He changed Tiwat

"Dulin is a miraculous life form created by humans, and its existence proves countless possibilities. Therefore, the snow mountain we are in is essentially a nest of life's mysteries... a vast and terrifying hotbed."

Abedo's words sounded so true.

Yes, in fact, a large part of what he said is true.

Han Fulai finally understood why so many people believed the lies of those online "experts" and "professors." If he hadn't known the truth beforehand, he might have been fooled by Abedo too. When these experts lose their conscience, deceiving ordinary people is truly easy…

Chapter 145 Abeldo, you've gone bad too!

The term "mutant deception flower" may sound a bit far-fetched, but when considered in the context of the existence of the demon dragon Durin, it does make some sense.

After all, the legendary dragon Durin was a miracle creature created by the evil alchemists of Kanria. Miracle creatures giving rise to new miracles seems to make sense.

As the saying goes, "Novels need logic, reality doesn't," and Amber and Bennett both seemed to believe it to some extent.

However, Amber still had questions: "It went to your lab and stole your alchemy notes, and it also impersonated you to steal that sword from the Knights of Favonius. It can even talk... Is Deceitful Flower really that smart?"

“You’ve probably noticed that it can wield very powerful ice elemental energy,” Abedo explained. “In academia, Flameflower, Mistflower, various types of Wickflowers, as well as Exploding Flame Tree and Frost Tree, are all considered to be crystallized elements surging within the ley lines. And the Dragonspine Snow Mountain ley lines themselves have anomalies, so this Wickflower, after its ‘mutation,’ became a high-level elemental life form—possessing the intelligence of a high-level elemental life form.”

“As for why it has even learned to talk…” Abedo shrugged. “That’s why I say it is ‘mutated.’ The mutational evolution of mutated organisms has always been an unsolved mystery in academia. This world is truly amazing.”

"Hey! You're just going to let this slide?!" Han Fulai almost blurted out.

“Oh…” Amber nodded as if she understood.

Wait a minute, how come you two are so daring to say it and believe it...? Han Fulai is starting to worry that Amber will be deceived by a scumbag in the future...

Bennett also had the same question: "But even if it mutated... why did it have to become like you and replace you?"

“I have a preliminary hypothesis about this.” Abedo’s wording was surprisingly rigorous, as if he were doing academic research. “The liar is a creature that is good at mimicking. The liars we usually encounter in the wild often appear around the original creature being mimicked—for example, the sweet flower or mint.”

Bennett and Amber both nodded; encountering a Slug disguised as a Sweet Flower was a staple of any wilderness adventure, and they had no choice but to try it.

Abedo continued, "...In other words, its instincts likely include the desire to 'approach the prototype and replace it.' I spent a long time conducting alchemical experiments in the snowy mountains, and it's very possible that this mutated Phantom Flower targeted me while I was collecting materials, and then it began to observe and imitate me..."

"So, the Slybug can burrow underground and mimic all sorts of plants, making it difficult to detect when it's being tracked... After watching you for a while, it wanted to imitate you and become an alchemist. So it stole your alchemy notebook, imitated you to return to the Knights, and then found the sword recorded in the notebook, and tried to conduct experiments like you... Hmm, that seems to fit the Slybug's habits quite well."

Amber clapped her hands and realized that everything seemed to make sense.

Just as Han Fulai once said, people will only believe what they want to believe.

Once someone believes something, they will find reasons to convince themselves, even if the thing is actually very absurd, such as "she and her male friend just spent one night playing Genshin Impact in a hotel room"...

Abedo continued, "When it is a plant, it disguises itself as other plants and joins their groups as cover. The imitated plants will not notice and have no way to resist this behavior. But when its imitation target is a human, the human will resist this imitation... Unfortunately, we discovered its imitation."

"So it created an avalanche to eliminate those of us who knew the truth?"

Bennett, who was just as naive as Amber, felt as if he had connected everything, and he was even a little happy.

"So, the avalanche wasn't caused by my bad luck! No wonder I wasn't injured when I fell off the mountain and was able to resolve the situation successfully. It means my method worked. Once the bad luck is gone, good luck will come!"

Abedo blinked: "Oh... you didn't get hurt when you fell off the mountain because I was secretly protecting you. I was the one who moved that snowdrift over there..."

“Huh? Uh…” Bennett paused for a moment, then quickly found a new optimistic angle: “I think being protected can also be considered a kind of good luck, right?”

Abedo smiled kindly: "It's not that you can't think that way."

At this moment, Yura asked coldly, "Then tell me, why did that 'mutant liar flower' travel with us and even lead the way? Where did you go during the time you disappeared?"

She knew that Abed's background was a secret and shouldn't be revealed, so it was understandable that Abed made up stories to fool Amber and the others... but she was unhappy about it now.

Leaving aside the previous plot with Han Fulai in the dungeon in Dulin to deceive her, since Abedo had already apologized. But this time, his disappearance after the cliff fall, with that young Abedo taking his place, is also a form of deception…

Moreover, judging from the timing of Aberdo's backstabbing of the imposters, he was likely lying in ambush near them all along. Why would he do that?

What if she hadn't noticed anything amiss? Allowing an imposter to travel with them for so long—wasn't that putting everyone in danger?

Yura needs a reasonable explanation.

“I’m sorry, I was indeed a bit reckless in what I did.” Abedo bowed his head and apologized to everyone. “When I discovered the avalanche, I immediately thought that it might be an imposter playing tricks, and then I thought that it wanted to replace me. Conversely, if I disappeared, it might appear and take my place. So I deliberately hid and lured it out.”

“And it will accompany you, even guide you…” Abedo paused slightly, “I guess, perhaps it wants to experience what it feels like to be human, surrounded by friends…”

Yura raised an eyebrow, knowing that what Abedo was referring to was probably Abe's mindset.

Thinking about it this way, Abe didn't really do anything to harm them when he was with them... Maybe he really was just a clumsy "new human" who wanted to learn how to get along with friends?

"When I realized that it didn't intend to harm you for the time being, I decided to observe it for a while. After all, it is a valuable experimental sample... If we can lure it into the camp, the chances of capturing it will be better."

“I understand that having it disguise itself as me and travel with you might pose a danger, so I’ve been following behind, keeping a close watch on you, ready to support you at any time…”

As Abedo spoke, he suddenly glanced at Han Fulai.

"Besides... Mr. Han is with you. I believe that with his abilities, he can definitely protect everyone. He should have noticed something was wrong from the beginning and made preparations accordingly. This is also a tacit understanding between Mr. Han and me, right?"

Now it was Han Fulai's turn to be shocked.

Aberdo, you've gone bad too... You're even trying to shift the blame onto me now.

You'll have to repay this favor later, and I'll remember this grudge—no, this debt.

Han Fulai gave a wry smile and accepted the blame: "Yes, I did cooperate with Professor Abedo's actions, and I also bear responsibility for this... But no matter what, the good outcome is all that matters."

Chapter 146 Joseph's Fate

Although Yura still has some lingering resentment, as Han Fulai said, a good outcome makes everything alright.

They have now successfully resolved the crisis of the resurgence of the dragon Durin, purified the Corrupted Sword, and Abe has been personally killed by Abedo. It can be said that everything has come to a satisfactory conclusion.

More importantly, after that fierce battle, Amber and everyone else were unharmed... There's nothing more fortunate than that. If she asked for anything more, even the gods would probably scold her for being greedy.

As for Abedo hiding after falling off the cliff... well, let's just say it was a case of "deceiving your friends before deceiving your enemies." As the saying goes, if the outcome is good, everything is good.

After resting for a while, the group set off on their journey home.

Just as Bennett had said, the bad luck had been dissipated, and the journey had been remarkably smooth without any mishaps. The group arrived safely at the adventurer's camp in the evening.

Upon hearing that Bennett had been found, the adventurers who remained at the camp were naturally overjoyed and rushed off to deliver the news.

The Adventurers' Guild had made thorough preparations for their search in the mountains, even borrowing a "surveying beacon" imported from Mount Sumeru from Miss Estelle, a geographer stationed at the camp.

These "surveying beacons" were made by scholars of the Mysticism School of the Order of the Church. They were mechanical devices used to help scholars measure various data such as the topography and landforms of a place. To draw an analogy, this thing is roughly equivalent to a modern "plane instrument" plus a "plotter"—it has powerful functions, and its cost is naturally quite high.

The most advanced feature of the "survey beacon" is its ability to generate light signals using elemental forces. These signals are unaffected by geographical conditions or external factors such as wind, and can sense other beacons within a certain range, transmitting signals to each other. Adventurers use these as "beacons" in the snowy mountains.

The beacon at the camp sends out a signal, which is received every few dozen miles and relayed to the next station, until it reaches the beacon carried by the adventurers deep in the mountains. Once the beacon receives the signal, it knows that the rescued person has been found at the camp, and the people in the mountains can return to the camp.

After the adventurers who stayed behind sent out the signal, they quickly received a return signal, and it seemed that Guild Master Serius's team was already on their way back.

And waiting for their return were not only the adventurers from the guild, but also Joel, who was eagerly anticipating his father's return.

When Joel heard that the knight ladies had brought people back, he thought it was his father returning and ran over to greet them with great joy, only to be disappointed.

As an adventurer dispatched by the Adventurers' Guild to search for Joseph, Bennett felt it was his responsibility to inform Joseph's family of what he knew, so he pulled out a children's book from his person.

—The Wild Boar Princess, Volume 6.

On the title page of the book, there is Joel's childish handwriting: "When Dad comes home, he must tell me the story of the snow mountain!"

Bennett's search for Joseph wasn't entirely fruitless; he found several temporary camps Joseph had left behind on the main mountain road, which, judging from the route, led all the way to the summit of Fendnir.

This book is also one of his achievements.

“I found this in a cave during my climb. I found some scattered climbing gear outside the cave, so I cleared away the rubble blocking the entrance… Joseph did stay there for a while, but when I went in, there was only a litter of fox cubs and this book. Oh, and there was a note he wrote inside…” Bennett said.

Joel took the book, opened it, and saw three sticky notes tucked between the pages.

The first two sticky notes were written in neat handwriting, just like his father Joseph's.

September 5th, sunny.

Everything's going smoothly so far. The weather's been great, supplies are plentiful, and the monsters are behaving well. Also, I actually found a copy of Volume 6 of "The Wild Boar Princess" in my backpack! Joel must have sneaked it in there, that kid... But this book is about a brave wild boar princess and her friends climbing a snowy mountain... I'm also climbing a snowy mountain, and the climb has been going so smoothly. Maybe this book brought me good luck. Thanks, Joel!

In short, I plan to continue to the next campsite, replenish my supplies, and document the situation before heading back down the mountain. Joel is still waiting for me in town.

September 6th, sunny.

Nothing unexpected happened along the way, and the weather remained great. Looks like my luck has finally turned around. Maybe I can try my hand at summiting... just a little test, though. If anything goes wrong, I'll turn back immediately.

The handwriting on the third sticky note was very messy, and Joseph didn't seem to have the time or inclination to write down the date, or perhaps he had lost the ability to calculate dates:

The blizzard on the mountaintop came too fast; I only had time to escape into this cave, and I lost most of my supplies. And for some reason, the rocks above the cave entrance suddenly crumbled, and the falling debris sealed the entrance shut. This is really bad…

But I felt... there was still a way out. Although there was a cliff on the other side of the cave entrance, there was thick snow below. If I could climb down a certain distance first and then jump down... the supplies wouldn't last for more than a few days, and I had to act quickly.

I've already made a promise with Joel to take him to see the snow, and I won't break my promise.

By the way, if anyone sees this notebook, please put some more food in that bowl for me to feed those foxes.

When I was trapped here, those little guys stayed with me the whole time. If I ever have the chance, I really want to bring Joel to see them again...

According to the notes, Joseph attempted to summit the snow-capped mountain about a week ago during a period of good weather. However, he encountered a sudden blizzard on his way to the summit and was trapped in a cave by falling rocks. After running out of supplies, Joseph decided to take a desperate gamble and jump off a cliff to survive several days later.

However, Joseph did not make it back down the cliff after jumping. Otherwise, he should have returned several days ago.

Bennett went up the main road and then deliberately descended the steep slope in search of Joseph, who had jumped off the cliff to save himself. Unfortunately, due to a stroke of bad luck, he tumbled down the mountain...

Thinking that his father had been missing for so long, and that the older brothers and sisters who had helped him search for him had returned empty-handed, only bringing back this fairy tale book that he had secretly slipped into his father's backpack as a talisman... Joel's eyes immediately reddened.

Large tears dripped onto the fairy tale book.

Chapter 147 Believe in miracles, and miracles will happen.

"Joel, don't... don't cry..."

Seeing Joel in tears, Bennett immediately panicked, as he was most afraid of seeing others cry.

Yura looked a little flustered... She had no experience in taking care of children, and although she wanted to comfort her, she didn't know how, so she could only stand there awkwardly.

Amber quickly knelt down and took out a handkerchief to wipe Joel's tears.

Joel asked her, sobbing, "Sister Amber, my father... is it impossible for him to come back?"

Even the usually optimistic Amber dares not answer this question now.

In fact, judging from the notes Bennett brought back, the possibility that Joseph was still alive was extremely slim.

Given the harsh environment of the Dragon Ridge Mountains, even with complete equipment, hiking the mountain trails would present numerous difficulties, let alone the fact that Joseph had lost his equipment and supplies. Moreover, under these circumstances, Joseph chose to take a desperate gamble and jump off a cliff to survive.

Not everyone in this world has Bennett's incredible luck in getting stuck in a snowdrift or falling into a soft snowdrift... Ordinary people who fall from a sufficiently high cliff usually die instantly.

The snow in the mountains isn't all soft. In many places, the snow may appear thick, but often only the surface is soft snow powder. Further down, the snow powder is compressed into a solid layer of ice due to its own weight. Falling from a height onto ice is not much different from falling onto concrete.

Even if Joseph was lucky enough not to die instantly after jumping off the cliff, even a broken leg would likely not be enough to survive in the snow-covered mountains—Bennett had discovered the cave four days ago, and if he hadn't emerged from the mountains in four days, Joseph was probably already…

It's easy to casually say "Your dad will definitely come back," but if Joseph really doesn't come back... Joel will probably be even more heartbroken then.

Amber hesitated, unsure how to comfort the child.

This is where Abedo, the male mother who is very good at coaxing children, comes in handy.

He pulled out his sketchbook and quickly sketched lines on the paper. In no time, a Mondstadt-specific Wind Crystal Butterfly appeared on the paper.

He held the sketchbook up to Joel and said, "Joel, look, what's this?"

Joel looked at the sketchbook in Abedo's hand through teary eyes, "It's... a Wind Crystal Butterfly."

Abedo then asked, "Have you ever seen such crystal butterflies in the snow-capped mountains?"

Joel shook his head slightly.

The extreme cold of Longji Snow Mountain is not suitable for the survival of the Wind Crystal Butterfly; the only butterflies that can be seen here are the Ice Crystal Butterflies, which are as white as snow.

"If we can see the Wind Crystal Butterfly here, wouldn't that be considered a 'miracle'?" Abedo continued to ask.

Joel nodded, then shook his head.

"...But here...it's impossible."

"Don't give up hope. How will you know if it's possible if you don't try?"

Aberdo took Joel's hand and guided his fingers to touch the drawing paper.

"Say it after me, 'Let's get moving.'"

Aberdo's voice seemed to have a magical power, making Joel involuntarily follow suit and make the same sounds.

"...Let's get moving."

As Joel echoed Aberdo's words, Aberdo also whispered his incantation.

"The ashes of life between the universe and the earth's strata grant you new life."

The wind-blown butterfly, with its dreamlike fluorescence, fluttered out of the drawing paper.

Unlike the tables, chairs, and benches he created with paintbrushes before, and unlike the "biological alchemy" that instantly "ripens" special seeds... what Abedo is doing now is "creation" from nothing to something - creating life.

The child's eyes lit up instantly.