longer, Aoko, her face dark with anger, directly pressed her hand down and pressed the mouth of the nun tightly.

"You got caught in the trap, didn't you?"

The believer continued to defiantly resist.

"Long-winded!"

"Wait a minute, someone is eavesdropping."

The woman suddenly turned her head and broke free from the blockade. Aoko followed her gaze and looked towards a corner of the living room.

The bedroom door, which had just been closed, quietly creaked open a crack, revealing Cinderella peeking furtively from where she was hiding. Realizing she had been exposed, she calmly peeked out and asked a question with an air of nonchalance.

"Mr. Hearn, Ms. Aozaki, are you going to start your 'stand-up comedy' again?"

"Children should go and do their homework properly after school," the two said in unison.

“Okay.” Pandora nodded obediently.

The bedroom door closed quickly.